Greenworks 40V 16" Brushless Cordless Chainsaw, 4.0Ah Battery and Charger Included

We have a wood stove as our only heat source in our house. Been this way for almost two decades. For all those years, I have cut firewood using a bow saw and a german made cross cut saw. Had never used a chain saw as they are exceedingly noisy, smelly from gasoline and finicky about mixtures of oil and gas and generally unreliable for what I had seen. I liked the quietness of the hand saws so much better. But I am older now and have to spend much more time caring for aging parents, so have to speed this cutting of wood thing up a little. Did some research into battery powered electric chainsaws, as they have come a long way in recent years. Of all the ones I looked at, I thought this one the best size and power for my needs and and ordered it here on Amazon. While I waited for it to arrive, I watched tons of youtube videos on everything from good maintenance procedures to safe chainsaw cutting practices. I also invested in a good pair of chainsaw apron chaps, gloves and a forestry safety helmet. Read the manual that came with this chainsaw several times, too. Doesn't hurt to see what the manufacturer expects from the users of their products. Anyway, when the first day of cutting with the new chainsaw came, I was very impressed with the power and ease of cutting this chainsaw delivered. Made cutting a pile of firewood faster than when using the hand saws, though, to be clear I am no slouch when hand cutting. Have to say, I really enjoyed using the chainsaw. It's nice and light and does the job well. The battery in the chainsaw really holds up well. I cut all the wood I wanted, a good portion of the day, and found it could have gone on more, as the battery still showed some juice left. The chainsaw was fun to use, actually. Love all the safety features on it. Glad I got it.

I am hopeful for products such as this but after seeing many of the cheesy company produced video reviews for this chainsaw, I was worried. I have owned several electric chain saws, I am no professional and have used chain saws gas and electric on and off but at best I am a weekend warrior. Current history with electric Ryobi 18Volt chain saw off a Large LiIon pack D+ (Very Slow and steady but fits the set and sometime better than the sawsall) Poulan 18 inch plug in electric A- (Runs great, cords are difficult with limbs everywhere) Remington 16 inch plug in electric Saw B- (Ran for 2 years plastic gear stripped) Remington 10 inch pole saw plug in electric C (Short or Relay issue fairly early on needs repair) On the Greenworks Saw I use both the 2AH (amp hour) and 4AH batteries that came with my duel bladed GreenWorks lawnmower. The batteries are less than a year old and are often stored refrigerated which I learned from one source extends the SHELF life of the battery. I have cut down and bucked 2 medium trees in my orchard. 13 and 10 inch diameter It went surprisingly well. The two batteries, with one on the charger are sufficient for small 30-45 minute jobs.. Good It cuts fast, not as fast as sharp gas saw, almost on par with my plug in Poulsen It produces lots less noise It has a decent amount of charge for a back yard project. Limbs great. A light cloth case and plastic blade sheath Fair It isn't meant for felling large trees, it can be done given time, but if pushed too hard it shuts down, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The chain is an Oregon R56 and is a particularly light and efficient chain perhaps its not a particularly rugged, time will tell. It doesn't seem to use much oil which concerns me that it is not functioning properly. It is light, and there is a lot of plastic, while light is good, I am concerned about longevity. Bad I run my chain a bit loose and I lost it a few times, I have started to run it tighter. (This has resolved this issue, obviously) It is expensive, but if you are into green things it is also a statement. Again even with a 4 year warranty I am worried about longevity and the Greenworks customer service. Resources: Battery= The saw only works with the newer G-MAX40V batteries the older 40V batteries, I am told, do not fit. CHAIN= Oregon R56 Oregon 16-Inch Micro Lite Chain Saw Chain Fits Husqvarna, Poulan R56 BAR= Possibly Oregon 164MLEA041 .043" Gauge 3/8" Low Pro Pitch 16" Double Guard Bar (Bar on stock=Oregon 8t 56562615) GREENWORKS help line 888 909 6757 1- Have model number 2- SN 3- Date or around Date of purchase 4- Manual with partnumbers might be helpful Wait time was about 5 minutes on a Tuesday morning. *(Oregons website does NOT list a bar for this chainsaw at this time, by the numbers is should work but cannot say for sure, purchase the above bar at your own risk, greenworks website now sells both a chain and the bar.) Summary: This is a quick review I plan to update some of the links and do a yearly update as the longevity of this saw is of great interest to me. I find that I do not want to use my Poulan plug in when this is so easy to use. I would recommend this to anyone who already had a GMAX tool or if the price were to dip and you think you could get your money's worth out of it. Thus far this saw earns a B- Updates 1- Greenworkstools the website now sells both the replacment chain and the bar on its website. www.greenworkstools DOT com/gmax40v/gmax-40v-parts-accessories/ 2- I own the Green Works (GW) duel bladed mower and now the Digipro 14 inch trimmer, and I would have to say the chainsaw is my favorite thus far of the three GW products. 3- I have also cut down a 14" tree of heaven with the saw, I have noticed the chain needs oil. I have cleaned the saw could not find the problem the saw has not been abused. I just got off the phone with customer service, they are sending me an oil pump and oil outlet tube. I found the part numbers in the manual. The manual is also available on their website.

