6 Best Cordless Chainsaws of 2023 - Tested & Reviewed

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Scores:

Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

Power

Ease of Use

Safety

Value for Money

Overall

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.

Just about all of the best battery powered chainsaws need to be assembled in the same way. This isn’t complicated – it’s only the bar and chain that need to be attached. Ryobi has designed this machine to make that whole process tool-less, including when it comes to adjusting the chain tension at the end. As a result, assembly only took 10 minutes and was a very easy task.

The first thing that stood out to me about this 18V chainsaw was its 30cm Oregon bar and chain – a sign of top quality. It has also been designed with a brushless motor, which makes any machine significantly more efficient. Other than that, the rest of its design features were pretty standard, but there were definitely no flaws either.

In terms of performance, this machine is definitely impressive. If you cut from both sides, it’ll slice through wood with a maximum diameter of around 50cm, making it incredibly versatile. It works pretty quickly too – its cutting speed of 10 m/s is much faster than most of the other chainsaws that I tested, and it also felt noticeably more powerful.

That said, a fast cutting speed is a must when you only have a runtime of about 20 minutes with a 5.0aH battery. Granted, I was cutting through very thick and dense wood (it’ll last for longer if you’re using it for lighter material), but even Ryobi states that you can only expect about 40 cuts with each charge. It took about an hour to charge the battery each time. So, if you wanted to cut wood for a few hours, which this motor is more than capable of doing, you would need to have at least three batteries that you could keep swapping around.

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.

When it comes to safety, this chainsaw offers the standard features, with the most important being its chain brake that’ll stop the chain from hitting you if it ever derails or breaks. At 94 dB(A), it’s a pretty quiet machine too – more so than the other chainsaws that I tested.

But how does this machine compare to the others when it comes to price? The Ryobi sits somewhere in the middle. Yes, you could buy yourself a more powerful petrol chainsaw for less, but you’d end up with a much heavier and more cumbersome machine. Plus, with its powerful motor and fast cutting speed, this one will do just about anything that a similar-sized petrol chainsaw will do – it really does function so well.

Would I recommend this machine to others? Yes, without a doubt. It did so much better than I expected it to, and it’s one that can be used for such a wide range of tasks. Whether you’re cutting small batches of firewood or felling a medium-sized tree, this is a machine that you’ll be able to rely on, making it a very worthwhile investment. It’s also a great option if you’re after something lightweight; at 3.5 kg it’s very easy to work with.

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Scores:

Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

Power

Ease of Use

Safety

Value for Money

Overall

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.

Assembling a battery powered chainsaw is usually a quick, 10-minute process, but putting this Einhell chainsaw together took just over 30 minutes. Why so long? Because the chain was just a little too short for the bar. Rather than simply sliding it into the grooves on the bar, I had to force it back and forth (with chainsaw gloves on!) to fit it into place.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the best start, but things started to look up once I took in the full design of this machine. It has a 25cm Oregon bar and chain, which is a sign of top quality, along with a metal, rather than a plastic, claw stop – again, an indicator of quality. I also appreciated the tool free chain tension adjustment mechanism, as well as the large oil display window.

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.

I used a 4.0aH lithium ion battery with this chainsaw, and it gave me a cutting time of about 20 minutes. This is a pretty short runtime, but then again, I was cutting very thick wood – if you’re using it for small pieces, you won’t put as much pressure on the motor, and will therefore enjoy a longer runtime. The good thing about Einhell Power X-Change batteries is that they charge quickly – it only took about an hour for my 4.0aH battery to go from empty to full.

In terms of how easy this chainsaw is to use, I would give it top marks. It’s pretty compact and, at 3.6kg, lightweight enough to not leave you with sore arms. It also has an automatic oiling system that keeps the chain consistently greased up with oil, although I’ve yet to see a chainsaw that doesn’t offer this feature.

I was pleased to see that Einhell incorporated a number of safety features into this chainsaw. From its kickback protection to its emergency chain brake to its chain stop bolt – these are all in place to protect you if the chainsaw ever malfunctions. Of course, while that may be the case, accidents still happen, so make sure that you’re wearing all of the right protective clothing and accessories!

While I may have found a few more flaws to this battery powered chainsaw when compared to the others that I tested, its price makes up for these. This is a very affordable machine – you’d struggle to find a good chainsaw for any cheaper, especially one that doesn’t skimp out on quality. 

With that in mind, this is a great machine for anyone that needs a chainsaw for lighter work around the home and garden. While it wouldn’t be a good fit for someone looking for powerful, heavy-duty capabilities, it’s the best batter powered chainsaw for tree pruning and cutting firewood as well as cutting wood for DIY and construction tasks. It’s surprisingly versatile and, even better, it’s a bargain for what it costs!

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Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

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Overall

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.

The first step was assembly, which took less than ten minutes. I didn’t need any tools for the entire process – Makita has designed this chainsaw in a way that makes it extremely simple to put together. Even better, they provide a small bottle of oil with the machine, meaning that you can have it up and running soon after you’ve opened up the box.

