Ryobi 14" 40-volt Chainsaw

[woodstockva]

Hey everybody

Over the last week or two I have been using the Ryobi 40v Chainsaw a lot, and have been pleasantly surprised with the results. The power/speed is the same as a gas chainsaw (of similar size), and there is no hard starting, mixing gas, or dealing with fumes!

Right out of the box, the saw comes pre-assembled & the only thing you need to do is charge the battery & pour in the bar and chain oil (not included for some reason).

The only real complaint I have read about this saw is that it doesnt have a chain brake. But, I dont think that it needs one, since the chain stops as soon as you let off the trigger (motor stops). Unlike a gas powered one that will idle & the brake is needed to keep it from turning unintentionally.

Check out the video to see what the Ryobi is capable of

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[Dust Devil]

Cool review as usual. Cordless chainsaws ARE bitchen.

But...Silly to say it cuts as good as a gas saw (even of the same size) though, cause they don't.

 

[Ign]

I've always been intrigued since the Oregon 40V but am not willing to invest $400+ in a boutique battery platform like Stihl, Oregon, or even Craftsman (mowers) or Ryobi.

Now that TTI is clearly in this market, I wish Milwaukee would come out w a chainsaw, and this might be a great time to re-visit the M28 platform Milwaukee!! Mmmmm, M28 brushless? Tasty! Maybe run two batteries (in serial or parallel, or consecutively, whatever works) like the Hitachi? miter saw or the Craftsman mower.

What's the chain pitch on this saw?

 

[woodstockva]

Cool review as usual. Cordless chainsaws ARE bitchen.

But...Silly to say it cuts as good as a gas saw (even of the same size) though, cause they don't.

Thanks! Also, I would not say this is comparable to "pro-grade" saws like Stihl, but for the DIYer/Homeowner, this is comparable to the gas saws they are going to have already in their garages (Poulan, Homelite, etc).

I've always been intrigued since the Oregon 40V but am not willing to invest $400+ in a boutique battery platform like Stihl, Oregon, or even Craftsman (mowers) or Ryobi.

Now that TTI is clearly in this market, I wish Milwaukee would come out w a chainsaw, and this might be a great time to re-visit the M28 platform Milwaukee!! Mmmmm, M28 brushless? Tasty! Maybe run two batteries (in serial or parallel, or consecutively, whatever works) like the Hitachi? miter saw or the Craftsman mower.

What's the chain pitch on this saw?

Actually this saw isnt anywhere near the $400 mark....it is $199 for the kit (saw, battery, and charger) or $129 for the saw by itself.

The chain pitch (stock) is 0.043....which is not sold in most stores. But, I have read online that many people swap the factory bar & chain out with an Oregon 0.050 before they even use it & it cuts better and the chains are found everywhere....for $30, it might be something to think about (especially if it comes down to replacing the chain eventually).

 

[Ign]

I run .043 on my Stihl MS180C w 14" bar. Readily avail at my ag/Kubota/Stihl dealer. But glad the bar can be swapped, & thx for the reply!!

 

[Ign]

Oh and how much is a 40V battery alone? Gotta have 2

 

[Dust Devil]

The selling point for these is portability and stealth.

As far as cutting goes I would compare to a corded electric saw.

Much better buy at $199 comp $400 for the oregon but a new bar and chain is gonna get you for another $100 at least. And yes extra batteries drives the investment up too.

$179 gets you a MS 170 stihl that will SMOKE this saw.

 

[woodstockva]

Oh and how much is a 40V battery alone? Gotta have 2

$99 from what I can see on Home Depot's website (#OP4015A)

The selling point for these is portability and stealth.

As far as cutting goes I would compare to a corded electric saw.

Much better buy at $199 comp $400 for the oregon but a new bar and chain is gonna get you for another $100 at least. And yes extra batteries drives the investment up too.

$179 gets you a MS 170 stihl that will SMOKE this saw.

Believe me....I am not saying this is "as good" as a Stihl....by any means. I am saying it cuts the same as homeowner-grade gas saws.

As far as cordless power equipment, this one actually works. And it is nice that you are not spending time, gas, and money to go to the gas station to refill cans @ $3+/gallon....go to the hardware store to buy 2 cycle oil....then drive home. The batteries are compatible with the other Ryobi 40v lineup of tools & for some people this is the best choice.

