Price and availability on Milwaukee's site may differ.
Milwaukee built this one for climbers rather than homeowners, and the detail that proves it is the climbing scabbard in the box. 8.2 lb bare, 2.7 HP peak, full throttle in under a second, and a 35cc-gas-equivalence claim — on paper it replaces the small two-stroke top handles arborists have carried for thirty years. It ships with the HIGH OUTPUT XC8.0 pack and Milwaukee quotes 150 cuts per charge in 4x4 cedar, rising to 225 on an HD12.0 you buy separately. It accepts a 12" bar as well, which matters if you work close in a canopy. What it does not escape is the top-handle bargain: a one-hand-capable saw at head height is the most dangerous configuration a chainsaw comes in, and the 8.0Ah pack that gives it the quoted runtime adds its own weight exactly where you feel it. At $499 the kit costs the same as Milwaukee's 16" rear-handle kit.
Best for: Working climbers and tree crews on M18 who want to drop two-stroke top handles without losing cutting speed.
Manufacturer figures except the engine class and single-pass cut, which are derived here. What each spec means
Written from the spec sheet and the maker's documentation; owner reports for this model were too thin to summarize.
