Launching very soon, July 2018, the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16” Chain Saw 2727-21HD ($399) will be hitting the streets with the new 12.0Ah High Output batteries. The big question on everyone’s mind seems to be can this 18V cordless chain saw beat 36V, 40V, 54V, 60V, 80V but most importantly gas saws? Sure everyone would love to stop messing with gas engines and use a simple battery but a few important things have hindered them taking over the market. Most importantly Power, Price & Runtime! Milwaukee is not first to market here with a cordless chain saw that uses a tool battery but believe they can now address all 3 of these concerns.
Is 18V enough to Power a Chain Saw?
YES – from what we saw in the ash tree demo in the video above and in our hands-on this M18 FUEL 16” has a nice amount of power behind it. We’ve seen the comments that the gas saw had a worn out chain and other nefarious suggestions about this comparison, it does look like a Stihl ms170 or ms180 which would be roughly 32cc, not 40cc. Regardless just looking at the Milwaukee chain saw on its own it makes quick work of this ash log. It has solid power for cutting trees, timber frames, utility poles and about whatever else you might run into with a chain saw. The motor behind this saw delivers 2000+ watts of peak power, that’s 75% higher max power than 35cc Gas and 32% higher max power than 40cc Gas engines.
This is of course with the Milwaukee High Output 12.0Ah battery which will make a difference here. The new 21700 cells allow these batteries to pull more watts continuously without overheating. It’ll be a big question how much the power drops (or heavy use is limited) using the current M18 batteries with 18650 cells.
Is this a good value at $400?
Good for M18 Users – You got a very wide selection of top of the line gas chainsaws for less than $399, so alone just as a chainsaw not a super deal. This tool along with a handful of other new More Powerful M18 FUEL Tools will all be coming with the new 12.0Ah High Output battery, which the battery alone is $199. If you are an M18 user you are going to want to get a new 12.0Ah monster pack to use with your existing FUEL Sawzalls, circ saws, miter saws, Hole Hawgs, etc this is a great way to get both. When it comes to Outdoor Power Equipment it just seems to make much more sense to use battery packs that are compatible with hundreds of other tools instead of a dedicated system that just powers a string trimmer, blower and chainsaw.
How Much Runtime can a Battery Provide?
According to Milwaukee’s testing a single 12.0Ah battery has enough juice to cut an entire Cord of Fire Wood, 25 cuts through 10″ treated utility poles or 150 cuts in 6×6 cedar. That’s an impressive amount of runtime for a single 18V battery, of course the tool can run nearly indefinitely with a couple M18 batteries rotating on the charger. While all you exiting M18 batteries will work we are skeptical what sort of power loss there might be going back to your current 18650 cell M18 batteries with a power hungry tool like this. If you are going to do serious chain sawing you’re going to want more than 1 12.0Ah battery.
More Reasons Gas Power is a Dying Option
Of course there are all the other benefits, saving money on fuel, no worries about gas stabilizer, no engine failure from bad gas/mixing, no safety concerns about cans of gas sitting around or gas spills on other items, less maintenance, easier to start with 1 push, no emissions, safe to use indoors, less noise means safer for users, less disturbing to others, and the list goes on and on.
For more information on the 2727-21HD M18 FUEL Chain Saw check out the full Milwaukee press release below. We can’t wait to get our hands on this one and do a full hands on test with our own comparisons to other cordless and gas options.
MILWAUKEE PRESS RELASE FOR 2727-20 (coming early 2019) & 2727-21HD:
MILWAUKEE, WI – Unwavering in their dedication to delivering productivity-enhancing solutions that provide the right blend of power, run-time, and performance, Milwaukee Tool is proud to announce the next breakthrough in M18 FUEL™*. The M18 FUEL™ 16” Chainsaw has the power to cut hardwoods, cuts faster than gas**, and delivers up to 150 cuts per charge – providing more work-per-charge than any other cordless chainsaw available today.
“One of the most frequently requested tools by our users has been a Milwaukee® chainsaw. Unwilling to settle on subpar performance, we continued to advance our cordless technologies until we could provide a solution that truly delivers game-changing power and runtime that outperforms small gas engines and higher voltage systems,” said Andrew Lentz, Senior Product Manager for Milwaukee Tool. “Through a ground-up redesign of our electronics, to the manufacture of a powerful new motor and a brand-new powerhouse – the M18™ REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0 Battery— our new M18 FUEL™ 16” Chainsaw was born.” Milwaukee® created a brand-new POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor for this chainsaw, which sustains power and speed through tough applications without bogging down.
Milwaukee® also redesigned from the ground-up the REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence featured in this tool, utilizing electronics never used before in power tools. This newly designed REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence package ensures maximum performance of the tool under load and protects against overload and overheat. This electronics package also allows the chainsaw to achieve instantaneous throttle response, reaching full speed in under a second.
When equipped with Milwaukee’s new M18 FUEL™ REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0 Battery, the chainsaw can power through up to 150 cuts in 6×6 cedar on just one charge. This eliminates the hassle of switching out battery packs multiple times during the day. The new HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0 Battery provides 50% more power, runs 50% cooler, and delivers 33% more run-time than the M18™ REDLITHIUM™ HD9.0 Battery. In conjunction with REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence and the POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor, the HIGH OUTPUT™ Battery allows users to push the chainsaw hard and work all day – delivering more work-per-charge than any other professional power tool system.
True to Milwaukee’s “Nothing But Heavy Duty” promise, the chainsaw’s robust, high strength all-metal gearing and gear case deliver best-in-class torque and allow it to complete the most demanding applications including cuts in hardwoods.
Milwaukee® is committed to improving productivity by providing performance-driven and trade-focused solutions so users can perform an entire day’s work on one battery system. The new M18 FUEL™ 16” Chainsaw is fully compatible with the entire M18™ line, now offering more than 150 power tool products, and is a true testament to Milwaukee’s focus on investing in game-changing technology that truly delivers breakthrough solutions for users.
* M18 FUEL™ is engineered for the most demanding tradesmen in the world. Delivering unrivaled performance, all M18 FUEL™ products feature three Milwaukee®-exclusive innovations—The POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor, REDLITHIUM™ Battery Pack and REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence Hardware and Software—that deliver unmatched power, runtime and durability on the jobsite. Simply put, M18 FUEL™ tools are the most powerful 18V cordless tools in their class.
** When compared to 40cc gas units
Specifications
M18 FUEL™ 16” Chainsaw® (2727-21HD)
- 16” Oregon Bar & Chain
- Speed: 6,600 RPM
- Length: 33”
- Chain Gauge: .043”
- Chain Pitch: 3/8” Low Profile
- Oiler: Automatic
- Dual Stud for improved bar and chain retention
- Variable Speed Trigger
- Weight: 13.9 lbs w/battery
- 3 year warranty
Includes: M18 FUEL™ 16” Chainsaw, M18™ REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0 Battery, Rapid Charger, 16” Oregon bar and chain, and Scrench.