One new product left out of the Dewalt Experience Media Event was the 20V Max compact cordless chainsaw. It has been hitting stores recently and we’ve had numerous people inquire about it.
Dewalt says that their new brushless chainsaw was designed for construction applications, such as cutting beams, roughing-out openings, and demolition work. It can also be used for tree work, with the manual saying it can handle logs up to 10″ in diameter.
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The saw uses a 12″ Oregon bar and chain, which Dewalt touts as being low kick-back. The chain can be tensioned without tools using the bar locking and chain tensioning knobs on the right side of the saw.
The saw weighs 7.6 lbs without a battery and 8.8 lbs with the 5.0 Ah battery installed.
Dewalt says it can make up to 90 cuts in pressure-treated 4×4 pine wood, when paired with a 5.0Ah battery pack.
The best prices I’ve seen so far are at Acme Tool, where the bare tool (DCCS620B) is $129, and the kit (DCCS620P1) is $199.
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These are the online prices, but I believe they are the same in store. The in-store flyer says the prices are good until the end of the month (Sept 30th, 2017).
Update: Amazon also shows $129 for the bare tool, and $199 for the kit, with list prices of $150 and $230, respectively. The MSRP, in Dewalt press materials, is said to be $149 for the bare tool, and $229 for the kit.
Buy Now (Bare Tool via Acme)
Buy Now(Bare Tool via Amazon)
The DCCS620P1 kit comes with the chainsaw, (1) 5.0Ah battery pack, and charger.
Buy Now (Kit via Acme)
Buy Now(Kit via Amazon)
First Thoughts
I traveled to Acme Tools last weeks with every intention of buying this chainsaw. My trusty 14″ Stihl chainsaw needs some TLC to get running, and as a homeowner who uses his chainsaw a few times a year, I basically have to “winterize” it every time I run it. Otherwise I end up leaving gas sitting in it for 6 months. So the thought of a chainsaw where I don’t have to deal with mixing gas seems appealing for my usage.
As mentioned, I intended on buying this saw, but after handing the floor model I became hesitant. I was playing with the bar locking knob and the chain oil cap, which both have these flip-up levers to help turn them. I was really put off by how much the plastic levers bent as I tried to turn the knobs. I felt like I was going to break the lever on the oil fill cap right off.
Going back and looking at the Flexvolt chainsaw I notice that it also has these same flip-up levers as the 20V saw. I cut a beam with that saw at the Dewalt 2016 event and that saw felt like the real deal, but I never messed with the adjustments or oil cap on that saw.
That wasn’t the only thing I didn’t like. You know how when you pick up a tool it either feels right or it doesn’t? This saw just didn’t feel like something I wanted to spend my money on. I really have a hard time putting into words what I didn’t like about the body of the saw, so I’ll use an analogy. I’d say it’s like picking up a $99 DCD771 holiday special drill kit, rather than a high-end DCD796 hammer drill.
Keep in mind that these are only my initial impressions — I haven’t actually used this saw. I could be completely wrong and this could turn out to be a real powerhouse with a few cosmetic problems.
Stuart’s Note: I have been thinking about how the 20V Max cordless chainsaw fits in with Dewalt’s other offerings. The press release mentions its 20V Max compatibility, allowing anyone who has already bought into the battery platform to add this chainsaw to their repertoire without having to buy into a whole new system. There’s also mention in the press release of it being “ideal for indoor cutting and demolition applications.” If you want more power and runtime, the FlexVolt saw is probably worth investing in, or the 40V Max version for even more serious use. This 20V Max cordless chainsaw? It’s more about convenience.
See Also(FlexVolt Chainsaw Kit via Amazon)
See Also(40V Max Chainsaw Kit via Amazon)
Have you ever used or thought about using a chainsaw indoors, for demo work or any construction tasks?
Chris
I think it’s cute. Probably wouldn’t get one, for the few small branches I hack off, a recip saw with a pruning blade is more then enough.
When can we expect some more info on the cordless die grinder?
jtr165
Yeah, have to agree overall. Something about a chainsaw and ‘demo work’ just puts me off a little.
I have some Diablo carbide pruning and demo blades for my cordless recip, and i’m a lot less worried about hitting a nail or even a big spike in rotten timbers with that than i am a chainsaw. Not just safety, but i’d much rather wreck a recip blade than a chain.
