SOMETIMES all you need is a chainsaw in your garden.
Perfect for large pruning jobs, chopping down dead trees and getting rid of diseased and damaged branches, they’ve come a long way since the smokey, stinky petrol giants of old.
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Nowadays, it’s possible to get mini, handheld, cordless cutters, which do the job of loppers — but much more easily.
And even the bigger, more classic, cordless chainsaws are a lot lighter and easier to use than they used to be.
Brands like Bosch, Ryobi and Stiga offer an affordable alternative to getting a ‘professional’ in to do the big jobs.
Read on for my picks of the best chainsaws.
How I tested the best chainsaws
I decided to review a few when I was pruning back the monster apple in my allotment, as well as an overwhelming Mexican orange blossom at the back of my garden.
It’s important to note that, technically, once your tree starts blossoming or sprouting new shoots, you ideally want to wait until winter again to avoid shocking the tree too much.
But as a professional gardener, as well as the Gardening Editor at The Sun, I’m here to tell you that sometimes needs must — and you just need to do what you can, when you can.
Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cordless Brushless HP 30cm Chainsaw
18V ONE+ Cordless Brushless HP 30cm Chainsaw (with battery), £199.99 from Ryobi
Pros: Glides over branches, satisfying woodchip spray, light considering its size, battery and charger included
Cons: You have to attach the blade yourself, takes a while to charge
Rating: 10/10
I loved this chainsaw. I felt like it almost knew what it needed to do without me asking it.
It took on bigger jobs without complaining and was perfectly capable of cutting logs.
It claims to incorporate “advanced Brushless technology”, which means more power, longer runtime and a longer life through its frictionless motor.
But what’s important is that it works really well and it’s not that noisy!
It also has an automatic mechanical and electrical chain break for safety.
I’d highly recommend it.
Stiga CS 300e
CS 300e Kit, £149 £129 from B&Q
Pros: Really robust, cuts like butter, lightweight for its size
Cons: Build-it-yourself
Rating: 10/10
I hate attaching chains onto saws and saws onto chainsaws — so once again, I was left frustrated when this came in two parts. And I had to put my glasses on to read the instructions as they were so small.
It sliced through very thick apple tree boughs without breaking a sweat.
It felt sharp, strong, and I felt totally in control, despite its larger size.
And as well as taking on the big jobs, it didn’t mess around with the smaller branches too, cutting precisely and as cleanly as a chainsaw can.
It also didn’t take long to charge the two batteries, and you don’t need a separate battery charger. Instead, you just plug the whole chainsaw into the wall.
That worked great for me, but you’d need to time that well if you had small, inquisitive children in the house.
All in all, an excellent cordless chainsaw I can see myself using again and again. A great buy.
Ryobi 18V One+ 15cm Cordless Pruning Saw
18V One+ 15cm Cordless Pruning Saw, £119.99 from Ryobi
Pros: Comes ready-built
Cons: Doesn’t work on branches thicker than 13cm
Rating: 7/10
Technically not a chainsaw — it’s more of a pruning tool — this still has an actual chainsaw on the front, so I think it counts.
It’s very lightweight, weighing just 2.1kg with a battery pack, and it easily cuts through branches up to 13cm thick.
I had no problems with it, although you do need to keep to the thickness specifications. There’s no point trying to go thicker; it whines and just won’t work.
It’s also ideal for cutting up the thinner parts of the branches that you’ve got with the bigger chainsaws, plus trimming of trees and shrubs, pruning, limbing and cutting up your garden waste.
It charges quickly, and Ryobi reckons you can make up to 150 cuts in 60mm hardwood on a single charge.
It’s also part of the One+ Ryobi family, meaning it uses the same battery as over 200 other tools the company produces. A really handy little tool.
Bosch UniversalChain18 Cordless Chainsaw
Bosch UniversalChain18 Cordless Chainsaw (with battery), £206 from B&Q
Pros: Really lightweight, protective shield guard, powerful, comes with a bottle of chainsaw oil
Cons: No battery or charger provided as standard (although B&Q does provide one)
Rating: 6/10
Powerful and easy to handle, the Bosch Universal Chainsaw is small but mighty.
And at only 2.5kg, it’s super lightweight too.
The battery (which is sold separately) charges really quickly, and arrived charged too, which is always such a bonus.
And it gives you around an hour of power, which is enough for any gardener’s arms to handle.
It has a tip protector, which is good, but sometimes slightly annoying when you need to be a bit more flexible.
The manufacturer claims its cutting length is 13.5cm, which feels about right; you definitely wouldn’t want to go any thicker.
Currently available at B&Q for £206 with a battery, it’s reassuringly expensive and feels like it’s been put together really well.
If you’ve already got one of Bosch’s 18V Power For All batteries, you can pick up the chainsaw without a power pack for £134 from Currys.
Do you need a licence to buy a chainsaw?
No, buying a chainsaw in the UK doesn’t require a licence.
If you’re using it professionally, though, there are laws stating that you must have received adequate training in operating a chainsaw, and that you must wear appropriate protective clothing (a helmet, eye protection, gloves, boots and hearing protection).
How do you measure the bar on a chainsaw?
The bar on a chainsaw is the structural element that guides the cutting chain, allowing it to chop through wood effectively.
To measure your chainsaw’s effective cutting length, measure from the tip of the bar to the point at which it meets the body of the saw.
They’re usually measured in inches, so make sure you’re using the right side of your tape measure!
Are electric chainsaws any good?
There are pros and cons to cordless electric chainsaws:
Pros
- An easy way of cutting back dead, diseased and damaged branches when secateurs just won’t hit the mark
- Once the battery is charged, they’re extremely portable
- Lightweight and compact, smaller saws will even fit in a bag
- They’re not as loud as their petrol counterparts
Cons
- You’re limited by the battery charge
- Although not as loud as petrol models, they’re noisy
- They still need high levels of maintenance
- Many models require you to assemble them yourself
Where to buy a chainsaw
Chainsaws are available from any good DIY or electricals store, including:
You could also go directly to a reputable manufacturer of chainsaws, such as: