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Oregon Cordless CS300 Review

There are several saws on the market that outperform this undistinguished tool that cost less
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Price:   $370 List | $357 at Amazon
Pros:  Integrated on-board chain sharpener
Cons:  Lacks performance, mediocre battery life, annoying pitch, no oil level indicator window
Manufacturer:   Oregon
By Ross Patton ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 23, 2019
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53
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#8 of 10
  • Saw Performance - 35% 5
  • Ease of Use - 30% 6
  • Battery - 25% 5
  • Noise - 10% 5

Our Verdict

The feature that sets this saw apart from the rest is the onboard chain sharpening system. However, considering that the saw displays poor performance it's a bit of a pointless feature. With a score that leaves the Oregon near the back of the pack, we suggest that you purchase a model that does a better job and costs less.

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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.

The Oregon is a below-average cordless chainsaw.
The Oregon is a below-average cordless chainsaw.

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.

The integrated self-sharpening system on the Oregon model is a convenient feature if you don't want to learn how to sharpen a chain by hand.
The integrated self-sharpening system on the Oregon model is a convenient feature if you don't want to learn how to sharpen a chain by hand.

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.

The CS300 takes a while to make cuts and sometimes stalls.
The CS300 takes a while to make cuts and sometimes stalls.

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.

The Oregon CS300 chain tensioning system looks good but it came loose during our testing.
The Oregon CS300 chain tensioning system looks good, but it came loose during our testing.

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.

The CS300 is expensive when compared to its performance.
The CS300 is expensive when compared to its performance.

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