Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Electric Chain Saw #CCS818 Reviews

• Lite chain saw for lite jobs

  
  By A3D1IS0HRDBDMB on 2006-10-20
  I was tired of reving up my heavy 20 inch gas chain saw for occasional jobs around the property. This saw is light and convenient for work in tight locations like brush clearing.
  
  It arrived promptly from Amazon. It I appears to be well designed and worked fine after charging the included 18 volt battery. Although product specs do not mention it, the package includes a charger for the battery.
  
  I have not used the product long enough to determine how long the battery holds its charge. But, on a fresh charge it successfully cut through everything that I have tried it on .. soft wood and hard wood.
  
  

• Excellent light duty chainsaw

  
  By A3D5WMTMSB5D5M on 2007-02-26
  This saw will fell and buck two average trees 5-7" at the base before the battery pack runs down. I would be inclined to lop manually for small trees like these, so that the battery will last a bit longer, and safety is a bit higher.
  
  4 stars since the convenience of use could be improved (would be nice to have a hook or Velcro(r) loop for the scabbard rather than have to keep track of it on the ground, and some kind of retention method for the battery prong cover so that the cover doesn't wander about and get lost). It would also have been nice if B&D included a little bottle of the non-toxic chain lube like the Alligator Loppers come with, so the user doesn't immediately have to go out buying chain oil before using the saw.
  
  Very lightweight and easy to handle, no fumes and minimal kickback. Great value for the price.
  
  
  

• Greatest thing since sliced bread

  
  By AAXG160ES9P7G on 2007-07-26
  If you need a light-duty chain saw (to use around the property, not out in the woods by professionals) then buy this! It's beyond useful and is nicer in-person than what it looks like on the web.
  
  I trimmed our 20+ yr old maple tree like it was child's play. No cords, no gas to store, no problems. I trimmed that tree and several other bushes in the yard, and have yet to recharge the battery for it even once.
  
  One recommendation however: make sure you have some SAE 30W motor oil handy. There's a built-in reservoir for such a lubricant (to oil the chain to extend its life).
  
  This saw is solid and it performs. If you're a lumberjack, buy a gas-powered one instead. Otherwise get this one!
  
  

• Black & Decker Cordless Chainsaw

  
  By A1NDZ0B9QUJF3O on 2007-03-23
  I've bought this Chainsaw to take with me whenever I go to the farm and use it to cut grap-vine around the trees and cut some wood for camping.
  
  Con's:
  1. the oil resorvior is way too small and if you over fill (by accident) it well go all over the battary.
  2. the battary does not last long enugh and there is no indecator to tell you how much jouice left.
  
  Pro's:
  1. still easir than a normal chain-saw.
  2. easy to handle.
  3. less noise.
  
  This is why I gave it 3 stars, if the battary can hold more like the craftsmen then this product would've been EXCELLENT...
  
  

• The Chain is a Major Problem

  
  By ADR8M70SF90P3 on 2007-05-07
  I purchased the chainsaw at the end of March. As a female, and elderly, I knew I would not be able to handle the ones powered by gasoline. The size, weight, and concept are perfect. After cutting down one small tree, I had to stop and undo the screws and replace the chain on its track. After cutting down the second tree, had to stop and undo the screws and replace the chain on its track. When I started cutting down the third tree, a kink in the chain stopped everything. I drove to Lowe's, Walmart, and Home Depot and although they handle the saw, they do not handle replacement chains. I came home exhausted and called the number on the manual. The attitude of the young man was "who cares." There is only one place in my area that handles a replacement chain and that is at their service center which is approximately 40 miles from my home. They wanted $8.50 for shipping and $9.95 plus tax for the chain. I was very upset. So I will have to plan to leave early from work one day and drive to pick one up. This is the worst product that I have used made by Black & Decker. The chain is a real problem. Had I been able to pick one up at a retailer, I would not have been as upset but wasting my afternoon trying to locate a chain only to learn from Black & Decker that the only place I can locate a replacement chain is from them and they are so far from my home. Save your money. This is a two thumbs down for the chainsaw and Black & Decker's customer service.
  
