Although they may be smaller and lighter than their petrol alternatives, cordless chainsaws still have the potential to cause just as much damage should an accident occur. As a result, you need to take safety very seriously. With winter around the corner, it won’t be long before those with wood burners are in need of logs to keep the fire roaring. Now for the only downside to this chainsaw – its price. It was the most expensive battery powered chainsaw that I tested, and it was even more expensive than all of the petrol chainsaws that I also tested, and that’s not accounting for the batteries and the dual charger. That said, it’s still a machine that I would highly recommend buying, simply because of how durable it feels and how well it performs. The fact that its performance is equivalent to that of many petrol chainsaws, yet it’s so much easier to use, makes it, in my opinion, well worth the higher cost.

Although the runtime was a little disappointing, the chainsaw makes this worth dealing with when you take into account how easy it is to use. Even with the battery in, it weighs just 3.5kg , making it so lightweight and comfortable to work with. Its metal gripper spikes help to hold the machine steady while you’re cutting, and its automatic oiling system works well. Reason I ask is that many retailers, even DIY retailers such as Screwfix always have cheap alternative tools for those who cannot afford the real deal. But what the customer gets is a rotten piece of kit. Einhell has a reputation for producing power tools and garden machinery at very affordable prices. However, as I found out when I tested their cordless strimmer, electric scarifier, cordless leaf blower, and petrol chainsaw, the brand doesn’t sacrifice on quality either. So, I was expecting their GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw to be just as capable. I had a number of trees and branches lying around my farm (thanks to Storm Arwen) that needed to be cut up for firewood, so I was looking forward to putting this chainsaw to the test. This only goes some way towards the protective equipment you should use with a chainsaw. Look at our advice on chainsaw safety to find out more.

Narrow by Parkside Chainsaw Model Number

Still on the fence about whether to go with a cordless chainsaw over a petrol or electric model? Here are just a few of the benefits that a cordless chainsaw can offer: Health benefits – in addition to saving yourself from the noise that a petrol chainsaw makes, a cordless chainsaw also won’t subject you to exhaust fumes Even those who have never heard of WESCO before would take a second look at the WESCO 36V Cordless Chainsaw. At first glance, it certainly appears impressive, so I had high hopes for its ability to help me tidy up the branches that Storm Arwen had scattered around my farm. The purpose of this thread is just to point out how good Lidls version of tools is. The tools feel robust and from experience last for a long time as well as perform excellent. Design: A well-designed cordless chainsaw will have considered ergonomics, with a comfortable handle and grip. Models with cushioned or anti-vibration handles were given top marks as these made the chainsaws more comfortable to use for long periods. I also looked for chainsaws with balanced weight distributions, as this improves the user’s manoeuvrability and control. While the optimal bar length varies depending on the tasks, those with longer bars (of 25 cm +) could complete a wider range of tasks, so they were given higher marks. I also identified whether each chainsaw’s bar length matched up with its power – for example, an 18 V system for a 15 – 20 cm bar chainsaw or a 36 V system for chainsaws with 30 cm bars and above.

Bosch AKE30B, AKE35B, AKE40B, GKE35B, GKE40BC, PKE25, PKE30B, PKE35B, PKE40, 1586.7 and 1586.8 chains It’s good practice to empty the fuel tank as much as possible – and completely if not in use over winter. Petrol is better stored in a bespoke container rather than in the machine. What protective clothing do I need? If you’re only going to be cutting small and thin pieces of wood, then a short bar is all you need. However, if you plan on using your chainsaw to cut chunky logs and to fell trees, then go with a longer bar. Understanding Motors

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s also essential that you attend a chainsaw training course as they can be lethal if used incorrectly. Is your product defective and the manual offers no solution? Go to a Repair Café for free repair services. In terms of performance, this chainsaw did pretty well. The maximum diameter of wood that it can cope with is around 35cm (when you cut from both sides), but the smaller you go, the better the chainsaw performs. When it came to performance, this machine both impressed and disappointed me. It was great with smaller branches but not so great with larger tree trunks, to the point where the motor cut out a few times because I kept getting frustrated and unintentionally put too much pressure on it. It also has quite a slow cutting speed of just 4.3 m/s . Again, this isn’t really noticeable when you’re cutting smaller pieces of wood, but it makes things more tedious when you’re working with larger limbs.

