Cordless chainsaws don't usually get casual nods from the pros, but the GreenWorks 40V chainsaw certainly caught the attention of several pros we handed it. The idea of using cordless power in professional applications may be far from yours, but consider a few things we realized during this review.
First off, a cordless tool like the Greenworks DigiPro 16″ Brushless Chainsaw is much more convenient for aerial work. The moment you let go of the trigger, the saw stops and so does the noise of the engine. If you want to hear what you’re doing on the ground Message from people on the Internet, this is much more convenient than having to stop the air saw. And start it up again? Standing on an elevator and pulling an air saw is not my thing, so when you're 25 feet in the air, a push button start is a godsend In the end, this saw is a lot less maintenance, and the brushless motor and 4-year warranty are compelling (although for true commercial use, the warranty is reduced to 90 days). Let's just say, after using a saw like this After the saw, you might open up your horizons in wireless technology.
Editor's note: Check out our best battery-operated chainsaws for our top picks.
GreenWorks 40V Chainsaw Features
GreenWorks claims its included 4.0 Ah 40V G-MAX battery has enough power to cut a wooden rope on a single charge. Based on our testing, I'm not sure I would disagree with this statement, but I would point out that some woods are easier and faster to cut than others. To end run time, you'll want to look at load and cut speed combinations. The more load you put on the motor (cutting harder materials or larger diameter workpieces), the less run time you will have. Short, quick cuts in softer, drier woods will yield an almost absurd number of cuts on a battery-operated tool. This tool, like the Greenworks 40V Trimmer, seems to have enough runtime for real use.
A great feature of the GreenWorks 40V Chainsaw (Model 20312) is that it uses a brushless motor. This means it is an electronically commutated system and there is no loss of efficiency due to brush contact on the commutator (rotating part) of the motor. As a result, brushless motors run cooler, they are generally quieter, and produce less vibration that can damage other electronic components over time. And, with no brushes, the motor also lasts longer and requires little maintenance over the life of the tool. That's a big deal for chainsaws, representing a giant leap in technology we didn't see until this model landed in our hands.
Another unique feature of the GreenWorks 40V G-MAX Chainsaw is that it uses 16-inch Oregon steel rods and chains. Most cordless chainsaws I've used include a 14" pole at most. Having a bar is one thing, but being able to actually use it is another. Lastly, and most impressively, we used every inch of the 16-inch rod, and it held up really well during the testing phase of the review.
Like traditional chainsaws, the GreenWorks 40V G-MAX includes many safety features such as chain brakes, finger guards, and a trigger that can be quickly released when needed. Also, as I mentioned before, you can quickly turn off the saw completely by simply turning it off. The saw also automatically shuts off after a minute or so of inactivity to prevent the battery from discharging.
Oiling the saw is automatic (as expected), unscrewing the cap on the left side of the tool and filling it with chain oil (it also has a nice tether attached to the cap so you don't lose it). Two easy-to-use dials on the right side of the saw help with chain tensioning and detaching. The chain seems to hold tension really well and it's one of the easiest systems I've used.
GreenWorks 40V Chainsaw Specifications
- Model: 20322 (20312 with 4.0Ah battery)
- Battery (20312): 4.0 Ah 40V G-MAX
- Charger: G-MAX Model 29482
- Charging time: 120 minutes (4.0 Ah), 60 minutes (2.0 Ah)
- Motor: Brushless
- Bar: 16" Oregon Steel
- Safety Features: On/Off Control (Auto Shutoff), Chain Brake, Hand Guards, Quick Release Trigger
- Includes (20322): Chainsaw, 16" Oregon Steel Bar and Chain, Sheath, Travel Bag, 40V 4.0 Ah G-MAX Battery (29472), G-MAX 29482 Charger
- INCLUDES (20312): Chainsaw, 16" Oregon Steel Rod and Chain, Sheath, Travel Bag
- Compatible batteries: G-MAX 40V 29472 (4.0 Ah) and 29462 (2.0 Ah)
- Warranty: 4 years, consumer (90 days commercial)
- Price: $208.94 (kit with 4.0 Ah battery), $145.87 (chainsaw only)
in the field
There isn't much of a learning curve to operate the GreenWorks 40V chainsaw, except that it requires you to interface with the handle-mounted electronics using the on/off button. This will also stop the motor anytime. The power button is actually a momentary switch, so the act of starting and deactivating the chainsaw is actually handled by the internal electronics — which also helps with automatic timeouts when the chainsaw is inactive. Since this is a battery-operated chainsaw, the noise is only made when you pull the trigger. Let go and it's as quiet as a handsaw.
