Good review. I bought the smaller MSA 120 C about 4 years ago for occasional use when we moved from inner suburbia to an outer suburban bush block. I'm in my 70s, and it's my first chainsaw. I wasn't sure of my ability to handle a petrol chainsaw as I got into my 80s. Not having to store and mix fuel is a major advantage. It's quiet and convenient to use. My little one can handle cutting down a 20 to 25cm dia hardwood tree, even if it doesn't go through it like a hot knife through butter 😁 It does the job and it's easy to handle. It was more expensive than a slightly more powerful petrol model, but I'm very happy that I bought my 120 C.
tired of hassle with 2cycle gas; already own stihl electric equipment with AP300 kit battery and charger; this reviewed essentially sold the product; will go to my dealer today and have him ship one in. thanks for a straight up heads on review with no BS
I knew it would be a favourable review. I’ve had a MSA 200C for a couple of years and it blew me away with its performance. I bought just to do the small to mid size stuff and like you I tried it out on old dry hardwood. And as you found all it does is tear through it, at the expense of battery life. But stick with the small stuff and 40 minutes no problem.
"I bought just to do the small to mid size stuff and like you I tried it out on old dry hardwood. " Yeah but if you need to chop the big stuff, you're going to need a 2nd chainsaw
A good honest review. The trouble with a lot of electric saw reviews is that they do not compare like with like. To evaluate these, compare torque specs at the shaft output with the petrol engine; compare run time per tank/charge; compare weight, starting hassles, heat, fuel costs, service costs, cut time, etc, and battery will win on so many fronts. A 12" or 14" cuts just that as a firewood saw, or can fell a 24" - 28" tree. Way to go. But beware, Stihl is the best there is, but the el cheapos DO NOT equate by any measure.
Great vid cheers mate. I replaced all of my fuel equipment with Stihl Lithium, Chainsaws, Pole and hand held, trimmers Pole and hand, Blower (The big one with the external battery holder), Same as you cant stand the smell or bloody noise! They all work great! Highly recommend!
This was a great review .. I found the 200C a bit underpowered when I upgraded it to run a wider tungsten chain. Seems Stihl thought the same thing! I'm loving the electric cordless stuff .. the wife, son and daughter seem not to comprehend combustion engines and the more battery powered tools I have the better chance I have of sharing the work round the farm!! ;)
Kevin Punter can you please tell me a little bit about the tungsten chain? Where did you purchase it, what was the cost, and who is the manufacturer? Thanks
@@rottiejakeluke I got if from my local Stihl dealer. It was a Stihl chain ... a tungsten tipped Duro. Needed to swap both bar and sprocket to match. The chain wasn't cheap, think it was about $150 as the upgrade was about $250. It's the same type of chain Stihl spec on their rescue chainsaws. Be aware you can't sharpen those chains with any traditional method .. they need to be professionally sharpened with a diamond wheel. My new 220 arrived last week but I haven't had a chance to try it yet ... only the "comes with" chain on the new one. I moved from Sydney to rural Queensland and my local Stihl shop was technically competent in Sydney whereas my new local Stihl shop gave me a weird look when I told them how my 200 was upgraded. Plus I still haven't found a good local chain sharpening service - I hate sharpening chains.
I have watched several tests of these saws. One tip for you mate! For improved run time don't constantly run the saw between cuts. This reduces the run time significantly on electric chainsaws. It doesn't Matter the size or brand.
@@Grggeorge For professional use it is if you can not charge where you are. You can have extra battery's with you but they only last an hour and is a little expensive
@@Grggeorge For professional use it is if you can not charge where you are. You can have extra battery's with you but they only last an hour and is a little expensive
Even paying for electricity its still only about 15c worth per charge. Mixed two stroke probably costs 3-4 times as much. No more crunchy diaphragms and gummed up carburettors if you haven't used it in 6 months. Take off the shelf, put in oil and battery and cut.
Grate review man my local fire brigade looking at these saws for storm call outs and tree downs so to see someone cutting up fallen trees and limbs with this saw is exactly the type of review we needed will be sure to show this at next training night
G'day Ozzie, the tungsten chain as I'm sure you know is designed to run at lower rpm to conventional , and therefore cuts at a slower rate but ten times longer between sharpening . Not everyone in the world is aware that the hardest wood on Earth is in Australia but that's ok the scientists are 👍🇦🇺.
I just bought one without a battery after first buying the 85 blower with the AP300 battery and then the 85 trimmer w/o battery. I'm impressed with all of them. I may add a 2nd battery at some point but for now the one battery is all I need
These saws are great for homeowners and light use. I have the MSA200 and a couple of batteries. Its in use every week. Two stroke is dead for many users. Its that good.
I can see the use in a 4wd for track clearing. My only concern would be the 240AC charger for us downunder. How do you re charge in your vehicle from 12VDC? Do you need a 12V DC inverter to run the 240 AC charger to charge the 36V DC battery or a portable 240 AC portable Generator? That’s where the “convenience factor starts to go out the window. The convenience / portability screams 4WD track clearing saw, but the difficulty to charge 2 or 3 x 36V DC batteries from your vehicle, means it’s really not a off roading / camping / 4WD track clearing saw, it’s for use at home or the farm where you have 240 AC to run the charger. I sometimes wonder about Stihl design engineers to be honest. Lost count of the Stihl chainsaws I’ve bought & owned over the years, definitely a Stihl fan, for more than 40 years now, but starting to scratch my head about some of the new technology. I’d probably throw the Stihl 500i in the 4WD for track clearing here in WA. Was that a Jarrah Split Fencepost you were cutting at the start? I’m guessing your WA (Sandgroper State) based?
