Makita 36V (18Vx2) Brushless 350mm Chainsaw Skin DUC353Z

Switched to this from a petrol Huskqvrna chainsaw which I couldn't start due to shoulder rotator cuff injury. Now I wish I'd switched years ago, this is so much lighter, quieter and less faff to get started - you literally just press a button and you're ready to go. Excellent for managing a large garden with many trees, similar in power to the Husky although you need to have spare charged batteries on hand if you're planning to use it for more than half an hour or so. Easy tool-less chain tensioning and swapping. My shoulder is very happy.

A well made and powerful chainsaw, perfect for cutting up logs for a log burner and much more besides. The 5Ah batteries provide plenty of power and this thing cuts like a knife through butter. A lot less hassle than a petrol saw for occasional use and the neighbours won't be complaining about the noise either!

!!THE REAL LUMBER JACKING EXPERIENCE!!!!

As I climb the highest peaks of the tallest mountains, I scale through dense pine forests and ferocious bear inhabited wildernesses, I find myself cold, hungry and alone….As I add my last two remaining 5amp lithium ion makita batteries to my brand new makita duc353z chainsaw, snap back the lock system and press that safety button. With the chain dripping non fling dolmar chain oil. I stare at the last standing ash tree as it stares right back at me, my hands starts to shake as I here the brushless motor kick in.The battle begins….Attacking the last standing ash tree my sweat starts to pour my feet readjust clamping me closer to the Earths core, ash leaves raining down on my sweat covered face as the trunk starts to crack under the heavy weight of this ... MoreAs I climb the highest peaks of the tallest mountains, I scale through dense pine forests and ferocious bear inhabited wildernesses, I find myself cold, hungry and alone….As I add my last two remaining 5amp lithium ion makita batteries to my brand new makita duc353z chainsaw, snap back the lock system and press that safety button. With the chain dripping non fling dolmar chain oil. I stare at the last standing ash tree as it stares right back at me, my hands starts to shake as I here the brushless motor kick in.The battle begins….Attacking the last standing ash tree my sweat starts to pour my feet readjust clamping me closer to the Earths core, ash leaves raining down on my sweat covered face as the trunk starts to crack under the heavy weight of this magnificent fraxinus excelsior.CRASH!!!down it comes with choking dust covering the air for a 5 mile radius. As I just appear beyond the dust with the 190kg truck in my right shoulder and my smoking makita du535z chainsaw looking happy with its job dangling from my left hand still cooling down from how hot we both looked attacking the ash tree.I never needed that wood. Sometimes destiny just takes you down a path you can’t return. Am homeless man once told me it was love, I say it’s fight fate.Thanks again makita and Screwfix your the child i always wanted..

"......pleasantly surprised"..."I would thoroughly recommend it"

Never having had a cordless chainsaw before (I do have petrol and electric chainsaws) I was a bit unsure and sceptical as what to buy but after reading various on line reviews about different cordless chainsaws I decided that "voltage" was "king" so I plumped for the Makita 36V Cordless Chainsaw (DUC353Z) and was pleasantly surprised. The two heaps of wood (of varying diameters) on the attached first photo were off one charge on a pair of Makita compatible 6.0Ah batteries. I managed to get through a whole heap of wood (photos 2 and 3 before and after) using the Makita DUC353Z. The great benefit of cordless is the greatly reduced vibration/noise and although this the same for a corded electric (which is a bit lighter due to not requiring the battery pack) you require ... MoreNever having had a cordless chainsaw before (I do have petrol and electric chainsaws) I was a bit unsure and sceptical as what to buy but after reading various on line reviews about different cordless chainsaws I decided that "voltage" was "king" so I plumped for the Makita 36V Cordless Chainsaw (DUC353Z) and was pleasantly surprised. The two heaps of wood (of varying diameters) on the attached first photo were off one charge on a pair of Makita compatible 6.0Ah batteries. I managed to get through a whole heap of wood (photos 2 and 3 before and after) using the Makita DUC353Z. The great benefit of cordless is the greatly reduced vibration/noise and although this the same for a corded electric (which is a bit lighter due to not requiring the battery pack) you require either a trailing lead (which you can accidentally cut) with access to mains or generator (more noise!) and you wouldn't want to use it in the "rain" due to potential electrocution! Overall the Makita DUC353Z is easy use, to set up and tension the chain during use, as well as, maintain/clean and I would thoroughly recommend it.

An outstanding chainsaw - why would you ever buy a petrol saw again?

I am a big fan of Makita 18v LXT and this saw is fantastic..... I have used with two 4 Amp batteries and it runs for a good length of time and makes lots of cuts before it runs down - certainly as much cutting as you could manage with a petrol saw before needing a break. I have also run it on 2 x 6 Amp bought off here and I wore out before they did! The battery indicators are useful to keep an eye on things and the safety on / off switch is easy to use and effective.... If you make a cut and then stop the saw for more than 10 seconds it auto shuts down so you cant accidentally fire it up and chop off a limb - but its positioned such that its easy to switch back on with your thumb while you still have the saw in your hand ready to use - very well thought out safety ... MoreI am a big fan of Makita 18v LXT and this saw is fantastic..... I have used with two 4 Amp batteries and it runs for a good length of time and makes lots of cuts before it runs down - certainly as much cutting as you could manage with a petrol saw before needing a break. I have also run it on 2 x 6 Amp bought off here and I wore out before they did! The battery indicators are useful to keep an eye on things and the safety on / off switch is easy to use and effective.... If you make a cut and then stop the saw for more than 10 seconds it auto shuts down so you cant accidentally fire it up and chop off a limb - but its positioned such that its easy to switch back on with your thumb while you still have the saw in your hand ready to use - very well thought out safety feature. It relies on the narrow chain width to prolong battery life but that is also an advantage as it cuts quickly and accurately with little or no kickback. I have been removing tree stumps by slicing them up and burning them out and this works great. Obviously if you hit the earth with the chain it dulls it very quickly and it needs resharpening - due to the chain length even this is a straightforward operation and doesn't take very long - the tool less adjuster for the chain is great and makes it very easy toset up and maintain. Buy yourself a decent chain file kit with a guide and check how to use it on Youtube - its really easy - I bought a Sthil set for the correct size of chain and can rub up the chain in 5 mins - this makes the saw really effective until you touch the ground again and blunt it in a microsecond! It comes in kit form in the box with a small can of oil - see photos of before and after assembly - easy to assemble but you will need a litre of Bio Oil pretty soon after your first set of batteries run out as it lubricates the chain really well, (without slinging muck everywhere), but does get through the chain oil. All in all a fantastic product from a fantastic manufacturer and from Terrier tools it was a fantastic price - highly recommended.

Light and quiet

The Makita chainsaw is a must for anyone who want to be totally mobile, not only does it last ages on two 18V batteries but it cuts fast too! I used the 5Ah batteries and it lasted over 30 minutes on a full charge. If you are in an area where noise could render a problem, then fear not, for the Makita chainsaw is relatively quiet, much quieter than it's gas engine'd counterparts. I used mine in the front garden where next door is attached, he was in bed on nights and I had to cut some logs for that nights fire, when I saw him later I asked him as to whether he had heard me cutting logs, he said "No mate, I was dead to the world". If I had have been using a gasoline engine'd chainsaw I know it wouldn't have been long before he opened his window and asked me to stop ... MoreThe Makita chainsaw is a must for anyone who want to be totally mobile, not only does it last ages on two 18V batteries but it cuts fast too! I used the 5Ah batteries and it lasted over 30 minutes on a full charge. If you are in an area where noise could render a problem, then fear not, for the Makita chainsaw is relatively quiet, much quieter than it's gas engine'd counterparts. I used mine in the front garden where next door is attached, he was in bed on nights and I had to cut some logs for that nights fire, when I saw him later I asked him as to whether he had heard me cutting logs, he said "No mate, I was dead to the world". If I had have been using a gasoline engine'd chainsaw I know it wouldn't have been long before he opened his window and asked me to stop for a couple of hours. The weight is much lighter than an engine'd one so is easier to use with arms out-stretched if needed. Balance is excellent and the chain brake works perfectly. One caution; make sure that after EVERY run you CLEAN it thoroughly! If the oil feeder hole gets blocked, your chain will be ruined. This is why I've cleaned mine after every run, it doesn't take long but does secure the chain for further operations without sharpening. If you are in the market for a quiet, powerful yet long lasting chainsaw, I cannot recommend this one enough.

Makita DUC353Z 35cm / 14" Twin 18v LXT Brushless Chainsaw Body Only

A nice bit of kit, well balanced, quiet and not particularly heavy. Coupled with 2 x 5amp batteries had plenty of capacity. It had no issue coping with large cuts on trees with a diameter almost the length of the guide bar. Easy to disassemble for cleaning

Makita DUC353Z 35cm / 14" Twin 18v LXT Brushless Chainsaw Body Only

Pretty impressed by how long the batteries lasted, I was only working in the garden though. I can imagine being more put out if I was working remote and needed to recharge batteries. I have a couple of sets of batteries so i'm pretty sure it's not going to an issue, as long as I'm organised. I thought the blade might be a bit short, but I cut a large log (some sort of pine type) into thin rounds and it was pretty much the diameter of the chain bar length, and it cut them, but sometimes it felt like it was a struggle, so I don't think I'll be getting a longer chain bar for it. The chainsaw is reasonable in most aspects, not massively heavy, not too loud. I did find that it went though a fair amount of chain oil, but what do I know? The chain oil that comes in the box ... MorePretty impressed by how long the batteries lasted, I was only working in the garden though. I can imagine being more put out if I was working remote and needed to recharge batteries. I have a couple of sets of batteries so i'm pretty sure it's not going to an issue, as long as I'm organised. I thought the blade might be a bit short, but I cut a large log (some sort of pine type) into thin rounds and it was pretty much the diameter of the chain bar length, and it cut them, but sometimes it felt like it was a struggle, so I don't think I'll be getting a longer chain bar for it. The chainsaw is reasonable in most aspects, not massively heavy, not too loud. I did find that it went though a fair amount of chain oil, but what do I know? The chain oil that comes in the box only lasted the same as two fully charged 5.0Ah batteries.

Makita DUC353Z 35cm / 14" Twin 18v LXT Brushless Chainsaw Body Only

Great product except for one important drawback. The internal chain brake spring is too strong for the plastic brake lever (front hand guard). This is what tends to crack first before the metal brake band or the spring. It means you have to periodically replace the whole brake lever and refitting it is very fiddly. A good thing then that the replacement lever is fairly cheap. If you're going to operate a chainsaw safely you should be applying the brake with every step you take. This mechanism just isn't up to that frequency of use, primarily because its internal spring is far too strong for the plastic material of the brake lever.

Surprisingly powerful

I've been using chainsaws since 1969 and this little saw works very well. Easily the equal of a small'ish petrol model, goes through 6 or 8 inch quickly and quietly. The weight including the batteries is similar to a petrol model, but not having to pull start, no fumes, petrol cans or noise is a real benefit. I use a mains powered Makita these days for logging in the barn and keep a petrol chainsaw too. I think if you do bits and pieces on a farm, say pruning off lower branches then this saw is perfect. Just not having to pull start a petrol saw while holding on to a ladder is great. Horses for courses. Very happy with it.