Ryobi RCS5145N

disappointingly poor quality – this product is not designed to last. compared to another german made brand chainsaw that i also have, this chainsaw was a continuous source of problems. difficult to start, required servicing after a very short time despite being maintained well, chain comes off easily. After only a few years of owning it, I took this to the recycling depot and… Read more

hope it will be made into something better eventually! Ryobi products are not designed to last. Have also had a very disappointing run with their line trimmers.

Better than you think – At the $269 price, given how it performs and the Bunnings swap out warranty, I think it's good value. It's not perfect, but how many mechanical products are? Very few in my experience. It's reasonably powerful and providing you keep the chain sharp, it will chew its way through most things. Not as quickly as my mate's big Stihl, but they're… Read more

more than 4 times the price. I live an 60+ acres, so it gets used regularly and on some big trees and logs. It always starts easily, providing the air filter is clean.

After 2 and a half years it was getting weak and sloppy and I was seriously considering buying a Shindaiwa, but the one I wanted was $1,000+, so I decided to give the Ryobi a full service instead. The air filter, spark plug and bar were replaced, total cost about $95. After that it was as good as new.

The other thing that makes a big difference is taking 5-10 mins to sharpen the chain before using it. I use a file with a jig that clamps on the bar - all manual and simple. Everything works more smoothly after doing that.

Weaknesses:

1. The chain tension adjuster.

I saw another review on here where the guy had modified his tensioner after it broke. I got mine replaced twice with broken tensioners by Bunnings. The problem is the tensioner is a metal screw adjuster sitting in a plastic side panel. If you tighten it too hard it breaks. Since learning to treat it gently and not over tighten it, the current saw has been OK for 2 and a half years.

2. Sawdust gumming up the chain oiler

This happened on another chainsaw I had too, so perhaps it's a universal problem. After a cutting session, you need to take the side panel off and scrape out all the sawdust in the panel and on the saw. Takes 3-4 mins typically. If you don't do that, the chain goes dry, gets hot and it doesn't cut well. When I put it away after use, I usually oil the chain.

3rd one best on the market for the price – made the mistake of buying a few little husqvarna 236 saws a while back.. anything went wrong with those as so often does going by online reviews & the dealers don't won't to know you :( .. anyway for a similar price these Ryobis have a lot more grunt a bigger bar are reliable & as bunnings sell them come with a replacement warranty ( 2 years) ..… Read more

these Ryobis for a Chinese saw are reliable ( just every now and then tighten the muffler bolts if needed .. have been using these saws on tuff ironbark & greygum etc only downfall is the factory chain is useless

Very good – Starting is easy, same as whipper-snippers, they are top rate products. People realy have to understand their machines, a lot don't unfortunately. The negative review's, well, learn a bit. These day a lot of people think ordering a pizza is equivalent to owning a product, they are not a consumable. Top marks on my part for this product. If you don't know how to sharpen a chain, don't comment. Show details

GOOD SAW FOR THE MONEY – just purchased our 3rd 50cc ryobi also use the 46cc for little jobs, we cut about 15tons of hardwood for firewood every year and they keep going, if you look after your saw it will work every time, after cutting wood for over 45 years there is nothing wrong with these saws, and we still use all 4 ryobi saws people should learn how to tune,sharpen & maintain your saw its easy just common sense Show details

Very disappointing – Unfortunately chainsaw drive shaft stopped working after 2nd use. No service number to call on website. Only used it on 10 cm diameter green wood logs. After sale service very disappointing.

Bloody rubish – Worked good for first 15 mins. Than it all went south Seem powerful enough than Bar oil started leaking Hard to start when hot got it started than chai screwed up Spend the extra coin for something better Going for a refund Show details

No Very Good – First time using the saw with the chainbar tension set the chain came off & bent guides in the chain. So the chain won't sit back in the bar correctly. Took it back & got replacement it did the same thing. Took it back & got Makita, no problem. Show details

A ripper of a saw , gutsy – Incredible medium saw got it for free as the chain guard was missing added another chain guard clutch cover , port and polished the outlet on the cylinder , muffler modification, gasket delete and I created a monster, it actually bet huskys and stihls in a race , screams it head of and cuts hard , Show details

A Great Little Medium Duty Saw – This is a reliable saw, it starts every time, if you follow the correct procedure! Mine's about 6 years now. I'd throw the chain away when it starts to dull and buy a quality one, but otherwise it cuts well and idles beautifully. The only negative comment is that the H and L screws need a special screwdriver head (not Torx) to adjust them. I've… Read more

mainly used it on pine, willow and larch for home firewood. Yes there are better saws for bigger jobs but they are much bigger money! Excellent value for the money!

