Makita
Makita 18V X2 LXT 16" Chainsaw Kit
Makita's clever answer to not having a big OPE battery: run two 18V LXT packs in series for 36V, so the enormous LXT tool ecosystem doubles as a chainsaw fleet. The XCU04 is the quietest, smoothest-feeling saw in this class — 11.5 lbs with both 5.0Ah packs, tool-less chain adjustment, and an auto power-off that keeps idle saws from draining batteries. But Makita's own 32cc-equivalence claim tells the honest story: this is the least powerful 16" saw among the big brands, and owner reviews echo it — great for limbing, storm branches, and occasional cordwood, but it bogs in hard 12"+ wood and 'gobbles batteries' under sustained bucking. The X2 arrangement also means every outing requires two charged packs, and the saw stops when the weaker one taps out. As a yard saw for someone deep in the LXT platform it's genuinely pleasant; as a primary firewood saw it's outclassed by EGO and Milwaukee at the same money.
Specifications
Highlights
Pros
- ✓Uses standard 18V LXT packs — the kit's two 5.0Ah batteries power hundreds of other Makita tools
- ✓Light and nimble: 11.5 lbs with batteries, more than 2 lbs less than Milwaukee's 16" saw
- ✓Noticeably quieter than competitors — owners prune at dawn without neighbor complaints
- ✓Auto power-off and battery gauges prevent the dead-battery surprises common on other saws
- ✓Tool-less chain tensioning and a large, easy-fill oil reservoir
- ✓Kit includes a dual-port rapid charger, so both packs recharge simultaneously
Cons
- ✗Only 32cc-equivalent by Makita's own rating — the weakest 16" saw in the big-brand battery field
- ✗Burns through battery pairs fast under real bucking; owners report short work sessions per charge
- ✗Needs two charged packs every time — one flat battery sidelines the whole saw
- ✗3,940 FPM chain speed trails EGO (20 m/s ≈ 3,940) and far behind XGT's 5,020 FPM in cut feel under load
- ✗Makita has shifted OPE focus to 40V XGT, leaving LXT saw accessories in maintenance mode
Compare the Makita 18V X2 LXT 16" Chainsaw Kit
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The saw Makita built after admitting two 18V packs weren't enough — the 40V XGT GCU05 (sold internationally as the UC016G) spins its chain at 5,020 FPM and carries a 42cc-gas-equivalence claim that puts it in a different league from the old XCU04. Build quality is classic Makita: XPT weather sealing, a proper inertia chain brake, tool-free tensioning, and a standard 91PX 3/8"LP/.050 chain you can buy at any hardware store. The catches are cost and runtime: at $629 the kit costs $100+ more than an EGO CS2005 with a bigger bar, XGT packs are among the priciest batteries in OPE, and Makita's own runtime claim — about 30 cuts in 12" cedar on the included 4.0Ah — means firewood days require multiple packs. Home Depot owner reviews (4.3 stars) praise the power and fit-and-finish while flagging exactly that: you'll want a second (or 5.0Ah) battery, and you'll pay dearly for it. For XGT-platform loyalists it's the best saw Makita has ever made; for everyone else the math is hard.
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Makita UC4051A
The UC4051A is what happens when a professional tool company builds a corded chainsaw and refuses to build it to a price: a 14.5-amp motor with real torque, a metal spike bar, tool-less blade-and-chain adjustment, and build quality that makes the $99 corded crowd feel like toys — priced, at around $279, like it knows it. The buyers are specific and satisfied: shop users cutting stock, urban tree services doing ground bucking near power, and homeowners who simply refuse plastic tools. Owners praise the smooth, quiet power delivery, the effective rubberized vibration damping (rare in corded saws), and current-limiter protection that keeps the motor alive under abuse. The honest question is the price: at nearly three Worx-es, you're paying for durability and refinement in a category most people treat as disposable. For daily or weekly corded use it's the only serious choice; for four weekends a year, it's overqualified.
Milwaukee
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The saw that proved an 18V platform could cut like gas — Milwaukee ships it with the giant HD12.0 pack (216 Wh) and claims 40cc-plus performance, and Pro Tool Reviews clocked it out-cutting a Husqvarna 460 Rancher in head-to-head bucking. For the legions already invested in M18 tools it's the obvious choice: 150 claimed cuts per charge, full throttle in under a second, and a proper 16" Oregon bar with metal bucking spikes. r/MilwaukeeTool threads are largely glowing about power but honest about the rest: it's 13.9 lbs with the battery (heavier than a 40cc gas powerhead), the automatic oiler is factory-set and owners report it runs wet — flinging and weeping bar oil in storage — and running any pack smaller than an HO 8.0 noticeably blunts performance. It's also a single-battery saw with no dual-charger in the kit, so sustained firewood days mean either a $250 spare HD12.0 or long charging breaks.