Cordless 56V chainsaw. I tried several and bought the most powerful one available. Works great.

This saw will force you to use it properly. Pinched chains come off. Chain that gets wound up in a whole bunch of little vines, can come off and loose chain can come off. I've never had the chain loosen up on its own. New chain does stretch. Of all saws that I've ever owned, this has the simplest and most efficient means of tightening the chain.

I saw a mention of plastic being a problem. The body of this saw is quite resilient. Mine has been through hell and back. Other than the mechanical parts, my Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws also utilize lots of plastic. I gave the Husqvarna a quick little run last week. Haven't cut any wood with it in 3 years. It makes a horrible racket and it stinks.

Along with many others in this thread, I also am wondering about getting an electric chainsaw for next year. Although the 450 husq has been worth it's weight in gold, I'm up to cutting over 10 cords a year now, and there is enough limbing being done that a small electric addition would be a potentially worthwhile investment.

The flimsy bar($60 each) sounds like a nagging issue, but I have no problem keeping spares handy so that's likely something I can get over. The initial battery life looks acceptable from the testimonies given.

One thing I'd like to know, from Dale or any other long-term owners, is approximately how much has the battery life decreased after 2+ years of use? I was a flashlight enthusiast for awhile, so I am informed on the 18650 Li-Ion batteries that also power these chainsaws. I'm wondering for example, if the rapid discharge of the battery via use in a chainsaw is decreasing their performance noticeably - especially from the heating up that has been mentioned. Ideally it'd be nice to have initial numbers(similar to what Dale provided) vs 2 years later, either using run-time in minute per battery or amount of cuts per battery as a measurement.  

Thanks

Todd Parr wrote:I can't believe all those people don't know how to tighten the chain.

This reminds me of a testimony I read from someone who worked at a Stihl dealership. A guy walked in with his chainsaw and said "I'd like you upgrade my chainsaw to make it more efficient and powerful. A better carburetor or a fuel additive - SOMETHING". The employee took the chainsaw to the back and 5 minutes later came out and said "Your chainsaw is now 3x more powerful and more efficient". (he sharpened the chain)

I have not timed or found any other way of determining any loss in battery efficiency. That seems like something too technical to determine in the field. I'm sure the makers have done some sort of study.

All of my batteries are still working. When I have heavier bucking to do, I generally switch to the lawn mower battery which holds twice as much power. Most of my jobs, don't push the saw to its limits. When there is lots of cutting to do, the fact that I have all of their tools and a battery for each, is very important. With several chargers in use, battery capacity is not an issue.

I currently have 18 new chains on hand. These cost approximately the same amount as the saw did initially. By the time I run through this chain, it may be time to consider the latest model, whether it be from EGO  or another maker.

The cost of the saw has been completely recouped in fuel savings.

A couple months ago, my oiler stopped working. I ran some gasoline through it, and then used some purchased chain oil. It wasn't purchased by me of course. It was left behind in a house that I worked on. Deep fry oil is working again. I suspect that there was some sort of build up, which blocked the small duct.

Dale - it has been a few years since you started this thread. I'm thinking about a. Electric chainsaw in the fairly near future. Are you still happy with the EGO. If you were to start over again now would you still go with that brand?

I understand that you already have a bunch of interchangeable batteries. I have no such prior investment tying me in.

Michael Cox wrote:Dale - it has been a few years since you started this thread. I'm thinking about a. Electric chainsaw in the fairly near future. Are you still happy with the EGO. If you were to start over again now would you still go with that brand?

I understand that you already have a bunch of interchangeable batteries. I have no such prior investment tying me in.

Yes, I am still very pleased with my saw. I've used it for a lot of small clearing jobs and I have used it when I'm building from rough material and on demolition projects. It has withstood considerable abuse. I'm confident enough in this machine that I purchased 20 chains at once. The cost of these chains was slightly more than the cost of a new saw.

I'm even more pleased with the blower. I use it for regular outdoor things, but also to move mountains of loose fill insulation, before I cut a building in half. After I tear down a chimney or do other very dirty work, on the houses that are being moved, I use the blower to clean the house, rather than going through the slow process of vacuuming. The interchangeable batteries have been great. The only problems so far with any of my tools from EGO, was a broken shear pin on the hedge cutter. I was using it to clear very difficult brambles, and pushing it further than most people would.

I've been using this saw for about a year, and I thought I'd bump this with some more detailed experience. I suspect this is a near perfect saw for a homeowner and occasional feller for softwoods <12" DBH. No engine to service. No winterization routine. No air filters, spark plugs, or greasy hands. No fuel mixing to compete with. No altitude or carb adjustments. No ear protection needed. Battery charged? Chain sharp? Bar oil filled? You're good to go. It's a massive relief compared to the gas counterparts.

It cuts very differently from gas powered saws, and I think it makes it quite a bit safer. In short, the chain spins much slower but has a much higher torque. You can push it into the wood a lot harder than you can with a similarly powered (small) gas saw. At the same time, this means it won't cut into a tree the same way a gas saw can. You can't perform a plunge cut — there's just not enough chain velocity. It also means the chain seems to get stuck a lot easier. It'll go from full speed to zero at the stop of a dime. At the same time, the chain stops almost immediately after letting go of the trigger.

The biggest downsides I've come into are battery overheating and the plastic dogs (teeth that claw into a tree for leverage). One of the reasons I use a chainsaw is that taking a tree down can be a dangerous experience before it's on the ground. You're purposefully cutting into the tree's support structure and try as you might, you can only guess where the tree will fall. This means I want to reduce the time between my first cut and having the tree on the ground to a minimum. I find the battery has a tendency to overheat if you keep at it for a decently sized tree, and usually right at the point you're 2/3 the way through your back cut. Not my favorite time to take a break.  The plastic dogs are a huge bummer. They are basically non-effective.

This is not a saw for bucking or taking down large trees. It's a great saw for branching, taking down the occasional tree, and as a backup / vehicle saw.