CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16 Inch, 12 Amp Corded (CMECS600)

Package arrival and unpacking and fixup went very well. It took me about 5 minutes to get the saw ready for use. I went out and started cutting the pile of fruit logs in my back yard, logs from my orange and lemon trees, about 8 to 11 inches diameter. I cut them into about 1-inch pieces. You have to realize what it is to cut a chain saw into this size diameter. It would be like cutting down 15 trees of this diameter. I cut at least 15 of these 1-inch slices and about another dozen slices of 5 or 6-inch diameter logs. It was for use in my BBQ smoker.I wrote another review about replacement chains for this chain saw. I have not used those chains yet, but I was glad that Amazon had these chains and I could ordeer them the next day.My previous saws were Black and Decker 14-inch saws. This is my first Craftsman saw. Shopping on Amazon I only found this saw that still used power cords (instead of battery packs). I already had several replacement chains for my 14-inch saw, but I went ahead and bought a 3-pack replacement chain for this saw, thinking that I will be using it for a few years. My Black and Decker saw is still working fine after 3 or 4 years.My thinking on all this is pretty simple. The gas-powered saws have their own problems with motors, gasoline, and such. They cost a lot more, and they require much more maintenance and upfront fuel cost. It is the same thinking for the grass trimmers. They are pushing gas powered and battery powered trimmers. So, we are obviously in some sort of in between phase of these corporate producers.Further thinking. I have had several trimmers (not particularly chain saws) that were cord powered and that failed after a short period. Replacement was fairly cheap and not a problem. So, if I have to buy a trimmer or chain saw that is gas or battery powered at double or triple the price, what if they have the same failure as the other ones. Obviously, I would be losing double or triple the amount! So, my thinking is to stick with the corded models until they get a better trimmer/chain saw.

This saw is fantastic! I have lots of trees on my property and most of the cutting I do is not large logs and I hate struggling to start my saws every year. I can reach my whole lot with long cords so I bought this. I have had electric ones in the past but this one is by far the best. My favorite feature is the hand knob to adjust the chain, no tools needed at all. Love that. It also has the teeth on the front of the motor to bite into larger logs that allow you to pivot the saw to cut. I like battery powered saws but this one has so much more power. I actually had to cut a large log about 2 feet in diameter, I had to cut both sides to reach but this saw did the job with little effort. I love it.

This is a decent chain saw. CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16-Inch, 12-Amp (CMECS600)It is not an imitation saw-like thing trying to be a chain saw. There is a review in which a guy mentioned he bumped himself with it while running and did not get cut. He makes this sound like it could be a toy or waste of money. I don't know what he or his saw did, but this chain is very sharp and runs smoothly and true on the bar. The motor is plenty powerful. The saw is nicely balanced and handles like any gas chain saw I've used, except this electric style is quiet, smooth-starting and smooth while running and you don't have to fight gas starting and idle problems. It has the classic chain saw two-hand grips: left hand on top at the balance point with a protective knuckle shield, and right hand on the rear with the switch. (That configuration was a must-have for me.)I cut through branches ~ 4-5 inches in diameter of Lemonade Berry ( a CA tree with medium hard wood) in < 5 seconds per branch. No special effort needed. I'm totally satisfied with the performance of this saw.Some folks have commented that the chain continues to run after you let go of the switch. Yes, the electric motor does not have a brake-when-off circuit (ahem, this would be very easy to do though Craftsman folks!) So the chain will coast down to a stop in a couple of seconds. That said, in my opinion having the chain coasting down for a couple of seconds does not scare me or detract from the utility of this saw. If you are at risk of contacting the chain or bar within a couple seconds of finishing your cut, then I think you need to review your cutting practices, not be relying on a different saw with an instant brake.This saw has an adjustment mechanism for setting the bar position to tension the chain. The big red knob on the side of the saw housing is a clamp knob. There is a smaller knob that drives a pusher screw that pushes the back end of the bar forward to tension the chain. It is easy to adjust, and as long as the clamping action holds up for the long run, it is easy to use and does the job. If there is anything that toes the line of flimsy about this saw, it is this pusher screw mechanism. If I were designing it, I would have payed a bit more attention to materials and pressure points in that setup, but it does seem to work so far. It certainly does make it easy and convenient to re-tension the chain, and that is a good thing.In short, I think this a a decent chain saw capable of cutting branches that are big enough that you would have no practical chance of doing by hand. At $80, it's also a very good price. It was cheaper than hiring someone with a saw to do the job for me. Glad I bought it.Added 6-12-2024:One added note: when you are finished using the saw and going to put it away for storage, be sure to drain the chain oil reservoir. The oil will leak out of the reservoir no matter what position you store it in. Just turn the saw over and pour the remaining oil back into the original container. Not too hard, and way easier than cleaning up a few ounces of sticky chain oil!

Works Great! My only complaint is that the blades only lasted 2 hours. I was only cutting down 1 branch of walnut from my neighbors yard. The branch was hanging over my pool, and the leaves were making a mess. The branch had to go! I was able to cut down the branch and cut the branch into small manageable logs so I can use in my smoker once the wood dries. That took about 2 hours. I figured I would get some more work done and decided to cut down a small tree in the front and it didn't want to cut anymore. I couldn't get it through. Initially the blade was very sharp and cut like butter. Considering walnut is a hard wood and I cut several cords of wood for my smoker I seriously worked those blades down. I'm not mad at it. I got my job done. And replacements aren't costly at all. Over all I was very happy with this but!

I use this saw generally to cut 6-10 inch oak into firewood rounds. Performs much better than I expected for the money.