I do process and mill some logs in lumber from time to time, and a small electric chainsaw would be convenient (more comfortable to use than a recip saw, less annoying to start than a gas saw)…but a sharp 9″ blade in the recip has been fine for the time being.
Raoul
I use a chainsaw from time to time on demo work. Homeowners eyes pop out of their head.
Mr. Creek
That’s an interesting point of view on the chainsaw. I have been waiting for over a year for these to hit shelves. And I have been torn, do I get the flexvolt version or the 20v counterpart? Fair disclosure, I have only held the 40v display in a local store, it felt “right”. But if both the 20v/60v versions are going to fill like a budget DYI tool….i may actually cry a bit inside. I hate reading a bad tool review, but I what I hate even more is a review that is not honest. Toolguyd, thanks for being honest. If this is going to feel like Ryobi (P.S. great DYI brand)18v chainsaw, I’m going to feel cheated because I could have bought that budget chainsaw over a year ago, and saved $29 bucks when the Ryobi was on sale at Christmas.
John Fal
Personally I love the ryobi 40v chainsaw and I consider myself as a dewalt man, i have most of their 18-20v Max tools.
I think you would eventually be a little unhappy with a 12 inch bar if your anything like me. If your going dewalt I would go with the Flexvolt, bigger bar, more power, but if your on a budget like me, the the Ryobi has a good chainsaw. I have the older one (non brushless) and it is a cutting machine, but when it wears out I probably go with 60v Dewalt.
Keep in mind, they are all slower than gas but easer to handle and go for brushles.
Paul
I have the Felxvolt version (and love it) and agree on the plastic knobs. When I first received the saw I ended up slowly tapping the chain oil knob with a small block of wood and rubber mallet to induce some torque at the base. That did the trick and I have noticed that after the initial couple of uses they now operate much more smoothly so you don’t feel like you are stressing the part.
The 14″ Flexvolt has relegated my 14″ Stihl to the shelf.
Adam
I had the DeWalt 40v for a couple months, and was generally happy with it, but scrapped that line once Milwaukee announced their OPE, aside from a chainsaw. I figured it would leave my options open for another more powerful chainsaw. I don’t remember the knobs ‘twisting’ on me, but the design of them just made then collect wood chips, and I’d rather not have a buildup where I need to put oil in.
I figure my Fuel sawzall can take care of most small branches, so I’m in the market for a chainsaw on the more powerful end. I was contemplating the FlexVolt, but maybe I’ll try to wait until spring if I possible.
John
How exactly would switching to Milwaukee leave your options open for a more power chainsaw? Milwaukee’s OPE is all 18v stuff. How would that give you the option for a chainsaw more powerful than DeWalt’s 40v or 60v saws? I suppose they could have it run on 2 or 3 18v batteries but that seems less than ideal. Just curious…
Joe
Respectfully disagree..I love this forum/channel it pops up on my email right at lunchtime everyday, perfect….some of the best reviews around hands down…i have two of these 20v max chain saws. 1 for work , 1 for home….it is quite powerful, not as much as the 60v but plenty for its size…I love the feel,the size,the power and only needs a 5ah battery….we use it for demo and cutting timbers at work ( I’m a framer and deck builder)
…Anyone in the Dewalt line should not be afraid to get one. I’ve used the Flexvolt and it’s nice, I have not used the 40v….I’ve also used the Makita and I’d rather use this ….I am heavily invested in the Dewalt 20v line ,but also have all th Bosch 12v line and some Milwaukee fuel tools…and Hilti powder guns…..I’m not just a fan boy, it’s a great tool.
Benjamen
I really want to like this chainsaw. What’s not to like about a 20V chainsaw on the Dewalt platform at this price?
The preview was coming out anyway as part of Dewalt Event coverage. I debated about saying anything about the saw since I don’t have one to review.
What’s the first thing you do with a chainsaw? Fill the bar oil reservoir. So if your first experience with a tool is that you are afraid you are going to snap the lever off the oil fill cap, what are you going to think of the tool? It really seemed below Dewalt’s normal quality.
I may still buy this saw for myself, but there’s no way I would at this point until I demo it or get enough people I trust to tell me I’m wrong about it. Thanks for speaking up.
