Chuck -- I've seen some very positive reviews of the Makita. Several years ago, I gave up on having a gas powered saw. Living in a suburb, I just didn't have the chance to use it often enough. Besides, I didn't want to annoy my neighbors with the noise of frequent chainsaw use. So, I went electric. Somehow, I've ended up with three (corded) electric chainsaws. (I'd lend one out, not remember who'd I'd lent it to and buy another...) They all work -- every time I need one -- no matter how long it's been since the last time it was used. Besides, I can now use the saw inside my air conditioned shop. That's a bigger benefit than I thought it would be. All-in-all, for someone who uses a chainsaw infrequently, I strongly encourage consideration of an electric.
The next question is whether the electric saw should be corded or battery powered. There are two reasons to go with batter power -- the ability to use the saw away from an power outlet and the freedom of not having a cord to trip over. I use my electric chainsaw all over my back yard. A 100' extension cord easily reaches everywhere. However, it would be nice to not have to worry about snagging the cord or, worse, cutting it. I can power my chainsaw with a 12v power inverter. Any place my truck can go, so can my chainsaw -- dragging it's 100' cord.
The advantages of a corded saw should not be dismissed lightly. I don't have to worry about running out of juice (provided there's not a power outage). With the current promotion, you get 4 batteries with the Makita. Each set should keep you going 2+ hours. With a rapid charger, you should be able to go all day with 2 sets of batteries. Obviously, this assumes you have someplace to plug in the rapid charger. So, in most situations, this 'advantage' of a corded saw is of no practical benefit. However, there is one advantage of a corded saw that will almost always be of a benefit -- corded saws weigh less. As I get older, weight savings mean a lot more to me than they used to.
David Walser
Mesa, Arizona