Black&Decker GK 1640 T

Living out in the sticks has many advantages, but when the trees that run alongside my house decided to have a growth spurt over the summer down mainly to the rain I came to the conclusion that a severe storm would infact leave me at risk of waking in the night to find a branch imbedded into my forehead. After overturning the preservation orders on the trees with the local council and enquiring as to the astronomical prices being charged by tree surgeons I opted like so many to have a go at trimming the branches back so far that the trees would think they were regressing back to acorns. Both fancying the prospect of using a saw 15 foot up a ladder and due to the size of the branches a chainsaw was the only option available and something of a boyhood fantasy come true and so the quest through a veritable minefield of chainsaws began in earnest.

Taking a look around my local DIY stores it became blindly obvious that I was an amateur when it came to this kind of thing and the range was mind-boggling. Stuck for choice I went with a tried and trusted brand, Black and Decker and on the advice of the sales assistant chose the higher-powered specification of the GK 1640T with its 240v output powering a 1600w motor.

The thought of climbing a ladder and chopping away at branches with a power tool had my legs shaking with anticipation and both fear. I was constantly being reminded in a playful manner by my children of the dangers of using an item that could remove a limb in the blink of an eye but found the instruction manual thorough enough to ease any fears as I learned of the automatic stop to the chain and the anti-kickback features. It also steps out in clear detailed steps pretty much every eventuality when using the chainsaw.

Working at height with the GK 1640T is no problem at all as it is totally lightweight made from thick durable plastic. The actual weight is only 3.6kg so there really was no struggle lifting or positioning it and even after 30 minutes of use (the recommended time to use at in one go) my arms weren't aching in the slightest, a position I wouldn't have been in had I chosen to use a manual saw.

The automatic cut off to the chain worked perfectly and when placing the moving chain onto the branches there was no kickback whatsoever making this a very safe and foolproof power tool.

Focussing on performance I again cannot fault an aspect of the GK 1640T as it did everything that was required of it and did it with no strain at all. The branches I was removing had a circumference of approximately 30cm and the chainsaw cut through them like a hot knife through butter and it was so much of a pleasure to use I didn't want to stop. Even the noise generated by the motor has something of a reassuring growl that wasn't too loud.

At £89.99 and doing the job myself using the GK 1640T I saved hundreds of pounds and have a power tool that has pride of place in our tiny garden shed, just waiting for the next time I need to do some extreme pruning. A quality product that should not be overlooked.