Electric chainsaws: a 2026 buying guide

The electric chainsaw has stopped being the poor relation of the petrol one. For a private garden, a modern electric one cuts everything you're going to come across — branches, thin trunks, stove firewood, stumps — with less noise, no oil mix, no fumes and starting with a button. There's no more pulling a cord, no cleaning carburettors, no smelling of petrol, no fighting a machine that won't start in spring after being stored all winter. For the vast majority of people who only prune their garden and cut up some firewood, it's the most logical option.

This guide helps you choose without overpaying or falling short, and without getting a fright: corded versus battery with a decision table; which bar length depending on the use; what real power you need and how not to trust the watts alone; how to understand the spec sheet point by point; the protective equipment that's non-negotiable and why; the basic cutting technique so you don't have an accident; chain and bar maintenance step by step; and the most common mistakes. At the end, twelve frequently asked questions.

What are you going to use the chainsaw for?

Before looking at models, define the use. The right chainsaw for each case is very different:

• Light garden pruning: branches up to 12-15 cm, occasional work, sometimes with a ladder. → A one-hand pruning chainsaw or a compact two-hand one, 18-20 V battery, 15-25 cm bar.
• General pruning + some firewood: branches and trunks up to 20 cm, use several times a year. → A 30-35 cm chainsaw, 2,000 W corded or 36 V battery.
• Firewood in quantity, cutting up trunks, the odd small tree: → A 35-45 cm chainsaw, high-end 36-40 V battery with a large and spare battery, or a mid-range petrol one.
• Forestry felling, large trees: → Professional petrol, and training. Not the subject of this guide.

Corded or battery: decision table

Recommendation: if you already have tools from a battery range (18 V, 36 V), stay in that range and use the batteries you already have. If you're starting from scratch and only going to cut up firewood next to the shed, the corded one is cheaper and doesn't run out of power mid-afternoon. If you're going to prune all over the garden and don't want to drag 30 m of extension lead through the beds with a tool that cuts, battery.

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Bar length

Safety rule: the bar should be at least 5 cm longer than the diameter of what you usually cut. Forcing a short bar into a thick trunk means cutting with the tip and levering, which causes kickback. For 80% of gardens, a 25 cm bar is right: it cuts everything you prune in a normal garden and is still manageable.

Kickback is the main cause of chainsaw accidents: the upper part of the bar tip touches something (a hidden branch, the ground, another trunk) and the machine jumps up hard towards the operator, in the direction of the face and neck. A working inertia chain brake, always holding with both hands with the left thumb wrapped around the handle, and never cutting above shoulder height, prevent it almost completely.

Real power: don't trust the watts alone

On corded ones, the watts give an idea, but also look at:

• Chain speed (m/s): above 10-12 m/s it cuts smoothly; below that, it jams in green, fibrous wood.
• That it has a brushless motor: more torque, less heat, longer service life.

On battery ones, what matters is the motor torque (better if it's brushless) and the battery capacity in amp-hours (Ah), which determines the runtime:

• 2 Ah: 15-20 min of light pruning. For very occasional use.
• 4 Ah: 25-40 min of pruning. The reasonable standard for home.
• 5-6 Ah or two batteries: for long firewood sessions.

For a quick idea: garden pruning (branches up to 15 cm), 1,400-1,800 W corded or 18-20 V with a 4 Ah battery; mixed pruning + firewood use, 2,000-2,400 W or 36 V with a 4-5 Ah battery; firewood in quantity, high-end 36-40 V or petrol.

