Here's some comments from someone who's and educated and professional forestry & natural resources technician.
>>872277using tophandle saw is a stupid idea, especially with 1 hand on the ground.
they are not designed to be used with 1 hand, but rather to be compact so they are easy to use in positions when tree-climbing.
should only be used in 1 hand in outer stretched positions where your other hand can't be hit (See: Branchwalking)
if you are within the EU and get hurt with a tophandle saw during use on the ground, you can be refused money from your private/work insurance as it is considered gross negligence; it is strictly against the manufacturers instructions of use and against the health and safety regulations.
>>872580it depends on what electric saw.
the ''plug and play'' style, and most electric saws in general are bad and only for people who cut up small firewood.
BUT few saws such as the husqvarna ''pro-line'' (XP-line) of battery powered electric saws have great perfomance (the electric tophandle performs equal to the 535 gas tophandle) and a charge lasts around the same as a full tank of gas; battery charges in 20 minutes.
with that said, the 535 electric tophandle (or 535E regular) +2 batteries and a charge will cost a bit more than the gas-powered equivalent.
the only reason to buy this is to a) save money on fuel 2) noise reduction (a lot of companies around here love them as it enables them to start work in gardens and house areas earlier).
if you want a good solid saw and have some money to spent look at the Husqvarna 550 XP (XPG if you want heated handle) or the stihl MS261 (make sure to get the absolutely newest version of it, the first production run have a bad habit of having a too thin clutch-cup which caused it to shatter)
if you dont want to spend the money for the pro-line of saws, look for the landscaping variants (545/550 e for husqvarna, cant remember the stihl models) with a 13'' or 15'' bar and .325 semi-chisel chain
