It may not be very well known, but Makita as a worldwide company has a pretty extensive line of outdoor power equipment. Still, I was surprised to see a couple of cordless chainsaw SKU's make an appearance on their U.S. website.
You see, though Makita has a huge line of cordless tools that all use the same LXT battery, and they have outdoor power tools that use these batteries, they are not sold here in the U.S. As far as I know the HCU02C1 and HCU02ZX2 cordless chainsaws are the first.
Both models run on 36-volts and are essentially the same, the only difference being that the HCU02C1 comes with a 36-volt battery and charger, while the HCU02ZX2 is "tool only" but also includes an adapter to accept two 18-volt batteries.
The chainsaw is on the small side with a 12-inch guide bar, but we can't expect it to have the same kind of power as a gas saw. This is not meant to turn you into a lumberjack, though I can imagine it could be handy to have around the house. At only 90 dB(A) under load, your neighbors shouldn't mind too much either. No word on price yet.
It will be interesting to see how well these sell and if these are a sign that more Makita outdoor power tools are heading our way. I wouldn't mind a cordless string trimmer.
