Ryobi 18V Brushless OCS1830BL
VerifiedMPN: OCS1830BL6 reviews
I was going to say this saw must’ve been designed by someone who’s never even seen a chainsaw before, but that’s too kind. No, this atrocity was clearly crafted by someone who knew exactly what a chainsaw should do, and then made the conscious decision to make it do the complete opposite out of sheer spite. The chain tensioner? A sadistic joke. A… Read more
labyrinth of plastic nonsense so over-engineered it could probably qualify for a PhD in uselessness, and yet it still can’t hold a chain tight for more than three seconds. The motor? Pathetic. It struggles harder than a dying mosquito. You could yell at a tree and get better cutting power. And the oiler? Don’t make me laugh. It doesn’t oil the chain - it oils you. Every squeeze of the trigger just baptizes your hands in disappointment and regret. I wouldn’t wish this saw on my worst enemy. If given the choice between using this sorry excuse for a tool or gnawing through an Ironbark with a single, loose tooth, I’d sharpen the tooth and get to work. Because at least that would be faster, quieter, and far less humiliating.
I like the boy! – I purchased this Ryobi One+ brushless chainsaw in July 2024 to replace my 10" one that failed after a couple of years. The 10" one had not done an extraordinary amount of work, so I made a claim on the warranty which Ryobi honoured without question. I had already purchased an 8" one to replace the 10" version, being that I generally only need a… Read more
saw to cut away small tree and shrub branches etc., after experiencing strong winds on the property, but the less said about that particular version the better I think! One of Ryobi's failures no doubt.
Ryobi stopped producing the 10" version I had bought, so I couldn't get a replacement. In that case I opted to choose two new batteries instead. With a little apprehension, I went ahead and bought Ryobi's new 12" chainsaw.... the new brushless model which incorporates automatic chain oiling.
This 12" model is a great little tool - and seems to be far better thought out than their earlier versions. The auto oiling feature was very welcome.... as is the way the chain can now be tensioned. No need for extra tools, just a twist of the chain tensioner and you're done.
The brushless motor seemed to supply a lot more punch than that of the 10" version I used to own and even though I only use the new saw for mainly pruning, I have used it for cutting through timber around 15 and 20 cm thick, just to see how effective it was. There didn't seem to be any stopping it and I got about half an hour of solid work out of a fully charged 6amp battery before it required replacing - and the battery has been in use for quite some time on other tools prior to it being used on this particular saw..
I do a lot of camping and I see this little saw as probably being the ants pants as far as collecting suitable firewood is concerned. More than happy with it. Just hope it lasts a bit longer than the 10" version. Extended warranty should take care of this.
An exmaple of a petrol tool you need to change to Electric – We have used petrol chainsaws for ages, they are great but messy, and recently parts for an old echo could not be found, so buying the Ryobi 18V Brushless was a 'no brainer' to take away the need to mix 2 stroke, make the tool lighter and easier to use. Don't be fooled, yes you still have some mess, bar oil and yes like any tool, you need to… Read more
properly maintain it and clean out wood build up and this tool should last you years.
The Tool-less chain tensioning is a game changer for me, never been so easy to adjust the chain without needing to drop everything and find the flat head screw driver and burn your hand trying to adjust it.
12" i think is the perfect size needed for most jobs and though these electric tools may not sound and smell as powerful a a petrol, they can do the job as long as you scale to the right needs to the right circumstances.
A must for everyone's shed – Easy to handle, sturdy enough for serious work and very easy to use. I had a few trees come down in the storms, I was able to take some out, tidy others and cut up a load of fire wood.
Wow great chain saw – Purchased the brushless Ryobi chainsaw and have used it twice Hence why four stars as I need to use it more to upgrade to five stars Both times I have used it I have been very impressed. Made light work of a 30cm wide tree - saw through it like butter. There was no kick back , it just glided through the tree trunk with no issues. This unit has… Read more
a 12'' 30 cm bar so I am sure I can cut larger pieces I found that the chainsaw is not noisy, compared to others I have used before. I plugged in a 18v battery that had three bars and after 20 minutes of continuous chainsawing I was down to one bar - which I thought was very good. I found the chain saw to be light aprox 3kg and very easy to handle. It is easy to cut with on various angles I have read the manual and I have given it a good inspection. I really like the chain tensioner knob. I have removed and reinstalled the chain , with no issues . After each job I have unlocked the tensioner knob and given the unit a good clean. Early days but I am impressed. Will add to this review in a couple of weeks
All good so far – I purchased this in a kit (RCS1830BLX4 I/N: 0254256) with a 1.5A charger and 4.0 Ah battery for $353.59 from Bunnings, but it makes more sense to review just the chainsaw ($279). The kit was listed on the Ryobi site, but not on the Bunnings site, so I contacted Ryobi and enquired, they told me to order it via the special order desk at Bunnings, I… Read more
did and it arrived in less than a week. I have only used it twice so far, both times on a yucca (very soft wood) and it has exceeded my expectations, with the largest cut being an approx 40cm trunk, it cut very easily, did not stall, it seemed fairly quiet (I was wearing earmuffs though), did not drain the battery, did not go through much chain/bar oil and showed no signs of leaking (mentioned in reviews of at least one earlier model). The chain adjustment is tool less and I have found it to be a bit hit and miss, but that may be me, time will tell. I have only had issue with it when removing the side cover, chain and bar for cleaning. Considering the price and the benefits of battery over petrol, I believe this is a worthwhile consideration for home use. The other 12" cordless chainsaws I looked at from other brands were a lot more expensive, less so if you are already on their platform and have their batteries and charger though.
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.