Purchase Decision and Review of the EGO 18" Battery Powered Chainsaw CS1804
Selection Criteria, Usage and Conclusion
Summary: I’ve had an EGO lawnmower for several years and it’s done a perfect job on our small suburban lot. That means I already have one battery that will work with the variety of EGO tools. I already have other lawn maintenance tools, but my only chainsaw was a BLACK+DECKER 20V Pole Saw. It could handle trimming some of the smaller stuff and was a hit when shared with neighbors, but it couldn’t handle the larger jobs. For that, I wanted something with a little more power and a longer bar.
I had used gasoline powered chainsaws before, but almost all the tools I own right now are electric. It didn’t make sense to add just one gasoline powered one that I then need to keep gas around for. I mind as well get one that can use one of the batteries I already owned. That lead to a decision between the EGO models available. The 16” model would have been alright on size, but while reading through the specifications and other reviews I noted the mention of the RPM. The CS1604 from EGO has a speed of 6800 RPM. If you spend a little more and go up to the 18” CS1804, you jump up to 11,000. That is a significant increase and certainly something you would notice while cutting through a log. Even though I had the battery from the lawn mower, it was smaller than the 5.0 Ah that comes with the saw and my original battery was a few years old. I decided having two batteries could come in handy and bought the combination tool, battery, and charger.
Review of use: I’ve had a few small “junk” trees to take care of around the yard as well as lending it out to take care of some serious arborvitaes. It handled all of that without a problem, although it did need some serious sap cleaning after the arborvitae. It took out an old wisteria that causing us some fencing problems and I also used it to help trim up some smaller dead trees in a local park. Most of those tasks barely put a dent in 5.0 Ah battery. The main test was when we got to Michigan’s upper peninsula and found a large older tree had been taken down in a storm. I had packed one battery charger and both batteries. Never know what you are going to find and what project might pop-up. The saw spun-up as expected, chewed through various sizes of limbs and I needed a break long before the 5.0 Ah battery was drained.
There were a few times after a lengthy session where the battery did stop for over-heating. It was hot, humid and I also wanted to stop for over-heating. I switched batteries to let the first one cool down and kept on chewing up the log. The other mention is that like some of the other chainsaws I’ve read about, this one goes through the bar and chain oil. You can smell it during use and after each use, it’s a good idea to check on the reservoir and make sure you have enough when you start up again.
Conclusion Exactly the performance I was expecting when I bought it. Spins up at the pull of a trigger, stops quickly when you let off the trigger and eats through wood. This purchase gave me confidence that if I need to buy another piece of EGO equipment to go with my first two, I should be confident I’ll get a well-made tool fit for my needs.
toolstechgear.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
If this sounds like the perfect chainsaw for you:
EGO Power+ CS1804 18-Inch 56-Volt Cordless Chain Saw 5.0Ah Battery and Charger Included
Alternate with what appears to be an additional updated battery
If the smaller 16-inch version sounds like the right option to you:
Finally, the Black+Decker Pole Saw that was mentioned, perfect for the smaller jobs:
Overall
User Review
( vote)Pros
If you already have a battery, it can share or add redundancy Powerful enough to chew through wood that you wouldn’t have tried with an electric chainsaw before
Easy to handle and stops quickly after you release the trigger, adding to safety
Cons
Might overheat if you stress it with a lot of work on a hot day
Make sure you have a supply of Bar and Chain oil