Makita cordless chainsaw buying guide
Updated: 22 October 2026
You already own Makita 18 V packs, or you are about to, and a search for a Makita cordless chainsaw has mixed genuine bodies with other brand names. This buying guide puts the decisions in a fixed order: the shortest bar that does the job, then how many batteries the saw needs, then oil and whether the listing says brake or only lock. The [Makita cordless chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/makita-cordless-chainsaw) holds the twelve amazon.co.uk prices and star lines. Peter F. checked those listings on 22 October 2026. There is no lab cut, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You already own Makita 18 V packs, or you are about to, and a search for a Makita cordless chainsaw has mixed genuine bodies with other brand names.
You already own Makita 18 V packs, or you are about to, and a search for a Makita cordless chainsaw has mixed genuine bodies with other brand names. This buying guide puts the decisions in a fixed order: the shortest bar that does the job, then how many batteries the saw needs, then oil and whether the listing says brake or only lock. The Makita cordless chainsaw comparison holds the twelve amazon.co.uk prices and star lines. Peter F. checked those listings on 22 October 2026. There is no lab cut, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Bar | Packs | Brake | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Makita Makita DUC122Z | 11.5 cm | 1× 18 V, bare | Not named | 9.4 | about £144.39 | View offer |
 Makita Makita DUC252Z | 25 cm | 2× 18 V, bare | Kickback brake | 9.4 | about £197.62 | View offer | |
| Best value |  KIESBOHR KIESBOHR CSE002 | 6 inch highlight | Bare, not G-series | Not named | 9.2 | about £54.99 | View offer |
On this page
Bar length before the logo
Health and Safety Executive leaflet INDG317 tells you to use the shortest bar that still does the job. Twigs and hedge stems sit in the 6 inch class, or on the 115 mm bar a UK dealer lists for the DUC122Z. A stem near 25–30 cm needs a 12 inch row or the DUC252Z’s 25 cm bar. The DUC256, the DUC258 and the often-discussed DUC353 are not in this twelve. HSE treats a top-handled saw as trained work off the ground, and a UK dealer marks the DUC252Z for trained tree surgeons.
One battery, two batteries, or a kit
Most compatible bodies here are bare. You bring the pack and the charger. Seesii and VIWKO ship their own cells and still print a Makita 18 V claim. The DUC122Z included line does not name a battery. The DUC252Z line says the saw only, while Makita’s sheet, EAN matched to the GTIN, describes two 18 V packs, 250 mm and 8.3 m/s. A UK dealer calls that 36 V from two packs. The letter Z means body only on Makita’s sheet, not on a third-party title. Budget two LXT packs before you compare £197.62 with a £55 mini. Codes and the XGT mismatch are on the Makita 18 V chainsaw battery page.
Oil, chain code, and the words brake and lock
The tank takes bar and chain oil, not two-stroke mix. CSE002 states 30 ml automatic, the CSX003 states 70 ml, and QUPERR leaves oil out of the box. Full tanks leak into the case in reviews of the Makita bodies and several minis. CSE002’s spare is 1/4 inch, 1.1 mm and 36 links. The DUC122 manual prints 1.3 mm and 42 links. Only the DUC252 bullets say kickback brake. A lock, goggles or cloth gloves are not that brake, and HSE’s clothing list is a separate standard. You keep both hands on the saw. The spend choice is the Makita chainsaw vs compatible page.
What not to trust on the listing
The DUC252Z title prints 1 W, the horsepower field prints 450 Horsepower, and the weight line prints 5 g. Leave all three unused. A 4.8 from 8 on ConBlom, and a 4.8 from 13 on the CSX003, are thin beside 850 and 393 ratings. “Compatible with Makita” is a rail claim, not a Makita body. One GARTOL review says a drill battery did not fit. OPSS report 2403-0234 names Seesil CH550 and 4C10S, not the Seesii M8 Boost. The job split is the best Makita cordless chainsaw page.
Common questions
What should you check before the brand name?
Check the bar length against the wood, then whether a battery is in the included line, then whether the saw needs one LXT pack or two. Oil capacity and the chain code come next, and only then the word brake or lock. The brand line tells you who made the body. On ten of these twelve listings that name is not Makita, even when the title claims a Makita 18 V battery.
Is a 6 inch bar enough for hedge stems?
For twigs and hedge stems on the ground, a 6 inch bar or the DUC122Z’s 115 mm dealer bar is the short end INDG317 is pointing at. A stem near 25–30 cm is past that. You would be cutting in several passes, or you would move to a 12 inch row or the DUC252Z’s 25 cm bar. The short bar is the right tool when the wood is actually short.
When do you need two LXT packs?
You need two when the saw is the DUC252Z. Amazon’s included line says the chainsaw, and Makita’s sheet says two 18 V packs. The DUC122Z is the single-pack pruner in this pair. Compatible minis that name one rail are a one-pack claim, and you still confirm the pack is in the box or on your shelf. Two 5 Ah packs also add the weight UK twin-pack articles warn about.
What is the difference between a lock and a kickback brake?
A safety lock is a switch that is meant to stop the trigger being knocked on in the shed. A kickback brake is the device named on the DUC252Z bullets in this set, and it is the only row here that uses those words. Goggles, a baffle or cloth gloves do not stand in for that line. If the bullet only says lock, that is all the listing has given you.
Is the oil in a mini the same as two-stroke mix?
No. The chain tank takes bar and chain oil. Two-stroke mix is a petrol-engine fuel. CSE002 states 30 ml automatic, CSX003 states 70 ml, and QUPERR leaves the oil out of the box. Reviews on the Makita bodies and on several minis describe a full tank leaking into the case. Empty the tank, or keep the saw upright, before it goes away.
Are the gloves in a kit chainsaw PPE?
The gloves, and the goggles, in a mini’s bullet are items in the box. HSE’s list for chainsaw clothing is separate: BS EN 381-5 leg protection, BS EN ISO 17249 boots, a BS EN 397 helmet on the ground, hearing protection to BS EN 352, and eye protection to BS EN 1731 or BS EN 166. A pair of cloth gloves in the case does not meet that list. Treat the kit as a starter parcel, and buy the clothing to the standard if you are cutting in earnest.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026.
- HSE, INDG317: chainsaws at work (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, AFAG308: top-handled chainsaws (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE: chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: when a felling licence is needed (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: tree preservation orders (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- OPSS product safety report 2403-0234 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Makita DUC252Z product sheet (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- DVS Power Tools: Makita DUC122Z (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Makita UK: DUC256 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Data Power Tools: Makita DUC252Z (retrieved 22 October 2026)