Oregon CS1500 Self-Sharpening Electric Chain Saw

Oregon CS1500-091 Chainsaw 18-inch 15 Amp Self-Sharpening Corded Electric I'm posting this review after nearly 4 years of use. One reason that I bought this electric chainsaw nearly 4 years ago was the ease of use over the gas operated chain saw. When I was forced to purchase a home risk insurance policy, I had to cut some very wide tree limbs because they represented threat during hurricane season, I cut branches nearly 18 inches wide with this machine with no problem. They cut like butter. I did not even have to press down on the machine, it cuts with it's own weight. This chainsaw has been above par during it's operation. My only advice is keep the chain tight and watch the oil level carefully. Please don't forget to disengage the chain stop when you get it. Another amazing convenience is adjusting the tension without tools: This highly crafted machine allows you to adjust your chain quickly and easily so that you can maintain the perfect tension for the ideal cut with next to no maintenance Truly, I must have save nearly $1000 with this machine after cutting branches from the oak trees. The machine has literally paid itself off several times over. Another amazing feature is the self-sharping stone that is conveniently located at you hand, press for several seconds and wallah, the chain is sharpened , that easy. While I was working outside, a neighbor came to help me with his 18in gas driven chain saw. Let me tell ;you, the Oregon CS1500-091 is second to none. I cut just as fast as my neighbors saw with greater ease of use. One plus is that I did not even have to worry about mixing gas and oil ratios. The automatic chain oiling works well. Again, I've said it with ad nauseam check the oil level after a long cut! Another plus is the the auto sharpener which is convenient and easy to use. When you push the sharpener handle, you could see little sparks as the sharpener stone brushes against the chain/links. I used a 50 feet extension cord with no power drop. But here is the part you've been waiting for, the customer service is outstanding. I called with a question regarding the oil tank on the machine and the customer service rep answered the phone even away from the office. I must add this part, and she speaks good English. I deal with a plethora of customer service reps and they are simply practicing English while they speak with me. Oh yes, no waiting in line, the phone representative is an expert in her field. Mind you, 4 years later, she had no problem giving me her undivided attention. If you don't by from this company, you've lost your mind. I truly recommend a purchase of this highly rated rugged cutting machine. You won't regret it, trust me!! Michael

Well...it is heavy. Takes a few minutes to get used to a cord. The chain is different than others and can sorta kick back a little on looser pieces. It is heavy, but seems really well made. I lost my large Mulberry tree to the storms. Thought I would try this saw to cut her up, since I have an electric outlet near where it went down. I found it has loads of power and cuts like a beast. I do believe this may cut faster than my gas chainsaw. I found the tool-less chain adjuster works really well. Yes, the onboard chain sharpener works, although I keep my blade out of the dirt if I can. After about 5 hours of use I did hit the blade sharpener lever just for kicks. I works! I noticed it was cutting faster! I love the saw and a great price as well.

I bought two of these, about 5 years ago. One for my neighbor whose corded saw from another manufacturer died, and one for myself because the price was right and I wanted a new saw. Okay, it is corded. You knew that when you bought it. Here's the deal, though. I used this saw moderately frequently for fairly heavy sawing tasks for 5 years before it quit on me. Yes. It quit on me. I was sawing through 20" thick ash, and had been for some time, when the brushes finally burned up. I thought it was done and went out and bought myself a cordless saw, which I dearly love, but I was just cleaning up my shop and saw this poor fella sitting there waiting for me to decide what to do with it. I decided to open up the motor and see whether I could save it. First, it is easy to open the motor. Four screws and you are in. Second, it is easy to pull the brushes, two screws and twist two little metal bars away and you have them out. Then pull them off the spade connectors and you are free to go. Okay, but no one makes brushes for a cheap corded chainsaw, right? Wrong! $14 later, I have new brushes made for this specific saw ordered from Amazon and provided by Oregon themselves. In this age of disposable junk designed to fail and increase profits, that is called standing behind your product. I give Oregon enormous credit for that. As to all the other stuff, it cuts well with a sharp chain (like any other decent saw), it is reasonably easy to maneuver, at least as good as any other corded saw. It is quieter than gas, a bit louder than cordless electric -- brushless motors are quiet, but they are also expensive. It works quite well, and has put up with more abuse than it was probably designed for. The oiler works as well as any other oiler I have seen. It doesn't leak and it keeps the chain lubricated. The quick sharpening feature works (though it will wear out your chain faster than manual sharpening) and is really convenient when you don't want to stop and sharpen you chain. The chains and bars are reasonably cheap, so wearing out a chain is not a huge issue. If you are a serious forester, get a serious saw. Stihl makes some great ones, but you already know that, and if you are reading this review, I am laughing at you. If you want convenience and are willing to pay for it, get a cordless electric. There are several good ones out there, and they work really well, even on heavy work. Not naming brands because that is unfair. If you want a cheap saw that you can fix when it wears out and that will serve you around the yard trimming trees and cutting up small firewood just fine, probably for many years if you don't abuse it like I did, this is the saw for you. I can't speak for other brands, but Oregon clearly stands behind their product and has made a good one in this saw. Other people make better saws, but not for this price. Most other people won't sell you replacement parts for anything this inexpensive.

