Photo: Greenworks
What We Like
- High-capacity and reliable battery
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Automatic bar and chain oiling
- Tool-less chain tensioning
- Long 4-year warranty
What We Don’t Like
- Low-capacity oil reservoir
- Cutting speed could be faster
Bottom Line
A lightweight and easy-to-handle chainsaw, whose battery power is more than enough to deliver reliable cutting performance in light trimming, pruning, and the light firewood splitting.
Introduction
If you like keeping your yard constantly neat, but desire a tool that’s lightweight, portable, and pleasant to handle, grab yourself the Greenworks 20262.
At only 6 pounds in weight and battery-powered, you can execute common yard maintenance tasks such as trimming and pruning, for short durations, without straining yourself. The 40V battery ensures a constant supply of reliable power.
Greenworks 20262 Review
Photo: Greenworks
Performance & Handling: Delivers Reliably on Light-duty Yard Maintenance
For any light-cutting projects you need to undertake around your house and the yard, such as trimming, limbing, and pruning, Greenworks 20262 is you go-to-chainsaw.
It offers the perfect balance of performance, handling, and portability for a light-duty cordless chainsaw. Occasionally, you can push it to its limits by using it to clear away small downed trees, or equally small firewood pieces. The G-MAX 40V Li-Ion System that powers this tool will rise to the occasion.
The 12-inch blade may not be the largest out there, but it is especially useful when you want to squeeze your tool into those tight spaces especially when trimming small branches. If you were using a larger saw, performing such tight maneuvers would be virtually impossible and potentially hazardous.
You’ll appreciate the fact that the chainsaw starts instantly. By simply pressing and holding the switch lock, you can proceed to press and hold the trigger switch, which fires up the tool.
The Greenworks 20262’s true performance is revealed when cutting small branches of between 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Do not expect the tool to fell large trees effectively.
Design & Construction: Simplistic but Durable
Plastic is the main material used to construct the Greenworks 20262. In fact, if you eliminate the steel bar and chain, and the internal motor, almost all other components of the chainsaw are plastic. Because it is intended for light-duty yard work, you will almost never expose it to harsh operating conditions, which could put a strain on the plastic components.
Also, the plastic build contributes a great deal to keep the tool’s weight as low as possible. At only 6 pounds, the 20262 is incredibly lightweight. You are not likely to find other tools of its class whose weight rivals it.
With lightweight builds comes enhanced portability and maneuverability. A handful of older adult users whose top priority in a chainsaw is convenience, have expressed their joy in using this chainsaw because it is not bulky especially for short-duration cutting.
Shifting to the tool’s actual build, it comes equipped with two handles; a rear one, and a front (top one). The rear handle, like that of most chainsaws, houses the trigger switch underneath it, and a trigger-lock button on handle’s top, but out of your view, thus minimizing accidental triggers.
The front handle is well-positioned behind the hand guard. This handle has a full wraparound design, which is especially reliable in providing you a consistent grip and comfort level when working the tool in different orientations.
A design choice that saves you a lot of time and energy when starting the tool for the first time is its fully-assembly build. You can get started with the tool as soon as you unpack it. Just ensure that you confirm the chain has been fitted correctly and is well-tensioned.
Cutting Equipment: Tough Bar and Chain
For cutting equipment, the Greenworks 20262 supports a 12-inch chain and bar, which are made of durable stainless steel. With this bar, expect the chainsaw to comfortably cut wood diameters of up to 8 inches, which is decent for a light-duty battery-powered tool.
The 3/8-inch chain pitch is optimized to deliver just the ideal amount of performance required for trimming limbs and pruning with minimal tool kickback. Because the chain and bar are low-kickback.
Further control over the tool is enhanced by the rear handle’s design, whose value extends even to supporting overhead usage of the chainsaw. Remember that it’s lightweight and compact as well, which goes well with cutting equipment for overhead reach.
Also, to make the cutting equipment more user-friendly, the bar and chain implement a tool-less tensioning system, which only requires you to turn a knob at the tool’s side to set the ideal chain tension for the highest cutting efficiency.
Noise Level: Less Noise, Smoother Running
As expected from a battery-powered tool, the 20262 produced very minimal noise, especially compared to gasoline chainsaws. Also, the mid-range motor helps reduce the noise generated by the tool especially during cutting.
If you live in a residential area where high noise levels can create a disturbance, then you can be confident that the 20262 will not get you into trouble, especially because you are probably never going to operate it for long durations at any given time.
Battery: High-Endurance with Intuitive Charge Indicator
Powering the Greenworks 20262 is the brand’s top-rated 40V G-Max Lithium-Ion battery. Before even diving into the battery’s highlights, it’s worth highlighting that if you have existing Greenworks tools that are based on the 40V Li-Ion System, then their batteries will be compatible with this model, and that’s an advantage as far as backups go.
When it comes to actual cutting performance, the battery delivers as adequately, but don’t expect insane stats from it. Although the manufacturer promises up to 75 cuts on 4×4 lumber, bear in mind that this performance is further influenced by factors such as wood type and thickness, just to mention a few.