  
• Light and easy to handle
  By A3O88WXM9301JI on 2006-11-30
  I bought an electric chain saw so that I could saw my own wood to heat our house, and also for my wood cook stove. Due to arthritic shoulder, elbow and wrist I have great difficulty getting the gas chain saw started. So I recently bought a Black & Decker battery operated chain saw, it starts with the push of a button, is very light and easy to handle and does a great job cutting even hard wood. I purchased an extra battery and with both batteries I am able to cut enough firewood to last about four days.
  
  
• OK for its intended purpose
  By A1D6QRPYDAB4RJ on 2007-11-07
  This is a nice small branch trimmer. Its downfall is the chain oil is gravity feed onto the chain and leaks consistently. Wherever you store the chainsaw will get oil underneath. I'd give it 5 stars if they fixed that issue. I'm still pleased with the purchase and have learned to deal with the oil problem by simply carrying a small squirt bottle of oil and adding it directly to the chain, bypassing the leaky oil chamber.
  
  
• A handy little chainsaw, but flawed.
  By A1HF6TIJ0YV6JO on 2007-08-19
  Living against a soy field, my yard always seems to be overgrown. I previously used a small hand saw to chop down stubborn trees and weeds, which was back-breaking. So, I decided to give the Black & Decker 18-volt chainsaw a try.
  
  I must say, it works great for small jobs. Once the chain tension is adjusted correctly, it slices fairly quickly through small branches and logs. So far I'm satisfied with the battery life, and I bought a spare to keep me going just in case.
  
  Although I'm mostly happy with my purchase, which beats that dreaded hand saw, it's not perfect. The chain lubricator is utter garbage. The oil does not even touch the chain, but runs down beside it and drips from the bottom of the housing onto your feet. You'd be better off carrying a bottle of oil and squirting it on the chain yourself than pressing on the lubricator button, otherwise it's going to stay dry. I'm not sure how Black & Decker let something like this get past them.
  
  Also, the chain drags a lot of debris into the housing which has to be frequently cleaned, otherwise the motor bogs down. I guess it's not powerful enough to kick the debris out like a gas or electric chainsaw. I suppose this shouldn't be a strike against the product since cordless products are always less powerful, but it's still annoying and may want to be taken into consideration.
  
  All in all it is a handy item, but due to the defective oiler and debris collection it's only worth 3 stars. I wish I would have saved some money and bought an electric chainsaw instead for my needs. If you have a large amount of property and need something to carry around withoug lugging a large gasoline chainsaw, this would most likely be your best option. If you'd be using this in a small yard in close vacinity to your home, take $50 to Home Depot and get an electric chainsaw.
  
  
• A good buy
  By AF8HEGRDSVCP on 2007-01-22
  The B&D chain saw does the job it is designed to do without fuss. Although the product info doesn't mention it, the package includes a battery charger but if you intend to use it much you are advised to go ahead and purchase another battery (or two) as well as the optional rapid charger.
  
  It is important to note that the chain seems to stretch a bit faster than the chain on a gas saw so periodic tension checks the first few hours of use is really important.
  
  
• B&D 18V Chainsaw
  By A2MIDYR4N037FE on 2007-03-20
  Good for quick and small jobs. Battery useage not an issue if you have two or more as I do.
  One big gripe - its messy, leaks oil.
  
  
• Uses standard-design 18V battery
  By AR64CEBJWBICU on 2007-04-12
  I bought this one primarily for pruning smaller trees in my backyard, and will take it camping in the summer to gather firewoods. It's compact and light enough to fit pretty much anywhere. It doesn't come with a spare battery, but since my cordless lawn trimmer uses the same type of battery (and it comes with 2), I'm able to freely share the batteries between the 2 tools.
  
  It's not meant for heavy-duty cutting, just a handy chain saw.
  
