( 13 reviews )
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Posted: 08-13-2009
This is a very fast saw. I got the idea to purchase it from a Tiki Magazine article in which a featured carver used this saw. Makita tech support was helpful when I needed to swap out the chain sprocket for a different size. The saw cuts smooth and as mentioned the chain moves at quite a clip. Things I don't like: 1) A lack of documentation. I had to call tech support to get instructions on changing the sprocket. They should at least have some detailed instructions online. 2) The saw comes with an anti-kickback device which is a chain shield rivoted to the end of the chain bar that covers the end. With this on the bar you can't get the tip of the saw into the wood. Great for cutting logs... rotten for carving. Most of the photos of this saw do not show this "feature." I replaced the bar with a carving bar from Bailey's. This meant I had to change the chain and the sprocket. The saw is a good performer and has great word of mouth but don't expect to use it for carving straight out of the box.
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Posted: 07-19-2009
After owning our home for twenty years, our once-tiny trees and shrubs kinda got out of hand. I've used some great pruners and pruning saws through the years, but the size of a many of our trees and shrubs got to the point that doing all cutting by hand became a miserable chore. So, I shopped for a chain saw. Considering my experiences and struggles with small gas engines, I decided to go electric, especially since a 100' extension cord can reach every nook and cranny of our lot. I've been fine with an electric string trimmer and an electric hedge trimmer, though the problem of dragging a cord around is a pain. I bought this Makita to reduce a weeping cherry tree that had quit weeping and gone vertical, and I was astounded at how quickly the saw cut branches. Within 15 minutes the surrounding yard was a mass of fallen limbs. I was further astounded by how quickly I could cut the limbs into firewood lengths while they lay on the grass. It took less than two hours to go from a 20' tree to a stack of firewood and a pile of small branches for mulching. Two things I learned: 1) the cord remains a pain. Before I knew it, my cord was buried under fallen limbs, and it kept getting in the way as I worked. That's the trade off with a cord, but I prefer that to a tiny gas engine which can be hard to start and care for, and 2) the chain needs frequent oil applications, and I learned to press the plunger a few times whenever I'd made a few cuts and was ready to set the saw down. Other than that, this saw is a screaming little monster of a saw, with power to slice thick limbs (and arms) in a flash. WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION! In my advancing years I've learned that good ear protection makes a noisy job more pleasant while protecting my hearing. I've been using a Peltor H10A for years, even for lawn mowing. The muffs are adjustable and comfortable. I'm sure there are many other good ones out there. And your eyes - you have to have something to protect them. Several times over the years a piece of this or that has pinged off my lenses while I've worked, and I've been glad my eyes weren't the first contact.
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Posted: 02-04-2009
I use to have a gas powered chain saw. But the infrequent activity means that priming and gas fouling in the plug make it a real hassle, especially when I just need to cut a handful of branches. The time it took to start the gas chain saw is 5 times the time it took to cut the wood. So I got this Makita electric saw. For the occasional branch cutting, this saw is great. There is enough torque and the high RPM makes cutting wood up to 8" pretty easy. This is so much lower maintenance than the gas chain saw.
