Black & Decker has announced that they are coming out with 2 new cordless chainsaws, as well as 3 new corded models. The two cordless saws, as well as one of the corded saws – a pole saw – will be released in November, and the two other corded saws will debut in January 2015.
Here’s a quick look at the new cordless saws, and the pole saw.
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- 40V Max chainsaw LCS1240, $200
- 20V Max chainsaw LCS1020, $130
- Corded pole saw PP610, $100
I have become increasingly fond of cordless lawn and garden tools, and so have other ToolGuyd contributors. For quick tasks here and there, the noise, smells, and maintenance requirements of gas-powered tools just aren’t justified. There are corded electric tools, but I have found that cordless tools are just plain easier to pick up and use.
The new 40V and 20V Max cordless LI-ion-powered chainsaws were designed for convenience, maneuverability, and performance. They are both designed for cutting through dry wood, live branches, and green logs.
The 40V Max saw has a 12-inch bar, while the 20V Max is slightly smaller with a 10-inch bar.
Both saws are designed with tool-free chain tensioning mechanisms. Black & Decker also says that manual oiling is a thing of the past. The 40V saw eliminates priming and keeps the bar and chain constantly lubricated, while the 20V saw has a traditional primer for bar and chain oiling.
The new 10″ pole saw is built with a 6.5A motor and can be extended up to 9.5 feet for easier cutting of high-up tree limbs and branches. It also features an auto-oiling design for user convenience and less maintenance.
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The pole saw’s motor is inline with the bar, which helps to create a clearer line of sight of the chain while cutting.
Black & Decker equipped both cordless saws and the pole saw with Oregon premium low-kickback bars and chains.
Buy Now(40V Chainsaw Kit via Amazon)
First Thoughts
I don’t think I have ever used a chainsaw. I grew up in the city with just a tree in front of the house, and we weren’t even allowed to prune the low-hanging branches because it was city property.
That being said, I find the idea of a cordless chainsaw to be highly appealing. If I were to need a chainsaw, these would be serious contenders for my money. I like the convenience, lower maintenance, and less hassle of cordless lawn and gardening tools, and don’t see why I would feel any different about chainsaws.
As for the pole saw, I’ve never used one of those either, but I like that this one has almost 10 feet of reach.
The compromise with these tools is that you get lower cutting capacity than with corded tools, and definitely lower power. It’s hard to imagine that these two Black & Decker cordless saws will deliver corded-like performance.
The two new corded saws that are coming out, and I might talk more about them when their release nears, are priced at $80 and $100 for the 12A 16″ and 15A 18″ models. With these cordless models, you get saws with 10″ and 12″ cutting bars for $130 and $200, respectively.
But the question is this – when it’s time to trim a branch or cut some logs, are you going to dig out your extension cord to plug your corded saw into, or will you get lazy and push the chore to the next weekend a couple of weeks in a row?
It can be said that cordless tools still require that a battery be fully charged before they’re ready to go, but it’s still generally quick and easier to get to work with a cordless lawn and garden tool than a corded electric one.
As a reminder, I have never used a chainsaw, so maybe I’m off target here. But that also brings a memory to mind. Years back, my first cordless drill was a Black & Decker FireStorm that was actually quite good. It had a keyless chuck that could be removed to reveal a 1/4″ hex screwdriver chuck.
Here on ToolGuyd I don’t often talk about or review Black & Decker tools because many if not most are too entry-level for me and probably for a great deal of readers as well. But these chainsaws reminded me that entry-level is not necessarily a bad thing.
mikeh
i have the Ryobi 40V chainsaw and for small to medium jobs it works very well. It saves getting my other saws out and spending 20 minutes getting them ready and the joy of trying to start them. I have even dropped some fairly large trees with the cordless. These new lines of higher voltage yard tools are really very nice and effective. B&D’s look very nice.
KenZ
I have the old 18V B&D chainsaw. It works “great” as long as your expectations are in check. It’s not a REAL chainsaw by any stretch of the imagination, but for small yard work it’s awesome, as there’s no way I’d invest in a real chainsaw for the 1-2 hours/year I need one (and could get away without it if I try).
Having just invested in the Ryobi 40V line (hedge trimmer and blower), when my 18V B&D dies, I’ll get the 40V chainsaw for sure. I doubt it’ll be as good as a gasser, but…. do I care? Not really for what I do.
