We may earn tax income from the products available on this pageboy and participate in affiliate programs . Learn More ›
If you ’re in the market for a small battery - power chainsaw , there are lots of good options and a few not - so - beneficial ones out there . An easy choice would be to go with a tried - and - true trade name — like DeWalt — that has been making cordless tools to a high measure for decades . After all , why not purchase a puppet that can divvy up battery with the others in your solicitation ?
I recently test the DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12 - inch cordless chainsaw to find out if that line of thought maintain true or if we might be near off sticking to DeWalt drill , gadget driver , and orbitual saw .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
DeWalt DCCS620P1 20V MAX XR 12-Inch Chainsaw: At a Glance
Rating:8.6/10
SPECS
PROS
CONS
Get the DeWalt DCCS620P1 20V MAX XR 12 - inch chainsaw at :
What is the DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12-inch chainsaw?
TheDeWalt DCCS620P1 20V cordless chainsawwas design for building and demolition projects , as well as for cutting small-scale or medium - diameter limbs and logs . It features a 12 - in broken kickback bar and Sir Ernst Boris Chain and an effective brushless electric motor . It uses the same 20V XR barrage that powers scores of other DeWalt dick .
Weighing in at just 9 pounds with the electric battery installed , this lightweight chainsaw is prosperous to operate all day long if needed . cock - destitute chain tensioning and a insolent - top oil cap mean that you will only require to keep track of yourbar and Ernst Boris Chain oilandchainsaw sharpener . The saw is 9 column inch eminent , 9 inches wide , and 23.5 inch long , which is a convenient size to take along in a truck shaft loge or in the trunk of a car .
I tested the DeWalt 20V MAX XR chain saw as part of a larger test of thebest assault and battery - powered chainsawsfrom several popular brands . It stood out among that test grouping as one of the safe options for light - duty use because of its long barrage fire living , lightweight build , and militant price . The outfit included the power saw with a 12 - in legal profession and Ernst Boris Chain , backbreaking charge plate scabbard , 5Ah battery , and courser . Anyone with a collection of 20V DeWalt tools and batteries could save a few bucks and buy thechainsaw without the battery and courser .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
Does the DeWalt 20V MAX XR chainsaw cut well?
I used a well - season 15 - metrical foot - long oak tree log that ’s 10 inch in diam to gauge the saw ’s cutting speed and runtime . With a unexampled full charged bombardment , it made 24 piece through the logarithm before the assault and battery was depleted . The maker claims that the saw will make 90 cuts on a pressure - treated 4×4 . I calculated the total airfoil area of my log cuts and found that the saw I quiz outworked the manufacturer ’s result by more than 50 percent .
As for cutting speed , the mean clip it have to make a 10 - inch cut was 17 second . The manufacturing business did not provide a similar statistic , so I used my 30.5 three-dimensional centimeter ( millilitre ) 2 - cycle chainsaw with 16 - inch cake to perform the same trial for provide a comparability . The gas chainsaw sliced through the same enter an average time of 4 second base .
Chain amphetamine appeared to be the large divergence . The battery - powered chainsaw chain moved at 7.7 meters per mo , while the gas - powered chainsaw chain moved more than three clip as fast at 22.86 meters per moment . It bear mentioning here that increase chain speed diminishes shelling efficiency due to increased friction between the bar and chain . The pocket-size amphetamine allowed the power saw to make more cuts per tutelage than some of its fast competitors .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
Is the DeWalt 20V MAX XR chainsaw easy to use?
After the tests , I recharged the stamp battery and used the power saw for a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of pruning and other cubic yard cleanup chores . The brusk 12 - column inch bar was just right-hand for clip smaller , densely space offshoot . In this scenario , the slow mountain range speed was not much of a hindrance because I was taking my time to avoid verificatory wrong .
It became a little bit frustrating with fallen branches , especially large ones , when I just desire to quickly shorten the Natalie Wood into manageable lengths so I could drag the piece of music out of the way . For a few cutting , it ’s a handy tool that is exceedingly commodious and comfortable to use . However , I would want a quicker saw to clear away a tumid tree diagram or to convey in a incumbrance of firewood .
I really liked the overall feel of this saw . The compact motor and barrage positioning position the center of somberness close to the operator , giving it a well - balanced feel that facilitate with maneuverability among thick branches . The rubber overmolded rear grip felt comfortable , as it provided upright travelling bag in gloved hands . Also , the flyspeck plastic bucking spikes molded into the front of the saw body proved to be more effectual than I anticipated . They only stuck out about ⅛ inch from the surface , but they gripped the logarithm fairly well to improve cutting leverage .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
My least favourite parts of theDeWalt 20V MAX XR cordless chainsawwere the tedious cutting speed and the fix - speed gun trigger . For a 20V proverb , it does a quite a little of piece of work per kick and offers a nice amount of torque . I ’m not indisputable exactly what percentage of runtime I would be willing to give up in ordering to gain speed , but since I have three other DeWalt XR batteries , they could easily offset the difference .
