Remington RM1632A 16-Inch 11.5-Amp Electric Chain Saw

Comment: I have had this chainsaw for over 2 years now, and it definitely is headed to the trash heap. It worked well in its first 4 months, and even now, this 16-inch electric has a the horsepower for the homeowner's needs. But as others have commented, this Remington leaks oil. And in the past 10 months, the chain will jump off the guide every 30 minutes, which makes for a lot of wasted minutes. I do not recommend this electric chainsaw at all.

Comment: I thought there may have been something wrong with the oiler until I read all of the other reviews that state the same thing. You have to keep oiling the chain with an oil can because the silly pump oiler, which is just a rubber bulb, does not put any pressure on the oil and it just kind of sits there. I cut for about 6 hours and did not use any oil out of the oil reservoir. The saw itself, however, works great. I don't see any problem with the way the chain tightens or the cover fits or anything else. It all works fine and looks right to me. You just have to think a little about what fits where. The saw has a lot of power and zips through wood like a champ. I used it and abused it and so far it has held up fine. I just hate having to oil the chain every time I start a new log. I would not buy another one just for that reason. In fact, I am still thinking about taking it back, if I can get by with it.

Comment: I've had this saw for a year and a half and have had no problems with it besides the annoying gravity oiler. It is true in other reviews that it leaks oil when left to sit, and does not oil enough when in use. Simple fix, though: bring an oil dripper with you and lube up the chain every now and then, and empty out the oil reservoir when you arent using it. The blade tensioner works fine for me; there is a screw at the end of the drive housing it pulls a tab that fits into the blade and you secure it down with the locknut. Once you notice how it works and use it correctly, it works fine. Also, beware of the tab that holds down the drive housing. It is difficult to notice when you are trying to take off the side housing and must be put in first before reassembling the housing.

As far as performance, I have cut 16" trees (a little slowly) but just fine. For normal around the house work with 10" and smaller branches, it is superb, and has enough power. Sure it is not as fast and powerful as a gas chainsaw, but it is so convenient, easy to use, and simple that I would never consider a gas unit unless I am far out into the woods and need to cut many large trees on a regular basis. For the average home user, a gas chainsaw is a waste of money ($300-ish) vs $50 for this guy, and you have to keep gas and oil ready, and deal with starting it. Sure, I wish this chainsaw was a little better made, but if I was really concerned with a high quality chainsaw, I would have spent more. I realized what I was getting into with a cheap chainsaw. I think most people's problem with this is they are expecting too much for what they paid. (with the exception of the ones who have had a motor burn out-- that is unacceptable at any price).

Comment: I bought this saw in Jan. 08 to help clean up ice storm damage. I was surprised at the power it has. It can cut the full 16" length of the bar and not bog down. I am cutting red, white and black oak and hickory both green and seasoned and it has no problem. The chain wears less then my gas saws.
It would help to have a shock mounted handle when in hard dry wood, and it badly NEEDS and automatic oiler. Mine is very slow to oil the chain and bar. It leaks when not cutting, but flow is too slow when cutting. The auto oiler is only a few $ and can be added by cutting the oil line and inserting it between the tank and the outlet to the chain. The housing is the same as the automatic version.
I would recommend this unit for nonprofessional home use. I have found that if the chain gets too loose it will "through" it off. I have not found it to be all that difficult to adjust or to reinstall. I would spend the extra money and get the automatic oil model if I were doing it again, but since I have this one, I am going to add the auto oiler and call it good.
I do use a heavy cord on it up to the last 6' which is either a 14 or 16 gauge cord. The other 90' is composed of a 10 and 12 gauge with the 10 gauge plugged into the source. No problems with over heating or any other motor problems. All electric tools need a cord matched to the amp load they draw.

Comment: Leaks oil. If you buy it, plan to drain the tank or figure on cleaning up a lot of oil.