Here is the awkward fact about Craftsman's corded 16-inch: it scores 4.3 stars across 730 Lowe's reviews while the company's gas saws sit at 3.7, and the reason is that a corded electric has almost nothing to go wrong with. No carburetor to gum up over winter, no fuel to mix, no pull cord to break — the three things Craftsman gas owners complain about simply are not present. What you give up is the extension cord, and that is a real constraint rather than a quibble: 12 amps through 100 feet of undersized cord is a saw that bogs for reasons that have nothing to do with the wood. Tool-free tensioning and an oil window at $139 make it an easy storm-kit purchase, and the 3-year warranty outlasts the gas models' two.

Best for: Small-lot owners within extension-cord reach who want the lowest-maintenance 16-inch saw Craftsman sells.

Specifications

Engine class: 40cc class (placed by shipped bar length)
Bar length: 16 in
Bar range: 16 in
Single-pass cut: about 14 in (bar minus 2)
Chain: 3/8" low-kickback pitch / .050" gauge
Weight: 11.7 lb, assembled, with bar and chain
Power type: Corded Electric
Use case: Homeowner
Warranty: 3-year limited
Model: CMECS600

Manufacturer figures except the engine class and single-pass cut, which are derived here. What each spec means

4.3 stars across 730 Lowe's reviews
3-year warranty
Tool-free tensioning, oil window

What owners like

4.3-star average over 730 Lowe's reviews — the best-reviewed saw Craftsman currently sells
No fuel system means nothing to gum up between seasons
3-year warranty, a year longer than the gas saws
Tool-free chain tensioning and an oil-level window at $139
Starts instantly in cold weather, where the gas models are at their worst