OREGON is known more for their chains than their chainsaws but the few chainsaws they do make are excellent. The OREGON PowerNow CS1500 is surprisingly cheap as far as price goes, not quality. Aside from being a reliable chainsaw, it has one unique feature that you won’t find on any other brand chainsaws, more specifically, it’s self-sharpening system known as PowerSharp.
All you do is pull the lever a few times and the chain is instantly sharp, making it safer to use than other chainsaws because it means you can always be cutting with a sharp chain making it cut faster and dramatically reducing the chainsaw of kickback occurring. This is not an insignificant feature. Honestly, this chainsaw is in a league of its own, and that’s not hyperbole.
Nobody wants to sharpen their chainsaw manually. Do you? Do you know how? It’s not trivial. It’s time consuming and requires some skill. The CS1500 is perfect if you want an easy-to-use chainsaw, with no maintenance.
Compare ►OREGON Chainsaws
Built-in Chain Sharpener
OREGON CS300 — 40V / 16″
NO PowerSharp
OREGON CS1500 — 15A / 16″
In all honesty, I don’t know why Oregon sells this chainsaw. Without the self-sharpening system it has no advantage and costs only a few dollars less than the CS1500 with PowerSharp.
Basically, I don’t recommend buying this chainsaw. Many customers mistakenly buy the CS1400 instead of the CS1500. Don’t make that error.
OREGON CS1500 Review
Features :
OVERVIEW —
This is, without a doubt, the most underrated chainsaw on the market and Oregon is the most underrated brand. Why? Not only do they make excellent, high-quality chainsaws, but they have thier proprietary PowerSharp technology which means it has a built-in lever that enables you to sharpen the chain in seconds by pulling the lever a few times. Bingo! Nobody wants to sharpen their chain, and most people don’t know how to. No need to learn. This solves that problem. Easily, the easiest and best electric chainsaw for light-duty cutting.
VIDEO | A Closer Look at the CS1500
It’s very quiet and perfectly silent in between cuts; when you take your finger off of the trigger. Its 15 Amp motor has ample power to trim branches, cut firewood and fell small trees. Capable of cutting wood up to 16″ in diameter — depending on the hardness of the wood. It’s not particularly fast but if you let the chainsaw do the work and don’t force it, you’ll be very happy with this electric chainsaw.
What is PowerSharp Technology
The wonderful thing about this electric chainsaw is the built-in sharpening system called PowerSharp. It’s simple to use and it will make your cutting jobs around the house so much easier because you’ll always be cutting with a sharp chain. All you do is pull the lever a few times and within a few seconds your chain will razor sharp. It probably sounds too good to be true but OREGON has its roots in creating easy to use chain sharpening systems and they’ve build their entire company on their expertise on chainsaw chains.
OREGON is the only company that has this technology integrated into their chainsaws and it’s a big advantage over other manufacturers because one of the most important factors in cutting efficiently is having a sharp chain. I know it’s obvious but far too many homeowners don’t understand the importance of keeping their chain sharp. It doesn’t matter how powerful the engine is if you’re cutting with a dull chain.
The OREGON PowerNow CS1500 also has an electric chain brake and a tool-less chain tensioning system. It’s very comfortable to hold with its textured grip and because it’s an electric chainsaw you can run it all day and night if you want to. It’s lightweight as well, allowing you to work no longer with minimum strain on your body.
To be honest, there’s very little to criticize with this electric chainsaw. It’s very easy to use. No maintenance to worry about, unlike gas chainsaws. It starts instantly, it’s quiet, cheap and well-made. I like the fact that it has a “dead man’s switch,” which means the chain stops moving as soon as you release your finger from the trigger pad. And also, it has an extension cord lock which prevent the cord from accidentally detaching. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.
You’ll need a 12 gauge extension cord for this chainsaw.
For the price you can’t go wrong with this well-designed electric chainsaw. The overall value is excellent. I highly recommend the OREGON PowerNow CS1500. Put it at the top of your buying list.
► Looking for more chainsaw options? Read our GUIDE on the BEST Chainsaws for Homeowners. Check it out. Our latest recommendations. Plenty of new chainsaws — cordless, corded-electric and gas models.
If you want a few more options to consider then I suggest these links:
- Best Electric Chainsaws
- Small Chainsaws
- Best Chainsaw for the Money
- Oregon PowerNow CS250
- Best Battery Chainsaws
- Homeowner Chainsaws
- Cheap Chainsaws