How to use a cordless chainsaw
Updated: 22 October 2026
The parcel arrives, you clip in the battery, and the first cut throws smoke from the bar because the chain ran dry, or the chain hops off because it was slack while the pack was still fitted. The [cordless chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/cordless-chainsaw) lists kits with manual oilers, automatic tanks and empty bottles side by side. This page covers bar oil, tension with the battery out, two-handed control and when to stop. It does not choose an ASIN. Peter F. drew the steps from HSE guidance and the stored listings. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The parcel arrives, you clip in the battery, and the first cut throws smoke from the bar because the chain ran dry, or the chain hops off because it was slack while the pack was still fitted.
The parcel arrives, you clip in the battery, and the first cut throws smoke from the bar because the chain ran dry, or the chain hops off because it was slack while the pack was still fitted. The cordless chainsaw comparison lists kits with manual oilers, automatic tanks and empty bottles side by side. This page covers bar oil, tension with the battery out, two-handed control and when to stop. It does not choose an ASIN. Peter F. drew the steps from HSE guidance and the stored listings. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Oiling | Batteries | Safety as written | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Seesii Seesii 6 inch CH700R | Manual, empty bottle | 2 x 4.0 Ah | Lock, flip guard | 9.2 | about £49.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Angseen Angseen 6 inch kit | Manual oil bottle | 2 x 2.0 Ah | Dual start switch | 9.0 | about £33.99 | View offer |
 NovorikX NovorikX 20 V 25 cm | Auto, 130 ml | 1 x 4.0 Ah | Chain brake named | 7.8 | about £89.98 | View offer |
On this page
Put oil in before the first cut
Bar oil is formulated to cling to the chain at speed. Two-stroke fuel mix belongs in petrol saws, not in these battery kits. Used engine oil is a false economy: it sludges pumps and flings off the bar, as UK suppliers such as Ron Smith and H-G-M repeat in their guides.
Open the listing for your saw before you pour. Supstable six-inch and Seesii kits describe a manual primer bulb and often ship an empty bottle. NovorikX, Supstable twelve-inch S3 Apex and VOERJIA name automatic tanks. Fill the reservoir with bar oil, run the saw briefly until oil reaches the bar, then check tension. SEYVUM’s highlight claims auto oil while its bullets describe manual pressing. Follow the bullet that matches your unit, and watch the bar on the first branch regardless.
Do not test one cut on a dry chain to see if the motor works. Dry metal on metal heats the bar, dulls the chain, and shows up in this category’s reviews as smoke and sparks. Buy a litre of bar oil with the saw if the box does not include filled oil.
Set the chain with the battery out
Stihl UK and Husqvarna’s chain guides agree on the sequence: switch off, remove the battery, then adjust. On a mini that usually means loosening the bar nuts slightly, turning the tension screw until the chain sits snug under the bar with a light finger pull, then tightening the nuts while holding the nose up. New chains stretch in the first few minutes. Recheck after a short run, and slacken a chain that was tightened hot when the bar cools.
If the chain came off on the first branch, the cause is often slack tension or a chain not seated on the sprocket, not defective wood. Husqvarna lists slack tension as the usual reason chains leave the bar. Several ASINs in this set share that review pattern. Fix tension before you blame the motor.
Do not guess a universal number of screw turns. Bar length and wear differ. Wear gloves on the sharp edges, keep the cut area clear, and do not adjust with the battery installed if you can avoid it. Accidental trigger presses happen. Choose bar length on the cordless chainsaw buying guide if the chain keeps binding because the bar was always too short.
Both hands, and the nose of the bar
HSE’s INDG317 defines kickback: when the nose contacts wood, the bar can throw the saw toward you. Minis tempt one-handed use because the listing says one-hand and the weight is low. BBC Gardeners’ World notes that minis can be used one-handed, and that two hands are safer. HSE treats the chainsaw as a two-hand machine except in special circumstances. Use both hands, the side handle where the kit includes one, and stand to the side of the cut line.
Hold the branch with a foot or a sawhorse, not with your free hand. Soft offcuts bounce in the air. Keep the nose out of a pinch. If the branch is above shoulder height, that is pruning and pole-saw work, not a higher reach with a mini. The limit is on pruning with a cordless chainsaw.
Kit goggles are better than nothing. Kit gloves are not chainsaw leg protection. HSE’s list for professional work names BS EN 381-5 trousers and proper boots. The gloves in a £40 box do not replace that kit for paid or heavy work.
Stop, and do not open the gearbox
Stop if you see smoke from the bar after oiling, sparks at the sprocket, a chain that will not stay seated, or a battery that dies in minutes on thin wood. SEYVUM and other rows show early-failure reviews. A dead pack or a rattling drive may be a return issue under consumer law if the goods are not as described. Opening the gearbox yourself usually voids support.
Stop if the cut binds the bar. Do not push through with the nose buried. Stop if you feel unstable on uneven ground. For hung-up stems, lines near the branch, or any work in a tree, hire a qualified arborist. PUWER and HSE training rules apply at work, and INDG317’s ladder ban applies in the garden too.
Which listing to buy, if the saw itself is the wrong shape, is on best cordless chainsaw for a UK garden.
Common questions
What oil goes in the bottle?
Dedicated bar and chain oil from a garden or tool shop. Not two-stroke mix, and not used engine oil.
The bottle is empty. Can I cut once to test?
No. One dry cut can glaze the bar and chain. Fill with bar oil first.
How tight should the chain be?
Snug under the bar with a light pull. It should not hang loose. Recheck after the first few minutes of run-in.
Why did the chain come off on the first branch?
Usually slack tension or poor seating before the cut. Battery out, reseat, retension, then retry.
Should I take the battery off to adjust it?
Yes. Stihl UK and the battery-saw manuals in this category’s sources say battery out before tensioning.
The bar smoked. What do I stop and check?
Stop immediately. Check oil flow, tension and whether the chain is on the sprocket correctly. Do not keep cutting dry.
Are the gloves in the box chainsaw PPE?
No. They are thin kit gloves. HSE’s list for real chainsaw work names proper leg protection, boots, a helmet and hearing protection for sustained use.
Can I use the saw with one hand because the listing says so?
The listing may say one-hand. HSE and ordinary good practice say two hands unless you are in a defined exception. Use both hands, and the side handle when you have one.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf prices were taken from the category files, not a live re-check on 19 October 2026.
- HSE, Working with chainsaws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, INDG317 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, PUWER training (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, When a felling licence is needed (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Tree preservation orders (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Which?, petrol and electric chainsaws (retrieved 19 October 2026)