EGO Chainsaw preliminary review

[etpm]

First of all I have not used any other brand of electric chainsaw so I cannot compare to a Stihl or etc. I have 2 EGO weed wackers so I thought I would get their saw because it uses the same batteries. The saw itself is pretty nice and seems to have plenty of power. Changing the chain and tensioning the chain is very easy. No tools required. My saw came with the 5 amp hour battery and this makes the saw a little heavy. The only real problem is the chain that the saw comes with. It is an anti kickback chain and it is useless. It kept getting stuck in the cut on wood that was only 4 inches in diameter. With a 16 inch bar. But when I bought the saw I also bought a 3 pack of extra chains for 30 bucks. I put one of the aftermarket chains on and it cut easily twice as fast. So if you get one of these saws make sure to get better chains for it. Aside from the really crummy stock chain I really like the saw so far. I have made over twenty cuts with the saw and the battery still shows a full charge. I will report back later with more results.
Eric

 

[5030]

A loop is only as good as the person who sharpens it and all loops get progressively dull as you use them. I suggest you learn how to properly file a chain and cut the depth gages. Oregon has some excellent tutorials online.

 

[WranglerX]

A chain is a chain whether its on a electric or a gas saw, anti kickback (which is all I use) or not...... Quality of chain is everything, the way saw cuts is how sharp chain is..... MY STIHL chain maybe have 50 + hours on it and has been on the bench numerous times to be hand filed and made sharp.... IF your saw came with 3 extra chains that may mean your chains are probably crap.....BUT if you learn to sharpen a chain correctly no needs for all the extras..... But yes, I keep a spare sharp chain in my field box....

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OR there is a lot of Utube University videos on chainsaw sharpening....

 

[ArlyA]

I get spare chains off of Amazonie for much less than $10 each in a 6 pack. Had good luck doing that.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is this for pruning? Or are you cutting rounds for firewood?

I've used a corded electric chainsaw for stuff around the house and I liked how light and quiet it was, but didn't feel it was up to the job of cutting rounds for firewood.

 

[ArlyA]

We use our tiny makita 18v for firewood. (seen with twine!) I think his Ego is larger.

 

[IXLR8]

I have the EGO 16" electric saw. Original chain cut fine out of the box, I emptied 4 of the 5amp hr batteries before I felt the need to sharpen it. Keeping it SHARP makes a big difference in cutting and how long the batteries last. I have used it for cutting up an 80+' tall pine tree that was 16" at the base. I would not use it for a day of cutting up firewood, unless you have a bunch of the $$$$$ 5 or 7 Amphr batteries. The Stihl comes out for that. I use it a good deal for doing quick cleanups after a storm and I will usually use the smaller 2.5Amphr battery we have as it is lighter and easier to maneuver.

 

[etpm]

IF your saw came with 3 extra chains that may mean your chains are probably crap..

I didn't say the saw came with 3 extra chains, I said I bought 3 extra chains. They were not purchased from EGO. The anti kickback chain that came with the saw is similar to the anti kickback chain that came with my Stihl 14 inch saw. They are both crap. Even the Stihl dealer told me the chain was crap. They cut slowly.
Eric

 

[D&D]

First of all I have not used any other brand of electric chainsaw so I cannot compare to a Stihl or etc. I have 2 EGO weed wackers so I thought I would get their saw because it uses the same batteries. The saw itself is pretty nice and seems to have plenty of power. Changing the chain and tensioning the chain is very easy. No tools required. My saw came with the 5 amp hour battery and this makes the saw a little heavy. The only real problem is the chain that the saw comes with. It is an anti kickback chain and it is useless. It kept getting stuck in the cut on wood that was only 4 inches in diameter. With a 16 inch bar. But when I bought the saw I also bought a 3 pack of extra chains for 30 bucks. I put one of the aftermarket chains on and it cut easily twice as fast. So if you get one of these saws make sure to get better chains for it. Aside from the really crummy stock chain I really like the saw so far. I have made over twenty cuts with the saw and the battery still shows a full charge. I will report back later with more results.
Eric

Because of the battery/saw weight, I ordered the backpack link for my saw and like the way it works. So much so, I use it with my weed eater and blower.
I didn’t have any real issues with the factory chain but did buy some Oregon chains. I like to keep 4 or 5 chains per saw. Swap and go during the day and can sharpen on the bench later.

 

[ArlyA]

Me to. I have many chains for each saw.

 

[etpm]

An update on the saw. Though I like how quiet the saw is and not having to start it I am bugged by one thing: the chain moves slower than my gas chain saws. This slower moving chain catches on smaller diameter limbs much more than a faster moving chain would. So today when I was limbing some holly trees we cut down the chain liked to catch on the smaller diameter limbs where my Stihl gas saw would not have. Larger stuff it doesn't catch though. I don't know if other electric saws have slow moving chains. I am going to race my EGO saw against a friends Stihl electric saw and see how it compares. I will report on the results next week.
Eric

 

[IXLR8]

An update on the saw. Though I like how quiet the saw is and not having to start it I am bugged by one thing: the chain moves slower than my gas chain saws. This slower moving chain catches on smaller diameter limbs much more than a faster moving chain would. So today when I was limbing some holly trees we cut down the chain liked to catch on the smaller diameter limbs where my Stihl gas saw would not have. Larger stuff it doesn't catch though. I don't know if other electric saws have slow moving chains. I am going to race my EGO saw against a friends Stihl electric saw and see how it compares. I will report on the results next week.
Eric

I'll be curious as to how your test comes out. Project Farm on Utube did a test of battery powered chain saws and the EGO cut faster than the Stihl. The Stihl was lighter, had more metal parts/less plastic parts, and cost about twice as much.