RKA
I think you’d be splitting hairs between a corded and cordless as neither are really powerful. They are suitable for light duty work. And for that I got by with an 18v sawzall and 12″ pruning blade just fine for a number of years. The thinner kerf of the pruning blade does a decent job, but the short stroke can’t properly clear the chips when you get over 4″. I knew the day would come when something better was needed and it wouldn’t be a corded or cordless model. Sandy required a gas saw with a much larger bar than these come with. Even with that it took me 4-5 afternoons to clean up the mess. I wouldn’t have wanted anything other than gas.
I think there is a limited niche for these cordless chainsaws. Obviously homeowners that don’t need to deal with mature trees, and probably ones that already have the batteries on hand for their other cordless tools. Otherwise, it doesn’t quite make sense to me.
Cody
Black and decker also has a new 40volt 16 inch push mower model cm1640
Hang Fire
We are long past the days when manual chain oiling was long past. It’s been over 30 years since automatic chain oilers dominated the consumer market. Just fill the reservoir and cut. The same mechanism that moves the chain pumps the oil.
What, pray tell, is a “traditional primer”? I haven’t seen a manual oiling pump since the early 80’s. Primers are for starting gas engines. If B&D has introduced some procedure required for getting the oil started, it would be a giant step backwards in chain saw design.
Ah yeah I agree with you, electric is the way to go for most consumers. The combination of Ethanol Gas and EPA capped non-adjustable carburetors has really made running small gas chains saws difficult for the non-enthusiast.
Just keep in mind that uncharged batteries don’t charge themselves in a blackout, nor do corded chainsaws work either (without a generator)… and blackouts and downed trees go hand in hand. Likewise batteries need to be fresh and not aged out of their service life. But gas chainsaws have their own list of prerequisites, so no matter what your choice, you need to be prepared BEFORE the tree blocks your driveway.
Seth
There’s a good number of manual oiling chainsaws on the market – Remington is still going that route for their budget models. I’d imagine marketing types could confuse a manual oiler for a primer button as they look and feel the same.
There’s no good powered solution for storm preparedness – batteries will age, electric power will be out, gas will be degraded and the engine fouled. A bow saw and some elbow grease is probably the best (and most cost effective) route.
Hang Fire
I see. The electrics I’ve used were self-oiling.
Since I mow with a gas mower, keeping fresh gas around is not difficult. Also anyone with a car also owns a 10 to 20 gallon mobile storage tank, and 2-stroke oil stores well.
But I heartily agree, never give up your manual equipment. My bow pruning saw came in very handy when my department store gas chain saw died 3 minutes into its first big job. I got my driveway unblocked with the pruning saw, and then began my journey into the wierd and wonderful world of 2-stroke engine repair. I would also add an axe to the list of must-have’s for home owners with trees.
KL
I like the quick chain tension like Stihls. The 40V Ryobi seems to lack that, and I also think we should be past the age of having to carry a wrench to do basic things like swap or tension your chain.
Hang Fire
We should also be past the age when quick tensioners slip and wear out. Here, Stihl is the best of a bad lot. The arborist forums are full of threads about how to convert a quick tensioner to a bar nut, once the owner becomes a regular chainsaw user. Even the Stihls get converted once they go from occassional to regular use. My Home Depot chainsaw special that gave me 3 minutes of trouble-free engine life came with a quick tensioner good for about 60 seconds of proper chain tension.
I carry a folding scrench on my belt from Stihl that utterly defies a Google search, even my dealer never heard of it but managed to order it for me. At $35 it wasn’t cheap but I wouldn’t cut wood without it. The double ended tube is handy for spark plugs and bar nuts, essential in the field to pull the drive cover when it gets clogged with wood chips, zip ties or barbed wire. It also has Torx for pulling the air filter cover for cleaning, and slotted screwdrivers for carb adjustments and digging out poison oak chips without touching them.
In other words, chain saws are adjustment intensive and maintenance intensive, and if you plan to use one for more than an hour straight you might as well get used to the idea of adjusting stuff in the field.
Mike47
HF: Try Googling “Stihl Wrench” and see what comes up.
Ditto your comments on field maintenance. There’s no avoiding it.
cody
It’s just the (Lewis winch) it has been around for years
Janet
Your 20v chainsaw if fabulous but why doesn’t it come with a case???