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Chainsaws are dangerous power tools, but they can come in handy for basic home applications if you know how to use them. They can also be used for camping for tasks such as clearing low-hanging branches that may scratch your vehicle or cutting firewood. This buying guide helps you pick out the best chainsaw for any wood-cutting task.
Joe SWJ599E 14-inch Electric Handheld Chainsaw
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
Gas chainsaws have 2-cycle combustion engines that are simplified versions of the one you have in your car. They run on a mixture of gasoline and motor oil, which you can mix yourself or buy pre-mixed. Starting a gas-powered chainsaw requires you to prime the engine, then pull a rope to start the motor turning.
Gas-powered chainsaws are the largest, most powerful variety of chainsaw. They’re best for cutting through big trees or harder woods. They also have the advantage of being totally portable.
The disadvantage is that they can only run as long as you have gas. They’re also far louder than either of the electric types, and emit exhaust fumes. In addition, they’re the hardest to start, with the ever-present risk that you’ll flood the engine and render it temporarily useless.
A cordless electric chainsaw runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Once the battery is charged, you can turn the chainsaw on with a simple switch. Cordless chainsaws tend to be lightweight. Like gas chainsaws, they can be used anywhere.
They still need power to run, though. You can only use a cordless saw in the field for as long as your battery retains its charge, and if you forgot to charge it the night before, you’re out of luck. Bringing spare batteries lets you spend more time in the field.
Cordless electric chainsaws are lighter and smaller than gas-powered chainsaws. They aren’t necessarily “miniature,” but bar lengths top out at 18 inches.
A corded electric chainsaw needs to be plugged into a power source to run. The pros and cons of this are obvious: It never runs out of power, but its mobility is severely restricted.
Corded electric chainsaws are about as powerful as their cordless cousins. They’re the best choice if you’re mainly going to be working within sight of your house—trimming branches, chopping wood, or undertaking DIY projects.
Husqvarna was founded in Sweden in 1689 to produce rifled firearms. Starting in the late 1800s, they began to diversify, and now produce everything from motorcycles to demolition robots to, of course, chainsaws. A recognized leader in the world of outdoor power tools, Husqvarna manufactures chainsaws like the 450 Rancher II, along with other products like leaf blowers.
Andreas Stihl was a German inventor who was called the “father of the chainsaw” for patenting both the first electric chainsaw and the first one-user chainsaw. The company he founded in 1926 is still owned by his descendents. They sell chainsaws like the MS170 and other garden tools like the F240 weed eater.
Founded by two telegraph workers in 1910, Black+Decker originally made machines for industrial candy dipping. They’ve now matured into a tools conglomerate that owns several well-known brands, including DeWalt, Stanley, Porter Cable, Bostitch, and Craftsman. Under the Black+Decker label, they produce cordless electric chainsaws, plus tools such as electric drills.
The guide bar is the long arm of the chainsaw that the chain runs around. It serves as the “rails” to keep the chain moving, turning the saw into a blade. Some guide bars have a sprocket wheel in the nose to reduce friction and extend the chain’s lifespan.
An important feature on any guide bar is the chain catcher. This metal fixture keeps the chain from flying at you in case it ever jumps the rails.
The chain is made of small links attached to cutting teeth, and fits around the guide bar. Teeth are usually made from high-carbon steel, sometimes with carbide coatings or diamond tips for extra strength.
You can buy chains with various tooth arrangements, but in general, they follow the golden rule of saw teeth: The wider the space between the teeth, the faster but less precise your cut will be.
A potentially life-saving feature, chain brakes stop the chain from moving if the chainsaw ever kicks back. They come in two types: manual and automatic.
With a manual chain brake, the force of the kickback causes your arm to pull the level, stopping the chain. Automatic chain brakes detect kickbacks and stop the chain on their own, cutting out the potential for human error.
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You might be surprised to see that we’ve chosen a corded electric chainsaw as our favorite chainsaw. You can’t even take it out in the woods! Plus, the bar is only 14-inches long.
If you use the WORX WG303.1 for just a few minutes, though, you’ll wonder how we could have been expected to pick anything else. This chainsaw is compact and lightweight. It’s not a powerhouse. But for the people out there who have never picked up a chainsaw before, this is the most user-friendly, durable, smartly-built starter model out there.
Right off the bat, it’s extremely inexpensive, yet it lasts for years longer than you’d guess from a “discount” product. The automatic chain tensioner will make re-tightening nearly unnecessary for as long as you use it. The auto-oiler works like a charm, too. It even comes with a three-year warranty, which you won’t need.
Honestly, the only drawbacks are the cord itself, and the results of some of the safety features. We always put safety first, but we also acknowledge that anti-kickback technology like WORX has used here can reduce cutting power at the tip.