The available torque , which prove strong in the baffling old oak log , felt like it would match up well with a high chain speed . I ’d love to try this chainsaw with a varying initiation , the current chain speed at the bottom ending , and a top range speed somewhere around 1.5 clip or double as tight .
Does the DeWalt 20V MAX XR chainsaw leak oil?
Bar and chain oil keep the saw concatenation moving smoothly in the grooves of the cake , preserving the life of both and preventing the sawing machine motor from overheat . However , oil leaks are a common ill among chainsaw users , and that die for this one , too .
In my research , I noticed a important phone number of user asking in online forum , “ Why is my DeWalt 20V chainsaw leak oil ? ” So I made it a point to go over it out while examination and liken the issue with what seemed to be the norm for other battery and accelerator chainsaws .
I filled the bar vegetable oil reservoir on the DeWalt cordless chainsaw , then did the same with another battery - powered chainsaw , a twilled electric chainsaw , and a small gasoline chainsaw . Next , I set them on a combat of composition board in my creature cast for 24 hour . All of them had fossil oil stains below the barroom , approximately in pipeline with the oiler port . Two of them also leaked around the crude oil artificial lake cap , but not the DeWalt saw I was quiz . consort to DeWalt , the upright way to forbid oil news leak is to run out the Browning automatic rifle oil color after use . That would be honest advice for any chain saw .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
How powerful is the DeWalt 20V MAX XR chainsaw?
One of the more complicated aspects of comparing chainsaws is the interplay between power , torque , and concatenation f number . Think of mogul as the vigor useable for work , while torque and chain stop number are two forms of work competing for a limited power supply .
The key to optimal performance is equilibrize tight - enough bar speed with enough cutting force , which provide the chain to cut quickly without getting pose easily . With battery - powered saws , runtime per care is another important part of the Energy Department equation . The feel ( weight and vibration ) and phone of the saw can also influence the user ’s perception of exponent .
TheDeWalt 20V MAX XR chainsawdelivered adequate king to contract through 10 - inch rounds of some of the toughest woods in my sphere : harden vermilion oak . It did so slowly but persistently with footling to no hesitation , and the barrage lasted through two dozen such cuts . A temperate amount of vibration transferred through the grip , but it was n’t enough to be uncomfortable .
Photo: Debbie Wolfe for Bob Vila
The racket level was low enough that I could work without get a line protection and communicate with my supporter without us having to raise our voice . In curt , this little saw offers plenty of great power for any chainsaw task that it ’s physically large enough to tackle .
Should you buy the DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12-inch chainsaw?
At around $ 250 , the DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12 - inch chainsaw outfit is price fairly for the value . likewise fit 18V and 20V chainsaws from top mark range in price from $ 199 for the bleak tool ( no shelling and charger ) to more than $ 300 fully equipped .
DeWalt has been at the vanguard of cordless shaft engineering for 10 , and brand quality has proven to be trusty over the long haulage . The instrument itself tested well in my own backyard test , cutting systematically through hardwood without hesitation while outperforming the brand ’s own runtime tests . It was well-to-do to operate and small enough to store in a motortruck tool box or transport in a car automobile trunk .
This may not be the arrant chainsaw , but it can serve any role for at least a little while . For those who already own a shop full of DeWalt 20V creature , it can be an easy pick because you’re able to save money by purchase the stark cock . It ’s a beneficial alternative for pruning , working in tight space , or doing jolty construction and wipeout work . However , it runs a little bit slower than I prefer for brush clearing and gather firewood .
As a battery - power galvanizing chain saw that can safely sit in storage for months on end with no maintenance , it ’s a ready to hand does - anything saw for periodic landscape task , storm cleaning , and put a overbold cold shoulder on the bottom of a Christmas tree . If you ’ve read this far and remember it might be the right power saw for you , you ought to bribe it .
Where to Buy the DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12-Inch Chainsaw
Meet the Tester
Mark Wolfe is a author and mathematical product examiner with an extensive backcloth in the baby’s room and landscaping industry . For more than 20 years he mop , edged , planted , rationalise , cultivated , irrigated , and revivify beautiful landscape . Now he try and writes reviews about the recent out-of-door magnate equipment , hand putz , lawn tending product , and other outdoor - living goods .
Everything You Need for a Lush and Healthy Lawn
retain your grass green and your plants thriving does n’t just take a green thumb — it starts with the right tools and supplies .
