Can A $40 Knockoff DeWalt Chainsaw Beat The $130 Original? This Test Found Out

A range of brands make cordless pruning saws, and they're potentially a very handy addition to your arsenal of outdoor tools. Much like its long-standing rivals Milwaukee and Makita, DeWalt makes a pruning saw that has been copied by knockoff brands that use the same interchangeable batteries as the real thing. A test by Project Farm put all of these saws to the test to see how they performed in a variety of situations, and surprisingly, the knockoff versions of some big-name tools performed impressively well, with the knockoff DeWalt saw not far behind its legitimate counterpart.

In a test that timed how long each saw took to cut through 2x8 lumber, the knockoff DeWalt couldn't match the real DeWalt saw, with the former taking 5.72 seconds while the latter took just 2.87 seconds. However, the knockoff still outperformed a genuine Makita saw, which took 5.93 seconds to make the same cut.

Another test was designed to see how much downward force each saw could take without stalling. The knockoff DeWalt stalled at 10 pounds, and the real DeWalt stalled at 21 pounds, comfortably beating its counterfeit counterpart. However, Ryobi and Craftsman's saws both outperformed the real DeWalt, hitting over 30 pounds of downward force before stalling, while the Milwaukee saw that Project Farm tested hit 94 pounds and still didn't stall, making it the winner by a large margin.

In terms of pure performance, the real DeWalt ranked mostly above its knockoff counterpart, but in efficiency, the knockoff claimed a surprise victory. Project Farm calculated the runtime per amp-hour of each saw, and the real DeWalt managed 1.38 minutes, the second worst of the test group. Meanwhile, the knockoff DeWalt could run for 1.72 minutes with the same amount of power.

The knockoff could also make significantly more cuts through a hardwood log per amp hour, achieving 10.4 cuts compared to the real DeWalt's 8.1 cuts. However, both were far behind the best in class, with the Milwaukee saw delivering 41.5 cuts per amp hour. Kobalt took the second-place spot with 31.7 cuts per amp hour. Project Farm's final combined ranking saw the knockoff DeWalt finish only one place behind the legitimate DeWalt saw, although both were roundly beaten by rivals from Milwaukee, Kobalt, and Ryobi. That might seem surprising considering the major price difference between the two.

However, despite their close ranking in the test, you still probably shouldn't buy knockoff DeWalt tools. Their lack of warranty and inconsistent production standards can potentially mean you end up spending more money in the long run, and in some cases, knockoffs may even pose a safety risk. Buyers looking for the best-performing pruning chainsaw would be better off considering a rival tool from another major chainsaw brand, or coughing up the cash for the real DeWalt saw, even if it isn't the best in class.