Fit for purpose – The little easy to use(safe) chainsaw another addition to our Ryobi fleet. Great for modest branches and even light firewood. Always amazed what it does with little effort, Sometimes I think NO Way but yes,my wife uses it easily. Show details

Complete product fail – This chainsaw is lightweight. That is the only good feature. After that, it is an endless road of pain and suffering. Almost impossible to start. Engine resists as though it were seized. Even though its new. Rear guard gap too small to get my steel toe boot tip into...even a little, to hold saw down when starting. Once finally started, the idle… Read more

rate is incorrectly set, as well as the peak rate. About 5 small tree limbs in, and the chain comes off.

Update. Recently purchased a small Makita Chainsaw (petrol). Works beautifully.

Happy lumberjack – I'm really happy with purchase. I read some bad reviews but if used correctly e.g. correct fuel and lubricants, maintain at correct intervals it's a great tool for the price Show details

Ran ok but the chain lubrication sucks – Ran ok but the chain lubrication sucks. 1 month out of warranty took it apart and the plastic chain lubrication gear was worn out. You need to take just about everything apart to get to this Show details

3 of these chainsaws ruined in 1 day – Purchased from Bunnings $269 within 2 min stopped the saw and tensioned chain 10 min of cutting later front front chain wheel guide seized. Took it back same day got a replacement, same again but this time the chain came off on step angle cut. Returned again, replaced again, then the 3rd one chain came off but would not sit back into bar...took it… Read more

back all on the same day....asked for money back...NO MORE RYOBI CHAINSAWS FOR ME EVER, my old ozito electric chainsaw leaves this for dead.

Lubrication problems – Returned my Ryobi on this date for a warranty claim.I have had an ongoing problem with the chain lubrication system.Oil everywhere except on the chain it was much the same problem l had with the last saw that i had.The saw is great when it is going well but seems to suffer a range of problems.The best point i can give this saw is the two year warranty.  Show details

Great price for a decent chainsaw that's built for some hard work – Solid performance, sounds great compared to my old chainsaw and with a 2 year replacement warranty how can you go wrong? It's got large fuel and oil tanks and a decent gauge chain and bar. Easy to start and feels as if it can cut through just about anything. I was close to spending over 3 x this price for a Stihl but I have no regrets after… Read more

giving it a good hard workout. The chain doesn't even need adjusting.

Here's an update. The bar and chain were supposed to be by Oregon but the chain guides on the inside of the chain bent when I trapped the bar. I've done that lots of times and have never had that happen before so I can only assume it was a cheap and nasty chain. I replaced it with a $50 Bunnings chain and now it cuts even better. The engine is powerful enough that it doesn't faint under load but is very easy to start, often first pull, even from cold.

Buy something other than the Ryobi RCS5145N – Great chainsaw with Oregon chain... When It Works! Didn't use it much as hard to start. Subsequent issues e.g. throttle jamming open or have to wait ages for it to warm up or it stalls. The choke lever is occasionally comes loose. Now seems to flood or get no fuel at all and can't start it.  Show details

i love my 51cc stroke powered lightsaber of timber death – i have owned many chainsaws but this thing has survived many many hours of abuse where others have failed miserably , i have gone through multiple chains and cutting firewood and posts , i measure out my 2 stroke oil mix accurately and i use 20-50 motor for bar oil, i sharpen the chains by hand and for an aggressive cut, and it effortlylessly… Read more

sliced up ironbark logs up to 12 inches in diameter , in sensible hands that maintains it it works and starts just as well as the day it came out of the box

