The 40V 12-inch Greenworks chainsaw is a top selling chainsaw and is a huge favorite for home use and DIY projects. This top rated cordless chainsaw will easily take care of your basic cutting and trimming needs as well as supplying an ample supply of campfire wood!
When you own a cordless chainsaw you will find many other projects they are useful for, including demolition projects and removing low hanging limbs that bump your head as you mow your lawn. Another benefit from removing low limbs is allowing more sunlight under the tree which in turn will help your grass grow better and thicker resulting in less mud when it rains.
Greenworks 12-Inch 40 Volt Cordless Chainsaw Overview
- Battery Voltage – 40 volts
- Battery Capacity – 2 Ah
- Battery run time – 75 cuts on 4×4 inch wood
- Trigger speed – Variable
- Bar Length – 12 inches
- Automatic Chain Oiler – Yes
- Oil tank – Yes
- Chain pitch – 3/8″
- Chain gauge – 0.05 inch
- Chain speed – 14.1 feet per second
- Chainsaw warranty – 4 years
- Battery warranty – 2 years
- Chainsaw dimensions – 26.4 x 8.1 x 11 inches
- Chainsaw weight – 9.3 pounds / 11.2 pounds including battery
- Chainsaw kit includes – The saw, a battery, a charger, a bar cover
Description Of This Chainsaw – Lightweight And Affordable
This Greenworks chainsaw is an excellent choice for home use. Cutting or pruning your trees or shrubs? This lightweight and user-friendly chainsaw is up to the task. Storms usually bring down branches and with a trusty cordless chainsaw you will quickly have your lawn in pristine condition. No need to call a professional to cut up several limbs, they will be busy doing emergency storm damage work anyways.
The Greenworks 40 volt family of tools consists of more than 25 products with high efficiency motors and they are built for medium use. The universal 40-volt battery has ample running time for normal projects and provides engine power similar to a comparable gas chainsaw.
A 12-inch bar keeps the chainsaw compact and still provides enough length for most jobs.
A translucent oil tank ensures clear visibility of the oil level, a quick glance will tell you how much oil remains in the tank. An automatic oiling device provides continuous lubrication to the bar and chain while operating the chainsaw, keeping the chain cutting smoothly without overheating.
A tool less chain tensioning knob provides a quick and easy way to maintain the chain tension, more time cutting and no time wasted looking for the correct tool to tighten or replace the chain.
The rear handle provides great grip and control while the top wrap around handle safely assists in cutting multiple angles.
The battery charge time is approximately 2 hours and should make 75 cuts on 4×4 inch wood. You will also need to add bar and chain oil to the tank approximately every battery change.
Its ranking as a #1 best-seller ensures the popularity of this top rated cordless chainsaw. Many others give favorable reviews and offer user experience keeping it at the top of the list.
Here is a video description of this Greenworks chainsaw.
Would you like the option to purchase this chainsaw or learn more about other sizes of Greenworks chainsaws? Click here to view the 5 popular Greenworks chainsaws with varying battery voltage and bar lengths.
Battery Chainsaws Are Low Maintenance, Reliable, and Efficient
A battery powered chainsaw offers many advantages compared to gas chainsaws. Among the most important are little to no maintenance, you will never replace a spark plug or need a costly engine tuneup. The fast and easy start at the push of a button is convenient, preventing a stubborn gas chainsaw that won’t start. No more gas cans needing to be refilled.
Other benefits are reduced noise, battery chainsaws operate much quieter than gas chainsaws which is especially useful if you have close neighbors, no gas fumes means you can cut indoors and is also environmental friendly.
People that have purchased the Greenworks chainsaw were impressed by the affordability and how lightweight it is. Many them previously owned a gas powered chainsaw and now the battery powered chainsaw has become their new favorite, causing the gas chainsaw to stay on the shelf, likely never used again!
Safety Tips Gained From Experience
Use caution when cutting large broken down limbs or storm damaged trees. Many of the underneath limbs are under pressure from holding the branch or trunk up and could pinch your chainsaw bar as you cut. In the image above the bottom branches are supporting the tree. Starting the cut on the underside and cutting upward on these branches prevents the bar from pinching.
Be careful cutting above your shoulders, the branch is supporting the chainsaw, plus you may be pushing the chainsaw down on the branch and when the branch is cut through the chainsaw may suddenly drop toward your legs if you don’t have a firm grip on it.
Be cautious of kick back, which can be extremely dangerous. To prevent kickback always keep a firm grip on the top handle and do not use the top half of the nose of the chainsaw bar. When that small area on the top of the end of the bar touches wood the moving chain will kick the saw back and up.
A simple tip on how to check the chain tension on the chainsaw, place the saw on a flat surface and pull the chain 1/8″ away from the guide bar using your index finger and thumb. It should easily pull away from the
guide bar 1/8″ and when you release the chain it should go back to the bar. There should be no sagging belly in the chain on the underside of the guide bar.
Keep a sharp chain on the saw, a sharp chain cuts much faster and is actually safer to use than a dull chain. With a dull chain you will be pushing much harder to help the saw cut resulting in less stability for yourself.
New chains may not look dangerous, but they are very sharp. Leather work gloves can be worn when handling or replacing sharp chains. I have already cut my finger when handling sharp chains because I was not wearing gloves.
Concluding Thoughts About Cordless Chainsaws
This chainsaw is one of the smaller models made by Greenworks and although it is widely popular it is advised for light to medium work. It will bog down or cut slowly when trying to cut firewood larger than 10 -12 inches. If you want to cut a lot of firewood, the Greenworks 80 volt chainsaw with an 18-inch bar has comparable power to a gas engine!
As a co-owner of a family owned Tree Pruning and Removal business I have plenty of experience to share about chainsaws! I believe a battery operated cordless chainsaw is an excellent choice for home use and will be powerful enough and simple and convenient to use.
Chainsaws are fun and enjoyable to operate and I love to cut large trees! I hope you love your new chainsaw and enjoy cutting wood with it! Be sure to have at least one extra chain. A chain will stay sharp for a long time, but cutting into the dirt or nicking a stone will dull it in a hurry. If you accidentally cut into a rock it will become dull immediately.
If you already own a chainsaw I would love to hear about your experience with it or if you have any other questions or comments I will try my best to answer them.
Justin
Hi, I didnt know there are battery chainsaws. Great article and great chainsaw, and since you are a co-owner of the company, I believe you have a lot of experience, and these cordless saws seem like a great thing for making the yard even nicer and sunnier. Are these battery chainsaws just as strong as professional chainsaws which use blend of gasoline and oil?
Thanks for your thoughts! The larger battery chainsaws can have engine power that compares similarly to an equal size gas chainsaw with up to a 12-18 inch bar.
A professional commercial grade chainsaw will outperform a battery chainsaw, simply because they are built for large jobs and heavy use.
Battery Chainsaws sounds like a better option than gas chainsaws. It’s great that they are not so noisy. Your safety tips are very helpful for those who are beginners in using chainsaws. Looks like you have a lot of experience using chainsaws. Thanks for your sharing.
Thank you for your comment. A benefit for many people is they are significantly quieter than regular chainsaws.
Hello Justin, I have no information about battery chainsaws but at least now I know, very helpful and useful post and also the safety tips are a nice way to be pre-cautious before using them. Thank you and best wishes.
Thanks for the comment and I am happy to be able to help you!