It works. It is much lighter and easier to use than gas chainsaw. And it is enough for pruning and cutting mid-size trees. Battery life is something what you expect (~40min ) . Basically you can cut one tree and do few bulk cuts. Recharge time could be less for Li battery currently it takes few hours to recharge.

I was wrong about electric chainsaws being up to the task. My 20" old Craftsman takes a lot of maintenance to keep running tip top. Periodic tubing replacements, spark plug changes, mixing of fuel, etc. Runs great and is powerful enough for my needs, but again, maintenance. In comparison, the Greenworks chainsaw is easy maintenance. Yeah, still have to adjust/sharpen blades and add chain oil like the gas powered version, but other than that and keeping a fresh battery charged up, that's it. I love that aspect of it, but even then, the chain saw cuts through limbs and small trees well. The chainsaw feels well-balanced and lighter, and my wife even can use it without complaining about the weight. Overall, I'm not sure about durability, but so far, it's cut several small trees and lots of firewood without issue. So it's a good value for the money. Be aware, new batteries are the expensive part should you need to replace it, as usual. Luckily, all the 40V amp-hour iterations from Greenworks should work. Electric doesn't mean maintenance-free. Still need to take care of it. Always take the battery out of the tool afterward and store the battery above freezing to prevent damage. I still maintain the gas powered versions are a bit more powerful in the same size range, but there are tradeoffs. The Greenworks electric comes close, though.

I have used this saw daily for over two years. I own two gas saws, a Husqavarna Rancher 460, and a Poulan Pro 16" saw. This cordless saw is equivalent to my Poulan Pro which I will probably never use again. I especially like this saw because it is quiet....plus it works all the time. I live in a ranch community and people are living here to get away from noise. This saw allows me to collect fire wood in places where I would othewise be disturbing the tranquility of the community. I am stunned at the battery life, and how quickly it can be recharged. By the time the battery runs down, I am run down as well. And ready for a break. Toss in another battery and your good to go. AThe other thing I like are the safety features. The saw is light and easy to handle and this really helps reduce stress. The chain brake works well. The other thing I really like is the ability to adjust the chain without needing tools. Just make sure you check the tightness periodically. I put a couple of drops of blue Loctite on the threads to help keep the hand tightened bar retainer from loosening. I cut through some huge 24 inch white oak today. Normally, this would be a job for my Rancher 460. While it took considerably longer with the Greenworks, it was much more pleasant and I was free from noxious exhaust and forest raping noise. I will follow up with an update after a month or so of use. Update: I use this saw routinely since initial purchase and especially during the winter months in NC. My house is at 4k feet in the Great Smokies in NC. It is heated with an outdoor wood boiler. I feed my furnace with the plentiful seasoned dead fall which litters my property and ranch community. On a single charge, this saw will fill the bed of my Tacoma shortbed truck. I use the saw several times per week and it has never failed me. Rarely do I ever use my gas saws anymore except for really big stuff. I bought an extra battery for the saw but rarely use it. My back runs down before the saw battery. My neighbors never hear me cutting, and I can cut in areas where I might otherwise be disturbing somebody. Even if it fails on me...I will immediately purchase another because it makes cutting so much more pleasant and safe. Tip: I spray the chain with DuPont Chain Saver....my chains stay sharp even when I am cutting soiled dead fall. This Teflon product is simply amazing for this purpose. Update: Been using this saw for several years now. Even bought a spare to keep on the shelf if they ever discontinue this model. All I have had to do is sharpen the chain. I put a new chain and bar on this year, and also a new chain sprocket. Probably didn’t meet to. I spray the saw bar with DuPont Teflon spray. Unless I hit a rock, chain works all season and stay very sharp. I bought the 80 volt version of this saw, but newer use it since it is heavier and does not seem to run as long. Also got the 8” greenworks pole saw. This saw is incredibly handy and adds a lot of safety when you are cutting any wood. With the pole saw, you can stand away from cuts that might be under spring loading. This is important when cutting dead fall which whipsaw you when you least expect it. That 40v pole saw.is super handy and much safer for clearing trails and overhead stuff.