Ryobi RCS5145N – 2nd time using it suddenly stop. Chain come off put back on, started but would stall and clutch smoke, took chain off motor runs. Presume the clutch has died. I brought a Ryobi because it had a name for quality products. Will not buy a Ryobi product every again and judging on previous complaints not the only person,  Show details

Useless piece of junk – Started second pull when brand new great beginning that very soon turned sour. Did the job for the first 2 fuel tanks but was getting harder to start each time. I was meticulous in cleaning the filter and ensuring the correct fuel mix and only using the best oils. Third tank of fuel wouldn't start, took it to my local mower shop ( always do a… Read more

great job) the motor had seized!! I saw the damaged engine and couldn't believe it. I hope the store honours their warranty.

Lubrication system and air filter weaknesses – I used the saw for felling and cutting up dead trees. It started and ran well at first, but on its second tank of fuel its idle speed increased, so that the chain ran with no throttle. Not helped by backing off the idle speed. I used correct fuel mix and brand name oil. The problem was a clogged air filter. On washing and drying the filter, idle… Read more

speed was fine but within two more tanks, back to fast idle and moving chain. As others have noted, oil seems to go everywhere but onto the chain, and some of it had seeped into the air filter, causing fine dust to adhere and clog. The filter material is frail, and despite gentle handling, it showed signs of abrasion after washing. The saw is not viable unless you have a box full of air filters, not stocked at Bunnings (but see Special Orders down the back).

beyond terrible...actually very dangerrous – Difficult to start...will often stall during the first 5 minutes of idling....but by far the biggest problem is that we when you start it, the throttle is fully engaged....that's right you have the chain brake on which pushes against the motor running at full speed....it blows enormous quantities of smoke as the clutch gets burnt out....release the chain brake and the saw chains starts at full speed with no user input to the throttle.  Show details

Buyer Beware! – Purchased this chainsaw from Bunnings for $269.00, and within two hours, it has seized and, was given the option for a refund or replacement. Sadly, I chose a replacement. The air filter is abysmal. Small, and held in by a black screw on black piece of plastic. It is near impossible to keep clean if you are doing any real work. Replacement is… Read more

USD$4.00 with USD$27.00 shipping.

Initially, the saw was as expected. Then things became apparent which I should have done more research on.

The fuel consumption is quite high, and frequent refueling is required.

The chain lubrication system is only just adequate with a spot of external oil needed to keep the chain from over heating.

After about 6 hours of use, it will no longer accelerate. I took it to a Ryobi dealer who quoted $166.00 to fix it,

citing "quite common with these models", and the regular $166.00 service every 6 hours is normal.

If i were to use the saw for just 3 hours per month, this is a $996.00 per year service fee plus parts. Really Ryobi?

This is where you are screwed, $1000 a year, I could have bought a Stihl and had a quality product, albeit at a greater price, however, the total cost of ownership would be significantly lower.

If you are thinking of buying this chainsaw for some simple garden work, then it should do the job.

If you are thinking of cutting anything large (12-20"), or use for more than a few hours per month, then look towards spending the money up front to buy a quality product.

Very impressed – My opinion may be tainted by the fact that I'm relatively a novice chainsaw user and, before the Ryobi, only used/owned one el Cheapo eBay saw that was OK for my previous home just occasionally trimming branches, but moved to a new house with a fireplace and using it seriously for the first time for firewood was a nightmare! Replaced it with the… Read more

Ryobi RCS5145N and it was a hallelujah moment! Starts with minimal effort and slices through logs with ease. Vibration dampening is good and not too heavy. After about 1hr15min of first ever use I got carried away and tried to force it through 3 logs lined up against each other and damaged the bar and it pulled excessively to the left while cutting and jammed in even smaller logs. I replaced bar with an Oregon Pro-Lite and is good as new. So far no issues other than the bar and a slight dribble of black grease from the top of the sprocket cover, but still lubricates chain alright. All in all I think it's an excellent saw and wonder where the extra dollars go compared to top shelf saws.

