DeWalt 20V Saw

[shooterdon]

Been looking for a small saw for light work. I have some DeWalt tools now so staying with the same battery system would be a plus.

I see some poor reviews on this saw. Oil leaking and saw "stops working".

Has anyone here tried them and willing to share their experience?

I have a decent Shindaiwa 488 but would like to get something smaller for occasional use that does not need fuel. I have a HF Lynxx and have been happy with it, but it is impossible to get spare batteries for it.

 

[MoKelly]

I have one.

Bar oil does leak when stored. Not terrible but it does leak.

I’ve had the saw for about 5 years and use it about 2x week for an hour or so each time. It still works and works as it’s supposed to work.

I’ve always been able to do what I need with one battery charge.

Very good for smaller branches. It is light and easy to work. You can even operate with one hand if needed at times.

 

[CH4Ohio]

You're talking about a chainsaw?

 

[shooterdon]

You're talking about a chainsaw?

Affirmative

 

[kennyd]

I also have the smaller 12" one, mine too leaks a bit on the shelf-I've heard they all do. With the larger batteries and a sharp chain, they are very capable cutting machines.

 

[newbury]

I've the 12" (and several thousand invested in the rest of the DeWalt lineup). I tend to use it as my"carry saw", in my Ford Escape and Ford f350. More than once I've had to saw through a 6" to 8" tree/limb that blocked the road and with a sharp chain it's got through everything.
I also like it for trimming in tree work, use it like a top-handle. Well worth the $99 I paid back in 2020.
Try and make sure I drain oil after each use.
I've also have/had :
Harbor Freight 14" 40v - Discontinued, cut like a beast but a little heavy for carrying in the tree
Black & Decker 40V - good saw, gave it to my daughter

 

[shooterdon]

Well the little saw died on me this past fall. Left it out in the rain and would not start.

Tried drying it out and still would not start.

It was a handy saw for my needs buy thinking about replacing it with something better. I hate going back to gas but looking at the $100 cheap saws on another thread.

I really don't want to get into a "good" battery saw and wind up with a new set of batteries to deal with. It was nice being able to use the same batteries my other Dewalt tools used. By the time a get a "good" electric saw and a spare battery I am looking at about $400.

Any thoughts?

 

[anomad]

My sister has the little 20v DeWalt and I use it regularly. It can dribble bar oil just like any saw I've ever seen. Just lay it on its side.

We had a standing dead red oak fall across the road a few weeks ago. It nibbled its way right through that tough wood.

 

[Hay Dude]

Mine was a 16” or 18” Dewalt Max 20V. It leaked so bad, I got rid of it.

 

[walhondingMF]

I went through this same thought process 2 years ago. I have dewalt tools and thought to jsut get the dewalt chainsaw. I didn't really care about leaking bar oil because I have gas saws that do it also.
I stopped in and talked to the guy at our local battery repair shop. Some of this converstation I have put in other threads. He told me that a chainsaw or weedeater are hard on batteries because of their power demands and this would shorten the life of my dewalt batteries. The batteries for chainsaws, weedeaters, etc are designed for battery tools of that type. He convinced me to go with a different battery line for "lawn tools." I just looked for a deal on a combo pack (got echo string timmer, leaf blower, and an extra 2.5 amp battery for around $260). Last year then I purchased the chainsaw to go with on ebay. Brand new at a greatly reduced price. Other then me user error and me figuring out an issue with the cold temps, I have been very satisfied with all of it. Might cost more then you want up front, but may save you more in the long run if you shop around a bit.