Looking to buy an electric chainsaw? Then this comprehensive guide should go a long way in helping you find and selecting the best option for you.
Whether you want to be more environmentally friendly, make less noise, or you just want to save on gasoline costs, an electric saw chain can be a great tool.
Below is a list of 8 of the most popular chainsaw on the market, and we’ve spent a considerable number of hours reviewing each one. We’ve also included some helpful information on how to choose the best electric chainsaw in terms of overall quality and for your individual needs. We have also written another guide on chainsaw sharpeners to sharpen your chainsaw.
Makita UC3551A – Our Top Pick
While all the chainsaws featured on this list are of very high quality, and one or more of them might be better for you depending on your individual needs, there’s a clear answer when it comes to the best.
Makita UC3551A is the best, because of its balanced and incredibly feature-rich design. Over years of use, the self-sharpening feature will save you tons of time and money—and believe me, this saw is going to last you years and years.
Husqvarna 120i – Our Runner Up
The Husqvarna 120i and Oregon CS1500 offering on this list share the number two spot, largely because of their high quality and performance across the board and their unique automatic power adjustment features.
8 Top Electric Chainsaw Reviews of 2021
[table id=15 /]1. Husqvarna 120i 14 Inch Brushless Chainsaw
If you know chainsaws (or other outdoor power tools), then you know Husqvarna. However, it’s only fairly recently that the legendary brand known for its gasoline engine tools started releasing electric alternatives. How does this model live up to the Husqvarna name?
Very well, as it turns out. This saw has great features like a brushless motor that allows for more power and versatility than many traditional electric motors, and also a “save mode” that makes the motor run more efficiently.
The automatic “save mode” means your motor runs at less than full power until you start cutting with it, and then amps itself up when it’s time to work. This is environmentally responsible and saves you money, two of the biggest reasons to make the switch to electric outdoor power tools. In addition, it makes the inner workings of the tool more long lasting and cuts down on operating noise.
While these are the special features that set this saw apart, its regular design elements are also great. The handling is good and the saw is one of the most comfortable and easy to work with that we tested. In addition, the controls are quite intuitive—making the switch from gas to electric easily, welcoming new chainsaw users with open arms, and allowing experienced electric chainsaw operators to work faster and more easily than ever before.
It’s also one of the few battery-powered chainsaws on this list, making it one of the most portable on the market.
For its impressive features and impressive design choices, the Husqvarna 120i gets one of our top spots and shows that the Husqvarna brand is just as great with electric alternatives as with gasoline powered tools.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very powerful | Not lightweight |
| Battery powered | Requires charging before use |
| Automatic power adjustment |
2. WORX WG303.1 16 Inch 14.5 Amp
The relatively new brand WORX has earned itself some respect by creating a great system of electric tools, both corded and battery powered, with efficient parts and a minimalist but powerful design. They have also set themselves apart by making themselves one of the greatest values in tools.
The corded model WG303.1 offers a fairly no-frills approach, but with all the right design choices. Its safety and maintenance systems are some of the most responsive out there. Especially impressive is the patented WORX automatic chain tension system built into this model.
This system saves you a ton of effort and time on mid-job maintenance and keeps you working safely and efficiently for longer.
The other standout element of this product is it’s extraordinarily lightweight relative to its power. This was one of the least tiring to use saws we tested and reviewed. That’s because many power saws are heavy, and many lightweight saws weak—but this one struck a great balance, allowing for both easy handling and easy cutting. It’s safe to say we were impressed!
| Pros | Cons |
| Balanced weight and power | Not exceptionally powerful or lightweight |
| Automatic chain tension system |
3. Ivation 16 Inch 15.0 Amp Electric Saw Chain
One of the most impressive features of this model from Ivation is its powerful 15 amp motor, which offers cutting speed and power similar to that of many gas-powered models. When you’re making the switch to an electric chainsaw, you want to be sure to get one that’s powerful enough for your needs!
In addition, the durable design of the saw itself—both its inner workings and its cutting components (bar and chain)—have set it apart from the average chainsaw.
Ivation, a relatively new brand focusing on electric outdoor tools, has made a great choice in bar and chain by going with Oregon components. Because Oregon is one of the most recognizable names in chainsaws and chainsaw components and accessories, Ivation allows you to buy from a new brand with confidence.