I've got 5 chainsaws currently .. 4 are Stihl and of the 4 Stihl, 3 are electric. The small Husky petrol is what I'd throw in the back of the 4WD if I was leaving the property .. at the very same time I make sure I'm loading a fresh fuel container, 2 stroke oil, chain oil and a spare sharp chain! Give it a few years and your 4WD may be electric and it'll come with 240V (or110V) outlets from an integrated inverter - that's when my habit will change. I was an early adopter of the 36V Stihl stuff and I really like the pole chain saw, the arborist chainsaw, the blower and the heavier duty line trimmer and the fast charger replenishes a battery as fast as you'd use one .. so all good there. I did buy the larger electric chainsaw and the first thing I did was swap the sprocket, bar and chain so I could run a wider tungsten chain .. honestly it lacked a bit of power with the wider chain and bogged down on harder timber. Seems the 220C addresses that and a bit more! I for one will certainly buy this chainsaw, but ONLY for use on the property. What I really want from Stihl next is a mega heavy duty electric brush cutter (happy to wear a large backpack battery as I feel that better distributes the weight). Ian if you wanted battery powered stuff off road I'd suggest dual batteries, a decent size solar panel on the roof and an appropriately sized inverter .. otherwise stick with petrol for the remote stuff! Don't even go down the path of charging a battery tool with a seperate petrol generator - that's just loss on top of loss! Hey, with the extra juice you could also run a nice fridge with an iKegger draught beer dispenser ;)
Depends on the chargers power draw I suppose. My 4x4 has a factory fitted 240v inverter but it only runs at 100watts! If this will charge the battery then I am good to go..
Were those both new chains? It looked like the bite on the gas one was a bit less or less sharp regardless of the power difference. Like really slow cut
Hey a nice review! I was actually looking for the Ozzy man reviews for a good laugh, but this was a great few minutes to spend as well. Looks very dry there down under.
I recently bought this too. I have a few 36 volt tools such as a 230mm wet saw, whipper snipper and hedge trimmer. I now have 2 batteries. A 7.2 Amp hour something 300 and a 180 4 amp hour battery. I bought a chain saw sharpener and the sales rep showed me how to use the sharpener which follows the angle of the sharpening procedure. This machine site spits out a lot of debris. I have two other chainsaws. One is a kobalt which I gave away. The other is an Italian corded Chainsaw which is at a clients house. Neither of those saws come anywhere near the sthil. It's scary actually because You just touch the wood and it rips right through it.
I have the 200 version and I use a power inverter, for if I'm ever away from home and encounter excessive amounts of shrub to clear, and need to recharge. Good video, thanks.
Thanks or the video. I'm a gardener/landowner and I'm switching to Electric. I went with Ego. The brush cutter is amazing. I'm waiting or the 18" chainsaw (the current ego saws are a bit ehh) The rpm's are 11,000 which puts it in league with the Stihl farm boss.
Did you buy the Ego chainsaw? If so how has it been? I have a smaller Ego chainsaw, it’s okay but I’d like a second chainsaw that is a bit bigger and because we have batteries and chargers the Ego 18 inch chainsaw is a cheaper option.
hmm, looks impressive, but I'd still prefer two nuts to tighten the bar. Still, Stihl is the only company where I'd expect to find parts for the saw. I looked into Milwaukee and Dewalt parts had no luck, so likely not getting their saws. I'll have to look into this one more, thanks for the video!
Not to take anything away from the saw and it’s certainly the way of the future but I think maintaining the chain is far more difficult for the average owner than mixing fuel. My only concern would be careless owners leaving them where a child could access them. Not many children know how to start a two stroke saw. Great review oz 👍
Sharpening the chain is easy like a petrol same mess, still release the chain brake etc. Haven't found any difference Between the Stilhs, Milwaukee petrol and electric.
Dan Stevens That is a point I have not seen raised before. You have to have the chain break off and depress a little button on the handle before the trigger works. But you are correct - a lot easier to start than a two stroke. Would definitely have to keep out of reach of children.
Number of cycles of charge/discharge lifespan of the battery? Doubt it makes it past 400, and even less when quickly deep-discharged to "one light" and recharged on a fast charger.
G'day. Thank you for your demonstration. I have been looking for a new chainsaw and like you wanted to get away from petrol driven machines. Most of my cutting will be bamboo and soft woods, so this looks as though it will meet my requirements. Thanks again.
Sweet saw! I have been using battery chainsaws on the property here, and I have gone through two of them. They both did far more work than they had been designed to do before quitting on me. Now I need something with more power and ability for some clearing I need to be doing... thanks for the review! Dropping a LIKE on your video! Watching and Supporting!
A reason the MS170 was slower could be that, while the chain was tungsten, it might be a semi chisel or even a skip tooth chain. If you use the same saw back to back a full chisel vs semi chisel chain the difference is staggering.
There is no question that electricity is the fuel of the here and now,...so these Stihl saw's are about the top of the line by a long shot. Easier of the ears too,..of that there is no doubt, but hearing and eye protection should still be uppermost in your buying decision here. Thanks for this Ozzie.
@@2450logan Longer bar and larger battery, but the price in Canada, is somewhat higher at over the 600CAD point by the time you leave the store,...god bless the sales taxes!!
I have an MS170 I really like, but I can see the appeal of these. I don't use mine enough to justify the cost of the electric right now but if I was using it more often I could see myself buying one.
Geese that,s pretty good. Those larger sections of tree were really seasoned hardwood, even with a hard pipe in the interior which is super hard and tough. This saw cut it as though it was pine. I'm impressed. Thanks for taking the time and posting.😀
Do you have any reviews about how the saw works on green wood, cutting fresh timber, clearing live trees? Typically I don't cut down dead dry trees when clearing and landscaping properties. The trees are alive and intrusive so they need to be removed or at least cut back for maintenance.
