Stihl MSA 300c, How Well Does It Cut?

Showing how the Stihl MSA 300c with the 500s battery cuts. Log is a 22inch sugar maple. Freshly sharpen chain and fully charged battery

[@user-sp6ki8ty2j]

For what it is it is quite impressive. I could see an use for it cutting shooting lanes around deer blinds. Clearing small trees from trails. It is most certainly much quieter than even the smallest gas powered saw. With the rapid advancement in battery technology I can see a battery coming out in the not to distant future, that will do that log and more. Excellent content. You and yours have a great day.

[@Treestofirewood]

For small trees and brush. I don’t think you can go wrong. I cut up a 8 inch ash tree the other day. Whole tree and limbs and was still on one battery. All depends on the size of timber. One day these batteries will be super advanced and be way more powerful than they are now.

[@paulweakley3440]

Hard maple is a great wood to showcase that saw. Great video showing electric saws' benefits and drawbacks. Tons of misinformation out there on these saws from the ol' timers who have never held one in their hands. There is definitively a learning curve to cutting big logs with electric saws (you'll learn to feel when max load is on for and try to keep it just under max load). Not having to deal with gas / oil is my favorite part. More batteries help with the cooling problem. Usually after my 3 batteries there is enough cut for me to work on till I'm exhausted (then the batteries are charged by the time I deal with what I cut and take a break).

[@Treestofirewood]

Yeah. I usually will put enough pressure that I can tell it’s almost there. But for this test I wanted to really test the saws potential. When I just let the saw cut on its own the battery will last a lot longer. But in ideal situations with gas saws we want to cut for the most part as fast as we can and keep moving. But having a few extra 500s batteries I think is a must.

[@joekrzeminski467]

Have a GOOD DAY Matt.

[@buckinfirewood]

The sprocket is a wear part that will need replacing eventually.. always good to have one in the tool box ..

[@Treestofirewood]

Crazy story. I ran the chain on that sprocket for 3 years. Video coming up on that.

[@buckinfirewood]

@Treestofirewood it's good till it's not.. hope I can find my new sprocket when I need it.. been 2 years or so now

[@Treestofirewood]

@buckinfirewood that sounds about right.

[@davesauerzopf6980]

I was waiting for that battery to get too hot. My daughter has an electric lawnmower and during the summer when it is really hot the battery will shut down due to over heating. When it is really cold the battery will not work as well because it is too cold. I still think they are great for the home owner that is doing small stuff. Great review and yes you were pushing it hard for sure.

[@Treestofirewood]

For the average home owner I think it’s a great option. It’s really nice and not too heavy. But yeah the batteries do have there draw backs with weather. Where a gas saw just run them whenever.

[@lyleharkness-rv5vf]

I won't lie, I haven't had a good opinion of battery saws but I may be changing my mind. I can see how they have their uses and the technology is catching up. Good video showing their capabilities 👍

[@Treestofirewood]

I used to be so against battery saws for quite a while. But these last few years they have been growing on me. They have there place that’s for sure. But for big wood not yet.

[@sirvozelo1]

@@Treestofirewood On my MSA300 I have the 18" bar and in regard to power I have no problem it spines the chain easier in any wood including oak, the all problem are the batteries. On an 20" oak log 11 cuts and the AP500 S battery is out of charge. I have mine over 2 years, I am 100% happy with saw bat battery's technology still light years away for professional use.

[@HomesteadJay]

Thing eats good!

[@Treestofirewood]

Yeah it’s pretty impressive for a battery saw.

[@richarddabkowski2896]

Googled the battery real quick If that 300 battery is the 36v 7.2 amp hours I'm very surprised it would run out that early, but also surprised it would overheat that quickly. That one battery should get through that tree, although like you said that's a bigger log than that saw should realistically be handling -- most likely the reason it overheated so quickly. It has the power to get through it, it just doesn't have the ability to cool itself off quick enough.

[@Treestofirewood]

Its was the 500s battery. I also think it overheated quickly because I literally just pulled it off the charger so it was already heat soaked. So that probably didn’t help. I was surprised it didn’t do the whole log with ease. I may have to retest on a different log and give it a fair shot but in reality we use them charge them and put them right back in and continue to use.

[@Kayla-pg9ld]

Very impressive! @Stihl

[@Treestofirewood]

I think so too. Definitely liking it.

