The length of a chainsaw’s cutting bar will determine the size of wood that you can use the machine on. Although cordless chainsaws usually have a shorter bar than petrol chainsaws, there’s still a fair bit of variation to choose from, usually between 15-30cm. But how does this machine compare to the others when it comes to price? The Ryobi sits somewhere in the middle. Yes, you could buy yourself a more powerful petrol chainsaw for less, but you’d end up with a much heavier and more cumbersome machine. Plus, with its powerful motor and fast cutting speed, this one will do just about anything that a similar-sized petrol chainsaw will do – it really does function so well. So, the 18v+18v batteries gave me enough power to keep the chainsaw operational at an exceptional speed. I also tried something new this time. Attached it around my body, climbed a tree, and started cutting a large enough branch with the chainsaw.

There are both pros and cons to this chainsaw’s price. While you could bag yourself a more powerful petrol chainsaw for almost half the price, this one offers up a number of features that are worth paying more for. For many, the most important would be how it’s pretty much ready to get going as soon as it’s out of the box – the ultimate in chainsaw convenience! Compared to other cordless chainsaws, its price is reasonable, especially considering that it comes with two batteries (plus a dual charger) and a two year manufacturer’s warranty. However, I’d recommend you to use it with care and precaution. That’s because this maintenance tool is made up of plastic that didn’t look much sturdy as far as I was concerned. Power Dynamics:Hence, you’d enjoy a long lifespan while cutting firewood or tough wood logs with the chainsaw over the years. Some Insights about the Batteries and Battery Charging Kit: Equipped with Star Protection Computer Controls™ to protect against overloading, over-discharging and over-heating Tyler’s a Tree Maintenance Employee at Ahlum & Arbor Tree Maintenance Company. He has got his opinion about the Makita chainsaw in the following words, “I normally use my gas-powered Stihl Chainsaw for normal routine maintenance, but recently I got my hands on Makita. Much Lighter and Compact as compared to Stihl. I didn’t even face any problem climbing to the tree and cutting down some large branches with it.” It took me some time to charge the batteries and as soon as they were fully charged, I adjusted them on both sides of the chainsaw. Cutting right to the chase, let’s have a look at what technical features Makita XCU04PT offers as follows: Ergonomic Design:

To cut branches under 30 cm in diameter, look for a chainsaw with a cutting bar length of 15 – 20 cm and a cutting speed of 4 m/s . 18 V of power will generally be well suited to light-to-medium tasks. Makita DUC254RT 18V LXT Brushless 250mm Chainsaw with 1x 5.0Ah Battery– this saw is designed with a variable speed control trigger and soft start providing the user with full control and clean cutting. Plus, the box also contains 4 lithium-ion batteries with a battery kit to take care of power issues. On top of that, we have the latest brushless rotary motor installed in the saw. It works on a direct-drive system and offers improved efficiency over time.

Makita DUC405Z 40cm / 16" Twin 18v LXT Brushless Cordless Chainsaw Body Only

Other than that, its durable brushless motors deliver an exceptional performance of around 0 to 3,940 RPM. It enables the chainsaw to cut right through small and large wood limbs without any hassle. As we found when we reviewed six of the top cordless chainsaw models available, battery runtime greatly varies between models, even if you’re using the same sized battery. The difference can be pretty significant – a 5aH battery could give you 15 minutes of runtime with one model, yet 45 minutes with another. From our experience, we found that the best cordless chainsaw will generally weigh under 5 kg . These are powerful yet manageable and make it possible to maintain control. Nevertheless, you could also choose a chainsaw closer to 3 kg if you want something particularly light . The Makita 36v (18v x2) Cordless Brushless Chainsaw, DUC405, features Makita's famous Outer Rotor Brushless Motor powered by two 18v Li- ion batteries (not included). Eliminating the need to mix fuel and 2-stroke oil the saw is also quiet and starts at the press of a button. The saw boasts an impressive no load chain speed of 1,200m/min, variable speed trigger and captive bar nuts suitable for a range of applications. Assembly Ease: I assessed assembly ease on how long it took to put the chainsaw together and the clarity of the instructions provided. I deemed any chainsaws that took more than 20 minutes too long, as this may take significantly longer for someone who is unfamiliar with this tool. I also marked down chainsaws that didn’t provide clear instructions, those that took longer than specified, or models where the parts didn’t seamlessly fit together. Chainsaws that required no assembly were given top marks, as these designs made the tool more accessible for less experienced users.

