Ego Power+ CS1815 Review

Our Experience

The EGO CS1800 has long been a favorite among homeowners for its strong balance of performance, weight, and value. We've been eagerly awaiting its successor, the CS1815, and it delivers meaningful improvements in almost every area. The only real downside is the $50–$100 higher price, along with a modest weight increase of about one pound on the bare tool.

Right away, we were impressed by the CS1815's cutting power. It made quick work of pine trees and performed excellently in our 4x4 cutting tests. While it's still a few seconds behind the more powerful CS2005, it now ranks a strong second in overall cutting speed among all the saws we've tested. This is an impressive performance for a saw in this weight class and price range. We also really like the new Eco mode, which noticeably extends battery life.

The CS1815 feels well-balanced and easy to maneuver, especially when cutting piles of smaller branches. It gives you the flexibility to use a lighter battery for maximum agility. The tool-free chain tensioning is also noticeably faster and more convenient than on the previous model, which took more nuance to line up when replacing the bar.

Overall, the CS1815 is now our favorite full-size EGO chainsaw for most homeowners. The CS2005 is still faster, but it's significantly heavier and lacks the 1815's quick chain tensioning. For the majority of users, the CS1815 strikes the best balance — powerful enough to handle trees up to 30 inches in diameter yet relatively easy to use.

Saw Performance

While it doesn't claim the absolute top spot in our 4x4 cutting speed test, the CS1815 solidly takes second place with a fast 5.1-second cut time. That's more than enough performance for the vast majority of homeowners.

The impressive cutting performance is largely due to the CS1815's faster chain speed, which is now one of the highest in our test group. While chain speed isn't the only factor that determines how quickly a saw cuts through wood, it is highly correlated with real-world cutting performance.

We also noticed a noticeable improvement in wind-up time. Unlike the older CS1800 and some other EGO models, the CS1815 has almost no lag — it reaches full speed almost instantly, so you can dive right into your cuts without hesitation.

All of these improvements helped push the CS1815 near the very top of our overall performance rankings.

Cut Capacity

This is another area where the CS1815 shows a big improvement over the older CS1800 and now ranks near the top of the electric chainsaw pack. Part of that success comes from the larger 6.0 Ah battery.

Note that our tests were conducted in the higher Power mode, not Eco mode. Running in Eco mode would likely deliver even more total cuts per charge, though it would take longer to complete each cut.

Weight and Small Limb Work

This is one area where the CS1815 doesn't stand out as strongly. It is noticeably heavier than the previous CS1800. The main reasons are the larger 6.0 Ah battery (which weighs over 6 pounds on its own) and a slightly heavier body. As a result, it is now one of the heavier 18-inch electric chainsaws we tested.

The good news is you can easily reduce the weight by a few pounds by using a smaller battery. We recommend doing this if you'll mostly be doing lighter limbing and pruning work. Just remember that you may need to buy that smaller battery separately unless you already own one as part of the EGO 56V battery ecosystem.

Ease of Use

The CS1815 is about as easy to use as an electric chainsaw can be. You simply pick it up and start cutting — there's no separate power button you have to remember to turn on. The digital display is also very handy, so you can quickly check your remaining battery life without flipping the saw over.

The tool-free chain tensioning system is excellent and one of the easiest we've used. We also found it much easier to line up the bar after removing it for cleaning compared to the older CS1800, which required more fiddly alignment.

Adding bar oil is quick and straightforward, though with this design you do need to be careful not to let sawdust and debris get into the reservoir. We recommend using a quick blast of compressed air to clean the area before adding oil.

The saw also has built-in lights that are easy to turn on and off. We've never needed them, but they could be useful for people in northern areas working in low light during the winter months.

Noise

The noise level on the CS1815 is about what we expected. It's significantly quieter than any gas-powered chainsaw, and unlike gas saws, it doesn't constantly idle and make noise when you're not cutting.

That said, it's not one of the quietest electric chainsaws we've tested. It's noticeably louder than the CS2005, though still very manageable for occasional homeowner use.

Should You Buy The Ego Power+ CS1815?

If you're a homeowner who regularly cuts bigger logs — even up to 30 inches in diameter — the CS1815 is an amazing saw. It won't replace a gas saw for all-day professional work, but it delivers a ton of power while being extremely convenient and easy to use.

That said, it is relatively heavy. For many homeowners who mostly do lighter work, it may be more saw than they need. In those cases, we recommend looking at lighter 6-inch to 12-inch models instead.

What Other Chainsaw Should You Consider?

If you want something lighter and more maneuverable for smaller branches and limbing work, consider the EGO CS1201. At under 9 pounds with surprising cutting power for its size, it's an excellent middle-ground option that's easy to handle for most homeowners.