[@brookdorflinger9070]

Impressive

[@Treestofirewood]

For the size of the long it definitely is.

[@williamcurriez4734]

❤❤❤❤

[@dropshot1967]

these battery saws are, just like you said, most suited for climbing and smaller cuts and probably also for up in the tree with the biggest advantage being that you don't have to start the saw every time you use it. Batteries generally suffer the most with continuous max load. Like you said these are getting to be ideal for home owner smaller cutting jobs

[@Treestofirewood]

Yeah I would agree. The continued use that we put on the gas saws on our jobs these battery saws could never work in that scenario. They get to hot and batteries don’t last long enough. Maybe one day they will but not holding my breath on that.

[@buckinfirewood]

What's your opinion on the 500i with 28" bar and a skip tooth chain??

[@Treestofirewood]

28 and skip tooth shreds. Cuts a little slower but will hold high rpms all day. I think I’m going to go with maybe a 32 on my 500i or 28 from now on and run 25 on my 461. May switch to light bars as well. Only reason I don’t run light bars is because I’m hard on my saws. But with the weigh savings it does add up.

[@John-cj3ve]

Yup; the battery severely limits my EGO CSX5000 when cutting 20-24" logs; with overheating being the issue.

[@Treestofirewood]

Yeah when cutting larger wood I find I can’t really put much downforce on the saw. But when cutting smaller diameter the saw is great. They have there place right now.

[@johnkiser2658]

I have a makita battery saw. Looking to get another battery saw to cut wood this fall. Maybe an echo. Not sure yet

[@Treestofirewood]

I haven’t ran either one of those. I’ve seen them though. I do like my stihls. Since I have them I will continue to grow my inventory of them. Haha can never have enough saws.

[@sirvozelo1]

Besides the Stihl MSA300 I also have the 161T and the MSA220C, one year ago my brother just buy 2 Makitas comparable with mines 161T and MSA220C. Just for the matters we try and test both brand models one against each other and come with a conclusion the Stihl brand feels better in the hands, seems better quality. In my brother case he went with Makita because he is a contractor and use the batteries in other power tools as well.

[@rawwetzel]

That's a lot of money . I just got a dewalt 12 inch. Cut with it all day, taking down branches on 2 5 amp hour battery's. Some of the branches were 18 inches. The saw was under 200 bucks

[@Treestofirewood]

That seems like a good deal.

[@sirvozelo1]

The saw is good I have one over 2 years and have no complaints at all, the AP500S battery isn't up to the saw for professional use, is like a Mustang GT with gas tank in the reserve.

[@Treestofirewood]

Yeah I hear that. It’s good for much smaller wood. And then it shines pretty well.

[@sirvozelo1]

@@Treestofirewood Even in a some ticker wood the saw is good have power and is fast the all problem is that the batteries aren't up to the saw.

[@mas3ymd]

I own this saw. This saw is meant to be equivalent to the MS-261 and/or MS-271 in terms of power - ie amount of work performed per unit time (aka Joules/sec aka Watts). Electric motors can blow internal combustion engines out of the water in this respect. Unfortunately, the problem with electric devices is their batteries. Batteries store much less energy ( in Joules) than gasoline, per unit volume. And yeah, when drawing a lot of energy from them rapidly, they can overheat. The benefit of electric is its cleanliness and ease of use and maintenance. .

[@Treestofirewood]

Yes I agree. I do wish the batteries would get better and better. If making smaller cuts these saws are awesome.

[@mas3ymd]

@@Treestofirewood You’re missing the point. These electric saws can make large cuts as well as their gasoline counterparts. They have every bit as much power as gasoline saws. You’re confusing power with energy. Power allows you to make large cuts. Energy (storage) is what allows you to make more cuts (of any size). Per unit weight and/or volume, batteries just don’t store anywhere near as much energy as gasoline does, unfortunately.

[@Treestofirewood]

@mas3ymd yeah I understand all that.

[@adelarsen9776]

Yeah my MS261 over heats and runs out of fuel after 3 cuts..... not. Buying battery powered products doesn't save the world. And man made climate change is bollox anyway.

[@Treestofirewood]

Agreed

[@adelarsen9776]

@@Treestofirewood I like battery saws but they are not so good in large farming/forestry.

[@Treestofirewood]

@adelarsen9776 definitely not for forestry work. I use the battery top handle in the tree but that about it.

[@adelarsen9776]

@@Treestofirewood Nice.