The main issue with this saw is the brand new chain cutter links are so short that they look like a worn out chain that is about to be thrown away. But I cut half of a cord of blown down oak, the limbs and the 20" trunk using less than 3 charged batteries, WOW! I was so impressed that when my wife (we are both recently retired) told me she wanted to upgrade from a snow shovel to a little snow blower, I recommended that she buy the Green Works 12" snowblower package for about $200. No snow yet on the apron in front of the house yet to try the snowblower yet, but the extra 40v battery and extra battery charger looked like the perfect addition to the chainsaw! We can now go out in the morning and I cut oak firewood while she shuffles blocks of wood and branches for about 45 minutes, we split the wood with a 20 ton gas powered splitter pulled behind the 4 wheeler, go back home and put BOTH batteries on the 2 chargers on a timer set for 3 hours to avoid cooking the batteries (especially during end of the day charging), eat lunch and relax a bit and then go out in the afternoon and repeat the process with a LOT less noise and no yanking on that recoil starter rope of my 30 year old Jonsered 535 gas saw that has no decompression valve! ( I had shoulder rotator cuff surgery a couple of years ago) We are VERY HAPPY so far, I just hope the batteries last a couple of years. As far as the folks making comments about the oil tank leaking, or the chain falling off, or the chain oiler not working (enough oil for about 1 hour run time) or short battery run time, and regular bar oil works just fine by the way. I honestly believe that they are wanna-be lumberjacks that have NO past chainsaw experience to know how to set-up and safely operate such a well built product. I honestly (honestly, for ONCE in my life) highly recommend this CHINESE product! It works GREAT! As I mentioned earlier, the cutting links on the original chain are too short to sharpen more than a couple of times, but that's the only issue I have had after cutting my second face cord of big oak today! This saw is NOT a toy! We have so far cut 2/3 of our firewood to heat our home this winter! Update... attached pics are the 1/2 cord of oak wood I cut using a total of 3 charged batteries.The trailer bed is 8 feet long, 40" wide, and the pile averages 26" high. I like the saw so much I bought 2 new Oregon chains #R56 (fits PERFECT!) and use my same old Timber Tuff CS-BMM benchtop electric chain saw sharpener with the 3/16" wheel (@$50) for a REALLY sharp chain with great results, much better than a Dremel type tool with a 5/32" bit I used at first on both saws! Timber Tuff does not have a 5/32" grinding wheel available for that model sharpener. Even though it is 1/32" wider than the Greenworks and Johnsered 5/32" chains specify. It only makes a little nick in the main part of the chain that has never been an issue, and the saw power is not affected by the slightly deeper cut the chain makes. Don't worry, be happy! And GO CUT SOME WOOD!

