Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

More and more brands are making the switch to adopting exclusively battery-powered tools. This is especially visible in the lawncare and OPE side of the business, where just a few years ago gas dominated the market. Now, states like California are actually banning gas outdoor power tools. The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet Pruning Saw is no exception. Part of the M18 Fuel line, it’s designed for the toughest applications. We got our hands on it at a recent media event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The M18 Fuel Hatchet Pruning Saw has the power to cut through tough materials like hardwoods. Milwaukee uses electronics and brushless motor technology to maintain speed under load. This allows them to get, according to product managers, the equivalent of 25cc gas power.

Its compact design offers control and maneuverability, even in tight or awkward areas. In fact, without the battery, it weighs less than 5 lbs. For a battery-powered tool, the M18 Fuel hatchet pruning saw reaches full throttle very quickly—less than one second. You also don’t have to worry about the annoyances that come with a gas pruning saw, like fumes, oil level, and maintenance.

We got to do some serious testing with this 8-inch M18 FUEL pruning saw at the August 2022 Milwaukee Pipeline media event. Cutting through a ~6-inch log we made about a dozen cuts and still had 4 bars left on the XC8.0 battery.

In terms of power, the ability I had to leverage this pruning saw into the cut and make quick work of this log impressed me to no end. The tool feels comfortable in the hand, and you can really work it quickly and easily when making your cuts. The full house chain cuts at 5 m/s or about 16.5 fps which definitely gets the job done.

I found that I could not only cut quickly but accurately, cutting off thin 1/2-inch or thinner slices of wood as I went. The trigger ramps up the blade nearly instantaneously, and the bucking spikes let me bite right into the wood. The top guard also gives you a fair amount of confidence and protection as you cut, ensuring you can’t easily injure yourself with kickback.

There’s a lot to like about this M18 FUEL Hatchet. The onboard scrench scores big points for sure. Compared to the Milwaukee M12 Hatchet, this larger model cuts more confidently and with greater capacity. For arborists, this tool really fits nicely into an emerging market for battery-powered outdoor power tool solutions.

The M18 Fuel Hatchet Pruning Saw is set to release in October 2022. It carries a retail price of $279 for the bare tool. We look forward to doing even more testing when we inevitably get this saw in for review.

When he's not playing with the latest power tool, Clint DeBoer enjoys life as a husband, father, and avid reader—especially the Bible. He loves Jesus, has a degree in recording engineering, and has been involved in multimedia and/or online publishing in one form or another since 1992.

Clint’s career has covered nearly the entire realm of audio and video production. After graduating at the top of his class with an Associates Degree in Recording Engineering, he began working for the famed Soundelux studios in 1994, one of the largest post-production companies specializing in audio for feature films & television. Working on a myriad of feature films, Clint honed his skills as a dialogue editor, foley editor, and sound designer. Years later, he moved into the expanding area of video editing, where he served as the company’s senior AVID video editor for three years.

Working for such clients as Universal Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment, NASA, Universal Studios, Planet Hollywood, SEGA, NASCAR, and others, Clint DeBoer dealt extensively with client management as well as film & video editing, color correction, and digital video & MPEG compression. He also carries several THX certifications (Technician I and II, THX Video), and is ISF Level II Certified.

After founding the CD Media, Inc. publishing company in 1996, he went on to help start or grow several successful online publications, including Audioholics (as Editor-in-Chief for 12 years), Audiogurus, and AV Gadgets. In 2008, Clint founded Pro Tool Reviews followed by the landscape and outdoor power equipment-focused OPE Reviews in 2017. He also heads up the Pro Tool Innovation Awards, an annual awards program honoring innovative tools and accessories across the trades.

Crediting God and his excellent staff for the success of what is now the largest power tool review publication in the industry, Clint DeBoer hopes to see continued growth for the company as it rapidly expands its reach. Pro Tool Reviews critically reviews hundreds of hand tools, power tools, and accessories each year to help inform users about the best and newest products in the industry. Reaching everyone from the construction industry professional and tradesman to the serious DIYer, Pro Tool Reviews helps tool consumers shop better, work smarter, and stay aware of what tools and products can help put them at the top of their game.

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Gonna put their 16″ bar on it and pair it with the SKILSAW SPT1500 full house chain. Tried it with the M12, didn’t have quite enough sauce. Hopefully this M18 version does.

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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros