I was a bit skeptical regarding battery operated chainsaws - honestly I thought this would be under-powered having a previous crappy experience with Dewalt's 18v 6.25in circular saw. I decided on this unit after being very pleasantly surprised by the line trimmer and being quite happy with Dewalt's 20v line of tools. I purchased this saw after reading reviews and deciding to further my commitment to Dewalt (for context, I have about a dozen 18v tools that I began purchasing since they're inception - was a GC back in the late 90's and went with Dewalt so the batteries were interchangeable with the various contractors at job sites).
Regarding Dewalt's 20v line, it's a marked improvement over their 18v tools - the batteries just last longer, are in general less bulky (they run from 1ah to 10 or 15ah depending on the battery type) as you can use a battery appropriate for a job (for light work use the smaller batteries, for heavier the larger). I've only had a problem with one battery that won't charge properly that I wished I had sent back (it was pat of DCA2203C- two 20ah batteries, a charger and adapter). Unfortunately I've misplaced the battery so no recourse (buried somewhere in my basement. As an aside, if you buy a battery adapter you can use the new batteries on older equipment - makes them last a bit longer - I've slowly been swapping out as the older equipment dies (all the old batteries are completely dead and it's not worthwhile to have them rebuilt).
About the line-trimmer - my property is a 1/2 acre wooded lot with about 40 large hardwood trees and only a couple of strips of grass along the edges and the back "yard" - I tried various line trimmers and the mix-fuel versions are frankly just not worth the trouble - the corded trimmers too much of a pain. The Dewalt DCST925B works quite well for my needs - a single battery is more than enough for most trimming with a second needed if I'm also edging (I've got about 120 feet of sidewalk on one side of the corner lot. In any case this led to me thinking about replacing my chainsaw - it was an 18" Stihl Farm Boss that frankly was overkill for the number of times I needed it. I ended up getting the bar jammed up in a log and decided that I had enough. 95% of the time a 12 inch bar was plenty - I had also read some reviews about upgrading the bar to a 16" using aftermarket parts so there are options if I need bigger capacity.
The DCCS620 is fairly lightweight and super simple to use - it also cuts out when the trigger is released so much safer than gas powered. It's light enough that it can be used one-handed (if you have the grip strength) but I wouldn't recommend it as it's safer and easier to control with two. There's also a chain break across the top to cover accidents on the plunge. The only negative, which I was aware of going in, is that it leaks bar chain oil a bit - not enough to drain the reservoir but enough to be annoying - I put the whole thing in a plastic shopping bag when not in use. I mostly use it to cut fallen limbs - these mostly don't exceed 12" in diameter but on the occasion I've had to reposition the saw to get through them. When making a lot of cuts I've had to change out the battery, but really it's what I expected for this type of saw. In all, a great battery powered chainsaw.
Brand | DEWALT |
---|---|
Power Source | Battery Powered |
Horsepower | 550 Watts |
Item Weight | 7 Pounds |
Product Dimensions | 18"L x 9"W x 8"H |
Chain Length | 12 Inches |
Manufacturer | United States |
UPC | 700735727363 |
Part Number | DCCS620B |
Item Weight | 7 pounds |
Item model number | DCCS620B |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Size | 12 Inch |
Color | Yellow/Black |
Item Package Quantity | 1 |
Number Of Pieces | 1 |
Batteries Included? | No |
Batteries Required? | No |