 

[D&D]

An update on the saw. Though I like how quiet the saw is and not having to start it I am bugged by one thing: the chain moves slower than my gas chain saws. This slower moving chain catches on smaller diameter limbs much more than a faster moving chain would. So today when I was limbing some holly trees we cut down the chain liked to catch on the smaller diameter limbs where my Stihl gas saw would not have. Larger stuff it doesn't catch though. I don't know if other electric saws have slow moving chains. I am going to race my EGO saw against a friends Stihl electric saw and see how it compares. I will report on the results next week.
Eric

Do you have a tach to do a fair comparison or just a by feel comp? Are you going to run the same chain on both saws? Factory new or hand sharpened or ? If I read things right, Your 16” saw runs a .043 chain and my 18” uses .050. I haven’t experienced any grabbing on small limbs. Actually have used mine in weed eater mode on some fence lines. Maybe the narrower kerf contributes to the grabbing?

 

[IXLR8]

Do you have a tach to do a fair comparison or just a by feel comp? Are you going to run the same chain on both saws? Factory new or hand sharpened or ? If I read things right, Your 16” saw runs a .043 chain and my 18” uses .050. I haven’t experienced any grabbing on small limbs. Actually have used mine in weed eater mode on some fence lines. Maybe the narrower kerf contributes to the grabbing?

I have the 16" EGO as well, I do find the chain can 'grab' smaller branches. I get the chain moving good before I gently hit a small branch and that seems to mitigate the issue.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The two things I dont like about my 80V saw...

Weight, it is heavier than my 18" Echo

Run time to empty. About half the run time to empty, as my Echo. So, if we are cutting downed trees for any length of time, I use the gasser. I dont use my saws to trim trees, typically we are cutting 60' and taller trees into logs, which wears them out faster than simple limbing.

If I'm just processing some downed limbs, electric is fine, but still heavier than the gas alternative

 

[etpm]

More. I have the 5 amp hour battery on my saw. The battery charge state indicator is a bullseye rather than 5 separate LEDs like my other, older EGO batteries. Anyway, after probably 35 cuts on small stuff the indicator is still showing all green. I think the battery is going to last a long time.
Eric

 

[TreePointer]

Getting the bar "stuck in the cut" usually means one of two things. The kerf is closing on the bar, or you are using a narrow kerf (NK) chain on a standard kerf bar.

The former is avoided by learning to read wood tension/compression and using wedges (on larger logs).

The latter can be investigated by finding out what kerfs your bar and chain have by looking up their respective model numbers.

NK bar + NK chain = OK
NK bar + standard kerf chain = OK
Standard kerf bar + NK chain = BAD (stuck bar)

 

[5030]

A chain is a chain whether its on a electric or a gas saw, anti kickback (which is all I use) or not...... Quality of chain is everything, the way saw cuts is how sharp chain is..... MY STIHL chain maybe have 50 + hours on it and has been on the bench numerous times to be hand filed and made sharp.... IF your saw came with 3 extra chains that may mean your chains are probably crap.....BUT if you learn to sharpen a chain correctly no needs for all the extras..... But yes, I keep a spare sharp chain in my field box....

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OR there is a lot of Utube University videos on chainsaw sharpening....

Typically, YT vids on chain sharpening are replete with bad information. Better off watching the Oregon video's. They know what they are doing.

In my perspective, YT vids are mostly for entertainment purposes only.

 

[5030]

One thing about Li-Ion batteries is, they run unimpeded (at speed) until they run out of juice and then quite suddenly they die. Don't believe I've ever seen any electric saw where the chain speed over the bar is even close to a gas powered saw. I'll never have one, ever the prominent reason is because they are produced in China and if we don't start divorcing ourselves from Chinese manufactured stuff, at some point in the future, we will all be indentured to China and eating raw fish with chopsticks, something I prefer not doing. In fact, I make a conscious effort not to buy Chinese made goods.

 

[kenmbz]

One thing about Li-Ion batteries is, they run unimpeded (at speed) until they run out of juice and then quite suddenly they die. Don't believe I've ever seen any electric saw where the chain speed over the bar is even close to a gas powered saw. I'll never have one, ever the prominent reason is because they are produced in China and if we don't start divorcing ourselves from Chinese manufactured stuff, at some point in the future, we will all be indentured to China and eating raw fish with chopsticks, something I prefer not doing. In fact, I make a conscious effort not to buy Chinese made goods.

raw fish with chopsticks is Japan, not China
Communism and child labor, now we're talking China.