I have literally grown up around chainsaws. My late grandfather owned a lot of property in Northern Ontario where his cottage was. We went there multiple times a year and it was literally a wonderland of animals, trails and places to explore. Sometimes those trips were purely for relaxation. But other times we went to restock the firewood that my grandparents burned all winter in their furnace and fireplace. So, cutting down trees and processing firewood is in my DNA.
Chainsaws make light work of fallen trees after a storm, cleaning up overgrowth and cutting up firewood but chainsaw ownership is a commitment! There’s the proper mixture of gas, small engine maintenance and keeping your chain oiled and sharp so that when your saw is needed in an emergency, you aren’t struggling to start it, spending time sharpening the chain or running out to get some oil and gas to mix. When we moved to the city, I no longer needed to burn firewood in the winters for heat, so my gas powered chainsaw has sat on the floor of my shed since we moved to the city. But there have been many times I wished I could just pull out my saw and quickly cut up a tree branch or trim a limb from our giant aging black walnut tree.
This is where an 80 volt brushless battery powered chainsaw comes in. The Atlas Brushless 80V electric chainsaw ($149.99 USD) from Harbor Freight is an absolute gamechanger. The company known for affordable, quality tools and hardware, beloved by DIY teardrop trailer enthusiasts for their heavy duty folding trailer platforms has created quite a buzz with this new product.
The saw comes in a branded box with a plastic chain guard, manual, a starter container of chain oil and a combo wrench for adjusting the chain. If you are unfamiliar with chain maintenance, Harbor Freight has an easy video explaining the proper way to adjust your chain’s tension. Definitely worth a watch as the saw has been designed with a professional grade chain tensioner system. Since the Atlas saw does not come included with a battery or charger, I recommend the Atlas Extreme Performance Dual Voltage 40/80V (4.0/8.0Ah) battery ($249.9 USD)
Gone is the time spent mixing oil or the money spent buying gasoline or the engine maintenance. I simply keep the battery charged with the Atlas Dual Voltage Rapid Battery Charger ($89.99 USD), keep the blade sharp and the chain reservoir filled with chain oil. This is literally all I need to pick up and go!
For sharpening accessories, Amazon is overflowing with gadgets for sharpening chainsaw blades, but motorized tool attachments and specialized power tools are overkill. All that is needed is a proper round filing kit like this one. But don’t take my word for it, check out this video on how the pros sharpen a chainsaw.
A sharp chain is a safer saw. Make sure you keep your chain sharp, but also use protective clothing like gloves, eye protection and proper work boots. Be safe out there!
The Atlas 80v chainsaw completely changes life for everyone from the suburbanite with the odd yard job to the rural or countryside homeowner who relies on firewood as a primary or secondary heat source. With its 18” blade, the Atlas 80v chainsaw cut logs up to 32” with no problem.
The saw is well designed and very well appointed. Designed with a comfortable overmold grip and a wrap around handle. Anyone familiar with a gas powered saw will feel right at home operating the Atlas. It feels relatively light and unbalanced at 9.8Lbs without a battery. But with the Extreme Performance lithium Ion battery installed, the saw feels more like its gas powered competition at a full weight of 15lbs and perfectly balanced.
Last week my pastor called because he needed help with a cedar that had fallen on his property. So we put the chainsaw to work trimming branches and then sectioning up the cedar to burn next summer for firewood. The saw had no issues going through the medium sized trunk (about 10-12 inches). Harbor Freight claims the Atlas 80v chainsaw has more power than a gas powered 50CC motor and cuts faster than a traditional gas powered chainsaw. This was definitely my experience! The Atlas 80V chainsaw more than impressed myself and my pastor as we made quick work of his fallen cedar and moved to a larger limb on the other side of his property. After about an hour of use, I had only lost one bar on the battery’s display. Harbor Freight claims the saw will cut about 180 4×4 logs on one charge and thanks to the rapid charger, the 80V 5.0a battery can reach 90% capacity in only 45 minutes.
The first thing that stood out to me while using this saw is the sound it makes. It is definitely not the same roaring gas powered engine sound. It sounds more like a radial arm saw. A bit quieter, but once you take your hand off the trigger, it stops! No more starting up the motor and yelling over the noise.
Another great feature was the chain oil reservoir. It’s not a big deal, but Atlas designed the reservoir to be see-through so with a quick look, you can see how much oil is left before it’s time to refill. This ensures that your chain is always lubricated and never overheats. A great design!
The only drawback that I can think of to the Atlas 80v chainsaw is that it does not come included with a battery and charger. But at only $149.99 USD and batteries starting at $149.99 USD and the standard battery charger for $49.99 USD, you can be all in for $350.00 USD. This doesn’t include any member prices or promotional coupons that Harbor Freight is so well known for. Comparatively speaking, that is still about $20.00 cheaper than a lesser powered 18” 40CC 2-stroke gas powered saw by Echo!
When you consider the cost of ownership on a gas powered saw, the Atlas 80V Brushless chainsaw makes sense in just about every way. More than enough power, ready to go at a moment’s notice and it’ll never let you down. I think that makes it an absolute no-brainer.
Note: Our reviews are always 100% independent but Gearadical receives a small affiliate amount if you purchase the product on Amazon.
