How to use an electric log saw
Updated: 22 October 2026
You unboxed a cordless mini chain saw or the Hyundai corded saw from the [electric log saw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/electric-log-saw), and the chain smoked, jumped the bar, or the cut went nowhere. That first session fails more often from missing oil, slack tension or unsupported wood than from a weak motor. The sequence is oil before power, tension with power removed, then stance and support. This page does not rank products. Peter F. used the listing fields and did not lab-test the saws. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You unboxed a cordless mini chain saw or the Hyundai corded saw from the electric log saw comparison, and the chain smoked, jumped the bar, or the cut went nowhere.
You unboxed a cordless mini chain saw or the Hyundai corded saw from the electric log saw comparison, and the chain smoked, jumped the bar, or the cut went nowhere. That first session fails more often from missing oil, slack tension or unsupported wood than from a weak motor. The sequence is oil before power, tension with power removed, then stance and support. This page does not rank products. Peter F. used the listing fields and did not lab-test the saws. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Oiler | Oil in box | Bar | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Seesii Seesii 8 inch cordless mini chainsaw | Manual button | Empty bottle | 8 inch | 9.0 | about £69.98 | View offer |
| Best value |  Supstable Supstable 6 inch cordless mini chainsaw | Manual primer | Empty bottle | 6 inch | 8.8 | about £39.98 | View offer |
 Hyundai Hyundai HYC1600E corded chainsaw | Automatic | Not included | 14 inch title | 8.4 | about £59.50 | View offer |
On this page
Fill the oil before you fit the battery or the plug
An empty oil bottle is normal here. SINPY, Supstable, Seesii and Hyundai buyers report buying bar oil separately. Use bar and chain oil, not engine oil and not a general spray. HSE’s INDG317 warns against discarded engine oil as chain lubricant.
Fill to the mark in the manual. A manual oiler needs the button or primer worked until the chain looks wet. Seesii reviewers say the chain stayed dry until they pumped it. An automatic oiler, including the Hyundai’s, still needs a full tank first. Store the saw empty if the case leaks. M8 Boost reviewers report oil draining from a saw left full in the case.
Only then fit the battery or plug into an RCD-protected outdoor socket. Electrical Safety First advises dry weather, a lead fully unwound, and the cable behind you.
Set the chain so it is snug and still moves
Power must be off: battery out or plug removed. Stihl’s UK guide describes snug contact on the underside, with the chain still movable by hand in gloves. Husqvarna lists loose tension as the usual reason a chain comes off, ahead of a worn bar or sprocket. New chains stretch warm, so recheck after a few cuts.
Reviewers describe these chains as loose or fiddly to seat. Some Angseen buyers say the manual does not match the hardware. Follow the booklet in the box. If the chain sags underneath, tension up. If it binds, back off. On the longer Hyundai bar, a slack chain pinches when the tip dips. A short mini bar throws a slack chain quickly.
Support the wood and keep both hands on the saw
Firewood lengths belong on a sawhorse so the chain does not dive into soil. Stihl warns that a chain in the ground dulls the cutters and can kick back. If a round is too heavy to lift, mark it, support it, cut part-way, roll it, and finish. Bar limits for stove wood are on the electric saw for firewood page.
Keep both hands on a handheld saw. Electrical Safety First says no ladder with a chainsaw. Use a pole saw for reach. Do not hold a short offcut in one hand while you cut. On the Hyundai, keep the 3 m lead behind you and unplug before a jam. On a battery saw, remove the pack before you touch the chain. Packed gloves here are not labelled to BS EN 381-7. Wear leg protection for cuts at knee height.
If the chain comes off or the saw smells hot
Stop and remove power, then check oil and tension. On a new mini, the fix is often oil plus a quarter turn on the tensioner. If the chain still derails, the bar may be damaged or the chain may be the wrong pitch. One Supstable buyer could not fit a chain sold as 36 drive links. Do not force a mismatched chain on.
Smoke means stop. On the corded saw, reviewers describe smoke from an overloaded cut or a failing motor. On minis, a dry bar is the common cause. Let it cool, confirm oil, and take a shallower bite. If smoke returns on light wood with oil confirmed, the unit may be faulty under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This page does not invent a field repair.
If the bar pinches, wedge the kerf open. If the tree is hung, leaning, or near a road or power line, call a professional. Felling a living stem to feed a stove can need permission.
Common questions
What do I do before the first cut if the bottle is empty?
Buy bar and chain oil, fill to the manual mark, and work the button or primer until the chain looks wet. With the battery out or the plug removed, rotate the chain by hand so the oil spreads. Only then add power on an RCD-protected outdoor socket. An empty bottle is normal on these listings.
How tight should the chain be?
With the power removed, the chain should sit snug on the underside and still move by hand in gloves. That is Stihl’s UK wording. If it sags, tension up. If it binds, back off. New chains stretch once warm, so recheck after a few cuts.
The chain came off. Is the saw broken?
Often no. Oil and tension fix many first derailments. Husqvarna lists loose tension ahead of a worn bar or sprocket. If it comes off again after those checks, inspect the bar, the chain and the sprocket. A chain with the wrong drive-link count will not seat. Do not force it.
Can I use WD-40 or old engine oil?
No. Use bar and chain oil. One Angseen reviewer used WD-40, and that is not advice. HSE’s INDG317 warns against discarded engine oil as a chain lubricant because it throws poorly. Engine oil and general sprays are the wrong fluid for the bar.
Where does the cable go on a corded saw?
Behind you, fully unwound, on an RCD-protected outdoor circuit, and only in dry weather. Electrical Safety First is explicit on rain and on keeping the lead out of the cut. The Hyundai title states a 3 m cable. Unplug before you clear a jam.
What if the motor smells hot?
Stop, remove power, check oil and tension, let the saw cool, and retry on lighter wood with a shallower bite. A dry bar is the common cause on a mini. Smoke that returns on easy cuts, with oil and tension confirmed, points to a fault or overload, not a harder push.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison, plus the amazon.co.uk listings on this page. Retrieved October 2026.
- Electrical Safety First: chainsaws (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE: chainsaw PPE (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER training and competence (retrieved October 2026)
- GOV.UK OPSS: chainsaw safety news (retrieved October 2026)
- Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved October 2026)
- GOV.UK: tree felling, getting permission (retrieved October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 62841-4-1:2020 electric chain saws (retrieved October 2026)
- IEC: electric chain saw standard, pole pruners excluded (retrieved October 2026)
- Screwfix: tree-cutting tools guide (retrieved October 2026)