CUTTING EDGE

In the past, battery-powered chainsaws would buckle when faced with big timber, but the Milwaukee M18 Fuel can compete with gas models. This 16-inch-bar brute cuts faster than traditional saws, and when we buried it into hard red oak logs about two feet wide to make firewood, it never flinched. To increase performance, engineers paired a massive 18-volt battery with a smart brushless motor designed to maximize runtime—the payoff is easily tackling any weekend project. $400; milwaukeetool.com