✅ DeWalt Battery Chain Saw Not Working? ● Won't Start? ● Full Tear Down, Troubleshoot, and Rebuild 

Thanks! I try to make all my video’s short and to the point. I appreciate the feedback.

You’re welcome! Yeah I’m the same way and generally want to tear it apart myself. Thanks for your comment.

@@ApacheRanch Like the breakdown....I hoped that you would have gone on to explain what the next step of testing would've been if the safety switch wasn't the problem. I have a DSSC670 that was rained on.....I'm going to break it down, but wanted to know what I needed to test and in what order : safety switch, battery housing, stator assy, or the switch and module......hopefully there's a follow up.

Great! Glad it was helpful!!

Where is the brake?

The black guard is the chain brake

Yeah it’s disappointing. But I also have a Dewalt Leaf blower. Which works great, but if a battery is left in it for some time it will ruin the battery. So I have to ensure when I’m done using it I remove the battery right away. Went through 3 batteries before I figured out the common thread. Thankfully dewalt warranteed the batteries. They definitely have some duds in their lineup. Thanks for your comment.

@@ApacheRanch There’s a battery charger trick with a paper clip for dewalt and I’m assuming other similar brand batteries floating on YT. Believe it had something about using a much smaller battery to give it a tiny amount of charge so it could be recharged to full.

@@ToddMagnussonWasHere Yes, I have heard of that! I think you are right, and my leaf blower was draining the battery down so low the charger would not recognize them. Worth a try if I ever experience that again. Thanks for your comment!

@@ApacheRanch Yes, use jumper wires to connect the + and - terminals in parallel to a good battery and hold it there for a little bit. This will put enough charge in the completely discharged battery for the charger to recognize it.

Many thanks!

Glad it helped!!@@erroldopp1588

Good to know!

I hope it works out for you!!

if you're exhausted after 15 screws you better go see a doctor.

I hope it works for you!

Yeah I hope it helps. These things seem to have a high failure rate.

Hope yours keeps working! It’s a great little saw.

Great! Easy fix is best fix!

That’s great!

Glad it helped!!

What did that replacement controller cost?

Can you give us a part number to search please?

That may be my next move!

That lifetime warranty is BS. I had a shop vac that they took months and months and made excuses saying it was on back order it's been 4months now still nothing. Dewalt has been around alot longer than ridgid and they stand behind their products for 3 years and within them 3 years any problems you have they will replace it and you'll have a new tool within 1 week or so.

Thanks for your comment!

That's crazy. Clearly this saw needs a re-look by DeWalt.

Completely agree!!

@@ApacheRanch Update - I took it apart - thanks to your video, also, I left the locking mechanism in the housing, just pulled the pin and handle and it stayed in there fine. Anyway, the little switch was fine, and the main switch was fine (which it's a double switch - small wires (probably control wires to the board logic) and large wires - providing current to the ESC to pulse to the motor. I had 20V going to the board in both the heavy gauge and small gauge wires. I was too impatient to break out the o'scope and look for pulses to the motor. The failure symptoms (ran slowly backwards before it totally croaked) indicated bad control circuit in the first place. I found where you can purchase the the control board, but it comes with the motor and switches and battery connection, and it was like $130 plus shipping, and a new saw now goes for $158 on Az. Also, found the source of my oil leak - the o-ring where the tube fitting goes into the oil tank was wadded up the shaft where it was assembled in the factory, so it wasn't seated properly allowing it to leak the oil out all over my floor every time. I sent Dewalt an email on their customer service intake about my dissatisfaction of a like new tool failing like that. I'll let you know if they do anything. PS. I clipped out the control board and saved the switches and motor and bar & chain. The rest went into the dumpster.

@@JeromeBeeFarm this is great information. Thanks much for sharing. I am sure it will help out others. Good idea keeping those spare parts! I wish you the best and thanks for your comment!

@@JeromeBeeFarm Now that you've trashed it, I hate to be the one to tell you that DeWalt would have repaired the saw for $99, parts included.

Yeah they should mark a safety “on” and “off” position for that brake.

Why don't dewalt fix the problem they make good products

Thanks!

Hi there… I think the issue with mine is either the motor or controller board as everything else tests ok. Can you tell me where to buy the spare parts from ? Many thanks

@@jasonyannuccelli2499 I jumper the two motor teminals and it ran. Try that, but that means controller shot.

Yes, good point those things can tend to leak.

Hey! I just tore down my own. The switch is considered a Double Pole Single Throw, but it has one side tied together with positive. The red wire and the white wire are on the common side, the black and yellow are on the switched side. When you squeeze the trigger all four are connected pretty much simultaneously. Sadly, this is all I've gained by this teardown, as my board has failed. The chainsaw was a freebie out of the garbage so probably going to pull the good brushless DC motor and solid metal gear box to toss the rest.

Glad it helped!

Hope you can fix it!

Did it work?

@@ApacheRanch hi again… No, unfortunately mine has a different issue. Everything tests ok through all the switch and safety micro switch. I’m not sure how to test the sealed control board or the motor being that the motor has three connections. I’m assuming that the control board might convert DC power to A/C to the little motor maybe 🤷‍♂️ … it’s not really my area of expertise so not sure how to now diagnose if the issue is the motor or board. Any tips on if one of these two components can be purchased as a spare part ? I live in Australia 🇦🇺. Many thanks again. Jason

Good to know!! Thanks for sharing!!

Yeah I agree. Frustrating.

@@ApacheRanch I lied, I ordered the part, a rubber O ring to fix the oil leak and a 14 inch bar and chain and will do it because I want to keep my man card lol. It pisses me off though. It is a bad ass little saw I have to admit when it works.

Totally agree. I just like having it handy in the back of my UTV but it has to work!! Hope you have success with yours.

