261 of 263 people found the following review helpful:

Works fine… don’t forget to oil it, July 7, 2005

By Otis Maxwell (Saratoga Springs, NY) –
  

  

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This review is from: Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain Saw (Lawn & Patio)

I bought this because a professional arborist wanted $300 to prune the tree in front of the house. My job ain’t as pretty, but I got it done. The saw works great on large branches. Not so much so on smaller branches that flex so it can’t get a bite and ends up leaving splintered ends. For the cleanest job you’d want to use a pole trimmer on the small stuff. I’m hoping the leaves will just grow back and cover my imperfections. Two things you need to know if, like me, you’re inclined to just charge up the tool and go to work. #1 the chain needs frequent re-tightening during the first hours of use. (A little wrench is included to do this… very simple.) #2 don’t forget to OIL THE CHAIN… something that’s self-evident to people who’ve used a big chain saw but not intuitive to the rest of us.

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By Otis Maxwell on Jun 18, 2011

291 of 297 people found the following review helpful:

The Black & Decker 18 volt Cordless 2018 Pole Chain Saw, October 3, 2005

By David F. Miller “NZ9E” (Sheboygan, WI) –
  

This review is from: Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain Saw (Lawn & Patio)

Features: 1.) Totally house current and gasoline free cordless battery operation. 2.) Battery recharges in 3 to 6 hours. 3.) Battery charges off of the tool, so extra slip-on batteries may be purchased. 4.) Easily operated by an average strength adult. 5.) Easily taken apart for transport in the included heavy duty carrying bag. 6.) Smooth and quiet operation. 7.) Works well for pruning limbs and branches up to 6″ in diameter. 8.) Rated by the manufacturer at 100, 1-1/2″ branch cuts per charge (approximately). 9.) Price range $150. The Black & Decker 18 volt cordless Model 2018 is my first powered pole mounted chain saw and I must admit that I’m impressed. Most pole saws are either gasoline engine powered (too heavy and too much maintenance) or 120 volt AC driven (can’t be used away from the reach of a 120 volt AC outlet and I don’t like using 120 volt AC power cords around portable saws that can all too easily cut into the power cord). The Black & Decker 18 volt cordless overcomes all of these objections. It’s compact 18 volt DC motor is efficient, quiet and does a surprisingly good job on tree limbs (up to 6″ in diameter), dead wood, brush and other lighter duty outdoor cutting needs. Keep in mind that this chain saw will not completely replace a larger gasoline powered chain saw for heavy duty cutting jobs like felling trees, but it will handle the bulk of the tree pruning and dead wood clearing that most home owners are likely to run into in a season. The overall construction of the B&D 2018 is also impressive, it’s built very well and should last for many years with ordinary care and caution. Any chain saw should be kept clean and well oiled at all times. The chain should never be allowed to contact the ground and its use around on anything with metal nails or screws should be avoided. The B&D 2018 is made in three sections. The first section houses the battery holder and on/off trigger switch with safety lockout button. The lockout button must be engaged before the trigger on/off switch will work. The battery clicks in nice and firmly and extra batteries are available if you feel that you’ll need a charged and ready spare. It’s also nice to be able to completely remove the battery when working on the saw, for safety sake. By the way, the battery must be removed from the tool for charging. The charger is a simple wall cube with a slip-on assembly that fits onto the top of the battery for charging. After the initial 9 hour charge, subsequent charging times are anywhere from 3 to 6 hours depending upon how depleted the battery has become. Black & Decker recommends not running the battery totally flat (which also applies to all rechargeable batteries) and not leaving the battery on charge for more than a 30-day stretch (B&D suggests that this will shorten the usable life of the battery pack). As you no doubt know, any battery will loose some capacity to hold a charge each season, so prolonging the usable life of the battery pack as much as possible by following the manufacturer’s recommendations is always a good idea. The second section of the 2018 pole saw system is a 48″ extension section. This is simply a ruggedly built tube that extends the saws working length from 10 feet to 14 feet and carries the DC voltage on through to the saw’s motor. It may be used or not depending upon the job to be done. Very nice idea. The third and final section is the power head with its compact 18 volt DC motor and the chain saw itself. The sections connect together without the need for any other tools (simply by hand twisting the rugged built in connectors) and can be quickly and easily taken apart for storage or transport in the well made synthetic canvas carrying bag that Black & Decker thoughtfully supplies with the tool package. Again, the maximum reach without the center section connected is about 10 feet, and with the center section in place it’s about 14 feet. This will vary somewhat depending upon the height and reach of the individual user. They’ve really put a lot thoughtful design considerations into this product. Even the chain blade scabbard has a dual function. It covers the chain for protection and safety and it stores the chain adjusting tool and chain oil container. The chain must be hand lubricated from the chain oil squeeze bottle during operation to keep the chain and bar lubricated in order to prevent unnecessary heat and metal-to-metal wear. All chain saws have this same requirement, but most have a built in oiler. This one does not. The oiler is separate…

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By David F. Miller "NZ9E" on Jun 18, 2011

105 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

Be strong and anticipate headaches, February 27, 2007

By Andrew Ma “Rabid consumer” (Austin, TX USA) –
  

This review is from: Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain Saw (Lawn & Patio)

The interchangeability of the batteries from B&D is a great feature. i can use the same batteries from my weedwacker, blower, and hedge trimmer, as well as all my B&D tools! I did find this lacking in cutting thicker branches. Some folks on here don’t seem to have that problem, so maybe i just got a piece of junk, but mine takes FOREVER to cut through thick branches. I went out and bought a gas powered poulan pro pole saw and that cuts through things MUCH faster than the B&D. Keep in mind that the B&D batteries mostly are nickel cadmium (at least mine is) and will have a memory effect. I’ve had to throw out at least two batteries throughout the past two years out of 8 batteries (other tools too). The fiberglass extensions are a bit on the heavy side and while the whole unit as a WHOLE is fairly light. It’s a very even distribution which actually leads to problems when you’re fully extended and going far out. Your forearm and shoulder muscles WILL ache (IF it can even hold it out there). Gas trimmers have an engine on the back to offset some of the weight. The battery on the handle is not enough to balance the whole setup IMO. This unit has been stashed away indefinitely since I bought the gas version.

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By Andrew Ma "Rabid consumer" on Jun 18, 2011