Choosing a chainsaw: cordless, corded or petrol

Cordless, corded or petrol

Cordless. No cable, no fuel, and the saw starts at the press of a button. It runs on the batteries of your battery platform. Examples are the Makita UC011GZ on XGT 40V max with a 35 cm bar and the Husqvarna 225i on 36 V with a 12 inch (30 cm) bar. How long you can cut depends on the battery and the wood.

Corded electric. You keep cutting as long as there is power, but you are tied to an extension lead. Makers give the power in watts. Einhell lists 1,800 W for the GH-EC 1835 and 2,200 W for the GE-EC 2240; Powerplus lists 2,700 W for the POWXG10027.

Petrol. Works anywhere, including the woods, and the larger models cut thick timber. Makers give the engine size in cc. Husqvarna lists 38 cc and a 35 cm bar for the Husqvarna 130; the Powerplus POWXG10247 has 51.7 cc and a 50 cm bar. A two-stroke petrol saw runs on a mix of petrol and two-stroke oil, in the ratio the maker gives in the manual.

Which bar length?

The bar is the guide the chain runs around. Makers give its length in centimetres or inches. Einhell lists two figures for the GH-EC 1835: a 35.6 cm bar and a maximum cutting length of 32.5 cm. The second figure is the part that actually cuts, so compare models on cutting length where it is given.

Husqvarna writes that the size of the trees decides which bar length suits. A shorter bar is lighter and easier to handle when cutting off branches; a longer bar is for bigger trees. If you are used to a chainsaw, Husqvarna says to have at least two bar lengths. Which lengths fit your saw is in the manual.

Small saws: mini and pole saws

For pruning in the garden there are mini chainsaws with a short bar, such as the Einhell GE-PS 18/15 Li BL on Power X-Change 18 V with a 20 cm bar. For branches high up in a tree there is the pole saw. The Husqvarna Aspire PE5 comes with a telescopic pole, and the Powerplus POWXG1033 is a 2-in-1 electric telescopic saw.

A mini saw is made for branches, not trunks. The specifications give the branch thickness it handles.

Chain, oil and tension

A chainsaw needs oil to lubricate the chain and bar. Most saws oil automatically from a tank; Powerplus, for example, mentions automatic chain lubrication in the product name of the POWXG10027. Fill the tank with chain oil, such as Bosch saw chain oil, and check the level while you work.

A chain stretches with use and needs re-tensioning. Many saws have a tool-free chain tensioner; the specifications say which. Chains also go blunt: you sharpen them with a file in the chain's size, or have them sharpened. A new chain must match the pitch, gauge and number of drive links of your bar, which are in the manual.

Cutting safely

Makers list in their manuals the protective gear to wear. Husqvarna names a helmet with ear protection, visor and safety glasses, trousers with saw protection, boots with toe caps and saw protection, and work gloves. Hold the saw with both hands, Husqvarna says, thumbs and fingers fully wrapped around the handles, and do not cut with the upper part of the bar tip: that is where kickback starts, throwing the saw back and up. Never use the saw without a working chain brake, Husqvarna says. The full instructions are in the manual for your own model.

Compare every model under chainsaws, with prices from several shops. Many cordless saws come bare and as a kit with battery and charger; ToolRango compares each version separately.