Best Chainsaw
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Chainsaw Fit Check
Answer three questions and we will match your task to a sensible bar length and power type, plus the PPE you need whatever you buy. Rule-based, not a sales quiz - no specific saw is recommended by name.
Always wear EN381 rated PPE: chain-brake, gloves, leg protection, eye and ear protection, whichever saw you choose.
Size the saw to the wood, not the wish list
The bar length that matters is the one that matches your thickest cut, not the biggest saw on the shelf. Pick a bar roughly 5cm longer than the thickest branch or trunk you expect to cut: a 15cm branch does not need a 45cm petrol bar bought 'just in case'. Power type follows the same logic: corded electric handles light pruning under about 20cm near a socket, cordless battery saws cover most portable UK garden work away from a plug, and petrol earns its weight and noise on regular firewood processing or storm and felling clearance.
Guide reviewed for accuracy: 10 July 2026
The recurring complaint across the owner threads and reviews we research (Arbtalk, UK retailer reviews, Amazon UK) is a saw that is too heavy, too loud or too much machine for the job, not one that is underpowered. Buying bigger 'just in case' is the more common regret. That is why the Fit Check above is deliberately conservative rather than aspirational.
The beginner's guide covers the training and features that matter most before you buy your first saw.
Choose by power type
Three power types cover UK gardens end to end, from a quiet Sunday prune to a wet Tuesday felling storm damage.
Electric chainsaws
Corded and mains powered: the cheapest and quietest way in for light pruning and branches under about 20cm near a socket.
Read the guide →Cordless chainsaws
Battery powered, no cable and no fuel: the default pick for most portable UK garden work away from a plug.
Read the guide →Petrol chainsaws
The choice for regular firewood processing, storm clean-up or felling away from power, where torque and run time matter more than noise.
Read the guide →EN381 PPE applies across all three power types: see the chainsaw safety guide for PPE classes and kickback risk.
Why bestchainsaw.uk
We do not run a test lab and we do not stage saws cutting logs for a camera. Best Chainsaw is research led: recommendations are built from published manufacturer specifications, verified owner and community reviews (Arbtalk, forums, Amazon UK and retailer reviews), UK retail pricing, and HSE/EN381 safety standards, cross-checked so the numbers on this page match the numbers on the box. Where a figure is the maker's claim rather than an independently measured result, we say so.
Rankings weigh bar length and power for the task, safety features, build and value at UK prices. We update picks when models are discontinued or superseded. We earn affiliate commission on some links, but it never decides the order of a list. More on our method.