DeWalt 60V MAX Chainsaw Review 2026: Is DeWalt's Electric Chainsaw Worth It?

Design & Build Quality

The DCCS690 feels like a proper gas-replacement saw the moment you pick it up. At 12.2 lbs with a 9Ah FLEXVOLT pack, it's comparable to a 35-40cc gas saw fully fueled and oiled — not light, but balanced. The magnesium-alloy chassis (not plastic) gives it the heft and rigidity needed for serious bucking work. DeWalt uses the familiar yellow-and-black trade-dress, with over-molded rubber grips on the rear handle and front bail.

The 20-inch Oregon bar and chain ship from the factory ready to cut — no dealer setup, no break-in period. Tool-free chain tension adjustment is one turn of a side knob; side chain tensioner eliminates the need for a scrench. The auto-oiler has a see-through window so you can check bar oil level at a glance, and the oil cap is a simple flip-up design rather than the screw-in caps that ice up and crack on cheaper saws.

Online sentiment is largely positive. Users on X and the DeWalt subreddit consistently describe the DCCS690 as "the closest electric chainsaw to a gas saw" in terms of feel and balance. Common complaint: the weight. At 12.2 lbs, it's noticeably heavier than the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 16" (10.2 lbs) or the EGO CS1800 18" (10.7 lbs), so limbing over your head for 30+ minutes becomes fatiguing.

Cutting Performance: Claimed vs Real-World

DeWalt's marketing claim is "up to 450 cuts per charge" on 4x4 pressure-treated lumber with a full 9Ah FLEXVOLT pack. That's a best-case spec designed for a fresh chain, identical-dimension lumber, and a steady cadence — real-world performance on actual firewood is different.

In our experience and in the consensus of field reviews:

• 4x4 pressure-treated lumber: 250-350 cuts per 9Ah charge on a sharp chain. This is the closest real-world analog to DeWalt's marketing claim.
• 6-8 inch softwood (pine, fir): 80-120 log bucking cuts per charge. Plenty for a weekend of storm cleanup.
• 12-14 inch hardwood (oak, maple): 25-40 cuts per charge. A cord of firewood typically takes 80-150 cuts, so expect to swap batteries halfway through.
• 18-20 inch hardwood: Possible but bogs under sustained load. The saw can cut it, but you won't get the cuts-per-charge of a comparable 50cc gas saw.

Chain speed is 25 ft/s unloaded, which is right in the range of a 35-40cc gas saw. What really matters in heavy wood is sustained chain speed under load — and here the brushless motor and FLEXVOLT 60V architecture hold their own. The saw doesn't bog the way a 20V or 40V chainsaw does when you hit a knot.

FLEXVOLT: The Best Battery Platform Play in Cordless

FLEXVOLT is the single most compelling reason to buy this chainsaw if you're building a DeWalt tool ecosystem. The same 9Ah FLEXVOLT battery that powers the DCCS690 at 60V will automatically drop to 20V MAX and power any DeWalt 20V tool — drills, impact drivers, circular saws, reciprocating saws, flashlights, everything.

Practical implications:

• If you're a trade contractor who already owns DeWalt 20V MAX drills and impacts, buying the DCCS690 kit adds a FLEXVOLT 9Ah pack that runs your existing 20V tools at 3x the runtime of a 2Ah pack.
• If you buy the chainsaw first, every subsequent 20V MAX tool purchase can be a bare tool, saving $60-$150 per tool.
• FLEXVOLT also powers the DCCS670 (smaller 16" chainsaw), the DCBL772 leaf blower, the DCMST560 string trimmer, and DeWalt's miter saws, table saws, and grinders.

FLEXVOLT 9Ah packs are rated for 1,000+ charge cycles to 80% capacity. Runtime degradation is gradual and noticeable around year 5-6 of regular use. Replacement packs run $250-$300 street, which is pricey — so buy kit first, bare-tool everything after.

vs Gas: DeWalt 60V vs Stihl MS 170 / MS 261

The DCCS690 is aimed at the homeowner gas chainsaw market traditionally owned by Stihl MS 170 (30.1cc, $199) and MS 180 (31.8cc, $249). Head-to-head:

Cutting speed on 10" pine. DCCS690 and MS 170 are roughly tied in per-cut speed. The MS 170 has a slight edge on sustained cutting throughput because it doesn't throttle back, but the DeWalt is within 10%.

Cutting 18" hardwood. The MS 261 (50.2cc, $479) outperforms the DCCS690. For all-day felling and bucking of large trees, gas still wins on sustained power. For a dozen cuts on a storm-downed oak in your backyard, the DCCS690 is fine.

