EGO POWER+ Chain Saw, 18” Battery Powered Chainsaw, Electric Cordless, Includes 56V 5.0Ah Battery and Charger – CS1804

I've been among the first people I know to have trusted battery-powered yard tools to have enough runtime and power to be worth buying, against the skepticism of others. But I've also been let down over time by a hedge trimmer, and a few *indoor* tools, that used an earlier battery technology. Since lithium batteries became common I've built up a collection of yard tools including a new hedge trimmer, leaf blower, string trimmer, and chainsaw. I chose EGO for the first of them, based on several professional reviews. When I was in the market for the second I *wanted* an EGO so I could share the battery between them, since they can all use the same one. But I did my research with an open mind, willing to have two different brands if that's what it took to have the best tool for each job.My research again brought me to EGO. Ditto for the third, even with brand-agnostic shopping yet again. By the time I decided to try a battery-powered chainsaw, I was really *hoping* the EGO looked good in reviews -- and it did.I've used but never owned a gasoline-powered chainsaw, and previously owned a plug-in electric unit from a different maker. On that unit, the chain kept coming off! That frustrated and baffled me because I was being ultra-careful to follow the instructions, to keep checking the tightness, make sure it was getting enough oil... everything. The bar seemed straight to my eye, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out the cause.But I had to still wonder if I was doing something wrong because it was the first chainsaw I'd ever used extensively. One feature, therefore, that attracted me to the EGO was the tool-free, in-the-field chain tightening system. Genius! Why hadn't this been done before? I took a chance and bought it, and was relieved and delighted that I've never once had that previous chain issue, in something like a dozen hours of use. So I guess it wasn't me; there was something wrong with that unit from another brand.But NOT dropping the chain is a low bar, no pun intended, so about its other pros:--It has *plenty* of power. I've used it on three separate occasions to cut two complete trees into logs, with an estimated total of 30 feet from the trunks alone (not counting branches), and maximum diameters of maybe 14 inches. With only light force from me, the saw easily cut through that diameter in maybe 30 seconds -- it's been months, so I can't be sure. It felt quick & easy. For comparison, I had the misfortune of using a friend's plug-in electric chainsaw -- with a much lower chain speed and probably much less power -- and it took at least that long to cut a tree branch that was more like *4* inches in diameter. A remarkable difference, especially given the convenience & portability of a battery unit!--The tool-free chain tightening has worked very well, though I will say it's become a little harder on the hand over time than it was at first. I'd like to see a grip that's a bit more ergonomic. For me, it's just not quite enough to grab onto, ideally speaking. But just being able to do it at all is a joy.--The battery, being larger-capacity than the one used by the other three EGO tools I have, lasted more than long enough for the first job, and *almost* long enough for the second (much bigger) job. Given that I was pooping out around the same time the battery was, I was not dissatisfied at all. I could have easily swapped in a fully-charged battery of the lower capacity from one of the other tools to finish the job. Or, because the battery charges quickly, I could have taken a coffee break and then finished the job with the same battery. I could only guess how many minutes of *runtime* I got in those four or five hours of work, so I won't try, but it was plenty for my needs. This kind of inconvenience is, to me, FAR better than dealing with all the downsides of gas. No comparison. But for someone who needs, say, three hours or more of actual *runtime* they'd want a 2nd battery charging while they work -- or to use gasoline. As I see it, the limitation these batteries have is only in runtime, compared to gasoline, it's NOT in power! And even for runtime they've reached a level where I'll never need gasoline tools again for my 0.8 acre yard.--It's easy to add chain oil. Sharpening is still a question, because I've *never* done that before (given that my previous saw kept dropping the chain and therefore wasn't used enough). I've also never *replaced* a chain, so I can't comment on that.--As for balance, it's definitely bar-heavy without the battery (which is in back), and feels just right with the battery attached. A good design. I wouldn't call the combo lightweight, but I'd also hesitate to call it heavy because (a) I'm not the most muscular guy around and (b) it's been so long since I've used a gasoline-powered unit that I can't fairly compare them. I really have no complaints about the weight, even after a few hours of intermittent use.Overall, I'm *very* pleased both in comparison to my previous electric chainsaw and any gasoline chainsaw, for my needs. I no longer fear getting frustrated and irritated when I see another fallen branch or tree in my yard. I'm finally confident my tool can handle the job, and conveniently. In fact, it's been kinda fun to use!

16 inch bar 1st run on the 5 amp hour battery. 4 trees fell and cut up. Trees were about 50 to 60 feet tall. I have a craftsman same bar length. This is easily as powerful and quite. I bought an acre and will be using this to fall all trees. I only have 1 neighbor which is across the street. It’s nice knowing they don’t have to deal with the noise. Recharge and I’ve fell a few smaller trees and another 50 footer. Still have half the battery. I’ll be using be pure sine inverter and solar panels with a 100 amp hour battery to charge it up again. I definitely want a second battery as 1 will easily last while the other charges. Love it. Don’t hesitate

I have owned the saw now going on a month and so far so good. Used it on a big Maple that toppled over. Has plenty of power and works well. The 5 amp hour battery lasts plenty for me as I need to rest after it runs out of power. Purchased a push mower so now I have an extra battery that makes longer cutting possible. Really like the no gas no mess part. Hope the batteries last. It's hard to change paradigms but these saws and battery technologies have certainly come a long way. For the homeowner these options are better than gas saws IMHO.

noticed no oil. clean still no oil. like it because of the battery, but i need something that worksUpdatetook it apart and cranked it and oil was coming out, just not much. after burning though two chains, I decided to try EGO bar oil. thicker than my husky oil and stickier. oil came right out and more of it. put new chain on, ran it and you see the oil on the chain. tried it on a 2' log, cut no problem. my suggestion is buy ego bar oil

