Best Electric Chainsaw | Ranking 18 Popular Models
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Updated: 17-September-2023
From felling trees to splitting firewood, chainsaw is a must have tool for professionals as well as homeowners who deal with cutting tree trunks and its branches to shaping logs into woodworking projects. The conventional gas chainsaw is primarily the tool of choice for such applications, however electric chainsaws have changed the game in chainsaw industry by reducing noise, vibration and harmful gas emissions from the sawing experience.
There are many brands making top quality electric chainsaws but the question of what is the best electric chainsaw on the market is not so easy to answer given the wide variety of options available.
Today’s post is aimed to answer this question by comparing and ranking 18 different chainsaw models from different premium and budget brands including 8 small electric chainsaws, 7 normal size chainsaws and 3 lopper type chainsaws.
Our picks include both corded and cordless types. We have also answered some common questions related to electric chainsaw at the end of our post. So, without further due, let’s begin.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Oregon CS1500: The overall best electric chainsaw corded
WORX WG322 (10"/20V MAX): The best electric chainsaw for carving
WORX WG303.1 (16"/14.5 Amp): The best electric chainsaw for the money
Greenworks 20312 (16"/40V MAX): The best electric chainsaw for home use/homeowners as well as the best for firewood.
Dewalt DCCS620P1 (12"/20V MAX): The best electric chainsaw for overlanding and camping.
Stihl MSA 120 C-B (10"/20V MAX): The best small cordless electric chainsaw as well as the best for beginners.
Black+Decker Lopper LP1000 (6"/4.5 Amp): The best electric chainsaw for a woman
WORX WG304 (18"/15 Amp) The best electric chainsaw for large trees (16” diameter)
Best Small Electric Chainsaw
(10-14” Bar Size) - Top 8 Rankings
Electric chainsaws of 10-14” sizes are best for felling small trees, cutting tree branches and splitting small logs of firewood. Due to their small size and lightweight design, they are well suited for home use and light wood cutting. They are also ideal for wood carving projects. We have ranked our top 8 picks based on performance, safety features, ergonomics and maintainability. Let’s begin.
8
Sun Joe SWJ807E
10" Bar | 8.0 Amp Corded Chainsaw
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
Last but not the least, Sun Joe electric chainsaw SWJ807E is run by an 8 amp motor giving it enough power to cut through all sorts of small wood. It features an automatic oiling system and we have noticed very little oil leakage complaint for this chainsaw vs. other chainsaws we have reviewed.
The unique feature for this particular model is that it comes with a 8.8 feet pole for allowing you to cut branches off trees with convenience. It would have been a plus if it came with a tool free chain tensioning system that is quite common in competitors.
Pros
Shortcomings
7
Black+Decker LCS1020B
10" Bar | 18V Battery Chainsaw | Great Value for Money
Our Rating: 7.6 / 10
Another Black+Decker electric chainsaw makes our list with an 18V system running a low kickback Oregon bar and chain at 11.48 ft/s. This particular model is a bare tool i.e. Black+Decker sells batteries and chargers separately.
One particular thing we would highlight for this chainsaw is its automatic oiling system that has a little catch. Yes, it is automatic, however, its oil cap has a primer bulb that needs to be used for manually pumping the oil into the system every few cuts to keep the chain well lubricated – an intervention not needed in competitor models.
Whether you are clearing your yard after a storm, cutting firewood in winters or trimming tree limbs and branches up to 6” in diameter, this chainsaw will fit your needs. If you’ve got multiple batteries, you can covert those wet green maples into logs with this chainsaw pretty easily. Or maybe use it for trimming your big money trees, this chainsaw will get the job done.
its overall performance and features make it a good choice for occasional and DIY use requiring light wood cutting.
Pros
Shortcomings
6
Black+Decker LCS1240B
12" Bar | 40V Max Battery Chainsaw
Our Rating: 7.8 / 10
This Black+Decker battery powered chainsaw is designed for light duty applications including pruning, trimming and cutting small logs. Its low kickback Oregon bar and chain runs at 16.4 ft/s to give decent cutting performance on a wide variety of home based and DIY applications.
Although Black+Decker gives only a 2 year warranty (for home use) but for this particular model, the warranty has been extended to 3 years with the same condition i.e. home use. It does have some oil leakage complaints due to which we’d recommend storing it after draining its oil reservoir, however, it gives decent performance overall in occasional light duty use. Battery and charger are sold separately for this particular model.
Whether you are converting fallen trees to firewood or you are a homeowner using the chainsaw for maintenance of property and clearing out mature honeysuckle thickets, this chainsaw will fit your needs. It will be great at sawing up anything from pine, fir, cedars and 8” Norway maples to mesquite trees.
