There aren’t many instances where I wish I had one of the best chainsaws. I live in a single-family home not quite in the suburbs, with only a few trees to call my own. However, we recently had two extremely high-wind storms that took out several trees in our neighborhood, including some large, 60-year-old oak and pine trees. Thankfully, I had the STIHL MSA 300 C battery-powered chainsaw to clean up the mess.
The MSA 300 C is a battery-operated chainsaw from the legendary chainsaw company STIHL. For almost 100 years, STIHL has been making chainsaws that professionals and homeowners rely on. The MSA 300 C is the company's most powerful battery-powered chainsaw and is designed to help homeowners and landowners with tree-management projects.
I appreciated having many of the benefits of a battery-powered chainsaw, such as no pull cord to deal with or gassy fumes to smell. The addition of features like a variable speed switch and a low-oil indicator light is quite useful. However, the performance is a bit weaker than I was expecting, so you’ll have to decide if the MSA 300 C will meet your needs.
Jason has been testing and reviewing products for over ten years and has plenty of experience with outdoor power equipment. He never frees away from a good day of yard work and enjoys getting his hands dirty. He used the MSA 300 C to clear away several large branches and a small tree that fell in his yard after a bad storm and to clear away one eight-to-ten-inch-diameter tree in his backyard. Aside from Top Ten Reviews, you can also find Jason's product reviews on CrackBerry, Android Police, CNET, XDA, and more.
STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw: Key specs
| Model no.: | MSA 300 C |
| Blade length: | Up to 20 in. |
| Chain oil capacity | 10.5 oz. |
| Fuel: | Battery - AP 500 S (recommended) 36V / 9.4 Ah |
| Run time: | Up to 44 minutes |
| Weight (with battery): | 14.1 lbs. |
STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw: Price & availability
Ever since STIHL began selling its products in the United States in 1974, it has exclusively relied on local dealers to get them into the hands of customers. While you won’t find them at large retailers such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, there are still some online stores where you can buy them.
Acme Tools is an authorized online retailer for STIHL, and you can currently find the 18” MSA 300 C on their website for $809.99. The 20” blade model is twenty dollars more at $819.99. Remember that this does not include the recommended battery, the AP 500 S. That battery is listed for $379.99 at Acme Tools, and the standard AL 101 charger is another $59.99.
Overall, the MSA 300 C will cost well over $1,000 to use. In the UK, STIHL has the MSA 300 C listed for £744 (battery not included), and they’ll help you find a local authorized dealer.
Score: 8 out of 10
STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw: Setup
As with all the other STIHL products I reviewed recently, the MSA 300 C was delivered to me fully assembled by a local STIHL representative. Unfortunately, that means I did not get to unbox the chainsaw and set it up as I normally would when reviewing a product.
I was told by the representative that all tools in the professional lineup (like the MSA 300 C) would be assembled by the local dealer when you arrive to pick them up. If you purchase a tool in the consumer line, I expect your local dealer would be more than happy to assemble it for you.
However, based on other unboxing and setup videos and reviews I found, it appears the only setup required is to attach the chain and the bar. The chain simply slides around the bar and attaches to the chainsaw body with two nuts. A tool is included to tighten the chainsaw nuts.
Picking up and using the MSA 300 C for the first time left quite an impression. It’s certainly not as heavy as gas-powered chainsaws, but there’s still some weight to it. It feels very well built, as all STIHL products do, and from the beginning, I had no worries that it could get the job done.
Score: 9/10
STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw: Design
One of the best things about the MSA 300 C is how easy it is to use. The handle houses the trigger and the palm safety release as well as the power button on the left side (an unfortunate placement for lefties) of the grip. Just above the handle is the indicator display which shows you if the saw is on, what cutting speed is currently selected and if the chain brake is on or off.
The display also has a low oil and heat indicator, which notifies you if you need to stop cutting or filling the oil reservoir.
Just above the handle is where the AP 500 S battery slots in. The grip handle is just in front of that with the chain break lever just above that. At the front of the motor housing, right where the blade attaches to the body, is a bumper spike, which holds the log steady as you cut and prevents the log from jumping back into the saw while you’re cutting.
There’s also a chain catcher at the base of the blade to protect you if the chain breaks or comes off the bar.