Starting. Pull-start gas saws require the choke-starter routine: choke on, quarter-throttle, 2-4 pulls to pop, choke off, 1-2 more pulls to run. The DCCS690 is instant-on: squeeze trigger, saw runs. If you start a chainsaw three times a year (typical homeowner), you'll forget the gas starting sequence and burn 10 minutes fighting it every time.

Maintenance. Gas chainsaws need fresh ethanol-free gas, 2-stroke oil mixed at the right ratio, spark plug changes, air filter cleanings, and carburetor adjustments. Electric chainsaws need chain sharpening and bar oil. For a typical homeowner cutting 1-2 cords of wood per year, the electric is 90% less annual maintenance.

vs Milwaukee M18 Fuel Chainsaw

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 16" chainsaw (2727-21HD) is the closest direct competitor. Both are professional-grade cordless saws at similar price points. The head-to-head:

DeWalt wins on bar length, chain speed, and max log capacity. Milwaukee wins on weight, warranty length, and the broader M18 platform (250+ tools vs DeWalt 20V MAX's ~200+, with M18 having a stronger trade/commercial presence). The choice mostly comes down to which platform you're already in — if you own Milwaukee drills, get the Milwaukee M18 Fuel; if you own DeWalt, get the DCCS690.

Safety Features

The DCCS690 includes the safety features you'd expect from a quality chainsaw, and they're executed well:

• Inertia-activated chain brake: triggers automatically on kickback. Manually engageable via front hand guard.
• Low-kickback chain: Oregon S56 or similar low-kickback design ships from the factory.
• Trigger lock: the throttle must be enabled with a thumb switch before the trigger engages — prevents accidental starts when setting the saw down.
• Bucking spikes: metal spikes on the underside of the bar near the sprocket cover give a pivot point when bucking logs.
• Chain catcher: stops a thrown chain from whipping back toward the operator.

These are all standard for a quality chainsaw. What matters is whether they work reliably — and in the DCCS690's case they do. The chain brake engages crisply, the throttle trigger lock is positive, and the bucking spikes bite well on rough-bark wood.

California: CARB Ban & AQMD Rebates

California's 2024 CARB Small Off-Road Engine rule banned the sale of new gas chainsaws under 45cc statewide. The major residential gas chainsaw SKUs — Stihl MS 170, MS 180, Husqvarna 120, Echo CS-310 — are no longer legal for retailers to sell new in California as of January 1, 2024. Used gas saws can still be sold and repaired, and gas saws over 45cc (like the Stihl MS 261 at 50.2cc) are still legal, but the residential electric chainsaw market has effectively doubled overnight.

The DeWalt DCCS690 qualifies for residential rebate programs in several California air districts:

• SCAQMD: Up to $100 per residential chainsaw when turning in a working gas chainsaw. Program is annual and funds rotate.
• BAAQMD and SJVAPCD: Chainsaw rebates typically $50-$100 when programs are funded. Check the program websites for current availability.
• Fire-area homeowner programs: some California counties with high fire threat (Sonoma, Napa, Santa Cruz, Placer) have run defensible-space equipment grants that include chainsaw purchases.

For California fire-area homeowners specifically, a cordless electric chainsaw is an asset during PSPS shutoffs — you can clear storm-downed trees without needing to fire up a gas generator or find unflavored ethanol-free gas.

Pros & Cons

Who Should Buy the DeWalt DCCS690

• Existing DeWalt 20V MAX owners who want their first FLEXVOLT tool. The 9Ah pack alone is worth $150 of the kit price.
• Residential firewood cutters cutting 1-3 cords a year from softwood or up to 14-inch hardwood.
• California fire-area homeowners who need defensible-space tools that don't require ethanol-free gas storage.
• Light-duty tree services doing residential pruning, not all-day felling.
• Anyone replacing a sub-45cc gas saw banned under California's 2024 CARB rule.

If you're running an arborist business bucking 24"+ oaks all day, buy a Stihl MS 462 (72.2cc, $1,200) and plan your life around gas and bar oil. If you already own Milwaukee M18 tools, skip DeWalt and get the M18 Fuel.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

The DeWalt DCCS690 60V MAX FLEXVOLT 20" chainsaw is the best mid-size electric chainsaw for homeowners and light-pro users in 2026. It matches gas-replacement performance on firewood and storm cleanup, the FLEXVOLT platform is the most compelling battery-tool story in the industry, and the California CARB compliance makes it the default replacement for the sub-45cc gas saws the state banned in 2024. At $449 for the kit, it's priced fairly against the Milwaukee M18 Fuel, and meaningfully cheaper than a Stihl MS 261 gas saw when you factor in zero fuel and maintenance costs. If you're in the DeWalt ecosystem, this is an easy yes.