I was contemplating the possibility of using a battery powered chain saw to cut the ice instead of my hand ice saw.
Didn’t know if a cordless saw would have enough motor to do the job. Also didn’t know just how long a bar might fit the small cordless saws. Thinking one would need a 16 or 20 inch bar.
Anyone already try this? If so, what were your results?
I tried the dewalt 20v saw with a 16 inch bar. It works but was painfully slow in 8″ of ice. Maybe the 60v saw would be better. I went with a gas saw after that outing.
Just make sure you drain your cutting oil or switch it out with some food grade oil.
I know you said electric, but I have a Poulan wild thing, cheapy from Walmart like 80 bucks . I put a 18 inch Oregon PowerSharp chain and bar on it. It wasn’t very good at cutting wood but I used it for years Beaver trapping in the winter and man did it cut through the ice good. Too bad your so far away I’d let you try it out as it just sits in my garage collecting dust.
Personally believe a (hand) ice saw works better than chainsaw.
-J.
We have a 6 ft Stihl that we use for ice rescues and it works great……Not electric but definitely gets through the ice. I would think with enough battery power it would work.
For anything thicker than 6 to 8″s I would go with a gas saw. Electric chainsaw is not much more than a glorified limb trimmer. It will cut thicker ice but it will be slow and I guarantee the entire time you will be wondering why you didn’t just buy a gas powered saw. They cost about the same to.
Personally believe a (hand) ice saw works better than chainsaw.
-J.
I may have said the same in my younger years but anymore, my engine bogs down too often.
Agree 100% that a gas saw is a much more powerful tool than the electric. Just basically wanted to confirm what I already suspected about an electric being not quite up to the task.
I put a 18 inch Oregon PowerSharp chain and bar on it. It wasn’t very good at cutting wood but I used it for years Beaver trapping in the winter and man did it cut through the ice good.
Did you have any issues with the chain and clutch system freezing up after cutting the first location, sitting for an hour in the cold and then cutting another location? Or did you have a warm place to put it in between uses?
I don’t remember the clutch freezing but the chain might freeze to the bar. When your done cutting the hole you just give her a few revs to get the water off. I also carried a chisel and I think I may have used that once or twice to free the chain. Just stick it behind a tooth and give her a push to free her up. Also push the saw don’t pull it , you’ll stay dryer.
You might have to skim the water also because even if you have the oil resivor empty as I did you’ll still have the exhaust blowing in there to create the pretty rainbow shine on the waters surface.
You might have to skim the water also because even if you have the oil resivor empty as I did you’ll still have the exhaust blowing in there to create the pretty rainbow shine on the waters surface.
Kind of one reason I was hoping I might get by with electric, plenty of videos out there of gas saws being used. One has plenty of time to ponder such things when waiting for a Northern to show up at the spear hole. 
My Dad who is a retired DNR fire jumper/commander laughed hysterically at my mom for asking him to buy a 16″ 20v saw this last weekend. I won’t repeat the free feminine product joke that came after, but if you know a forester, you get the picture. Go gas, go with a big sturdy bar, go with a solid brand, and keep those chains sharp.
The Milwaukee saw is a capable electric chain saw. I’ve never cut ice with it, but I’ve diced some wood with a diameter that pushed the bar length with no issues. I clear my trails with that and an ms362 and usually don’t start the gasser.
The Milwaukee saw is a capable electric chain saw.
I’ve got a 40v Dewalt that would be capable, too. It’s a great saw with power comparable to a midsize, gas, homeowner saw. That being said, they’re not cheap, and I would not buy one with the sole intention of cutting ice. They’re a bit heavy, too.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishwater wrote:</div>
The Milwaukee saw is a capable electric chain saw.I’ve got a 40v Dewalt that would be capable, too. It’s a great saw with power comparable to a midsize, gas, homeowner saw. That being said, they’re not cheap, and I would not buy one with the sole intention of cutting ice. They’re a bit heavy, too.
That’s why I recommended the Poulan saw , there light and you could buy one and set it up solely for ice use. A stihl would obviously be better and could double duty for wood, but the price difference is substantial.
A drop or 2 of dawn dish soap in the hole when all done will take care of any of that oil sheen that may(will) be present.
Thanks for all the input guys. In my initial inquiry, I intentionally did not expand beyond the electric as an option.
I do have a nice gas saw which I can use. I also have a nice 20 volt Dewalt drill which I use with my auger. I can buy a 20 volt bare tool saw for around $60-$70 and would be willing to go that route to go cordless.
It sounds like a 20 volt system is insufficient to do the job well.
Seeing as I already have a gas saw which I know will do the job, I’ll go that route. I was just hoping to stay cordless with my ice fishing/spearing equipment without a big investment in tools not compatible with my present gear.
The cordless (armstrong) saw I have now, needs a rest stop or two to get the job done. This has a tendency to influence my choice to move to a new location when the spearing is non productive at my current location.
Again, thanks for the input. Tight lines and stay safe.
Wow it seems the price on the 20v Dewalt saws sure dropped. Seem to remember mine with battery was well over $200 about a year and a half ago. Bought mine with the main uses being some tree trimming in the back yard and sawing open the ramp at 494. It works well enough for both. One 5a battery gives about 10 to 20 minutes of run time sawing wood depending on what you are cutting. I typically go through one to one and a half batteries to saw open 494 ramp. Under 6″ ice it goes very fast. Over 6″ it still cuts but slows down fast. Luckly most of the time 494 ramp ice is not that thick. Maybe a 60 volt would cut thicker ice better but then the price of the saw goes up pretty good especially with a few batteries. Seem to remember sawing holes back in the day for spearing plenty more holes at 12″s of ice or more than less.
Something else we might try for shore ice at 494 is a battery powered limb trimmer for getting that first few feet of skinny ice at the waters edge.
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Seem to remember sawing holes back in the day for spearing plenty more holes at 12″s of ice or more than less.
I’m sitting on the hole now. Have 17 inch reach from the bottom of the, ice up to the top of the frozen snow slush.
When my dad, uncle or grandpa wasn’t around to run the chainsaw we would have to chisel out the holes. Not like we had much else to do back then so we did it. Staring at a hole in the ice all day was better than watching snow on the tv or splitting wood.
When I was young, my Dad and I tried everything we could think of to cut spear holes. We weren’t lazy, there just had to be an easier way!. One day he came home with a brand new Stihl with a 24″ bar, this is it! I was amazed at how hard the ice was, I thought it would cut like butter, but it was as much work as chopping. My Dad’s friend had an old time real ice saw, so when we went with him we used that, but on our own we took turns chopping 3 sides, score the last side and break it off. We’d break the chunk into pieces and use the tongs to pull them out. Those were good times, I miss him.
Ive heard guys will grind the rakers way down. It will really let the chain bite the ice and cut way faster.
I wish we would have thought of that!
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