REASONS TO BUY
Quiet
Metal bucking spikes
Light
Quiet
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow wind-up time
Not the best battery life
Unimpressive performance
Greenworks G-MAX 40V Review
A mediocre saw that's fine for smaller jobs and people that own the battery and charger from another G-MAX tool
RELATED: Best Battery Chainsaw of 2023
Our Verdict
The Greenworks G-MAX 40V is a solid chainsaw overall, but it isn't quite worthy of an award. While it does exceed the performance of some of the models near the bottom of our list, it is far from being at the top. It has a middle-of-the-road price tag and landed near the middle for all of our testing. It doesn't offer the same level of functionality and power as the top-tier models, but it makes sense to purchase the "tool only" only option if you already own a G-MAX 40V battery and charger.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Greenworks G-MAX 40V | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | |||
| Price | $252 List $198.82 at Amazon | $290 List $289.99 at Amazon | $250 List $229.00 at Amazon | $130 List $129.99 at Amazon | $240 List $158.56 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Quiet, metal bucking spikes, light, quiet | Spectacular battery life, two chain speed settings, barely consumes bar and chain oil | Barely consumes oil, good performance, weather-resistant | Compact, light, quiet, affordable | Good cutting power, has tabs on oil cap for leverage |
| Cons | Slow wind-up time, not the best battery life, unimpressive performance | Not the strongest cutting power, plastic chain tensioning system, electronic controls slow down sawing | Slow wind-up time, no battery level indicator, no bucking spikes | Mediocre battery life, slow at making cuts | Consumes an absurd amount of oil, no chain brake, awkward battery compartment location |
| Bottom Line | A mediocre saw that's fine for smaller jobs and people that own the battery and charger from another G-MAX tool | A good degree of performance and an exceptional battery life at a reasonable price | Not a bad choice for an efficient cordless chainsaw that offers a high level of performance | This cordless electric chainsaw is our favorite 20V model for small, quick projects around the yard | A cordless chainsaw that is overpriced for its performance that we wouldn't recommend purchasing |
| Rating Categories | Greenworks G-MAX 40V | Husqvarna 120i | Ego Power+ CS1400 | Worx WG322 | Ryobi 40V RY40530 |
| Saw Performance (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Battery (25%) | |||||
| Noise (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Greenworks G-MAX 40V | Husqvarna 120i | Ego Power+ CS1400 | Worx WG322 | Ryobi 40V RY40530 |
| Model Number | 20312 | 120i | CS1400 | WG322 | RY40503 |
| Bar Length | 16 inches | 14 inches | 14 inches | 10 inches | 14 inches |
| Measured Weight | 12 lbs | 10 lbs, 11 oz | 11 lbs, 10 oz | 6 lbs, 10 oz | 11 lbs, 8 oz |
| Measured Battery Weight | 2 lbs, 15 oz | 2 lbs, 12 oz | 2lbs, 14 oz | 1 lbs, 10 oz | 3 lbs, 2 oz |
| Included Battery Size | 4 Ah | 4.2 Ah | 2 Ah | 2 Ah | 4 Ah |
| Nominal Voltage | 40V | 36V | 56V | 20V | 40V |
| Measured Runtime | 27 minutes | 40 minutes | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 24 minutes |
| Measured Run Time Eco Mode | n/a | 54 mins | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Measured Battery Charge Time | 2 hrs | 2 hrs | .75 hr | 3 hr | 2.75 hr |
| Measured Average Cutting Time | 12.582 seconds | 13.486 seconds | 9.452 seconds | 38.382 seconds | 10.02 seconds |
| Measured Wind Up Time | 2.25 seconds | .5 seconds | 2.5 seconds | 2 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Measured Decibel Reading at 48in | 83.8 dBa | 85.9 dBa | 85.3 dBa | 80.0 dBa | 97.8 dBa |
| Control Type | Electronic button, side safety and chain brake | Electronic button, side safety and brake | Side safety w/ chain brake | Thumb safety | Thumb safety |
| Chain Replacement and Tensioning Type | Tool free | Tool free | Tool free | Tool free | Included Tool |
| Metal Bucking Spikes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Oil Conservation | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| Bar & Chain Tank Location and Type | Top | Side, flip-up | Side, Screen | Top | Top |
| Measured Body Dimesions | 16x8x8 inches | 19x7x7 inches | 16x9x8 inches | 13x8x7.5 inches | 19.5x9x8 inches |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Greenworks G-MAX 40V falls somewhere in the middle of a saw that we have great things to say about and one that we can't recommend to our readers. We wouldn't actively dissuade you from buying it, but it might make sense to get something with a little more power if you're demanding on your tools or a lighter, cheaper saw for smaller jobs. The best thing that it has going for it is it is one of the quieter models that we've gotten to test.
Performance Comparison
The Greenworks G-MAX is your run of the mill electric chainsaw.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Likes
During our saw performance tests the Greenworks model did fairly well. With an average cutting time of 12.6 seconds during our dimensional wood test, it falls in the middle of the pack. When we took it to the wood yard, it performed better with wet wood than it did with the dry wood at the lab.
Between the controls, the wind-up time, and the mediocre cutting performance, the Greenworks G-MAX is not the easiest saw to make cuts with.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Although we aren't the biggest fans of extraneous power buttons, we do like that it has an audio indicator to let you know that the saw is on so you don't have to physically look down to find the light.
We find electronic power buttons to be a redundant feature when there's already a chain brake, safety switch, and trigger on most models.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
We are always a fan of metal bucking spikes — the Greenworks G-MAX 40V is one of only a handful of saws that we've reviewed that comes with this feature.
The metric that is easily the best for the G-MAX is noise. With a measured decibel level of 83.8, it is one of the quietest cordless chainsaws that we've tested.
Dislikes
Aside from the redundant power button, there are still a few other elements of the Greenworks that we aren't very fond of. It's got a pretty poor saw performance, especially considering that this saw has an exceptionally lethargic wind-up time.
We aren't fond of the G-MAX chain tensioning system. It requires you to turn a wheel with each hand which doesn't leave much of a way to hold the saw itself to get any leverage.
The Greenworks G-MAX chain tensioning system is not our favorite.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Greenworks had a satisfactory runtime of 27 minutes during our testing, but with a 2 hour charge time, we weren't able to give it a good score for the battery.
Value
The Greenworks G-MAX is relatively cheap, but with a level of function that is less than impressive we recommend purchasing a chainsaw that offers better performance for a similar price
The G-MAX has a medium weight when compared to the rest of the field.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Conclusion
All in all, we find the Greenworks G-MAX to be particularly mediocre. If you have already invested in a different G-MAX 40V product it may make sense to stay with the same brand. Otherwise, we would recommend a different model.
—
Ross Patton
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