What to look for on the spec sheet

• Tool-free chain tensioning: essential, the chain slackens with use and has to be adjusted several times per session at first.
• Automatic chain lubrication with a visible reservoir (to see the level at a glance) and adjustable flow.
• Inertia chain brake: it activates on its own on a kickback, in addition to the manual brake you push with your left hand.
• Throttle safety lock: you have to press two triggers at once for the chain to start. It prevents accidental starts.
• Bumper spike (toothed spike): the metal teeth in front of the housing that rest on the wood and act as a pivot. Very useful for cutting with control.
• Weight: below 3.5 kg for comfortable pruning; up to 5 kg if it's for firewood in a fixed spot.
• Chain pitch and gauge: the 3/8" low profile (0.375" LP) is the standard with the most and cheapest spares. Note the pitch, the gauge (0.043", 0.050"...) and the number of drive links of your chain to buy spares without mistakes.
• Rope or harness attachment if you're going to use it with a pole from the ground.
• Bar scabbard included and an oil reservoir of at least 100-200 ml.
• Declared vibration level: below 3.5 m/s² so you can work for a while without your hands suffering.

Protective equipment: non-negotiable

1. A helmet with a mesh face visor and integrated ear defenders: it protects eyes, face and hearing at once. Chips and splinters fly towards the face.
2. Anti-cut gloves, better with reinforced protection on the back of the left hand (the one in front and closest to the chain).
3. Anti-cut trousers or chaps if you're going to fell, delimb on the ground or cut near the legs. They contain kevlar or similar fibres that, on contact with the chain, tangle in the sprocket and stop it in milliseconds.
4. Closed footwear with a toe cap, ideally forestry safety boots with a non-slip sole and anti-cut protection on the instep. Never sandals or trainers.
5. Close-fitting clothing, no laces or loose garments that could get caught in the chain.

A small 18 V chainsaw cuts a finger off or opens a leg just as fast as a petrol one. The equipment costs between €40 and €120 and is by far the best investment in this whole guide. Don't use a chainsaw without it "just for a moment": most accidents happen on cut number 200, when you've already got complacent.

Basic cutting technique

• Stance: feet shoulder-width apart and firm on the ground. Never standing on a chair, an improvised ladder or a branch.
• Grip: both hands always, the left thumb fully wrapped around the front handle (underneath, not on top). The left arm outstretched and firm absorbs the kickback.
• Cutting zone: use the part of the bar closest to the machine body, resting the bumper spike on the wood and levering. Never cut with the upper quarter of the tip.
• Branches under tension: observe which way the branch will spring when released. First make a small relief cut on the compressed side and finish on the tension side, keeping out of the path.
• Trunks on the ground: cut from above to about two thirds and finish from below so the bar doesn't get pinched by the weight of the trunk. If it's already pinched, don't force it: stop the machine and use a wedge.
• Delimbing: always work with the trunk between you and the chainsaw, never with the machine above your legs.
• Let the chain do the work: if you have to push hard, the chain is blunt. Never force it.
• Release the throttle and wait for the chain to stop completely before taking a step with the machine.

Chain and bar maintenance, step by step

1. Before each use: check the chain tension with the chain cold (it should give 2-3 mm when you pull the middle of the bar and return to place on its own) and the oil level in the reservoir.
2. Every battery charge or every 20 min corded: top up the chain oil. If the reservoir empties and the chain works dry, it stretches, heats the bar red-hot and can melt the tip sprocket.
3. Every 2-3 oil tanks: sharpen the chain with a round file of the correct diameter (marked on the chain, typically 4.0 or 4.8 mm) and an angle guide. Give each tooth the same number of strokes, always from the inside outwards, and respect the marked angle (30° is usually the standard).
4. Every 3-4 sharpenings: lower the "depth gauges" (the small projection in front of each tooth) with a flat file and a gauge. If you don't, the chain stops biting the wood even if the teeth are sharp.
5. Weekly: clean the bar groove and the oiling hole with a flat screwdriver; check that the tip sprocket turns freely and grease it if it has a greaser.
6. Turn the bar over every so often (mounting it upside down) so it wears evenly on both sides and lasts twice as long.
7. Storage: chain slightly slack, bar scabbard on, battery out and at half charge; on petrol ones, tank empty or with a stabiliser.

