PKSA 20-Li B2 Cordless Chainsaw without Battery and Charger for Parkside X 20 V Team

Product Information

Ryobi’s power tools are usually very capable and reliable (I recently reviewed the brand’s cordless strimmer and leaf blower and thought exactly that), so I was excited to be testing out their ONE+ Cordless Brushless 30cm Chainsaw. Storm Arwen had toppled several large trees around my farm, so not only did I have their big trunks to slice up into logs, but I also had a huge blanket of branches that needed to be cut up for firewood. Incidentally, Ryobi states that this battery powered chainsaw has been designed for cutting logs and firewood, so this was the perfect chance to put this machine through its paces. But how does this machine compare to the others when it comes to price? The Ryobi sits somewhere in the middle. Yes, you could buy yourself a more powerful petrol chainsaw for less, but you’d end up with a much heavier and more cumbersome machine. Plus, with its powerful motor and fast cutting speed, this one will do just about anything that a similar-sized petrol chainsaw will do – it really does function so well. As we found when we reviewed six of the top cordless chainsaw models available, battery runtime greatly varies between models, even if you’re using the same sized battery. The difference can be pretty significant – a 5aH battery could give you 15 minutes of runtime with one model, yet 45 minutes with another.

I assume that's what they do because when the promotion is over, trying to ask lidl if they could get just one more is impossible and they look at you weird as if you are asking if lidls offers time travel! Once assembled, it was clear to see that this chainsaw really lives up to its name in terms of being compact. Although it does have a sturdy 25cm bar , the unit itself looks smaller and feels less bulky than many of the other cordless chainsaws out there. On the downside, it seems a little flimsier too – even the bumper spikes at the front of the machine are made from plastic, rather than metal, which does give the chainsaw a slightly cheaper finish. However, there are some thoughtful design touches here as well, from the oil level window to the way in which the battery is positioned underneath the rear handle to save it from bumps and scratches. A chainsaw’s cutting speed will tell you how fast that machine will be able to saw itself through a piece of wood. Smaller models could have a cutting speed of just 4 m/s, whereas higher-end cordless chainsaws can offer up to 20 m/s, which is comparable to a petrol chainsaw.E10 fuel is fine to use, but super unleaded with an ethanol content of 5% is better and what we would recommend. I was very happy with how this machine performed. It neatly sliced through both large branches and small trunks, with the maximum diameter it could handle being roughly 50cm (when you cut from both sides).

This only goes some way towards the protective equipment you should use with a chainsaw. Look at our advice on chainsaw safety to find out more. When it came to performance, this machine both impressed and disappointed me. It was great with smaller branches but not so great with larger tree trunks, to the point where the motor cut out a few times because I kept getting frustrated and unintentionally put too much pressure on it. It also has quite a slow cutting speed of just 4.3 m/s . Again, this isn’t really noticeable when you’re cutting smaller pieces of wood, but it makes things more tedious when you’re working with larger limbs. Value for Money: I compared each model’s design, performance, power, safety and ease of assembly and use against its price point. Chainsaws that offered a lot of features, excellent performance, and easy usage while remaining affordable were deemed the best value for money.To cut branches under 30 cm in diameter, look for a chainsaw with a cutting bar length of 15 – 20 cm and a cutting speed of 4 m/s . 18 V of power will generally be well suited to light-to-medium tasks. Moreover, the Parkside PKSA 20-Li A1 is equipped with a powerful motor that delivers consistent performance. This enables the saw to effortlessly cut through various materials, including wood, metal, and plastic, making it suitable for a wide range of projects. Petrol chainsaws are designed for more substantial jobs, so are worth the extra expense if you have lots of logs or heavy pruning to get through. They tend to be speedy at cutting through large logs and you don’t have to worry about cutting through a trailing power cable.

In terms of how easy this chainsaw is to use, I would give it top marks. It’s pretty compact and, at 3.6 kg , lightweight enough to not leave you with sore arms. It also has an automatic oiling system that keeps the chain consistently greased up with oil, although I’ve yet to see a chainsaw that doesn’t offer this feature. I was already impressed after examining this machine’s design, but became even more so once I started to actually use the chainsaw. It performed brilliantly – I can’t fault it at all. From small branches to tree trunks with a diameter of around 65cm , this chainsaw sliced through it all without once stalling or requiring any force. I even had a professional tree surgeon test out the six chainsaws that I was reviewing, and, having always had a low opinion of battery powered chainsaws, he was even more impressed than I was at how it performed, to the point where he now wants to buy his own Makita! Considering this big oversight, I would have to say that this chainsaw is a little pricey. You could spend a similar amount of money and bag yourself a chainsaw that’s fitted with all of the right safety features while also having a larger motor and longer bar. However, it wouldn’t be easy to find another chainsaw that’s this lightweight – most are significantly heavier. If low weight is a high priority, then this battery powered chainsaw would be considered good value. Cordless chainsaw motors come in different sizes. It goes without saying that the larger the motor, the more powerful your chainsaw will be. The downside to a large motor is that this will detract from your battery’s runtime. The first step was assembly, which took less than ten minutes . I didn’t need any tools for the enti re process – Makita has designed this chainsaw in a way that makes it extremely simple to put together. Even better, they provide a small bottle of oil with the machine, meaning that you can have it up and running soon after you’ve opened up the box.Read our first look review of the Lidl chainsaw to decide if you should buy it. How to buy the best chainsaw For more advice, read our guide on how to buy the best chainsaw. Which sort of petrol should I use? Einhell has a reputation for producing power tools and garden machinery at very affordable prices. However, as I found out when I tested their cordless strimmer, electric scarifier, cordless leaf blower, and petrol chainsaw, the brand doesn’t sacrifice on quality either. So, I was expecting their GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw to be just as capable. I had a number of trees and branches lying around my farm (thanks to Storm Arwen) that needed to be cut up for firewood, so I was looking forward to putting this chainsaw to the test. Convenience – you don’t need to worry about mixing up petrol, or about electric cables getting in the way, when you use a cordless chainsaw For branches and trunks up to 60 cm in diameter, you’ll need a cutting bar of at least 30 cm and 36 V of power. Of course, cordless chainsaws will vary in their capabilities, even with the same specifications, so that’s why we found it so useful to test out six different models.