Also, the replacement Oregon 14" bar & chain combo is $25 @ Amazon --> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004RA72/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Dust Devil]

I was strictly speaking to how well they cut not quality of build.

I was trying to say that the cordless saw cuts more like a corded electric.

I wouldn't compare the electric cordless OR corded saw to ANY gas saw homeowner or not.

That is all. I have the Oregon cordless so I know how cool the cordless saws are.

Crazy how cheap those replacement bar/chain combos are....

You reviews are Pro quality and production. keep up the good work.

 

[Ign]

Dust Devil, does the built-in chain sharpening thingie work at all on the Oregon? Seemed gimmicky to me?

The thing that caught me about the Ryobi is brushless. Unfortunately w a 2nd battery a $200 investment becomes $300. And they should really figure a way to do a 40V charger for a cigarette lighter plug, but I bet they never will because they're targeting homeowners, not guys working in the field. But when out on my 35 acres I could charge off my Kubota.

Woodstock, what kind of wood were you cutting in the video, and is it considered hard or soft?

 

[Dust Devil]

You mean the built in spark thrower?? LOL.

Yeah it kinda works, not a substitute for a real sharpening. It grinds the outside of the cutter not the inside.

 

[north]

Thanks for the review. That saw would have been perfect the last couple of weeks, with an extra battery or two, instead of my Stihl 025. Much quieter, and no gasoline fumes.

 

[Ign]

I just played w this at my local HD. The first thing I noticed is that the balance is way off. Even w a battery in it it's nose-heavy. It feels more natural to hold from the "brake" but that's cheap plastic. Disappointing to see a decent product that misses the mark on ergonomics, like driving South Park's "IT".

 

[kelpaso1]

The only real complaint I have read about this saw is that it doesnt have a chain brake. But, I dont think that it needs one, since the chain stops as soon as you let off the trigger (motor stops). Unlike a gas powered one that will idle & the brake is needed to keep it from turning unintentionally.

Actually I think you are a bit misinformed. The chain break is a safety device used to stop the chain in the case of a kick back. A properly set up gas saw will NOT spin the chain at idle. If it does, the idle is too high or the clutch is bad.

 

[kelpaso1]

The only real complaint I have read about this saw is that it doesnt have a chain brake. But, I dont think that it needs one, since the chain stops as soon as you let off the trigger (motor stops). Unlike a gas powered one that will idle & the brake is needed to keep it from turning unintentionally..

Actually I think you are a bit misinformed. The chain break is a safety device used to stop the chain in the case of a kick back. A properly set up gas saw will NOT spin the chain at idle. If it does, the idle is too high or the clutch is bad

 

[Ign]

Actually I think you are a bit misinformed. The chain break is a safety device used to stop the chain in the case of a kick back. A properly set up gas saw will NOT spin the chain at idle. If it does, the idle is too high or the clutch is bad

In a perfect world. IME it's virtually impossible to maintain proper chain tension as things heat up to where its *just enough* that the chain doesn't spin at idle but is not too tight during use.

But I don't see how a brake would help in the event of kickback. By the time its happened, it's done. You'd have to be IRobot to engage the brake in time to do anything even remotely useful. Furthermore conventional chainsaw safety is that you should have the brake engaged virtually anytime you're not cutting, and esp if walking around/re-positioning yourself.

 

[Ign]

What's also disappointing to me about my opinion of the chainsaw having poor balance is that while I was in that aisle I got to looking at the cordless line trimmers. I've always thought a cordless line trimmer sounded good but never figured anything on the market was worthy of anything more than very occasional trimming of 20' of white picket fence in suburbia. And they all seem to have auto feed heads these days which I hate. Like really, really hate.

So I saw the Ryobi RY40220 which uses the same 40V battery platform, looks built more like a gas trimmer, good balance, nice long steel shaft, DUAL .080 lines AND a bump-feed head. Hooray! A cordless line trimmer that still comes with a bump feed! At $180 for the kit it's spendy but I'd sooner do this and get another tool I can use than pay just $99 for an extra battery.