Signs that the chain needs sharpening or replacing: it produces fine sawdust instead of large chips, the chainsaw "bounces" and struggles to enter the wood, you have to push, or the cut veers to one side (the teeth on that side are sharper or longer than the others).

Common mistakes

• Using the chainsaw without protective equipment "because it's just one cut".
• Not topping up the chain oil and burning the bar in the first session.
• Cutting with a blunt chain: it wears the motor, heats up, uses twice the battery and is more dangerous because you have to force it.
• Storing a petrol one with a full tank: old petrol gums up the carburettor within a few weeks.
• Buying a long bar "just in case": it weighs more, is harder to control and increases the risk of kickback.
• Felling a tree with a trunk over 20 cm without training or public liability insurance: if it falls on a house, a car or a cable, the problem is very expensive and very dangerous.
• Cutting alone, without anyone knowing where you are or having a phone to hand.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fell a tree with a small electric chainsaw?

Only thin trees, up to about 15-20 cm of trunk, on clear ground, with no cables or buildings in the fall zone, and with some training (directional wedge cut + felling cut + hinge). A large tree near a house, a wall, a power line or a public road is a job for a professional with insurance.

What real runtime does a battery chainsaw have?

With a 4 Ah battery and garden branches, between 25 and 45 minutes of effective work. In hard wood, thick trunks or with a slightly blunt chain, much less. If the session is going to be long, keep a second battery and the charger nearby.

Do I need a licence to use a chainsaw?

For private use on your own plot, no. For forestry work, professional pruning at height or services to third parties, specific training is required in many cases, plus public liability insurance.

Is an electric chainsaw any good for holm oak or oak firewood?

For cutting up already-cut medium-diameter firewood, yes: a 35-40 cm bar, a 2,000 W or 36-40 V motor and a well-sharpened chain. For felling large holm oaks or trunks over 40 cm regularly, no: there mid-to-high-range petrol rules.

How often do you need to change the chain?

A chain gets sharpened many times (10-20) before replacing it. Change it when the teeth are very short after several sharpenings (less than 4 mm of tooth), when it stretches so much it can't be tensioned, or if it hits a stone or a nail and several teeth get blunted at once.

Can I use any oil for the chain?

Use specific chain oil: it's stickier and withstands the centrifugal force without being flung off. In gardens with children, pets or near a veg garden, choose a biodegradable, plant-based chain oil. Never use used motor oil (it pollutes and doesn't lubricate the chain well).

One-hand or two-hand pruning chainsaw?

One-hand ones (15-20 cm bar) are comfortable for light pruning and on a ladder, but they carry more risk if you're careless, because one hand doesn't control a kickback well. For general use, a two-hand one with a 25 cm bar is safer and more versatile.

Is a pole pruner with a chainsaw head worth it?

Yes, if you have trees and don't want to climb a ladder with a chainsaw (one of the most dangerous things you can do in a garden). A battery pole pruner with a chainsaw head reaches 4-5 m from the ground, with your feet firm, and is one of the most useful things for a garden with trees.

Is the electric chainsaw greener?

Compared with the petrol one, much: zero direct emissions, much less noise and no burnt oil mix. An hour of petrol chainsaw emits as much as a modern car driving hundreds of kilometres. Also choose biodegradable chain oil.

Can it be used in the rain?

Corded electric ones, no: electrical risk. Battery ones tolerate some damp, but cutting in the rain is dangerous in itself (the ground is slippery, visibility is worse, wet wood behaves differently). Better to wait for it to clear.

What do I do if the chain comes off the bar?

Stop the machine, remove the battery or unplug it, put your gloves on, loosen the side cover nut, put the chain back in the bar groove and over the sprocket (teeth forwards on the top), tension and tighten. If it comes off often, the bar is worn or the tensioner doesn't tighten well.

How long does a home electric chainsaw last?

With basic maintenance (oil, sharpening, cleaning), a mid-range one lasts 8-12 years of home use. The battery is what has to be replaced first, around 3-5 years. The brushless motor of modern ones barely wears.