Looks great. How is Stihl Customer Service? My friend told me it was not so good. The main problem for me is cost of Stihl product. Including a backup battery, you can be looking at well over $1000. That's a lot of money. I was originally an Echo petrol saw fella but because of the noise when using it in town and the hassle of petrol, I moved to EGO battery saws but the reliability of their latest generation batteries was poor and they are so expensive. And customer service is poor. So, I then moved to Ozito, which is made in China like many saws but designed in Germany. The 2 X 18V 14 inch Ozito saw is superb. I've got the 2 X 18V mower and 18V pole saw and angle grinder too, so have plenty of batteries. I'm sure Stihl is great but for many of us, the price can't be justified. Add to that, the longevity of battery saw motors and indeed the batteries is still under question.
So it runs for 25 minutes so if you are out on the farm how do you charge it then. Go back home and wait for half an hour. Then go and do another 25 minutes work. This maybe ok around home for short jobs but no good if you head out to cut a serious load of wood.
If you've got a solar/deep cycle battery setup on your truck then this is probably a lot more appealing. But otherwise, I agree with you. If you don't have those things a jerry can of fuel will have you going all day when working remote.
Got a 200 c had it for 4 years but this one seem much better mabe next year , i love mine tell all to get one . they are not cheap but less noise and no fuel, or hard to start
Picked up the milwaukee version when they had the free 12 amp battery redemption, just awsome- grunty, fast and freakin quiet, Its always ready to go and does'nt sit there idling away. Love it. The thin bar bar flexing will throw the chain though if your'e not careful. Super tool. Ozzie, can you get the new Tesla Cyber Truck and give us a review?
I got a spare bar and chains for my Milwaukee at my local small engine shop. Archer Australia mini max consumer bar, 16DO-CL-PO. 16"(40cm) 3/8, .050". Great upgrade and easier/cheaper replacement that oem. 1bar and 2 chains only cost me $45. Great saw for round the yard and camping as I already have 8 of their m18 tools.
I've got the MSA161T and it's awesome. I've also got the AP300S batteries and fast charger. I think I'll get the MSA220C to compliment it. Thanks for the review!
@@antelopeslr5000 hey mate, the 220C wasn't available when I bought the 161T. The 161T is well balanced and is really made for smaller branches. It struggles with the bigger stuff due to this very reason - i.e. You don't get the leverage like you would with a larger sized saw like the 220C. This is the primary reason for me wanting one. I got the 161T primarily for camp fire duties as a saw I can keep in the car permanently. The best thing is it all fits in a plastic ammo can when taken apart - including a spare battery!
@@WilliamPradoGXL Thanks for the reply. I'm leaning towards the MSA 220. Went to buy it yesterday from my local Stihl dealer but they had the MSA 200 (as well as all the other battery chainsaws) but no MSA 220. When I asked about the 220, he said he hadn't heard of it. This was from a pretty big Stihl dealership too. I got the feeling that they were trying to move some of their older stock first as the salesperson was trying to sell me the MSA 200. They didn't even offer to order in the MSA 220. So unfortunately I walked out empty handed.
@@antelopeslr5000 yeah sorry for the late response I wasn't tagged in the reply so I wasn't notified. Anyway, I'd show them the Stihl website as it clearly shows the 220C, or I'd just order it direct from the Stihl website. As you would know the 220 has a bit more power than the 200 so I wouldn't settle for less. Something to be aware of is that the 161T did not come with a bumper spike. I had to order it separately through my local dealer. Not sure what the deal is with the 220.
Very impressive. Thank you for the nice review. The convenience factor of this devise is phenomenal. Environmentally its another mountain of false virtue because of the materials mining, child labor exploitation and eventual cost of disposal of the battery components. The United States is suffering from their new refusal to mine their own abundance of oil and the new government regulations (also steeped in false virtue) instead of reality. But this looks to be a great product from Stihl, and your review was extremely helpful. Thank you.
The only put off with the Stihl electric is they have a limited tool range, unlike the Makita products. Look at getting the tungsten chains, they are worth the extra $$
A landscaping business? I would go with gas. You will need to have 4 or 5 batteries on hand to do 3-4 hours of cutting each day. The saw is great and it is commercial, but if you cut for a living, recharging is hard. Like Tesla Taxis. You have to account for charging time when you wont be making money. FWIW I have this saw.
Would you think 2 batteries would be required. Then a generator to charge the batteries if you got a lot of work to do. But how good is the convenience! Ready to go for 80 % of your cutting jobs.
I'm using electric gear and have 2 batteries. I need another and as long as you can recharge constantly, you will never run dry. It's still a bit tricky if you can't access power. Adding a solar battery setup on a Ute would be pricey to charge on the go so there is a teething issue for some and it won't work for others. The future of vehicles is electric and all the new ute type vehicles are coming out with 2500w capable plugs so you can run almost any electrical device from them. You will basically be able to build a house remotely without ever using a generator.
Hey mate, how do you find the vibration without a petrol engine in there? For me that's easily the worst thing about using our saws, they just kill my forearms.
Great review mate. I’m with yah on the electric side of things for sure. I regularly use a Milwaukee electric Chainsaw at work and even for just the convenience. We have all Milwaukee power tools so it makes sense. Makes we think about selling my little Husky saw. Keep them coming Mate nice work again. Cheers
Btw, you can use castor/veggie oil mix to replace fossil-fuel based bar oil -- whenever i have a tank of rancid veggie oil, i tend to mix it with thick bar oil (depending on outdoor temperature).
Does a direct comparison with a 500 + 200 dollar chainsaw to a 250 dollar saw? I personally wouldnt want to have to rely on an electric chain saw during an extreme weather event where the power goes out...
