DeWalt 60V MAX 14 in. Brushless Cordless Top Handle Chainsaw Kit

Why this top‑handle earned a spot in my kit

I put DeWalt’s 60V top‑handle through a full pruning season and a couple of removals to see if a cordless arborist saw could hang with a pro gas 35cc. Short answer: for in‑tree work and ground limbing up to about the bar length, it’s absolutely viable. It isn’t a wholesale replacement for a rear‑handle felling saw, but in the scenarios a top‑handle is meant for—precision cuts, one‑hand positioning when appropriate, and frequent start/stop—it’s quick, predictable, and far less fatiguing than a gasser.

Build, balance, and ergonomics

The first thing I noticed is the balance. With a FLEXVOLT 9Ah battery onboard, the center of mass sits just ahead of the trigger hand, which makes it easy to aim the tip for notch work and to swing between cuts. The bare tool is listed at 10.8 lb; with the 9Ah battery you’re closer to the low‑to‑mid 12 lb range, which is right in line with pro gas top‑handles. It’s not the lightest electric option out there, but it feels compact and planted.

DeWalt made smart choices on materials where it matters. The cast‑magnesium gearcase and metal bucking spikes (dawgs) give the saw a reassuring, rigid feel under load. The captured bar‑nut and tooled tensioner will appeal to anyone who’s lost a loose nut in the leaf litter; I prefer a scrench over toolless tensioners on pro saws anyway, and DeWalt includes one in the kit.

A D‑ring at the rear makes clipping to a lanyard straightforward. It’s stout, positioned well, and reduces the tap‑dance you sometimes do when trying to find a balance point on the fly. For anyone climbing or working from a bucket, that’s a meaningful quality‑of‑life feature.

The LED dashboard sits where you can see it without moving your grip. It gives you a quick read on battery state and faults, and the saw requires a power‑on button press before the trigger is live. The auto shut‑off is conservative; I had a few moments where it timed out between cuts and I had to wake it up again, but I’ll take that trade for the added safety.

Chain, bar, and controls

The kit ships with a 14 in. bar and matching 3/8 in., .050 in. gauge chain (68 drive links). That length feels right for this platform, and it’s the sweet spot for arborist and limbing work. DeWalt notes support for 12 in. and 16 in. bars as well. Personally, I’d stick to 14 in. for in‑tree balance and chain speed, and consider a 16 in. only for occasional ground cuts where the extra reach outweighs a slight performance drop.

The inertia chain brake is appropriately firm and trips reliably on kickback events. It also stops the chain instantly when you release the trigger, which is one of the big safety wins of a battery saw—drop it to your lanyard and the chain is already dead.

Chain tensioning is straightforward: loosen the single captured nut, set tension with the side screw, snug it up, and go. The clutch cover design sheds chips well, but like any saw, a quick brush‑out when you swap chains keeps the oiler path clear.

Oiling, maintenance, and storage

The oiler is automatic and adjustable, with an easy‑to‑read window on the reservoir. Out of the box, mine was set on the generous side. Dialing it back a touch reduced fling without starving the chain. After multiple days on the ground and aloft, I didn’t see more than the usual light film you expect around the bar during storage—no puddles under the case. That said, any chainsaw can seep if it sits warm and full; if you store the saw for a while, crack the cap to relieve pressure or run the level down.

Basic maintenance is well supported. The kit includes a 5/32 in. file and a scabbard that actually fits snugly. Keep an eye on chain stretch during the first couple of heat cycles; a fresh chain will settle quickly and needs a few checks. The supplied parts are standard sizes, so sourcing replacements is easy.

Power and cutting performance

DeWalt rates the brushless motor at up to 2.42 HP with a manufacturer‑stated chain speed up to 23 m/s (some retailer listings cite 13.5 m/s). Spec sheet aside, seat‑of‑the‑pants performance tells me it’s in the same class as a modern pro gas top‑handle for limbing and small‑to‑medium stem cuts. In hardwoods, it held chain speed well in 6–10 in. branches, and cross‑cuts near the bar length were very manageable with proper technique.

Where this electric really shines is controllability. There’s no clutch take‑up delay; squeeze the trigger and the chain is at speed, release and it stops. That makes plunge work and precise face cuts in tight spots cleaner, and communication with a ground crew is noticeably easier thanks to the lower noise.

I did trip the overload indicator a couple of times while burying the full bar in dense oak and leaning hard. The warning light flashed but power stayed present; backing off pressure for a beat let the motor recover and finish the cut cleanly. That’s exactly how I want the electronics to behave—protect the motor without pulling the rug out. If you’re seeing the chain stall only once it hits the wood, check three things first: chain sharpness, bar oil flow, and that the chain brake isn’t partially engaged. A dull chain will make any battery saw feel weak.

Vibration is low, and the grip texture is positive even with gloves. The trigger safety is easy to defeat intentionally and never hung me up repositioning.

Batteries, runtime, and charging

The kit ships with two FLEXVOLT 9Ah packs (DCB609) and a 6A charger (DCB1106). On the charger, a fully depleted 9Ah pack took around an hour and twenty minutes to come back to full in my shop—consistent with the charge rate. In practical terms, with two batteries cycling, I never found myself waiting on a charge during pruning and limbing days. Runtime is naturally variable; in the tree doing mostly 3–8 in. work, a single 9Ah goes a long time. If you start bucking dense rounds at bar length, expect to swap sooner.

One trade‑off of the FLEXVOLT packs is weight. They contribute to the saw’s planted feel but they’re heavier than compact packs. If you’re already on the DeWalt platform, that’s a net plus—these batteries slot into your 20V tools when they’re not on the saw.

Tool Connect integration is built in. I paired it for inventory and last‑seen tracking; it’s not a performance feature, but for a crew environment it’s nice insurance.

Limitations and small gripes

• The auto shut‑off is a bit eager. You’ll occasionally wake the saw mid‑positioning to make a cut. It’s a safety feature, but I’d appreciate a slightly longer timeout option.
• The tooled chain tensioner is my preference, but it does make on‑the‑fly tweaks a touch slower than a toolless design if you’re used to that. Keep the included scrench on your harness and it’s a non‑issue.
• Expect the usual light oil weep common to most saws if you store it full in a warm truck. Manage the oiler setting and reservoir level and you’ll keep mess to a minimum.
• Specs around chain speed vary by listing. My experience aligns more with the higher end of the claimed range; regardless, it’s firmly in the “pro‑capable” bracket for its class.

Safety note

Top‑handle saws are purpose tools for trained users. The compact form and one‑hand balance are invaluable in the tree or bucket, but they’re not the right choice for casual ground use or felling. If you’re primarily cutting on the ground, a rear‑handle with a longer bar will be safer and more efficient.

Verdict and recommendation

I recommend this 60V top‑handle for arborists, tree workers, and experienced property owners who want a pro‑capable cordless saw for pruning, limbing, and small removals. It delivers real cutting performance with the control, instant start/stop, and lower noise that make battery saws so compelling in‑tree. The build quality—magnesium gearcase, metal spikes, captured nut—feels ready for daily work, and the kit’s two 9Ah batteries and 6A charger support continuous use with sensible battery rotation. Add in the three‑year limited warranty and it’s a strong package.

If your primary use is ground bucking of large hardwood or felling, or you’re not already invested in DeWalt’s battery system, a rear‑handle gas or higher‑bar cordless saw might serve you better. For its intended role, though, this saw is the first cordless top‑handle I’ve used that genuinely competes with a pro gas 35cc—and the convenience alone means I’ll reach for it first more often than not.