Makita UC4051A vs Craftsman 12A 16" Corded Chainsaw
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
Makita UC4051A
- Build quality in a different league from value corded saws
- Smooth, torquey 14.5A motor with current-limiter protection
- Effective anti-vibration — rare in the corded class
- Tool-less chain tensioning done right
- Large oil reservoir with a view window
- Nearly 3x the price of the value corded standard-bearers
- 1-year warranty trails the cheap competition's 2-3 years
- 12.3 lb is substantial for a 16-inch electric
- Overkill for occasional woodpile duty
Craftsman 12A 16" Corded Chainsaw
- 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
- Tethered to an outlet — useless at the back of a large property
- A long or undersized extension cord starves the 12A motor and it bogs
- 11.7 lb assembled is heavier than several battery saws with the same bar
- 16-inch bar flatters a 12-amp motor; patience is required in hardwood