John
Why don’t you get the saw and use it? Then we could see if the part actually snaps off. You’re just speculating that it’s no good before even testing it. If your suspicion is that those parts will easily fail, then test them and see if they fail under reasonable use. Otherwise, your just dribbling useless information. Give us something objective to go off of.
Stuart
Would you buy a tool that you were interested in, but found to be a little flimsy, hinting of potential problems down the road, or was otherwise lacking in expected build quality?
Was Ben supposed to keep this experience to himself, and write the preview post as if he wasn’t personally turned off by the design and perceived build quality?
I get it, you want a full review. But that’s no reason to be disrespectful.
John
Yes, if I was writing for a tool review sight I would. Isn’t that the point. They are supposed to get the tools, use them, then give honest feedback. Not pick it up and speculate that something will fail without actually using it.
firefly
I don’t see it as useless information. Ben raised a legitimate concern about the build quality. If I get such tool I would be concern as when the plastic tab gonna break off. The price is right and the size is right for somebody like me but personally I would rather pay a little more for better build quality.
John Fal
I’m also not sold on the plastic tensioner, Paulon Pro had allot of failers on theirs, but not saying that would be the case with Dewalt or other brands.
John
Again, maybe he should actually get the tool and test it. Just because the tab flexes doesn’t mean it will break. The added flex could be there so it doesn’t snap off when you drop the tool. I’ll reserve my judgement until I actually see a real world test.
jtr165
In the context of a ‘preview’, that is objective as it gets…and is needed.
He stated what worried him, and why he would potentially not buy it. He didn’t buy it, and he wasn’t given one to stress test to completely verify said worries…so what else could be asked for?
It just gets tiresome between all that ‘well that isn’t objective and it’s just opinion’ when it comes to pretty much anything consumer related. If Benjamin said ‘I tested it, and the reservoir cap lasted x times,’ there would STILL be a huge layer of subjectivity on if that value lasted long enough between different potential buyers.
No rant, just saying: nothing is completely objective. Articles like this are why I visit this site; if a credible tool guy (har har) has a few reservations about a new product that I haven’t had my hands on yet…I love to read about them.
Justin
I bought two of the bare tool saws from Acme so I could get the 5.0ah starter kit promotion. $260 out the door for the two saws and starter kit, plan on giving the extra one to my Dad.
ca
$129? That seems surprisingly cheap.
Bill
I can’t speak directly to the issues Benjamen raises, with regard to the 20vMax version of this saw, I did just purchase Dewalt’s 60vMax chainsaw and I love it. Like Benjamen I too am an occasional user and that was the main reason I went electric/battery vs gas.
My 60v chainsaw has the same plastic oil cap and chain tensioner as the 20v saw and most likely the same is on the 40v version. I did not find the slight flex on these parts to be objectionable or suspect with regard long term durability. Living in Miami, Florida I have used my new saw extensively over the past two weeks to clear tree limbs and a few downed trees from our recent brush with hurricane Irma.
It seems that currently, the only way to get the Flexvolt chainsaw is in kit form-DCCS670X1, which includes the chainsaw-DCCS670, one 60v 3ah/20v 9ah battery-DCB609 and charger DCB115. My only disappointment with this kit was the included slow charger. The real charger that should come with this kit or any of their premium 60vMax tools, is the DCB118 Fast Charger, IMHO. In fact I was so disappointed in Dewalt’s decision to include the slower charger that I fired off an email to Dewalt, detailing my thoughts and I was pleasantly surprised with their response. They sent me the DCB118 Fast Charger via UPS and I have already gotten it. Thanks Dewalt.
Again I can’t get over my overall pleasure with the performance of this saw. My first task on returning to Miami, post Irma, was to finish the job or removing a 16″ BottleBrush tree that Irma had started. This tree branched out to three smaller 10″ trunks about three feet from the ground with each of these snapped off at about 12′. I had been contemplating this saw and now Irma had given me the need. As you might imagine there were no chainsaws available in South Florida shortly after the storm, or bar oil for that matter. The oil is important as Dewalt does not ship any oil with their chainsaws and as has been reported, this saw does eat oil.