Cutting is actually a lot of fun. Like most battery-operated chainsaws, the learning curve is short, but when you realize how quiet the saw is, it's almost magical. Most of the cutting noise is just the whine of the motor and the action of the blade tearing away the material. The Oregon steel blade and chain on the G-MAX DigiPro are 0.043" in gauge. It's a narrow-cut Micro-Lite system, just like a thin-cut miter saw blade, designed to give you more cutting power with less stress on the motor. This is a great option for a battery-operated saw. You may need to sharpen more often, but the tradeoff in increased runtime is worth it. You'll also find that you can cut larger diameter materials more easily and with less trapping.
We cut a lot of material with this saw, but the first time we used it we cut 10" and larger diameter oak chips from trees that were felled the same day. This means that the tree is fresh and moist, and expectations are modest, even dubious. I gave the saw to my friend Jason, a professional lumberjack with decades of experience. He'd love to give the saw a try, but really doesn't hold out much hope that it's an important tool for the type of work he does. After installing the G-MAX 4.0 Ah battery, I literally saw him raise his eyebrows and slice through 10-11 inch freshwater oak piece by piece. The saw cuts through the wood effortlessly—and it does it hard and quickly. After seven major hacks, only one battery was lost. I don't think Jason is ready to switch from his gas-powered Stihl model to a cordless one, but another friend and colleague of mine, Michael Springer, who has (dare I say) "did in" quite a bit of wood cutting (and last year for We reviewed four other cordless chainsaws) said he pretty much only uses battery-powered saws when he's in the air, just for convenience and safety. Starting and stopping a battery-powered chainsaw on an elevator is safer and easier than using a gasoline model.
In between, there were a lot of cuts, but the next big test was when we took the saw to five acres or something my brother-in-law owned and used it to cut through an old, wet, large diameter palm tree. The trees are 24 inches in diameter and are as moist and succulent as possible. We had a pneumatic 18" Poulan "Wild Thing" chainsaw running in tandem as a baseline. This saw is about $100 less than the base price of our battery-operated review model. Both saws have fairly sharp blades and start cutting at the same time. The GreenWorks G-MAX chainsaw cuts material slightly faster—probably because of its thinner kerf bar and saw chain. Poulan has the advantage in length, but cutting thicker pieces of wood (or pulp – you can hardly call this stuff wood) takes more effort, in our opinion.
On a single 40V G-MAX battery we made over 14 full cuts in dense palm trees – and the battery still has some life left. Cutting involves cutting as far as possible on one side of the tree, then turning the palm over so we can continue to finish the cut on the other side. The trees were soggy and the pulp was definitely thick and difficult to remove, which led me to witness firsthand how efficient the chip ejection system on the GreenWorks chainsaw is. Even with wet material, the saw will push the material into a large pile and keep cutting. Now, it does get stuck from time to time. The material is so dense that when we push the saw hard it shuts off. Since we do overdrive the motor, and I've done so many non-stop cuts in dry wood, this doesn't bother me or at least surprise me. The restart tool involves releasing the trigger, cycling the power button on/off and restarting. It's a very quick process, and seems to work as intended – saving us from destroying the motor, or worse, hurting ourselves.