Petrol chainsaw buying guide
Updated: 22 October 2026
You have a pile of logs in a UK garden and three petrol listings that are not the same tool. A petrol chainsaw buying guide has to settle bar length, engine size, and the safety parts you can confirm before a model name decides it. This page is that order of checks. It does not name a top pick. The [petrol chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/petrol-chainsaw) holds the Hyundai HYC6200X at about £109.89, the Neilsen at about £83.00, and the Akorida listing at about £268.00. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those amazon.co.uk files, HSE leaflets, and maker guidance. He did not run a cutting test. A purchase through the comparison's amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a pile of logs in a UK garden and three petrol listings that are not the same tool.
You have a pile of logs in a UK garden and three petrol listings that are not the same tool. A petrol chainsaw buying guide has to settle bar length, engine size, and the safety parts you can confirm before a model name decides it. This page is that order of checks. It does not name a top pick. The petrol chainsaw comparison holds the Hyundai HYC6200X at about £109.89, the Neilsen at about £83.00, and the Akorida listing at about £268.00. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those amazon.co.uk files, HSE leaflets, and maker guidance. He did not run a cutting test. A purchase through the comparison's amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Guide bar | Engine | Fuel mix | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc | 20 inch (50 cm) | 62 cc two-stroke | n/a | 8.4 | about £109.89 | View offer |
| Best value |  Neilsen Neilsen 25.4 cc 12 inch | 12 inch (300 mm) | 25.4 cc two-stroke | 25:1 | 8.2 | about £83.00 | View offer |
 Akorida Akorida MS381 title, 32 inch | 32 inch in the title | n/a (3 hp claimed) | n/a | 1.0 | about £268.00 | View offer |
On this page
Match the bar to the log
Buy the shortest bar that still clears the timber you cut. A longer bar reaches a thicker round, and it puts more steel in front of you, which is heavier and easier to nose into a saw horse. MowShop's August 2026 chart, a retailer's rule of thumb rather than a British Standard, puts 14–16 inch bars on most firewood and longer bars on large timber for people who are already trained. Husqvarna UK says to match the bar to the wood and to your experience, and to use a shorter bar when you are limbing.
The Neilsen states a 12 inch bar, 300 mm, which sits under that firewood band. The Hyundai states a 20 inch bar, about 50 cm, which is already past 14–16 inches. The Akorida title says 32 inches, and the components line says "381 engine", so you cannot treat 32 inches as a checked length. A 20 inch bar fits only when your usual rounds are close to that length. Cross-cutting continues on chainsaw for firewood.
Engine size is not a trophy
Cubic capacity is a class of work, not a winner. The Neilsen file states 25.4 cc, about 800 W, and 1.2 horsepower, at 3.85 kg with bar and chain. That is a small petrol saw. The Hyundai file states 62 cc and 3 horsepower, at 7 kg on the amazon.co.uk fields. Hyundai's UK shop, on 21 October 2026, lists the same HYC6200X at £136 including VAT and 6.9 kg with bar and chain. That shop price is a second shelf. It does not correct the about £109.89 amazon figure.
The Akorida listing states 3 horsepower and does not state cubic capacity. Horsepower without cc cannot sit next to 25.4 cc or 62 cc. A heavier saw does not cut better when the bar is the wrong length. Dealer context stays on the best petrol chainsaw page.
Brake, lock and catcher
Pay when you know which safety parts the listing names. Husqvarna UK lists a chain brake, a throttle lock, a chain catcher, and a stop you can reach. HSE leaflet INDG317 adds the checks before the engine runs: nuts tight, chain tensioned, and a throttle that will not pull unless the lock-out is pressed.