The only issue with these is when working for a decent time for quick jobs they seem convenient. if you have hours of work to do far from home. what do you do? have 3 batteries and keep running back to home and swapping them over on the charger? get more? right now in Australia 220c + ap300 + charger = $1027. make that 3 batteries and its $1625. Allot of money for something running a pico chain and range anxiety. 461 and 170 is actually a pretty darn good combo. its the 308 + 22lr or the chainsaw world lol.
i think over time the electric device industry will only get better. at first it was almost pointless... but as time goes on they have improved a lot. just so many small eltrical parts that can fail... so it can be hard to find the issue.
I still don't see anything with a tooless bar setup as a proper saw, cuts good tho. And they put the battery where rain gets a gravity assist to ingress the tool
Not happy with mine as it cut 7 cuts from new before the first battery flattened. It stalls continually in bigger wood so for $1400 with 2 batteries and a rapid charger I seem to have a saw that is only good for lighter wood. Aussie hardwood are pretty tough I admit, but my MS180's cut it fairly easily.
Get a Makita electric. Batteries swap over with your other Makita tools and it’s so much easier to use over the petrol. Les chance of burning yourself too as it doesn’t really heat up and so much lighter. 100% recommend.
Great review - MS261 for $1500 vs this with a few batteries for same money … the 261 wins by a mile. These do look handy though! Ps - you need to invest in some safety chaps mate.
I noticed that also… Not sure why yours is the only comment about the pre-cuts… perhaps he just scored a line around the bark, but it was very clear to see.
Hey mate, what you can see is actually the chain oil flinging off the chain and spraying onto the wood underneath the cut, definitely hasn't been pre cut.
I wounder what type of traditional fuel Stihl chainsaw can get for that sort of money seems expensive buy the time factor battery and charger into it , plus brad new chain also so performance would decrease over time and does is have brushes , this saw would have its place would have to consider cost over convenience though
While the performance and reliability of most Sthil battery operated products are superb there is a potential drawback. To avoid shortening your battery life it is not recommended to store the battery fully charged which is not a problem if you know what you’ll be doing the day before, you can just put it on charge before you go to bed.
Ozzie, been watching your reviews and I really enjoyed them especially the rim fire ones,CZ, and the chainsaw was especially out of the ordinary, most gun guys in country side have chainsaws but the one on fire arms restrictions you guys have😬🤔 wow, but anyway good vids !
Ricky Wrenn I have the same Msa200 perfect for small jobs , there will be a lot more power drain pulling the thicker chain even if you could swap it over
Sthilboy56 Thanks for the reply. I just found out the 220 comes with a more powerful motor which makes sense now. I just thought that it was the same motor as the 200. I’ll stick with the original setup.
Cost of fuel for a chainsaw is marginal. The main cost of chainsaws are the blades. This is the same petrol or electric. Also the degradation of the battery is a big cost.
Check out our review of the Stihl MSA 300 electric chainsaw: ruclips.net/video/inAyPtYg8_k/видео.htmlfeature=shared
Good review. I bought the smaller MSA 120 C about 4 years ago for occasional use when we moved from inner suburbia to an outer suburban bush block. I'm in my 70s, and it's my first chainsaw. I wasn't sure of my ability to handle a petrol chainsaw as I got into my 80s. Not having to store and mix fuel is a major advantage. It's quiet and convenient to use. My little one can handle cutting down a 20 to 25cm dia hardwood tree, even if it doesn't go through it like a hot knife through butter 😁 It does the job and it's easy to handle. It was more expensive than a slightly more powerful petrol model, but I'm very happy that I bought my 120 C.
tired of hassle with 2cycle gas; already own stihl electric equipment with AP300 kit battery and charger; this reviewed essentially sold the product; will go to my dealer today and have him ship one in. thanks for a straight up heads on review with no BS
I knew it would be a favourable review. I’ve had a MSA 200C for a couple of years and it blew me away with its performance. I bought just to do the small to mid size stuff and like you I tried it out on old dry hardwood. And as you found all it does is tear through it, at the expense of battery life. But stick with the small stuff and 40 minutes no problem.
"I bought just to do the small to mid size stuff and like you I tried it out on old dry hardwood. "
Yeah but if you need to chop the big stuff, you're going to need a 2nd chainsaw
A good honest review. The trouble with a lot of electric saw reviews is that they do not compare like with like. To evaluate these, compare torque specs at the shaft output with the petrol engine; compare run time per tank/charge; compare weight, starting hassles, heat, fuel costs, service costs, cut time, etc, and battery will win on so many fronts. A 12" or 14" cuts just that as a firewood saw, or can fell a 24" - 28" tree. Way to go. But beware, Stihl is the best there is, but the el cheapos DO NOT equate by any measure.
Bought mine yesterday! I think I’m gonna like it. Thanks for the review
Great vid cheers mate. I replaced all of my fuel equipment with Stihl Lithium, Chainsaws, Pole and hand held, trimmers Pole and hand, Blower (The big one with the external battery holder), Same as you cant stand the smell or bloody noise! They all work great! Highly recommend!
This was a great review .. I found the 200C a bit underpowered when I upgraded it to run a wider tungsten chain. Seems Stihl thought the same thing! I'm loving the electric cordless stuff .. the wife, son and daughter seem not to comprehend combustion engines and the more battery powered tools I have the better chance I have of sharing the work round the farm!! ;)
Kevin Punter can you please tell me a little bit about the tungsten chain? Where did you purchase it, what was the cost, and who is the manufacturer? Thanks
@@rottiejakeluke I got if from my local Stihl dealer. It was a Stihl chain ... a tungsten tipped Duro. Needed to swap both bar and sprocket to match. The chain wasn't cheap, think it was about $150 as the upgrade was about $250. It's the same type of chain Stihl spec on their rescue chainsaws. Be aware you can't sharpen those chains with any traditional method .. they need to be professionally sharpened with a diamond wheel. My new 220 arrived last week but I haven't had a chance to try it yet ... only the "comes with" chain on the new one. I moved from Sydney to rural Queensland and my local Stihl shop was technically competent in Sydney whereas my new local Stihl shop gave me a weird look when I told them how my 200 was upgraded. Plus I still haven't found a good local chain sharpening service - I hate sharpening chains.