So I ordered the saw online from Tool Barn and they did a good job on all aspects of my order. Armed with my new saw and one freshly charged battery I set out to see what it could do with the Bottlebrush. Not only did it make the 20 cuts or so to remove this tree but the battery still had 2 out of 3 lights left so I could help a neighbor cut several large limbs. Over the past week I have cut countless limbs and even managed to drop the saw from about 10′ on an extension ladder. Granted the fall was to a grass surface but the saw suffered no apparent damage.
As Benjamen pointed out, the real advantage will come in six months when I pick it up again and only need to add a little oil and pull the trigger to get to work.
Benjamen
Now I’m curious by what you mean by slight flex — the lever on the oil fill cap bent quite a bit for me when I removed it — I’d even say deformed — more than I thought it should for how much torque I was applying.
Maybe somebody wrenched the oil cap on too tight? Although the bar locking knob flexed more than I would have liked also, but not as much. Maybe the cap is using a different plastic.
Bill
After reading your reply I made a point to go out in the shop and spend a little time playing with oil fill cap as well as the chain tensioner. While I can see your point regarding flex or distortion of these parts, it just seems minimal to me. Sorry I can’t give you an accurate measure of deflection for these parts but minimal or slight does feel appropriate. I do think that point of view and overall initial hands on experience can serve to color ones opinion on this type of issue. As you can tell from my experience with the Flexvolt version, I was favorably impressed. I had a job to do and I needed to get it done in a timely manner, and thus my focus and impression was more broadly based and less detailed. I’m sure if any of these smaller bits had failed or given me difficulty in use, I would have been mored critical. In fact, the oil port has gotten plenty of use because as I noted above, this saw does drink oil. Every 20 to 30 minutes of use required the addition of about half a pint of oil.
JoeM
I’d rather wait for the FlexVolt version. The more powerful I need a tool, the safer I feel going with the FlexVolt version. 20 Volt edition is nice and all, but, for as little as I use a Chainsaw, it’s nicer to know I wasn’t better off using one of my other saws for the small jobs. I can take down tree limbs and rough small stuff with my reciprocating saw. A chainsaw of any size is overkill for what I do. So, IF a Chainsaw is needed, I’d rather it be a monster that eats trees for fun, so it doesn’t mind doing the heavy stuff, then getting put away for who-knows-how-long.
fred
For chainsaws – like many other tools bigger is not always better. But rather bigger might give you more capability if you need it. My first chainsaw was a McCulloch with a 27inch bar. It spent more time on the bench fiddling with its carburetor than working. I had just moved on a property that had lots of trees in various states of health and verticality and thought that it would be just the thing. I learned pretty quickly that I was not cut out to be a lumberjack – and the McCulloch even if it worked flawlessly – was too big for me. I replaced it with a 16 inch Husqvarna that was better – but now who knows if it will run – as its been gathering dust for years now.
At my age, I’m not likely to start felling trees, maybe do some modest limbing and mostly use a Silky pole saw so I can stay on the ground. For everything else, I let the regular landscapers – or once per year tree service guys have at it. They split some of the bigger pieces for me and stack what cordwood I want for Thanksgiving/Christmas fireplace use – if its cold enough to make a fire.
My wife, the gardener/arborist in the family, is still a fan of a B&D corded alligator lopper and silky hand saws for clean-up work – but I can see the appeal of a small electric chain saw, If this was a Makita tool – to fit with my batteries – I might give it a try.
Josh
I have a friend who’s an arborist who uses the Makita 36V Chainsaw (two 18V batteries) and loves it. Parr Lumber has them on sale for a very good price as well if you’re in Oregon or Washington.
Fm2176
I plan to get one for one primary reason – mimosas. I own a property that’s getting overgrown with them. The hedge trimmer worked earlier this year, but if course the bigger ones grew back and gathered reinforcements. I’m almost to the point where I want to salt the earth. After all, environmental concerns are a newer concept in human history… Just kidding, of course. Or am I?
Seriously, though, I don’t need anything larger for that. I do have an 18″ (maybe 16″?) Ryobi I picked up on clearance that had old mix in it but ran fine last year. It’s buried on storage at the moment, so using my plethora of batteries on this will suffice. If anything breaks, the warranty should cover it. If it’s not covered I’ll figure something out.
