knoydart's Full Review: Factory Reconditioned Ryobi 18" 40cc 2-Cycle Gas P...
I bought this chainsaw in a rush after recent storms damaged some tree, felled some thick limbs & they were too big to clear by hand. As a result I didn’t get a chance to research the purchase at all & had to depend on good luck. I have to say I’ve not been disappointed.
As a factory reconditioned unit I am at a loss to say just WHY this is classed as a “Recon” unit as it looks brand new & without a mark on it. I had expected to see some scratches or signs of use, perhaps these were demonstrators & had actually cut a few logs, but there was nothing. Certainly the blade & chain look brand new.
I didn’t have the luxury of letting the saw run in as it was straight down to work, after filling it with oil & gas. Starting took a few pulls the first time, probably until the oil/gas mixture filled the carburetor. After that it would start first or second pull from cold once you’d completed the priming procedure & when hot it always started first time.
Overall it inspired confidence, although I doubt it can cut up to the full capacity of the 18” bar. The biggest I tackled was 14” thick tree & it struggled with that size. However when you think about it, unless you are a pro, do you really think you’re going to fell anything bigger? If you’re cutting 24” or thicker tree trunks you probably know what you’re doing & will have a Husqvarna, a Sthil or something similar.
The handle is sprung mounted to reduce the vibration & reduce fatigue but there was still some noticeable buzz to be felt. It always felt well balanced & as controlled as you’d expect & certainly it got the job done.
What did bother me though was that there was some instability with the idling speed & sometimes this made the chain move when it shouldn’t do so. Also it seemed, for some strange reason, to be less powerful if I had it turned to the right when cutting, like when taking down a standing tree. This didn’t seem to be the case when I tried it the other way or when it was vertical. I’ve no idea whether this was an illusion or if there’s some fuel starvation going on because the carb float is getting stuck or something. It’s not exactly something you can measure scientifically when dealing with storm felled trees!
It is important to keep the chain oiler bottle full or it will eat the chain & bar pretty quickly I imagine. Likewise making sure the chain is the correct tension will also increase its life & cutting power. Both of these tasks are easy to achieve as is accessing the air filter for cleaning, something that seemed to need to be done remarkably often. As long as you read the very clear instructions you will know what to do.
The saw got some heavy use for about a week, cutting down the damaged trees & then chopping them up into conveniently sized logs, before being drained of fuel & put away. It performed well during that time & I have no complaints about it given the very low price I paid for it. As a test I put a drop of gas & lube oil in it to see if it would still start after 3 weeks sat in the cold, damp garage & it did without too much trouble.
Given that I saved a good deal of money by not having to call out a tree specialist & not having to take a day off from work (plus I have a chainsaw in the garage should I ever need one again) I consider this product to be well worth the money. Of course I doubt it will stand up to regular use, but for most people dealing with the occasional need to clear trees & thick branches it is ideal.
The 40 cc-18 In. chain saw is perfect for all your cutting needs. The engine is engineered to maximize power and performance. This chain saw is engine...More at Home Depot
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.