DeWalt 20V MAX 12 in. Cordless Battery Powered Chainsaw (Tool Only)

A 12-inch cordless saw earns its keep in my kit for one reason: reach-anywhere convenience. DeWalt’s 12-inch 20V chainsaw hits that brief, and after putting it through pruning days, storm cleanup, and a bit of driveway bucking, I’ve got a solid sense of where it excels and where it comes up short.

Setup, ergonomics, and build

This is a compact, rear-handle saw with a 12-inch bar and a brushless motor. Bare tool weight is about 8.1 lb; with a 5.0Ah 20V MAX pack it lands just under 10 lb on my scale. The balance sits slightly battery-heavy with larger packs, which I actually prefer for controlling the nose during limbing and undercuts. The grip is familiar DeWalt, and the controls fall naturally under the thumb and index finger.

You’ll need your own battery, charger, bar-and-chain oil, and a wrench for bar-nut tensioning. There’s no toolless adjuster here—tensioning uses a side screw and a single bar nut. I used a 13 mm wrench and a flathead driver; once set, it held tension well through a couple sessions. The package includes a scabbard, and the oil reservoir is easy to access with a gloved hand.

Fit and finish are what I expect from the yellow brand: tight plastics, good molding, and no rattles. It’s UL listed and backed by a 3-year limited warranty, plus a 90-day money-back window. That’s reassuring for a tool I’ll toss in the truck and subject to weather swings.

Cutting performance

The saw runs a low-kickback 3/8 in. pitch, .043 gauge chain with 45 drive links (DeWalt’s DWO1DT612 chain). Chain speed is a modest 7.7 m/s, which tells you a lot about how to use it: let the cutters do the work and resist the urge to lean. If you push, it’ll bog; if you cut with a light hand and keep the chain sharp, it’s surprisingly capable.

• Limbing: This is its sweet spot. It zips through 2–6 inch limbs quickly and with good control. The compact body and low weight make it easy to maneuver around tangles without tiring your forearms.
• Pruning and crown reduction: With a sharp chain, it handles clean, controlled cuts. For precision pruning in hardwoods, I slow down near the finish to avoid tearing fibers; the saw’s manageable speed actually helps here.
• Bucking small logs: It will crosscut up to about 10 inches cleanly in one pass, which aligns with the stated 10.5 in. max cut diameter. For larger rounds, I’ll work from both sides. Expect slower progress in dense hardwoods, but it can get you there.
• Bore cuts: Possible, but the slower chain speed makes them deliberate. I keep bore work to a minimum and stick to standard cuts with this saw.

Noise is dramatically lower than a small gas saw. I can have a shouted conversation over it, and in dense neighborhoods or on early weekend mornings, that matters. Vibration is well-managed; after a couple hours of on-and-off cutting, hand fatigue was minor compared with a 30–40 cc gas unit.

Runtime and batteries

This saw is part of DeWalt’s 20V system, and it will run on any 20V MAX pack. Runtime is highly battery-dependent:

• 2.0Ah packs: A handful of cuts—useful for quick trims, but they sag under load and heat quickly.
• 4.0–5.0Ah packs: My baseline recommendation. A 5.0Ah pack handled a light pruning morning (a pickup bed of mixed softwood limbs) on one charge.
• 6.0–9.0Ah packs: Best overall experience. Heavier, but the saw feels stronger under load and keeps pace through an afternoon of limbing and bucking small logs.

I budget extra packs for dense hardwood days or storm cleanup. As with any battery saw, keep expectations realistic: you’re trading fuel convenience for quiet, instant start, and low maintenance.

Oiling and maintenance

The automatic oiler works well in use. The chain stayed wet, and I didn’t see premature bluing or scorching when I kept the reservoir at least a quarter full and used proper bar-and-chain oil. There are two caveats:

• Storage seepage: Like many compact saws, this one can weep bar oil during storage. On my bench it left a small ring after a week. It wasn’t catastrophic, but enough that I now set it on a drip mat. If I’m storing it for more than a week, I either drain the oil back into the bottle or at least park it with the scabbard on and the cap snug, saw resting on its side.
• Overfilling: Topping off to the brim invites leaks. Filling to about 80% and wiping the neck before closing the cap helped.

General care is straightforward: brush out the sprocket area and bar groove, flip the bar periodically to even wear, and touch up the chain frequently. With the slower chain speed, a sharp chain has an outsized impact on cut quality and throughput. Replacement chains are easy to source by model number (DWO1DT612).

Safety and control

The saw’s low-kickback chain and compact chassis make it predictable in typical residential cuts. It’s still a chainsaw: I use proper PPE (helmet, face shield or goggles, gloves, chaps) and avoid ladders. For overhead work, the light weight and rear handle give you control without wrestling a nose-heavy tool. The trigger lockout is positive, and startup is instantaneous—no cord pull, no choke routine.

One note on chain speed: the gentle feed rate is a plus for beginners and controlled pruning, but it’s not a production saw. If your work demands fast, aggressive cuts, step up to a higher-voltage unit.

What it’s great at—and what it isn’t

Strengths:
- Portability and ease of use. Instant start, low noise, and minimal vibration are hard to beat for yard maintenance and quick jobs.
- Weight and balance. Under 10 lb with a mid-size pack makes it ideal for limbing and fence-line trimming.
- Cut quality in small to medium stock. It makes neat pruning cuts and handles 6–10 inch logs with patience.

Trade-offs:
- Speed. At 7.7 m/s, it’s slower than many 36V/40V/60V saws and all but the smallest gas units. Plan your cuts accordingly.
- Oil management. Expect some seepage in storage; use proper oiling habits and a drip mat.
- Tooled tensioning. I prefer it for stability, but you’ll need to carry a wrench in the field.

Battery strategy and setup tips

• Start with a 5.0Ah or 6.0Ah battery if you’re buying into the platform. Smaller packs are an emergency backup at best.
• Keep the chain sharp. The difference between “adequate” and “impressive for its size” is often one file pass.
• Don’t force the cut. Let the chain feed at its own pace—especially in oak, hickory, or other dense hardwoods.
• Manage oil. Fill to 70–80%, check level every battery swap, and store on a mat or drain for long-term storage.
• Bring a small kit. Bar wrench, flathead driver, spare chain, and a rag live in my tote with a quart of bar oil.

Who should buy it

Homeowners, landowners, and pros who want a quiet, compact saw for limbing, pruning, and small-buck tasks will get the most value. It’s also a smart “second saw” for crews—perfect for the cleanup and finesse work that bogs down larger saws. If you already own DeWalt 20V batteries, the bare tool makes financial sense; if you don’t, factor the cost of at least one mid-size pack and a charger.

If your work regularly involves bucking 12–16 inch hardwood or you need faster production cuts, you’ll be happier with a higher-voltage model or a mid-size gas saw. This tool can stretch into those tasks, but it won’t be quick.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt 12-inch 20V chainsaw as a lightweight, go-anywhere saw for limbing, pruning, and small-log bucking. It’s comfortable to use, quiet, and powerful enough within its size class. The trade-offs—moderate chain speed and the potential for oil seepage in storage—are manageable with good technique and habits. Pair it with a 5.0–6.0Ah (or larger) battery, keep the chain sharp, and you’ll have a reliable, low-maintenance cutter that earns its spot in a homeowner’s shed or a pro’s truck as a capable secondary saw.