Air Filter from hell – Ok, I use this chainsaw for getting firewood have cut maybe 5T. I have had 4 problems; 1) the tensioner is broken / does not work at all 2) The chain continues to rotate at idle 3) Same as the question / person below "wood chips inside the drive cover are saturated with oil but there doesn't seem to be any oil on the chain" Leading to the chain… Read more

overheating. 4) the air filter is flimsy difficult to clean and made out of weak material (replacements are $4US with $27US postage) as their local recommended service department can't supply them (wtf). These are installed with a black screw with a non-standard head. Tell you what, you find a black screw you dropped in the dirt in the bush after cleaning the air filter.

Other than the above the chainsaw has been good. Point 1 requires parts that are difficult to get in Aus so I just tension manually Point 2, required me to pay for adjustment at a service center within 2 months of purchasing the chainsaw (as idle adjustment but the end user is not allowed / recommended). Point 3 NFI, back to the service center I suspect. Point 4 hot glue gun with a chux solution similar to others from comments I have seen.

In summary, when it works its a good saw. But it is unreliable with some very poor design points; tensioner, air filter, air filter screw, idle adjustments and poor support for their products. All in all, not recommended

Fantastic saw – My 51cc Ryobi cuts 10-12 ton of large hardwood logs each year for firewood as well as general yard duties. I use quality bar oil and semi synthetic 2 stroke oil. A tank of fuel will get through a fair bit of cutting and when it runs out I'm about due for a break anyway. My break consists of touching up the chain, usually only one or two file… Read more

strokes, refilling the oil and fuel tanks, blowing out the air filter and giving the saw a good going over with compressed air. I have not had to adjust the chain since it's initial stretch when new. The only negative issue is a minor silly one. A screwdriver is needed to remove the air filter element, an over-center style catch would be better. Should anything happen to my saw that required it's replacement then I would buy the same model again without hesitation. Top value for money. After 3 years it's still going strong. See photos of the work it does. I cut at least two lots like this each year.

Great saw! – Awesome saw, was using it to cut jarrah and whitegum and it used less fuel than my mates sthil, keep up the maintenance and it's a great saw. Chain break is great, and pull start is fantastic, starts second pull when not used in ages! Would recommend this saw to anyone - I've allready cut 10 loads of wood.  Show details

Great little saw! – I broke in this chainsaw clearing tracks in the high country so i could get through, big trunks! But it spends most of it's time doing garden work and stuff like that. Like everyone else i had mad issues with the chain tensioner, so i got creative fixed it up as follows; but before i explain let me say that it's really easy to start, i could stop… Read more

and start it over and over with so much ease, one pull each time it loves it. Unfortunately i cooked the engine on a really thick green tree stump cluster, but that was due to user error, i pushed it way to hard and yeah cooked it haha. I shall probably be buying another one and treating it a little better haha.

But here's how i fixed the chain tensioner:

the long bolt with the crappy gear on it that doesn't engage well enough - i welded an 8mm headed bolt to the chainbar end of it (so the head is sticking out alongside the bar). To do that i had to drill a hole along the plastic for the bolt to poke through. Next to stop the long adjusting bolt just winding into the plastic on the adjuster pinion side as opposed to actually tensioning the chain enougj, just put a little bolt through the plastic, now the end of the new ajuster is up against this bolt so there's nothing left for it to do but crank up the chain. Now you just use a 1/4 ratchet and 8mm socket directly on the adjuster and wammo!

Peace!

brilliant – Bought for 269 at Bunnings to clear trees on our block. This chainsaw has done a ton of hard work and hasnt missed a beat. Starts up very easily, revs smoothly and chews through trees up to a foot thick. Light enough to be carried easily and doesnt put to much strain on the arms. Basic maintenance kept up and no problems.  Show details

Not Happy – Bought this saw to replace one I've been using for close on 20 years. The problem is that despite frequent adjustment the chain will not hold its tension. In only around one and half to two hours cutting time I have had to replace two chains which derailed bending the drive links out of line so they won't fit in the grove on the bar. The… Read more

problem is more than the usual stretching that you would expect with a new chain. There seems to be an excessive amount of oil inside the cover on the side of the saw and not a lot on the chain. The saw also refuses to start a while of stop,start use. No problem from cold. It cuts fine till the chain comes off.