  
• easy to use
  By A2NC3Z3WGS81JG on 2007-01-11
  very good for small jobs, or up on ladders where large saws are hard to handle.
  
  
• Looks like a toy, but really works
  By A3NLNLS7CIWJNZ on 2007-09-08
  I bought this saw to clear my backyard that the previous owners had let go and it's a small jungle back there. Saw arrived today in time for weekend testing and I was surprised just how tiny it turned out to be. I own other B&D 18v tools so no waiting for the battery to charge. I used it for about 45 min to cut down dead trees in the very back along with some sprouting Oak trees. I was thinking it would cut slower than gas but this thing has really good torque. You should clean it and adjust the chain when finished which I did tonight and found it only took about 5 min and was very easy. The battery still has juice and I will see how long it holds out tomorrow before I have to switch to another battery. Speaking of which, I have seen comments on the price of battery's and the need for additional packs to complete the job. Here is how I play it and this system works for me:
  
  1) I buy packages, never the batteries by themselves. Sometimes you get a free tool just for the price of 1 battery. Walmart had 2 batts and a cordless drill for 39.95 awhile back. The drill was not the one with the high torque (which I also just bought) but for the price it was worth it to get the batteries. Everyone runs sales..just look for them.
  2) As you get more tools and batteries you get chargers as well. The lawn care center comes with a nice 3 place charger but it is slow. You should buy the quick charger for sure. It was about 20 bucks but I think it has gone up a bit. It is a peak charger and because of this, it seems to do a better job of topping off the batteries than the slow chargers. It comes in handy when I know I am running low on spare packs.
  3) Take care of your batteries so they will last. I keep mine on a kitchen shelf all in a row and the freshly charged battery goes to the back of the line. That way a battery is not used over and over and they all get a break in between use. Labels work well too. Tools are fine for the garage, utility but keep the batts themselves inside so they don't get too hot or cold. Always let a empty pack cool down before you recharge. As of today I am up to 8 packs which sounds like a lot but I have gone through 5 packs on my front yard about 2 weeks ago.
  
  
• Cordless Chainsaw
  By A1VNCMVX2B9Q5W on 2007-01-09
  It is quite handy. Great in places where there is no electric power. It is nice not having to inhale gas smell from using gas chain sawa. Feels much safer to use compared to gas chain saw. One has to keep spare batteries, if one wants to use this for more than 1 hour. I lost one of the two bolts that hold the chain assembly together and finding it difficult to get the replacement.
  
  
• Small Jobs
  By A3IP1IZKJV00L0 on 2007-01-17
  My Wife bought this cordless Chainsaw for me. I really haven't used it alot.For small jobs it is light weight, easy to handle, without taking time to fill with gas or electrical cord to mess with. I would say it is fast and easy for small jobs anywhere your at.I like the way it cuts, no pull starting to mess with, quick and easy to start and finish small jobs. I like it for trimming low branches on trees,fast cutting for 2 by 4 or any other boards .I use it for cutting mostly small firewood for my wood stove. Overall,I like the Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Chainsaw and was worth the price I gave for it. Also the battery and charger fits all my Black & Decker new 18 volt cordless tools that I have.
  
  
• B & D Cordless Chain saw
  By A2DTIBY21GL4PZ on 2007-11-02
  Nice looking, well designed product. Those are the good things. Battery life leaves a lot to be desired. Could only get about thirty minutes of cutting time. Speaking of charge, it REALLY needs a quick charger. Once the battery runs down, you are without the saw for about eight to ten hours. I needed a small, light weight saw to carry in a back pack and this is NOT it.
  
  
• Cordless Chainsaw-Great Tool
  By A3O23ZSEZH588R on 2007-03-08
  This is the perfect tool for women! My sister and I are clearing trails on our farm to ride our horses, and this is perfect. It is lightweight, easy to handle, but does an amazing job cutting through trees as large as 6"-8" in diameter. We highly recommend it!
  
