Prior to being a part of the crew here at Tools In Action, I personally researched EGO when looking at brands to invest in for our home lawn care. Despite hearing a lot of really great things, I ended up going with a budget-friendly brand, and guess what? None of those tools work today. I always tell people to trust their instincts and I definitely learned that lesson here. Now that we have a property with a lot of trees, and I have started gradually replacing each tool, EGO was one I knew I wanted to test out. Let’s jump into the EGO Chainsaw Review and see what all the fuss is about.
EGO Chainsaw Review Overview
EGO was introduced to the market in 2013, so while still a young company, years of research premediated their launch. EGO is owned by Chevron, a company that has manufactured tools for some of the biggest and most recognizable names in the tool business. EGO made no secret that their main goal is to provide the performance and features on a cordless platform that only gas could offer previously on outdoor power equipment. Despite the inner skeptic in me, cordless technology, whether power tools or outdoor power equipment is the future of tools and advances in technology are making it possible without sacrificing quality and performance.
EGO Chainsaw Review Features
The EGO Chainsaw operates at a speed of 6800 RPM’s and weighs in at 11.4 pounds and is powered using an advanced brushless motor. EGO’s water resistant technology allows for protection from minor rain or water exposure, including the battery when attached to the chainsaw.
The EGO Chainsaw comes with EGO’s 56V Lithium ION battery platform. This chainsaw comes with a 2.5 Ah battery and the included charger has an internal fan to protect from overheating when charging.
The battery is easily mounted using preformed slides, and features and easy to use ejection lever that is a relatively standard design. Simple, and effective.
The Bar features a 14-inch max-cut and features a double guard bar with a narrow-kerf sprocket nose. The narrow-kerf provides better performance over standard chainsaw bars, allowing better and more aggressive cutting using less power. Both the Bar and Chain are manufactured by Oregon, which is a company well known for their quality chainsaw bars and chains.
The EGO Chainsaw and uses a .43 inch Guage Chain with a 3/8 inch low profile pitch, creating less kickback for the user. As well, the chainsaw has a chain brake, stopping both the motor and the movement of the chain to prevent injury when kickback occurs.
The EGO Chainsaw includes a Chain Sheath for safer storage.
The side cover features a knob for easy removal to clean or replace the bar and chain.
The EGO Chainsaw features a standard trigger and lock-off button for increased safety.
The EGO Chainsaw has a chain kickback brake handle, an added safety mechanism both to activate the chain brake, and helps prevent the user from projecting debris. It also provides a measure of protection from the saw blade is your hand were to slip from the handle.
The chain-tensioning knob provides easy adjustments to the tension of the chain.
This Chainsaw also features a chain-tensioning screw which allows for even more precise adjustments to the chain tension using a screwdriver.
The Front handle has over-molding for better grip and durability and is placed in natural spacing for maximum comfort.
The Chainsaw accepts standard bar and chain oil and has the benefit of automatic lubrication protecting the chainsaw from damage.
The oil tank features a see-through window to allow for visibility of oil levels. The twist-on knob with internal catch ensures the cap is not misplaced while the small internal filter ensures debris does not contaminate the oil.
EGO Chainsaw Review Performance
This Chainsaw greatly exceeded my expectations. Given the cordless platform, no matter how many volts the battery was, I wasn’t expecting it to be able to able to truly power a chainsaw and have it function as it should. I have cut through a lot of different woods with this chainsaw, from pine to the dreaded yaupon and some serious oak. These woods are all common here in Texas, but yaupon and oak always made an issue for previous chainsaws I have used. Oaks hardness posed an issue while yaupons fibrous and very wet nature caused chainsaws to stop dead in its tracks, or worse rip the chain right off the bar. You can see here, I cut through oak logs that stretched about 16 inches at its widest. The kickback was minimal overall and was quite comfortable to use.
The actual chain mechanism was easy to adjust, and the dial and fine-tuning adjustment screw worked well at tightening or loosening the chain. The only issue I had with the chain is if it was not adjusted properly. The tension of the chain is an important part of using a chainsaw in general, and once a user gets the right feel for it, it was a breeze. I would absolutely recommend keeping bar and chain oil on hand as the automatic oiling on this chainsaw works almost too well.
EGO Chainsaw Review Value
The EGO 14″ Chainsaw (Model # CS1403) comes included with a charger and a 2.5 Ah battery runs $279 dollars and is available at Home Depot. It’s certainly not comparable to the bargain buy chainsaws, even with the cordless aspect, its performance is much more on par with a gas chainsaw. I think the price is about right and given the 5-year warranty EGO provides, it’s a worthwhile investment.
EGO Chainsaw Review Final Thoughts
EGO has pioneered the cordless platform for outdoor power equipment. When homeowners are shopping for a chainsaw the options are endless, from gas to battery, from budget buys to high-end options. Trying to settle on one is an intimidating task. The EGO Chainsaw falls securely in the middle, combining the convenience of cordless battery power without losing the performance of gas. EGO has managed to make a chainsaw that can appeal to everyone.
I have been looking at this chainsaw. I have the blower and want to replace my gas weed trimmer with the new Ego carbon fiber model. This looks like it would work great for me just trimming a few trees around the house.
Hey Russ! Yes, I really like it a lot. I had more pictures for this review than any other, it was hard to pick! It handled everything I threw at it and then some. I am actually wrapping up a review of the EGO Multi-Head System, and the string trimmer attachment that is part of it is awesome. I genuinely have never seen a trimmer that worked quite as well!
Cut a 67-yo 75-ft poplar tree (w/ 4 trunks of same heights), of a base trunk of 6-ft across and a total mass of about 15 tonnes of wood…w/o a glitch….truly a good cordless power electric chainsaw.
Are there problems with oiler leaking? This has been reported in numerous reviews I have read.
I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. All chainsaws leak some oil when just sitting around. It mostly after you use the saw and any oil on the outside of the chain or tank, will puddle up but it’s not because of a defect or anything. It’s just because when using it, it has an auto lubrication system, so the oil will build up. It’s like when you get an oil change and then notice a leak on your driveway the next day. Most of the time it’s because when they changed the oil, some got on the frame and other areas of the car, and then as it sits, it puddles up.