How to use a Güde chainsaw
Updated: 22 October 2026
The saw is in front of you and the wood is already on the ground. How to use a Güde chainsaw, for a petrol KS, starts with two fluids in two tanks, a chain that still moves in a gloved hand, and a brake that stops the chain before you cut. This page assumes you already own the saw, or you are about to mix the first can. It does not rank models. If you are still choosing, use the [Güde chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/guede-chainsaw). Peter F. used Güde's mix notes and HSE clothing guidance. He did not run the saw. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The saw is in front of you and the wood is already on the ground.
The saw is in front of you and the wood is already on the ground. How to use a Güde chainsaw, for a petrol KS, starts with two fluids in two tanks, a chain that still moves in a gloved hand, and a brake that stops the chain before you cut. This page assumes you already own the saw, or you are about to mix the first can. It does not rank models. If you are still choosing, use the Güde chainsaw comparison. Peter F. used Güde's mix notes and HSE clothing guidance. He did not run the saw. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Chain oil | Chain tension | Safety control | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Supstable Supstable 10C6M | Manual oiler; bottle empty | Not stated; screwdriver in the kit | Safety lock, not a chain brake | 8.5 | about £39.98 | View offer |
 Seesii Seesii M8 Boost | Manual; oil not included | Tool-free knob claimed | Safety button; chain brake not named | 8.5 | about £59.99 | View offer | |
 Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X | Not named; mix bottle included | Side adjuster | Not stated | 9.4 | about £109.89 | View offer |
On this page
Mix 1:40 in a can, not in the saw
Petrol KS manuals that state 1:40 want one part two-stroke oil to forty parts petrol. In a litre can that is 25 ml of oil. Measure it, pour it into a separate fuel can with the petrol, shake the can, and only then fill the saw. Mixing in the saw's tank leaves the oil unmixed. A ready-mixed 2 percent fuel, including Aspen 2, is 1:50.
The KS 450-55 page states 1:40. If your manual states something else, the manual wins. Label the can, and keep it away from the chain-oil bottle. The two fluids in the wrong tanks ruin the saw before the first log.
Chain oil is the other tank
The KS 450-55 has a separate chain-oil tank of about 0.30 litres. It takes bar oil, not the 1:40 petrol mix and not engine oil from a car. Fill it before you tension the chain. The manual shows which cap is which.
Cordless kits often ship an empty bottle. The KS 36-0 claims an automatic oiler and still needs oil. Fluids are one difference on Güde petrol or cordless chainsaw. A dry, smoking chain means stop. Running it dry scores the bar.
Set the chain before it gets hot
Stop the engine. Release the brake, ease the bar nuts and support the bar tip. Adjust until the chain sits on the bar and still pulls around by hand, then tighten the nuts. If it will not move, it is too tight. If the drive links hang below the bar, it is too slack.
New chains stretch, so after the first cuts let the bar cool and check again. If you cannot find the adjuster, open the manual rather than forcing a screw that might be the bar nut.
Prove the brake, then dress for the cut
Before any wood, prove the chain brake. With the saw running and the bar clear, set the brake as the manual shows and confirm the chain stops. If it keeps moving, stop using the saw.
Dress from the Health and Safety Executive list, not from gloves in a mini-saw box: a helmet (BS EN 397, BS EN 14052 or BS EN 12492), hearing protection (BS EN 352), eye protection (BS EN 1731 or BS EN 166), gloves to BS EN 381-7, legs to BS EN 381-5 and boots to BS EN ISO 17249. The noise figure is on the machine label.
A householder cutting a log already down is not the PUWER employer duty, and HSE does not require a City & Guilds NPTC or Lantra certificate for that private job. Paid work, and work on or in a tree, sits under INDG317. Felling, a hung-up stem, or a tree near a road or a building is where you hire someone. Limits for rounds already down are on chainsaw for firewood.
Common questions
What fuel mix does a Güde petrol chainsaw use?
Where the manual says 1:40, that is 25 ml of two-stroke oil per litre of petrol, mixed in a fuel can, not in the saw. The KS 450-55 page prints 1:40. If your article prints another ratio, follow that manual.
Can I use ready-mixed 1:50 fuel?
A 2 percent ready-mix is 1:50, not 1:40. Aspen 2 at 2 percent is in that group. It is the wrong recipe for a Güde manual that states 1:40. Use it only if the manual for your article tells you to. Matching the bottle to the cap is not the same as matching the ratio.
Where does chain oil go?
Into the chain-oil tank. On the KS 450-55 that is about 0.30 litres, separate from the fuel. Cordless listings here often include an empty bottle. Fill it before you cut, and stop if the bar runs dry. The manual shows the cap.
How tight should the chain be?
With the engine stopped and the brake released, the chain should sit on the bar and still pull around by hand in a glove. If it will not move, it is too tight. Recheck after the first cuts, because a new chain stretches as it warms.
How do I know the chain brake works?
Run the saw with the bar clear, set the brake as the manual describes, and watch the chain stop. If it keeps moving, stop using the saw. UK reviews in this capture described a GEARPASS brake that was the wrong way round. That report is a small sample, and it is enough to justify the check on any saw, including a Güde, before the first log.
Do I need a certificate to cut logs at home?
For a private garden and wood already down, HSE does not place you under the employer training duty. Paid work, and work on or in a tree, is different. INDG317 points to City & Guilds NPTC and Lantra for that competence. Wear the helmet, the legs and the boots at home too.
Are the gloves in a mini-saw box enough?
No. HSE specifies gloves to BS EN 381-7 where cut protection is needed, plus legs to BS EN 381-5 and boots to BS EN ISO 17249. A review in this capture said a mini-saw kit's gloves were not chainsaw gloves. Buy the rated set before you cut.
Related pages
Sources
Sources from the research digest. Shelf date 21 October 2026.
- Güde KS 450-55 product page (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Güde KS 450-55 manual (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the named ASINs (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE: training and competence for work equipment (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE: chainsaw PPE (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE INDG317: chainsaws at work (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: chainsaw safety for home users (retrieved 21 October 2026)