Are you looking for the best all around chainsaw?
Something that will accomplish all the tasks you’d like?
Well, you’ve come to the right place, because in this post, I’ve gathered the best chainsaws for the tasks you throw at it.
Let’s get straight into it!
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall |
Husqvarna 450 |
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Best for felling |
Husqvarna 460 Rancher |
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Best for pruning |
DEWALT |
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Budget |
COOCHEER |
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|
 |
Husqvarna 135 Mark II |
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|
 |
Salem Master 5820G 58CC |
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|
 |
Swagtron T580 |
|
Husqvarna 450 (Best Overall)
- 18 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 10.8lbs
18 inch bar
This 18 inch bar size is great for an all around chainsaw. It’s lighter than the large chainsaws, but still long enough to fell small and medium sized trees.
You could fell a tree up to 16 inches in diameter with this. It’s powerful enough to even get through a hardwood tree of that size. For most everyday uses, this would definitely be big enough.
While on the bigger end, you could still use this chainsaw for limbing. An 18 inch bar is more than long enough to cut through even the largest branches. It would make quick work of any limbing task.
However, if you think that most of what you’ll be using a chainsaw for is limbing or cutting firewood, you may want a slightly smaller model.
Even though this chainsaw is light, at 18 inches it is much too large for any pruning or trimming.
Lightweight
Wow is this chainsaw light. Gas powered chainsaws are known to be heavier than their electric counterparts.
However, at only 10.8lbs this model is lighter than most of the electric chainsaw models out there, not to mention larger.
The lightweight design of this chainsaw makes it great for limbing or bucking. Its light weight makes it easy to maneuver for the awkward angles you’d encounter while limbing.
If you have a lot of bucking to do and will need to be using a chainsaw for hours, your arms will be thanking you for choosing a lightweight chainsaw.
High quality
Husqvarna is one of the premier brands of chainsaws. This chainsaw lives up to the excellent quality this brand is known for, but it does come with a higher price tag.
Its lightweight design, powerful 50.2cc engine, and top of the line features does make it worth the splurge.
Some of its premium features this chainsaw has includes its signature X-Torq engine, low vibration design, extended warranty, and a quick-release air filter.
The X-Torq engine reduces emissions by 60%, and improves fuel efficiency by 30%. This helps you save money in the long run on gas. The low vibration design makes the chainsaw easier to maneuver and handle.
Related:
Best heavy duty chainsaw
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Best chainsaw for elderly
Husqvarna 460 Rancher (Best for felling)
- 24 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 21.0lbs
Felling trees
This 24 inch chainsaw can fell even large hardwood trees. Its powerful engine would make quick work of any small and medium sized tree, and would be able to get through larger trees too.
It can cut any tree up to 22 inches in diameter.
However, this chainsaw is too large for limbing, pruning, or trimming. It would also be much larger than what you would need for bucking. Its heavy size makes it a bit harder to handle, and more difficult to maneuver.
This is the best chainsaw when it comes to felling trees, or all-around chainsaw jobs that require a long bar. If you anticipate doing mostly limbing, then you’re probably better off with a smaller chainsaw.
Luckily with this Husqvarna chainsaw, you can switch out the 24 inch bar for a smaller bar. The smallest bar size it fits is 13 inches, which is definitely small enough for easy maneuvering and limbing small branches quickly.
Engine power
This model has a powerful 60.3cc engine. With this power, it can easily cut through large hardwood trees like oak. For any big or tough task, this chainsaw has the power to get through it.
This chainsaw has fantastic reviews about its power. One reviewer raved about cutting down a 30 inch black oak tree with ease.
Easy maintenance
This chainsaw is pricy, but Husqvarna makes it easy to take care of your investment so that it works for years to come.
Its simple chain tensioning system is easily accessible so you can make quick adjustments while working. Not only does this help keep you safe, it also makes sure your chainsaw is working at its best.
This chainsaw also has an automatic chain oiler. It makes sure the chain stays lubricated to prevent overheating and damage. This is one less maintenance task you have to worry about.
Lastly, its quick-release air filter makes replacing your air filter super easy. Plus, the Husqvarna Air Injection system prevents large pieces of dust or debris from even reaching the air filter.
DEWALT (Best for pruning)
- 12 inch bar
- Battery powered
- 8.8lbs
Lightweight
At only 8.8 lbs, this is one of the lightest chainsaws out there. Its light weight is due to it being battery powered; electric chainsaws are often lighter than their gas powered equivalent.
It’s also surprisingly powerful, and thanks to this it has many fantastic reviews. One reviewer commented that with this chainsaw he was easily able to fell a 9 inch pine tree.
Easy maneuvering
Having a light chainsaw means that you won’t get fatigued nearly as quickly. It’s also much easier to maneuver and handle, making it a great choice for limbing.
Its small 12 inch bar can be used for pruning and trimming as well. A 12 inch bar is the largest you could get away with for pruning and trimming.
If you need to use your chainsaw for either of those, this would be your best bet.