Buying an Ivation saw with an Oregon bar and chain allows you the best of both worlds. You get the forward-looking, energy efficient electric motor from Ivation and the best of the traditional chainsaw market from the Oregon bar and chain.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very powerful | Not lightweight |
| Oregon chain and bar |
4. Remington RM1425 Limb n Trim 8 Amp 14 Inch
The brand defines itself as one of the best choices for homeowners and novices and therefore decided to put out this extremely lightweight and easy handling saw for cutting down limbs and trimming hedges.
Although it’s aimed at the homeowner, do-it-yourself market, it actually performs well enough to be valuable to landscaping companies as well, because it performs the small jobs of trimming and removing limbs with more efficiency than larger, more powerful saws that are meant for cutting down thick trees.
Another feature that set the RM1425 apart was its simple, intuitive push-button oiler system. While many of the larger electric saw chains out there have automatic oiling, automatic oiling for such a small model can actually lead to waste. Therefore, the push-button system allows you more control than ever over oiling your chain, and works very efficiently for everyone from the most to the least experienced.
We were impressed with the RM1425, and would gladly recommend it to any homeowner looking to step up their landscaping game, and to any professionals needing a small alternative to their biggest saws for detail work.
| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight | Not ideal for larger projects |
| Perfect for detail work |
5. Black & Decker CS1518 15 Amp Corded Chainsaw (18 Inch)
Black & Decker is one of the oldest names in the tool business, and currently produces a wide array of indoor and outdoor tools for both the consumer and professional markets. The CS1518 is one of their top corded electric models for both professionals and homeowners.
This saw strikes a great middle ground between size and power. The larger bar of 18 inches allows you to start more ambitious cutting projects, but the saw maintains a low weight despite its larger bar size. We were most impressed with the way this saw made the larger blade more accessible to new users, but also just as effective for the more experienced.
Because this is a very balanced tool, it’s great for both large projects and some detail work. While the light weight allows precision, the long bar allows you to cut more at once than most other saws is the same weight class as the CS1518.
| Pros | Cons |
| Highly powerful | Not highly feature rich |
| Low weight relative to size | |
| Large 18” bar |
6. GreenWorks 20222 9 Amp 14 Inch Best Cordless Option
GreenWorks’ offering among the perfect electric chainsaws out there offers a 9 amp motor that’s a good bit more powerful than the motors found in other lightweight saws, while its 14 inch bar and low weight still allow it to be used for ultra-precise detail work.
This saw also sets itself apart with its automatic self-oiling chain and its tool-less chain adjustment. While each of these features is common on its own among the top electric chainsaw, getting both in the same saw will truly save you a heap of time and effort—and allow you to keep cutting, safely and efficiently, for longer than most electric saws on the market.
Like most of the others on this list, this model is corded. Though this makes it less portable than some of the battery powered options, it also means that you can get to work right out of the box!
| Pros | Cons |
| Balanced weight and power | Not exceptionally powerful or lightweight |
| Self-oiling chain | Chain tension requires manual adjustment |
7. Oregon CS1500 Self-Sharpening Chain Saw
While Oregon is most well known for its gas-powered chainsaws and chainsaw accessories and parts, it’s broken into the electric market fully—both as a manufacturer of parts for other saws and as a top contender.
The feature that really sets the CS1500 apart from its competitors, is its unique self-sharpening chain system. Oregon is well known as a manufacturer of chain saw sharpeners as well as saws themselves, so it’s not surprising that they put that knowledge and experience to good use with such an innovative design—but it sure is impressive.
The PowerSharp self-sharpening system, especially when viewed alongside this model’s powerful 15 amp motor and 18 inch low-kickback bar, makes the Oregon CS1500 one of the best.
While it’s very feature rich and sure to impress even the most experienced users, it’s also very low maintenance. This means that new chainsaw users will have no trouble with this one and that landscapers, farmers, and other professional chainsaw users can save themselves plenty of time, money, and labor by going with this self-sharpening model.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very powerful | Not very lightweight |
| Unique self-sharpening chain | Bar too large for detail work |
| Great for larger projects and general use |
8. Makita UC3551A Chainsaw, 14 Inch
Makita is one of the best known and most respected manufacturers of power tools across the world, and their innovative and powerful 14 inch UC3551A is no exception to their long history of successes in the industry.
