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The TRUTH About the Makita 40V XGT 20" Chainsaw. Does It Lack Torque?

WorkshopAddict

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Today, we're diving into a full, real-world review of the Makita 40V XGT 20" Chainsaw Kit (GCU08E), powered by Makita's massive new 8Ah high-capacity battery.

Is this the professional-grade cordless chainsaw that finally replaces your gas saw? In this video, I push the GCU08E through its paces, running it through multiple types of lumber to see exactly what it can handle.

But we have to talk about the break-in period.

When I first started cutting, I was a little frustrated. The chain kept wanting to grab the wood and stall out. It almost felt like a different tool. However, I didn’t give up.

Over the course of draining three full 8Ah battery cycles, a crazy thing happened: the performance started to get better and better. Is there a break-in period for the new 8Ah cell technology or the saw’s electronics? I'll explain my findings and show you the side-by-side performance difference.

My Final Verdict: This saw is almost perfect. The ergonomics, the balance, and the quiet operation are all a dream. It just needs one thing... more torque.

Hit that SUBSCRIBE button and let me know in the comments if you've had a similar experience with Makita's new XGT platform!

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20 Comments

@OUTILSCLIPSQC 4 months ago (edited)

Looks like a beast love xgt stuff they are the best reliable well build, smooth

@DadHasPowerTools 3 months ago

I have a very similar XGT saw, an 18" with a 5AH battery. It will cut limbs on that 5AH until MY battery is dead. Its major weakness is sustained cutting of large logs, but that's what my Echo gas saw is for anyway. I love my Makita battery saw and use it every chance I get.

@jwm1893 4 months ago (edited)

I wish Milwaukee dual battery had a nice sturdy metal handle like that...I've found with all my Makita chainsaws that learning to use just the right amount of pressure makes a big difference in the saws performance. Obviously like you mentioned finding a different bar and chain cambo often makes a big difference too.

@robertrada6040 4 months ago

I have the previous one. Came equipped with an 18” bar and I immediately put a 16” on it. I grabbed it on clearance and so I was a beggar that couldn’t be a chooser: I got the tool less tensioner version and not the captive nuts. I know better, but like..clearance. Drops chains like a mofo. 😂 otherwise, it does what I expect from it. We have an arborist on call for real trees. Most of our battery outdoor equipment is xgt. Solid stuff and easy to get parts when I break whatever I manage to break.

@alenakucerikova8320 4 months ago

I bought this chainsaw with 16” bar several months ago.A delivered chain was not optimal concerning cut performance and therefore I use stihl chain 23RS Pro 67. Performance was increased by cca 30perc.

@stuart6973 4 months ago (edited)

Max bar length for a 50cc saw is 18” I would say. And the best all round bar size is a 15”-16”.

That would be with a .325” 1.3-1.5mm chain, not a 3/8” chain.

@khmisc 11 days ago

Thanks for the review! I have the Husqvarna 540i XP with a 16 inch bar. It is a great saw, but I'ld like something more powerful with a longer bar for bigger logs/trunks/branches. I'm not sure this is enough of an increase in power to be a worthwhile difference. Any thoughts?

@davebloggs 3 months ago

so quick question I do a lot of deadfall removal off of trails up to around 12 inch but mostly much smaller, as a guestimation cutting mostly pine how long should i expect a battery to last. i quite often walk 15 to 20 km clearing trail what i dont want is to have to carry 6 batteries for the day, a vague ball park would be good.

@PesadeloOrquestraMacabra 4 months ago

I've been using this saw since it was released, and here are some thoughts on it. It has a higher top speed than an equivalent 50cc saw, so it cuts much faster. Continue...

@ml.2770 3 months ago (edited)

Waiting for the 3500kW saw.

I've got a 20" bar on my old 52cc Dolmar115i and it pulls it just fine. This Makita appears to be the lineal descendant of that 115i.

@TheJamlessDodger 3 months ago

The problem you had is likely the chain. Most need a little tickle on the teeth or gauges. From the looks it's the gauges are a little too low making it more aggressive.
Petrol saws are fantastic because they can be fixed easier and last longer, but the trade is less sound, fumes and vibration. I used to do forestry work with both types of saw and the battery didn't make sense for that work. You would carry a combi-can (oil and fuel even if not needed) and batteries or just a combi-can (oil and fuel both needed and would be lighter when you leave the forest). there's lots of pros and cons to both and situations. I'm looking for either Makita or Stihl battery as a home owner but I would go large petrol saws for professional. Simply because they can deal with it but they give you 'havs' and tinnitus etc.

@clintonbaker3962 3 weeks ago

Put the 18” bar on it and tell me how you go

@bossmanz28 4 months ago

How does the flexvolt 20" compare to say milwaukee and makita? Seems to come in at a way better price point then they are even with the 15/5ah flexvolt battery. But I know you typically get wat you pay for

@CBTellis 4 months ago

$1300…I’ll take a 462 ten times out of ten. Good review.

As for the binding, could be bar or sprocket break in. Or perhaps user break in, learning how to avoid its quarks.

@goodmj468 1 month ago

I think the saw would struggle far less with an 18". For any 50cc I've always found 18" the right length, or the saw starts to struggle.

Id probably go up to 20" plus from 60cc. I think this saw with a 18" bar would be unbeatable in the battery market.

@Burnit-l8j 2 months ago

$1,349 for a 50cc equivalent battery chainsaw is pricey especially when more powerful legacy battery saws like Milwaukee, Ryobi, Ego andGreens works all make more powerful saws for a lot less money with the exception of the 28 inch 82 volt Greenworks HOG saw that is a 80cc equivalent which cost over $1,800. I own the Milwaukee which is a 70 cc and does not bog down felling large oak trees I cut or the tree that the Makita struggled with. The Milwaukee is a heavy beast which is why I primarily use it for bucking large diameter hardwoods and use the little Milwaukee to process the tops.

@georgedoolittle9015 4 months ago

These types of items will go on seemingly forever without much of a change and then in a really short period of time suddenly be wholly transformed to vastly superior so yes keep an 👁️ 👁️ 👁️ 👁️ eye👀👀👀👀👀 👁️👁️👁️👁️👁️ out for this year great content this matters big time because so much new in both battery and charging very much being realized driven by tgis insane Ai and data center boom. Suddenly better batteries, controllers, motors, plugs, chargers everything typically big changes happen during back to school late August in the USA. The other change is electricity prices for charging will be cut in half at the end of this Month Memorial Day weekend for #ionna a massive effort by global automotive to try and keep pace with #tesla_supercharger 🎉🎉