Makita UC4041A/2 240V 40cm Electric Chainsaw

I don’t often write reviews, but I thought I ought to after buying this: some tools are awful, some are a joy to use - this one is a joy. My first chainsaw (5 months ago) was the Hyundai P6220C petrol which is very good, but it’s heavy, and sometimes it was exhausting getting it started (I’m not a tree surgeon but do cut up quite a bit of wood for our wood burner). In the end, I got the Makita as I knew it would ‘just start’ every time, without me being a mechanic. It’s utterly brilliant. It’s 1lb lighter, and after a few hours you are definitely grateful. It felt 100% safer than the petrol - a superb safety feature is how quickly the saw stops, completely, as soon as you release the trigger; this is like having a second, automatic brake! Actually, the most dangerous thing about this saw is that it is so easy to use, so I suppose I’ll have to be careful not to get complacent.If you’re a lumberjack, get a petrol. If you’re not, get one of these.

Once you work out the correct way for the chain. It's very good. Strong and sturdy. Good safety features if you use correctly. The lead with the plug is very short. Could be or should be at least 3 foot. When connected to the extension end the shortness is difficult to use. Made a single 6ft extension solved the problem. But if it came with a good length of lead it would be ideal

Excellent saw. It has plenty of power and made short work of chopping up a large fallen apple tree today (16 inch diameter trunk). Cuts are quick and easy to make. The unit feels good in the hands and is a good weight and easy to handle safely. The instruction booklet, on the other hand, is terrible. It includes assembly and sharpening diagrams, but these are much too small to show any detail. I will have to Google how to sharpen the chain.NOTE: UNIT DOES NOT SHIP WITH OIL! You should be aware of this and order some biodegradable oil (e.g. Bosch oil) at the same time, otherwise you won't be able o use your new saw! It's probably a good idea to order a spare chain and a sharpening kit as well, as the chain blunts fairly rapidly. I notice in the reviews concern that the bar attachment/chain tensioner is flimsy. I have not found this to be so. It is made of plastic, but provided you don't overtighten it it should last a long time.

I was pleased with the chain saw when it arrived and it appeared well made and was easy to set up. I have other petrol chain saws so was used to them and their operation. I started to cut some silver birch logs about 3 inches in diameter. About a dozen cuts into the job there was a loud crack sound, like a gun shot going off. The chainsaw stopped. On examining the saw I found the metal chain tensioning pin had sheared off. This resulted in the chain immediately loosening which in turn bent some chain teeth , cut into the bar and ripped through the plasic case. I was shocked to say the least. I found out that this has happened before to other users and I have to consider that this saw is dangerous.

Bought this chainsaw to remove trees in my garden. Have always used Bosch but recent reviews of Bosch chainsaws were poor. This chainsaw had good reviews with excellent comments regarding how easy it was to adjust the chain (which is always something to fiddle with half way through a job). Used the chainsaw last week and I was really impressed. After I removed from packaging I needed to fit the chain and bar and add oil to the reservoir. This was completed in 10 minutes after reading the instructional booklet that came with the saw. I carried out the work in the garden with the chainsaw and it performed really well. This chainsaw isn't too heavy to handle and has a safety cut out at the front which stops the motor immediately; always important. The chain and blade has a plastic guard which should be used when transporting. It is powerful enough for most domestic tree work so make sure you have the correct PPE to protect yourself when working. All considered, an excellent purchase for the money!

This is a good, well made saw but there is an issue with the chain tensioner breaking. It is a small part that can be replaced by yourself but you will need to take the saw apart-it’s nothing too challenging and the part is easy to buy off eBay, but a pain non the less. This is a common issue that has been discussed on forums and YouTube.Despite this, the saw works really well, not as good as a two stroke saw but good enough and obviously quieter

Having a log burner, and steady supply of logs I bought a petrol chainsaw of Chinese origin. From day one the machine was an unsafe unpleasant disaster. So I got rid of it! So went a while without any saw. However the chance of a large amount of wood came my way so had to buy another chainsaw.The Makita UC 4041A is simply superb. Light, quick, quiet and so so powerful and all with very little fuss. No tools required to assemble it and ultra simple adjustment. I totally and unreservedly recommend this for use where ever a mains electricity supply is available.Simply put it light years ahead of my old petrol saw.Update.Still giving perfect service. Would still buy again. Very controllable, and easy to use.