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Real Log Cuts product guide

Greenworks 20312 40V 16-Inch Brushless Chainsaw with 4.0Ah Battery

Occasional limbing and firewood cuts on the Greenworks 40V platform

Model 20312 packages Greenworks' 40V 16-inch brushless saw with a 4.0Ah battery and charger. It has knob chain tensioning, an electronic chain brake and an automatic oiler whose 180 ml tank lasts roughly twenty to forty minutes. Warranty length and cutting-capacity claims differ between sources, and the manual warns against rain.

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Published specifications

  • Greenworks: saw, bar and chain, scabbard, 4.0Ah battery, charger, manual
  • Manual: 16 in bar, 3/8 in LP pitch, 0.043 in gauge, 56 drive links
  • Manual: 180 ml oil tank lasts about 20–40 minutes; ships without oil
  • Manual: 8.2 lb without battery; Greenworks page 9.28 lb; Amazon 10.36 lb
  • Greenworks: 1.5 kW brushless motor, 34.5 fps chain speed, 120 cuts claimed
  • Manual: three-year limited warranty, personal use, proof of purchase

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Kit contents confirmed on the maker's own page
  • Knob chain tensioning without removing the cover
  • Battery is shared with other Greenworks 40V tools

Caveats

  • Oil tank needs refilling about every 20–40 minutes of use
  • Warranty terms differ between the manual and Amazon's details
  • Manual symbol says do not expose to rain or moist conditions

What the 20312 kit includes

Greenworks' own page for model 20312 lists the 40V 16-inch brushless chainsaw, bar and chain, a scabbard, one 4.0Ah battery, a charger and the owner's manual. The Amazon listing for the 4.0Ah option carries the same model number. The battery works across Greenworks' 40V tool line, which matters if you already own that platform or plan to.

Bar and chain oil is not in the box. The manual says the saw ships from the factory without oil and must be filled before use. A sharpening file, a grease syringe for the bar-nose sprocket and a groove scraper are mentioned in the manual as not included.

Marketing says low maintenance; the manual asks for regular oil and chain care

Greenworks' product page describes its 40V tools with phrases such as no maintenance and no oil. The same sentence compares them with gas products, so it is about fuel and engine oil. The chainsaw's manual is clear that the bar and chain need dedicated bar and chain oil, that the machine must not run without enough of it, and that a full 180 ml tank lasts approximately twenty to forty minutes.

The manual also asks you to check chain tension before each use, since chains lengthen with use, and to turn the bar over periodically. Tension is set with a knob and does not require removing the cover. Its troubleshooting table lists an over-tight chain and an empty oil tank as causes of a smoking bar. Before storage it says to remove all residual oil, and the maker's FAQ includes a question about oil leaks.

Cutting capacity and cuts per charge are maker claims

The Amazon listing says the saw handles trees and limbs up to 28 inches in diameter, and Greenworks' specification table says cutting capacity up to 30 inches. Both exceed the 16-inch bar length and would require cutting from two sides. For a first-time user, the manual recommends starting with logs on a saw-horse. Judge the saw by its bar length, not the larger figures.

Greenworks lists 120 cuts as a specification without stating the wood size on the page we read, a 1.5 kW brushless motor and a chain speed of 34.5 feet per second, which matches the manual's 10.5 metres per second. The Amazon details also show a horsepower field of 160, which is plainly an error. We did not test runtime.

Chain and bar numbers for replacements

The manual's technical data gives a 16-inch bar, 3/8-inch low-profile pitch, 0.043-inch gauge and 56 drive links, and names compatible chains 90PX056X, CL14356 and 90X-56E. It says to use only bars and chains specified by the manufacturer. For sharpening it names a 5/32-inch round file and recommends a service centre with an electric sharpener for major work.

It gives replacement signs too: cutting edges shorter than 5 mm, too much play between drive links and rivets, or slow cutting that sharpening no longer fixes.

Weight and weather

Three weights appear. The manual says 8.2 pounds without the battery pack, Greenworks' page says 9.28 pounds and Amazon's table says 10.36 pounds, and only the manual states what its figure excludes. Expect the working weight with the 4.0Ah battery to be higher than the manual's number.

One of the product symbols explained in the manual is do not expose the product to rain or moist conditions. The saw has an electronic chain brake that must be disengaged before it will start, a lock-out button and metal bucking spikes. The manual says to call a service centre if the brake does not stop the chain immediately.

Warranty terms disagree between sources

The manual's limited warranty is three years for the original purchaser with proof of purchase, for personal use, with transport costs paid by the buyer, and it excludes wear, sharpening and lubricants. A listing bullet also says three-year tool and battery warranty. Amazon's details field instead says four years on the tool, two on the battery and a lifetime motor warranty.

We could not reconcile those. Ask Greenworks which terms apply to a 20312 bought from the seller you choose, and keep the receipt. The manual gives the helpline number for warranty service.

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Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.

Primary sources

  1. Greenworks product page for the 40V 16-inch brushless chainsaw kit, model 20312
  2. Greenworks operator manual CSF401 for models 20312 and 20322, supplied with the listing

Primary sources checked .

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