Customer Reviews for Homelite 16 in. 12 Amp Electric Chainsaw

I seldom write reviews but on this occasion an exception is being made. Recently when preparing to cut up some firewood for the winter months I found my vintage 20” gas engine chainsaw to have finally seen its last performance. I then resorted to my 14” McCulloch electric chainsaw purchased in 2006. After a few cuts, it began to run erratically and finally froze up. Rather than waste any time, energy, or money to repair this relic, I decided to just go ahead and buy a new chainsaw. After due diligence online I decided on a Homelite 16” electric chainsaw, so off to Home Depot I headed where I always get superb service. Once there, I located the display aisle and quickly found what I was looking for. But right next to the 16” Homelite was the 14” Homelite. And although the 16” at 10.5 lbs. is only one pound heavier than the 14” 9.5 lbs., the 14” model just felt so much lighter and more comfortable than the 16” model. Not to mention the attractive $50 cost! And believe me, when you get into your late 70’s, ‘lighter and more comfortable’ enter into every decision-making event that you’re faced with. Upon returning home, I simply added the chain/blade oil, plugged it in and began cutting. After an hour or so, it began to get dark so I quit for the day, but the next morning I resumed cutting. After another hour or so my task was completed as documented by the attached photo. So as the saying goes, “the proof is in the pudding”. P.S. this is definitely not a promotion.

This saw did a better job than the gas heavy duty I rented to take an oak tree down. It handled oak like a piece of cheese.

Highy recommend this chainsaw for simple tasks. Bought it in store several weeks ago to remove a nasty, overgrown row of bushes approximately 50' feet long. It performed well. The largest "trunks" were 2-3 inches and it had no problems. This morning it cut down another bush where multiple trunks (up to 4 inches) had grown together in a 12 x 18 inch base area. It took the morning to cut from multiple angles and at multiple heights, but the bush/tree is down to almost ground level. As others have said, it drinks a lot of oil. Buy the big jug to save money. You can find the chain online at a cheaper price; I plan to replace the chain instead of sharpening. Being tethered to an extension cord can be a draw back. (I chose the smaller amps so I could run two cords.) At 14 inches it has limitations, but a great value overall if you are not taking down a giant redwood (or an average sized maple).

In the first 15 minutes of using this saw, The bar and chain flew off while in motion. I was not hurt, but it was very dangerous. I was cutting a two-inch stalk (soft). I had read the manual, added oil, was using it safely. I called Homelite and left a v/m; no response. I wrote an email to Homelite, urging them to report it to CPSC. No response. I returned the saw to HD and advised the employee. I hope someone investigates it.

Works great! My Stihl refused to start and I needed to get some clean up done on a 70 foot pine fell by a recent storm. Saw is wonderfully lightweight compared to a two stroke. Took care of all the limbs and removed the top at about 1 foot diameter. It is mostly plastic and for LIGHT DUTY work so putting much pressure on the bar will bog it down and create chassis flex. This was an emergency purchase for me but now wish I had it years ago for general tree maintenance.

It did what it had to do. A tree split and fell on my property. There were sizable limbs as big as 10" thick that needed to be cut down to a more managable size.

Lost a tree and the neighbor kid shows up to cut it down with an electric chainsaw. Found that comical but decided to wait for him to ask if I had one he could borrow that was gas powered. Within 45 minutes the giant Bradford pear in my front yard was reduced to a pile of firewood! I literally went immediately to HD and got my own and am now using it at the lake to cut my firewood around the campfire, as well as, other trees etc. around the house. Super quiet, easy to use, operational out of the box with almost no assembly. I totally reccomend this product.

this little saw was probably one of the best $49 I've ever spent at Home Depot. You aren't going to cut down a forest with it, but for light tree trimming or even taking out a small tree or two, this thing is fantastic. Don't abuse it and it'll put in more work than a $50 saw ought to. About the only thing I've noticed is that it goes through a fair amount of bar oil during use, so make sure you buy plenty. The saw DOES NOT come with any bar oil, make sure you pick some up when you buy the saw!

The Homelite 16 in. 12 amp chainsaw that I purchased and used worked great for what I needed it for. It had enough power and adequate length to saw through the small tree that needed to remove.

Works right outta the box. I already cut up a fallen limb that was like 10 inches around and I cut down a dead tree in my backyard that was like 12 inches around. You cant beat it for $50.

Simple to use. The factory chain only lasted for 30 minutes. Replacement Omro chain works great and continued for many hours of cutting.

We bought it to clean up after a particularly harsh winter storm in Hampton Roads. Ordinance requires yard debris cut down to 48" or shorter, and we had 4" diameter x 20' branches to chop up. The chain saw performed well. Only complaint is that didn't come with chain oil.

Overall it worked well. I was able to cut through 10 - 12" limbs with no problem. Light weight and easy to use. Only issue I had was that the grey rectangular bar lock did vibrate loose. Would recommend checking after several large cuts. This was the only reason for not giving it 5 stars. Good product for the money.

Good for small jobs light weight easy to handle

This is a beast of a little chainsaw, i was like many others figuring i would get a few good uses out of it and it's only 50 bucks, BOY was I wrong this is a great little work horse to have for the average home owner. I cut down about 9 pine trees the largest being about 12" in diameter however this saw made quick work of the job I am very satisfied.

Took on a project bigger then this saw should of done! Cut with some creative work a tree trunk larger then the saw. I would totally recommend! Zipped right through branches and works well trimming hedges. All I can say is I'm 62 and never tired from using this saw. It's strong, reliable & not to heavy to use. Easy to clean, really easy to remove the chain clean & oil if need to.. thank you Homelite!

A tree about 15 inches in diameter fell in my yard yesterday. Rather than spending the money on a tree service, I went to home depot and bought this chainsaw. It's the only electric one they had in stock, but was still rated way better than the cheapest gas ones. I figured it this at least lasted 1 job, it would pay for itself. I was worried about it only being 9 amps, but it was plenty of power. It made quick work of the tree and I had it into pieces I could carry in no time. You have to check on the chain tension, especially during the first few uses because new chains stretch, but it's extremely easy to adjust on this machine. I'm impressed, and glad I have this to trim back small pest trees in the future. Very happy with how it handled a "real" tree.

The chain tensioner stripped out after only a few months. The problem is that the tensioner gear is plastic. It needs to be metal. When you go to order parts to fix it, the parts are "backordered". The chainsaw is totally useless if it cannot be tensioned.

I'm impressed with this chainsaw. It's obviously not a lumberjack tool, but for clearing up downed trees and doing smaller cutting tasks, it is a workhorse. I am using this around my off grid cabin (powered by a generator with a 50 ft extension cord) and it really does all I could ask for. I'm cutting some old dead trees for firewood and cleaning up some branches on live trees near the cabin to keep things fire-safe and it has not let me down. A gas powered chainsaw is still in my future for when I am not cutting near the cabin, but for the tasks I've given it, it works great.

Extremely pleased and impressed by this value for money chainsaw. Have had considerable experience on gas chainsaws. Couldn't be bothered with mixing oil/fuel and wasn't keen on price of new gas chainsaws. Easy to top up oil after a workout. Chain removal and adjustment is extremely easy. Used saw to cut down three pines (75-80 feet tall) and cut into lengths for stacking. Chain needs sharpening now, but the speed in cutting was very good, when comparing to a gas chainsaw.

Boy have we got our money out of this one. Have cleared an acre of scrub trees and now it's chopping the heck out of Maple Trees. This little saw will amaze you! Can get 2 chains for under $30.