Given its size, it could even cut down small trees up to 10 inches in diameter. If most of your chainsaw work is pruning, limbing, and felling and bucking small trees, this may be the best all around chainsaw for you.
However, this model won’t be able to cut trees larger than 10 inches, so if you are working with medium or large sized trees, this may not be the best option for you.
Affordable
Given its performance for its small size, this chainsaw price is a great deal for battery-powered chainsaws. It uses DEWALT 20V batteries, which are compatible with all of their DEWALT tools.
If you have other DEWALT products, you can save additional costs if you have a spare battery.
These are high-quality batteries too. Their 20V MAX 5Ah battery can power 90 cuts of 4×4 pressure treated wood per charge. This is thanks to the high-efficiency motor of this chainsaw.
Another benefit is that charging up the battery costs a fraction of what filling up a gas fuel tank would cost.
COOCHEER (Best budget)
- 20 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 15.4lbs
Budget-friendly
For its price, this is the best and most versatile chainsaw you could get. It’s about a third of the price of high-end chainsaws of similar size. It’s closer in price to some budget 14 inch chainsaws on the market.
Despite its price, this chainsaw doesn’t cut corners when it comes to quality. It packs a ton of power for its size, so it would have no trouble with any felling task you may have.
It also doesn’t compromise on weight; at 15.4 lbs it’s slightly lighter than average when it comes to chainsaws of its size.
It also has some high quality features. This chainsaw comes with a very durable chain that last up to 5 times as long as your ordinary chainsaw chain.
This way, you can save even more money because you won’t need to replace it so often. It also has guide plane sets that protect the chain from rusting. This further extends the chain’s lifetime before it needs replacing.
62cc high-efficiency engine
The 62cc gas-powered engine is the biggest pro of this chainsaw. It’s one of the most powerful for a 20 inch bar chainsaw. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also 20% more fuel-efficient than similar chainsaws of its size.
Its engine can reach 8500 rpm. This pure power has given this chainsaw solid reviews. One reviewer had no trouble cutting a 15 inch diameter tree in the span of a few minutes.
20 inch bar
Given the power of its engine, you could fell some good-sized hardwood trees with this chainsaw. Any small or medium-sized tree would be easy to fell and it could take on hardwood trees up to 18 inches in diameter.
It would make quick work of bucking too.
While you could use this chainsaw for limbing, it’s a bit oversized and you could get away with a much smaller chainsaw for that task. It’s definitely much too large for any pruning or trimming.
If most of your work is felling and bucking medium-sized trees, this would be a fantastic chainsaw.
For the odd occasion, it’s light enough to maneuver and handle well for limbing, though its large bar size does increase the risk of kickback.
Husqvarna 135 Mark II
- 16 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 10.4lbs
Easy handling
This chainsaw is easy to maneuver. At only 10.4 lbs, it’s one of the lightest chainsaws, especially for a 16 inch bar.
Its light weight makes it great for limbing. Given that you sometimes are faced with awkward angles while limbing, having a light chainsaw makes it much easier (and safer) to cut those precarious branches.
This Husqvarna model also features their low vibration system. This makes the chainsaw less shaky in your arms, giving you more control.
As an additional benefit, the anti vibration system makes your arms less fatigued, meaning you could chainsaw for hours without discomfort.
High quality features
This chainsaw may not be the most powerful with only a 38cc engine. However, for everyday use this high quality engine has more than enough power.
Many reviewers have had success felling trees, with many saying this chainsaw cuts through wood like a knife through butter.
The only downside is that it won’t be felling any large trees. Anything under 14 inches in diameter would be manageable for this chainsaw. It’s also is a bit too large to do any pruning or trimming.
It has many features that make this chainsaw easy to maintain.
An automatic chain oiler, quick-release air filter, and simple side-mounted chain tensioning system all make taking care of this chainsaw quick and easy.
These are the exact same features you’ll find on the Husqvarna 460 Rancher model above.
Price
For a Husqvarna, this is one of their less expensive models. While it’s not as cheap as some of the budget chainsaws, it’s about half the price of some of the larger Husqvarnas.
For an overall chainsaw, its 16 inch bar is large enough for most day to day tasks. For a moderate price, you can get the incredible quality that comes with Husqvarna without the unnecessary cost of a larger model.
Salem Master 5820G 58CC
- 18 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 18.0lbs
Powerful engine
At 58cc, this 18 inch bar chainsaw packs a lot of power into its moderate size. For chainsaws of its size, it’s definitely on the higher end when it comes to power. Its engine can reach speeds of 8500rpm.
This makes it a great choice for felling trees. It can get through tough hardwood quickly, and can cut through any tree up to 16 inches in diameter. This chainsaw would also be great for bucking given its power.
While an 18 inch bar is a bit on the bigger side when it comes to limbing, you could definitely use this to make quick work out of any limbing task you had.
It’s on the heavy side at 18 lbs so it would cause fatigue quickly if you were limbing at awkward angles for any extended period of time.
This chainsaw is too big and heavy for any pruning or trimming.
