Behind-the-Seat Trail Clearance - Oregon PowerNow 40V Max Chainsaw

My buddy is an electric-chainsaw guy. He doesn’t have very much to cut very often and the stuff he has to cut isn’t that big. Plus, he complains that he doesn’t want to try to start a cold gas-powered saw twice a year. Personally, I can’t imagine being plugged in while trying to cut limbs or trunks, and an electrical cord doesn’t do much good out in the wilderness when trying to clear a downed tree off a trail. Not only that, but most electric saws are light-duty units that can’t handle what we have to throw at it.

But I admit that I’m impressed with the new Oregon PowerNow lithium battery-powered chainsaw that was recently sent to us. Though we haven’t had it long enough to verify this, the battery is said to hold its charge for months while sitting unused. The fact that there is no gas or oil smell allows me to carry it in the cab with zero noxious fumes, and it’s truly usable anywhere like a gas chainsaw. It still won’t hit the big limbs that a nice, big gas-burning unit will do, but the PowerNow 40V Max seems to be a great little saw to haul behind the seat of your truck.

The PowerNow 40V Max chainsaw comes complete with a 37-volt lithium ion battery pack and charger. The chainsaw not only has the typical chain tension adjustments and chain oil fluid reservoir, it also has a built-in sharpening stone on a red easy-to-use lever.

The PowerNow 40V Max chainsaw comes complete with a 37-volt lithium ion battery pack and charger. The chainsaw not only has the typical chain tension adjustments and chain oil fluid reservoir, it also has a built-in sharpening stone on a red easy-to-use lever.

This is the first battery-powered saw I’ve tried, and so far, so good. I used it to clear a bunch of limbs off my property and the battery life was more than enough to make 28 cuts of 7-plus-inch-diamater limbs, plus a lot of smaller limbs, all on the same battery. I admit that I had serious doubts that it would be acceptable to me, but this chainsaw was able to overcome my biases. The power is good considering the size of the saw, and I also like the “instant on” feature as soon as I pull the trigger (with the safety hand guard engaged in the “use” position).