Oregon Cordless CS300 Review
Pros: Integrated on-board chain sharpener
Cons: Lacks performance, mediocre battery life, annoying pitch, no oil level indicator window
Manufacturer: Oregon
Our Verdict
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Oregon Cordless CS300 | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $441 List $449 at Amazon | $350 List $339.82 at Amazon | $400 List $360.49 at Amazon | $260 List | $250 List $199.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Integrated on-board chain sharpener | Top-notch cutting performance, long-lasting battery, easy chain tensioning system, many other tools that use the same batteries | Excellent sawing power, good battery life, relatively inexpensive | Spectacular battery life, two chain speed settings, barely consumes bar and chain oil | Barely consumes oil, good performance, weather-resistant |
Cons | Lacks performance, mediocre battery life, annoying pitch, no oil level indicator window | So-so wind-up time | Heavy, noisy, one battery size, limited line-up of other tools | 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 |
Bottom Line | This unremarkable cordless chainsaw does not work as well as others that have a smaller price tag | If you want an easy-to-use cordless electric chainsaw with a long-lasting battery and a long bar this is the one | We highly recommend this model if you are looking for the best you can get in a cordless chainsaw | For a reasonable price, this model performs well although it does not quite contend with the top-ranked models | With a high level of performance, this is not a bad choice for an efficient cordless chainsaw |
Rating Categories | Oregon Cordless... | EGO Power+ CS1800 | ECHO CCS-58V4AH | Husqvarna 120i | EGO Power+ CS1400 |
Saw Performance (35%) | |||||
Ease Of Use (30%) | |||||
Battery (25%) | |||||
Noise (10%) | |||||
Specs | Oregon Cordless... | EGO Power+ CS1800 | ECHO CCS-58V4AH | Husqvarna 120i | EGO Power+ CS1400 |
Model Number | CS300 | CS1800 | CCS-58V4AH | 120i | CS1400 |
Bar Length | 16 inches | 18 inches | 16 inches | 14 inches | 14 inches |
Measured Weight w/ Battery | 13 lbs 4 oz | 12 lbs 4 oz | 14 lbs 4 oz | 10 lbs 11 oz | 11 lbs 10 oz |
Measured Battery Weight | 2 lbs 11 oz | 3 lbs 8 oz | 4 lbs | 2 lbs 12 oz | 2lbs 14 oz |
Included Battery Size | 4 Ah | 5 Ah | 4 Ah | 4.2 Ah | 2 Ah |
Nominal Voltage | 40V | 56V | 58V | 36V | 56V |
Measured Runtime | 25 minutes | 60 minutes | 34 minutes | 40 minutes | 24 minutes |
Measured Run Time Eco Mode | n/a | n/a | n/a | 54 mins | n/a |
Measured Battery Charge Time | 1.8 hr | 1.5 hr | 1 hr | 2 hrs | .75 hr |
Measured Average Cutting Time | 15.865 seconds | 5.876 seconds | 6.136 seconds | 13.486 seconds | 9.452 seconds |
Measured Wind Up Time | 1.25 seconds | 1.25 seconds | .5 seconds | .5 seconds | 2.5 seconds |
Measured Decibel Reading at 48in | 87.3 dBa | 88.8 dBa | 87.5 dBa | 85.9 dBa | 85.3 dBa |
Control Type | Side safety w/ chain brake | Side safety w/ chain brake | Thumb safety w/ chain brake | Electronic button, side safety and brake | Side safety w/ chain brake |
Chain Replacement and Tensioning Type | Tool free | Tool Free | Included Tool | Tool free | Tool free |
Metal Bucking Spikes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Oil Conservation | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Bar & Chain Tank Location and Type | Side | Side, Screen | Side | Side, flip-up | Side, Screen |
Measured Body Dimesions | 14x8x9 inches | 16x9x8 inches | 16x8x9 inches | 19x7x7 inches | 16x9x8 inches |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Oregon Cordless CS300 is not an impressive cordless chainsaw. It has an integrated chain sharpener, which we find to be a cool feature, but it doesn't keep up with the others in our test metrics including noise, ease of use, and battery.
Performance Comparison
Likes
The best thing about the Oregon CS300 is the integrated "PowerSharp" chain sharpening system. In order to sharpen the chain, the only thing that you have to do is lift a lever that holds a sharpening stone against the chain within the saw body and hold the throttle for a few seconds to get a quick bit of sharpening done. Old school chainsaw fanatics may rather sharpen their saws with a file, but for those that are looking to keep a chain sharp with minimal maintenance, this feature could be crucial.
Dislikes
Although the Oregon doesn't register the loudest on the sound meter, the noise that comes from the saw at full throttle is unequivocally annoying. When it comes to cutting performance this saw is near the back of the pack and stops and stalls without much force.
It has a so-so runtime measured at 25 minutes, but its charge time is where it falls near the back of the pack again. It takes the battery nearly 2 hours to charge, which is not a very solid runtime to charge time ratio. It does an ok job of conserving oil but without an indicator window, you're stuck opening the cap to see how much lube you have left.
The chain tensioning system operates well, but we have our reserves about the reliability. Of all of the cordless chainsaws that we've tested the Oregon is one of the only ones that we've ever seen the bar come loose during operation.
Value
This cordless chainsaw does not offer the greatest degree of value. The Oregon is not the cheapest saw that we've tested and it is far from having the highest degree of performance. There are other chainsaws that do a better job but have a lower price tag.
Conclusion
To sum it up, the Oregon CS300 is not a chainsaw that we would recommend that our readers purchase. It doesn't offer much in the way of power or performance, it's not the easiest to use, it's loud, and it has a weak battery.
— Ross Patton