Fm2176
To clarify, the Ryobi was new when bought. I got it while on post-deployment leave and used it to clean up the in-law’s yard. Stored it for a couple of years and tried running it with 2-year-old gas/oil mix last January.
ed ski
I want to know from those that bought/use one: How is it on the bar oil? Is it a pig or is it thrifty?
I’ve a Greenworx pruner and it has an undersized bar oiler and it seems to eat half the oil in minutes.
I’ve some regular chainsaws and I don’t see the issue with winter storage/starting because I no longer put in ethanol-gas mix. I use the more expensive Real Gasoline in the cans. Starts everytime after extended unuse…then I run the cheap ethanol-mix till dry. Seafoam is your friend.
Does anyone think we will see the end of fuel-burning tools in our lifetime? (hey, if they can have a long running, reliable, lightweight, durable, rechargeable power source…)
KL
Not the end, no. But their market share is being slowly eroded and this erosion is going to accelerate in the next ~20 years before leveling off.
glenn
Not that I necessarily agree with the idea, but due to noise and emissions, I think petrol powered garden tools will eventually be legislated against in some countries.
It will only take one country to do it and the politicians in other countries will be quick to jump on it.
fred
Pressure to get rid of them – particularly in some locales- is continuing to get stronger. Between folks worrying about greenhouse gas emissions, and other pollutants, noise and even gasoline storage/VOCs – there are things to dislike. But there is lot of energy stored in a gallon of gasoline that can be converted to engine power for some tough jobs. Battery-powered OPE may be gaining – but it doesn’t seem to match engine-driven tools in many demanding applications. The guys who mow a field with a bush hog and tractor – will not soon covert to a battery-powered lawnmower.
I don’t know where the professional residential landscaper and tree-trimmer community weigh in on cordless – but I bet if we could commoditize LiIon batteries and get the prices to fall – we’d probably see more engine-driven tools being swapped out for battery-cordless.
Joe J
Small combustion engines are not going anywhere soon. Especially in commercial and industrial applications. Electric is already making inroads in the homeowner/prosumer market though.
There may come a day when small engine equipment just isn’t being produced anymore. But it’s probably many decades away.
I don’t think it’s unrealistic to say that 50-100 years from now small engine powered tools won’t exist other than as a historical novelty.
KL
I also love my Ryobi 40V with 14″ bar. A 12″ bar is smaller than I’d like. I’m hoping Milwaukee will run at least a 14″ bar on their chainsaw in 2018.
Anyway the first time I held the Ryobi I also thought it felt “wrong.” The weighting/balance just seemed off. One cut with it fixed that. It works well for what it is and ergonomics are fine, but ya gotta put on an Oregon bar and run an S52 chain; the stock bar and chain are horrible
Joe J
Seems like a good homeowner tool for people who are invested in the 20vmax line.
I don’t have enough trees to warrant a chainsaw anymore. A recip saw with a pruning blade or good old fashioned pole saw are more than enough.
Roger
I’ve been doing research on the 20V and the 60V chainsaws. I’m more inclined to the flexvolt, but I just wish they’d offer it as a bare tool.
Stuart
The last time I asked about why a certain tool was only available as a kit, I was told something about there not being enough batteries in the wild yet. Or something like that. I vaguely remember something about battery production not keeping up with demand, and so they’re sold as kits to ensure that users will have a FlexVolt battery or two to use the tool with.
Maybe it also has to do with not being able to price tools low enough without batteries? Or maybe they can’t produce enough tools to ship kits and bare tools yet?
Maybe they looked at sales figures for the initial wave of tools, saw that kits sold a lot better than bare tools, and so that’s what they’re focusing on first.
Doc John
I learn from your great writings and many of the comments.
One word…ER two….err three… Mikita 36v chainsaw…kick ass…. workhorse… top quality…… and I have yellow( great stuff) but the Mickey chainsaw rules…
Tony
I wish they would come out with a 20v pole saw instead of this one. That’s something I’d buy instantly
Raoul
I would like one too.
Ian Random
I have an electric corded chainsaw, that only my brother has used so far and he liked it. But given he cut through the cord, I’ll probably be looking at a cordless one someday.
Nathan
I’d like to see how the flexvolt stacks up to the Echo chain saw. curious as I have both battery platforms and so far I love the Echo trimmer and attachment set. I see both working fairly well.
