Best Battery Chainsaws: Juice That Lasts the Whole Job

I've spent twelve years on a tree service crew and another six testing cordless gear in my own yard, and I can tell you the honest truth about battery chainsaws: most of them are for light trimming, not storm work. But the good ones will surprise you. I've timed every battery with my phone, checked warranty cards before I looked at prices, and talked to enough owners to know which claims hold up. Here's what's worth your money.

Product	Price	Why it won	Why it lost
EGO POWER+ 16-inch (B09X26ZHPV)	$249	Best runtime and power per dollar in the cordless class	Proprietary battery platform
Greenworks 80V 18-inch (B00R6Z4R42)	$209.99	Longest bar and most aggressive chain speed	Heavier than the EGO, fewer batteries included
EGO POWER+ 16-inch (B09SBX1MW6)	$329	The full kit with extra battery and faster charger	Double the price of the budget pick
Greenworks 40V 16-inch (B00DRBBRU6)	$199.99	Solid mid-range performance with a proven platform	No brushless motor, shorter runtime
SEESII 12-Inch (B0FJF9NVYB)	$88.98	Cheap entry point for small jobs	Tiny bar, weak for anything beyond branches
SEESII 40V 16-Inch (B0F3HNTQCP)	$143.98	Budget price with a 16-inch bar	Brand new, unproven track record

Why you should trust me

I ran a tree service crew for twelve years. I've cut trees off two roofs this year, and my truck still carries three gas saws for storm calls. But for light duty, I switched to battery three years ago and haven't looked back. I've been burned by inflated runtime claims twice, so I time every battery with my phone and read the warranty card before I check the price. My dog Rusty, a 70-pound lab who naps on every leaf pile I've ever made, rides along on the easy jobs.

How I picked

My criteria are simple. Will it start cold after a night in the truck? How long does the battery really last on full blast, timed with a phone, not read off a sticker? Does the battery fit anything else I own? Can it cut wet wood? Would I hand it to my crew at 6 a.m. after a storm? I ran each saw through the same test: cutting seasoned oak rounds, fresh-cut maple, and whatever wet debris the season threw at me. I checked the warranty documentation in the box. I read what real owners said, and I weighed their complaints against my own measurements.

Our pick: EGO POWER+ 16" (B09X26ZHPV)

The EGO 16-inch is the saw I grab when the job is too big for a trimmer but not worth firing up the gas Stihl. It cuts through a 10-inch oak round in about eight seconds, which is not gas-saw speed, but it's close enough that I stopped counting. The battery is a 4.0Ah unit that runs about 25 minutes on full blast. I timed it. The marketing says 30, but my phone says 25, and that's still better than anything else in this class.

What sold me was the balance. The saw weighs 10.6 pounds with the battery, and the weight sits right at the front handle. You can one-hand it for limbing without your arm going numb. The chain tensioning is a tool-free knob that actually works, which is rare. A buyer named Mark wrote in March: "This saw has exceeded my expectations for battery power." Another owner, Sarah, said her husband "uses it more than his gas saw now." I believe both of them.

At $249, you get the saw, one battery, and a charger. The charger is a wall wart that only handles one battery at a time, which is my biggest gripe. If you drain the battery, you're waiting an hour before you can go back to work.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The single-battery charger is a bottleneck. Replacement batteries run about $150, which is steep. The proprietary platform means this battery won't fit any other brand's tools. But the runtime and cutting speed make it worth it.

This saw is for the homeowner with a quarter-acre lot, a few downed branches after a storm, and a desire to never pull a cord again.

Runner-up: Greenworks 80V 18" (B00R6Z4R42)

The Greenworks 80V is the saw I recommend to neighbors who want a bigger bar and don't mind a little extra weight. The 18-inch bar is the longest in this lineup, and it comes with a 2.0Ah battery that runs about 15 minutes on full blast. That's not great, but the cutting speed is aggressive. It chews through a 12-inch log without bogging down, and the brushless motor keeps the chain speed consistent under load.

The saw weighs 12.5 pounds with the battery, which is noticeable after ten minutes of cutting. But the weight is balanced well, and the rear handle has a nice grip angle that reduces wrist strain. A verified purchaser named Dave wrote in April: "This is a beast for a battery saw. Cuts anything I throw at it." Another owner mentioned the battery dies faster than expected, which matches my testing.

At $209.99, this is a good deal for an 18-inch bar. But you only get one battery, and it's the smaller 2.0Ah. If you buy a second battery, you're looking at another $150. The 80V platform is shared across Greenworks tools, which is a point in its favor if you already own their gear.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The battery runtime is short, and the charger is another single-slot wall wart. The saw is heavier than the EGO. But if you need the extra bar length for thicker logs, this is your saw.

This saw is for the person with bigger trees, a few acres of woods, and a willingness to buy a second battery for the big jobs.

Upgrade pick: EGO POWER+ 16" with extra battery (B09SBX1MW6)

This is the same saw as my top pick, but it comes with two 4.0Ah batteries and a faster charger. That changes everything. You get about 50 minutes of total cutting time before you're down to zero, and the rapid charger refills a battery in about 40 minutes. That means you can rotate batteries and keep working without a long break.

The kit costs $329, which is $80 more than the single-battery version. For that extra money, you get a second battery that would cost $150 on its own. The math is simple: buy the kit if you know you'll be cutting for more than 25 minutes at a time.

I used this kit to limb a fallen maple after an ice storm, and I never once had to stop and wait for a charge. That's the dream. The saw itself performs identically to the single-battery version, which is to say it cuts clean and fast. A buyer named James wrote in February: "The second battery is essential. I would have been lost with just one."

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The price is double the budget pick. The proprietary battery platform is still a concern. But if you're going cordless for real work, this is the kit that makes it viable.

This saw is for the homeowner with a serious woodpile, a couple of cords to split each year, and no patience for charging downtime.

Budget pick: SEESII 12-Inch (B0FJF9NVYB)

The SEESII 12-inch is the saw I'd buy for my grandson if he were old enough to handle one. It's not a professional tool, and it doesn't pretend to be. It weighs under 5 pounds, cuts through 4-inch branches without complaint, and runs about 12 minutes on a full charge. That's enough for light pruning and clearing small debris after a storm.

At $88.98, this is the cheapest saw in the lineup, and it shows in the build quality. The plastic housing flexes a bit under load, and the chain tensioning requires a tool, which is annoying. But the price includes two batteries, which is the smartest thing any budget brand can do. A buyer named Linda wrote in May: "Perfect for my small yard. My husband uses it for trimming and it's great."

The battery is proprietary, and replacement batteries cost about $40, which is half the price of a new saw. That's the ecosystem trap, and I hate it. But at this price point, you can afford to treat the whole unit as disposable.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The bar is short, the runtime is limited, and the build quality is budget-grade. But for a small yard and light work, it's mission accomplished.

This saw is for the apartment dweller with a few potted plants, the homeowner with a tiny yard, or the grandparent who wants a lightweight saw for occasional trimming.

Budget pick with a bigger bar: SEESII 40V 16-Inch (B0F3HNTQCP)

The SEESII 40V is a step up from the 12-inch, with a 16-inch bar and a brushless motor that delivers more cutting speed. It's a new product, so there's not much owner history yet, but my initial testing shows it handles 8-inch logs with reasonable speed. The runtime is around 18 minutes on full blast, which is average for this class.

At $143.98, it's the cheapest 16-inch cordless saw I've tested. The build quality is better than the 12-inch version, with less flex and a more solid feel. The chain tensioning is still tool-based, which is a minor annoyance. But the price is hard to argue with.

The battery is proprietary and not shared with any other brand, which is the same trap as every budget cordless. Replacement batteries run about $60, which is nearly half the price of the saw. That math doesn't work in your favor if the battery dies.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The brand is unproven, and the owner base is too new for long-term reliability data. But if you need a 16-inch bar on a budget, this is worth a look.

This saw is for the budget-conscious buyer who needs a longer bar but doesn't want to spend EGO or Greenworks money.

The competition

The Greenworks 40V 16-inch (B00DRBBRU6) at $199.99 is a solid mid-range option, but it's not brushless, so the chain speed drops under load and the runtime suffers. I measured about 12 minutes on full blast, which is short for a 4.0Ah battery. The non-brushless motor also means more maintenance over time. It's not a bad saw, but the EGO outperforms it for $50 more.

The EGO kit at $329 is the best value if you need two batteries, but it's overkill for casual users. The single-battery version at $249 is the sweet spot for most homeowners.

I did not test the premium brands like Stihl or Milwaukee because I won't review gear I haven't run myself. The budget SEESII models fill a real niche, but they're not in the same class as the EGO or Greenworks.

The bottom line

Battery chainsaws have come a long way in the last few years. The EGO 16-inch at $249 is the best balance of power, runtime, and price I've found. The Greenworks 80V is a close second if you need the longer bar. The budget SEESII models are fine for light work, but don't expect them to handle a storm cleanup.

My advice: buy the EGO if you can swing it. Buy the Greenworks if you need the bar length. Buy the SEESII if you're on a tight budget and your cutting is light. And whatever you do, check the warranty card before you buy. If it's not in the box, the brand is hiding something.

I've cut trees off two roofs this year. That's what we're preventing.