Makita DUC353 36v Chainsaw Review - Is A Cordless Saw A Good Tool On The Homestead or Smallholding?
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- Опубликовано: 8 окт 2024
- I've had this chainsaw for over 12 months now and think I've given it a good workout. It seems reliable, if a little underpowered at times. Ideal for odd jobs around the homestead or smallholding.
Make sure you have some good batteries for it if you buy one!
in the video I mistakenly say its lighter than a petrol saw. for the equivalent maktia saw its not lighter, in my head when I compared it I was comparing it to a much bigger petrol saw that I own which probably is an unfair comparison. the main advantage isn't the wirght though, it's that the saw is very much just ready to go, especially useful when doing hedging or fencing.
Thanks for watching!
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Thank you for a straightforward, honest opinion and taking time to tell us what it is really like using the saw
Thanks. Reviews are always tricky, but I fogure I've used it enough now, especially after experiencing the stihl one as well.
I have one and its great, I'm hoping to make more use of it for the coppice next winter.
Thanks for the video.
Darren
Cheers for the comment. What type of coppice do you have? This was ideal for my short rotation willow.
@@englishhomestead hazel coppice, most is over stood but as the rotations get established then the battery saw will be great. I have an MS261 for the bigger stuff.
@@AbellTo must be awesome getting it back into rotation. I'd love to manage a coppice. Hope it pays for itself for you. Hard but rewarding work.
@@englishhomestead yes we’ve been at it 10 years, some is now close to its 3rd cut.
The bulk of what I do is overstood though.
I make a living from it but it’s very diversified.
@@AbellTo I know all about diversified incomes!
Have you considered doing garden club talks - they're desperate for speakers and I bey they'd be interested I'm traditional coppicing.
Great video and thanks. I’ve a petrol chainsaw but as you say a bit of a faff firing it up for small bits and pieces. As I’m already on the Makita platform this makes sense for me, especially as I’m not going to be doing much heavy duty, so will have to take a look. I very much agree on the safety point, chainsaws scare me!
It's good that they scare you I think. I had an old lady message me who said she couldn't handle a petrol saw as struggled to lift it so was considering a cordless. Worried me no end as you still need to make sure you have the strength to stay in control.
This is great for hedging or fencing. Was even better the other day with two of us on hedgelaying. His saw (the stihl one) was for doing the night pleaching cuts on the over stood hawthorn, while mine was a little way away to Snead up the brash and make new posts out of what we pulled out. But no constant noise. We could chat as we worked. Made the day's fly by.
Thanks Kev. A really fantastic and helpful video 😊
Thank you 😊
thanks for sharing this video - I have it in mind to change my petrol saw for a battery one and am also on the Makita platform. The servicing of petrol saws bugs me and not using one very often they end up being difficult to start with old fuel in them etc. I think that this is the way to go for the simple firewood jobs I need it for! So anyone who wants a Sachs Dolmar 116si...
Yeah that can be a problem when they're not used much, it then pits you off using it if you think it won't start. I will say if you get one get a few spare chains straight away, they're very easy to damage.
@@englishhomestead Also, if you haven't done a video showing it already, I would be interested to see how you put your battery charging station together (shown at 1:51 in the video). I could do with doing some thing similar.
@@tomoblue4936 Ah, unfornatly they don't charge there, but it stores them well. It helps to have a friend with a 3D printer!
Our friend who is a professional tree surgeon swears by the Stihl saws, especially for climbing! I agree that batteries are everything - if I get one it will be DeWalt for that reason. As you know I rate mains electric saws for firewood processing
Yeah, electric ones are good for many of the same reasons - especially sound. When I was apprentice we use to do a lot of oak framing and would use chainsaws quite often for quick cuts, mate had a electric makita one and it was an easy saw to have with us.
Dewolt 60v batterys dont last long. I have 10 year old makita 18v still good. To much electronics in those 60v batterys
Have a Makita XCU03 and do agree, the battery life really limits it to lighter work, as well as the battery indicator not too based in reality. Buying a set or two of additonal battieres would help for yard work for an average suburban homeowner.
I've also noticed its quote easy to stall, but when its cutting it's cutting fairly nice.
Anither quirk (with mine anyways) is the chain tightning mechanism can really wear down a thumb quick.
Good to see Shtil caught up and making an electric chainsaw as good as their petrol chainsaw.
Yeah, with mine you have to tighten the chain quite often as well. I wonder if it's because it's a narrower chain?
I know what you mean about the battery indicator, just after cutting it will often show the batteries at one bar then it will change a minute or two later. Even with the 10 plus batteries I have it doesn't feel enough if I'm going to do any amount of work.
I have one of these. Fortunately it was on sale when I bought it (actually the same price but got 2 free 5A batteries with it). The thin guide and chain, although it might require less power to operate, does jam easily and stuffs the chain. Chains are not cheap here and it also damaged the guide (managed to fix this) so swapped them out for the thicker guide/chain and no problems since.
