I know I'll get slammed.... Makita Electric

[Mr. Firewood]

well I have my fair share of pro saws but I am tired of dealing with dicking around with gas saws while cutting 8x8 and 6x6 beams for landscape projects, I just want to hit the trigger and go, so.... I have had my eye on the Makita worm drive electric with the 14" bar for $200 bones anyone ever use one or have any other sugestions?

 

[mattinky]

The only electric saw I ever used was a little WEN and it was a joke

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

There's nothing wrong with electric saws for cutting beams. Just get a good one. That's what they're for. Just remember that standard chaps don't protect from damage from an electric saw. They generate too much Q.

I saw a Ryobi battery powered chain saw at HD.....uh, don't get that one.

 

[precaud]

I have a Makita UC400 and like it alot. It's changed the way I gather and process firewood. I now bring home logs and buck em with the Makita when needed. It's quiet, smooth, lightweight, easy to maintain, and I don't have to breathe stinky exhaust. Replace the stock chain with something like Oregon 91VX and it's a great little saw.

 

[troutfisher]

I'd like an electric for carving. I usually finish the carving inside the garage, gas saws make my eyes burn. I'd need to switch to 1/4 pitch,

Do any of the electric saws come in 1/4 pitch, or small spline rim?

 

[msjanket]

Electric saws

Stihl used to make some very fine electric chainsaws. I watched a builder put up a house frame with the interlocked joints and he used a Stihl to cut those joints. The saw had surprising torque.

Mike

 

[DGG]

I have used them for quick, simple pruning or small bucking jobs for many years. If it it early in the day and I have a simple chore, and don't want to wake the dead, it is a great tool. Mine is a 14" Craftsman. It was about $50 as I remember.

There seem to be three things about electrics that are important-

1. Use a good heavy gauge extension cord.

2. Use a sharp chain (same as with gas).

3. Use good chain oil (same as with gas).

 

[andrethegiant70]

Good thread (and you thought you'd get lambasted!). I do love my gas saws but I have been thinking about an electric for ripping boards from slabs. The slabs are a bit thick for a circular saw and and I'd rather keep my neighborhood quiet.

Has anybody tried this? I know they make a 3.5 - 4.5 bhp electrics now and I would think that would be enough. I would also think that such a saw would get pretty close to blowing circuit breakers.

 

[Lakeside53]

I have an Stihl E220 (same - but without flip cap) as the MSE 220. It's a brute for torque... but new is "pricey" - over $500. There is a MSE140 in the low $300's.

My brother-in-law has tried them all - part owns a mill. They have to work inside (weather) in Montana winters... and can't use gas powered saws. Only the Stihl's stand up to multi-year use, the Husky wasn't bad, but has a sealed motor that was crazy expensive to throw out when all it needed was brushes.... the Makita wasn't their favorite, but was much cheaper and head-and-shoulders above the box store junk - Remington, Wen, Ryobi etc...


For the price, I'd consider the Makita..

 

[Fubar411]

What about a sawzall with an appropriate sized blade?

 

[romeo]

I used one of those crummy remington electrics to cut a bunch of beams on an adobe house project and it worked fine (except the oiler that never worked). I think it is probably the cheapest chainsaw you can buy on earth, but it finished the job and made me some $'s. After I was done with it I threw it in the trash pile out side my shed.

 

[Urbicide]

What about a sawzall with an appropriate sized blade?

A sawsall will definitely work and would probably be safer for the average person to use rather than an electric chainsaw. However, cutting speed would be no way as fast as with a chainsaw.

 

[deadtrees]

I have a Milwaukee electric I use for all my sawing around the yard. I paid $50 at an auction. I have had it for years, works great and does not annoy the neighbors. It has plenty of power.

 

[Mr. Firewood]

A sawsall will definitely work and would probably be safer for the average person to use rather than an electric chainsaw. However, cutting speed would be no way as fast as with a chainsaw.

true but I am going to do a curved rataining wall with 5x10" railroad ties and a sawzall just won't cut it (pun intended) besides like others have said that sometimes the monotonous noise from a gas saw can and does get to you and your neighbors and my neighbors don't like me already because I burn wood 24/7 in the winter so why give them something else to complain about I think this weekend I will go pick up one of thse makitas and give it a whirlumpkin2:

 

[carvinmark]

I'd like an electric for carving. I usually finish the carving inside the garage, gas saws make my eyes burn. I'd need to switch to 1/4 pitch,

Do any of the electric saws come in 1/4 pitch, or small spline rim?

I had my husky changed over to 1/4" and run a 12" carving bar on it.
I use it alot during the winter months while carving in the shop. The fumes from the gas saws are bad!

 

[troutfisher]

I had my husky changed over to 1/4" and run a 12" carving bar on it.
I use it alot during the winter months while carving in the shop. The fumes from the gas saws are bad!

Where did you get the sprocket?

 

[Mr. Firewood]

I have always wanted to carve a stump into a big indian or bear.... maybe I might find a new hobby besides welding, riding 4 wheelers, shooting guns, drag raceing and working on turbine engines:biggrinbounce2:

 

[THALL10326]

well I have my fair share of pro saws but I am tired of dealing with dicking around with gas saws while cutting 8x8 and 6x6 beams for landscape projects, I just want to hit the trigger and go, so.... I have had my eye on the Makita worm drive electric with the 14" bar for $200 bones anyone ever use one or have any other sugestions?

Don't know a thing about the Makita saw your referring to but last year I sold a E220 Stihl to the local fire company. They use it when the house is so full of heavy smoke a gas saw will not run. To my surprise the E220 is a powerhouse. That thing spins the chain some kind of fast and has torque thats unreal for a saw that light. The fire company swears by it. The biggest drawback of the 220 is price, its over $500.00 but its not your typical electric saw. It has so much power the fire company mounted a 20inch bar on it and uses carbide chains on it. Thats a long bar for such a lite saw and those carbide chains are heavy. They use that saw to rip though walls, sawing through nails, metal studs and anything else in the way to get to the flames between the walls.

 

[belgian]

.....to the local fire company. They use it when the house is so full of heavy smoke a gas saw will not run.

they can use it then untill the power runs out, which must be pretty soon
I guess in a burning house, or does some crew member carry a small generator ? Hmm wait, if the saw can't run because of the smoke, now the generator can't run either

please light my fire, Thall...

 

[Highclimber OR]

go with a Stihl and you should have no worries and yes they are in the specs catalog.:greenchainsaw: