Nice review! I'm not sure why you didn't use the larger HD12 battery which I think would have been a better comparison vs the Husky. Think you should do an update to this review with the new Milwaukee Forge batteries. Crazy powerful and charge up to 80% in 15 minutes which is insane.

Best milwaukee demo on the Tube, thanks

Thanks for that video. I am contractor and using Milwaukee as a platform for last 9 years almost, definitely happy with my Milwaukee chain saw for about 4 years already( with back handle) and honestly speaking was thinking to switch for more compact TOP handle design. It was quite funny when you was expecting it to be super slow but ended up with that its actually faster that Husky =)

Power output is not only determined by the voltage. The output is W=V*A. Voltage is determined by the typical voltage of the cells used (3.6V for li-ion) times the number of cells connected in series, while the Amps you can draw is determined by the Amps you can draw from a single cell times the number of parallel strings of cells. So in theory 10 cells in series (to get 36V) may not be that different from a 5s2p configuration of a big 18V battery. But it also depends on the specifications of the cells used and apart from the theoretic output of the battery, the difference in voltage can also affect the efficiency of the motor translating similar electric output of the battery into higher effective output of 36V motor compared to 18V. Couple of nuisances with that Milwaukee, by the looks of it: with the lack of a captive nut on the cover, how you cannot spin the chain manually (makes field sharpening difficult) and that battery compartment filling up with dirt (similar issues with the Stihl top-handle design). At least the battery contacts are on the ceiling of that bay, where they are least likely to get dirty/wet.

I think the biggest thing is the price point, tool alone you’re only $350 for Milwaukee saw, or $700 for Husqvarna. Everyone has a drill set and battery powered tools, so Milwaukee wins for that reason, you probably already have the battery and chargers.

Thanks Dan, as always appreciate your in depth and thoughtful analysis. I’m still running my E Husky from your original reviews but really liked seeing it stacked up against this new option

The overheating issues I have found are ALL on the 8Ah battery. The 12Ah battery has not done so to me even consequtivly cutting 10-->12" wood. The 8Ah battery IMO is only useful for pruning. One thing you did not mention that I have found is that the Milwaukee guard jams with leaf/twigs due to its design. I have also found that the oiler seems to be deficient and maybe some of the cause for overheating battery. Oiled my bar by hand and it operates much better and quieter. Need to open it up and check out if everything was greased properly.

Great review!

The chain does move when the brake is off. I can do it on mine (same 14" bar model) with two bare hands or one gloved hand easily enough. It works fine for sharpening. At first, I thought it wasn't as good as the usual free movement from my gas saws. After a few times sharpening it, I may actually be faster at sharpening moving the Milwaukee chain by hand and not having it move when I push with the file versus having to release and then move the chain and then reset the brake every time like usual. The Milwaukee has a ton of torque and I can push it hard. I can stall it, but it takes a lot of effort. I'm looking forward to the second version in the future. Hopefully it will have some more polished touches like slightly lighter weight, captive nut on the sprocket cover, narrower profile, and a dual or at least wider lanyard loop. It's a small change, but when I attached my lanyard to it, I pushed the straps out to the side to leave the middle of the loop open and that made it faster to get onto the hook on my saddle. All in all, I'm happy with mine. I already had other Milwaukee M18 tools so I already had batteries also. With a discount when I pre-ordered the Milwaukee top handle saw, I think it was $337 total counting tax and shipping to my door for the 14" bar version. It may not be the absolute best battery top handle saw out there, but it's apparently second best and for the price it's a ridiculously good value. It's head and shoulders above the Husqvarna T435 I was using before. I can't imagine going back to a gas top handle saw now.

I’m sensing this chap is a Husky man 😄

You CAN spin the chain on the bar, but it's relatively hard to do because you must overcome the magnetism that (I think) is the result of the windings in the stator/field being shorted together as part of the electrical motor braking system. Spin the blade on a brushless circular saw or angle grinder with a brake, and you will feel/hear/see it "click" in distinct segments like this saw motor does. It doesn't have a clutch because it doesn't need one, but it could be likened to turning over the engine on a gas saw by spinning the chain on the bar if it was directly coupled like an electric saw is (no clutch). I would rather it didn't do that for the reasons that you mentioned (being able to easily spin the chain on the bar), but it can be done. It takes a lot to get it turning, but once it starts, it seems to release the braking mechanism and really start spinning, so be careful. The dogs on this saw are very small, but they're big enough to hurt pretty good if you pull the chain toward the saw on the underside of the bar. It takes a lot of force to get it going, but once she goes, she sends it!

Love the review and how impressed you were by it. We've been using the Milwaukee for the past month and it blew our mind (for 1/2 the price of the Husky!). We've recently done a couple of big removals in downpours and the saw had no issues with the rain/moisture. Not being able to spin the chain is definitely a minus, but not a dealbreaker. We didn't have to unjam it yet. We're using it with a 12in bar and the battery lasted as long if not longer than the Husky. Overall a very capable saw that helped us well while the Husqvarna was sitting idle waiting for the plastic pieces that keep on breaking (we waited 3 months to receive a throttle lockout). Also very disappointed with the Husky battery housings that all broke without exception within 6 months. The Milwaukee batteries don't seem to have the same design flaw.

I have Milwaukee tools and like them. I also have an Ego blower and Weed eater. I was so impressed with those two tools I opted for the Ego chainsaw. I’m pretty happy with it. Batteries from one work with the other. The chain adjustment is a thumb wheel, I’d prefer to use a standard tool, but it works and holds tension. I have found when cleaning branches off limbs you have to have the speed up or it just acts bound up. Cuts very nice, I have bucked some 8” logs just to try it. Better off using my Stihl or Echo for bucking and felling. But up in the tree or cutting down all the 3” or smaller trees and thickets it’s very handy. I’d put my Ego wedge eater up against the Stihl FS 324(?) I owned many years ago. The weed eater will get me around my 2 acres on the 5 amp battery and the line self loading is a cool feature.

I don't think you can judge the power of a tool any more by sound. Because the circuitry is designed to apply less or more power to the motor depending on the load, so as to maximize battery life. I'm sure all the newer "Red link" boards do this.

You're partially correct on you understanding of electric. It's more complex than I can explain in a comment but basically Amp hours is a rating for how long the battery will last under a given load. Amperage draw changes with load and therefore, battery life is consumed faster with higher load. Voltage is how the battery stores electricity and how many and how big the cells inside are. What it all really comes down to is how the electric motors are paired to their power supply. Different winding rates and such inside the motor will determine how it consumes electricity. The best and only appropriate way to compare electric tool specs is actually through wattage because amps times volts equals Watts. Watts are the metric measurement for horsepower. If you have an 18v set up with a motor that can consume up to 12 amps (216 watts) it will perform the same as a 36v tool set up with a motor that can consume 6 amps (216 watts). I'd be happy to talk more about it if you want to send me an email via the address in my channel description.

Great video! For what it's worth the way the chain is hard to pull, they may be using a gear reduction so they can stick to 18v batteries and maintain chain speed. The AH is your torque or, grunt the 8ah battery is lighter but will over heat quicker than the 12ah when cutting thicker stuff. The battery voltage x ah is the watt/hour or total power available. 12ah battery will give more run time and/or allow cutting thicker harder wood with less overheating. Milwaukee works magic with their M18 series tools! Definitely adding this one to my collection of 7 Stihls and the traditional Milwaukee saw.

Milwaukee 18V stuff is generally good, I imagine they kept the same voltage for interchangeability, as have makita and some other competitors. They seem to have optimised the power output but with a reduced runtime. Husky is king but the price difference is considerable. I guess the safety lever has not snapped off yet, as was your concern in the beginning? Great review, thanks

Dzięki za fajny film😎✌️

Love ya vids bro thanks

Makita 36v or 40v top handle are great saws too , i have both , i fancy this Milwaukee but don't have the battery and charger platform.

What bar mount system is it using? Or is it a specific Milwaukee mount?

Think of it like having a corded 230V electric motor, a 5A motor (1150W) is less power than a 20A motor (4600W). Volt and Amp are just part of the equation. How high Amp can you draw from the battery before overheating? How effective is the motor?

You should do an RPM stop test comparison between the Milwaukee and a Husky saw. Like you mentioned it’s harder to move the chain on the Milwaukee so maybe the Milwaukee motor kind of brakes the chain faster after letting go of the throttle?

You gotta go with the Makita XGT :)

Had to subscribe to keep watching you use it in real world hard use good 👍 video

I wonder If we could install August Hunickes 1/4”pitch panther bar and chain on that little Milwaukee🤔

Does the Milwaukee come with an Oregon chain? I've used small huskys all my life, and recently got a 540ixp, and love it, but don't love the husqvarna chain at all. I'll be swapping out for oregon nano once these ones are done. Different chain might explain the time difference?

I wanna make sure anyone operating one of these regularly knows that these saws require you to clean out the space around the chain brake with compressed air or the chain brake can malfunction and fail that’s why there’s a lil vent to blow air thru to make sure it doesn’t get gummed up from the excess oil n chips clogging from over oiling as this has a non adjustable bar oiler

Thanks for the review, Dan. I'll stick with my 2500 for the best battery saw for pruning and small removals. Bigger wood is best tackled with a gas saw in my professional opinion. That Milwaukee has a surprising amount of torque, but the battery overheating is a concern.

Thanks. Enjoyed that. What about price comparison, is it like for like I guess that factor into choice.

I have the rear handle Milwaukee...overheating batteries seems to be done easily enough. Husqvarna ever have the same problem ? Oh and so you can't sharpen the Milwaukee without taking the bar off then? Since it won't spin?

Was a good comparison. Voltage controls the speed of a motor (kv), amperage is the torque. Power is a combination of volts times amps. Amphour is the capacity of the battery. However, you can think about amp hours like this, a 1 amp hour battery could put out 1 amp for an hour but it could also put out two amps for half an hour or 4 amps for 15 minutes. Even though you might have a lower voltage, you can just draw more amps to get the same power. Watt hours is probably the better measure of battery capacity. Motors can be wound to do any RPM per volt and of course they could be geared. But an 18 volt battery that is 5 amp hour is only half the capacity of a 36 volt battery at 5 amp hours but each one can easily put out the equivalent power regardless of the voltage and amp hour capacity. The other thing that's not as relevant. Here is the C rating of a battery. This is how much current it can put out relative to the amp hour capacity . For example a 5 amp hour battery at one C puts out 5 amps but if it can do 10c it can actually push out 50 amps but it will only do it for 1/10 of the hour . Hope that made things clearer but probably not 😂 a lot of lithium can't go beyond about 10c except for things like radio controlled lipos which can reach sometimes even as high as 50+C

Any news on when this saw will be released in the UK ? Ive been waiting to get my hands on this since the pipeline announcement

Ive found its best to only use the 12ah battery. Handles the power pull better, so it doesn't overheat from my experience

If you're impressed with how the 18v compares get a hold of the 12v 3/8" stubby impact! I doubt you would be impressed with the 12v chain trimmer though, it's just too small.

I went Milwaukee. The versatility of M18 is tough to beat. On sale in April. Chainsaw, Weedeater, 8.0 battery, charger, and case for under $500 delivered! Hard to go wrong.

How do you sharpen the chain if you can't spin it by hand

Relating to the overheating, i dont have this tool but have many other mileaukee tools, the batteries will likely overheat when the saw is under consistent heavy load, so chogging is likely to overheat the batteries. I find the higher amp batteries can handle more heavy load and punishment. I personally wouldnt bother getting this tool with anything less than the 12amp battery

Battery technology is much more complicated than just 18v vs 36v or 54v there is videos on KZfaq explaining this. But the 8ah & 12ah Milwaukee batteries are more than a match for DeWalt 54v flexvolt. One question, can you fit non Milwaukee bars to this saw? Also Milwaukee now do a Super Charger which is much faster than the Rapid Charger & designed for the high output 8ah & 12ah batteries.

The only reason to go up on volts is to come down on amps. For example: 10 amps at 36v is 20 amps at 18v. Eventually, if your volts are too low, the needed amps get too high. 100 amps is a lot of amps, so a 56v battery let's the tool run at 1/3 the amps. Milwaukee has gotten really good at pushing the limits of 18v technology.

Like the 540. But price on the milwalkee good seems bita power. For there first effort look alright. Had stilh 161 sold it no good for me. Great vid thanx

The inability to sharpen that thing in the field is a total non starter for me, which sucks because I want to be able to use one, as I happened to have gone with Milwaukee for my drills and stuff, so I do have a lot of batteries. How the heck do you sharpen that thing? I only know how to do it by moving the chain along as I work.

they should make a battery belt pack with 1/4 turn quick disconnect DC voltage cord, no battery weight on saw. this may be better for the rear handle larger battery saws. i think echo is top dog according to project farm??

You need the 12 AH high output battery for this to be fair. Not the 8.0 xc

I run the 12" bar like my stihl top handles

Dewalt has their 60v tophandle saw out now. That might be a better saw. The Milwaukee being 20v, the Husqvarna being 40v/36v, and the Dewalt being 60v might have an interesting outcome.

Liked your review but Note you used the smaller battery in all your tests, larger battery would also fill the compartment better and has almost twice the capacity, the amp hour measurement is the power derived from the battery, 10 a/hr should supply 1 amp for 10 hours continuous, voltage could be 50v but still only supply 2 a/hr and conversely a 24v battery 6 a/hr roughly 3 times the running time of 50v battery.

how about the hedge trimmer husqvarna vs?

Love bat tree powered chainsaws

You didn’t mention anything about cost comparisons ?

They’re pretty handy but you still gotta have a gas saw at the job site.

OK so you're on the right track with voltage and amp-hours but like most things there's a bit of nuance. Battery cells have a discharge rate depending on the chemistry. We can say for argument sake that most tool batteries have a "2C" discharge, which means if it's 10 amp-hours * 2C = 20 amps worth of current output. Now you multiply that by voltage, so 18v * 20A = 360 watts. Watts are your actual power. To make things more confusing, you have more line losses with higher current, which means that high voltage has less line losses, and lower voltage has more line losses, for a given power. HOWEVER, line loss is usually apparent in longer runs, and since the wires in a cordless tool are all very short (6"-12") you don't typically see enough line losses to matter, and a lower voltage platform (like Milwaukee) can increase the diameter of their wires to combat these losses. That all said, Milwaukee is *definitely* making a calculated choice to keep running 18v battery system as long as possible because it gives them an edge. While other manufacturers are upgrading their battery packs they are being forced to create entire new lines of products, and forcing their customers to buy new sets of tools to continue using the brand. Milwaukee has NOT given their customers access to this jumping off point, so that has kept tool migration among consumers into a one-way road bringing people into Milwaukee more than away from Milwaukee. Now back to the question of power... How can Milwaukee maintain an edge here? Well, since they aren't investing in new battery platforms, they have a few dials they can turn to stay competitive 1. invest in upgrading their tools to brushless motors 2. invest in higher diameter wires to reduce power losses 3. invest in higher performance chemistry (if you can bring that 1C to a 2C, you've doubled the power output without changing anything else) 4. investing in electronic systems that provide surge capacity (a 1C constant discharge battery can provide up to 5C of pulse discharge, clever use of electronic systems can make this available seamlessly to the user) 5. invest in higher performance cooling systems Their latest upgrade in battery chemistry is being sold as "Milwaukee Forge" Hope this helps. Engineering is fun!

What you think of that Makita battery top handle?

8:00 Haven't watched the whole vid yet and it might be the greatest top handle saw ever but the side cover nut coming completely off is a deal breaker. No way I am fumbling away a nut 70 feet in the air that makes the saw useless.

as the chain will not rotate on the bar like the hussky, this would mean the chain can not be sharpened on the saw. this could be a deal breaker for many

M18 high output batteries are so good. 50%more power than equivalent amp batteries

why didnt you put a bigger battery in the Milwaukee. the big battery will fill the gap u were talking about

Ive got a stihl 220 n it sucks the battery fast. To fast after usin a 540 or that milwalkee.

Surly, its all down to the battery??

you will get much better performance if you run the 12.0ah battery instead of the 8.0ah.

gotta run with the 12Ah

Makita makes some nice arborist chain saws

I'd try again with HD 12 batteries.

Sounds like pain in the back those battery operated Saws are... Don't get me wrong nice to start, no pulling cord and much quieter than ordinary however you need at least 3 batteries to be safe for a day Plus charger and access to electricity. Expensive... I am very happy with £450 echo 2511 10" bar Very good light And well balanced saw. Very good for pruning, reduction up to 10 inch diameter. Prefer it over sthil Ms 201 .

Never bet against Milwaukee when they say they’re doing somthing

Your Husky got spanked! That’s with an 8 amp High Output battery against the Husqvarna 200XC battery. Try the Milwaukee 12 amp against it! The amperage of the Milwaukee battery doesn’t necessarily mean more torque, as the 6 amp HO battery out performs the 8 amp. Wait till you pair the chainsaw with the brand new 6 amp Forge Battery!! It’ll have the size of the 6 amp HO, with the performance of a 12 amp HO battery.

The Milwaukee doesn’t bog down like the Husqvarna…

If the chain doesn’t spin freely when the brake is off that’s a complete no go and major design flaw in my opinion

You kan get the same power output at half the voltage with double the current. The Milfuckee has dual connectors in parallel on the battery, so the tool is sipping angry pixies on 2 parallel lines simultaneously.

P = I * V. So half the voltage just means twice the amps for given power.

Milwaukee 11 lbs echo 2511 6 lbs way too heavy

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You forgot about STIHL MSA 220 T- CO

It has the same power because it draws a higher current from the battery.

Very good review,but I have never liked Milwaukee build quality since atlas copco sold them off. I am sticking to my husky.

Volts times Amps equals wattage

Those 8Ah and 12Ah uses the same cell Samsung 40T 21700 they have uniform coating all over the cells Usually over heat are bms instead of cells Most powerful are the 6Ah, it can discharge at rate of 50amp per cells two stacks 100Amp easily 8Ah can barely discharge 30Amp per cells

what about ego chainsaws?

but if you have a use for a much wider range of tools than Husqy makes, then the Milwaukee is the best choice. You can use the same battery for so many different tools way beyond arboriculture. Husqy is very limited in that regard. If Milwaukee refines it just a bit, then it's a no-brainer that Milwaukee will be the better choice objectively.

Best solution to the Milwaukee 18V saw is to swap to Makita 36V or 40V. I haven't tried a high end battery saw but the Makita 36V works well and is relatively cheap. Higher voltage is good for avoiding current draw issues. My 2511t is much lighter but that's about it.

Try makita XGT

Put the 12.0 in it lol

Whenever makita come out with high output 4ah 40 volt battery there top hand 40 volt saw will be light as !!!!

Echo forever

Personally, I think the Husqvarna 540i xp is the better saw out of all the electric saws.

It isn't the battery that makes the tool as good as it is. Husqvarna is using ancient technology at this point compared to Milwaukee or Dewalt. If they used a similar battery as Husky they would blow the Swedes out of the water.

I own M18 tools but this saw was a disappointment. Urganomics really suck on this. I was excited when they were first launched, but when I got one in my hands I was like this is garbage. Cons- brake handle is far and high, only a 2 step safety that sucks due to having to use your thumb. The wrap handle is god awful. Pros- has a decent motor.

Why does he keep saying it’s the same when the Milwaukee is clearly faster.

Just to make it fair.... bro its a 36v to a 18v and the milwaukee spanked your husky

..eat iz beatah than your hussy not just beata than you expected.. you best go on 'nd sniff some coffee..

Havnt watch the whole vid yet but dam its cringy to watch you handle the chain and take apart the saw without removing the battery

I Stopped watching when he said he cuts on the Rain!!!

This is a very biased opinion. In other videos of real testing the Milwaukee kicks butt.You really can’t tell what the real story is.

Milwaukee is rubbish the husky will have way less issues than the Milwaukee

Battery operated? Throw it in the trash and get a REAL chainsaw . I bought a 48v one, it would cut 4 cuts and die. I had it a total of 3 days before returning that pile of 💩. Gas is the way.

Well you should say and know the saw is a topcutter and pruning saw not a woodcutting saw it is made for topcutting a d trimming !!!!

Milwaukee is homeowners grade

DUDE, UR WAY OVER THINKN IT , MY BET IS , THAT THAT SAW WILL OUT LAST AND PERFORM THE HUSKY, IVE BEEN AN ARBORIST FOR 36 YRS, SEEN EVERYTHING, THESE BIG SAW COMPANIES are JUST AFTER OUR MONEY , LIKE TAKING AWAY THE GREESE FITTINGS ON WEED TRIMMERS, ILL BUY THAT MILL' ALL U CAN DO IS TEST IT AND GO FROM THERE, as ALWAYS STAY SAFE and ALWAYS HAVE "FUN" NEW BATTERIES CAN ALSO GET STRONGER AS THEY BREAK IN

Don't go by what it can do now you have to use it for over a year and Milwaukee is absolute garbage