Pros
Shortcomings
5
WORX WG322
10" Bar | 20V Max | Best Electric Chainsaw for Carving Wood | Great for Women
Our Rating: 8.2 / 10
WORX electric chainsaw is the definition of light weight chainsaw. At only 6.2 lbs. of weight, its chain runs at a speed of 12.5 ft/s fueled by 2.0Ah 20V max battery (18V nominal) that is included in the package. Based on its lightweight design that reduces user fatigue and improves maneuverability, we found it the best electric chainsaw for carving wood. Moreover, the same advantages have returned great positive feedback for women users. However, we’d recommend emptying its oil before storage as some complaints of oil leakage have been received.
To give some examples of its use, it is great for cleanup after a storm trimming tree limbs and branches or maybe cutting some dead ash trees. It’s also useful for cutting 7-8” logs, chopping firewood, cutting 4x4’s in decking projects or just trimming hedges. From trimming your lemon or avocado tree over the weekend to clearing a lot of small trees in your acres to prevent fire, this saw has got you covered.
Pros
Shortcomings
4
Greenworks 20262
12" Bar | 40V Battery Chainsaw
Our Rating: 8.7 / 10
This Greenworks electric chainsaw 20262 is powered by a 40V max battery system and comes with 2.0Ah battery, charger and blade cover in the package. At only 7.8 lbs. its lightweight design reduces user fatigue and makes it easy to carry and handle. Tool free chain tensioning system, automatic oiling system and kickback safeties make it a very decent overall tool for light duty applications.
Its translucent oil reservoir (for automatic oiling system) gives a very clear visual cue to the user of the remaining oil level. It has returned some complaints of oil leakage during storage, however, at the same time, user feedback for a variety of applications is positive most notably in splitting firewood and being very handy in overlanding and camping experiences. We also found decent amount of praise for the tool from women as the tool is ergonomically designed with light weight build to reduce fatigue.
Whether it is 8” wide tree limbs, tree branches or 4x4’s, or cutting firewood for chiminea, cleaning up hurricane downed trees, cutting oleander bushes and crab apple trees or just keeping the chainsaw in your truck for rural lifestyle, this chainsaw will fit your needs.
Pros
Shortcomings
3
Dewalt DCCS620P1
12" Bar | 10V Max | Best Electric Chainsaw for Overlanding
Our Rating: 9.0 / 10
This Dewalt cordless electric chainsaw is a complete kit with hard bar cover, 5.0Ah battery and low kickback Oregon bar and chain to get you started as soon as the package arrives. At its heart lies a brushless motor powered by a 20V max system (18V nominal) for which Dewalt has boasted up to 90 cuts per charge runtime on 4x4 pressure treated wood.
Weighing at only 9.0 lbs., its low kickback Oregon bar and chain run at a speed of 25.2 ft/s allowing it to make cuts without much effort.
It will perform great in cutting down mid-size trees (anything around 8” in diameter like an apple tree or a juniper tree) and large tree shrubs. It will be of great use for maintaining trails, camping trips (for cutting firewood), clearing fallen trees from your yard or clearing brush and dead trees.
We did notice complaints of oil leakage in storage but overall, its solid performance and great portability with very good battery runtime makes it one of the best electric chainsaw for overlanding and camping applications.
Pros
Shortcomings
2
Makita XCU3Z
14" Bar | 36V Battery Chainsaw
Our Rating: 9.1 / 10
Equivalent to a 32cc gas chainsaw, Makita XCU3Z is powered by a brushless motor fueled by 36 V battery system. The bonus point is that it is fully compatible with the Makita 18V family of power tools because the 36V battery system is actually made up of two 18V batteries that are the same as used on Makita’s 18 V power tools so that you don’t need to purchase a new set of batteries if you already have one or two other Makita 18V power tools.
Another unique feature is its auto shutoff function that powers the saw off when left unattended for extended period of time saving both its battery as well as acting as another safety layer against unintentional tool starts.
This electric chainsaw will take care of a variety of applications including brush cleanup, cutting storm-downed trees, dropping a 12” maple tree, trimming overgrown cedar hedges, wood preparation for camping, cutting big and hard locust trees as well as cutting white fir trees, cutting palm fronds, working a downed oak tree or trimming trees on acres of your property.
Of all the electric chainsaws we researched, Makita returned the least amount of complaints for oil leakage during storage.
Pros
Shortcomings
1
Stihl MSA 120 C
10" Bar | 20V Max Battery Chainsaw
Our Rating: 9.6 / 10
Stihl stands among the most respected names in chainsaw industry. This MSA 120 C from Stihl is a 10” electric cordless chainsaw that shows why Stihl deserves that respect. At its heart is a brushless motor powered by a 20 V max battery system (18 volt nominal) for which Stihl has claimed a 100 cuts per charge runtime on a 4 inch diameter wood.
The tool has been designed for homeowners, DIYers and occasional users who need the tool for light duty work. At a very light weight of just 8.2 lbs., its overall build quality, balance, safety features and ergonomics make it the best small electric chainsaw on our list.
Pros
Shortcomings