Tool users who unplug the cord with Makita 18V LXT® experience new levels of convenience, efficiency and productivity. Makita created the 18V Lithium-Ion cordless tool category in 2005, and today it is the world’s largest 18V cordless tool line-up. Makita’s leading technology gives tool users unmatched performance and breadth of line, with innovation in motor and battery technology that is obliterating industry standards – and leaving old thinking behind. With high amp-hour batteries, efficient brushed and brushless motors, and 36V (18V X2) LXT® technology, Makita 18V LXT® tools not only meet corded demands, they can exceed the performance of corded, all while remaining in a single cordless platform powered by the industry's fastest-charging 18V lithium-ion batteries. [Learn More] Just about all of the best battery powered chainsaws need to be assembled in the same way. This isn’t complicated – it’s only the bar and chain that need to be attached. Ryobi has designed this machine to make that whole process tool-less, including when it comes to adjusting the chain tension at the end. As a result, assembly only took 10 minutes and was a very easy task. It’s part of Makita’s expanding 18V LXT System, the world’s largest cordless tool system powered by 18V lithium-ion slide-style batteries. Makita® 18V Lithium-Ion Batteries have the fastest charge times in their categories, so they spend more time working and less time sitting on the charger. Furthermore, I was quite surprised to see that the brand included a complete battery kit with two 5.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries and a charger. This was something that I really missed in the Milwaukee M18 chainsaw. Two 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion batteries deliver 36V power and performance without leaving the 18V LXT® platform (batteries and charger not included)

Optional accessories

The fact that this machine is so small and lightweight (just 3kg , even with the battery in), makes it very easy to manoeuvre and cut in a controlled manner. I used it with a 4aH battery, which enabled me to cut on and off for about two hours. I was impressed with the battery life, but not so much with the machine’s chain speed – at 4.5m/s , it was much slower than some of the other chainsaws that I tested (I would recommend the Makita, at 20m/s, if you’re looking for something faster). Makita-built Outer Rotor BL™ Brushless Motor direct-drive system provides power of a 30cc gas chain saw Even those who have never heard of WESCO before would take a second look at the WESCO 36V Cordless Chainsaw. At first glance, it certainly appears impressive, so I had high hopes for its ability to help me tidy up the branches that Storm Arwen had scattered around my farm. Einhell has a reputation for producing power tools and garden machinery at very affordable prices. However, as I found out when I tested their cordless strimmer, electric scarifier, cordless leaf blower, and petrol chainsaw, the brand doesn’t sacrifice on quality either. So, I was expecting their GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw to be just as capable. I had a number of trees and branches lying around my farm (thanks to Storm Arwen) that needed to be cut up for firewood, so I was looking forward to putting this chainsaw to the test. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. The cordless chainsaws of today are now more powerful and efficient than ever. In some cases, their performance even rivals that of the best petrol chainsaws.

Makita-built outer rotor brushless motor direct-drive system delivers power of a 32cc gas chain saw When it comes to safety, this chainsaw offers the standard features, with the most important being its chain brake that’ll stop the chain from hitting you if it ever derails or breaks. At 94 dB(A), it’s a pretty quiet machine too – more so than the other chainsaws that I tested. For this purpose, it has introduced the special Extreme Protection Technology in XCU04PT. It enables the chainsaw to avoid dust, debris, water splashes, and rainfall at all costs.In terms of performance, this chainsaw did pretty well. The maximum diameter of wood that it can cope with is around 35cm (when you cut from both sides), but the smaller you go, the better the chainsaw performs. Less noise – one of the biggest advantages of a battery-powered chainsaw is that it’s far quieter than its petrol alternatives. There’s usually less vibration too, making it more comfortable to operate The first step was assembly, which took less than ten minutes . I didn’t need any tools for the enti re process – Makita has designed this chainsaw in a way that makes it extremely simple to put together. Even better, they provide a small bottle of oil with the machine, meaning that you can have it up and running soon after you’ve opened up the box. Plus, What I loved about Makita XCU04PT are its compactness and portability. You can literally hang it around yourself and it won’t even touch the ground. In terms of how easy this chainsaw is to use, I would give it top marks. It’s pretty compact and, at 3.6 kg , lightweight enough to not leave you with sore arms. It also has an automatic oiling system that keeps the chain consistently greased up with oil, although I’ve yet to see a chainsaw that doesn’t offer this feature.