20200825 124129Last year we gave the 82V Victa 45cm chainsaw our Highly Recommended accolade.

We’ve just completed a series of tests on the new equivalent 45cm chainsaw from EGO and we’ll show you what this powerful tool is capable of and the design features that are innovative and a must have on a chainsaw of this calibre.

We’ll have a short video at the end that summarises our tests and findings.

We got familiar with the EGO brand over the past 9 months when we reviewed their self-propelled Mower and the Multi-Tool Pole Saw kit with Brushcutter and Whipper Snipper.

In every category the EGO brand showed that being a latecomer to the outdoor power tool world can be a distinct advantage.
There’s no heritage and investment in petrol powered machinery to consider. They took a clean slate approach to everything and have been able to build up a brand reputation that professionals are taking note of. They even have a separate product line specifically catering for tradies and pro users.

 

So What Are the Stand-Out Features of this Chainsaw?

* Power – equalling similar sized petrol saws

* Safety – from superfast braking to precise control

* Convenience – extremely easy chain tensioning mechanism

* Endurance – hours on end with a couple of batteries and fast charging

* Innovative – LED lights on the tool for emergency workers

* Design – Very stylish, well balanced

Most of these features are evident when you check out the video.

 

My Favourite Features

So let me talk about a couple of things which excite me the most in this tool.

It’s a combination of the features listed above which gives you the certainty – backed up by a 5 year warranty – that this tool will last the distance and is worth the investment.
At 749 Aussie bucks it’s well priced for the capabilities it has. And if you already have other EGO tools with a charger and batteries you can just buy the chainsaw skin at $449.

They also have a couple of smaller saws, starting at 35cm (14”), just 349 for the skin. All of them with the renowned Oregon bars.

The 45cm kit comes with the new 5.0Ah Fuel Gauge battery.
It’s a powerhouse with five big LEDs to indicate how much power is left. This is a nice improvement over the previous batteries that would basically tell you only when you’d reached the 15% level…

Talking about LEDs: the other extremely handy feature is the powerful 2 stage LED headlights lighting up your working area.

I love that feature on my other tools, including vacuum cleaners but wondered: I know these things are quiet but, really, who’s gonna do a bit of chainsawing in the dark?

Then it hit me: how about SES volunteers who are usually the ones clearing up fallen trees after a big storm and often at night!?
I showed this tool to a police officer who also is an SES volunteer and he’s planning to demonstrate this chainsaw to his SES colleagues.

It’s fully weatherproofed and there’s no stinking fuel smell if you chuck it in the back of the ute or truck. And no expensive regular maintenance either.

Finally, the very easy chain tensioning system is a vast improvement over previous saws I had in the past 3 decades. You don’t even have to get your hands dirty or use a special wrench to take off the side cover to adjust any slackening of the chain. Just a few twists of the big green knob will get you back into action.

 

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Testing

The first few cuts were just to get used to the saw and its operation. The extremely fast braking and the low-kickback properties of the chain can be a life saver.

This is a neighbourhood-friendly tool: very quiet compared to petrol powered units.

We than moved up to find the biggest log we could still safely buck like a big salami. No problems at all.

All the cuts made on the video (and then some) were easily done on one battery charge with plenty of power left.
And if you need longer endurance a second battery and a quick recharge can keep you going until you need to take a break.
A larger 7.5Ah battery also will give you some extra endurance if needed.

 

Conclusion

Have a look at the short 2 min video below of our testing. It also features night-time use of the chainsaw and some drone and slo mo footage.

With all the unique features of the new EGO 45cm Chainsaw as described in our review, we think it fully deserves the highest accolade: our Editor’s Choice Award!

DR editorschoice

Want to know more?
Just click on the EGO product details here.