DeWalt 8 in. Pole and Pruning Chainsaw Chain (34 Link)

Why I reached for this chain

On a pole saw, the chain is the unsung hero. If it’s wrong for the bar, poorly sharpened, or poorly oiled, everything downstream—cut quality, battery life, and user fatigue—suffers. I put the DeWalt 8-inch pole saw chain (34 drive links, 3/8 in. pitch, 0.043 in. gauge) through trimming sessions on both green and dead limbs to see if its “low-vibration, low-kickback, semi-chisel” promise actually changes how a pole saw feels overhead. It does—and in practical, noticeable ways.

Setup and fit

I mounted the chain on an 8-inch, 0.043-gauge bar designed for 3/8 low-profile (LP) pitch, the same spec called out for DeWalt’s DCPS620 and DCCS623. The 34 drive links make fitment straightforward on those saws. If you’re running a different brand’s 8-inch bar, confirm three numbers before you buy: 3/8 LP pitch, 0.043 in. gauge, and 34 drive links. Get any one of those wrong and you’ll either fight with tensioning or the chain won’t seat properly in the bar groove.

Out of the package, the chain arrived cleanly oiled and free of burrs. Break-in was typical: it stretched during the first 15–20 minutes and then settled. Expect to re-tension once or twice early on. After that, I found it held tension for a full battery’s worth of cuts.

Cutting performance

This is a narrow-kerf chain, and that’s a strong match for cordless pole saws. There’s less material to remove, so the motor doesn’t bog as easily and battery drain is more predictable. In green wood—maple and mulberry branches from 1 to 5 inches—the cut was smooth, with a steady feed rate that didn’t demand a lot of pressure from me. The ramped depth gauges do their job here; the chain doesn’t lunge when it first bites, and the saw tracks cleanly around the branch without that grabbing sensation you often get with more aggressive chains.

In drier, dirtier limbs (think fence-line scrub that’s seen a few seasons), the semi-chisel profile showed its advantage. Full-chisel cutters will feel faster in pristine hardwood, but they lose their edge quickly in grit-laden bark. This chain sacrificed a little peak speed in exchange for longer sharpness in real-world conditions. Midway through the day, when I would usually notice the bite falling off, this one was still pulling clean chips rather than powder.

Kickback tendencies were low. “ANSI low-kickback” labels can be vague, but in small-diameter material where kickback is most likely (crooked limbing cuts, awkward angles), the chain stayed composed. You still need to respect the tip and avoid burying the nose, but the margin for error felt wider than on more aggressive profiles.

Vibration and control

Working overhead magnifies vibration and chatter. The low-vibration design here noticeably reduces that buzz through the pole. It’s subtle—your arms will still feel it after a long session—but the saw feels calmer at the start of the cut and less jumpy if you nick a knot. Combined with the smoother initial bite from the ramped depth gauges, the overall experience is more controlled, especially when you’re stretching to reach a limb.

Oiling and heat management

DeWalt’s Centri-Lube channels are more than a marketing blip. The drive links have a groove that carries bar oil outward toward the rivets. In practice, the oil pattern on the bar was even, and the chain stayed cooler. I look for blueing on the cutters and dry streaks on the bar as warning signs; neither showed up. The benefit is twofold: consistent performance during longer cuts and less premature wear on rivets.

If your saw has a modest oiler (common on compact pole saws), a chain that distributes oil efficiently can be the difference between sharp and scorched by the end of the day. I ran standard bar oil and saw no need to open the oiler beyond the middle setting.

Sharpening and maintenance

This chain uses a 5/32-inch file. The semi-chisel cutters are forgiving to sharpen—two to three light strokes per tooth brought the edge back when needed. Because the depth gauges are ramped from the factory, they don’t need frequent attention, but they still need attention. After two touch-up sharpenings, I checked them with a depth gauge tool and took a light pass to keep the cut predictable.

A few maintenance notes that helped:
- Keep the bar groove clean; narrow-kerf setups are more sensitive to packed debris.
- Flip the bar every chain swap to even wear.
- Wipe the chain before storage; the semi-chisel profile holds pitchy residue, and a quick solvent wipe keeps it from gumming up.
- Tension often during the first session; once the chain settles, checks become less frequent.

Durability and longevity

Edge retention is this chain’s main appeal. In mixed cutting with occasional contact against dirty bark and a couple of light ground taps (it happens), the cutters stayed serviceable for longer than a comparable full-chisel chain I use on a 10-inch bar. That said, it’s not indestructible. If you’re routinely cutting dead hardwood above 5–6 inches or making plunge cuts, you’ll notice it slows compared to a more aggressive grind.

Rivet and tie-strap wear were minimal after multiple sessions, with no tight spots or kinks. The oiling groove likely helps here. I didn’t experience any premature bar groove widening or unusual chain stretch; the initial break-in stretch was typical, and then it stabilized.

Safety and behavior at the tip

This chain is friendly at the nose of the bar, which matters when pruning at awkward angles. The low-kickback geometry and ramped gauges reduce the “grab and climb” tendency. I still avoid using the extreme tip and make sure the chain is at speed before contacting wood, but small bore-like moves to sneak into crotches felt manageable. If you’re newer to pole saws, this is the kind of chain that builds confidence without dulling your awareness.

Compatibility and where it excels

This 34DL, 3/8 LP, .043 chain is purpose-built for compact bars. It’s ideal for:
- Homeowners and pros doing routine pruning and storm cleanup
- Battery users who value efficient cutting and lower load on the motor
- Mixed conditions where grit and bark pitch quickly dull sharper, more aggressive chains

It’s less ideal if you’re chasing maximum speed in clean hardwood or if your work regularly pushes beyond the 8-inch bar’s practical limit.

Pros

• Smooth, predictable entry into the cut with low chatter
• Semi-chisel profile holds an edge well in dirty or mixed wood
• Excellent oil distribution; runs cool and consistent
• Noticeably lower vibration overhead
• Easy to sharpen with a 5/32 file; forgiving geometry

Cons

• Not the fastest option in clean hardwood compared to full-chisel profiles
• Requires careful spec matching (3/8 LP, .043, 34DL); not universal to all 8-inch bars
• Initial break-in stretch requires extra tension checks

Final thoughts and recommendation

This chain makes a pole saw feel better in the ways that matter: calmer at the start of the cut, less fatiguing over time, and more resilient when the wood is dusty, sappy, or less than ideal. I value consistency more than raw speed on an 8-inch bar, and this semi-chisel, low-vibration design leans into that philosophy with smart oiling and a friendly cutting geometry.

I recommend it for anyone running an 8-inch, 3/8 LP, 0.043-gauge setup—especially battery users and those doing a lot of pruning in mixed conditions. If your priority is maximum cutting speed in pristine hardwood and you’re disciplined about cleaning and sharpening, a more aggressive chain may feel faster. For most trimming and limbing jobs, though, this is the chain I’d keep on the bar. It’s predictable, easy to maintain, and it helps the saw work with you rather than against you.