The Self Sharpening Oregon CS1500 Chainsaw
Oregon CS1500 Review -Executive Summary
The Oregon CS1500 Chainsaw claims to be the only (at the time of writing) self sharpening saw on the market.
General consensus is that this Oregon CS1500 self-sharpening electric chainsaw is a solid, well constructed, lightweight yet powerful electrical chainsaw that has one potential weak point.
And that is the chain has a habit of jumping off.
However, more often than not this apparent weakness can be overcome with a simple fix suggested by the manufacturer (see under chain matters)
Read the rest of the Oregon CS1500 Electric Chainsaw review:
Tale of the Tape
Dimensions: 10.5 x 37.5 x 18 inches (26.6 x 95 x 45.7 cm)
Weight: 12.6 pounds (5.7 kg)
Bar: 18 inches (45cm)
Effective Cutting Length: 17 inches (43cm)
Voltage: 120V
Amperage: 15 Amps
Power: 1800 Watts
Oil Capacity 4.7 oz (140m)
Chain Speed: 2887 fpm (14.7 m/s)
Power Source
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The Oregon CS1500 is powered by a 15 amp/120V electric motor that delivers 1800 watts of power
and a top chain speed of 2887 fpm (14.7 m/s) which isn’t earth shattering.
But it will get the job done.
This is a corded electrical chainsaw so you are going to need an extension cord to get the juice
to where you want to work.
Oregon are good enough to tell us exactly what characteristics and properties the extension needs to have to ensure optimal performance from their chainsaw.
Given that most chainsaws are used outside, you will need an extension cord labelled for outdoor usage.For up to 50 feet (15 m) they recommend a minimum 14 AWG wire size while from 50 to 100 feet (30m), a 12AWG wire size is required.
If this is all a bit confusing but you feel you are somewhat technically inclined, then you can unravel the mysteries of AWG and sizes at http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/what-does-wire-gage-mean.htm and http://diyaudioprojects.com/Technical/American-Wire-Gauge/
Now if that’s all Greek to you then just follow the recommendations when you buy an extension cord and you should be fine.Here is an example of a 50ft 14 AWG cord and here is an example of a suitable 100ft 12 AWG outdoor extension cord
Chain Matters
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To start at the beginning. Before you start cutting anything with this chainsaw when its new (or been
out of action for a long period),Oregon advises that you prime the oiler.
The process is well described in the manual but there are 2 things you need to know:
1) If the chainsaw is new, then the amount of bar oil supplied with your purchase will only half fill
the oil reservoir.So make sure you buy more before you start using the CS1500.
2) You need to remove the bar and chain and run the motor. Oregon says for about 2 minutes which seems to cause a lot of oil to leak all over the place. Some suggest 30 seconds would be more than adequate.
Either way, be prepared and take measures to minimise the oil spillage.
Other features include a tool-less chain tensioning system and an automatic oiler. Some reviewers note
that it consumes a lot of chain oil when in heavy use. Best then to make sure you have enough of the oil on hand until you understand how much it goes through.
A neat extra safety feature is the chain brake. This is a feature normally associated with gas powered chainsaws where the chain stops immediately if the lever (situated in front of the top hand) is knocked forward.
This is in addition to the normal electrically driven chainsaw feature of the chain stopping as soon as the trigger is released.
It’s Self Sharpening
The Big Deal with this chainsaw is that it is “self sharpening”.
This is not quite accurate in that you have to operate a lever to sharpen the chain but you don’t need to take the chain off and you don’t need a separate sharpening tool.
Impressively the whole re-sharpening routine only takes a few seconds which must rate as a major bonus point if you are considering buying the Oregon CS1500.
The Flip Side
The Powersharp integrated sharpening system can only work with a specific Powersharp chain. Oregon advises in this regard that:
1) When you replace the Powersharp chain you also need to replace the sharpening stone at the same time.
2) If you want to use a different chain, you need to remove the sharpening stone. You then obviously also lose the sharpening function.
There have been a fair number of complaints about the chain jumping off the bar to the point that
it is impossible to use the saw.
As this seems to happen mostly when people first try the saw out there are a few obvious causes.
1) The chain has not been tensioned properly to begin with.
2) The chain has stretched a bit after initial use which this is normal. The chain tension therefore needs to be checked frequently and re- tensioned until the chain is “settled in”.
3) Instructions glitch. The side cover needs to be properly installed which includes the small tab at the back of the side cover being tucked in properly. The tab is somewhat difficult to see and the instructions are a bit fuzzy.
On balance it seems more likely that those buyers with issues have fallen foul of one of the above rather than there being an inherent design fault with this chainsaw.
Capabilities
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With an 18 inch bar and 15 amp motor, the CS1500 is an ideal chainsaw for using around the yard. And then some!
Added to the power is the fact that all drive components of this chainsaw are metal which means it is robust and durable and will cope with that odd “big job” that always seems to crop up.
Oregon CS1500 Chainsaw Manual & Warranty
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An Oregon CS1500 chain saw carries a 2 year warranty provided that the saw is used for personal use only. As is usual with these types of warranties, the original receipt of purchase needs to be produced to claim on the warranty.
Their manual is generally a well written document with clear diagrams accompanying instructions. As mentioned under “chain matters” there has been a bit of confusion in some quarters re putting on the the side cover correctly, but other than that the information is pertinent and well presented.
Importantly, it shows you what size of extension cord is needed for optimum performance.
You can access the Manual Here.
Customer Reviews
Amazon Rating: 4.5
At the time of writing 90% of the 7350 plus customer reviews gave the CS1500 either 4 or 5 stars so that is a pretty solid indication that most buyers are more than satisfied with the performance of this chainsaw.
The one recurring problem mentioned is the chain jumping off the bar but as discussed above, this is most likely, more often than not, easily rectified.
Pros & Cons of the Oregon CS1500 Chainsaw
Pros:
Well Designed and built
In built Chain sharpening mechanism
Great price
Cons:
Chain prone to jump off bar (maybe!!)
Bar oil usage
Restricted to one type of chain to retain chain sharpening function
See other electric chainsaws here