Hey everyone! I just picked up a 16" Dewalt chainsaw and I'm looking for recommendations on what capacity 20/60V battery I should get. I need something that can handle medium-sized jobs like cutting up a tree that fell across my driveway, but I'm not looking to chop a ton of firewood for winter. Also, I've heard the knockoff batteries aren't worth it – does anyone have experiences with them sticking around for the long haul?
3 Answers
If you’re already invested in other FlexVolt tools, a couple of 9Ah batteries seem to be a sweet spot in terms of cost versus performance. That said, if you’re okay with a bit of weight and want the best runtime, the 12Ah is a great choice but be aware it can get warm if you push it too hard. For lightweight projects, even a 6Ah would do, but you might find yourself swapping batteries pretty often.
I've found that the 9Ah battery that usually comes with the kits is solid for most jobs. However, if you want a bit more runtime, definitely consider going for a 12Ah battery. Just don’t expect to have endless power with the smaller options; you might burn through them surprisingly fast! So it might be smart to grab a couple of batteries if you plan to work for a while.
Honestly, you can't go wrong with the 9Ah for most needs. The 6Ah just won't give you enough time to work, and while the 12Ah offers more runtime, it can struggle a bit with high power draws. Also, steer clear of aftermarket batteries; they just don’t hold up like the OEM ones do, often not delivering the capacity they claim.