DeWalt Cordless Chainsaw Compared Against Stihl MSA 220 for Coppicing

Cut count per charge in green hazel

A freshly cut hazel rod at 4 cm diameter carries enough moisture to keep the kerf slick as the cutters pass through it. That sap reduces friction heat and lets a battery saw finish the cut with less drain than it would need for a dry oak piece of the same diameter. In that sort of green hazel, the Stihl MSA 220 C-B with an AP 300 S battery rated at 281 Wh will usually carry a coppice worker through roughly 140 to 200 cuts on stems under 6 cm before voltage sag makes the pack feel spent.

The DeWalt DCM575 on a single 54V 9.0 Ah FlexVolt pack, around 162 Wh nominal, usually comes in lower for comparable stems, around 90 to 130 cuts. Capacity explains much of the gap, although motor control matters too. The Stihl holds chain speed more evenly under load because its electronics trim current draw before the chain is dragged into a stall.

That steadier speed matters at a crowded stool, where several stems may be cut within seconds and the saw is constantly being lifted, rolled, and set back into another base cut. A slowing chain spends longer chewing through the kerf, and a half-finished cut that has to be restarted uses charge badly. Overstood hazel makes that especially visible, because stems crowd each other and the bar is often entering at an awkward angle.

Chain brake behaviour at low stools

Coppicing keeps the saw low, often near soil, grit, old stubs, and adjacent stems. The bar tip has less room than it has in open felling, and the upper quadrant can touch wood the operator did not intend to cut.

The MSA 220 carries Stihl’s QuickStop Super inertia brake, which engages on rotational kickback faster than a brake that relies only on the front hand guard being driven forward. That extra response is relevant at a stool because the saw is being worked close to the body and close to obstructions.

The DeWalt DCM575 also has a chain brake. The Stihl gains another advantage from its supplied 35 cm Picco Micro 3 chain, set up on a narrow 1.1 mm gauge. The thinner kerf in green wood tends to pinch less and grab less, reducing the sudden bar-stop events that can throw a saw back toward the operator during repeated low cuts.

A 70-stem sweet chestnut block

Take an overstood sweet chestnut block with 70 stems to cut before the bluebells close access for the season. If the stems average 8 cm at the base, both saws move out of light pruning work and into a heavier draw band.

At that diameter, the MSA 220 on one AP 300 S pack can manage perhaps 60 to 80 cuts. A 70-stem session is therefore possible on one charge, although the margin is narrow. Carrying a second AP 300 S on the belt removes the risk of stopping short.

The cost is real. An AP 300 S sits at roughly 220 GBP, so a two-battery setup adds a meaningful sum to the saw purchase. In exchange, it turns the job into a continuous session instead of a day arranged around a charger.

The DeWalt at 8 cm usually runs nearer 45 to 65 cuts per 9.0 Ah pack. For 70 stems, that means a swap during the block and very likely a third pack charging back at the vehicle. DeWalt 54V 9.0 Ah packs commonly sit around 150 to 180 GBP each.

Battery platform changes the arithmetic. A woodland worker already using DeWalt 18V and 54V FlexVolt packs for drills, blowers, and brushcutters can spread the cost across more tools. A yard already committed to Stihl’s AP system gets the same benefit on the Stihl side, because the AP packs run across its cordless range.

Charge time is the quieter constraint. The Stihl AL 300 rapid charger brings an AP 300 S to 80 percent in about 35 minutes. DeWalt’s DCB118 fast charger brings a 9.0 Ah pack to 80 percent in roughly 50 minutes, so repeated swaps stretch a working day even when spare batteries are available.

Bar length at the stool

The DeWalt ships with a 40 cm bar, and the Stihl MSA 220 C-B with a 35 cm bar. In coppice stems, the shorter bar is lighter at the nose, pivots faster between close stems, and puts less leverage through the wrist during the constant repositioning that a stool demands.

The extra 5 cm on the DeWalt earns its keep on the occasional standard, such as an oak or ash maiden left to grow on within the coppice, where a thicker bole appears. For most hazel and chestnut cutting, both bars exceed the width of the stem, so the Stihl’s shorter reach feels less tiring during repetitive base cuts.

Weight after the first hour

With battery fitted, the MSA 220 C-B comes in around 3.9 kg. The DeWalt DCM575 with a 9.0 Ah pack is closer to 5.9 kg, and that 2 kg difference shows up in the forearm and shoulder once the first hour has passed. Low and twisted postures make the extra mass more obvious, and a lighter saw held under control is easier to place accurately without bogging the chain.

Oiling, sharpening, and debris

Green sap gums a chain faster than dry timber. At a coppice stool, that means more stops to clear the bar groove and oiler port, especially when the saw has been working close to dirt and leaf litter.

The Stihl uses a standard adjustable automatic oiler. The DeWalt’s oiler is automatic as well, but field use has drawn complaints about inconsistent delivery on the 40 cm bar at full chain speed. Poor oil delivery matters quickly in green wood because sticky debris builds in the groove and raises drag.

Sharpening costs pull the comparison back toward the DeWalt for some users. The Stihl Picco Micro 3 takes a 4 mm round file and holds an edge well in the silica-light bark of coppice species. The DeWalt’s Oregon-pattern chain is widely stocked and cheaper to replace outright, which matters for anyone who cuts close enough to the ground to touch grit several times in a session.

Neither saw is sealed against the fine debris thrown up around a coppice stool. Both need the air intake and battery contacts blown clean at the end of a session, and both punish a neglected bar groove with faster nose-sprocket wear.

After a dozen hand sharpenings, the two saws can feel farther apart than they did with fresh chains. The DeWalt’s cheaper Oregon-pattern loops make replacement less painful after grit damage, while the Stihl’s narrower Picco setup rewards careful filing and clean oil delivery. How much of the difference after that point belongs to chain geometry, and how much belongs to the edge left after repeated hand filing?