I don't cut firewood for a heat source, so I didn't want to buy a gas chainsaw. In the price range I wanted, I would end up with a saw that I would have to rebuild the carb every year or two when I needed it. This 40V electric saw allows you to grab and go. I had some large maple trees taken down and the wood lefton my property, so this saw has gotten plenty of work. It will cut through a 10-12" log in 15 seconds...without making my ears ring. It is very quiet. That can almost be dangerous, as the lack of noise fools you about how much power it has. I can easily cut for about 30-40 minutes on one battery, spending most of the time cutting. Don't try to force the saw, just rock it back and forth and let it cut. I've cut 24"+ logs with this saw and a 16" bar. I was skeptical that it would work, and did a lot of research. Based on reviews and cost, I went with the Greenworks 40v 16" saw. I previously had a 14" corded saw that was great, but not all that convenient. I can grab this saw and take it to fallen limbs or sections of a felled tree and it will run until I want to take a break (I'm 27 and in good shape). If the battery gets low, I throw it on the charger for a couple hours, find something else to do, and then I can be right back at it. If you just need a saw to maintain your property or cut small wood piles, this saw is perfect. You can't cut all day without stopping, as it runs on a battery, but the battery can get you through quite a few large cuts. Edit: I have bought additional 40v Greenworks tools since this review and having an additional battery is quite nice. The 4.0ah battery lasts a long time when cutting branches and logs smaller than 8". I have been cutting up two 80' silver maple trees this past year, and the larger logs go through the battery fast. I can probably cut 8-10 18-20" logs before the battery gets low, so an extra battery comes in handy. I've been able to cut 30" wide logs with this saw. It takes a couple of minutes, but it will do it. I've probably used the saw through about 60-70 full batteries and it still operates like it did new. 1.5 Year Update: Saw still works great. Not sure how much I've used it, but I've gone through almost a gallon of bar oil with it. So nice to have a quiet saw I can just grab and go to cut big or small stuff when needed.

The Greenworks tool is excellent. Because it is every bit as good as any saw I've owned (Stihl, Husqvarna, Poulan), it is therefore "better". It cuts as effectively, with *as much power*, and for as long as a gas-powered machine of equal size (one 4 AH battery & 1 tank bar oil, will last as long as one tank of 2 cycle & bar oil - about 45 minutes). It is every bit as powerful. It is half the weight. It is comparatively silent. Even the easiest-starting gas-powered machine is more work to prepare/start than this machine. Greenworks is top-quality, and this machine lives up to that standard. I have the Greenworks 40V lawn mower, so I have three batteries and a charger already: three batteries will run this machine for far longer than I can work safely. 2+ hours of non-stop cutting is not what I call 'residential work'. Usually one 4.0AH battery (45 minutes of cutting) is enough - then I have to haul, split and stack the wood. It's a good day's workout. I have read reviews that complain about chain tension (& slipping off the bar). I have read complaints about 'storing bar oil in the chamber'. - "Chain tension". Basic chainsaw procedure has you checking chain tension before, and frequently during, use. As with every saw I've had, after 15-20 minutes, the chain and bar are sufficiently hot as to have caused expansion. You're the one in charge: it's *your* job to monitor and correct that. I have used this machine extensively and I have never had the chain slip off the bar. The chain requires re-tightening no more frequently than any gas-powered machine (usually once/use). Bottom line is - No, this is not a problem if you know how to operate a chainsaw. - "Bar oil leakage": It is *so* simple to use a $4 funnel to pour the un-used oil back into the original container, that I really don't know what to say. Remove the battery, open the chamber, open the bar oil container, put in the funnel, pour. It is *not* "used oil" - the used oil is splattered all over the bar! The oil in the chamber is clean - pour it back and use it next time. This process might possibly take 2:45 to 3:00 minutes, and it protects your $200 machine. What, there's a problem here?! I don't see it. This is the best >$100 purchase I've made in a long time (Well, The Beatles "Abbey Road" re-master box set ,,,,, ;) )