Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Hand chainsaw vs petrol

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already own a petrol saw for winter logs, or you are choosing a first chainsaw and amazon.co.uk shows £40 battery kits next to £200 Stihl listings. A hand chainsaw in this comparison is a compact battery mini for short garden cuts, not a replacement for a full day of large timber. The [hand chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/hand-chainsaw) holds twelve cordless kits from about £34 to £144. Petrol and corded mains saws are different products with different running costs. Peter F. compared listing claims and public UK guidance. He did not lab-test either type. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own a petrol saw for winter logs, or you are choosing a first chainsaw and amazon.co.uk shows £40 battery kits next to £200 Stihl listings.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7

Best overall

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7
7.4/10about £143.99
View offer
Seesii Seesii CH850

Rank 2

Seesii Seesii CH850
9.1/10about £69.98
View offer
Supstable Supstable 10C6M

Best value

Supstable Supstable 10C6M
8.9/10about £39.98
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are actually cutting
  2. 2.Starting, noise and looking after it
  3. 3.The corded option
  4. 4.Where the twelve listings sit

What you are actually cutting

Match the tool to volume and stem size. A monthly prune of hedge brash and soft limbs, the work reviewers describe on six-inch minis at roughly three to six inches, suits a battery kit. A winter of hardwood rounds or all-day cutting away from a socket points to petrol, or to high-spec cordless saws in Which?’s band from about £169 upward, not the cheapest row here. Eight-inch kits add reach for storm damage. They still swap small packs. Trade commentary that battery can match petrol on a single cut refers to high-spec models, not a six-inch mini with a 2000 mAh pack. One afternoon after a gale favours battery. Every weekend until the stack is full still favours petrol, unless you own multiple large packs on a platform saw. Bar length, once you choose battery, is on the hand chainsaw buying guide.

Starting, noise and looking after it

Battery saws start with a charged pack and a cleared lock. There is no choke, pull cord or two-stroke mix. Stihl UK and Husqvarna UK quote fifty-to-one mix for domestic petrol saws, and Stihl cites about thirty days for stored homemade mix. Filters, plugs and a winter drain do not apply to these ASINs. You still need bar oil. Most kits ship an empty bottle. Petrol and battery share that consumable. They do not share fuel. Cordless saws are generally quieter than petrol, but these listings publish no comparable decibel test, so that is a typical trait, not a figure for Seesii or Supstable. Two 4.0 Ah Seesii packs last past thirty minutes for some buyers. Entry 2.0 Ah packs fade faster on Leylandii. Which? reported about twelve minutes average on dearer tested models. Do not paste that onto an eighty-minute seller bullet.
Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch EasyChain 18V-15-7
7.4/10about £143.99
View offer

The corded option

Mains saws are the third path. Electrical Safety First wants an outdoor-rated lead, the reel unwound, RCD protection, dry conditions and the cable behind you, on 230 V supplies with BS 1363 plugs. A corded saw suits a log store by a fixed socket: steady power, no battery fade, and a trailing cable. None of these twelve rows is corded. If the socket is closer than a battery swap, corded can beat a £40 mini for repeated cuts in one spot. Around a large garden, the cordless kits win on mobility.

Where the twelve listings sit

This band sits below Which?’s tested cordless range. You are buying complete kits, mostly two batteries, six- or eight-inch bars and manual oilers, not a bare Makita or DeWalt body, and not a Stihl GTA 26 test winner. Choose battery here for a light second tool beside a petrol saw, on garden-scale wood, if you accept tension fuss and bought bar oil. Choose petrol for sustained power, a site without charging, or a servicing habit you already have. Choose corded when the work stays by a safe outdoor socket. If battery still fits, best hand chainsaw for a UK garden assigns the rows.

Common questions

How long does a battery saw actually run?
It depends on pack size and wood. Reviews here range from minutes on a weak cell to past thirty minutes on larger Seesii packs. Entry 2.0 Ah packs fade faster on Leylandii. Ignore a seller’s runtime bullet unless UK reviews confirm it. Which?’s figure of about twelve minutes was an average on dearer tested models. Do not paste it onto a mini.
What extra work does a petrol saw need?
Two-stroke mix, storage limits, filters, plugs and a seasonal lay-up. Stihl UK and Husqvarna UK quote fifty-to-one mix for domestic petrol saws, and Stihl cites about thirty days as a limit for stored homemade mix. A battery saw in this comparison needs charging, chain oil and tension instead. It does not need a choke or a pull cord.
When is a corded saw the better idea?
When you cut repeatedly in one dry place with a protected outdoor socket and can manage the cable. Electrical Safety First wants an outdoor-rated lead, the reel unwound, RCD protection and the cable behind you on a 230 V BS 1363 supply. None of these twelve rows is corded. A trailing lead is a poor fit on a slope or a large garden.
Are the saws in this comparison in Which?’s price band?
No. Which? tested cordless models roughly from £169 to £830. This table runs about £34 to £144, mostly complete six- and eight-inch kits plus one Bosch EasyChain at about £143.99. Magazine winners such as a Stihl GTA 26 are a different purchase. Stars on a £40 mini are not horsepower.
Will a six-inch mini replace my petrol saw for logs?
Not for a winter of large rounds. It complements a petrol saw for light garden work many owners describe: hedge brash, apple limbs and storm twigs you can reach from the ground. Keep the petrol saw, or a longer-bar platform saw, when the stack has to be finished and the site has no convenient charge point.

Related pages

How to use a hand chainsaw

Hand chainsaw

Best hand chainsaw UK: top pick and best value kit

Hand chainsaw buying guide: the bar, battery and oil

Hand chainsaw for pruning: reachable garden branches

Sources

Public UK sources first, then amazon.co.uk listing details from the saved files dated 20 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. Prices were not re-checked live on that date.

  1. HSE, Working with chainsaws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE, INDG317 Chainsaws at work (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE, Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE, PUWER training and competence (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, When a felling licence is needed (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Forestry Act 1967, section 9 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK, Tree preservation orders and conservation areas (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Arboricultural Association, Guidance on pruning (retrieved 20 October 2026)