Our best value chainsaw is another corded electric model—not shocking, as they tend to be the least expensive. If you’re willing to trust a cheaper saw, and to be tethered by an extension cord, this Sun Joe chainsaw will impress you through hours upon hours of landscaping jobs.
The 14-inch bar is long enough to handle any job you can reach from your garage, from splitting logs to cutting down pest trees. The motor, with a maximum current of nine amps, is perfect for the compact bar. The Sun Joe SWJ599E includes an automatic oiler, with a window into the tank so you know when to refill it. It’s comfortable to hold, easy to control, and never needs engine work.
We don’t want to pretend there are no downsides to going this cheap. This saw is not for larger limbs or harder woods, where it often gets bogged down. The tool-free tension also leaves a lot to be desired: The screw tends to fall out and seems too short to stay put for long.
Black+Decker’s LCS1240 cordless chainsaw runs on a 2Ah rechargeable battery. With 40 volts of power running to a 12-inch blade, this saw is a tiny fighter capable of cutting above its weight class. And unlike the two saws above it, you can take it anywhere.
Although this saw is distinctly on the expensive side, you can purchase it in several different configurations. Buying just the tool saves money, but you’re then on the hook for your own battery. You can also package it with a leaf collection bin.
Outside the blade itself, the LCS1240 includes automatic oiling, tool-free chain tensioning, and a wrap-around handle that lets you grip it from different directions for added comfort. Our favorite feature, though, has to be the battery, which can run for an entire hour straight without a single rest.
If you do happen to have a 16-inch tree, the 12-inch bar will be a downside, but there’s one other thing to beware of: a gap in the housing that lets in a huge amount of wood chips. If you go with this saw, you have to be diligent about cleaning out the engine.
This 16-inch model from Greenworks is our runner-up for the best chainsaw powered by a rechargeable battery. Greenworks is young but impressive company, churning out top electric models year after year. If you’ve been looking for the power of a gas chainsaw, but can’t yank a starting chain anymore, this chainsaw just might convert you.
Along with the 16-inch bar, this saw is fitted with an automatic chain tensioner. Greenworks claims it can make 150 cuts on a single charge. That’s complete cuts, by the way; you could quarter 75 logs in a day with this chainsaw.
Other than power and portability, this chainsaw’s biggest selling point is its brushless motor, which delivers enhanced torque while decreasing vibrations. We found it very easy to hold to a straight line, resulting in smooth cuts with a minimum of mess.
The big drawback here is the bar oiling system. Put simply, it leaks everywhere when not in use, making your housing, bar, and carrying case sticky. The best thing to do is drain all the oil from the tank before storing this chainsaw.
We couldn’t let this list go by without including a gas-powered chainsaw. While we’re more focused on getting new users into lumberjacking, we can’t deny there are needs that only gas saws can fill.
The Husqvarna 455 Rancher is the exemplar of a gas-powered chainsaw: If you have to get one, get this one. Its 18-inch bar and 55.5cc, 3.49-HP engine make short work of almost any fallen tree. The engine is super-efficient, too, going a long way on one tank of gas.
It’s got one of the easiest starts we’ve encountered on a gas saw. Even better, it hardly vibrates, thanks to a shock-absorbing barrier installed inside the housing. Other convenient features include the now-standard auto-oiling and tool-free chain tensioning, and also a quick-release air filter for easy replacement.
Downsides include the usual problems with a gas chainsaw: loud noise, fumes, the need for gas, and a start that’s never going to be as easy as on an electric saw. Also, the cheap bar starts wearing after just weeks of use. If you get your own 455 Rancher, we advise replacing it with an aftermarket bar.
A: Normal wear may cause the chain to stretch out with time. The chain stretches out from heating up as it constantly rubs against the guide. You can delay the wear process by lubricating the chain to reduce friction. Also, the chain may be loose-fitting if the sprockets wear out and the chain can no longer grip on to the sprocket.
A: Like most power tools with an engine, chainsaws can overheat, especially during the summer months. The buildup of dust, dirt, or oil in the internal systems may cause the chain to overheat unnecessarily. You should conduct maintenance on the chain, engine, and guide bar by keeping them clean to reduce friction and overheating.
A: It’s fine to sharpen your chainsaw since it gets dull the more you use it. If you notice that you use more pressure to cut through wood or that the chainsaw smokes even when lubricated, then you may have to sharpen it. A dull chainsaw also rattles or pulls in one direction. Get an expert to sharpen the tool for you to avoid damaging it.
Our top pick is the WORX Powered Chain Saw. The chainsaw is easy to handle, great for a variety of jobs, and has a prevention brake designed to guarantee your safety. It’s also a low-maintenance tool, and you will never have to worry about running out of battery power in the middle of a job.
Alternatively, you could choose the Sun Joe SWJ599E 14-inch Electric Handheld Chainsaw, which is a great budget-friendly option.
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