None of the three saved listings states a chain brake. A blank field is not a yes. The Hyundai bullets claim anti-vibration and leave the brake line empty. The Neilsen title says single-hand, and the rest of that file does not show a top handle or a rear handle. HSE's AFAG308 treats a top-handled petrol saw as a tool for trained climbers off the ground, so that title is the wrong saw for a beginner on a log horse if the handle really is a top handle. With the engine off, the trigger should not move the throttle until the lock is pressed. If the lock-out or the catcher is missing, send the saw back before you mix fuel. Those checks sit next to a first start on how to start a petrol chainsaw.
Fuel, weight and the box
A saw you cannot mix is not ready, however long the bar is. The Neilsen bullets state 25:1 and a 230 ml fuel tank. The Hyundai amazon.co.uk fields do not state a ratio. A hosted HYC6200X manual says 40:1, and one UK reviewer wrote 40:1 as well. Use the manual in the box, not a ratio copied from another brand. STIHL states 50:1 for STIHL saws. Putting 50:1 into a saw whose booklet says 25:1 leans the oil out. The Akorida file does not state a ratio at all.
The Neilsen at 3.85 kg is the light file. The Hyundai at 7 kg on Amazon, or 6.9 kg with bar and chain on the maker's page, is the heavy one. The Hyundai components line lists two chains, a mix bottle, a bag, a manual, and a tool kit. The Akorida title says a bar and chain, and the components line says the engine. Do not pay about £268 until the seller confirms the bar, the chain, and the mix in writing. The Neilsen is the only row here that states an automatic oiler. Take the shortest bar that clears your usual log, and do not treat a missing chain-brake line as a feature. Budget separately for a helmet, hearing protection, trousers and boots to BS EN 397, BS EN 352, BS EN 381-5 and BS EN ISO 17249. These listings do not price that kit.
Common questions
What cc petrol chainsaw do I need for firewood?
You need a bar that clears the rounds you cut most weeks, then an engine that can pull that bar. Here the Neilsen is 25.4 cc on 12 inches and the Hyundai is 62 cc on 20 inches. MowShop's August 2026 chart, a retailer rule of thumb, puts 14–16 inch bars on most firewood and longer bars on large timber for trained users. Neither kept saw is that middle length. The Akorida file does not state cubic capacity, so it cannot be placed in a cc band.
Is a 20 inch bar better than a 16 inch bar?
A 20 inch bar reaches a thicker round, and it is worse when the wood is smaller than the bar, because the nose is easier to catch and the saw is heavier. The Hyundai states 20 inches. MowShop's chart treats 14–16 inches as the usual firewood length. Husqvarna UK says a shorter bar is easier when you are limbing. Better means the bar clears this log, not that the title shows a longer number.
What safety parts should be on the saw before I pay?
Look for a chain brake, a throttle lock, a chain catcher, and a stop you can reach, which is Husqvarna UK's list, plus INDG317's tight nuts and a tensioned chain. None of the three amazon.co.uk files here states a chain brake. A blank line is not confirmation. If the saw arrives without a lock-out that blocks the trigger, do not mix fuel for it.
Why do mix ratios differ between 25:1, 40:1 and 50:1?
Each figure is the oil-to-petrol ratio that maker specifies. The Neilsen listing states 25:1. The Hyundai listing does not, and a hosted HYC6200X manual says 40:1. STIHL states 50:1 for STIHL saws. A richer mix is more oil. Use the booklet in your box. Do not pour a STIHL ratio into the Neilsen because both saws happen to be two-stroke.
Is a saw titled MS381 a STIHL?
No. On the about £268.00 listing the brand is AKORIDA. MS381 is the model code only. There is no star line, cubic capacity is not stated, and the components line does not match the 32 inch title. STIHL petrol saws in Great Britain go through approved dealers. This title is not that channel.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources listed below, dated 21 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for these three ASINs on 19 October 2026.
- HSE INDG317 chainsaw guidance (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE AFAG308 top-handled chainsaws (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK felling licence (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- STIHL UK chainsaw fuel mix (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hyundai HYC6200X manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK Ready to Burn (retrieved 22 October 2026)