Probably the most impressive electric saw I've seen so far.
You should see the new husqvarna
I have watched several tests of these saws. One tip for you mate! For improved run time don't constantly run the saw between cuts. This reduces the run time significantly on electric chainsaws. It doesn't Matter the size or brand.
I thought that, why run the saw when it's not cutting, this will extend the short life by quite a while I'm sure.
Thanks for info.
@@wakeup3987so gas is still better no wait for charge
@@Grggeorge For professional use it is if you can not charge where you are. You can have extra battery's with you but they only last an hour and is a little expensive
@@Grggeorge For professional use it is if you can not charge where you are. You can have extra battery's with you but they only last an hour and is a little expensive
Even paying for electricity its still only about 15c worth per charge. Mixed two stroke probably costs 3-4 times as much.
No more crunchy diaphragms and gummed up carburettors if you haven't used it in 6 months. Take off the shelf, put in oil and battery and cut.
Grate review man my local fire brigade looking at these saws for storm call outs and tree downs so to see someone cutting up fallen trees and limbs with this saw is exactly the type of review we needed will be sure to show this at next training night
G'day Ozzie, the tungsten chain as I'm sure you know is designed to run at lower rpm to conventional , and therefore cuts at a slower rate but ten times longer between sharpening . Not everyone in the world is aware that the hardest wood on Earth is in Australia but that's ok the scientists are 👍🇦🇺.
I just bought one without a battery after first buying the 85 blower with the AP300 battery and then the 85 trimmer w/o battery. I'm impressed with all of them. I may add a 2nd battery at some point but for now the one battery is all I need
These saws are great for homeowners and light use. I have the MSA200 and a couple of batteries. Its in use every week. Two stroke is dead for many users. Its that good.
I have one of these. It's pretty quiet and quite powerful for its size.
I can see the use in a 4wd for track clearing. My only concern would be the 240AC charger for us downunder. How do you re charge in your vehicle from 12VDC?
Do you need a 12V DC inverter to run the 240 AC charger to charge the 36V DC battery or a portable 240 AC portable Generator?
That’s where the “convenience factor starts to go out the window. The convenience / portability screams 4WD track clearing saw, but the difficulty to charge 2 or 3 x 36V DC batteries from your vehicle, means it’s really not a off roading / camping / 4WD track clearing saw, it’s for use at home or the farm where you have 240 AC to run the charger.
I sometimes wonder about Stihl design engineers to be honest.
Lost count of the Stihl chainsaws I’ve bought & owned over the years, definitely a Stihl fan, for more than 40 years now, but starting to scratch my head about some of the new technology.
I’d probably throw the Stihl 500i in the 4WD for track clearing here in WA.
Was that a Jarrah Split Fencepost you were cutting at the start?
I’m guessing your WA (Sandgroper State) based?
I've got 5 chainsaws currently .. 4 are Stihl and of the 4 Stihl, 3 are electric. The small Husky petrol is what I'd throw in the back of the 4WD if I was leaving the property .. at the very same time I make sure I'm loading a fresh fuel container, 2 stroke oil, chain oil and a spare sharp chain! Give it a few years and your 4WD may be electric and it'll come with 240V (or110V) outlets from an integrated inverter - that's when my habit will change.
I was an early adopter of the 36V Stihl stuff and I really like the pole chain saw, the arborist chainsaw, the blower and the heavier duty line trimmer and the fast charger replenishes a battery as fast as you'd use one .. so all good there.
I did buy the larger electric chainsaw and the first thing I did was swap the sprocket, bar and chain so I could run a wider tungsten chain .. honestly it lacked a bit of power with the wider chain and bogged down on harder timber. Seems the 220C addresses that and a bit more! I for one will certainly buy this chainsaw, but ONLY for use on the property.
What I really want from Stihl next is a mega heavy duty electric brush cutter (happy to wear a large backpack battery as I feel that better distributes the weight).
Ian if you wanted battery powered stuff off road I'd suggest dual batteries, a decent size solar panel on the roof and an appropriately sized inverter .. otherwise stick with petrol for the remote stuff! Don't even go down the path of charging a battery tool with a seperate petrol generator - that's just loss on top of loss! Hey, with the extra juice you could also run a nice fridge with an iKegger draught beer dispenser ;)
Depends on the chargers power draw I suppose. My 4x4 has a factory fitted 240v inverter but it only runs at 100watts! If this will charge the battery then I am good to go..
Were those both new chains? It looked like the bite on the gas one was a bit less or less sharp regardless of the power difference. Like really slow cut
Have they gone back to the double click for battery.?ie click once to lock in place(and not bloody fall out) second click seated home and LIVE
They got two catch mate. Rock solid.
Check out our review of the Yamaha UTV: ruclips.net/video/JxaVmzUQBlI/видео.html
Wow I’m gonna get me one of them I was looking for a new saw and don’t want the trouble of using a gas one after my old Husqvarna ran out
Hey a nice review! I was actually looking for the Ozzy man reviews for a good laugh, but this was a great few minutes to spend as well. Looks very dry there down under.
I recently bought this too. I have a few 36 volt tools such as a 230mm wet saw, whipper snipper and hedge trimmer. I now have 2 batteries. A 7.2
Amp hour something 300 and a 180 4 amp hour battery.