  
• Cordless Chainsaw
  By A2UEQ4ZCN9F0U0 on 2007-03-28
  The chainsaw worked weel the first time I used it. The main thing to remember is that the 8 inch length of the saw is very short and is really only good for pruning small brances, not for cutting down trees or large logs for firewood.
  
  
• Black & Decker Chainsaw
  By A2PEXGRET3WCCX on 2007-01-18
  This chainsaw is perfect for what I needed it for. Tne only complaint it is that the battery looses power and I can't finish my job. I'd suggest buying a back-up battery so you can switch them out and continue using it longer.
  
  
• Perfect for a quick clean up
  By A2J8PGHM0KRBDM on 2007-06-13
  You wouldn't think this thing would do all that well, and no, it doesn't replace a gas powered chainsaw. But I don't need a gas powered one to trim certain sized branches, and a corded one is a pain in the butt when you don't have any outdoor outlets. This tiny, quiet little machine works perfectly for the quick cleanup after a storm, or for trimming back trees. Works pretty well with firewood too. I already have the cordless hedge trimmer and drill, so I have plenty of batteries charged and ready to go, but this thing manages a good 30 mins before it starts to putz out. Perfect for the small jobs.
  
  
• A chain saw for the rest of us!
  By A351S4CC9W3PSN on 2007-09-03
  Our big gas-powered chain saw died this year, so we got a smaller one in the Black & Decker 18v cordless model. It's great! I couldn't use our other one because I wasn't strong enough and the loudness bothered me. But now I can trim branches and even cut logs up to 7 1/2 inch in diameter. The noise is less and it's just a much more pleasant experience.
  
  My only cavaet would be that the battery seems to run down after about 1/2 hour of use. Otherwise, this is a great tool!
  
  
• Great little saw for the price
  By A18NS2LFYCLOTH on 2007-09-03
  I'm a woman who's never touched a power saw in my life before this one. I bought it to saw relatively thin branches and it works just fine. I've used it about 2 or 3 times now and can confirm that the chain must be retightened quite a bit in the beginning. Considering this it's still very much worth it because it would take a tremendous amount of energy for me to saw all of the stuff "by hand". If you're looking to do some major sawing this may not be the one for you, but it's great for occasional light work around the yard.
  
  
• Great Product
  By A1L7I7J1A2GBL6 on 2007-11-25
  This is a great product. I wanted something smaller so I could cut smaller branches and trees, without having to use my Stihl gas chain saw.
  
  This will not replace a chain saw for serious wood cutting. But it is great for smaller wood. It does have a cheap plastic body but all in all it cuts well.
  
  I got the extra battery and recommend it. I was cutting 4 inch logs and would say the battery lasted for 20 minutes.
  
  This would be a great learning tool for a child. I don't mean a young child. When I was young my dad taught me how to cut logs with a large chain saw, I remember being very afraid that I would cut off a limb. This would be great for teaching cutting with a chain saw. It is easy to handle.
  
  A great little saw. A great addition to my gas chain saws, thank you B & D.
  
  
• Excellent tool
  By A22B75GUPWWC8D on 2007-05-21
  I really liked using this chainsaw. I took down a 6 inch diameter 12 foot tall tree, and took all of the branches off in about 10 minutes. I'm not sure about the 8 inch chain bar length. Sometimes I wish it was bigger just in case I need to do a bigger job, but then I think the length is probably perfect. If it was bigger, it might not be so easy to use, and compact to carry and store. Maybe they got the length just right on this. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
  
  
• CCS818 Pros and Cons-A good, but not perfect little saw.
  By A1KQ7I0C0FM55 on 2007-10-04
  Pros:
  Overall, this is a very handy tool, if you just want to trim some dead or fallen branches this is a great tool to have. It is nearly ideal for such occasional, light duty use. Electric is far easier to start than gas. Battery power means you don't have run an electric cord, or worry about accidently cutting it.
  
  The blade seems thiner than some chain saws. Cordless circular saws have used thin kerf blades for quite a while. A thinner blade requires less power to make the cut. This translates into more cuts between battery charges. Think of this is a thin kerf chain saw blade.
  
