Milwaukee Chainsaw Review

These are my Thoughts about Features and Quality of Build:

Milwaukee must have more outdoor power tools as their cordless 18V range. They used to only have a chainsaw (2 models), a trimmer string and hedge trimmer. While this was a great start, the limited number of options left Milwaukee customers to continue looking elsewhere, or waiting for their mowers, pole saws, edgers, and other tools. Fortunately, Milwaukee M18 users have an alternative: an M18-style chainsaw. While it isn’t a perfect solution, the M18 chainsaws are a better tool than ever.

Surprisingly, or should that be not? Milwaukee’s effort at cordless chainsaws goes large with their 16-inch chain and bar! The large 16-inch bar and chain is unusual for an 18-volt cordless saw. Milwaukee has been pushing boundaries year after année with tools not possible on 18 volt. But they have already done it many times, including offering an SDSMAX rotary tool hammer, a sliding mitersaw (10”) and a cordless tablesaw all of which are 18-volt platforms. Their first 18 volt saw was successful, so it is not surprising they went big. Dewalt has a 12-inch chainsaw with its 18V/20V brushless motor that is comparable in size and voltage. 16 inch battery powered chainsaws are usually found on higher voltage platforms such as 36 volts and up so it’s rather strange to find such a large chainsaw on 18V but this is a good thing if you are on the Milwaukee M18 platform as you wouldn’t need to step up to a higher voltage platform to enjoy a 16 inch chainsaw.

Milwaukee’s basic chainsaw has the typical features such as the trigger and safety chain brake, main handle with trigger, safety chain, handle #2, spiked bumpers, oil tank & cap, and also comes with a scabbard. Makita X2 14′” brushless was my favorite feature. It’s totally tool-free to adjust the tension or change the chains. Milwaukee’s Milwaukee brushless chainsaw cannot offer toolless tensioning of the chain or allow you to change it. A dual stud configuration was used for chain tensioning. It is supposed to provide better chain retention while requiring you to use tools to adjust tension. A toolless saw is my preference. It’s easier to use and less time to adjust tension. However, if the tension of the chain stays in place for a longer time then that’s an acceptable trade-off. If it is true it will need to be tensioned a lot less. I have not used this chainsaw long enough to determine if the chain stays tight for long periods of time so I can’t comment on that just yet. At the time I wrote this review, the saw needed no tension after five large cuts. It is unlikely that I’ll need any chainsaws until next year. I intend on limbing many trees this year. Many trees will need to be cut now. However, this is way too soon. I’ll wait till winter to do that. I will have a greater chance to evaluate the effectiveness of dual stud setups. The Milwaukee chainsaw does require tools to adjust chain tensioning. But, we are fortunate that they have what they call a “screench”. The scrench is a screwdriver and wrench two in one tool needed to adjust the onboard nuts and a single screw that are used for chain tensioning and chain changing. The chainsaw also features on-board storage for the scrench underneath the saw so you always have the scrench on you at all times ready for when needed.

You can see through the side windows of the oil tank to see its level. Additionally, the cap comes with an insert string. This keeps it safe and secures it in place. The Milwaukee chainsaw was very reliable in not leaking from the oil tank. The tank was filled and the saw was used. It was then stored on a flat surface for two weeks and did not leak. This is similar to the Makita X2 Chainsaw. I also have a Ryobi 18V pole saw that leaks so bad, I swear it needs diapers so it’s good to see the Milwaukee handles very well in this regard. Milwaukee seems to be confident in the fact that you can hang your Milwaukee chainsaw upside-down without it leaking. While I have yet to test this, it doesn’t leak when it is laying flat on its side.

This motor uses a brushless motor. They are much more energy efficient than traditional brushed motors. However, they also have better performance. For a saw with a 16″ blade, you will need the most power possible. This handle has a variable speed trigger that allows you to change the cutting speed. Once the trigger has been pressed approximately two-fifths down, it starts to react and turn on the motor. After that the trigger is very responsive to your touch and can easily make it run very slowly for a precise start of cut and crank the trigger to full speed for fastest cutting or throttle it anywhere in between.

Milwaukee M18 16 Fuel Chainsaw 2627-21HD takes full advantage of the 12-volt battery. This tool is available as an accessory. There is no way to believe that this large of a battery would be sufficient to fuel such an important tool. When the battery is inserted into the tool it has a compartment which surrounds it instead of fully exposed. Why I brought this up was because the 12.0 Milwaukee battery is the largest in both capacity and size. It’s also larger than the existing 9.0. The compartment in my chainsaw still provides room underneath the battery. I wonder if this was done to make the chainsaw more durable so it could hold a larger battery pack in the future. I was struck by this and thought that they may be planning to make a larger battery, perhaps a 4-row battery. This would fit an even larger battery that has 4 rows of cells. And just to compare, the current 9.0 and 12.0 are 3 row batteries. Keep in mind, however that I am speculating about Milwaukee adding a larger 4-row battery to their lineup in the near future. So take these details with a grain. I’ll let you guys know via the Tool Craze website if there is any additional information.

Cordless Chainsaw

Milwaukee came out swinging when they created their first chainsaw. They used only one 18-volt lithium battery. M18 FUEL Chainsaw is 16 inches in length. The Oregon bar and the chain are double-retaining and have double studs. An onboard scrench allows quick adjustment. The large window on the site makes it easy to check the bar oil levels. And the absence of electronic buttons gives the saw the feel of a Pro-style chainsaw. Home Depot has sponsored this post as part the THD Prospective Program.

Overall Score: 4.5 Purchase it from The Home Depot Milwaukee FUEL Chainsaw Video Reviews It is difficult to comprehend the 18-volt battery power that the Milwaukee M18FUEL chainsaw draws until you have actually used it. Milwaukee’s 16-inch chain and bar is impressive. Similar to the M18 Quik Lok Attachment Systems. Milwaukee claims that their Milwaukee 2727 Chainsaw produces the same amount of power as 40cc gas chains. We actually put this to the test, and we even use a 60cc chainsaw for the side by side testing.

Performance Review: We test the Milwaukee M18 fuel chainsaw

Our first test was to cut discs out of a 6-inch log with the Milwaukee Chainsaw. We were able to use the entire 83-disc chainsaw before running out of logs. When we were done, the 12.0Ah battery still reported 2 bars out of 4 remaining. Milwaukee claims that the M18 chainsaw is capable of cutting 150 times per charge on the 12.0Ah lithium battery. Based on our experiences with a log 6 inches in diameter, we believe their claims are reasonable.