Amazon.com: Customer reviews: DEWALT 40V MAX* XR Chainsaw, 4-Ah Battery, 16-Inch (DCCS690M1)

Top positive review

I LOVE THIS SAW

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2016

I purchased this saw about two months ago and waited till I had the chance to use it for a while. I don't do a lot of work with a Chainsaw but we needed to cut down several trees that had died in the drought. (Beatles) We have Oak, Cedars and Pine trees on our lot and the pines have been hit hard by the drought. Well I cut down 7 trees in the yard and bucked them up with this saw. I love it! It is not a saw for the professional tree service because the small battery that came with this one only runs about 45 minutes of heavy cutting. I cut down one tree that was about 14" Dia. at Brest height and 75 Ft. tall. The others were smaller than that but several were over 60 ft. tall. All were pine trees. I limbed and bucked them up over several days and the saw worked fine. It takes about 1-1/2 hrs to recharge the battery so old guys like me get a break about every hour of sawing. I would recommend that you get three batteries so two can be charging while the one is in use. That will keep you going pretty much consistently.

I have seen complaints about the use of bar oil with this saw but I found that the reservoir is sized just right to lub the saw through a complete battery charge and a quart of bar oil lasts just about as long as it did with my old McCulloch saws from years ago. The bar has not needed to be adjusted yet to keep the chain taught so I do not understand the complaints of that nature. The chain is not the same width as the standard gas powered saw and I thought it might not cut as well but that concern has been put to bed and since I have been careful not to cut into the dirt or rocks; I have not needed to sharpen it yet. I did have one instance where I cut the stump of a tree that the saw did not reach through. 16" saw bar vc. 18"+ stump and it took nearly a full charge to make one cut. I did work the saw very hard during this cut. Full bar cutting for about 15 min. The battery indicator went from full charge to about 1/4 charge.

Things I love about this saw. 1. You don't have to worry about getting it started. 2. My previous saw took about 20 pulls on the starter rope to get it going. All I have to do is Squeeze the trigger on this one. 3. I don't have to mix the fuel. 4. I don't have a mess of spilled fuel every time I get it out to do some cutting. 5. I don't have to have fuel stored in my garage any more. 6. When I am done cutting, all I have to do is wipe it down and put it away; I don't have to go through the effort of draining the fuel and making sure the tank and carb is empty.. 7. I can put this saw away hot and not worry about starting a fire with a hot exhaust. 8. It does not pollute the air while running and the battery stays up while a gas unit would be using fuel. 9. It stores neatly for an indefinite amount of time between uses; I may not need it for the next two years but I know it is ready to go at a moment's notice.

It is a great saw for the home user!

7 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Joe_28732

Good for small jobs. Could be built a bit more durable.

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016

Cuts fine with good power over a longer than expected time. I was disappointed in that the lock and unlock for the chain access cover was a plastic rotating lock. It also has a plastic chain tightening knob. Seems cheap and unreliable for a chainsaw. The power with the 6V battery seems adequate and I have taken down a few trees and done some trim work with it. The chain has also jumped off the bar a few times. The chain is more likely to jump off when trimming small limbs and making contact with them at an angle instead of straight on. No case available for the saw, so the oil weeps out a little when stored.
The main reason I bought this was to allow me a quick and convenient saw for small to medium jobs as needed. I don't like the mess of the gas saws and no one likes those times when you need a saw to work "now" and you cannot get it to start. At those times I feel like using the gas saw as an AXE out of frustration. So, this saw does the job well, not too heavy, good power for a long time. Perfect for small jobs.

5 people found this helpful

391 total ratings, 297 with reviews

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From the United States

Eugene Shaffer

I LOVE THIS SAW

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

7 people found this helpful

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J Money

Love it!

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2016

Verified Purchase

Bought this a few weeks ago and have since cut down 6 overgrown lilac trees and 5 15'-ish pines on my new property. Worked great - cut through them all like butter. I bought this because of my good experiences with other Dewalt 40V items - the blower and trimmer - all work great and now I have 3 batteries to work with. I'm a huge fan of this product line. No gas/mixing/start issues. Just keep the batteries charged and go. If you have big trees to cut down, it may not be the right product for you, but for most homeowners I suspect this will work great.

The only negative I can think of - it seems to use a lot of bar oil. Just need to keep an eye on the level if you're doing a lot of work. But it's easy to add; it's also easy to tighten the chain; also easy to pull off the needed pieces to clean it.

It's a well engineered product.