Great value
This chainsaw has the price of a bargain chainsaw. What it doesn’t have is that cheap bargain chainsaw quality.
It has a high-quality and powerful engine for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a similar model of a more well-known brand.
Another benefit this chainsaw offers other than its great price is a professional-quality bar and chain.
Thanks to its high hardness bar and durable chain, this chainsaw is faster cutting than its competitors, as well as longer-lasting.
Safe and easy to maintain
One of the many benefits of this chainsaw is its automatic oiler. This makes it easy to care and maintain your bar and chain. It also has a non-slip and shock-absorbing handle.
Its handle is ergonomically designed, so combined with its shock-absorbing feature, will reduce user fatigue. This not only makes the chainsaw easier to use but also helps keep you on balance while you’re using it.
Angotrade Petrol Chainsaw
- 20 inch bar
- Gas powered
- 17.2 lbs
Easy maintenance
An automatic oiler helps keep this chainsaw’s engine from overheating, avoiding costly damage and repairs.
It also has a quick release air filter. Keeping a clean air filter helps extend the life of your chainsaw, and this feature makes it really easy to do so.
It also comes with a handy bar cover. This helps prevent rust on your bar and chain, meaning you won’t need to replace these as frequently.
Budget-friendly
This chainsaw is really affordable, and is a fraction of the cost of some of the more expensive models on this list.
It’s a bit on the heavier side when it comes to 20 inch bar chainsaws, but still within a fairly average weight range for its size.
Despite it’s low price, it still has solid power and performance for its size. It has a 58cc engine, which provides more than enough power to fell medium-large trees, and would make quick work of smaller trees.
At 20 inches, this bar size is a bit large for limbing, and much too big for pruning or trimming. If you’re mostly felling and bucking with only occasional limbing, this chainsaw would be a good size for you.
Unlike some other budget chainsaws, this one has some nice safety features. It has an ergonomic handle and anti-vibration system.
While these features make this chainsaw more comfortable to use, they also reduce user fatigue, helping you stay safe.
Gas Powered vs Battery Operated vs Corded Chainsaws
Gas Powered
Pros:
- Powerful
- Great for heavy-duty work
- Long run time
Cons:
- Loud
- Heavy
Battery Operated
Pros:
- Easy maintenance
- Quiet
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Not great for large jobs
- Batteries need recharging
Corded
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Quiet
- Long run time
Cons:
- Needs to be near a power outlet
- Not powerful enough for large trees
Chainsaw Safety Tips
Don’t cut within two inches of the tip of your chainsaw bar. Hitting the tip on something hard will cause kickback, which can be dangerous.
Stay balanced! Both feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and keep both hands on the chainsaw. Make sure you’re on a stable surface while using your chainsaw.
Remember proper safety gear. Work boots, chaps, hearing protection, eye protection, and gloves should be worn.
Wearing long sleeves to protect your arms from wood chips or splinters while you’re using your chainsaw is a good idea too
Keep your eyes on the bar of the chainsaw while you’re cutting. If you’re bucking wood, ease up on the pressure near the bottom of your cut so you don’t accidentally get kickback from your bar hitting the ground.
Check your chain break before you begin. Given that it’s one of the most important safety features of your chainsaw, you’ll want to make sure it’s working properly before each use.
Chainsaw Maintenance Tips
If your chainsaw doesn’t have an automatic oiler, make sure you manually lubricate the bar and chain. This will help protect your engine from overheating and damage.
Keep your air filter clean! This will help keep your engine running in top shape and lengthen its lifetime.
Check the sharpness of your chain. A dull chain will make it more difficult to cut through wood. You can either sharpen the chain yourself when you notice it dulling, or take it in to a professional.
Maintain proper chain tensioning. You can check the chain tension when the saw is turned off to see if it’s loose or sagging.
You also don’t want it too tight or else it will cause excess wear on the engine. Your owner’s manual will have instructions on how to adjust the chain tension.
What’s the best all around chainsaw bar length?
If you are an average homeowner or hobbyist who needs to fell and buck a few small to medium sized trees and do a bit of limbing, then the best chainsaw bar length would be 16 inches.
Especially if you’re new to chainsawing, you probably won’t be taking down any massive hardwood trees in the near future. This bar size still lets you fell some decent size trees up to 14 inches in diameter.
Even though you won’t be able to prune or trim with a bar size this long, you could definitely accomplish any limbing task with a 16 inch bar.
If you plan on using your chainsaw mostly for limbing and pruning, and occasionally felling or bucking small trees, then a 12 inch bar would be the best option.
What’s the best all around chainsaw?
The best all around chainsaw is the Husqvarna 450. It has an 18 inch bar, it’s powered by a 50.2cc gas engine, and weighs 10.8lbs/4.8kg. You’ll be able to fell trees and split wood with complete ease when using this.
Conclusion
So those were the best all around chainsaws you can buy today.
I took a lot of time researching chainsaws and put this list together. Only mentioning the very best of the best.
Hope you found exactly what you were looking for.
Happy sawing!
– Adam
