How much trust do you put into product reviews and ratings?

[2manyrocks]

I've been shopping for a pole saw for months and just happened to find a special sales $269 price on a M18 polesaw over the weekend.

When I search for "top rated products," the M18 consistently appears near the top of the results even over the Dewalt 20v pole saw, but when I started reading reviews, it says 88% recommend the M18 in comparison to the Echo gas pole saw ppf-225 which is recommended by 94%. It seems odd to me that the M18 is at the top of the results for top rated products, yet the Echo has a higher percentage of customers who recommend the Echo.

So how much trust do you put into product reviews and ratings like these?

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 10 in. 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Electric Cordless Pole Saw with QUIK-LOK and 6.0 Ah High Output Battery 2825-20PS-48-11-1865 - The Home Depot

The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 10 in. Pole Saw w/QUIK-LOK meets the needs of landscape maintenance professionals, giving them the power to cut hardwood branches, reach full throttle in under 1 second, and delivers

www.homedepot.com

ECHO 10 in. 21.2 cc Gas 2-Stroke Cycle Pole Saw PPF-225 - The Home Depot

The ECHO PPF-225 pole chainsaw features a 21.2 cc professional-grade, 2-stroke engine. The 7.8 ft. fixed shaft found on this gas pole saw provides outstanding reach for pruning hard-to-get-at limbs. The

www.homedepot.com

 

[Eagle1]

Because ICE is bad.....and should not be recommended. I like 2 stroke engines, they tend to run for 20+ years for me and don't care if they freeze in the barn. Just have to deal with that BS ethanol in gas when you store it.

 

[IXLR8]

A lot of the reviews I find are just regurgitations of other reviews and in general I trust them less and less.
They can be a bit annoying, but I like the YouTube reviews by Project Farm.
My last few Milwaukie battery products have been a disappointment and I would go for the Echo.

 

[scootr]

I read reviews. If one person says the product is wrong I listen and try to determine by reading other reviews if that one person was a fluke or a indication of what I should expect.

 

[slckeys]

I'm not sure if I have same exact version... But this has been unstoppable for me. Starts every time no issue. Remington gas pole saw. I think I paid $130 years ago? Just another option if you were looking.

But as far as reviews go...I see a lot of the same regurgitation over and over as mentioned.

RM2599 - Remington Power Tools

The RM2599 Maverick™ gas pole saw is powered by a 25cc 2 cycle engine with QuickStart™ technology for smoother and […]

remingtonpowertools.com

 

[kenmbz]

I have the M18 pole saw.
It's ok for that price. The chain loosens up in long cuts.
It's a bit slow.
It does not oil all that well.

With 8AH battery it lasts a bit.
Good balance and can add a center section to extend it.
Uses a pretty easy to get oregon bar/chain

I put a lot of hours on mine and while I like it for the ability to start/stop quickly.
Not sure if I would buy it again, but I got it cheap with the weedwacker attachment.
I love the WW even though it goes through batteries somewhat fast, but I do 500-600 feet of cleanout on 2-3 batteries.

 

[2manyrocks]

I have the M18 pole saw.
It's ok for that price. The chain loosens up in long cuts.
It's a bit slow.
It does not oil all that well.

With 8AH battery it lasts a bit.
Good balance and can add a center section to extend it.
Uses a pretty easy to get oregon bar/chain

I put a lot of hours on mine and while I like it for the ability to start/stop quickly.
Not sure if I would buy it again, but I got it cheap with the weedwacker attachment.
I love the WW even though it goes through batteries somewhat fast, but I do 500-600 feet of cleanout on 2-3 batteries.

When the M18 arrived today, it struck me as heavy compared to the gas saw I am using now. I was leaning towards returning the M18 and now I'm for sure returning it.

Thanks very, very much.

 

[MossRoad]

How much trust do you put into product reviews and ratings?​

If I read reviews and everyone says it's the best thing since sliced bread, I try and get my hands on whatever it is to test it first.

If I see a bunch of bad reviews, I usually look for a different product.

Now movie reviews, I never trust.

 

[Cycledude]

its a good idea to read reviews but also don’t believe everything you read, many reviews aren’t even about the correct product .
I have a Stihl gas operated Combi tool, has weed wacker, brush cutter, pole saw, gravel sweeper heads and a few other optional heads that I don’t own. I like it a lot but if I was buying a new pole saw I would probably choose a battery operated one. Milwaukee and Dewalt both make excellent tools.

 

[Oaktree]

​

If I read reviews and everyone says it's the best thing since sliced bread, I try and get my hands on whatever it is to test it first.

If I see a bunch of bad reviews, I usually look for a different product.

I take most reviews with a grain of salt. "Best thing since sliced bread" reviews tend to set off my BS alarm, to me it sounds like someone's being paid to submit rave reviews. Not to say it's a bad product, but I'd tend not to take those at face value. Not always easy to tell who you can trust, and reading between the lines is a must.

I like 2 stroke engines, they tend to run for 20+ years for me and don't care if they freeze in the barn. Just have to deal with that BS ethanol in gas when you store it.

Meh. 2 strokes have their place, but I've had mixed experience with them. Chainsaws...almost always good, likewise snowmobiles. Other stuff, not so much. They can be very finicky on fuel, and hard to start if everything isn't just right.