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. 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. 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). For more advice, read our guide on how to buy the best chainsaw. Which sort of petrol should I use? 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.

It’s generally recommended that unleaded fuel used for chainsaws does not have a higher ethanol content than 10% – this is because ethanol attracts water which can cause corrosion if fuel is left in the tank for long periods. To get to the bottom of the best cordless chainsaw, I tested a variety of chainsaws, both from the most renowned and lesser-known manufacturers. I assessed each chainsaw on its assembly ease, design, performance, power, ease of use, safety, and value for money. Here is how I tested: 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.E10 fuel is fine to use, but super unleaded with an ethanol content of 5% is better and what we would recommend. Read our first look review of the Lidl chainsaw to decide if you should buy it. How to buy the best chainsaw From our experience, we found that the best cordless chainsaw will generally weigh under 5 kg . These are powerful yet manageable and make it possible to maintain control. Nevertheless, you could also choose a chainsaw closer to 3 kg if you want something particularly light . Assembly Ease: I assessed assembly ease on how long it took to put the chainsaw together and the clarity of the instructions provided. I deemed any chainsaws that took more than 20 minutes too long, as this may take significantly longer for someone who is unfamiliar with this tool. I also marked down chainsaws that didn’t provide clear instructions, those that took longer than specified, or models where the parts didn’t seamlessly fit together. Chainsaws that required no assembly were given top marks, as these designs made the tool more accessible for less experienced users.

To cut branches under 30 cm in diameter, look for a chainsaw with a cutting bar length of 15 – 20 cm and a cutting speed of 4 m/s . 18 V of power will generally be well suited to light-to-medium tasks. The purpose of this thread is just to point out how good Lidls version of tools is. The tools feel robust and from experience last for a long time as well as perform excellent. 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. 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.A lot of the cheapo stuff has plastic gearing and other inards so may not hold-up to much wellie, clearly this is a problem to pros but less of an issue for the DIYer. Nothing wrong with some of this cheapo stuff IMO if used in the correct situation (DIY/occasional). If you’re going to be investing in a cordless chainsaw, then you’ll want a machine that’s going to be comfortable and easy to use. For this, you’ll need ergonomic, soft-grip handles, which most chainsaws usually come with. A secondary handle is also useful for giving you extra manoeuvrability. Other than this other tools such as a grinder and an 18v cordless drill have lasted me for ages. The cordless drill driver ive had for 5 years now and its still going good. It’s worth mentioning that some cordless chainsaws run on two batteries, rather than just one. However, don’t assume that this automatically correlates to a longer runtime – it could just be that two batteries are needed to run a powerful motor, and you may still end up with a shorter runtime than a chainsaw that uses just one battery. Cutting Bar Length