I had an inexpensive but very effective gas powered 16 inch chainsaw that finally quit starting for me after 10 years or so. I really liked it, but the minimum price for for having it fixed is considerably more than the saw is worth, even more than what I bought the saw for back in the day. So I decided to go with something new. And, I have a bunch of EGO battery operated products that I REALY like, both for the cordless convenience, and the fact that they are even more powerful than most gas operated trimers and blowers. So, I decided to spend the extra cash and give their chainsaw a try, particularly since EGO and Amazon were running a sale that month on the 18 inch saw for the same price that I could get the 16 inch one. And I'm generally quite happy with the purchase. I've never considered a return or anything, but... bottom line, it's really not as powerful as I had hoped. The cheaper gas powered saw I had was definitely more powerful and could handle larger limbs and logs more easily. But, the EGO chainsaw here IS powerful enough to get most of the same kinds of jobs done and the convenience of the battery operation is VERY nice!For those of you new to using a chainsaw, know that when you get a gas powered saw, most of them are two-stroke engines, which means you will have to mix gasoline with oil, and then with a lot of chainsaw brands, you'll have to deal with adding ethanol reduction stuff to keep from clogging the carburetor, just like you do with your 2-stroke lawn trimmer. And while that's not so much of a rigamarole, it definitely can get to be with a chainsaw, particularly when you first start using it. You have to get the mixture JUST right, and "just right" varies some from saw to saw. If you get too much oil in the mix, the engine will emit smoke, not good, you'll need to shut it down and carefully empty the gas tank so as not to get gas all over the engine, which could cause it to catch fire. And believe it or not, too much oil is actually better than not enough because at least you can SEE the smoke and then shut the engine down. Not mixing enough oil in puts extra strain on your engine and could even burn it up if you use the saw for like an entire afternoon, and the only way you have of knowing the mixture is too thin, is that the saw will start to either chortle or just run louder than usual. Too boot, the overall efficiency of your saw is greatly affected by your gas mixture (by the way, you can get 4-stroke saws that just use regular gasoline, but they are both expensive and heavy).I had a guy that knew what he was doing that helped me out when I first got my gas saw, so I avoided any issue with the fuel mixture, and I do highly recommend getting some advice from someone with experience in all aspects of using any kind of chainsaw before you begin using it. It's not a lofty learning curve, but you do need to climb it in order to operate the saw safely and not break it. At least spend some time with video tutorials. Chain breaks are a major pain in the posterior at best and they could take your eye out. So wear eye protection and if you've got some steal toed boots, the most frequent chainsaw accident, which really aren't at all frequent, is dropping the saw on your foot. The other is a buck or a kickback slamming the engine into your face. But pay attention to just a few do's and don'ts and chainsaw accidents or pretty rare, as long as you leave the CLIMBING to the pros.So... if you want to avoid any mixture-to-efficiency issues, this battery operated saw is a GREAT way to go. NO mixing at all and there's NEVER an issue getting the saw started. You do have to do all the other chainsaw essentials like keeping your bar oiled, but not too oiled, knowing the correct angle to cut the size of the branch you are cutting, know how to use wedges, or when the job is just to big for your saw, and of course taking care not to let the saw chain get too heated. I'm afraid the latter gets to be an issue with this electric saw because with a gas powered saw, you can hear the engine start to whine a little too much when it needs a break, not so with this one. Until you get used to its operation, you have to take care because the only way to know you need to rest the saw is when the branch starts to show smoke. These EGO saws are HIGHLY efficient in their speed and consistency and I initially found it smoking at the bar several times before I caught on. But, once you've used it for a job or two, you'll be able to figure out about how long you can cut before giving the saw a break, which I honestly have to say is considerably more often than the mid-level gas chainsaw that I had.Another advantage of the battery operated saw is that starting and shutting it down is just a mater of squeezing the trigger and letting it go. You will NEVER have to choke or re-choke a cold saw. Nice. I do have to cart the battery charger around with me just in case the juice runs out though. It takes about 20 minutes to fully charge and since I have other EGO devices, I take an extra battery to the job for when the chainsaw's battery is charging. Know that you have to have the EGO 5.0 Ah battery to run this saw. The smaller battery for the trimmers will work, just not for very long before the juice runs out. And know too that this chainsaw's battery does use the same charger as all the other EGO batteries and I've found battery life under constant usage for the 5.0 to be like 4 to 6 hours, though I have gotten 7 and 8 on smaller jobs.Now the work I do is light to moderate cutting. Really folks, leave the rest to a pro. Cutting down large trees is a dangerous occupation that requires rigorous training, not anywhere close to a DIY project. Those guys use numerous pro level saws worth 4 times the price of these with just the right length for just the right job. What this is for is the kind of work I do land-lording several rent houses that are well treed, as well as my own home. One of the yards in particular has a gob of huge old loblolly pines I really like, and they do occasionally drop branches up to a foot or less in diameter that I will cut up, occasionally a bit wider. And I also occasionally chop down smaller trees and bushes that either die on me or are planted in a bad place and the roots have gotten to be a problem. I cut up some firewood as well. So, it's light to moderate work and I do it on an average of once or twice a month. I don't need a pro saw for that, neither do you. And this one works OK. It's light compared to my old saw which is nice too boot and as far as durability, we'll see. I'm getting really used to the grab and go qualities of this saw and it's also good not having to carry a gas can around for it. But, of course there's no place to plug your charger in when cutting out in wooded areas. And like I said, I would really like this saw to have a bit more cutting power.Hope this helps you decide.