First I like the saw. I bought it to replace my Stihl MS250. I do not need a saw often but when I need it I want it to be reliable. I decided to choose the electric Oregon CS1500 because I would not need to deal with the gas and the carburetor which I was always having to clean when I took the Stihl out of storage. I also wanted to see if the self sharpening feature worked PRO: -Cuts well. Have used it for 15 hours now cutting up an 50' (37"diameter) oak that fell in my yard. -Very reliable -Sharpener actually works! You have to press harder and longer (7 sec) than they show in the video but it does work. -Tool free chain tensioner works well -No Gas mixing or paying exorbitant prices for premix Cons: -Shipment packaging was abysmal. No physical support is given for the bar and chain. My first one came bent at a steep angle. (See picture) When I removed the chainsaw from the box the auto tensioner was "popped" off the threads, the bar was bent, and the tensioner assembly on the bar had popped the retaining screw. Obviously shipping had not been kind to the box or someone sent me a unit that had been pre-damaged. I sent it back and Amazon had me a new one in two days. -The chain does pop off like many others have commented. This happens when cutting small branches and putting too much pressure on the branch causing the blade to deform downward and binding the chain or when the saw bounces of these small branches. After the first couple of times, I learned what not to do and it rarely happened again. -The chain is difficult to re-attach, align and get right. Wear gloves. Ensure that the chain is in the slot off the bar ALL the way down to the gear. Otherwise it will immediately pop off again. Bottom-line is that it is a good saw with some good features. It does have some idiosyncrasies but they are not show stoppers. OREGON DOES need to package the saw better for shipping. (Why not just use a regular rectangular box with sturdy packing material as support?)

I've been using this saw as if it were a pro-grade gas powered chainsaw for five years now and couldn't be more impressed. I bought this when my Echo gas powered chainsaw died, thinking we were replacing our woodstove with a propane stove. Getting free logs and dead trees on my own property have put the propane stove on hold. Here is my assessment after five years use, cutting more than 12 cords of dry and green wood: Pros: Incredibly powerful and cuts beautifully. I've been cutting up to 30" diameter logs as easily as with the Echo. I've been on as much as 300' of 14 gauge extension cord (I really should be using like 10 gauge at that length) with very little power loss. I'd have expected that chocking the amperage down like that would have burnt out the motor. But it just keeps going with no apparent damage. The chain is much quicker and easier to tighten than any gas powered saw I've owned. So much so that it almost makes chain tightening a non-issue. But, see cons below. It's electric, so it's quiet and there's no more need for ear protection. Cons: As others have noted, the chain does have a tendency to jump off the bar when the chain isn't tightened down super tight. But I've found that by grasping the chain a few inches in front of the jump and manually cycling it front and back will jump the chain back onto the bar. The chain does loosen more quickly than any gas powered saw I've owned. But the ease of tightening makes this one a wash. You really do need to use a channel lock wrench to properly tighten the chain tensioner. It is an electric saw, so you have to deal with the power cord while sawing. My opinion; if you can deal with the cord, this saw is better than a gas powered chainsaw.

Have you ever made a purchase thinking “it’s probably too good to be true, but even if it only kind of works, it’s worth the gamble?” Well, that’s where I landed on this. It just happened to turn out being one of my best decisions. This chainsaw has been great. This thing chews through wood so well it makes the neighborhood beavers and woodchucks hang their heads in shame. The onboard sharpening lets me cleave the bark of my storm felled enemies in seconds and let’s me clear debris with minimal interruptions. As long as the cord stays plugged and I top off the bar oil when needed, this thing has been nearly unstoppable. I have to say nearly because poorly placed cuts that end up putting too much pressure squeezing the bar will stop anything, but that was my own user error. It’s a great saw, but unfortunately it can’t fix bad decisions. You have to do that yourself. It’s the easiest chainsaw I’ve ever had to take care of, it’s reliable, much quieter than my old gas saw, starts every time without any extra fiddling or magic passwords like my old saw needed (i.e. push the button exactly like this, or you have to hold it just like that and only pull the cord while facing the temple of Cthulhu no later than 43 min after dusk otherwise it won’t start), lightweight, and just easy to use. It’s more than big enough to easily handle all of my current needs. It very quickly became the chainsaw I reach for first, almost as fast as it cuts through branches. We have ample outlets and proper extension cords so that hasn’t been a concern for my needs, but make sure you have what you need for a corded saw.

