Chainsaw - Bosch or Makita

[Mark Allread]

My 30 odd year old B&D has finally given up the ghost so a new corded electric chainsaw is required. I'm tempted by the Bosch AKE40-19s or

35-19s models but wondered about Makita. I've no experience of them whatsoever so welcome input.

Bosch do do a cheaper range with 1800W and chainspeed of 9m/s which may be a good option as its really only used for logging and occasional tree felling of softwoods up to about a foot diameter.

Anyone any experience of the two manufacturers please or could offer views on the difference I would find between chainspeed of 12m/s vs 9m/s.

I do *not* want a pro tool (Stihl etc) or petrol as it won't get used enough.

Ta.

[tabbypurr]

The Bosch seems a good tool, but having not used a chainsaw in ages I might be easily pleased. The chains are £24 from Machine Mart, who I don't recommend.

Makita is generally much better than Bosch, but I've not used a Mak chainsa w.

Mak are pro tools

NT

[Chris Green]

I have an old B&D which I replaced with a Bosch which died. The old B&D still works.

I now have a Makita which I like, it's the one with the motor mounted along the length of the saw as opposed to the conventional at right angles.

I can find model numbers if it's of interest.

[Andrew May]

I have a basic 35mm Makita (probably the UC3520A, I can check) which doesn't get used much but works well when it does. It was bought for a fairly large tree (about 30cm trunk diameter) and handled that. I should add that it was not used to cut it down; we dug it out and winched it over to get as much of the root as possible.

[Mark Allread]

Just when out of warranty too I guess?

I *think* that all the new Makitas and probably lots of others are like that these days.

Thanks - I've had a look on the Makita website and there's not that many electric ones so I'll just have a proper browse there.

[Mark Allread]

For drills and such-like but I doubt that many pros will use a Makita chainsaw - Stihl and Husqvarna are the pro's weapons of favour.

[Mark Allread]

Thanks Andrew.

[Chris Green]

I think it died with a shorted turn in the motor, but it's quite a while ago.

The old B&D is a GK430, 1500 watts, I must have bought it back in the mid 1990s, it's still functional though the chain brake isn't what it was.

The Bosch (that's dead) is an AKE40-17S, 1700 watts.

The Makita is a UC4030A, 2000 watt.

[tabbypurr]

Yes, but in terms of build quality.

NT

[Mark Allread]

Chain brake is IMO probably the most important thing to have working properly.

But my old B&D was mid 80's and 1300W so yours is relatively modern in comparison :)

Thanks for that - I'll check it out.

[nospam]

I bought a Bosch AKE 40S earlier this year (Homebase were the cheapest stockist BTW) and have been very pleased with it. The brake is VERY fast acting, and there's lots of power. I've had the chain come off a couple of times but that's when I've been deep in undergrowth using it in a way it probably wasn't designed to cope with. It would be good if the cable were longer (but that's easily fixed with the appropriate tuit). Overall: very pleased.

[John Rumm]

Mak chainsaws are made by Dolmar (they bought out Dolmar in the early '90s IIRC), and they do have a pro following.

[harry]

I have had a Bosch for about six years. In regular light use. Seems OK. One useful feature is that it has a filter to keep wood chips out of the oil tank. No tools needed to dismantle/adjust the chain.

[Mark Allread]

Thanks Harry

[news]

That's right, interestingly as they are a minor player they don't have to go down the route of stratified charge and electronically controlled carburetors which Stihl and Husky do, as a result they are good basic old school saws, I had a 50cc one kept as the yard saw but it was as heavy as a 60cc Stihl and doesn't have the performance of the professional MS261 and husky 560 but should last better.

Nothing to do with electric saws though.

AJH