It has some special features both common and uncommon among the other electric chainsaw, ranging from an impressive self-lubricating bar and chain to safety features for peace of mind. However, it also features something that only one other saw on this list has—a built-in, fully automatic power adjustment.
The current modulating feature built into the motor of the UC3551A will both save you on electric costs and keep your motor from burning out before its time by intuitively sensing whether or not you need the full power of this saw at the present moment.
In addition, it’s one of the most comfortable saws to use on this list, with rubberized grips that are very easy on the hands even over the course of large projects.
| Pros | Cons |
| Balanced weight and power | Not exceptionally powerful or lightweight |
| Self-lubricating bar and chain | 14” bar too small for some large projects |
| Automatic power adjustment system |
How to Find the Right One for You?
These products are all exceptional when compared with the average electric chainsaw, and performed better than any others we tested and reviewed. However, there are still quality differences—and, in addition, there are your needs to consider, too.
Power
If you need your saw to cut down trees, you obviously need one that’s a bit more powerful than the one you would only use to trim hedges or lop off dead limbs. In chainsaw, there’s a huge amount of variance in terms of sheer, absolute power.
There are some easy to recognize patterns in the chainsaw market, though. The most common power classes are 8 amps, 12 amps, and 15 amps—and there are also a few saws available in slightly different power classes, such as 9 amps or 13 amps.
The more amps, the more power. If you’re a landscaping company or a homeowner with a lot of lands to clear, a 15 amp chainsaw is the right choice for you. However, if you’re looking to simply clean up some trees and bushes in your yard, all that power isn’t necessary—and could make your saw harder for you to use (as well as more expensive, in terms of both upfront cost and electricity consumption).
Size
Like a chainsaw’s amperage, the size of a given saw’s bar isn’t indicative of overall quality but is an important factor to consider for your needs.
Essentially, the longer the bar, the faster you’ll be able to work and the larger, thicker limbs and trunks you’ll be able to cut. That being said, just like with high power, a long bar adds a lot of weight to the machine, decreasing both portability and ease of use.
If you plan on using your saw most often to cut down entire trees or clear areas of your land, you need a large bar and high power. However, if you’re more focused on detail work, a small bar is your best friend. There are also moderately sized bars for a balance between the two and the ability to do virtually any kind of chainsaw work reasonably well.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is largely determined by the bar size and power, but there are other factors to consider, like comfort features. The only real way to determine the ease of use of a given saw is to test its weight in your own hands.
Features
Do you need a feature rich saw, or do you prefer a more minimalist, no-frills design?
Of course, every saw has different features, but here are a few of the common ones you may want to look for:
- Self-oiling
- No tools chain adjustment
- Power adjustment/current modulation
The most feature rich saw on this list is the Oregon CS1500 because it contains most of the common features along with its own unique extra feature that no other electric chainsaw on the market has.
The Husqvarna and Makita models on this list also have the amazing special feature of automatic power adjustment, which will cut down on your electricity costs and keep your motor running longer.
When choosing whether or not special features are important to you or not, try to consider how much time, energy, and/or money each special feature will save you. Is every feature on the saw important to you? Is each one worth the cost it adds to the saw?
Although it’s not a hard and fast rule, special features like automatic maintenance tend to be most useful to two groups of people:
- Inexperienced saw users
- Professional saw users (landscapers, etc.)
It may seem counter-intuitive that special features are most helpful to these two very different groups, but there’s an important reason. Inexperienced chainsaw users may not know how to perform some maintenance tasks on their saws, while professional saw users know how, but often don’t have the time (or own a large number of chainsaws).
Of course, the best thing to consider is how much each feature will help you personally, not anyone else. You may be very different from most of the market for these tools!
Corded vs Battery Operated?
This is one of the biggest debates in the world of chainsaw now that battery technology has allowed manufacturers to make powerful saws that don’t need to be plugged in. However, there isn’t an easy answer here.
Most of all, it comes down to personal preference. However, there are some distinct advantages and disadvantages to each type of electric chainsaw.
Battery operated saws allow for maximum portability. As long as your battery is charged, they can cut anywhere. However, they can’t keep going and going the way that corded models can.
Corded models, on the other hand, are not as portable, but they do allow for continuous operation. This can make a big difference when it comes to long projects. If you’re an inexperienced user, you may want to also consider the safety concerns of a corded model: cutting the cord by mistake is at best a monetary loss, and can also lead to huge safety concerns.
