Worx WG322 Review

This saw has a lot to offer for those that don't require a long bar or tons of battery life. The short bar length and small battery make the Worx WG322 much lighter and more compact than most cordless electric chainsaws on the market. The light weight can alleviate some pain from your back and arms, making small duty trimming, bucking, and pruning easier than ever. The tool-free chain tensioning system makes tightening the chain as easy as possible, but we noticed that the WG322 requires a bit more monitoring than models that use a tool.

Performance Comparison

Saw Performance

We divided saw performance into two halves for our first metric — we timed several individual cuts with dimensional wood and took an average of several trials. We subjectively judged the feel and cutting power of every model while bucking logs into firewood. This section of our assessment accounts for 35% of our total score.

The Worx WG322 is far from the highest-scoring model in this metric, but we were astonished by this saw's abilities considering its size and weight. On average, it took 36 seconds to cut through our dimensional lumber. This may sound like a long time, but this is nearly as fast as models that claim to have twice the power.

Ease of Use

We dedicated the next 30% of the score to how easy each saw is to use. For this metric, we weighed each model to double-check the manufacturers' claims — some of which often list the weight without the batteries attached. We then carefully inspected the switches, triggers and toyed with the various chain tensioning systems. Finally, we subjectively judged how quickly and easy each saw was to get going from storage modes to making cuts.

In the world of power tools, we often find that simplicity is key. Because the Worx WG322 only has one power output setting, there is no reason to have any more switches other than a safety button and a trigger. We are also fans of bar & chain oil tanks that have the fill cap located on the top of the saw body rather than the side as this alleviates any need for awkward positioning while filling and lowers the chances of spilling.

The chain tensioning system on the WG322 is as easy as can be to operate. It simply requires the user to spin the dial one direction in order to align the bar, tighten the chain, and lock everything in place all at once.

Battery Life

The next 25% of the total score is allotted to battery performance. With the batteries fully charged, we strapped the saws down to a large table and ran them with no load in order to time the battery life of each model. Once the saws were completely out of sauce, we plugged them into their chargers and carefully stood by with a stopwatch to see how long they take to get back to 100%.

This was not a strong metric for the Worx model. It only ran for a total of 22 minutes, and it took 3 hours to charge. However, we should mention that it did outperform models with much higher voltage batteries, and we love how small the battery and charger are compared to most of the opponents.

Noise

To measure noise, we used a sound pressure level meter from a few feet away from each saw running at full throttle to gain some objective data. Next, we had a panel of judges stand at a distance of 50 feet to let us know if there were any particularly offensive squeals or whines that each tool produced. These combined assessments account for the final 10% of our overall score.

The Worx WG322 did fantastically in the noise department. The judges decided they could barely notice it running from 50 feet away and that it was hardly annoying to have to listen to. When we broke out the SPL meter, this model registered a mere 80.0 dBa.

Value

We were shocked by the price versus performance ratio we discovered while testing the WG322. This model outperforms other top-ranked battery chainsaws that cost more, in many cases, a lot more. If you don't need to make large cuts or need a long-lasting battery, this saw is the way to go if you want to save some money.

Conclusion