CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16 Inch, 12 Amp Corded (CMECS600)

This is a decent chain saw. CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16-Inch, 12-Amp (CMECS600)It is not an imitation saw-like thing trying to be a chain saw. There is a review in which a guy mentioned he bumped himself with it while running and did not get cut. He makes this sound like it could be a toy or waste of money. I don't know what he or his saw did, but this chain is very sharp and runs smoothly and true on the bar. The motor is plenty powerful. The saw is nicely balanced and handles like any gas chain saw I've used, except this electric style is quiet, smooth-starting and smooth while running and you don't have to fight gas starting and idle problems. It has the classic chain saw two-hand grips: left hand on top at the balance point with a protective knuckle shield, and right hand on the rear with the switch. (That configuration was a must-have for me.)I cut through branches ~ 4-5 inches in diameter of Lemonade Berry ( a CA tree with medium hard wood) in < 5 seconds per branch. No special effort needed. I'm totally satisfied with the performance of this saw.Some folks have commented that the chain continues to run after you let go of the switch. Yes, the electric motor does not have a brake-when-off circuit (ahem, this would be very easy to do though Craftsman folks!) So the chain will coast down to a stop in a couple of seconds. That said, in my opinion having the chain coasting down for a couple of seconds does not scare me or detract from the utility of this saw. If you are at risk of contacting the chain or bar within a couple seconds of finishing your cut, then I think you need to review your cutting practices, not be relying on a different saw with an instant brake.This saw has an adjustment mechanism for setting the bar position to tension the chain. The big red knob on the side of the saw housing is a clamp knob. There is a smaller knob that drives a pusher screw that pushes the back end of the bar forward to tension the chain. It is easy to adjust, and as long as the clamping action holds up for the long run, it is easy to use and does the job. If there is anything that toes the line of flimsy about this saw, it is this pusher screw mechanism. If I were designing it, I would have payed a bit more attention to materials and pressure points in that setup, but it does seem to work so far. It certainly does make it easy and convenient to re-tension the chain, and that is a good thing.In short, I think this a a decent chain saw capable of cutting branches that are big enough that you would have no practical chance of doing by hand. At $80, it's also a very good price. It was cheaper than hiring someone with a saw to do the job for me. Glad I bought it.Added 6-12-2024:One added note: when you are finished using the saw and going to put it away for storage, be sure to drain the chain oil reservoir. The oil will leak out of the reservoir no matter what position you store it in. Just turn the saw over and pour the remaining oil back into the original container. Not too hard, and way easier than cleaning up a few ounces of sticky chain oil!

Was not expecting much out of this cheap chainsaw, but was pleasantly surprized at how well it functions. Was tired of getting an unintentional workout trying to start my gas saw for small jobs and wanted either a corded or cordless alternative. The battery powered saws seem pretty awesome, but I can't justify the cost for what little I need one for and very infrequently. This saw came super sharp our of the box. Cuts were clean and fast. So easy to use. The chain does continue to spin after you let go of the trigger, there is not chain brake or motor break, but knowing that, just keep the chain away from anything you aren't willing to cut and ensure it has stopped before putting it down. For the price, you can't beat this saw. I'll use it til it dies and buy another one, if need be. We'll see how long it lasts.

Works Great! My only complaint is that the blades only lasted 2 hours. I was only cutting down 1 branch of walnut from my neighbors yard. The branch was hanging over my pool, and the leaves were making a mess. The branch had to go! I was able to cut down the branch and cut the branch into small manageable logs so I can use in my smoker once the wood dries. That took about 2 hours. I figured I would get some more work done and decided to cut down a small tree in the front and it didn't want to cut anymore. I couldn't get it through. Initially the blade was very sharp and cut like butter. Considering walnut is a hard wood and I cut several cords of wood for my smoker I seriously worked those blades down. I'm not mad at it. I got my job done. And replacements aren't costly at all. Over all I was very happy with this but!

Ok, I did not expect a lot for a $79 chainsaw, but I am happy to say this Craftsman seems surprisingly good. I've only used it a couple of times, but it seems to have decent power and cut well. The body is all plastic, but it seems sturdy. It looks almost identical to the 16" electric saw Homelite sells only that one is around $129. I had one of those for 13 years and I hope this Craftsman will give just as good of service. The construction is very similar Over time I have discovered these inexpensive electric saws have the tendency to weep bar oil. Mine isn't dripping yet but I would expect it to especially as it begins to wear so keep that in mind when you pick a place to store it. The blade adjustment is easier to use than the last saw I had. You just turn one knob to tighten the blade. I don't like saws where you have to turn one thing to tighten the blade then turn one or two more to clamp it. If you have a lot of cutting to do or you tend to cut larger trees and limbs, I would definitely step up to something gas powered. The size and power of the saw is best suited to occasional homeowner use for lighter cutting and trimming.

I was introduced to this impressive product by a coworker and decided to give it a try for my tree-cutting tasks in preparation for hurricane season in Florida. The chainsaw proved to be relentless, except for one instance of motor overheating that required a short cooldown period. Despite this minor setback, it effortlessly handled cutting down large trees that would have challenged my gas-powered chainsaw. I have been thoroughly impressed by its performance and have enthusiastically recommended it to others for its remarkable cutting ability.

I bought this saw after the Proyama chain saw I bought from Amazon for a lot more $ stopped working after one day. I order this and got it the next day. It took about ten minutes to assemble and did a better job. No messy, smelly oil/gas mixture worry about spilling. No pulling over and over to start. Just plug in and go. Great purchase!

It works good for what I needed it for. I had some pretty thick branches and trees to take care of but did the job. The chain does come loose on occasion so u have to constantly tighten it. If your not cutting down trees on a regular basis this might be worth it for you. I found it easy to put together with the help of social media and easy to use.