Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed

The Makita Cordless Electric Chainsaw

Battery powered Chainsaw -with optional telescopic handle

Updated 17th May 2013

I test 3 of the latest 18v cordless chainsaws.

The Makita UC120DWA-EX. cordless electric pruner was also known as the Dolmar AS1212LGE/2 cordless chain saw

The Makita UC120DWA-EX. was blue

The Dolmar AS1212LGE/2 was orange

Both were replaced by the Makita UC120DZ in 2005

Then in 2008 new 14.4v and 18v Li-ion models were introduced

The original model

The Makita UC120DWA-EX

12v batteries

NiCad or NiMh

Bar length - 11.5cm

Weight 2.2kg

max cutting width 4.5 inches

65 - 2 inch cuts per charge

In 2005 the original 12v Makita cordless chainsaw was renamed the UC120 DC.

This excellent gardening tool is made by the Makita corporation of Japan who are also the owners of Dolmar, a German garden machinery company.

Although this tool looks and does the work of a chainsaw it is classified as a cordless pruner so no employee chainsaw certificate is required.

I have used a Makita cordless chainsaw for 12 years and it is one of my favourite tools. I am frequently asked about this machine so I have made this webpage to provide as much detail as possible for owners and potential owners. Many of my readers have bought this tool and have reported back good results and no complaints so far.

Makita 192755-2 extension pole for The Makita 12v UC120DWA-EX.

Extends from 1.5 to 2.5 metres, switches and battery are in the lower handle for safety and ease of use.

No Longer available

Your Makita cordless chainsaw batteries can also be used in many more superb Makita products.
Drill drivers, Combi hammer drills, Impact drivers, Torches, Vacuum cleaner, Planers
Circular saws

This is the old version Makita Cordless chainsaw that runs off Nicad or Nimh batteries.
It is extremely reliable and light and safe enough to be used with one hand.
The saw is no longer available but spares and batteries are.
Cordless chainsaw and extension pole being used by professional landscapers for Oxfordshire health authority

The new model - Makita BUC122Z
18v cordless chainsaw with Lithium Ion battery!
Also available 14.4v model
with same size blade
Price approx £460 with 2 Li-ion batteries

and charger.

(18V model)

check price of Makita Cordless Chainsaws

The Makita battery & charger compared to Black & Decker (right)
The Makita charger is larger as it has a cooling fan and electronics for diagnosis.
The Makita battery is smaller but more than twice as powerful and charges fully in 22 minutes.
Li-ion batteries are great but are often let down or ruined by being overheated by cheap, under specified chargers.

There are also many Chinese made, knock off chargers that don't contain vital overload protection.

(Buy one now on ebay if you want to burn your house down)

This tool has been bought by roofers to use for cutting beams instead of a circular saw as it is safer and easier to use.
The Makita cordless chainsaw is usually sold as an accessory to the range without batteries and charger.
If you don't already have a Makita 18v powertool with batteries then there are 2 ways to buy the whole kit.
1 buy chainsaw naked and the drill below as it comes with battery and charger. (you could sell the drill if you don't need it)
2 buy the chainsaw naked and buy the battery and charger below separately.

Further Info on Makita and Black & Decker Cordless Chainsaws

check price of Makita Cordless Chainsaws

Also if you want one with batteries and a charger you may consider buying a Makita combi drill kit too.

That way you end up with a superb hammer drill for around only £30 extra

Click image below to see my new page on electric mowers

click here for my new page on cordless mowers

Gardena ACCU CST2018 Li 18v cordless chainsaw!

Launched in UK 2010

No longer available in the UK - 2012

This new18 v cordless chainsaw is made in Germany and has a 2.4amp hour lithium ion battery.

The Gardena model has some great features and is very well made. It is mid price compared to Black and Decker and Makita.

It has a longer cutting bar than the Makita cordless chainsaw and a much better battery than the Black & Decker offering.

sadly now only available in Germany

Gardena ACCU CST2018 Li 18v cordless chainsaw!

A cheaper alternative to the Makita Cordless Chainsaw

The black & Decker tool is designed for domestic use not professional so due the the Bizarre health and safety rules it can have a bigger blade

Black & Decker 18V Cordless Chainsaw (GK1817 model)

AND

Black &Decker 18v cordless chainsaw and pole saw tested

mail me for latest test results and comparison results between the Makita and B&D models

Black & Decker 18V Cordless Chainsaw

(GK1817 model)

This excellent new tool from Black and Decker is the latest tool to join their range of cordless garden tools.

