Makita UC4051A 16-inch Electric Corded Chainsaw Review

Makita UC4051A is electric cord powered chainsaw with 16-inch Makita guide bar and chain. It has 14.5-Amp motor that allows chain to move at 47.6 feet per second (14.5 m/s) at no-load.

So being on more expensive side of corded chainsaws how does Makita UC4051A perform?

Cutting performance

Makita UC4051A cuts very well. It doesn’t cut quite as fast as gas chainsaws however it’s not far off – difference is small but noticeable. With that being said it will cut through soft or hard woods of your liking just fine. 14-inch diameter trees, logs or pines are no challenge for UC4051A.

Factory chain is not the best. It’s not terrible but with a better chain cutting speed will be even better.

Quality

Makita UC4051A overall feels very well made and designed to last for years to come of heavy-ish use. Only complaint is that tool-less chain tensioning is made of plastic and does feels a bit flimsy but it works just fine.

Over-load protection

Makita UC4051A has current limiter that protects motor from burnout by reducing power when chainsaw is overloaded. What it means in use is motor can shut off if you push it into wood too hard so don’t force it and let chainsaw do the job (however if it does overload and shut off it’s easy and very fast to restart – just let off the trigger and chainsaw will immediately start when you push it again).

Features

Makita UC4051A has features like tool-less chain tensioning, electric chain brake, automatic chain oiler with transparent window so you can see oil level, metal spike bar and rubberized handles that provide good grip.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics are pretty good. Yes, cord can get in the way at times but Makita UC4051A is well balanced, comfortable to use and not hard to handle as well. Weighing at 12.3 pounds it’s not that heavy too!

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Cord

Makita UC4051A doesn’t come with cord so if you already don’t own cord with appropriate gauge (AWG) rating you will have to buy one separately. Cord that is up to 25 feet long shouldn’t have gauge rating worse than 14 (the lower the number the better) whereas cord that are 25 to 50 feet long should have gauge rating of 12. Longer cords are not recommended.

Why choose electric chainsaw?

Although not usually as powerful electric chainsaws do have some advantages over their gas counterparts. A major one is ease of use – they start immediately (which is even a bigger plus if you use your chainsaw occasionally as gas chainsaws can be very hard to start if not used in a while) and require much less maintenance.

Then there’s noise – electric chainsaws are considerably quieter than gas chainsaws so you won’t disturb your neighbours or nearby people generally. Makita UC4051A isn’t the quietest chainsaw on the market but it’s still A LOT quieter than similarly sized gas units.

Electric chainsaws don’t emit fumes so you could say they are healthier to use as you don’t have to breathe hazardous air.

Electric chainsaw isn’t always a proper replacement for a gas unit, especially for commercial use, but technology has gotten far enough for the advantages to outweigh slight decrease in cutting speed for most homeowners.

Conclusions

Makita UC4051A is one of the best corded chainsaws if not the best. If you are looking for corded chainsaw that can do heavier jobs then this is it!

Makita UC4051A Chainsaw Specifications:

• Type: Electric (Corded)
• Guide bar Length: 18 inches
• Motor: 14.5-Amp
• No-load chain speed: 47.6 ft/s (14.5 m/s)
• Chain pitch: 3/8″
• Number of drive links: 56
• Weight: 12.3 lbs / 5.6 kg