Considering this big oversight, I would have to say that this chainsaw is a little pricey. You could spend a similar amount of money and bag yourself a chainsaw that’s fitted with all of the right safety features while also having a larger motor and longer bar. However, it wouldn’t be easy to find another chainsaw that’s this lightweight – most are significantly heavier. If low weight is a high priority, then this battery powered chainsaw would be considered good value. In addition to its performance and power, this chainsaw really excels when it comes to how easy it is to use. I don’t have a huge amount of chainsaw experience but I felt confident when using this machine. It’s lightweight enough ( 5kg ) to manoeuvre into awkward angles, yet has enough weight behind it to remain sturdy. Its automatic chain lubrication feature is another plus. Ryobi’s power tools are usually very capable and reliable (I recently reviewed the brand’s cordless strimmer and leaf blower and thought exactly that), so I was excited to be testing out their ONE+ Cordless Brushless 30cm Chainsaw. Storm Arwen had toppled several large trees around my farm, so not only did I have their big trunks to slice up into logs, but I also had a huge blanket of branches that needed to be cut up for firewood. Incidentally, Ryobi states that this battery powered chainsaw has been designed for cutting logs and firewood, so this was the perfect chance to put this machine through its paces. From our experience, we found that the best cordless chainsaw will generally weigh under 5 kg . These are powerful yet manageable and make it possible to maintain control. Nevertheless, you could also choose a chainsaw closer to 3 kg if you want something particularly light .As we found when we reviewed six of the top cordless chainsaw models available, battery runtime greatly varies between models, even if you’re using the same sized battery. The difference can be pretty significant – a 5aH battery could give you 15 minutes of runtime with one model, yet 45 minutes with another. Where this battery powered chainsaw really shines is in how easy it is to use. I loved how lightweight this machine is – at just 3kg , even with the battery in, it’s not going to leave your arms aching, which cannot be said for most of the other chainsaws that I tested. Makita is famed for being one of the best power tool brands around and, after testing many of their cordless tools, I can see why. So, while I had high hopes for their DUC353Z Twin 18V Cordless Chainsaw, I was also a little doubtful about whether or not it would be up to the task that I had in mind for it – helping me to slice up the several mature trees that Storm Arwen had scattered around my farm. E10 fuel is fine to use, but super unleaded with an ethanol content of 5% is better and what we would recommend.

From experience I have always had a secondary power tool to most of my branded tools for example i have two jigsaws, one a Bosch GST135BCE Jigsaw and have had several cheapers ones as secondary jigsaws. The reason I say several is that they never last, I have returned 3 Power direct jigsaws from screwfix, a few performance power tools from B and Q and a few others from here and there such as drills and grinders from the Netto store. If you’re going to be investing in a cordless chainsaw, then you’ll want a machine that’s going to be comfortable and easy to use. For this, you’ll need ergonomic, soft-grip handles, which most chainsaws usually come with. A secondary handle is also useful for giving you extra manoeuvrability. The fact that this machine is so small and lightweight (just 3kg , even with the battery in), makes it very easy to manoeuvre and cut in a controlled manner. I used it with a 4aH battery, which enabled me to cut on and off for about two hours. I was impressed with the battery life, but not so much with the machine’s chain speed – at 4.5m/s , it was much slower than some of the other chainsaws that I tested (I would recommend the Makita, at 20m/s, if you’re looking for something faster). I was very happy with how this machine performed. It neatly sliced through both large branches and small trunks, with the maximum diameter it could handle being roughly 50cm (when you cut from both sides). For branches and trunks up to 60 cm in diameter, you’ll need a cutting bar of at least 30 cm and 36 V of power. Of course, cordless chainsaws will vary in their capabilities, even with the same specifications, so that’s why we found it so useful to test out six different models.

How to buy the best chainsaw

Cordless chainsaw motors come in different sizes. It goes without saying that the larger the motor, the more powerful your chainsaw will be. The downside to a large motor is that this will detract from your battery’s runtime.