Alas, I'm not sold on the chainsaw and I hate to have a battery platform for only ONE tool so I'm holding off on all of it.

 

[Ign]

I was just reading up in a Stihl manual on how the brake is supposed to theoretically help in the event of kickback (I've never experienced this). But I think it was largely something to satisfy the feds. The best (ie most amusing) snippet from the manual:

"The computer derived angles of 5.11 of ANSI B 175.1-2000 may bear no relationship to actual kickback bar rotation angles that may occur in real life cutting situations."

Hah!

More on topic, Woodstock I could find no way to get the battery to drop in in any other position than the proper one to power the tool. In the video you're able to reverse the battery to a "storage" or "transport" position? I tried all possible rotations and configurations but the battery is molded and shaped such that it will only go in one way.

 

[kelpaso1]

In a perfect world. IME it's virtually impossible to maintain proper chain tension as things heat up to where its *just enough* that the chain doesn't spin at idle but is not too tight during use. .

The chain expands as you use it thus getting looser. As I said before a properly set up saw will not spin the chain at idle at any time. I fix them for a living.

But I don't see how a brake would help in the event of kickback. By the time its happened, it's done. You'd have to be IRobot to engage the brake in time to do anything even remotely useful. Furthermore conventional chainsaw safety is that you should have the brake engaged virtually anytime you're not cutting, and esp if walking around/re-positioning yourself.

Yes a kick back happens fast and is nasty. But when it happens your hand hits the chain brake handle/bar and stops the chain instantly possibly stopping further damage to yourself if your hand is stuck on the throttle.

And yes I agree, put the brake on if you are walking around with a running saw.

 

[woodstockva]

I was strictly speaking to how well they cut not quality of build.

I was trying to say that the cordless saw cuts more like a corded electric.

I wouldn't compare the electric cordless OR corded saw to ANY gas saw homeowner or not.

That is all. I have the Oregon cordless so I know how cool the cordless saws are.

Crazy how cheap those replacement bar/chain combos are....

You reviews are Pro quality and production. keep up the good work.

Thanks Dust Devil!

Dust Devil, does the built-in chain sharpening thingie work at all on the Oregon? Seemed gimmicky to me?

The thing that caught me about the Ryobi is brushless. Unfortunately w a 2nd battery a $200 investment becomes $300. And they should really figure a way to do a 40V charger for a cigarette lighter plug, but I bet they never will because they're targeting homeowners, not guys working in the field. But when out on my 35 acres I could charge off my Kubota.

Woodstock, what kind of wood were you cutting in the video, and is it considered hard or soft?

Lol.....I dont think they have the guy with 35 acres in mind when they made this Probably more-so the guy with a 1/2 acre. The tree in the video would definitely be considered "soft wood", and was not oak, hickory, or anything like that. I have trimmed oak branches with the Ryobi & did not notice a difference in performance....but then again I did not cut down a whole tree either.

Thanks for the review. That saw would have been perfect the last couple of weeks, with an extra battery or two, instead of my Stihl 025. Much quieter, and no gasoline fumes.

Thanks North! Yeah the lack of fumes is my #1 favorite thing about cordless outdoor power tools.

Actually I think you are a bit misinformed. The chain break is a safety device used to stop the chain in the case of a kick back. A properly set up gas saw will NOT spin the chain at idle. If it does, the idle is too high or the clutch is bad

Apparently I am. I have never heard that before, and it was always explained to me that you put the brake on when not cutting for safety. I did not realize it was built in to prevent injury with kickback. Thanks!

What's also disappointing to me about my opinion of the chainsaw having poor balance is that while I was in that aisle I got to looking at the cordless line trimmers. I've always thought a cordless line trimmer sounded good but never figured anything on the market was worthy of anything more than very occasional trimming of 20' of white picket fence in suburbia. And they all seem to have auto feed heads these days which I hate. Like really, really hate.

So I saw the Ryobi RY40220 which uses the same 40V battery platform, looks built more like a gas trimmer, good balance, nice long steel shaft, DUAL .080 lines AND a bump-feed head. Hooray! A cordless line trimmer that still comes with a bump feed! At $180 for the kit it's spendy but I'd sooner do this and get another tool I can use than pay just $99 for an extra battery.

