I've used a couple of electric chain saws before and this one is at least as good, and probably better than all of them. It is quite quiet for a chain saw, it cut well, and the stop is almost instantaneous. It is true when they say it is quite balanced - I never felt like I had to compensate one way or the other when operating it. First job with it, I had to cut through a tangle of roots so I would frequently end up cutting through hidden layers of dirt, clay and rocks. The blade got dull pretty quickly but that would be expected of any blade in the circumstances. The auto sharpener came in handy. That feature worked pretty well - don't think it is as good as by hand but it sure is A LOT quicker and was all I needed.