This post may contain affiliate links. This small commission costs you nothing and allows us to write more great power tool reviews for you.
Looking for a value oriented, larger chainsaw? Check out the McCulloch MCC3516F with it’s corded electric motor and 16″ bar.
Review of the McCulloch MCC3516F Chainsaw
I’m picky about my chainsaws. Actually, I’m picky in general: If something isn’t perfectly to my liking, I won’t review it well. That isn’t to say that I’m unfair in my reviewing (I don’t think) – I wouldn’t give a good product a bad review because I don’t like it. But I would give a reasonably good product that should have been a lot better a bad review if I find it should have been a lot better. The MCC3516 is not a machine I met and thought should be much better. In fact, it’s not a machine I met and thought could be much better. it’s a lightweight saw that still pumps out a ton of power – it’s comfortable to hold and use for extended periods of time, on top of that. Let’s take a little bit of a closer look so I can break it down piece by piece.
The overall design of the MCC3516 is functional. It doesn’t have the high-tech, chromified, super-sexy gadget sort of look that thew new-age gadgetry enthusiasts might expect or enjoy. But, that’s not a bad thing. This saw is built to work, not look good, and making it look beautiful after designing it to work well would just make it bulkier. And that would be stupid. I have to give McCulloch full points here, for designing a machine that does its job, does it well, and does it with no extraneous flair. For my part, I have to give them a 10/10 for design, largely because they focused in on what had to be done to get the thing to work, not what had to be done to get it to sell.
On top of that, the chainsaw is extremely comfortable to hold. I mean, it’s hard for a chainsaw to be comfortable, absolutely speaking, but this one is pretty close to that standard. The weight is well distributed, so it’s not a hassle to hold, and it takes very well to the vibrations that a running chainsaw and a running chainsaw meeting wood will definitely put out. This makes it a wonderful choice for anyone who plans to do work for long periods of time and for people who have relatively low tolerance the kinds of vibrations and motion that power tools induce.
Durability
Looks and initial feel aren’t everything. How does the thing hold up in real life? This is the ultimate question, and it’s hard to answer without . . . Well, taking it into the real world. So that’s exactly what I did. I unboxed it and took it to the lumber. As I said, it handled nicely in the beginning, and in the medium, and in the end. Not once over the several months I used the saw did it break on me, jam, present problems of any major sort, or, really, do anything more than what I wanted it to. Overall, I have to give this machine a solid 10/10 for its price. There are things that could be improved upon, but those are for the top-of-the-line models. This one is worth more than it sells for.