Alas, I'm not sold on the chainsaw and I hate to have a battery platform for only ONE tool so I'm holding off on all of it.

Yeah you definitely save a lot of cash anytime you buy kits....the same way with cordless power tools. And I see your point about the batteries/chargers....they are a huge expense & it is definitely best to go with a lineup that you would want to expand into other tools eventually.

I was just reading up in a Stihl manual on how the brake is supposed to theoretically help in the event of kickback (I've never experienced this). But I think it was largely something to satisfy the feds. The best (ie most amusing) snippet from the manual:

"The computer derived angles of 5.11 of ANSI B 175.1-2000 may bear no relationship to actual kickback bar rotation angles that may occur in real life cutting situations."

Hah!

More on topic, Woodstock I could find no way to get the battery to drop in in any other position than the proper one to power the tool. In the video you're able to reverse the battery to a "storage" or "transport" position? I tried all possible rotations and configurations but the battery is molded and shaped such that it will only go in one way.

I assume you are not using the battery (in-store) that comes with this unit. In the kit, they have the compact battery. I am guessing when you tried it in-store you may have been using the full-size instead. I simply rotated it 180 degrees & it went right in place loosely.

The chain expands as you use it thus getting looser. As I said before a properly set up saw will not spin the chain at idle at any time. I fix them for a living.

Yes a kick back happens fast and is nasty. But when it happens your hand hits the chain brake handle/bar and stops the chain instantly possibly stopping further damage to yourself if your hand is stuck on the throttle.

And yes I agree, put the brake on if you are walking around with a running saw.

Thanks again for pointing this out!

 

[pipsters]

I'd like to see a hybrid model using an 18v battery and 120v plug (if desired). That would be perfect for someone like me (homeowner). I have a older Craftsman saw that I am selling on CL. Used it a bit but just hate the noise, fumes, and fuss of the thing.

 

[Ign]

I caved and just ordered this reconditioned for $125 shipped. They're normally $140 recon but there's a promo "saverecon" for $15 off (you have to link thru their email or the cart will just say the code can't be applied) and the product page says free shipping.

http://www.reconditionedtools.com/f...0511,default,pd.html?start=3&q=ryobi chainsaw

The free shipping was not coming up in the cart so I called and aside from being on hold for a couple minutes it was painless - the guy was very competent and did the free shipping and $15 off.

 

[pauls_workshop]

I recently posted a thread here on the 40v Ryobi lineup. I got a used deal on a few of them and just also got a used one of these chainsaws. I really like the Expand-It driver available, as you can use all the gas powered Expand-It connection tools with the 40v system then for convenience. If you want that, there is a trimmer that IS expand-it compatible and there is one that ISN'T in the lineup. The trimmer in the lineup and hedge trimmer are also real good tools. Don't have the blower yet but may get one sometime. I'm also thinking of making an adaptor at some point to use 2x 18v Ryobi batteries in place of the 40v battery. Then I can use those too and don't need lots of 40v batteries at all. This adaptor may not work in the chainsaw as the whole thing slides in enclosed, but should for the other tools in the lineup. Also, they sell a different 12" 40v version of this that isn't brushless but a little cheaper, so be careful to get the 14" if you want the brushless. - Paul

 

[Ign]

^^yep I got the string trimmer that is NOT Expand-It just 'cause it was so cheap, around $72 after my store matched coupons. Couldn't say no.

I watched a YouTube video of the 12" brushed 40V chainsaw, and it looked pretty sad. The 14" brushless is obviously closer to the chain speed of a gas unit.

The 40V XC batteries are on HD.com right now for $99 and of course free shipping. Not terrible for the larger pack (2.4ah vs 1.5)

 

[woodstockva]

^^yep I got the string trimmer that is NOT Expand-It just 'cause it was so cheap, around $72 after my store matched coupons. Couldn't say no.

I watched a YouTube video of the 12" brushed 40V chainsaw, and it looked pretty sad. The 14" brushless is obviously closer to the chain speed of a gas unit.

The 40V XC batteries are on HD.com right now for $99 and of course free shipping. Not terrible for the larger pack (2.4ah vs 1.5)

FYI.....the 40v Brushless Mower ($399) comes with two of the high capacity batteries.....so, for those who are considering individual battery purchases, you may want to look at the mower since you get two included in the kit.

