Makita EA3201S

Don't buy it! – It's a cheap chainsaw, but as soon as you need spare parts you are in for a shock. Unlike other major brands it's almost impossible to find basic parts like a carburettor kit or indeed a reasonably priced carburettor, the Makita version costs around 5 times what you would pay for a Stihl or Husqvarna carburettor. Mine was running rough and… Read more

stalling within a few months, plug was ok air filter etc so went to clean out carb, and discovered nobody sold a carburettor repair kit, so you have to reuse old gaskets etc. really not a great idea and never really ran ok after that. Pretty poor for an otherwise good tools brand.

It cuts above its weight – Makita EA201S: I cut through so many burnt trees with one of these little marvels after the Bush fires out West QLD that I cannot remember how many, but it would have been close to two hundred without a hiccup.. I also have a Husqvarna which cost 3 times more, is three time bigger but the little Makita left it for dead. Some have said the chain… Read more

adjust slips, well mine doesn't, it's tight always. I had to make the adjuster a manual one on the Husky because it was garbage and always coming loose. Without a doubt it is the easiest to start, easiest to use & most reliable chainsaw I have owned, & I have owned 5 of the usually problematic things before this one & the Husky.

Terrible – Product is near impossible to start, has chain tension issues and leaks chain lube when not in use. You'll be better off with a butterknife then the Makita ea3201s. Show details

Waste of money – Terrible chainsaw. Currently using a handsaw to cut through my wood because its quicker and easier. 1. The chain tensioning mechanism dont work and is cheap and nasty 2. Only cuts through pine pallets (still struggles) 3. Starts relatively easy but stalls whenever I let go of the throttle. Honestly just get a Ryobi it'll be much better! Show details

Absolute rubbish – Typical chinese rubbish. Has never idled correctly from new. It has to be kept on wide open throttle in between cutting or it stalls. 30 to 50 pulls just to start it. Has been like this since the day I bought it. Show details

great small saw even after much abuse – Almost my first purchase after the Dec 2019 fires wrecked my place. This Makita was put through 6 months of pretty ugly (sooty, dirty) cleanup work, including dead, fallen and hanging trees were realistically bigger than the spec and remaining structural timber etc. Still working fine! With the usual maintenance (air filter, de-gunking,… Read more

sharpening, etc), it keeps on starting fine and working well - we were gifted a slightly bigger H*** saw that has needed a service already (it's pining for the Fjords maybe), while the Makita just keeps on going like Honeybadger

I reviewed this saw approx 3 yrs ago . Good news still going strong – I reviewed this saw approx 3yrs ago and it was about 5yrs old then, apart from 1 small repair 3 yrs ago it’s still going strong and never been serviced. Still on first spark plug . Show details

Fantastic saw – This saw is very easy to start. It is very well made (as you would expect from a Makita. It cuts through trunks of a size it has no business cutting through. Maintenance and cleaning is very easy. Top product. Show details

Makita petrol chainsaws not worth the mental stress needed to keep it working !! – Hard to start since new and extremely unreliable. Makita never admit to a LEMON but will always say operators fault. Makita now in the rubbish bin in bits. Will never leave Husqvarna again ! Show details

Reliable little saw – I have had this saw for about 18 months. It starts within two to three pulls and runs well. The only problem I have with it is that it breaks the e-clip that retains the chain drive sprocket and washer. The e-clip only costs $1, but it is a pain to have to stop the saw, let it cool and then fit the new e-clip, after finding finding where it… Read more

dropped the chain retention washer. During two days of heavy use, I broke three of these clips. Other than that, it is a great little saw.

The best small saw I have ever owned – I have reviewed two Ozito saws and a 236e Husqvarna. I also have a Huge Stihl saw that I can use for felling any size tree I may need to & it is in a class of its own for quality & performance. I have had many others over the years, and have even owned a McCulloch chainsaw back in the day (when they were good). So, you can see that I use… Read more

chainsaws on a regular basis.

My Makita EA3201s is without a doubt the best built small saw I have ever owned. Actually to be honest it is the best build "of any saw" I have ever owned. It is light, quiet, strong and robust & powerful for its 32cc engine size. It has never not started and it has never stalled. I have even dropped it from 4 meters up onto hard clay ground & it bounced and rolled a couple of times but amazingly nothing bent, cracked or broke. It started straight away, which is unbelievable because it should have been in pieces. It says that it is made in China, but it must be made from Kryptonite and built by Chinese geniuses. It will cost you $150 bucks more than the cheapies at bunnings & Husqvarna stores but it's worth it.

Great saw – Bought this saw cause my other got stolen and Bunnings only shop open on a Sunday. It's been sitting in my ute tool box for approx 5yrs and always starts, I use on average once a week. In 5 yrs never had a service and just last week the pull starter started to slip. $15 later I replaced cam plate and it's been good again.  Show details

Very happy that it starts every time – After 3 years of faultless use, I thought I'd leave a positive review of a product. My little Makita chainsaw has started first time (after choke pulls) every time. (Touch wood - don't want to jinx it). It is used for garden pruning and occasional firewood for camping, not forestry work, but it cuts through logs of 300mm quite well. I make sure I… Read more

use fuel preserving additive so that the fuel doesn't go off between uses, and have also been using canola oil for bar lube to be environmentally friendly, and that works quite well too.