Black & Decker has announced that they are coming out with 2 new cordless chainsaws, as well as 3 new corded models. The two cordless saws, as well as one of the corded saws – a pole saw – will be released in November, and the two other corded saws will debut in January 2015.

Here’s a quick look at the new cordless saws, and the pole saw.

I have become increasingly fond of cordless lawn and garden tools, and so have other ToolGuyd contributors. For quick tasks here and there, the noise, smells, and maintenance requirements of gas-powered tools just aren’t justified. There are corded electric tools, but I have found that cordless tools are just plain easier to pick up and use.

The new 40V and 20V Max cordless LI-ion-powered chainsaws were designed for convenience, maneuverability, and performance. They are both designed for cutting through dry wood, live branches, and green logs.

The 40V Max saw has a 12-inch bar, while the 20V Max is slightly smaller with a 10-inch bar.

Both saws are designed with tool-free chain tensioning mechanisms. Black & Decker also says that manual oiling is a thing of the past. The 40V saw eliminates priming and keeps the bar and chain constantly lubricated, while the 20V saw has a traditional primer for bar and chain oiling.

The new 10″ pole saw is built with a 6.5A motor and can be extended up to 9.5 feet for easier cutting of high-up tree limbs and branches. It also features an auto-oiling design for user convenience and less maintenance.

The pole saw’s motor is inline with the bar, which helps to create a clearer line of sight of the chain while cutting.

Black & Decker equipped both cordless saws and the pole saw with Oregon  premium low-kickback bars and chains.

Buy Now(40V Chainsaw Kit via Amazon)

I don’t think I have ever used a chainsaw. I grew up in the city with just a tree in front of the house, and we weren’t even allowed to prune the low-hanging branches because it was city property.

That being said, I find the idea of a cordless chainsaw to be highly appealing. If I were to need a chainsaw, these would be serious contenders for my money. I like the convenience, lower maintenance, and less hassle of cordless lawn and gardening tools, and don’t see why I would feel any different about chainsaws.

As for the pole saw, I’ve never used one of those either, but I like that this one has almost 10 feet of reach.

The compromise with these tools is that you get lower cutting capacity than with corded tools, and definitely lower power. It’s hard to imagine that these two Black & Decker cordless saws will deliver corded-like performance.

The two new corded saws that are coming out, and I might talk more about them when their release nears, are priced at $80 and $100 for the 12A 16″ and 15A 18″ models. With these cordless models, you get saws with 10″ and 12″ cutting bars for $130 and $200, respectively.

But the question is this – when it’s time to trim a branch or cut some logs, are you going to dig out your extension cord to plug your corded saw into, or will you get lazy and push the chore to the next weekend a couple of weeks in a row?

It can be said that cordless tools still require that a battery be fully charged before they’re ready to go, but it’s still generally quick and easier to get to work with a cordless lawn and garden tool than a corded electric one.

As a reminder, I have never used a chainsaw, so maybe I’m off target here. But that also brings a memory to mind. Years back, my first cordless drill was a Black & Decker FireStorm that was actually quite good. It had a keyless chuck that could be removed to reveal a 1/4″ hex screwdriver chuck.

Here on ToolGuyd I don’t often talk about or review Black & Decker tools because many if not most are too entry-level for me and probably for a great deal of readers as well. But these chainsaws reminded me that entry-level is not necessarily a bad thing.