20 people found this helpful

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Ant

Couldn't be happier

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

It's still a bit early, but I've used it for a solid 4 hours of chopping up downed trees and branches, as well as taking down two trees with approx. 12" diameter trunks. I adjusted the chain maybe twice as it heated up, but it never jumped the bar. The cuts were quick and efficient, control is great, and it's so nice that it's not running the entire time. I also like the fact that I can better hear a crack or a pop because it's so quiet. It comes with a bar guard/sleeve that is not shown in the ad, so that's an added plus. As a weekend warrior/handy/homeowner, this is more than enough for my needs and it eliminates a lot of maintenance and hassle. No more winterizing almost everytime I use it, no more mixing gas and oil, no more noise or fumes, and I KNOW I won't have issues starting it hot or cold. Nothing is worse than needing to finish a cut and your saw won't start. Much safer and overall an excellent product. I will be replacing any other gas yard items as they fail with the 40V line up from DeWalt.

6 people found this helpful

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chad underdonk

Needs multiple batteries

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Thank god I got the six amp hour battery. If I had gotten a 3ah or 4ah I would be majorly disappointed.

I'm cleaning up after having a logger on my 16 acres. So far I've used it twice since getting it Monday. Both times cutting full size logs.

The first day I got through about 4-6 full size cuts before it started binding up on me (on logs big enough I had to cut them from both sides, probably just under 20", but several sections were actually hollowed out). I thought it was out of Bar oil, so I parked it for the day. Turns out it was already low on battery, and I spent an additional evening charging it...which was my fault for not checking in the first place.

The second day I finished cutting 3 cuts on a log about 14" in diameter, and about 5 cuts on a log about 18-20" in diameter, and started 2 more cuts before it started bogging down again (the sign that its running low on battery).

This is definitely not an all day, or even several hour battery. I am cutting large pieces, but I'd estimate it is lasting less than an hour. The charge time is only about an hour, so I could probably cut an hour, and clean up and charge for an hour, cut for an hour. Or, more likely with the amount of work I need to do I will probably need to purchase another battery to be charging while I am working.

So far it has cut very well, and I am still happy not to deal with gas, mixing fuel, the additional noise, and fighting to start it. I just wish that the battery lasted anywhere close to what six amp hours would suggest, or what reviewers seemed to suggest it would. But, to be fair...the manual does say not to cut greater than 14" material...so it very well may be pulling more battery power because it is cutting full size material.

I'd rate it very highly on ease of use and decibels. But, within the constraints I am using it, somewhat mediocre on duration of charge (at least compared to my expectation after seeing reviews). Considering it is battery powered, I have to still give it props considering how far that technology has come in the last few years.

3 people found this helpful

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R. Payne

this product is an amazing tool. Tired of tuning and mixing gas and ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

As a former guy that cut firewood for a living, this product is an amazing tool. Tired of tuning and mixing gas and oil, I decided to give technology a try, and I am impressed. To push a button to start, that is a game changer. The point of actually cutting wood is what makes this chainsaw such an essential part of my outdoor projects. It is flawless. Straight and clean cuts. Plenty of power. Quick chain slack adjustment. A window to gauge chain oil. Battery indicator. This saw will completely change your old thinking about clean power. Wow!

2 people found this helpful

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Joe_28732

Good for small jobs. Could be built a bit more durable.

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

5 people found this helpful

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Ignernt Idjut

Solid tool. Some minor complaints tho...

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is an edit and update after 4 solid years of use.
I've run thru about 4 cords of wood with this saw every winter for the last 3, this winter 2+. Going on 15 cords total rapidly. I have 3 batteries and 1 charger for this saw and all have been quality DeWalt products. Use is consistent at 3 batteries per cord of pine, spruce, fir etc. I get slab extras from the local mill, stack it up tight and bury the entire bar to cut 16 inch ends from the pile. Kinda brutal on a saw but it's never argued.
A few minor complaints...
The bar clamp system will loosen up with use, you can watch it loosen up and with the ratchet that prevents overtightening, it cannot be tightened enough to stay put. So every few minutes, you'd better be retightening the bar, otherwise, the bar will slip loose, it'll throw the chain and make a mess. Hint hint DeWalt.
The other complaint is the tiny, undersized screw system to pull the bar and tighten the chain. Not impressed. Already replaced that mechanism once. DW customer service wasn't the best, far from worst tho too.
The oiler works intermittently, but it's kept the original bar still useable.
As a trained small engine mechanic of many years, I'll never go back to gasoline powered saws. Those toxic, noisy, smoky, finicky, vibrating machines are now obsolete in my opinion. This saw is still better in almost every way than it's equivalent size gas powered saw. In maintenance alone, this saw will pay for itself in the first few years.