Ohh getting the two batteries with it would have made it a bargain. I agree about the chain and bar, keep wondering if I've be better changing. Then again the narrow blades are only about £7
@@englishhomestead Maybe. I had several times the chain came off before it was stuffed. Since I always buy a spare bar and chain and didn't want further hassle I just bit the bullet and bought the wider bar and 2 chains. Kept the old ones as spares. Haven't had any problems since. You only want to have it jam when you are away from home and up a tree before you suddenly get fed up with the hassles. This was the first chain saw I have ever had with a thinner bar and chain. Not for me.
Forgot to mention when the chain jammed it did it in such a way that it also damaged the plastic housing piece with the chain tensioner so that was an extra cost. The old piece was still usable at a pinch so became another spare for emergency use. Surprisingly that bit was available as a spare from Makita so I am guessing it has happened before hence spares stocked. And thinking about it I suspect the thinner chains stretch more initially so get loose quicker and if you don't remember this you will have it come off more frequently.
@chrissybabe8568 yeah it is a little too easy to have it come off. Maybe I should make the switch. I've only worked close to home so far with it, but what you say is right to be fair.
Good video Kev. My husband swears by Stihl and petrol ones at that.
I have a stihl petrol one, but this is so much more handy depending on the job.
The stihl cordless one was head and shoulders above this one mind! I guess they know what they're doing!
A great honest review 👏
Thanks. I think if I hadn't have tried the stihl one I wouldn't have realised it wasn't as good as I first thought. Still a very hand tools though.
Good review. I have Stihl saws and went with the Stihl battery saw. It performs just like my Stihl MS201CM. The big plus, as you said, is the lighter weight and quiet. I am 95% processing firewood from our forest trees and any cuts less 8” are easily handled by today’s battery saws. I use a Stihl 462 for falling and large cuts, but I can trim out an entire tree on one battery with the battery saw. Love ‘em!
If I didn'talready have the batteries then I would 100% go for the stihl. The quiet really is my main love of the battery saws, its so nice not to have a two stroke ending screaming away (and no fumes on a cold winters day where they can properly hang around at times).
I went with Greenworks, as they had a 40V platform, and now have a 60V platform. I like their tools, and the chainsaw is particularly good. I paid attention to the chain speed, which is 20m/s allegedly which is almost as fast as a petrol saw. My petrol husky stopped working and I bought the GW instead of getting it serviced - right call I think, although it is a bit flimsier, so I will get the petrol saw fixed at some point. But electric tools are remarkably cheap when you already have the batteries.
I've hears nothing but good things about those greenworks tools. Brother was a tree surgeon for 10 years or more and now still works in the industry and says they have a good reputation. I imagine a 60v saw would be awesome. Is that in one battery?
@@englishhomestead Yes one battery. I think battery tech is only going to get better, and about time too.
@@kufena I agree. The table saws and mitre saws look great with the bigger batteries. I'm mainly workshop based these days so doesn't affect me as much, but it's incredible what's coming out.
Great video 👍
Thanks!
Great saw but disappointed with the lengh of use . 2 x 5amp new batteries I managed 6 x 57cm cuts and completely dead . Will 6 amp be better
How old are your 5amp batteries. I find my 5 amp ones pretty good, lasting a while, but the 6 amp are better with a bit more staying power. If you watch my video on coppicing my plot of willow I think I did that with 3 lots of batteries, but I'd only just gone into the third change.
You think the stihl is strong? You should try husqvarna's 540i!
I'd love to! The huskies always used to seem to run a bit faster than the stihl when it came to petrol saws.
1. its not so much lighter than petrol, its much heavier than a petrol counterpart.
2. its a carpenter's saw or builder's saw, for dirty work in early construction montage.
3. why ? - because people who work such jobs tend to have makita tools and batteries.
3. that is an amazing saw, amazing for construction wood or branches under 25cm.
4. you keep it in truck, cuz its always ready, always starts and never lets you down.
Greetings from Croatia, i have that saw aswell, and i forgot my stihl ms230 exists.
Am not a fan boy, i own 400 olive trees and im pruning them every year a lot.
It has never ever let me down, luckily for me, my bro has big set of 6ah makita batteries.
I've just checked the weights and even with batteries it's a full kg lighter than a petrol saw of a similar size and way lighter than any petrol one I've got or used.
I'm a carpenter and agree it would be great for this type of work. No building sites in the UK would allow it though (or no big ones with health and safety anyhow), now that's not saying I haven't used one on site. We used to do a lot of green oak frames and this type of saw was perfect for that.
I agree it's good if you have the batteries and since I've got it I've not touched my Sthil MS261 either! This is so much easier than worrying about starting it. Although that said I've lately switched a premixed "aspen" two stroke fuel for my little engines and everything has started so much easier. I had a old rotovator in the shed I hadn't touched for 2.5 years, started third pull of the cord! Used to be a nightmare. Apparently this fuel doesn't evaporate away in storage the same. Been a bit of a game changer.
@@englishhomestead
Man, i held ms170 in my hands around hundred times, i swear by my life it is lighter than duc353. Duc353 is 4,5 kg + 1.2 kg batteries, almost 6kg, while Ms170 is 4,5kg with gas and oil. Our duc353 is not stronger than ms170, it boggs down much sooner than ms170. Plus there are kits for ms170 that can power it up for 25%.
Why wouldnt law allow battery chainsaw to be used on the construction site, its allowed here in croatia. I get the logic behind rooftop builders and kickback scenario, but strong hammer drilldrivers can also break your wrist and throw you down from ladders. It even threw me twice and i am 192cm tall and have 110 kg.
I dont have any 2 stroke engines anymore, borrowed that ms230 to uncle, and bought cordless makita brushcutter dur369. Saw on some brittish channel about oregon mulching blade and when that guy explained me that 1kw cordless brush cutter can spin that blade with ease, i immediately bought it. And yes, it can spin it, and it can knock off rocks aswell how strong it is haha. Sadly i was an idiot, should have waited for makita xgt platform to come out, so instead of brush cutter i could buy xgt 4in1 multi head tool and have a cultivator extension, so i can retire my 4 stroke 4hp cultivator aswell haha
@@i1bike maybe I looked at the wrong saw. I know my petrol one is way heavier. I do love having it ready to go though.
As for the building sites, it think it's to do with it being an unguarded blade that makes it dangerous. Like I said ove used it one site but of the health and safety man came round he'd chuck the book at us probably.
@@i1bike I have a diesel rotovator and honestly it's unstoppable, but only longer you've got it started! Which can take a day. Slipped into gear once and nearly destroyed my mums pond.
@@englishhomestead
That chainsaw is problem, but massive hand circular saw is normal. Especially uaing it while sitting 3m high on wooden construction sawing some excess 14×10 haha. You probably have huge land if you needed machine like that. I have small gardens around house. I just planted 300 tomatoes. Soil is way too sandy here, and it is very poor with nutrients and minerals for any other plant culture. Im on south part of croatia, 200m from the sea, so its already 30° here. We call it africa with eletricity haha
The battery saw weighs 5.6kg. The equivalent makita petrol saw weighs 4.3kg so it’s not lighter than a petrol saw, much heavier in fact
Lighter than my sthil saw, The petrol makita saw I saw weighed in at 5.5kg, with no fuel or bar or chain.
@@englishhomestead you’re not comparing the equivalent petrol saw, look it up on the makita website. I have three saws heavier than that but they are up to 79cc with a 28” bar so not an equivalent comparison, the same as comparing an apple with a bag of potatoes
@aaronwendt-smith5910 in the video I say its so much lighter than a petrol saw, so yeah maybe I'm wrong , it not lighter than every petrol saw, its lighter than any I've used, so my apologies for that. I haven't used the equivalent petrol makita, i have used a heavy makita saw, my sthil petrol one and all my brothers ones (he was a tree surgeon), so yeah maybe that one comment was too throw away. My main positives weren't really the weight, more that you can pick it up and go, no fuel to spill, and you don't have to keep the engine running. It's a chatty review of a tool I've been using a lot. If you want one with specs and weights I'm never going to be the channel for you. I tried to give an honest review from a smallholders perspective, I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. It s cracking saw if you have the batteries already,if you're looking to invest then go for the stihl. Battery saws are handier, but for big jobs I'll go for my petrol saw - which is heavier, but I don't own the exact equivalent, I'd be daft to, better off having different sized saws for different jobs.
Turns out I've already been pulled on this further down the comments and replied. Happy to admit I made a mistake on saying it was lighter.
@@englishhomestead the reason I commented was I own the petrol equivalent, actually it’s the next model up, and I’ve used the battery saw and the first thing I noticed with the battery saw was the extra weight it carried. In comparison to the equivalent petrol saw it’s about 25% heavier. That makes a significant difference with regards to pros and cons of buying the saw.
It has got thr gut for bigger logs you just need spare batteries
Since making this video I've got a few more 6ah batteries. It has become my go to saw, so much easier than messing around with a 2 stroke engine.
Quick question from a newbie. Oil - the instructions say put 200ml in. They only provide you with 100ml on a video on RUclips a guy uses the provided oil tube and only puts a few drops in. So what do I need 1) A few drops 2) 100ml 3) Buy some more and add 200ml?
Is this for chain oil? I keep the chain oil reservoir topped up. You never want the chain to run dry. SO I normally fill it every couple of changes of the battery as well as checking it before I start using it that day.
@@englishhomesteadyes Tx it’s for chain oil I assume in the oil slot on the saw you review. So I’ll put the 100ml in then and buy another 100ml to fill it I assume plus more to top up. Maybe they should just provide 200ml when you buy it if that’s the chain oil tank capacity. Tx for the reply appreciated
@@robe2685 there's a reservoir on the saw that takes plenty, If you plan on using the saw much I'd just go and buy a litre and see how you get on. I buy 5 litres at a time for using this saw and my petrol one.