***THIRD AND FINAL UPDATE*** I was cutting up a few incense cedar rounds left in my driveway by a tree trimming company. The motor exhibited signs of weakness, bogging down even when not cutting anything. The motor completely died after two cuts and would not respond to user input after letting it cool down and resetting the safety features. The auto-lube for the chain was working just fine, and the chain was not over-tensioned. I used this saw on a total of three occasions for light work. The first unit they sent melted the plastic chain tensioning nut after two uses, and the second unit had a defective motor which died on the third use. VERDICT: These electric Oregon saws are PLASTIC CHINESE JUNK. Do not buy them. They destroy themselves after approximately two or three uses. Spend the extra money on a Mikita or Husqvarna, or alternately a gas-engine drive Stihl. ***SECOND UPDATE*** I contacted Oregon and was glad to receive prompt and friendly service. Oregon stands behind their products. The unit was shipped back to their facility free of charge and I received the new unit in the mail this past week. So far this weekend I have cut up approximately two cord of cedar, maple and cherry, jumping the chain once, but overall without any issues. One thing I have observed from the new unit is that it is using significantly more lubrication, keeping the chain a nice glistening, almost dripping, wet. It appropriately slings lube off the chain now if I leave the saw running long enough. The first saw I received, while it was steadily consuming lube from the reservoir, appeared to be more on the conservative side in its application to the chain and would never really "sling" any lube no matter how long I ran it. Final verdict: Pros: For an electric saw, the thing is a beast, allowing you to make use of the full bar length when cutting large rounds. Quiet enough not to piss of the neighbors. The clutch mechanism makes it incredibly safe. The price for a unit this powerful is currently unmatched. Sharpening feature is probably pretty handy, although I have yet to try it. Great support from Oregon. Cons: Catastrophic failure of the saw could potentially result from low lubrication to the chain -- YOU ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY MUST KEEP IT LUBED AND COOL. The side-mounted motor gets in the way sometimes and makes the CG of the saw offset to the left of the bar making it a bit awkward to hold at times. The lube fill cap should have been positioned on the left side to avoid chip accumulation around the cap. Overall, I like this saw. Bottom line: when it works, it works well. For those of you accustomed to using gas saws of mostly metal construction, be mindful that this saw is indeed made of plastic and will melt critical components if things get hot. I'm hoping Oregon takes note of this and improves upon this in the next generation of this saw. For now, careful observation of operating temps and routine maintenance, I am hopeful, should be sufficient in providing a useful service life for this product. ***UPDATE*** I'm changing my rating to one star. After cutting about a cord of wood today, the chain kept coming off. I opened it up, and low and behold, the plastic casing had melted, creating a misalignment between the chain and gear; i.e. it walks the chain right off the gear now. The chain was pretty warm, but that's not all that uncommon if you cut a lot of wood. It was cool enough for me to pick it up without gloves. It appeared to be getting plenty of lube on the chain, and I had kept the reservoir topped off, so I know it never ran dry. The chain was tensioned cold per the instructions. I'll be contacting Oregon for warranty service tomorrow, but from what I read in the manual, I'll have to pay for shipping which will likely be as expensive as the cost of the saw. I will post back the outcome in a few days, but right now I'm wishing I'd ponied up and went with the Makita. You'll notice the casing around the gear hub is metal on the Makita and not plastic like the Oregon. I view this as a serious design flaw with the Oregon.

Powerful and Convenient Chainsaw for Home Use The Oregon CS1500 18-inch corded chainsaw has really impressed me. Out of the box, setup was straightforward—plug it in, fill the oil reservoir, and you’re ready to go. What immediately stands out is the self-sharpening feature. With a simple pull of the PowerSharp lever, the chain sharpens in just seconds. This is a game-changer compared to my past experience of stopping mid-job to fiddle with files or swap chains. Performance-wise, the 15-amp motor has plenty of power for typical homeowner jobs—cutting firewood, trimming large branches, or even felling smaller trees. It doesn’t bog down easily, and the cuts are smooth and fast. Being corded, it delivers steady power without the fuss of mixing gas or worrying about battery run time. Noise is much lower than a gas chainsaw, and there’s no smoke or pull cord—just push a button and go. The 18-inch bar gives enough reach for medium-to-large tasks without being unwieldy. Kickback was minimal with the low-kickback chain, and the chain brake adds a layer of safety. I also appreciate the automatic oiling system that keeps the bar and chain lubricated. Just keep an eye on the oil level, as it can run through quickly on longer sessions. Things to keep in mind: since it’s corded, you’ll need a heavy-duty extension cord and to plan your work around the cord’s reach. For very large logs or remote jobs, a gas model would still be more practical. Also, while the self-sharpening system works well, it does slightly reduce chain life over time—so it’s a convenience tradeoff. Bottom line: A fantastic option for homeowners who want a powerful, reliable, and easy-to-maintain chainsaw without the headaches of gas. The Oregon CS1500 hits a sweet spot of performance, safety, and convenience, especially if most of your work is around the yard and within reach of an outlet.