I bought a chain saw sharpener and the sales rep showed me how to use the sharpener which follows the angle of the sharpening procedure.
This machine site spits out a lot of debris.
I have two other chainsaws. One is a kobalt which I gave away. The other is an Italian corded Chainsaw which is at a clients house. Neither of those saws come anywhere near the sthil.
It's scary actually because You just touch the wood and it rips right through it.
I have the 200 version and I use a power inverter, for if I'm ever away from home and encounter excessive amounts of shrub to clear, and need to recharge. Good video, thanks.
Great Video thanks very much. What solar rig have you got to charge the battery ?
Thanks or the video.
I'm a gardener/landowner and I'm switching to Electric. I went with Ego.
The brush cutter is amazing. I'm waiting or the 18" chainsaw (the current ego saws are a bit ehh)
The rpm's are 11,000 which puts it in league with the Stihl farm boss.
Did you buy the Ego chainsaw? If so how has it been? I have a smaller Ego chainsaw, it’s okay but I’d like a second chainsaw that is a bit bigger and because we have batteries and chargers the Ego 18 inch chainsaw is a cheaper option.
hmm, looks impressive, but I'd still prefer two nuts to tighten the bar. Still, Stihl is the only company where I'd expect to find parts for the saw. I looked into Milwaukee and Dewalt parts had no luck, so likely not getting their saws. I'll have to look into this one more, thanks for the video!
Not to take anything away from the saw and it’s certainly the way of the future but I think maintaining the chain is far more difficult for the average owner than mixing fuel. My only concern would be careless owners leaving them where a child could access them. Not many children know how to start a two stroke saw. Great review oz 👍
Sharpening the chain is easy like a petrol same mess, still release the chain brake etc. Haven't found any difference Between the Stilhs, Milwaukee petrol and electric.
Yeah that’s a nasty thought , hope that never happens... So many careless people out there ...
Dan Stevens That is a point I have not seen raised before. You have to have the chain break off and depress a little button on the handle before the trigger works. But you are correct - a lot easier to start than a two stroke. Would definitely have to keep out of reach of children.
@@TheFullyChargedGardener precisely kids don't need strength for the trigger and brake. It's the pull start that stops the little turds.
Yeah be careful leaving a child around a bath tap, under sink chemicals, cars, roads and actually driving your car with your child in it!
Number of cycles of charge/discharge lifespan of the battery? Doubt it makes it past 400, and even less when quickly deep-discharged to "one light" and recharged on a fast charger.
G'day. Thank you for your demonstration. I have been looking for a new chainsaw and like you wanted to get away from petrol driven machines. Most of my cutting will be bamboo and soft woods, so this looks as though it will meet my requirements. Thanks again.
Sweet saw! I have been using battery chainsaws on the property here, and I have gone through two of them. They both did far more work than they had been designed to do before quitting on me. Now I need something with more power and ability for some clearing I need to be doing... thanks for the review! Dropping a LIKE on your video! Watching and Supporting!
got mine on order, I am a Stihl mechanic mate if you ever need advice or cheap parts would be happy to help.
A reason the MS170 was slower could be that, while the chain was tungsten, it might be a semi chisel or even a skip tooth chain.
If you use the same saw back to back a full chisel vs semi chisel chain the difference is staggering.
There is no question that electricity is the fuel of the here and now,...so these Stihl saw's are about the top of the line by a long shot.
Easier of the ears too,..of that there is no doubt, but hearing and eye protection should still be uppermost in your buying decision here.
Thanks for this Ozzie.
I personally prefer the Milwaukee fuel chainsaw over the stilh. Cuts better IMO
@@2450logan Longer bar and larger battery, but the price in Canada, is somewhat higher at over the 600CAD point by the time you leave the store,...god bless the sales taxes!!
Reg Sparkes Wearing the correct PPE is defo a must when running saws 👍🏻
What is the difference in chain speed? Is the electric motor brushless?
I have an MS170 I really like, but I can see the appeal of these. I don't use mine enough to justify the cost of the electric right now but if I was using it more often I could see myself buying one.
I have Stihl 171 and Stihl 880 more stronger and better not need charge only need fuel and Stihl HP Ultra oil
😀 Great video! I have the MSA 220 - it really is an awesome bit of kit 👍🏻
The Fully Charged Gardener 2
Geese that,s pretty good. Those larger sections of tree were really seasoned hardwood, even with a hard pipe in the interior which is super hard and tough. This saw cut it as though it was pine. I'm impressed. Thanks for taking the time and posting.😀
Do you have any reviews about how the saw works on green wood, cutting fresh timber, clearing live trees? Typically I don't cut down dead dry trees when clearing and landscaping properties. The trees are alive and intrusive so they need to be removed or at least cut back for maintenance.
Looks great. How is Stihl Customer Service? My friend told me it was not so good. The main problem for me is cost of Stihl product. Including a backup battery, you can be looking at well over $1000. That's a lot of money. I was originally an Echo petrol saw fella but because of the noise when using it in town and the hassle of petrol, I moved to EGO battery saws but the reliability of their latest generation batteries was poor and they are so expensive. And customer service is poor. So, I then moved to Ozito, which is made in China like many saws but designed in Germany. The 2 X 18V 14 inch Ozito saw is superb. I've got the 2 X 18V mower and 18V pole saw and angle grinder too, so have plenty of batteries. I'm sure Stihl is great but for many of us, the price can't be justified. Add to that, the longevity of battery saw motors and indeed the batteries is still under question.
Is there a variable speed control or is it always full speed ?
Hi from Austria. How do you know when to refill the chain oil?
