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How to use a 14 inch chainsaw

Updated: 22 October 2026

An electric 14 inch saw may arrive with the chain on the bar. It is not ready to cut until bar oil is in the tank, the chain is snug, and you have checked whatever brake the listing actually claims. This page is one ground-level cross-cut, not a ranking and not felling law. The [14 inch chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/14-inch-chainsaw) lists six amazon.co.uk models with different brake and tank lines. Peter F. read those cards and public UK guidance in October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

An electric 14 inch saw may arrive with the chain on the bar. It is not ready to cut until bar oil is in the tank, the chain is snug, and you have checked whatever brake the listing actually claims.

Our top picks

Hyundai Hyundai HY40CCS350

Best overall

Hyundai Hyundai HY40CCS350
9.2/10about £188.99
View offer
Oregon Oregon CS1200

Best value

Oregon Oregon CS1200
9.0/10about £97.29
View offer
Einhell Einhell GP-LC 36/35

Alternative

Einhell Einhell GP-LC 36/35
8.8/10about £129.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Oil and tension before the first cut
  2. 2.Brake, cable and where you stand
  3. 3.One cross-cut on wood that is already down
  4. 4.When to stop

Oil and tension before the first cut

Oil is not named in the included-components line for any of the six listings. Fill the tank before the first cut. Stated capacities are 200 ml on the HY40CCS350 and 115 ml with a sight glass on the Einhell. Oregon reviewers call the CS1200 reservoir small. A dry chain damages the bar quickly. Which figures repeat is on the 14 inch chainsaw buying guide. Set tension with the power isolated. Stihl’s UK guide says release the brake, wear gloves, and leave the chain snug on the underside of the bar while it still moves by hand. Recheck when the chain is warm. Tool-free tension is stated on several listings. A UK review of the HYC40LI still reports a thrown chain, so tension is a check you repeat. These electric saws start with a switch and a trigger. Do not copy the foot-and-pull start in HSE INDG317 from petrol saws at work.

Brake, cable and where you stand

Prove the brake only if the listing states one. Oregon names an integrated chain brake. The HY40CCS350 names an anti-kickback brake. The HYC1600E, HYC40LI, Einhell and Husqvarna amazon bullets do not. Einhell names a claw stop. Husqvarna’s UK page for the 225i names an inertia brake that is not on the stored amazon bullets. The HYC1600E title names a 3 m cable. Electrical Safety First says use an outdoor lead fully unwound on a 30 mA RCD, keep the cable behind you, and do not use a cabled saw in the rain. Both hands on the handles, both feet on the ground. Kickback concentrates at the upper nose. Do not plunge that nose into the wood. HSE’s ground-work list names helmet, hearing, eye, glove, leg and boot standards, including hearing protection to BS EN 352. That hearing line still applies to an electric saw.
Hyundai Hyundai HY40CCS350

Testsieger

Hyundai Hyundai HY40CCS350
9.2/10about £188.99
View offer

One cross-cut on wood that is already down

This sequence is a log on a sawhorse or on the ground, not standing timber. Husqvarna’s UK cross-cut guidance says stand to the side, never downhill of a log that can roll, start on the compression side for about a third of the diameter, then meet the cut. Keep the nose off other wood and off the ground. If the bar pinches, stop and open the kerf. A sawhorse keeps the chain off soil. On a slope, stand uphill of the log. Start cordless with a charged pack and oil already flowing. Route a corded lead before the cut so you do not step backwards over it.

When to stop

Stop if the saw smokes once oil and tension are correct. That is a fault to return or repair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not a reason to force the bar. Stop if the log shifts, binds or rolls. Leaning trees, hung-up trees and work off the ground need a trained operator. HSE INDG317 is for trained operators at work. Paid tree work usually expects an NPTC certificate. That is not a claim about household firewood already on the ground. If a stated chain brake does not hold, leave the saw unused until it is serviced or returned. If the listing states no brake, stance and a clear nose are the limit of that card.

Common questions

Do I fill the oil tank before the first cut?
Yes. Oil is not in the included-components line for any of the six listings. An automatic oiler still needs fluid. The HY40CCS350 states 200 ml and Einhell states 115 ml with a sight glass. Oregon reviewers call the CS1200 reservoir small, and that card does not give millilitres. A short test without oil damages the bar and chain.
How tight should the chain be?
With the power off, the chain should sit snug on the underside of the bar and still move by hand. Stihl’s UK tension guide also says wear gloves and release the brake before you adjust. Recheck when the chain is warm, and ease it slightly when it cools. Do not judge tension while the motor is running.
How do I know the chain brake works?
Only on a model whose listing states a brake. Engage it as the manual describes and confirm the chain will not run. In this set that wording is on the Oregon CS1200 and the HY40CCS350. Do not assume a brake on the HYC1600E, HYC40LI, Einhell or the Husqvarna amazon bullets. Einhell names a claw stop, which is different wording.
Can I use a corded saw in the rain?
Electrical Safety First says no for a cabled saw. Wait for dry conditions, or use a cordless saw with the same oil, PPE and stance. The HYC1600E title names a 3 m cable, so a garden session also needs an outdoor lead, fully unwound, on a 30 mA RCD, with the cable kept behind you.
How do I cross-cut a log that is already on the ground?
Stand to the side, never downhill of a log that can roll. Start on the compression side for about a third of the diameter, then make the meeting cut. Keep the nose clear of other wood and of the ground. If the bar pinches, stop and open the kerf. A sawhorse keeps the chain off soil. Both feet stay on the ground. This is not a ladder cut and not a felling notch.

Related pages

14 inch chainsaw for firewood

Corded vs cordless 14 inch chainsaw

14 inch chainsaw

Best 14 inch chainsaw: top pick or best value 2026

14 inch chainsaw buying guide: bar, box, oil, brake

Sources

Public sources listed for this comparison, October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in that set. We did not run a lab test.

  1. HSE chainsaw PPE (retrieved October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG317 (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK felling licence (retrieved October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK Tree Preservation Orders (retrieved October 2026)
  6. BS EN 62841-4-1:2020 (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Stihl UK MSA 200 (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Stiga UK how to choose a chainsaw (retrieved October 2026)