I bought one for 50 bucks because I wanted something light for the smaller stuff. The guy let it sit for 2 years with the tank full. I cleaned the carb flushed the tank and started it up. Tuned the carb and bucked some fir logs 14-18 inches in diameter. It pulls pretty good for a 45cc saw. It still had the original chain which is a full chisel. The chain tensioner built into the bar is a stroke of genius. It's built as well as the box store Saws Echo and Husqvarna sell and the cheap Stihls. I am a retired faller with 28 years experience and build saws for a hobby now. And I collect them. It's not a professional saw, so I wouldn't head out to camp with it. But I can think if only 4 or 5 saws made by anyone in that size range are professional saws. It's a durable low priced saw. It's 17 years old and sat in a shed for 2 years with bad gas and it still runs which indicates some durability.

Mine was actually a freebie. It was given to me by my grandfather who only bought it to use while his Stihl was in the shop getting fixed. He did give it a workout when he had it. He used it to cut up a bunch of dead trees on his property but it has just sat in his shop ever since he got the Stihl fixed. I got it running right after I took it home that very evening. Changed out the fuel mixture, took the spark plug out, cleaned it, dumped a little bit of fuel mixture down the spark hole, slowly pulled the cord a couple of times. Topped it off with bar/chain oil. Fired up on the second pull. I have a landscaping business and I only use it for minor tasks here and there. But it has never shown any signs of quit or slowing down. Very legit chainsaw, has plenty of balls to handle everything I’ve needed it for.

Bought this Homelite Timberman 45cc 18in chainsaw in 2001 to cut trees on my wife's 5 acres that had been clear cut of pines all other trees left standing or were laying down. Cutting trees when home on leave was my hobby and stress relief. Hurricane came through in 2003 I spent 3 weeks cleaning up the mess. I bought 5 chains and cut from sun up to sundown. Sharpened chains at night. These were all hardwood trees about half were 18 inches or more in diameter. Saw worked great with minimum amount of maintenance. Took the saw with me to my next duty station, wife didn't need it she had enough wood to last her for five years. It sat in the case for the next 14yrs, I did no storage prep. 11yrs in leaky metal shed, last 3yrs in my workshop. Pulled it out today thinking that it was trashed. This it what I did to get it to run. Pulled muffler off, cleaned the area and sprayed seafoam onto the cylinder. Piston was shiny like it should be. Took the spark plug off. Sprayed seafoam into the chamber. Pulled several times. Felt great pulling Took off air filter and cleaned. Sprayed seafoam into the carburetor. Drained 14yr old fuel out and wiped out. Sprayed seafoam into the tank. Took off starter cleaned. Cleaned every nook and cranny with paper towel or with an air compressor. Put it all back together. 5 pushes on the primer bulb and 4 pulls and it started with what remained of the 14yr old fuel. Awesome!!!!! I did notice when I took it apart parts were stamped with "Made in USA. After old fuel burned out, sprayed some seafoam into gas tank and filled it up with new fuel. Restarted and let it run at idle for about 20min. I got motivated and cut a dead tree down. It worked. Needs some clutch work but after sitting for 14yrs that's nothing. If I remember right I paid around 150-160 dollars for it and was purchased at Home Depot. Best money I have ever spent on a gas powered tool.

Bought this saw from Home Depot in 2008, mainly because of the price and nice carrying case that came with it. I needed a a light weight saw for the little jobs on my 50 acres. This is 2017 and I can't wear this little saw out. It still starts, runs and idles great, and I'm still amazed at the power. I continue to push this saw to the limit, and it just keeps coming back for more. I would buy a new one in a heart beat. One thing I've learned about these little two strokes is that fresh oil and gas mix is a must. If you're going to let it sit for more than a month, drain the gas and run the gas out of the carb. Old gas equals hard starting, poor idling, and over all bad performance.

Its a good trim saw .but nothin is goin to work if you dont know how to yous it these other people that has bad reveiws .dont need a saw

Had this machine for 5 years and apart from the oil pump packing up under warranty have had no trouble with it. When you look at the price of thee saws they are defiantly vAlue for money. If it packed in today I would go and buy another of the same.

This saw worked well for awhile, but then the starter cord broke. Tried putting a new one in. The metal coil would not stay in place,I noticed the plastic sprocket which the coil connects to had big chips in it which made it hard to grip the coil. The side housing has a small plastic knob which holds the coil in place, this had broken off. I now need to replace all of these starter parts. May junk the saw and move on. To the makers of this saw change make the starter parts out of metal and not plastic as this area takes a lot of pressure.

like some of the other folks on here my homelight timberman 45 leaks ALOT of oil and the brake is always on unless you hold the brake lever back VERY DANGEROUS WITH YOUR FINGERS IN FRONT OF THE LEVER spend the extra $ and get a stilh it will last for years

This saw is total garbage, not only is it a waist of money and your time it can cost you your life. I burnt up three chains within four hours. It bogs down and cannot be adjusted. the screw holding the brake handle on came loose and fell off. the screws holding the teeth on the front of the saw came off as well.......this time the bolt went between the sprocket and chain sending it up thru the chain cover and over into my neighbors house thru there siding. It runs hot and the top housing over the muffler is starting to melt. ALL WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR HOURS OF USE!!

TOTAL JUNK!!! HOMELITE SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your products need pulled off every shelf in this country. YOU PRODUCE JUNK!!!

You stole my money and could have seriously hurt somebody

Andrew Garnette, Fort Wayne Indiana

Ps: got out my old remington from 1965 and it runs circles around your plastic suicide machine

This saw is the biggest POS I have ever owned, within an hour of really running the thing to cut down some trees, I had to remove the safety brake because it had melted the housing and locked the saw up. After running is for a little while the idle gets so low and the saw becomes almost impossible to restart. I thought it was a good deal when I bought it, boy was I wrong. I will never buy another homelite product again.

I have a homelite XL for 30years now, my wife said I needed a new one so I went back to homelite , big mistake should have read the reviews before I bought, I got mine to clean up after Ike the first one was taken back and I was given another one from home depot, Now this one has not been run for any length of time, will not Idle down even when adjustment is made, hard to start,made of plastic, were my old is solid steel, will try find a chain for it and maybe another bar. I have never had my old one in the shop! homelite you need to go back to your old standards why change a good thing.

My wife bought me this saw after my 25 year old Poulan would not start. The first use was good, then a coil failure. Got it back from repair would not idle down. Tried to cut some fallen trees needed a new bar and chain. Bought a new bar and chain, cut 1 face cord needed a new bar! This is a piece of you guessed it! I am now using my 25 year old Poulan, its great!

The Timberman 45 even with a 16" chain and bar is a piece of junk. It has been in the shop more than in use. I had to remove the brake just to be able to use it. The drive sprocket and bars do not last. Fix or repair daily.

This product is horrible. I would score them 0 stars if I could. Their customer service sucks! This chainsaw has been in service longer than I owned it. Supposedly, 5 other similar models are in the same service shop as mine with some form of piston problem. I would encourage you to not only avoid this product but also avoid any other Techtronic based (a Hong Kong owned company) manufactured item. Homelite is owned by Techtronic which includes consumer based electronic/tools such as RYOBI, Milwaukee, AEG, and Hoover. HOMELITE BLOWS!!! Buy Stihl or Husqvarna but DO NOT buy a HOMELITE.