So it runs for 25 minutes so if you are out on the farm how do you charge it then. Go back home and wait for half an hour. Then go and do another 25 minutes work.
This maybe ok around home for short jobs but no good if you head out to cut a serious load of wood.
Pussis toy.....
Run time is closer to 50 minutes and quite frankly, most people are smart enough to have more than one battery.
If you've got a solar/deep cycle battery setup on your truck then this is probably a lot more appealing. But otherwise, I agree with you. If you don't have those things a jerry can of fuel will have you going all day when working remote.
I love my MSA 230C. Are there any maintenance videos online.
Ya can't beat the smell & sound of a 2stroke but that electric saw was awesome 😀👍
Especially with the muffler opened up and re-adjust the carby. It rips!
Have you tried the Milwaukee and if so why did you choose the stihl over the Milwaukee?
Great video!
Just bought one today
Do not miss the fuel for sure
Got a 200 c had it for 4 years but this one seem much better mabe next year , i love mine tell all to get one . they are not cheap but less noise and no fuel, or hard to start
Picked up the milwaukee version when they had the free 12 amp battery redemption, just awsome- grunty, fast and freakin quiet, Its always ready to go and does'nt sit there idling away. Love it. The thin bar bar flexing will throw the chain though if your'e not careful. Super tool.
Ozzie, can you get the new Tesla Cyber Truck and give us a review?
haha I wish I could but it won't be here for some years yet I reckon...
Plus one on the Milwaukee fuel. Eats the makita/Stilh. Great for teaching people as we don't have to tell over the engine.
I got a spare bar and chains for my Milwaukee at my local small engine shop.
Archer Australia mini max consumer bar, 16DO-CL-PO. 16"(40cm) 3/8, .050".
Great upgrade and easier/cheaper replacement that oem.
1bar and 2 chains only cost me $45. Great saw for round the yard and camping as I already have 8 of their m18 tools.
where did you purchase this
I've got the MSA161T and it's awesome. I've also got the AP300S batteries and fast charger. I think I'll get the MSA220C to compliment it. Thanks for the review!
Hi Will, I'm trying to decide between the MSA161T and the MSA220C. What do you think the MSA220C has over the MSA161T?
@@antelopeslr5000 hey mate, the 220C wasn't available when I bought the 161T. The 161T is well balanced and is really made for smaller branches. It struggles with the bigger stuff due to this very reason - i.e. You don't get the leverage like you would with a larger sized saw like the 220C. This is the primary reason for me wanting one. I got the 161T primarily for camp fire duties as a saw I can keep in the car permanently. The best thing is it all fits in a plastic ammo can when taken apart - including a spare battery!
@@WilliamPradoGXL Thanks for the reply. I'm leaning towards the MSA 220. Went to buy it yesterday from my local Stihl dealer but they had the MSA 200 (as well as all the other battery chainsaws) but no MSA 220. When I asked about the 220, he said he hadn't heard of it. This was from a pretty big Stihl dealership too. I got the feeling that they were trying to move some of their older stock first as the salesperson was trying to sell me the MSA 200. They didn't even offer to order in the MSA 220. So unfortunately I walked out empty handed.
@@antelopeslr5000 yeah sorry for the late response I wasn't tagged in the reply so I wasn't notified. Anyway, I'd show them the Stihl website as it clearly shows the 220C, or I'd just order it direct from the Stihl website. As you would know the 220 has a bit more power than the 200 so I wouldn't settle for less. Something to be aware of is that the 161T did not come with a bumper spike. I had to order it separately through my local dealer. Not sure what the deal is with the 220.
Will I highly recommend the MSA 220 - really impressed with mine 😀
Thanx 4 making this video. Good demo and Awesome chainsaw.
Take Care,
Aloha🌴🌴
nice new chain probably made a difference as well
Both new, the petrol had been used once.
Nice review mate, good looking saw for sure !👍🏼 (Mike)
It's worth buying solely for the sound it makes while idling. The performance is fairly startling.
I've been told that wood poachers find them useful .
This stihl saw or makita duc 355z?
Very impressive. Thank you for the nice review. The convenience factor of this devise is phenomenal. Environmentally its another mountain of false virtue because of the materials mining, child labor exploitation and eventual cost of disposal of the battery components. The United States is suffering from their new refusal to mine their own abundance of oil and the new government regulations (also steeped in false virtue) instead of reality. But this looks to be a great product from Stihl, and your review was extremely helpful. Thank you.
The only put off with the Stihl electric is they have a limited tool range, unlike the Makita products. Look at getting the tungsten chains, they are worth the extra $$
Milwaukee chainsaw is fantastic. 18v batteries swap right in from tool to tool as well
Would you recommend this for landscaping or still go with the gas powered?
A landscaping business? I would go with gas. You will need to have 4 or 5 batteries on hand to do 3-4 hours of cutting each day. The saw is great and it is commercial, but if you cut for a living, recharging is hard. Like Tesla Taxis. You have to account for charging time when you wont be making money. FWIW I have this saw.
Would you think 2 batteries would be required. Then a generator to charge the batteries if you got a lot of work to do. But how good is the convenience! Ready to go for 80 % of your cutting jobs.
I'm using electric gear and have 2 batteries. I need another and as long as you can recharge constantly, you will never run dry.
It's still a bit tricky if you can't access power. Adding a solar battery setup on a Ute would be pricey to charge on the go so there is a teething issue for some and it won't work for others.
The future of vehicles is electric and all the new ute type vehicles are coming out with 2500w capable plugs so you can run almost any electrical device from them. You will basically be able to build a house remotely without ever using a generator.
How much is a kWh of grid electricity over there? That AP300 battery is less than 1/4 kWh, but the motor is efficient - so I will cut a long time.
