WORX WG322E.9 18V (20V MAX) 25cm Cordless Compact Chainsaw - (Tool Only - Battery & Charger Sold Separately), Black

Product Information

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. There are a few design elements to this battery powered chainsaw that immediately stand out. Firstly, its size – with a 20cm bar and a very compact body, it’s the smallest of the six cordless chainsaws that I reviewed. Next up, the metal protective cap over the tip of the chainsaw. It’s there to reduce vibration, give you a cleaner cut when pruning trees, and prevent you from cutting with the nose of the chainsaw. Why? Because that requires expertise, whereas this chainsaw is designed for beginners. Makita is famed for being one of the best power tool brands around and, after testing many of their cordless tools, I can see why. So, while I had high hopes for their DUC353Z Twin 18V Cordless Chainsaw, I was also a little doubtful about whether or not it would be up to the task that I had in mind for it – helping me to slice up the several mature trees that Storm Arwen had scattered around my farm.

That’s right, I said batteries – plural. This 36V battery powered chainsaw has been designed to run on two 18V batteries . This gives it a chunkier look and feel than those that hold just one battery. It boasts a few other thoughtful design features too, from its claw stop to its oil level indicator to its handy on/off button. Its cutting bar is 30cm in length, which is on the higher end of the scale for cordless chainsaws. 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. Our smaller 8” pole saw (WG349) has an adjustable telescopic pole with a maximum reach of 13 feet. For better control, the rear handle can rotate 180° degrees, and the blade can be adjusted between 0°, 15°, and 30° angles as desired.In-keeping with trying to make this chainsaw as appealing as possible to newbies, Bosch has ensured that assembly is kept to a minimum. The chain is already attached to the bar and you don’t need any tools to attach this to the main unit. Oil is provided too, for the chain’s automatic oiling system, meaning that I was able to have this chainsaw up and running in about five minutes.

That said, it does also feel a little flimsier than some of the other chainsaws, which isn’t going to impress anyone that does have chainsaw experience.

This chainsaw’s fantastic performance is partly due to how powerful it is. As mentioned, its 36V motor makes use of two 18V batteries , giving it double the power of its 18V competitors. I went with 5aH batteries and enjoyed a continuous run time of about 30 minutes . I was using it at full speed for pretty much all of this time, meaning 20 m/s, which, again, is significantly faster than many of the other battery powered chainsaws out there. If you use the machine at a slower speed and on smaller pieces of wood, you’ll enjoy a longer runtime. Needless to say, it wasn’t the best start, but things started to look up once I took in the full design of this machine. It has a 25cm Oregon bar and chain , which is a sign of top quality, along with a metal, rather than a plastic, claw stop – again, an indicator of quality. I also appreciated the tool free chain tension adjustment mechanism, as well as the large oil display window. I found this chainsaw to be very easy to use. The only potential downside would be its weight. 7kg is pretty heavy for a cordless chainsaw, but considering that you’re only going to be using it for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time (before the battery power runs out), its weight isn’t a dealbreaker in the slightest. In fact, I found that this actually gave the machine a sturdiness that made it easier to hold in place when cutting. If you’re only going to be cutting small and thin pieces of wood, then a short bar is all you need. However, if you plan on using your chainsaw to cut chunky logs and to fell trees, then go with a longer bar. Understanding Motors Now for the only downside to this chainsaw – its price. It was the most expensive battery powered chainsaw that I tested, and it was even more expensive than all of the petrol chainsaws that I also tested, and that’s not accounting for the batteries and the dual charger. That said, it’s still a machine that I would highly recommend buying, simply because of how durable it feels and how well it performs. The fact that its performance is equivalent to that of many petrol chainsaws, yet it’s so much easier to use, makes it, in my opinion, well worth the higher cost.