This is a nice small branch trimmer. Its downfall is the chain oil is gravity feed onto the chain and leaks consistently. Wherever you store the chainsaw will get oil underneath. I'd give it 5 stars if they fixed that issue. I'm still pleased with the purchase and have learned to deal with the oil problem by simply carrying a small squirt bottle of oil and adding it directly to the chain, bypassing the leaky oil chamber. Black & Decker CCS818 18-Volt Cordless Electric Chain Saw
I was tired of reving up my heavy 20 inch gas chain saw for occasional jobs around the property. This saw is light and convenient for work in tight locations like brush clearing.
It arrived promptly from Amazon. It I appears to be well designed and worked fine after charging the included 18 volt battery. Although product specs do not mention it, the package includes a charger for the battery.
I have not used the product long enough to determine how long the battery holds its charge. But, on a fresh charge it successfully cut through everything that I have tried it on .. soft wood and hard wood.
This saw will fell and buck two average trees 5-7" at the base before the battery pack runs down. I would be inclined to lop manually for small trees like these, so that the battery will last a bit longer, and safety is a bit higher.
4 stars since the convenience of use could be improved (would be nice to have a hook or Velcro(r) loop for the scabbard rather than have to keep track of it on the ground, and some kind of retention method for the battery prong cover so that the cover doesn't wander about and get lost). It would also have been nice if B&D included a little bottle of the non-toxic chain lube like the Alligator Loppers come with, so the user doesn't immediately have to go out buying chain oil before using the saw.
Very lightweight and easy to handle, no fumes and minimal kickback. Great value for the price.
I bought an electric chain saw so that I could saw my own wood to heat our house, and also for my wood cook stove. Due to arthritic shoulder, elbow and wrist I have great difficulty getting the gas chain saw started. So I recently bought a Black & Decker battery operated chain saw, it starts with the push of a button, is very light and easy to handle and does a great job cutting even hard wood. I purchased an extra battery and with both batteries I am able to cut enough firewood to last about four days.
I bought this saw to clear my backyard that the previous owners had let go and it's a small jungle back there. Saw arrived today in time for weekend testing and I was surprised just how tiny it turned out to be. I own other B&D 18v tools so no waiting for the battery to charge. I used it for about 45 min to cut down dead trees in the very back along with some sprouting Oak trees. I was thinking it would cut slower than gas but this thing has really good torque. You should clean it and adjust the chain when finished which I did tonight and found it only took about 5 min and was very easy. The battery still has juice and I will see how long it holds out tomorrow before I have to switch to another battery. Speaking of which, I have seen comments on the price of battery's and the need for additional packs to complete the job. Here is how I play it and this system works for me:
1) I buy packages, never the batteries by themselves. Sometimes you get a free tool just for the price of 1 battery. Walmart had 2 batts and a cordless drill for 39.95 awhile back. The drill was not the one with the high torque (which I also just bought) but for the price it was worth it to get the batteries. Everyone runs sales..just look for them.
2) As you get more tools and batteries you get chargers as well. The lawn care center comes with a nice 3 place charger but it is slow. You should buy the quick charger for sure. It was about 20 bucks but I think it has gone up a bit. It is a peak charger and because of this, it seems to do a better job of topping off the batteries than the slow chargers. It comes in handy when I know I am running low on spare packs.
3) Take care of your batteries so they will last. I keep mine on a kitchen shelf all in a row and the freshly charged battery goes to the back of the line. That way a battery is not used over and over and they all get a break in between use. Labels work well too. Tools are fine for the garage, utility but keep the batts themselves inside so they don't get too hot or cold. Always let a empty pack cool down before you recharge. As of today I am up to 8 packs which sounds like a lot but I have gone through 5 packs on my front yard about 2 weeks ago.
The B&D chain saw does the job it is designed to do without fuss. Although the product info doesn't mention it, the package includes a battery charger but if you intend to use it much you are advised to go ahead and purchase another battery (or two) as well as the optional rapid charger.
It is important to note that the chain seems to stretch a bit faster than the chain on a gas saw so periodic tension checks the first few hours of use is really important.
If you need a light-duty chain saw (to use around the property, not out in the woods by professionals) then buy this! It's beyond useful and is nicer in-person than what it looks like on the web.
I trimmed our 20+ yr old maple tree like it was child's play. No cords, no gas to store, no problems. I trimmed that tree and several other bushes in the yard, and have yet to recharge the battery for it even once.
One recommendation however: make sure you have some SAE 30W motor oil handy. There's a built-in reservoir for such a lubricant (to oil the chain to extend its life).
This saw is solid and it performs. If you're a lumberjack, buy a gas-powered one instead. Otherwise get this one! - Ccs818 - Chain Saw - Black And Decker - 18 Volt'
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