In terms of appearances, this is clearly a Makita tool – I love the blue and black colour palette that the brand uses for all of their products. When it comes to design features, this battery powered chainsaw is definitely impressive. It holds two batteries, has a sturdy 35cm bar with an Oregon chain (you don’t get better quality chains), along with an on/off button, ergonomic handles, and a metal spike bumper, which should give the chainsaw better leverage.

I was already impressed after examining this machine’s design, but became even more so once I started to actually use the chainsaw. It performed brilliantly – I can’t fault it at all. From small branches to tree trunks with a diameter of around 65cm, this chainsaw sliced through it all without once stalling or requiring any force. I even had a professional tree surgeon test out the six chainsaws that I was reviewing, and, having always had a low opinion of battery powered chainsaws, he was even more impressed than I was at how it performed, to the point where he now wants to buy his own Makita!

This chainsaw’s fantastic performance is partly due to how powerful it is. As mentioned, its 36V motor makes use of two 18V batteries, giving it double the power of its 18V competitors. I went with 5aH batteries and enjoyed a continuous run time of about 30 minutes. I was using it at full speed for pretty much all of this time, meaning 20 m/s, which, again, is significantly faster than many of the other battery powered chainsaws out there. If you use the machine at a slower speed and on smaller pieces of wood, you’ll enjoy a longer runtime.

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. 

Good safety is a must when it comes to chainsaws, which is why you’ll find several safety features incorporated into this one. From its chain brake to its kickback brake to the way in which it automatically turns off if the machine is set down, Makita has done all that it can to keep whoever uses this chainsaw as safe as possible. That said, make sure that you’re still wearing all of the necessary safety gear when using any chainsaw!

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.

I’ll be honest – I didn’t expect any of the best battery powered chainsaws that I was testing to be able to match a petrol chainsaw in terms of performance, but this Makita chainsaw did. Not only that, but it’s so much easier to use. The only thing that it would struggle to do would be heavy-duty tree felling, but, other than that, it’s a machine that I would recommend to just about everyone – both home users and professionals will quickly come to rely on this chainsaw, just as I have.

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Scores:

Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

Power

Ease of Use

Safety

Value for Money

Overall

It’s easy to see why those who don’t have much chainsaw experience often find chainsaws to be intimidating – after all, these power tools can cause a fair bit of damage. That’s exactly why Bosch created their UniversalChain 18V Cordless Chainsaw. Designed with new users in mind, this chainsaw is geared towards those who need a power tool to help with pruning trees and cutting firewood. Thanks to Storm Arwen, I had plenty of the latter to do, and I was counting on this chainsaw to help me clear up the damage.

In-keeping with trying to make this chainsaw as appealing as possible to newbies, Bosch has ensured that assembly is kept to a minimum. The chain is already attached to the bar and you don’t need any tools to attach this to the main unit. Oil is provided too, for the chain’s automatic oiling system, meaning that I was able to have this chainsaw up and running in about five minutes.

There are a few design elements to this battery powered chainsaw that immediately stand out. Firstly, its size – with a 20cm bar and a very compact body, it’s the smallest of the six cordless chainsaws that I reviewed. Next up, the metal protective cap over the tip of the chainsaw. It’s there to reduce vibration, give you a cleaner cut when pruning trees, and prevent you from cutting with the nose of the chainsaw. Why? Because that requires expertise, whereas this chainsaw is designed for beginners. 

While I do understand the point of the tip guard, it did get a little frustrating when using the chainsaw. It would’ve been much better if the guard had been removable. As it was, only about 13cm of the 20cm bar was usable, which really limited the size of branches that I could tackle with this chainsaw. I also noticed that anything larger than 10cm also required a bit of force on my part, which isn’t how a chainsaw should be used. 

However, while I wouldn’t really rate this chainsaw for cutting firewood (unless your firewood isn’t too thick), it’s great for pruning small trees. It enabled me to give a tidy haircut to some of the trees around my farm that Storm Arwen had kindly left standing.

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). 

Although this chainsaw is designed for beginners, don’t take safety lightly. While the chainsaw is fitted with a number of important safety features, including recoil protection, a chain brake (in case the chain ever derails), and a button that needs to be held down in order for the trigger to be pulled, I would still highly recommend wearing full chainsaw gear when using this machine. Bosch’s promotional images may make it seem as though it’s safe to use this chainsaw without doing so, but no chainsaw is that safe, including this one.

Bosch products are usually at the higher end of the pricing scale (as I discovered after testing their garden shredders, electric scarifier, cordless leaf blower, and cordless strimmer), but this chainsaw comes in at quite a reasonable cost. That said, its versatility is very limited – for a similar price, you could purchase a larger and more powerful machine instead, although this is unlikely to be as lightweight and as simple to use as the Bosch.

When it comes down to it, this tool is more of a pruning chainsaw, rather than a more general-purpose chainsaw like the others that I tested. If you’re looking for a tool that can slice through large and thick limbs, then this isn’t it. However, if you’re a chainsaw newbie and would like an easy-to-use machine to gain some experience with, then this is the best battery powered chainsaw to go for.

