Einhell GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw2022 Review

I tested six cordless chainsaws, and the other five were very straightforward to assemble. To start off with, the Einhell was the same. I removed the side panel (you don’t need any tools to do this, or for anything else in the assembly process) and then attached the bar – so far, so good.

However, it was then time to attach the chain, and this was an extremely fiddly process.The chain seemed just a touch too short for the bar, which meant that it didn’t neatly slip into the grooves like it did with all of the other chainsaws I assembled. There weren’t any instructions provided either, so I ended up having to use my chainsaw gloves to try to wrestle the chain into place. It took just over 20 minutes before I was finally able to fit the chain – I was very close to giving up!

After that, I put the side panel back on, gave the chain a quick tighten, filled it with oil (Einhell doesn’t provide any with the chainsaw, so you’ll need to buy some separately), and it was ready to be used. Assembling this chainsaw should have taken just 10 minutes or so, but, because of all of the hassle with the chain, it ended up taking closer to 30 minutes.

I always think that Einhell products look good because of their red and black colour palette, and this chainsaw fits in well. It looks like a capable machine, although it does feel a little plastic-y.

That said, I didn’t doubt its quality one bit, firstly because of how it uses an Oregon bar and chain. Oregon is a top-of-the-range brand for chainsaw parts, so it’s great that Einhell went with the best for this machine. Speaking of the bar, this is 25cm in length – it wasn’t the longest bar of all of the cordless chainsaws that I tested, but it wasn’t the shortest either.

I was also pleased to see that this chainsaw’s claw stop was made from metal, rather than plastic. This helps to give you leverage when using the chainsaw, so it’s always good to have high quality spikes.

As I mentioned, the chainsaw has a tool-less design. This not only applies to the assembly process, but also when it comes to tightening the chain. 

Another thoughtful feature was the oil filler – this is placed at the top of the machine, rather than the side, which makes life easier when filling it with oil. There’s also a large oil window, so that you can easily see when the machine needs to be topped up.

The first test for this chainsaw was small branches, which it chopped up without an issue. Next, I tried it with larger branches that were around 15cm in diameter. Again, no problems.

I then moved on to the big stuff – mature tree trunks that were about 40cm in diameter. Obviously, since this bar is 25cm in length, it wouldn’t be able to slice through that in one go. However, when cutting from both sides, 40cm should have been a breeze. Unfortunately, I found that this chainsaw struggled. 

It felt very slow when I used it on the larger trunks – something that I didn’t actually notice with the smaller branches. I later checked out its stats – its cutting speed is 4.3 m/s, which is a fair bit slower than some of the other chainsaws that I tested. As a comparison, the Ryobi offers 10 m/s, while the Makita beat them all with 20 m/s. As I said, this isn’t a big deal when you’re only cutting smaller branches, but it does considerably add to how long the job takes (and how tedious it feels) when you’re cutting thicker wood.

I also experienced the chainsaw cutting out a few times while I was using it. Granted, this was because I ended up placing more pressure on it than I should have, therefore overloading the motor, but I didn’t have this issue with any of the other chainsaws that I tested. Fortunately, it’s quick and easy enough to start the chainsaw back up after it cuts out.

This chainsaw uses an 18V Einhell Power X-Change battery. I used it with a 4.0aH battery and had a runtime of about 20 minutes. I wouldn’t go any smaller than this, as a shorter runtime would make it not really worth using. 

Einhell states that this chainsaw will give you 130 cuts with a 4.0aH battery…but only if you’re cutting 7x7cm square timber. Anything thicker or larger than this, which basically means anything that puts more pressure on the motor, will drain battery life faster, which is probably why I never did anything near 130 cuts before the battery died. Fortunately, the battery charges pretty quickly – it only takes about an hour. 

In terms of how powerful this machine felt, I have to say that it was a little lacking when compared to some of the other chainsaws that I reviewed (such as the Ryobi and Makita). I definitely wasn’t overwhelmed by this chainsaw’s power, but it’s still a very capable machine for those who don’t actually need a large amount of power.

Some chainsaws can feel pretty awkward to use, but this one was very comfortable. Its handles are easy to grip and its compact design is very convenient when you’re working in a tight space.

This is also a pretty lightweight machine – at 3.6kg, it’s not going to leave your arms aching, even if you’re holding it up high to prune a tree.

It’s also worth mentioning the chainsaw’s auto-lubrication feature. This adjusts oil flow to the chain to keep it greased up, saving you from having to do that manually. However, this is something that just about every chainsaw has these days.

There are some cordless chainsaws out there that really missed the mark in terms of safety features. Fortunately, Einhell has taken all of the right steps to ensure that users of this machine are as safe as possible. 

For starters, it has kickback protection, as well as an emergency chain brake. It also has a chain stop bolt that will immediately catch the chain if it ever derails, saving it from flipping back onto you. That said, even with all of those safety features, it’s still important that you wear all of the necessary protective clothing/accessories when using this chainsaw.

Just like the other chainsaws that I tested, this one also has a plastic protective cover that slides over the bar and chain, as well as several safety stickers plastered around the machine.

While there’s no denying that this chainsaw has a few flaws, there’s also no denying that its price is pretty incredible. It may not be as fast or as powerful as some of its competition, but it’s significantly cheaper, which makes it much easier to overlook its minor issues.

Of course, you’ll end up spending quite a bit more if you need to purchase a battery and charger, but, even then, it’s still a bargain. 

This cordless chainsaw from Einhell has its fair share of both pros and cons. In my opinion, it’s not fast or powerful enough to handle larger jobs, but it does great at cutting smaller pieces of wood. If tree pruning and occasional firewood cutting is what you need a chainsaw for, then the Einhell GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw one would be a good buy.