Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V 18-Inch Cordless Chainsaw Review

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V is battery powered electric chainsaw. Greenworks claims its DigiPro brushless motor has equivalent power that of a 45cc gas chainsaw but is it really the case?

Cutting performance

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V does cut very well – it has all the power your average homeowner would ever need. Downs 20+ inch oak trees well and excels at bucking. Obviously performance is more than adequate for limbing but a smaller and lighter chainsaw might be more appropriate for such task.

So does it have equivalent power of 45cc gas chainsaw? It depends which model we are talking about but power is comparable for sure even though it might be a bit less powerful than some STIHL or Husqvarna chainsaws.

How does it compare to Greenworks 40V chainsaws? It’s light years ahead of them in cutting performance. Their 40V chainsaws are pretty good for light duty jobs (and okay’ish for some medium duty) so they are good for some purposes but GCS80420 Pro 80V is on whole different level.

One thing that must be mentioned is that Greenworks GCS80420 chainsaw has overload protection and it will stall/shut-off if you push it too hard. If that happens you just release and press trigger again and it immediately starts to cut again. Not a big deal to be honest and it’s something you probably won’t experience often but it still can annoy some.

Features

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V chainsaw has steel bucking spikes – something that you rarely see on electric chainsaw.

As most chainsaws Greenworks GCS80420 also has automatic oiler and translucent oil tank so you can easily inspect oil level. It also has standard safety features like safety button and electronic chain brake.

Trigger isn’t variable so it’s works like on/off switch – you either get 0 or 100% of the power.

It doesn’t have tooless chain tensioner – feature that most modern chainsaws have. Adjusting chain tension isn’t hard but it requires screwdriver and 13mm wrench (or chainsaw wrench). Some consumers have complained about chain constantly popping off – not sure if they have received a defective unit or are doing something wrong.

Battery

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V chainsaw is compatible with batteries of different capacities but it’s generally sold with 2Ah battery. With it you can expect 10-15 minutes of continuous cutting on full charge (since you won’t cut nonstop it will last a lot longer of total work time).

It recharges from 0% to 100% in about 30 minutes which is quick.

Cool thing about Greenworks batteries is that they show how much charge you (roughly) have left so you will never have to wonder when will you run out of juice.

Ergonomics

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V chainsaw is well balanced but it’s a bit heavy for electric chainsaw. With 2.0Ah battery it weighs 14.2 pounds (6.44 kg) whereas without one – 11 pounds (4.98 kg).

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Advantages of electric chainsaw

So why would you actually buy electric chainsaw? Well they usually offer multiple advantages over their gas counterparts. For example Greenworks GCS80420 is significantly less noisy than gas chainsaws, it doesn’t emit any fumes and starts up immediately with a press of a button.

It doesn’t have one advantage though that most electric chainsaws have – lightweightness. GCS80420 Pro 80V isn’t heavy compared to equivalent gas chainsaws but it’s not as light as electric chainsaws often tend to be.

Conclusions

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V is one of the best battery chainsaws you can buy today. It’s powerful and can even outperform some gas chainsaws – something that many believe is impossible for battery powered chainsaw.

It’s not something I would recommend for professional use but it should be plenty good for majority of homeowners.

Greenworks GCS80420 Pro 80V Cordless Chainsaw Details/Specs:

• Type: Electric (battery powered)
• Motor: Brushless 80V
• Bar length: 18” (45.8cm)
• Chain speed: 15 m/s (49.2 feet per second)
• Chain pitch: 3/8” (9.5 mm)
• Chain gauge: 0.05” (1.1 mm)
• Chain type: Oregon 91P062X
• Guide bar type: Oregon 180SDEA041
• Weight:
  • With 2Ah battery: 14.2 pounds (6.44 kg)
  • Without battery: 11 pounds (4.98 kg)