XCU14Z 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless 6" Pruning Saw, Tool Only

I bought this for light pruning when climbing trees when I don't need to carry my larger chainsaws. This saw fills a good niche between my hand saws and hand pruners, and my larger chainsaws. It also allows me to easily cut branches when it is difficult to find a good position for my hand saw. The saw is light weight, and feels very well balanced for using single-handed. As with most Makita tools it is nicely finished and feels like good quality. I thought the blade guard on the top would be a hindrance, but I haven't found that to be the case. I can still cut with the top of the blade, either by lifting the guard before starting the cut, or pressing the guard against the branch to be cut to get the guard out of the way. The saw definitely feels safer than I imagine it would without a blade guard! And it is nice to have at least part of the chain guarded from rubbing against me when the saw is hanging from my climbing saddle. There is no bar adjustment screw as on most chainsaws. Instead it is under spring tension. It remains to be seen how that holds up. I have used the saw to cut 4 inch (live) Coast Live Oak branches and it does so easily. It isn't a speed demon, and if you push it will stall. But I was expecting that would be the case. It gets through the wood decently fast without trying to force it, as long as the blade is sharp. For light pruning while climbing around in tree canopies I would much rather carry this small lighter chainsaw than get a little more speed. The saw does not have a variable speed trigger. Though I would prefer that, it performs well without it. The chain side/sprocket cover and the bar are held in place by a bolt which is tightened with a foldable handle, rather than a wrench. This works pretty well, though once in a while if the blade jams it will loosen the chain, as it is not possible to tighten that bolt strongly with the little lever. That said, you don't need a wrench to adjust the blade. The lever seems as if it could break if I were to really bear down on it, but it hasn't been a problem. I am very happy with this saw!

This thing is an awesome tool. Easier to handle than an actual chain saw, powerful and last longer than expected with a 5Ahr battery. Great for brush clearance and small sapling removal. Even used it to demo an old wood fence and was way smoother on the arms than the sawzall and faster.

Typical Makita. Small, light, and ergonomic. Powerful, and efficient in battery usage. Sharp - easy to cut even larger diameter hardwood (oak) trunks. Expensive, but worth it. I like the chain tensioning approach. Saw uses quite a bit of bar oil, but does not leak. Did not know that chains can be sharpened DIY with a file. Very cool. Works great for around the house and camping!

This saw is so effective that it is addictive. I've used it many times to slice up branches, small logs, prune tree branches and even cut down a small tree. My arms get tired before the battery runs down. This isn't the cheapest option; but you get what you pay for: cuts are fast and the saw is well balanced in use. Safety is the #1 concern with power tools. The saw will stop if it is overloaded. The hand placement keeps hands well away from the work area. The top blade protector does its job, and swings out of the way to cut larger branches. The only issue is that I have to monitor chain tension. There is a handy handle to adjust tension: pop up the handle, turn it to release a screw, and a spring pushes the blade out to tension it. I don't want to break the handle by over tightening. But, if I don't tighten it quite firmly, after a few cuts the blade will become overly loose. I hope a bit of experience will find the right setting.

I don't write reviews but had to say how incredible this tool is. Have a lot of experience with chainsaws and this saw is unbeatable. It's Lightweight and cuts a lot on one battery. I was going to buy a knock off version and am so glad i didn't. Makita thought through the self lubrication and auto- tightening on the chain. Something the knock offs dont have. Interesting thing about the saw is it doesn't do well with tiny branches but will cut just about everything else. So If you pair it with some hand pruners you will take care of everything but large trees. I took out some 8 inch diameter trees but wouldn't recommend anything above 6 inches. Well worth the money for its ease of use and performance.

Makita mini chainsaw is a great product, pain in my butt, very useful, pain in my butt, cut quit a bit on one 3.0ah battery, pain in my butt and will be very useful in the future, pain in my butt. Oh, the pain in my butt????? Cutting branches up to 5" this was amazing, cutting branches mixed with twigs, brush pile in landscape trailer, real world usage????? Spent more time putting chain back on then cutting. Come on Makita engineers you can do a bit better.

I'm not ashamed to admit it... I love this thing! A couple of years ago, I borrowed a neighbor's Makita chainsaw (12" I think). It worked great and I was sold on the whole electric saw concept. My only issue was, for my needs, I had to have one that was even smaller and could be used one handed. Every year I find myself on a ladder trimming the palms on my property and a small, lightweight saw was exactly what I needed. Then, Makita finally brought this guy to the US and I jumped. It might be small... but it is mighty! Granted, you won't be cutting down any trees (bigger than 6" in diameter) but for saplings, branches, palm fronds, etc, etc, it works wonders. I would guess that a 1"-3" diameter is its sweet spot. That's 85% of what I use a chainsaw for anyway. Likes: 1, Size... It's easy to work in a tree/palm and maneuver it between branches/fronds to cut only what you want. 2, Design... A safety switch allows you to work left or right handed.... Chain tension is self adjusting... Easy to disassemble for cleaning... Has an oil reservoir. Dislikes: I'm not a big fan of the chain guard (but I understand why it's there).

I learned how to use a chainsaw years ago when my dad showed me. I knew they were loud, oily and dangerous, my kind of tool. Years later I purchased my home, there were trees, and they needed trimming. So, I went out and bought my first chainsaw, a Huskavarna. It got the job done, and fast. I soon learned that there are different handle configurations for different trimming applications, for on the ground or in the tree cutting, the handle DOES make the difference. Now that I am A LOT older and have a very large Chinese Elm in my backyard, that needs to be trimmed every year, I need something a little easier the use while I am climbing around in the upper atmosphere of this tree. I first saw a Stihl pocket saw and was ready to go until I learned it had a very short run time and a very long recharge time. While scrolling through Amazon I found it, this Makita 6" 18v battery powered beauty. Gee, let me see, I have 14 18v 5AH batteries for all my Makita tools, why not give this saw a try. I took it out for its trial run, 3 large wheelbarrows and just over an hour of time later, I had a good stack of wood. I had put a battery in the saw to start that only had three bars showing of charge. When I was all done cutting, I still had one bar left. All done with the hard stuff, time to clean up. One screw does it all, twist off the blade tension nut, remove the cover-bar-chain and wipe everything down with a rag and a brush and you're done. The only oh-so minor problems are, it drinks bar oil, you have to start the blade BEFORE you touch it to the wood (not really a problem, just good practice), and DO NOT force the blade, it is sharp and will cut on its own, so let it. The price is a little high compared to most of the Makita tool line, and once you add a battery you will be in the price range of a good gas chainsaw. However, you can take this saw with you everywhere, don't need to carry a gas can, and you won't cuss up a storm while trying to start it when it's cold. I was cutting through 4"-5" branches, and it didn't even slow down. My wife will even use this one.