41 people found this helpful

Helpful

Glorifundel

so this seemed to be a great fit for my needs (10 trees to come down ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

Purchased this chainsaw as an absolute beginner to tree work. Whenever I possibly can I try to avoid gas powered tools, so this seemed to be a great fit for my needs (10 trees to come down in my yard, most within 17 -21 diameter at breast height (DBH) so having a longer bar than most of other the electric chainsaws was a huge plus. Now being two trees into my process I can say I have been nothing but pleased with this tool. its operation is simple and easy, it makes much less noise than I had expected. It was able to perform well with a 70 degree face cut, bore cut, back cut operation. Particularly I was worried about the bore cut as a beginner, and specifically if this saw would be able to do it (compared against some of the professional videos of bore cuts). It didn't go in quite as quickly and easily as the videos of the gas powered saws, but that could just as easily be due to my lack of experience. Either way I was able to acheive a bore cut on a 21 dbh tree, and place it exactly where I intended, so I'll call that a win. A few notes:

1. Like any electric powered system, placing it under more resistance will cause the battery to drain faster. I bought an extra battery for a total of 2 40v packs. I'm glad I did, because the bore cut process really drains the battery fast. non bore cuts seem to last significantly longer

2. The tool-less locking system is simple and easy to use, however it does often require re-tightening. Again, particularly with the bore cut I found it caused the bar to become slightly loose. This could again be due to the inexperienced user factor.

5 people found this helpful

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Dave B.

Love this saw!

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought this saw a year ago, but just used it for the first time today.
First off, let me say this upfront...I *love* this chainsaw, and highly recommend it. When I purchase a tool, I admit I am a bit snob about it...I probably look for performance and quality that I am never going to take advantage of anyhow. I just don't like feeling like I didn't get the best tool for the money. I have a gas Husqvarna as well, so when I purchased this, I was bit apprehensive about whether this was going to perform for my needs. For what I was looking for, I adore it. I wanted something I could grab quick, buzz up a tree that fell or do spring cleanup with. I got tired of the ordeal of gassing up my Husqvarna, performing rituals to get it started with the pull starter, etc. This thing is amazingly convenient in so many regards.

The power is plenty fine enough to cut up trees appropriate for the bar length. I don't notice any difference from my gas chain saw.

Operation is virtually tool free. There are twist knobs to loosen the cover, and tighten the bar. Same for the bar oil. I love that I don't need a separate tool.

Battery life is reasonable...I had the 6Ah and 4Ah batteries. Between the two of them, got about 3 hours of cutting (about 70% of the time I was actively cutting, 30% moving brush out of the way). One of the trees I cut up was a large tree that had split. The trunk of that tree easily was about 16". It handled it just fine.

It does seem to use a lot of bar oil...I went through about 3/4 of a quart.

The only concern I had was the chain came off twice, not catastrophically. I am chalking that up to me not getting the tightening dialed in just right just yet. Honestly, not like it hasn't happened on a gas chain saw too. But it is worth noting.

Overall, I absolutely love the experience of using it. If you have a whole day's worth of cutting to do on a regular basis, this might not be for use purely from a battery life perspective. My sense is it is perfect for the homeowner doing spring and fall cleanup, and the occasional post-storm cleanup. Again, it handles size up to what is reasonable for its bar size as well as any chainsaw I have used. For me, not worrying about gassing it up, or whether it is going to start after sitting all winter, and not having to pull a cord...it is well worth it!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

T. Taylor

Impressed overall but bar and chain a little flimsy

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

Short story:
- Single charge does a respectable amount of sawing.
- Overall build quality is good.
- Narrow kerf bar and chain are somewhat flimsy.
Longer story:
- I have used the saw for a single, full charge, so this is based on first impressions.
- I was impressed with the amount of cutting that it did on a single charge (4 AH battery). I did fairly heavy cutting and dragging limbs for roughly an hour. My guess is that it did about as much work on a charge as I would have gotten from my (very old) STIHL 026 on a tank of gas. I'm
going to get a second battery. Two batteries/charges will usually be enough for what I need to do in a day, and if not I can charge one while using the other.
- The oiler appeared to work fine, at least on the first charge. My only note here is that it was almost empty at the end of the charge, so I suggest keeping an eye on the reservoir, particularly if you have one of the larger capacity batteries (i.e., might need to refill before the battery runs down).
- My only complaint with the saw is that the bar and chain are flimsy. First, let me say that I know how to adjust a chain; I've been using a chainsaw (non-professionally) for more than 30 years, and I can't remember ever dropping a chain on a STIHL saw. With the DeWalt, on the first charge, the chain came off during use at least eight times. It was okay when felling or sawing large limbs, but smaller limbs that even slightly bound/twisted would dislodge the chain. I tried tightening the chain a little, but it did not help, and I did not want to over-tighten. I'm guessing that the problem is mainly that it is a narrow kerf bar and chain. This was probably a design choice to get more sawing out of a battery (removing less material with narrower cut, so it can cut through more square inches on a charge), but again that's a guess.

68 people found this helpful

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DEWALT 40V MAX* XR Chainsaw, 4-Ah Battery, 16-Inch (DCCS690M1)

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DEWALT 40V MAX* XR Chainsaw, 4-Ah Battery, 16-Inch (DCCS690M1)

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DEWALT 40V MAX* XR Chainsaw, 4-Ah Battery, 16-Inch (DCCS690M1)

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DEWALT 40V MAX* XR Chainsaw, 4-Ah Battery, 16-Inch (DCCS690M1)

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