Petrol vs electric chainsaw UK
Updated: 22 October 2026
You can sort amazon.co.uk by average stars and still buy the wrong power type: a six-inch mini for stove logs, or petrol for a hedge beside a socket you already have. The [chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/chainsaw) mixes petrol, corded 230 V and battery minis in one table, which is how confusing the retail search is. This page treats corded as a third column beside petrol and battery, using specs from that set only. Prices and counts are the saved amazon.co.uk figures. Peter F. checked those listings. This is not a laboratory cut. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You can sort amazon.co.uk by average stars and still buy the wrong power type: a six-inch mini for stove logs, or petrol for a hedge beside a socket you already have.
You can sort amazon.co.uk by average stars and still buy the wrong power type: a six-inch mini for stove logs, or petrol for a hedge beside a socket you already have. The chainsaw comparison mixes petrol, corded 230 V and battery minis in one table, which is how confusing the retail search is. This page treats corded as a third column beside petrol and battery, using specs from that set only. Prices and counts are the saved amazon.co.uk figures. Peter F. checked those listings. This is not a laboratory cut. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Bar | Listed weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Seesii Seesii CH850 | Battery, 2× 4.0 Ah | 8 inch | 2.3 kg | 9.5 | about £69.98 | View offer |
| Best value |  Hyundai Hyundai HYC2400E | Corded 2,400 W | 16 inch | 6.6 kg | 9.0 | about £88.98 | View offer |
 Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X | Petrol 62 cc | 20 inch | 7 kg plus fuel | 8.8 | about £109.89 | View offer |
On this page
When petrol still wins in this table
Petrol appears once here: the Hyundai HYC6200X at about £109.89, with a 62 cc two-stroke engine and a twenty-inch bar. It wins when no outdoor socket reaches the work, when the bar must be longer than sixteen inches, and when you accept fuel mixing, louder running and 7 kg before petrol is added. UK reviewers use it on storm timber and large garden wood. They describe a 40:1 two-stroke mix because the listing does not print a ratio. Do not assume a 50:1 figure published for another brand applies to this engine.
Maintenance is real. Starter pawls that strip, bolts that loosen, and a kit file reviewers call poor show up in comments. The five bullets do not name a chain brake. Petrol is the portable high-reach option in this fixed list when a corded lead cannot reach and a mini cannot cut the diameter.
When corded 230 V fits
Corded saws remove fuel mixing and battery swaps when a BS 1363 socket is available. The Hyundai pair spans about £59.50 to £88.98: 1,600 W with fourteen inches and a three-metre cable, against 2,400 W with sixteen inches, an Oregon bar and a twelve-metre cable. Keep the lead behind you, use an RCD, and avoid a wet-grass route that trips you toward the bar.
Automatic oiling is stated on the titles, yet chain oil is missing from the box lines, so budget a bottle. Reviews on the 2,400 W model praise the long lead and report thrown chains if warm-up slack is ignored. The 1,600 W listing also prints 2,400 W bullets. Follow the title. Corded loses when the stack is beyond a safe extension, or when a storm has left you with no power.
When battery minis fit
Battery dominates the lower half of the table: six-inch and eight-inch kits, plus the tool-only GARTOL for Makita 18 V packs. Minis win for intermittent pruning, tight spaces, and buyers who hate cables snagging on shrubs. Two batteries beat one. A 4,000 mAh pair lasts longer than a 2,000 mAh pair on hard wood, and none of them match corded watts on thick rounds.
Runtime here is session-based. Manual oilers and empty bottles are common. The 9,284 rating line repeats across two Seesii listings, so battery strength in this set is garden tidy-up, not firewood volume. There is no exhaust at the tooth. Charging and manufacturing still have an impact. For a householder the practical difference is noise and maintenance. Bar length before you pick a column is on the chainsaw buying guide.
Side-by-side criteria that matter here
Compare cable length first on corded rows. Three metres against twelve metres changes the job more than a small watt gap. Compare bar length second: six inches against sixteen inches separates pruning from log bucking. Compare the box third: two batteries, an oil bottle that is empty or missing, or a tool-only body with no pack.
Petrol is the loudest and the heaviest. Corded sits from 3.9 kg to 6.6 kg. Minis are lightest until you add larger packs. Entry minis here are about £34 to £40, larger kits and the corded Hyundais about £50 to £90, and petrol about £110, plus PPE and oil that can equal the cheapest saw.
Choose your column
Pick petrol when power is absent and you need the twenty-inch row’s reach, with full PPE and fuel discipline. Pick corded when the pile sits within the twelve-metre or three-metre reality of the Hyundai listings and you want continuous mains power. Pick battery when the cuts are small, frequent and reachable on foot, with two packs and bar oil you supply yourself. Named roles inside the column you chose are on the best chainsaw page.
Common questions
Is petrol louder and heavier than corded?
Yes in this set. The petrol HYC6200X is 7 kg plus fuel, and it is typically louder than a 230 V motor. The corded Hyundais list 3.9 kg and 6.6 kg, with no fuel tank to carry.
Can a mini replace a sixteen-inch corded saw for logs?
Not for regular firewood. Minis stall or overheat when they are forced through rounds that a corded bar handles beside a socket. A high review count on a six-inch saw does not change the bar length.
How long do 4.0 Ah minis last in real use?
Long enough for intermittent branches, not an afternoon of thick cordwood. Plan a swap or a pause. The Seesii rows list two 4,000 mAh packs. One Angseen pack in this set is 2,000 mAh.
Do I need an extension lead for the three-metre corded saw?
Often yes, if the pile is away from the house. Route it so you cannot cut it or trip. The twelve-metre Hyundai HYC2400E reduces that need, at about £88.98 against about £59.50 for the three-metre HYC1600E.
What fuel mix does the Hyundai 62 cc use?
The HYC6200X listing omits a ratio. UK reviewers often describe 40:1 two-stroke oil with petrol. Follow the manual if it differs. Refuel only when the saw is stopped, cool and outdoors. Do not copy another brand’s 50:1 figure onto this engine.
Which type for storm cleanup with no power?
The petrol Hyundai HYC6200X in this comparison: 62 cc, a twenty-inch bar, about £109.89, 4.2 from 1,335 ratings. Wear PPE, work in daylight, and refuel outdoors only when the engine is cool.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.
- HSE: Chainsaw operators (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE: Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE: Training and competence (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- AFAG805: occasional users (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- BS EN ISO 11681-1:2022 portable chain-saw safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- EN 62841-4-1:2020 electric chain saws (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- When you do not need a felling licence (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- OPSS product safety report 2609-0234 (retrieved 22 October 2026)