The MSA 300 C can be ordered with an 18-inch or 20-inch chain. With the AP 500 S battery, the 18-inch model weighs 14.1 pounds, so it’s not unwieldy and certainly lighter than gas-powered machines.
Overall, it’s well designed and has all the basics you’d expect, plus some useful extra features.
Score: 10 out of 10
STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw: Performance
I live in Houston, TX, and you might have heard we had rough storms a few months ago. While it certainly was not fun to live through them (especially without power for a week each time), fortunately, for this review, it left quite a few large branches on our lawn. It even knocked down one of our smaller trees that I needed to cut up and clear away.
The first branch I used the saw on was about a foot thick at its thickest point. The chainsaw turns on at first speed by default, but I left it on the second for most of my cuts. Thankfully the saw remembers which setting you left it on when it powers off, so you don’t have to hit the button every time. As a safety measure, the saw powers off automatically after only a few seconds of not using it, so you don't have to remember to turn it off every time.
I don’t think I had to use the highest setting to clear away those branches and the fallen tree.
A couple of weeks after the storm, I used the saw to cut down a tree in our backyard that had been damaged by the storm. We were planning on removing it anyway. This tree was about 8-10 inches in diameter, but it was still standing, so it was much greener than the ones that had fallen.
For this cut, the saw got bogged down towards the end, and I had to turn it up to the highest setting. I was also cutting at an angle, which no doubt contributed to the stoppage. However, once I turned up the speed, the saw finished the cut without a problem.
STIHL claims up to 44 minutes of run time with the AP 500 S, but my experience was shorter. I probably only got about 30-35 minutes of cutting time before the battery ran out. Luckily, I could use an AP 300 S battery, but with that battery, I could not turn up the power level higher than in eco mode.
Not so luckily, the AP 500 S battery takes over three hours to recharge using the standard AL 101 charger. STIHL has a fast charger, the AL 301, that charges in about an hour and a half but costs $109. There’s also a super-fast charger, the AL 501 ($179), that can supposedly fully charge an AP 500 S in about 45 minutes, but I did not receive that one to test.
The MSA 300 C's noise level was also noticeably lower than that of a gas-powered chainsaw. Most gas saws are between 100 and 115dB, while the MSA 300 C clocked in at about 95dB, which is equivalent to walking down a busy street.
Score: 9 out of 10
Should you buy the STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw?
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | It’s a bit more expensive than the nearest competitor and you might have to hunt a bit to find one, but you’re paying for that legendary STIHL reputation. | 8/10 |
| Setup | Professional assembly, ease of setup, and solid build quality | 9/10 |
| Design | Well designed and easy to use with a few great extra features. | 10/10 |
| Performance | More than powerful enough for most situations. Battery life was a bit lower than expected. | 9/10 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How does the STIHL MSA 300 Cordless Chainsaw compare?
For an excellent reason, the Husqvarna Power Axe 350i is our number-one chainsaw this year. It has a boost mode for thicker cuts, is lightweight, and is less than half the price of the MSA 300 C. I tried it out, and I must say I was impressed with its ease of use and plethora of safety features.
If you don’t need to do a lot of cutting and don’t want to spend a lot on a top-of-the-line chainsaw, the Sun Joe 24V-X2-CS16 is an excellent choice. It has a visible oil level, so you always know when to top it up. Our tester appreciated how light and easy it was to use it. However, it lacks more advanced features and is probably not powerful enough for felling trees.
If you really need the extra power of a gas chainsaw, check out the Echo CS-310-14, as reviewed by J.D. Chadwick. It’s more than powerful enough for almost any cutting you’ll need to do and lightweight enough not to get uncomfortable during long periods of use. However, the bar is shorter at 14 in., and it requires more maintenance than a battery chainsaw.
How the STIHL MSA 300 C Chainsaw was tested for this review
When it comes to helping you make the right purchase, Top Ten Reviews has got you covered. Our dedicated team conducts in-depth research and rigorous testing to provide accurate and reliable product reviews. Each of our writers possesses valuable industry knowledge, ensuring that you receive honest and insightful evaluations.
Pete Wise recently tested this chainsaw by cutting up large branches and felling a small tree in his own yard after a storm. The saw effortlessly handled 12-inch-diameter branches, and he was able to switch to a backup battery when needed. It's safe to say that the STIHL chainsaw performed admirably.
Learn more about how we test.
- First reviewed: August 2024