With the 2.0Ah battery with comes with the tool, expect no performance compromises. Also, if the intensity of cutting is minimal, the battery can keep the chainsaw running up to the 90-minute mark. Obviously, if you desire more performance from your battery, getting a higher-capacity one, such as the 4.0Ah option will buy your chainsaw some more run time.
You’ll love the battery’s intuitive charge indicator, which has several bars that glow to reflect its capacity. You can check the battery-life indicator as you operate the tool, as it is within your line of sight. It will help keep your battery healthy while helping your plan your work efficiently, depending on the available charge. Its 1-hour recharge time is commendable as many batteries in this category take much longer to recharge.
Safety Features: Robust Safety and Protective Enhancements
Operator safety is a top priority for the 20262. The chainsaw combines dedicated safety features and subtle design enhancements, starting with the reliable, easy-to-engage chain brake, which you can trigger in emergencies or when the tool makes sudden unexpected reactions that could be potentially hazardous.
There is a dedicated front guard that prominently covers the area directly in front of the top handle, on which the left hand naturally rests during tool operation. This guard protects your left hand and prevents it from hitting the chain especially if grip on the handle is lost accidentally.
Also, you will notice that the guarded rear handle had been positioned on the tool’s rear center, behind the large motor housing. This design choice and guard enhancements ensure that your right hand, which typically holds the rear handle, is constantly insulated from flying debris being ejected by the powerful bar and chain.
When picking up the chainsaw from its resting position, especially with its battery already attached, it is possible to accidentally start it, even before securing your grip on the tool. To eliminate this potential hazard a trigger lock has been fitted at the outer upper section of the rear handle. Engaging this lock deactivates the start lever such that it cannot be triggered unless the lock is disengaged, thus protecting you even further.
Finally, there is a series of bumper spikes that line the front of the main housing, right where the bar and chain begin. These spikes help enhance the tool’s grip on the wood it is cutting for more steadiness, which prevents any sudden tool behavior that could be hazardous.
Maintenance: Reliable Automatic Bar and Chain Oiling
When you combine a carburetor-free engine and automatic bar and chain oiling, maintaining the 20262 becomes a painless and inexpensive process. All the issues you’d typically encounter in a gas-powered chainsaw that has a carburetor, are virtually nonexistent in this one. No engine oil, filter changes, pull-start mechanisms, and other factors that demand regular and extensive maintenance.
To further lower the demand for regular chain and bar maintenance, this model comes with a fixed-flow automatic oiling feature, which is triggered by the start of your chainsaw. As soon as the chain starts turning, the oil flows from its reservoir and onto the bar. The advantage of this automatic system is that you don’t have to remind yourself to switch it on every time you want to use the chainsaw. It’s pretty easy to overlook this step if the system was manual.
You’ll like the oil reservoir because it is prominently visible, and is also translucent, allowing you to monitor oil levels easily without having to constantly open the lid to take a peek inside the tank. When the oil approaches or goes below the minimum level, you can do a quick refill without compromising the integrity of the system.
Perhaps to make the maintain the chainsaw’s compactness and lightweight build made Greenworks settle for a 50ml (1.8oz) oil reservoir, which is in the lower range. Considering that the oiling system is automatic and will be active for as long as the tool is running, you may end up making frequent refills, which could use up a significant amount of oil, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Also, Greenworks encourages 20262 owners to use its brand of oil, the Greenworks GWBC0 Premium Bar and Chain Oil, which is not the easiest to find. Consider alternative high-quality replacement oils, which should get the job done just as easily as efficiently.
Price: Worth Every Cent
For about $150, you are getting a chainsaw that offers you all the convenience you need to do regular yard maintenance around your home, without ever needed to replace or accessorize it.
The Greenworks 20262 offers you a comfortable and hassle-free operation from its lightweight body, low maintenance demands from the automatic chain and bar oiling, and superior maneuverability from its compact body. It is these and more convenience enhancements that make this chainsaw worth every cent.
Read More: The Best Chainsaws under $300
Verdict
A lightweight, compact, and portable chainsaw that is easy to use and produces consistent and reliable power for general yard work cutting, electorally trimming, and pruning.
When it comes to ease of use and handling, the lightweight Greenworks 20262 is hard to beat. Its 40V G-max battery system enables the chainsaw to sail smoothly through light-duty cutting tasks.
Specs
- Product Name: Greenworks 20262
- Product Brand: Greenworks
- Product Dimensions: 26.4 x 8.1 x 11.0 inches
- Power: 40V, 2.0Ah
- Power Source: Battery
- Bar Size: 12 inches
- Chain Tensioning: Tool-less
- Chain Brake: Yes
- Tool Weight: 6 pounds
- Warranty: 4 years
Key Features
- The 40V G-Max Li-Ion battery that produces reliable power
- A lightweight 6-pound build for fatigue reduction
- 12-inch steel bar for efficient cutting of limbs and branches
- Hassle-free tool-less chain tensioning
- Automatic bar and chain oiling for reduced maintenance
- Over-molded handle helps increase handling comfort
- A translucent oil tank for easy monitoring