 

[Ign]

FYI.....the 40v Brushless Mower ($399) comes with two of the high capacity batteries.....so, for those who are considering individual battery purchases, you may want to look at the mower since you get two included in the kit.

That is cool, basically $200 worth of batteries in a $400 kit....if you're lucky enough to have a store that still matched HF coupons it could be a $320 kit, but I realize that's huge YMMV. For me, the only thing that would mow my place is a brush hog and PTO.....or maybe a ripper on a dozer LOL

 

[pauls_workshop]

^^yep I got the string trimmer that is NOT Expand-It just 'cause it was so cheap, around $72 after my store matched coupons. Couldn't say no.

I watched a YouTube video of the 12" brushed 40V chainsaw, and it looked pretty sad. The 14" brushless is obviously closer to the chain speed of a gas unit.

The 40V XC batteries are on HD.com right now for $99 and of course free shipping. Not terrible for the larger pack (2.4ah vs 1.5)

Yeah, they don't seem to have a 4.0 amp hour version of the 40v yet but DO in the 18 V Lithium + One + lineup. A 2 for 1 adaptor would get me 4.0 amp hour capability! I'll do it sometime. Did it for Ryobi to Black and Decker adaptor some time back. I used my chainsaw first time today a bit. Not bad. I'd say at least as good as a 32 cc chainsaw, maybe even a 42 cc. Oiler seems a bit on the skimpy dry side though to me. - Paul

 

[Ign]

'Tis the season..... I cut up a large-ish pinion today (note tree size is HIGHLY relative to your area and most trees in a PJ Pinion/Juniper forest aren't that big). It took 3 batteries to do it but I was more impressed w the saw than I thought I would be. Also we tend to use the WHOLE tree, all the way down to small branches. I've never understood the obsession w only aiming for big rounds.

The provided chain seemed to be dull out of the box -- now, I did get a recon model but the chain LOOKED new, so not sure why the chain sucked so hard.

Fortunately, I had ordered the recommended Oregon chain from Amazon and once I put that thing on it was literally a whole new saw. This also highlighted something w these cordless saws: the chain must be SHARP SHARP for maximum battery life.

I agree w above about the oiler being skimpy.

Finally, it seems Ryobi has essentially discontinued the smaller batteries. All the chainsaws (and everything else I've seen in the 40V lineup) comes w the larger batteries. Apparently Woodstock kinda got screwed w one of the earlier models w a compact battery, and that's why I was confused when he speaks in his video of being able to turn the battery around for no-contact during transport.

The "good" performance of the Ryobi makes me want the 16" Echo even more. Or if I didn't hate Dewalt so passionately I'd consider their upcoming 40V chainsaw. Look out gas, these saws are only going to get better and better. What did I see on the 56V EGO today......a 7.5 ah battery IIRC? Holy ****!!

 

[Ign]

Revival! (note this thread began in '14)

HD has the Oregon 14" bar and S52 chain combo on clearance for $7.53. These work wonderfully in these saws.

You'd need to read the HD clearance threads in Hot Deals to get a better understanding, but 2 important points are:
1) each district drops prices at different rates. YMMV. Your store may be higher or they may have pennied already, in which case they're likely gone or difficult to buy if you find one
2) clearance items will not show as in-stock on the website, so you'll have to physically visit the store and look

 

[SilverBulletZ06]

Waiting for this to go on sale. Between the 199 blower/trimmer/battery/charger plus the hedge trimmer I already have the chainsaw is just a logical step (or so I tell the wife). I'm not living in the woods so having a gasser sitting around plus all the nonsense that comes with gas maintenance it makes sense for me to just go electric.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Waiting for this to go on sale. Between the 199 blower/trimmer/battery/charger plus the hedge trimmer I already have the chainsaw is just a logical step (or so I tell the wife). I'm not living in the woods so having a gasser sitting around plus all the nonsense that comes with gas maintenance it makes sense for me to just go electric.

Check out www.homedepot.com and save 15% on a Ryobi 14” 40 volt brushless chainsaw.

 

[melihsaw]

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