The Nicad battery is no match for the 18v Makita cordless chainsaw but the saw performs the same tasks and costs about the price of one Makita battery. It also has a longer bar so when the battery is going well it can cut larger logs.

The saw requires some self assembly but nothing complicated. The 18v battery can also be used in drills and DIY tools as well as Black & Decker strimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers and pole pruners.

price guide £89- £99

The 18v battery is also used in many other Black & Decker garden power tools and will last 20-30 minutes which is enough to get a fair amount of work done.

Black &Decker 18v cordless chainsaw and pole

This tool uses the same battery as the chainsaw featured above.

The real clever bit for me is the handle which can extend the chainsaw to 2m and screws together easily with no wires involved.

As the pole for the Makita Cordless Chainsaw is expensive and hard to find I would like to recommend this new Black & Decker Cordless Polesaw as an alternative for those hard to reach areas.

Although this is a domestic quality machine it does the job very well and has a very similar 20cm cutting blade to the Makita tool. The main disadvantage for some people is that it cannot be used as a small hand chainsaw.

It cuts very well on branches over 1 inch but is no good on thinner stems. Also, as with any polesaw, the cut is a bit rough so take care on delicate trees.

The saw comes apart for easier storage and can be uses in 2 lengths as required. The 18v slide in, firestorm battery can be used in the hand held cordless chainsaw and a several other B&D tools.

If you already have some 18v Black & Decker tools in this range I have a spare one of these with no batteries or charger for sale - £30 !

collect from Oxford or Shoreham-by-sea

mail me for details

want a used one? without batteries, mail me for details

Cheapest and best Chainsaw Oil

You will be hard pressed to find a litre of chainsaw oil in the shops for under £10 so use the lnks above to get some for

around £8 including delivery. Or if you use your chainsaw a lot then the best way to buy your chainsaw is in the 5 litrre container which works out at

only £4-£5 a litre! use the link above to get this bargain and help this site too.

Mains Powered Electric Chainsaws

If you want to buy a corded electric chainsaw my recommendation is Bosch - They have a wide range, good performance and can be easily contacted for spares and repair. The range covers all requirements with no fancy gimmicks and all the features, including tool-less adjustment of the chain on the higher end models. Another good feature of the Bosch chainsaws is the longevity of the range which means that spares are also going to be around longer.

click here for prices and info for Bosch Electric chainsaws from a Fredshed recommended discount supplier

buy spare chains for Ryobi and B & Q branded chainsaws

Use above links to find replacement chains for all Bosch and Black & Decker Chainsaws

Best, close fitting , flexible chainsaw gloves with extra protection on left hand.

Click link below to see my new page on

Solar Garden Lights

SCARED OF USING A CHAINSAW? - TRY A RECIPROCATING SAW FOR SMALLER BRANCHES

Reciprocating saws with course cut green wood blades

With the right blade a cordless reciprocating saw can be great for pruning, especially in tight spaces! The blades are cheap to buy and easy to change so less hassle than a chain blade.

The Ryobi one+ battery can also power a telescopic pruner that uses the same universal blade fixing.

I have also found some excellent blades that are longer than the usual carpentry blades, cheap and have larger teeth spacing to cope with soft green wood. I use this tool all the time now and if I need to cut hard dead wood then I switch back to the shorter finer tooth carpentry blade.

A set of 10 mixed blades as shown opposite is costs only a fiver and they are surprisingly effective and durable for this price

A mixed set of 10 blades costs around £5.

Parts and spares for Old Makita tools and systems

The Makita Portable lead Battery tool system was years ahead of its time and too expensive for the UK market. The system was very good and included 4 tools,

UM103DST Battery powered grass shear

UM140DST battery powered Grass trimmer

UH 303DST battery powered hedge trimmer

601 DST battery powered drill driver

If you have any of these tools and would like spares or more tools please e-mail me, I may be able to help.

Available used - Makita 12v hedge-trimmer £40 inc postage, uses old lead acid batteries - mail me for details.

Also spare charger for the Makita 12v lead acid battery. £25 inc postage.

One of the advantages of Makita tools is the very long lifespan of every product range. Batteries and spares are available longer than any other make I know of.

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