Back in March, I posted about my experience with Ego’s 18″ battery saw.  You can read about that HERE.

I knew that Ego also had a 16″ version – their CS1604.  I had not tried that one before, so I recently made the purchase in order to do this write-up.

I purchased the saw from Amazon, and it came with one of the 5 amp-hour batteries, along with a charger.  According to Amazon, over 500 people purchased one of these in the last month.  That compares to about 200 people for the CS1804.  This makes sense, as there is a $100 difference in retail price between the saws.

Ego CS1604 Basics

16-inch bar and chain
6,800 RPM operating speed
IPX4-rated weather-resistant construction
Tool-free chain tensioning system
Brushless motor for longer life
35cc gas engine equivalent
3/8-inch pitch, .043-inch gauge chain
5 Ah lithium battery
5 year warranty for the tool
3 year warranty for the battery
18 lb operating weight

If you aren’t familiar with Ego products, one of their claims to fame is that all of their batteries work with all of their products.

This comes in pretty handy.  If you have one of their blowers or string trimmers, you could just buy one of their “naked” chainsaws (one without the battery and charger), and just use the battery and charger you already have.  That can save you in some cases $75 or $100.

The battery clicks into place securely.  It definitely makes up a large percentage of the saw’s weight.  Once installed, the chainsaw is pretty well balanced, but not particularly light.

As I mentioned in the CS1804 review, I think Ego makes a 3Ah battery, which might lighten this thing up by a pound or so.

CS1604 Performance

I was surprised at how different the CS1604 experience is compared to the CS1804.

I was expecting basically the same saw, but with a shorter bar.  But right from the get-go, it was apparent they are two very different saws.

The 1604 is definitely quieter, and feels a bit less powerful.  I am guessing this is all due to operating RPM.  You’ll notice Ego lists the CS1804 at 11,000 rpm, versus 6,800 RPM for the CS1604.

Ego doesn’t list a spec for their motor wattage, but we can assume the 1604 uses a smaller motor than the 1804.

The saw cuts well, with very little vibration and noise.  I noticed straight cuts, and I must have gotten a particularly sharp chain right out of the box, as this thing really made the chips fly for the first few cuts.

Ego claims this thing can make up to 250 cuts on a 4×4 post.  You can compare that to 300 cuts for their CS1804.  I suspect they get about the same battery life unless you are really maxing out the saw length.

Which I did on occasion!  Some of the red oak I was cutting was 20″ plus in diameter, requiring a 2-sided cut.  Burying the bar into the wood didn’t stall this saw out, but I could only apply somewhat light pressure.

Like their other saws, the chain tensioning mechanism works fine, and really is tool-less in its adjustability.

For convenience, I’ve added a copy of the CS1604 owner’s manual HERE.

Review Verdict

I give the CS1604 a thumbs up.

I liked the saw, but it’s definitely a bit lighter-duty than the CS1804.

I think that stands to reason, given that it’s smaller and $100 cheaper.

Depending on how much and how often you’ll use a saw, as well as what your own personal budget looks like, it may be worth your money to upgrade to the 18″ version.

But as a more entry-level battery saw, I do think it’s an attractive option.