New Greenworks 16" Li-Ion battery powered chainsaw

More images of the chainsaw:

I have used cored electric chainsaws and I find they only good for some light duty trimming. This being a cordless battery operated chain saw just my thoughts are its going to be just for very light duty and small jobs.

I just received notification from Amazon that the chainsaw is now in stock and available for purchase, but only with the battery and charger included. The tool only model has still not been released. I pre-ordered one about two months ago and the estimated delivery date to me is sometime late next week. I'll post more details after I receive it and have a chance to run it, although I currently have nothing meaningful to test it on.

MowerMike said:

I just received notification from Amazon that the chainsaw is now in stock and available for purchase, but only with the battery and charger included.

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Thanks for letting us know! I notice it's now $400, but could have sworn it was listed at $370 earlier this week when it was not yet in stock. Guess it pays to pre-order.

Mark Widmer said:

Thanks for letting us know! I notice it's now $400, but could have sworn it was listed at $370 earlier this week when it was not yet in stock. Guess it pays to pre-order.

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It was only $340 two months ago when I pre-ordered it. :biggrin:

The blower / vac is also now in stock for purchase, but only with the battery and charger included like the chainsaw. It too has reverted to full price, which is $50 less than the chainsaw. The difference between the complete packages and the tool only versions in both cases is $150, which is close to the cost of a 4 Ah G-MAX battery and charger when bought separately, so there is little advantage to buying it complete if you already have a battery and charger for another tool, and simply want an additional battery.

The chainsaw arrived today and at first I thought it was a dud, because it would not start when I inserted the battery, pushed the lockout button and pulled the trigger as I do with all my other hand held electric tools. The manual's instructions seemed to indicate that was the way to start it, but I then noticed something else in the descriptive figure and on the chainsaw itself. In addition to the lockout button and the trigger switch, there is also an On/Off switch, which powers the unit on digitally and must be switched on for the unit to operate. It works like a spring loaded toggle, push and release to turn on, then push and release again to turn off. When the saw is turned on, a green light illuminates and there are four quick beeps to indicated that the unit is ready for use. If the chain brake is pushed forward, a red light will also appear and there will be a continuous series of warning beeps. There are many other beep and red light sequences for various faults, such as overheated battery and an overload condition. In most cases, the saw will auto power down to prevent damage, so even if you don't release the trigger damage will be averted. So, basically there are three separate switch circuits: On/Off, inertia chain brake, and trigger.

Overall construction seems a lot more solid than my other electric chain saws. The bucking teeth are steel, instead of a plastic case molding and all the fasteners are star (Torx) head. It weighs nearly 12 lbs with the battery installed, which is about 2-1/2 lbs more than my other Greenworks 40V Li-Ion chainsaw with a 14" bar and chain. It runs at a much higher speed too, and comes equipped with a genuine Oregon sprocket tip bar and chain, instead of the no-name skip tooth chain on my other electric saws. Then auto chain oiler has a nice tether on the cap to avoid loss and seems to works well. The saw includes not only the usual plastic scabbard, but also a nice two-piece soft carry case, with a separate velcro scabbard piece that can be removed if the plastic scabbard is being used, although it will fit over it if need be.

Some additional observations:

1) The saw will auto power off after approximately one minute of inactivity to prevent discharging the battery. The saw can be manually powered off at any time by depressing and releasing the On/Off button, but it is unnecessary to do so when work is done, since it will do so automatically after timing out. The power switch is a continually open circuit, which is closed momentarily when depressed, and all actual switching is done electronically by the digital control unit. :thumbsup:

2) The manual is poorly written, confusing and full of contradictions, omissions and errors. Which is to say, it's your typical Greenworks manual. The instructions for starting the saw were obviously written by someone who has never seen or used the saw, and almost had me calling customer support to figure out why the saw wouldn't start up at first when I tried to follow the manual's instructions. There is no mention in the manual of the operation of the On/Off switch or the auto power off feature. :confused2:

3) in addition to the usual Greenworks 4 year warranty on the tool and 2 year warranty on the Li-Ion battery, there is also a 10 year or lifetime to original owner warranty on the brushless motor. There isn't much that can wear out on a brushless motor other than bearings/bushings and rotor wire insulation, and no doubt other components will wear out and fail long before the motor does. :thumbsup:

4) The stock chain and bar are 0.043" gauge instead of the more normal 0.050" gauge, so it will be interesting to see how this might impact cutting efficiency and durability. It also means I won't using the spare 16" 0.050" gauge chain I have sitting in my parts bin. :frown:

Another promotional type video. I find it amusing that the user is comparing an old saw with a probably worn and dull chain to a new one, however, it does give you an idea of the capabilities of the new G-MAX 16" chainsaw.

The G-MAX DigiPro products are now listed on the Greenworks website. Here's another promo video for the chainsaw: