( 4 reviews )
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Posted: 07-14-2009
This is a terrific tool. I tried two Black and Decker cordless 8" chainsaws and sent both back because they leaked oil all over the chassis and battery. But I did use the first one for an hour and can compare these two brands. First the cons: The Earthwise is less powerful and lighter, so you have to use more of your own weight to operate it, and it takes a little longer to cut through larger wood (say 6"). Because of the power issue, it's less likely to give you a clean cut without applying some pressure to the cutting edge. The B&D manual is more informative; Earthwise needs to work on that. If you've never used a chainsaw, you will need some instruction other than the Earthwise manual. These are minor flaws for me, ones I can live with. We own 5 acres, and are trying to clean up a couple that are full of small, thorny scrub trees and bushes. I'm small, female, and 63 so the larger gasoline saws are no longer usable by me. But most of the wood that needs cutting is in the 3-4" range and this little saw handles it very well. It's light enough for me to be able to cut at all angles. Safety requires that you use two hands always on a chainsaw but in my view, you'd better be ABLE to manage with one hand just in case you get caught on something. This one's light enough that I feel safe using it, a huge issue for me. I will repeat one line from the Earthwise manual because it's so important: Familiarity with a tool should not lull you into a sense of security (I paraphrased there). Even with a saw this small, safety needs to be first on your mind. Black and Decker vs, Earthwise: Battery life is longer: The B&D ran out of juice after an hour; the Earthwise was still going strong at 1 1/2 hours. B&D is manual oil -- push a button to oil the chain before every cut. The oil reservoir was depleted in that time span. The Earthwise is automatic and oil use is much less. The power switch can be released after the trigger is pulled on the Earthwise. I'm not positive but I THINK you have to hold that button to keep the B&D saw running. I prefer the security of one finger on the trigger while the others hold the handle. However, the B&D chain stops on trigger release; the Earthwise coasts. B&D comes unassembled; Earthwise is ready to go; just add oil. Earthwise is a little cheaper; nothing wrong with that. I can't report on reliability or service life but I love this little guy and highly recommend it to anyone who's cutting jobs are small. Though the manual says you can cut up to 8", that's really pushing it. But for trimming up trees, taking out saplings, or dealing with deadwood, this is perfect. The only reason it got four stars instead of five is due to it's tendency to shred the cut unless you apply some effort -- again, not a big issue for me, but sloppy cuts aren't what you want in landscaping.
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Posted: 07-05-2009
My husband is 82 & slowing down a bit. He gave his big chain saw away a couple of years ago, because it was too big for him to operate anymore. He was so excited to get the 8" saw for Fathers Day. Haven't seen him that excited about a gift for a long time. Diana Reding Redmond, Oregon
