10 Best Chainsaws of 2026, Cordless, Corded & Petrol Ranked

The limb that came down across my shed roof last October was about as thick as my forearm, and a saw like the Makita DUC353Z is what I'd want for that job now. This Makita 36V chainsaw runs on two 18V LXT batteries in series, drives the chain at a listed 20 m/s through a 35cm bar, and adds an electric chain brake, tool-less tensioning and an oil level display. It isn't a starter kit, though. Batteries and charger are not included, so it's only the best chainsaw for the money if Makita packs already live in your shed, and two batteries make it feel heavier than the single-pack Ryobi.

Cordless saws have caught up for pruning, but for a winter's worth of firewood a petrol saw still makes sense, and the Husqvarna 120 Mark II is the one I'd look at first. Its 38.2cc X-Torq two-stroke engine is rated at 1.4kW, Husqvarna claims up to 20% lower fuel consumption. You pay for that in other ways. It weighs 4.85kg, petrol needs mixing with two-stroke oil, the tank holds only 0.3L, and the noise won't win friends on a terraced street on a Sunday morning. I didn't find it in the UK roundups I read, so it's here on its specification.

Buy this if you don't own any garden batteries yet and want one box with everything in it. The Ryobi RCS1830-150 is a kit: the brushless saw, an 18V ONE+ 5.0Ah battery and a charger, and that battery then fits the rest of the ONE+ range, from hedge trimmers to leaf blowers. The 30cm Oregon bar and chain suit pruning and logs for a fire pit, with automatic oiling, tool-less tensioning and both mechanical and electrical chain brakes. The overmoulded rear handle should help with cold, wet hands in November. A single battery won't match the Makita's twin-pack punch on seasoned oak, though, and the bar is a little shorter.

Let's get the confusing bit out of the way. The model code ends in N, which usually means bare tool, but this amazon.co.uk listing is titled with one 5.0Ah battery, and its included components list the battery and the saw. I couldn't see a charger mentioned, so check before ordering if you don't have one. The saw is a compact 18V XR brushless model with a 30cm Oregon bar, a listed chain speed of 7.68 m/s and a chain brake DeWalt says stops in under a second. At a listed 3.6kg it's a light, small chainsaw for awkward cuts, though I'd still keep both hands on it.

Judge the Greenworks GD40CS15 by what it takes to get cutting and it's strong value, provided you already own a Greenworks 40V battery. This listing is the tool only, without a battery or charger. On paper it's well specced: a brushless motor, a 35cm bar like the Makita's, a 12m/s chain speed in the listing title, and a see-through 180ml oil tank. The spec sheet suggests a faster chain than the title does, so I've gone with the title figure. Among cheap chainsaws on the battery side, it's one of the better-equipped, and Greenworks covers the tool for three years.

If an extension lead reaches your back fence, a corded saw solves the two biggest battery headaches: run time and charging. The Einhell GH-EC 2040 pairs a 2000W motor with metal gearing and a 40cm Oregon bar, so it takes on thicker logs than most cordless picks here, at a listed 13.5 m/s chain speed. The cable is the trade-off. You'll need a heavy-duty outdoor extension lead and an RCD, and part of your attention goes on keeping the lead behind you. It isn't a saw for felling large trees either; that's a job for a tree surgeon.

Small is the point here. The Worx WG322E.9 has a 25cm bar, the shortest on this list, and runs on the 20V MAX (18V) PowerShare battery that also fits Worx mowers and trimmers. This listing is body only, with the battery and charger sold separately. Automatic tensioning and oiling take two setup chores off your hands, which matters if it only comes out of the shed to tidy the apple tree. The listed chain speed is a modest 5 m/s, so thick logs will be slow going next to the Ryobi.

I'll be straight: this is a saw for light work, and the listing is thinner on detail than I'd like. The BLACK+DECKER GKC3630L20 is a 36V cordless saw with a 30cm bar, a low-kickback chain, tool-free SDS tensioning and an oil window. The spec sheet notes a 2.0Ah battery included, which suits a few branches after a windy night rather than an afternoon of logs, and the missing chain speed holds it back against the Greenworks.

If you heat your home with a wood burner and buy timber in the round, the Hyundai HYC6220 is the big petrol saw here. It has a 62cc two-stroke engine, a 50cm bar and two chains, a carry bag, a file and a fuel mixing bottle in the box. It's a lot of saw for a garden, though. It's heavy, long bars kick back harder, and I'd only hand it to someone with proper training. The listing's model number also reads HYC6200X, so check the bar length.

Oregon makes the bar and chain on several saws in this list, so it's interesting to see the brand's own corded machine. The CS1400 has a 2400W motor, the most powerful corded option here, with a 40cm bar, automatic oiling and a low-kickback chain, backed by a three-year warranty. It still ties you to a socket, and the listing's weight figures don't agree, so I've left them out.