Kobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw Kit vs Skil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit

Kobalt / Battery

Kobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw Kit

40cc class (by bar)

~$179

See it at Lowe's
Skil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit

Skil / Battery

Skil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit

40cc class (by bar)

~$199

See it at Skil

The Kobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw Kit costs about $20 less.

SpecKobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw KitSkil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit
Approx. price~$179kit with 4.0Ah battery and charger~$199kit with 40V 4.0Ah PWRCore battery and 60W charger
Engine class40cc classplaced by shipped bar length40cc classplaced by shipped bar length
Power typeBatteryBattery
Use caseHomeownerHomeowner
Voltage40 V40 V
Kit battery4 Ah4 Ah
Bar length14 in14 in
Single-pass cutabout 12 inabout 12 in
Bar range14 in14 in
Chain3/8" low-profile pitch / .043" gauge3/8" pitch / .043" gauge
Weight11.1 lbwith 4.0Ah battery (8.2 lb bare)7.83 lbtool only, without battery (manufacturer spec)
Warranty5-year tool / 3-year battery3-year consumer, 5 years with registration within 30 days; 2-year battery

Tinted cells mark the better figure on that row alone: more engine, longer bar, lighter, cheaper. A lighter weight is only a win on the same basis.

What owners like and complain about

Kobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw Kit

  • 8.2 lb bare makes it one of the lightest 14-inch battery saws sold
  • $179 with a 4.0Ah battery and charger is strong value even against bare tools
  • Brushless motor and pro-style bar clamping at a price where neither is standard
  • 200 ml oil reservoir keeps up with the bar without constant topping
  • 14-inch bar and .043 chain put a hard ceiling around ten-inch wood
  • 40V Kobalt is a narrow platform — far fewer tools share the pack than on Ryobi or Greenworks
  • No manufacturer website; parts and support run entirely through Lowe's
  • Listed hp figures from house brands are not comparable to engine ratings

Skil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit

  • 7.83 lb bare is the lightest 14-inch saw in this group
  • $199 kit includes a 4.0Ah pack, larger than most kits at this price
  • Brushless motor with tool-free side-dial tensioning
  • Up to 5-year tool coverage with registration
  • Tool-only CS4555-00 exists for owners already on PWRCore 40
  • The $199 kit's 60W charger is slow; the faster 150W charger only comes with the smaller 2.5Ah pack
  • 14.8 m/s chain speed is the slowest of Skil's 40V saws
  • .043 narrow-kerf chain limits it in dense wood
  • Two near-identical kit SKUs make it easy to buy the wrong charger
  • Battery warranty is 2 years, shorter than the tool's
Kobalt 40V 14" Brushless Chainsaw Kit in fullSkil PWRCore 40 14" Chainsaw Kit in fullMore matchups