Ryobi 40V HP Brushless 18" Chainsaw Kit

Chain derailment and constant re-tensioning are the most repeated complaints in Home Depot reviews, compounded by a bar-retention knob that loosens during use. The workable routine: re-tension frequently during the new chain's stretch-in period, and check the bar knob every few cuts until you learn how yours behaves. Once the chain seats, it settles down for most owners — but this saw rewards vigilance.

For light bucking, yes — owner reports back Ryobi's number on smaller wood. The gotcha is heat rather than capacity: the battery overheats under sustained cutting and must cool before it will recharge, which stalls one-pack owners mid-job. If you plan multi-hour sessions, a second 40V pack (shared with Ryobi's mowers and blowers) solves both problems.

The claim is optimistic — it's noticeably slower in hardwood than the big saws from EGO, Milwaukee, and DeWalt. What it actually offers is the longest bar per dollar: an 18-inch bar, 6.0Ah pack, and rapid charger for $379, which is $120+ under EGO's 18-inch kit and half of Makita's XGT. For occasional cutters that trade is fine; for weekly firewood duty the plastic-heavy build and basic oiler aren't up to it.

Yes — it runs a standard 3/8 low-profile .050-gauge 62-drive-link chain with inexpensive aftermarket loops available everywhere. Given the fast-stretching factory chain and this saw's tensioning quirks, buying a spare loop up front is a good idea.

Budget-minded homeowners already on (or starting) Ryobi's 40V yard platform who cut a few times a season — storm cleanup, the occasional downed tree, trail clearing. The quiet push-button operation converts frustrated gas-saw owners in droves, and the 5-year tool warranty outlasts DeWalt's and Makita's. Just match expectations to the price: this is the value play in big-bar battery saws, not the performance play.