  Don't be suckered into buying an assortment of tools that all take different batteries. For portable power tools to be really useful, you need to have a charged battery waiting and ready to go. For most of us, this means standardizing on products that all use the same batteries.
  
  This saw uses the standard Black & Decker 18 Volt slide-in-battery-pack. Right now, this is the most common B&D battery type and the one to pick if you want to standardize on a B&D battery. (Some products, 18 Volt nailers, for example, are only available from select suppliers.) So if you standardize on this 18 volt battery, you can have one waiting in the charger to use in your chain saw, your drill, your impact driver, your circular saw, your reciprocating saw, your sander, your jig saw, your string trimmer, your hedge trimmer, your leaf blower, etc. (B&D probably makes more stuff that uses this 18 V battery, then your spouse will let you buy.)
  
  Cons:
  Safety features don't appear to be inferior to many other chain saws. But they don't appear markedly better either. B&D used to make a corded chain saw, the LogHog LH1600, which had some extra safety features that ought to have been included on the CCS818. There is every reason to believe that this little saw can cut off limbs quite readily. It may be battery powered, but you still should treat it with respect. Don't let young children play with it either. (The LH1600 had a nicer chain tension adjustment too.)
  
  If the oil cap falls off, it is all too likely to be lost forever. One wonders how easy it is to get replacements for this? B&D should change its color from its current black to the same, easy to see, bright red as used on much of the saw's body.
  
  It may be hard to get replacement chains. I haven't tried, but I wonder how readily available replacement chains are now, and how available they are likely to be in the future. I recommend getting a spare chain at the time you buy the saw.
  
  The chain adjustment tool, an allan wrench with a flat blade screwdriver end, would be easer to use if it were a bit longer.
  
  The battery power and small size mean you should look elsewhere if lighting just struck and killed your giant sequoia.
  
  
• Great for what it is
  By A3V5USXYWLJ7HX on 2007-06-01
  A good LIGHT duty chain saw for trimming the odd branch or or storm fall. Also works well for trimming off the tops of 6" fence posts, though you can only get 3 or four before the battery runs down.
  
  
• "Good for small Jobs"
  By A159K25M5RSFGI on 2007-03-28
  This chain saw works just as expected..You really should have extra batteries, and an extra chain. I got my spare chain at the local B&D (Dewalt) service center for less than $11.00
  
  
• Great for small work
  By APR267QFPZO8L on 2007-03-31
  I purchased this for cleaning up errant privett hedge and it works wonderfully.
  
  
• little chainsaw does the job
  By A35YPBQLIN40FR on 2007-04-10
  This is a handy pruning aid. It is light, easy to use. No cord to mess with. I removed 3 inch diameter branches with ease, beats using a pruning saw.
  
  
• Surprisingly good battery-operated chain saw
  By A3STDKHR363A7C on 2007-09-03
  This is a real chain saw for small jobs. You don't need to be an arm wrestler to start it, as it is battery-operated. You can't use it for logging a 36" tree, but you can use it to trim boards on fences, small tree branches that a lopper can't cut, or firewood that is too large for your fireplace. The battery lasts for 50 cuts, according to the manual. I didn't verify that. Like all chain saws, this one must be operated with all safety precautions in place. Eye protection and gloves are a necessity. The saw is lightweight enough for me (I'm a woman) to operate for at least an hour.
  
  Black and Decker has several other battery operated tools, all of which operate on the same battery and charger system, so the batteries are interchangeable. I also have a weed trimmer, a leaf blower, and a hedge trimmer. Of all of these, the chain saw is the most surprising--it actually does work better than I had expected. The other tools work fine; I just hadn't expected that a battery could supply the power loads of a chain saw. It is necessary to keep the oil reservoir filled, and pump some oil into the operating system from the reservoir. after each cut. Since I have only had the saw for a couple of months, I don't know how well it will hold up. But, right now, I am looking forward to more battery-operated tools from Black and Decker.
  
  

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