Electric tools also require less in the way of routine maintenance than gas-powered tools, with no need to change out filters, perform seasonal care, or add motor oil.

Test 1: Quiet Cutting I gave my friends Ted and Carol Abt the choice of using a gas or electric saw to remove two 20-foot Arbor Vitae from their Pennsylvania backyard. There was no contest.

The DCH 230 and DCH 300 electric diamond cutters feature a 2.6-kW motor, unique design and new cutting depth adjustment mechanism, enabling them to achieve depths of 3.4 and 4.7 in.

Most gas and electric pole saws have 8- to 12-inch cutting bars. As you’d expect, manual pole saw blades are often a little longer–between 12 and 16 inches.

And plenty of battery saws will cut just as fast—if not faster—than gas models. There are currently about 50 electric models in CR’s chainsaw ratings, nearly all of them battery-operated.