@@ApacheRanch I have a green works 12”, Ryobi 14” and dewalt 18 inch chainsaws. Greenworks is excellent and under rated saw. Ryobi batteries 🔋 will go into sleep mode if you drain them too low. Meaning they won’t charge anymore and you have to jumpstart them. Dewalt or Milwaukee is probably best bet.

Agreed

Thanks!!!

Hope it works for you!

Let me know how it goes!

Great to hear that this fix worked for you! Thank you for your comment

Just use two of those connectors. The switch looks to have changed since I bought mine, but that version should work as well. Thanks for your question.

I would strongly recommend you NOT do that... this is a chainsaw after all...

Yes

Good luck!

Hope you can get yours taken care of under warranty! Thanks for your comment!

For sure use warranty if you have it. I didn’t and they wanted $88 to fix through their service center.

@@ApacheRanch thanks. Update. Mine works again. I believe it got too hot running it today. I barely used it through. I only cut for maybe 15 minutes. Handle got really hot behind the trigger.

When mine is working - it doesn’t get hot and it runs as long as I keep feeding it fresh batteries. So something sounds amiss. Thanks for your comment.

1 year later i'm coming back to this video again. And only now do I realize it's not a bumper, it's a toggle. This whole damn time I didn't push it hard enough to fully disengage the safety 😑

Yeah, it clicks pretty hard into place. Glad you figured it out.

Glad you figured it out!

Where did you find the control board? Mine has same issue

Not sure - I would call DeWalt's 800 number. 1-800-4-DEWALT (1-800-433-9258)

Thank you! I’ll check it out

I was hoping to do that but that switch isn't the issue.

Check out DeWalt’s website - might be able to order it there.

It’s not showing up on Amazon under same part number anymore. But. The link in description will get you to a similar switch that will work.

@@ApacheRanch I did not find or see a link to the part in the description. Can you post here. Thanks

Is behind the oil tank

Hi there… can you tell me how you tested the motor. The 3 connections Thank you 🙏

@@jasonyannuccelli2499 there should be an open circuit between all three connections. Test ohms with multimeter. Also ensure there’s no short between them and the stacks that the wires are wound around.

@@johnwilson6111 ok, thanks John 👍

A link is in the description. 12 of em for $5.

I just tore mine down and that safety switch is working.

Absolutely. Try this: ✅ How to Stop Your Chain Saw from Leaking Bar Oil ● DeWalt Ryobi Stihl Poulan Husqvarna WORX more! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fmRrVqf1_5I.html

My 20v DeWalt is doing that exact same thing. Nothing is froze up. Sprocket turns by hand but when power is engaged, the sprocket jumps a touch and stops. Battery shows a full charge as well.

Did anyone get this diagnosed? My 16" 60v was doing the same thing. Now it won't even do that.

Same here with my 20v. I’m concerned it’s the circuit board. It cut great, etc, up until this issue.

Dewalt 20V 5Ah batteries have 5S2P with Samsung INR18650-25R so they are indeed good for 20A per cell * 2 in parallel = 40A. Whether dewalt is somehow using marketing and gear reduction to increase the "wattage" I'm not sure.

I can see the case needs split to get to the large drive gear. Still wondering about parts. Haven't broke it down yet but wondering about the electric motor drive gear,,,

Well, for safety.

Does this saw have a good chance of kicking back at me? Mine broke after a few uses and don't remember the brake ever coming close to saving me. Thinking of just deleting it, but what a friggin pain to get the saw open. Have to get some longer torx for sure. Nice video!

Given the small 12” bar on this saw, I haven’t cut a large enough tree to experience a kickback event yet. I wouldn’t recommend ever deleting that safety.

I have never had kickback issues with this saw. Are the wires on a N/O or N/C set of contacts. I had issues when I first bought it with the safety sw. I used it hard over the last year clearing trail and it impressed me. I always use the 60v battery to get it to last for half a day of hard cutting.

Appreciate the instructions. Don't ever delete the safety on a chainsaw. This has been a really good saw but has started to "bind" but I believe one of my gearbox gears is stripped so am taking it apart now. I hope I can get the brake installed properly when I'm done. Mine is heavily dirty and abused and has kept working very well. I use canola oil for lube

Not sure. I’d look into a warranty return on that if possible.

@@ApacheRanchThanks for the advice. Do you think it could be overheating and that's why it turning back on?

I’m guessing something in the electronics board inside has a crack. When it warms up and expands some electrical connection is then broken and it stops running. When it cools down the connection is made again, and it then works again for you. That’s all I can think of. I wish you the best.

@@ApacheRanch arh that would make sense as it stops after doing a few cuts. How would I go about fixing it?

That electronics board inside is sealed closed inside wax. You can’t get at the internals. I would try for warranty repair on it.

Um… yes. That’s the first thing you’d want to check. For any chainsaw.

Luis thank you for writing this comment as ours wouldn’t start and I thought it was broken . Saved me the stress 😊

Pretty much. You have to split it into two sides. That’s most of the work.

@@ApacheRanch Ok thanks

Try this link: amzn.to/3DPCTkt

@@ApacheRanch thanks, those should work, though they differ slightly from stock. Got those and my torx in the mail. Just the one deep seated screw in the black handle was all I needed to remove with an extra long torx. Unfortunately my switch has continuity. So it must be something in their proprietary board? I'll probably cut my losses and pickup a cheap corded saw instead.

Well that sucks. Do you know what year you bought the saw? You might call DeWalt about warranty?

@@ApacheRanchbought it March of 2020, so presumably within their 3 year limited warranty. Maybe I'll give DeWalt a call and see if there's anything that can be done. I've definitely voided any warranty, but maybe they'll give me store credit if I ship them a heap of chainsaw parts.