Hey mate, how do you find the vibration without a petrol engine in there? For me that's easily the worst thing about using our saws, they just kill my forearms.
You get vibration naturally as that’s unavoidable with the motion of the chain but you don’t have motor vibration like the petrol ones...
Thanks for all your good work in '19 and I'm looking forward to what you have to say in '20. Have a good one 🍺👍🇦🇺
Great review mate. I’m with yah on the electric side of things for sure. I regularly use a Milwaukee electric Chainsaw at work and even for just the convenience. We have all Milwaukee power tools so it makes sense. Makes we think about selling my little Husky saw. Keep them coming Mate nice work again. Cheers
Your accent has sold me one...
Good video but all the wood your cutting is dry and dead. What about live trees they are much harder
Have you tried it with the 16” bar yet? Nice video!
Yes it certainly looks like it has power enough
Definitely get an electric over gas/petrol powered, any day.
Btw, you can use castor/veggie oil mix to replace fossil-fuel based bar oil -- whenever i have a tank of rancid veggie oil, i tend to mix it with thick bar oil (depending on outdoor temperature).
I have a Sugihara carving bar and is recommended to use veggy or conola oil.
Awsum review Ozzie! Might grab myself one for Xmas!!
just priced one of these with 2x 300s batteries, around $1300 AUD
Sthil never dissapoints in my opinion
Does a direct comparison with a 500 + 200 dollar chainsaw to a 250 dollar saw?
I personally wouldnt want to have to rely on an electric chain saw during an extreme weather event where the power goes out...
Why dont you put a new chain on that ms170. It would be a more fair comparison. Cost perspective doesnt make sense.
One problem I have with my Milwaukee electric chainsaw is the battery overheats under continual heavy load.
The only issue with these is when working for a decent time for quick jobs they seem convenient. if you have hours of work to do far from home. what do you do? have 3 batteries and keep running back to home and swapping them over on the charger? get more? right now in Australia 220c + ap300 + charger = $1027. make that 3 batteries and its $1625. Allot of money for something running a pico chain and range anxiety. 461 and 170 is actually a pretty darn good combo. its the 308 + 22lr or the chainsaw world lol.
Has the petrol chain saw got a brand new blade on it, like the Electric one has??
Watch from 5:20
Great review. I've always had the petrol power mindset. I'll be considering battery-powered even more so now when looking for a new chainsaw. 👍🏻
i think over time the electric device industry will only get better. at first it was almost pointless... but as time goes on they have improved a lot. just so many small eltrical parts that can fail... so it can be hard to find the issue.
I still don't see anything with a tooless bar setup as a proper saw, cuts good tho. And they put the battery where rain gets a gravity assist to ingress the tool
Not happy with mine as it cut 7 cuts from new before the first battery flattened. It stalls continually in bigger wood so for $1400 with 2 batteries and a rapid charger I seem to have a saw that is only good for lighter wood. Aussie hardwood are pretty tough I admit, but my MS180's cut it fairly easily.
Get a Makita electric. Batteries swap over with your other Makita tools and it’s so much easier to use over the petrol. Les chance of burning yourself too as it doesn’t really heat up and so much lighter. 100% recommend.
Great review - MS261 for $1500 vs this with a few batteries for same money … the 261 wins by a mile. These do look handy though! Ps - you need to invest in some safety chaps mate.
Great review. I've been hesitant to invest but this helped me. I also hate 2 stroke/fossil etc. And charging won't cost much anyway
Really good but on the bigger tree cut they have been pre cut if you look closely
I noticed that also… Not sure why yours is the only comment about the pre-cuts… perhaps he just scored a line around the bark, but it was very clear to see.
Hey mate, what you can see is actually the chain oil flinging off the chain and spraying onto the wood underneath the cut, definitely hasn't been pre cut.
Crikey that little chainsaw is awesome....👍
I wounder what type of traditional fuel Stihl chainsaw can get for that sort of money seems expensive buy the time factor battery and charger into it , plus brad new chain also so performance would decrease over time and does is have brushes , this saw would have its place would have to consider cost over convenience though
similar in price and spec to an MS251C (with the cost of a battery and charger). I would go battery every time
While the performance and reliability of most Sthil battery operated products are superb there is a potential drawback. To avoid shortening your battery life it is not recommended to store the battery fully charged which is not a problem if you know what you’ll be doing the day before, you can just put it on charge before you go to bed.
Great video. In my view changing positions with the chain spinning around is a bit risky........🙈 Please be careful!
Ozzie, been watching your reviews and I really enjoyed them especially the rim fire ones,CZ, and the chainsaw was especially out of the ordinary, most gun guys in country side have chainsaws but the one on fire arms restrictions you guys have😬🤔 wow, but anyway good vids !
What size bar is that?
I have the MSA 200 C with the 300 battery. I wonder if I can change the sprocket, bar and chain to match the MSA 220? I hate the 1/4 inch chain.
Ricky Wrenn I have the same Msa200 perfect for small jobs , there will be a lot more power drain pulling the thicker chain even if you could swap it over
Sthilboy56 Thanks for the reply. I just found out the 220 comes with a more powerful motor which makes sense now. I just thought that it was the same motor as the 200. I’ll stick with the original setup.
Glad to know this tool works upside down.
guys im really happy
Most saws can cut wood fine. The problem with this saw is the chain jumps off bar frequently.
is there dustsaw around the batterie
sorry, sawdust 😀
Battery price and run time is the problem with the hole range.
Cost of fuel for a chainsaw is marginal. The main cost of chainsaws are the blades. This is the same petrol or electric. Also the degradation of the battery is a big cost.
Mount an Olight to it and do some night sawing :)
TheAVJedi bloodygood light I have three on my guns
German Engineering - proud of it ;-)