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Scores:

Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

Power

Ease of Use

Safety

Value for Money

Overall

Thanks to Storm Arwen, I had several mature trees uprooted around my farm, along with a blanket of branches and other debris that needed to be tidied up. While I was counting on a petrol chainsaw to help me with the largest of the trunks, I was hoping to find a smaller and lighter machine to tackle the other branches since I didn’t fancy dealing with the weight of a petrol chainsaw for several hours straight. So, I turned to the WORX Cordless Compact Chainsaw. Having already tested, reviewed, and fallen in love with their cordless strimmer, I was expecting their battery powered chainsaw to be just as impressive.

Other than the WESCO chainsaw that I reviewed (which didn’t require any assembly whatsoever), this one took the least amount of time to put together. The chain was already attached to the bar, so all that needed to be done was attach the bar to the main unit and then adjust the chain tension. You don’t need any tools to do any of this, so it should only take you five minutes. Keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase chainsaw oil separately, as WORX doesn’t include any with this machine.

Once assembled, it was clear to see that this chainsaw really lives up to its name in terms of being compact. Although it does have a sturdy 25cm bar, the unit itself looks smaller and feels less bulky than many of the other cordless chainsaws out there. On the downside, it seems a little flimsier too – even the bumper spikes at the front of the machine are made from plastic, rather than metal, which does give the chainsaw a slightly cheaper finish. However, there are some thoughtful design touches here as well, from the oil level window to the way in which the battery is positioned underneath the rear handle to save it from bumps and scratches.

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. 

I was a little disappointed with the chain speed of this saw. At just 3.7 m/s, it’s slower than all of the other chainsaws that I tested, which is strange considering that WORX has designed this machine to take either a 20V or 18V battery. I went with a 20V 5aH lithium ion battery, which gave me about an hour of continuous cutting time. I was hoping to quickly charge up while taking a short break, but charging is slow – it took a few hours to recharge the battery, so it would be worthwhile having a spare compatible battery around if you have a large job in mind.

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.

Unfortunately, when it comes to safety features, WORX really missed the mark. Unlike the other chainsaws that I reviewed, this one doesn’t have a low kickback mechanism or a chain brake. Granted, it boasts a lock button and a few safety stickers, along with plenty of safety information in the instruction manual, but this isn’t going to help you much if the chain breaks while you’re using the machine.

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.

All in all, this chainsaw does what it promises. It may not be quite as powerful or fast as some of the other battery chainsaws that I tested, but it’s the best battery powered chainsaw on a budget and it’s simple, ultra-lightweight, and easy to use. 

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Assembly Ease

Design

Performance

Power

Ease of Use

Safety

Value for Money

Overall

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.

Out of the cordless chainsaws that I tested, this one was the clear winner when it came to assembly, simply because it didn’t require any at all. The machine was already fully set up – just add oil, charge the batteries, and you’re good to go!

That’s right, I said batteries – plural. This 36V battery powered chainsaw has been designed to run on two 18V batteries. This gives it a chunkier look and feel than those that hold just one battery. It boasts a few other thoughtful design features too, from its claw stop to its oil level indicator to its handy on/off button. Its cutting bar is 30cm in length, which is on the higher end of the scale for cordless chainsaws.

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). 

It definitely feels a lot more powerful than many of the other cordless chainsaws that I tested. The only one that beat it was the 36V Makita, and this was mainly because its cutting speed was faster than the 6m/s that the WESCO offers. However, with the slower cutting speed comes longer battery life – two 5aH batteries gave me a continuous run time of about 45 minutes when used on thick wood.

I found this chainsaw to be very easy to use. The only potential downside would be its weight. 7kg is pretty heavy for a cordless chainsaw, but considering that you’re only going to be using it for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time (before the battery power runs out), its weight isn’t a dealbreaker in the slightest. In fact, I found that this actually gave the machine a sturdiness that made it easier to hold in place when cutting.

There are several safety features incorporated into this machine, including a low kickback feature and a quick stop chain brake. You also need to push in a button before pulling the trigger to turn the machine on, saving anyone from doing so accidentally. That said, as safe as I felt using this battery powered chainsaw, make sure that you’re always wearing the right protective gear.

There are both pros and cons to this chainsaw’s price. While you could bag yourself a more powerful petrol chainsaw for almost half the price, this one offers up a number of features that are worth paying more for. For many, the most important would be how it’s pretty much ready to get going as soon as it’s out of the box – the ultimate in chainsaw convenience! Compared to other cordless chainsaws, its price is reasonable, especially considering that it comes with two batteries (plus a dual charger) and a two year manufacturer’s warranty.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this chainsaw. Since I had never heard of WESCO before, I wasn’t expecting much, but this machine proved me wrong. It’s not a chainsaw that I would turn to if I was planning on spending all day felling mature trees, but it’s the best battery powered chainsaw if for the average home user who needs a tool that’ll help them cut firewood, as well as the occasional small tree. Plus, there’s no assembly required.