DeWalt DCCS674B Review: A 60V Arborist Chainsaw Built for Tree Work

Introduction

DeWalt’s DCCS674B is a 14-inch, 60-volt professional arborist chainsaw that stands out in a category where battery saws usually compromise on power. It is available as a bare tool at $499 or as a kit, the DCCS674X2, at $749. The kit adds two 9Ah FlexVolt batteries, a 6-amp charger, and a small carry case, and that $250 difference is an easy case to make if you want the saw ready to work out of the box.

This saw is built around speed rather than endurance, and in testing it slices through 4 to 6 inch material faster than any comparable battery saw. DeWalt’s headline claim is cutting through 11 inches of hickory in 11 seconds, and real cuts through 11-inch maple and poplar backed that up convincingly.

Who This Saw Is For

The DCCS674B is aimed squarely at arborists and tree-care professionals. The bottom of the power head is set up to connect to a climbing harness, and with the 9Ah battery installed the saw is well balanced for work up in a tree. If you spend your day pruning, topping, and dismantling trees, this saw is designed for exactly that workflow.

It also makes sense for anyone tired of fuel and starting headaches on the job. DeWalt rates the power head at just 6 pounds without the battery, bar, chain, or oil, and the no-gas operation is genuinely valuable when the saw has to be started repeatedly while climbing.

Cutting Performance

The numbers here are impressive for a battery saw: a peak horsepower rating of 2.42 with the 9Ah battery, a chain speed of 77.4 feet per second, and a fairly narrow cutting chain with a 0.043 gauge and 3/8-inch pitch (listed as .325 in the chain spec). The 14-inch bar is well matched to the chain speed and available power.

In testing, the saw cut through roughly 11-inch maple with authority, then moved to a large full-depth cut in oak with the battery at around 50 percent and performed as if it were near a full charge. DeWalt rates it at 160 cuts per charge on 4x4 pressure-treated lumber with the 9Ah FlexVolt battery, a benchmark very different from repeatedly cutting 11-inch-plus logs. Pushing hard through large material drains a 9Ah battery noticeably faster, which is worth keeping in mind.

Smart Controls and Safety Features

The controlled user interface is what separates this saw from most others on the market. You press and hold the power button to turn the saw on or off, so the saw can be fully powered down while climbing trees, and nothing can accidentally trigger it. The battery slot also does not power the saw on insertion; the trigger does nothing until the power button is pressed.

Several indicators communicate the saw’s state in real time. A light tells you the chain brake is on, and an orange caution light or blinking symbol signals a thermal event, low voltage, or that you are simply pushing the saw harder than it can sustain. One quirk worth knowing: the on-board battery meter dips under load while cutting and recovers when the cut is finished. That is normal behavior, not a fault, and experienced users can actually read it as a live gauge of how hard the saw is being pushed.

Built for Climbing

The top grip uses rubber over-molding all the way around, which stays grippy even when coated in sawdust and works well with gloves. The trigger safety is slightly larger than most, a small but meaningful advantage when wearing gloves, and the bar oil adjustment sits conveniently at the rear of the housing.

Two details are especially notable for a battery saw. The front of the bar has a grease hole with bearings around it, something normally reserved for more expensive saws, and there is a large oil container with good front visibility. The saw also ships with a scabbard, an Oregon chain with a cross-referenceable part number, the correct matching file, and the standard adjustment tool.

Things to Consider Before Buying

No saw is perfect, and a few points deserve attention. The chain loosened noticeably during cutting, which is typical for a new chain, but it needed adjusting roughly every two cuts during heavy use. Also, the included carry bag is designed to hold two batteries, a charger, and tools; it is not a belt-mounted battery pouch for hauling a spare battery up a tree, so you will need your own solution for that.

The bigger planning question is battery strategy. Running out of charge high in a tree is the battery equivalent of running out of fuel, and DeWalt has clearly prioritized power over runtime on this saw. If you consistently push it hard through large material, moving up to a 12Ah battery is a sensible upgrade, and there is room in the housing for it. The 12Ah option does offer a different voltage output under load compared to the 9Ah.

Buying Advice

If you buy the bare tool at $499, you still get the same saw, chain, and everything else; only the batteries, charger, and bag differ. The DCCS674X2 kit at $749 remains the better value for most professionals, since two 9Ah FlexVolt batteries and a 6-amp charger are the practical minimum for a full day of climbing work. As a professional-grade tool, the price is up there, but it is priced in line with what it is meant to be.

Cut-wise, it compares well with gas saws in the roughly 2.4 horsepower range, and the ability to power down completely, the electronic and mechanical chain brake redundancy, and the absence of fuel handling make it a genuinely strong option for tree work. Most buyers will be happy with the saw itself; just match the battery setup to how hard you plan to work it.

Conclusion

The DeWalt DCCS674B is a ripper: fast, well built, thoughtfully designed for arborist use, and one of the few battery saws where safety electronics and cutting performance feel equally serious. Trade-offs around chain stretch and battery strategy under heavy loads are real but manageable, and for tree-care professionals the kit version is the configuration to buy.