I also see a place for the 20V model provided that chain bar is narrow enough and it looks like it might be. It would be good for some outdoor construction items like fences and decks when you need to trim a post. I use a recip now but honestly a chainsaw might prove faster and better. Homeowner me would like one if the price was right – Ie 99 bare tool I think is about there.
however I know I’d get more overall use out of a larger device so I’m looking at the flexvolt or the Echo models. (incidentally if you look there is a Stihl, Husqvarna and Echo 36V electric system too and I believe they just released chainsaws in that system also)
FLOORGUY
I’ve recently had the chance to put this little beast to work and have been thoroughly satified with the results. At first I was a little skeptical with a “battery operated” chain saw but was surprised to find out the power and flexibility it has. I found it to be quite capable of powering through a tree in my back yard with ease. Equipt with a 20v/60v Flexvolt battery, the 30 year old cedar tree with a 20″ base didn’t stand a chance. I had it chopped up in minutes and piled up for the fired pit. This particular Dewalt 20v chainsaw has the power and light weight to suit my needs. I haven’t had the chance to cut through oak but with a fully charged battery and a sharp chain I’m sure I would get similar results.
Having a huge assortment of Dewalt tools and other various brands I know my way around the block. After 20+ years of flooring work and my investment properties I repeadedly put my arsenal to the test. The quality of this saw is definitely not that of a high end gas powered chain saw but you will not be disappointed in the lightweight tough power it has to offer. I’ve not had the chance to drop or throw the saw around like what happens in daily use. It’s bound to come into play at some point. I did not find any reason for concern with knobs or the trigger, everything performed as needed. All in all I’m 100% happy with its performance, including light weight versatility, power, and runtime.
Joren
I keep putting off buying the flexvolt version for two reasons:
-It’s not sold as a bare tool
-I can’t find good research for what chaps to buy that will properly stop this saw, and save myself from major injury, only that electric saws and traditional chaps don’t mix.
Does anyone have a resource for either of those?
Bill
Joren, I have considered buying some chaps for use with my Dewalt Flexvolt chainsaw but have yet to do so. I was unaware of the potential problem of using traditional chainsaw chaps with electric (corded or battery) powered chainsaws. My first thought was that an electric motor can certainly be stalled just as any gas engine can. After a little research I did find the conflict you mentioned and it seems centered around two issues. One is the torque an electric motor is capable of and the other is, even if the electric motor is stalled by the fibers of the chaps it could restart if the operator does not release the trigger.
In looking at some of the chaps available on Amazon I found that several people asked this same question. On a particular pair of Husqvarna 587160704 Technical Apron Wrap Chaps, there was a response to this question from the manufacturer, Husqvarna, which reads: “These chaps will absolutely work with electric and battery-powered chainsaws (as well as gas-powered, of course)! Thank you so much for considering Husqvarna for your outdoor power equipment needs. Stay safe out there. By Kelly (Husqvarna Product Exper… MANUFACTURER on January 17, 2017”
However, I could not find such claims in print on Husqvarna’s website but I also couldn’t find any statements denying their use with electric chainsaws either. When I called Husqvarna’s tech support I was told by one of their people that “Yes, our chaps will work for electric chainsaws also.”
Over on Stihl’s website I found the following statement with regard to their chainsaw chaps: “WARNING FOR ELECTRIC CHAINSAW USERS! The fibers will not stop the sprocket on most electric chainsaws because of their constant high torque.”
But a call to Stihl’s tech support revealed that, “They might not always work but it’s better than nothing.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement but I imagine that chaps will get better for use with electric chainsaws as the market gets bigger.
Joren
Bill,
Yeah, Stihl’s answer was the one I’ve seen. I’m concerned that the industry is too young and it’s a hazard that’s not been studied enough.
“It’s better than nothing” is certainly not something I look for in safety gear recommendations.
Thanks for you digging!
Dave McCuskey
If you have to cut and split a cord of wood, this is not the tool. I bought this 20V version for my wife for use on 90 acres of wooded property in SW Colorado. She will be trimming and pruning for the rest of her life. I have only used it once and it cut a 3 inch limb just fine. I also thought that some of the knobs were a little flimsy and my wife is a little hard on her electric and gas tools, but there have been no issues yet. Buy a couple of extra chains or you will be sharpening every few days.