I was a little skeptical when my beautiful wife asked me to get her an electric chainsaw. I went down to the local Home Depot and found that the only brand they had was Homelite. I have a prejudice against Homelite. I have owned 2 of their gas chainsaws and still have a Homelite gas trimmer. All 3 lasted about 6 months before quitting. I believe the carburetors mess up. Anyway, long story short, I bought the 16" electric chainsaw. It is an amazing tool. It cuts just as good and fast as my Husqvarna 435, 16". The Homelite is a lot lighter in weight and way quieter. The only thing that is bothersome is the 12 power cord that comes unplugged when the extension cord has the slightest resistance as in accidently stepping on it. I ended up going back to Home Depot and purchasing a Husky brand 8', 14 gage 3-wire power tool cord. It hasn't come unplugged since. Do not attempt to do this mod unless you professionally repair electric power tools and chainsaws

This is an entry level chainsaw, (so I wouldn’t recommend for heavy duty jobs); however it did the job flawlessly for very little cost. Only downside is that it requires electricity.

I love this lightweight, easy-to-use chainsaw. It starts every time that I push the button. It has already paid for itself! Meets my needs for cutting small to medium branches. Changed my mind on electric chainsaws. As an electrical engineer, I recommend saw for routine home cutting needs.

I was skeptical of buying an electric chain saw as I've owned only gas saws in the past. However, I was quite impressed with the performance of this saw for a tree stump removal project I had. It worked as well as my 16" Poulan Pro and only had the chain come off once. It was easy to put back in place and re-tension. I'm glad I purchased it and will enjoy the lack of maintenance it requires. If you don't use a gas saw at least once a year, you take a risk of the seals drying out which is why I had to buy a new one this time. Great product Homelite!

Very surprised with the performance for it being electric. The price was great. I used it to cut down quite a few trees with a base betwwen 8" and 12". Only had the chain stop moving 2 or 3 times because I got too far into the tree and the weight was too much. Was able to back out and go from the other side without a problem. I am definitely glad I went this route instead of gas. It is a lot quieter and is perfect for using around the house.

Full disclosure. This is the first chainsaw I've ever owned, or even used for that matter. I thought for a while about getting a gas powered machine, but in the end I didn't plan on using this beyond the bounds of my property, which is never more than 100 feet from an outlet. I bought a big 12G 100' exterior extension cord to use with this. At first I was skeptical of the power of this thing, but man it really chews through wood fast. I am sure there's more powerful chainsaws out there, but for cutting branches and general tree maintenance, it's great. I've had the saw about 2 months now, and I've found it very useful. It's fairly quiet compared to a gas saw, and also pretty lightweight. One useful tip is that when you plug in the saw, tie an overhand knot between the male and female ends. That way the saw will never become unplugged by accident. See the photo I supplied. One thing that I like about the saw is the gear that pulls the chain is metal. I think maybe the Harbor Freight version of this saw has a hard plastic gear, which seems like a recipe for disaster. The chain oil reservoir holds a lot of oil, and there is a translucent window to show you how much is left. Overall I've been pleased with the performance of the saw. If you're going to use your saw in the deep woods not near a power source, then this is obviously not the saw for you. For a suburban yard this thing works perfectly, and the price is right.

I bought the saw, I used the saw and it exceeded my expectations. Previous reviews indicate excessive bar oil usage. I did not experience that. Chain and bar works well. Lightweight. Used appropriate outdoor rated extension cord.

This was the best $50 I have ever spent--and had a $ 5 .00 coupon in the mail that day. Just fill it with chain lube and its ready. Works great ! Trimmed down a very large tree in a couple hours. It's lightweight . It cut through 3 to 5 inch limbs fine.

Have a gas 20" chain saw. Needed something for smaller jobs This was well worth the money. Don't have to fool with gas/oil mixtures and tugging on rope. Just add oil and plug it in. It does use bar oil but I cut down and bucked a whole tree and only had to partially fill once. And it's easy to clean using air compressor. Don't have to disassemble. Have used it for two jobs now.