Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit vs Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit

Milwaukee / Battery

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit

30cc class (by bar)

~$539

5/5 Ace Hardware

See it at ToolNut
Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit

Milwaukee / Battery

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit

60cc class (by bar)

~$899

See it at Milwaukee

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit costs about $360 less; the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit sits a class up (60cc class); the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit swings a longer bar (20 in).

SpecMilwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw KitMilwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit
Approx. price~$539kit with XC6.0 battery and M18/M12 multi-voltage charger~$899kit with two FORGE XC8.0 batteries and a dual-bay rapid charger
Engine class30cc classplaced by shipped bar length60cc classplaced by shipped bar length
Power typeBatteryBattery
Use caseArboristProfessional
Voltage18 V18 V
Kit battery6 Ah8 Ah
Bar length8 in20 in
Single-pass cutabout 6 inabout 18 in
Bar range6-8 in20 in
Chain3/8" low-profile pitch / .043" gauge full-house, 33 DL.325" pitch / .050" gauge, 78 DL
Weight4.9 lbtool only, without battery (Milwaukee: under 5 lbs)19.9 lbwith two FORGE XC8.0 batteries (15.1 lb bare)
Warranty5-year tool / 3-year battery5-year tool / 3-year battery

Tinted cells mark the better figure on that row alone: more engine, longer bar, lighter, cheaper. A lighter weight is only a win on the same basis.

What owners like and complain about

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit

  • Outstanding power-to-weight — cuts hardwood limbs faster than 25cc gas pruners at under 5 lbs bare
  • Ships with lanyard loop and climbing scabbard, real arborist provisions most competitors skip
  • Full-house chain gives smooth, low-vibration cuts and clean pruning wounds
  • Full throttle in under a second — no priming, choking, or idle-hunting between cuts
  • Runs on any M18 pack; the included XC6.0 balances weight and runtime well
  • Near-perfect retail review scores across thousands of ratings
  • $499 kit costs full-size-chainsaw money for an 8" bar; tool-only at $279 is the smarter buy for M18 owners
  • 8" bar and modest oiler make it strictly a limbing/pruning tool — bucking anything past ~6" is out of its lane
  • One-hand ergonomics tempt unsafe technique; it demands the same PPE and respect as a top-handle saw
  • Seeps bar oil in storage like its bigger M18 siblings, per owner threads
  • Proprietary 33-link 3/8" LP chain means fewer aftermarket loop options than standard sizes

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit

  • Genuine professional chain spec — .325" pitch, .050" gauge, 78 drive links — so bars and loops come from any saw shop
  • Two-speed gearbox and a power-mode button let you pick chain speed or torque instead of accepting one setting
  • 5.8 HP peak with a 70cc-equivalence claim, the strongest figure on any 18V platform
  • Runs on the same M18 packs as the rest of the fleet; no new battery system to buy into
  • Inertia chain brake, metal bucking spikes, scabbard and scrench in the box
  • 19.9 lb with both packs loaded — heavier than most 70cc gas saws with a full tank
  • $899 for the kit, and it is useless with only one battery installed
  • About 60 cuts in 10" hardwood per charge of two 8.0Ah packs, so a full day means a second pair of FORGE packs
  • Demands FORGE or HIGH OUTPUT 8.0Ah packs; older M18 batteries will not deliver the rated output
  • Long at 37.5" overall, awkward in tight brush compared with a 16" saw
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet 8" Pruning Saw Kit in fullMilwaukee M18 Fuel 20" Dual Battery Chainsaw Kit in fullMore matchups