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Chainsaw for firewood

Updated: 22 October 2026

The timber is already down. You are cutting rounds for a stove in a UK garden, not dropping a tree, and the question is which bar finishes that pile without the nose grabbing the stand. A chainsaw for firewood is a cross-cut on a supported log, then wood that is dry enough to burn. This page does not teach a felling hinge. The three petrol rows remain on the [petrol chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/petrol-chainsaw): the Hyundai HYC6200X, 62 cc and 20 inches, at about £109.89; the Neilsen, 25.4 cc and 12 inches, at about £83.00; and an Akorida title at about £268.00 that says 32 inches while the components line says the engine. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those listings, HSE cross-cutting notes, and GOV.UK wood-fuel guidance. He did not season a stack. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The timber is already down. You are cutting rounds for a stove in a UK garden, not dropping a tree, and the question is which bar finishes that pile without the nose grabbing the stand.

Our top picks

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc

Best overall

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc
8.4/10about £109.89
View offer
Neilsen Neilsen 25.4 cc 12 inch

Best value

Neilsen Neilsen 25.4 cc 12 inch
8.2/10about £83.00
View offer
Akorida Akorida MS381 title, 32 inch

Rank 3

Akorida Akorida MS381 title, 32 inch
1.0/10about £268.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Measure the rounds
  2. 2.Support the log
  3. 3.Which kept saw fits a log pile
  4. 4.Dry wood

Measure the rounds

Measure the rounds you cut most weeks, not the largest log you have ever owned. A guide on bestchainsaw.uk, a publisher rule of thumb and not a standard, says a bar about 2 inches longer than the diameter, and treats 35–45 cc with a 14–16 inch bar as the usual firewood answer. MowShop's August 2026 retailer chart points the same way on length: 14–16 inch bars for most firewood, longer bars for large timber in trained hands. A bar only just longer than the wood lets you finish without standing the nose in the dirt. A much longer bar adds weight and brings the kickback zone, the upper nose, closer to a horse you did not mean to touch. The Hyundai states 20 inches, about 50 cm. That clears a thick round a 14 inch bar would leave, and it is long for a small log on a horse. One UK reviewer wanted 16 or 18 inches instead, and other comments describe the chain grabbing when that bar meets a horse. The Neilsen states 12 inches, short of the 14–16 inch band unless your rounds are genuinely small. The Akorida title's 32 inches is not a measured bar. The Hyundai file says 7 kg, the UK shop says 6.9 kg with bar and chain, and the Neilsen says 3.85 kg with bar and chain. Starting that saw is on how to start a petrol chainsaw.

Support the log

A correct bar still kicks if the nose hits the stand or the log pinches. Support the round so the cut opens. STIHL UK's firewood notes put protective kit first, then a supported log, then splitting thick wood so it dries. HSE's AFAG 304 is the work version: one person on a length, proper supports, other people at least 5 metres away, and you stand uphill of a log that can roll. If the saw jams, switch it off before you free it. Pulling a running chain out of a pinch is how a kick reaches you. Kickback, in INDG317, starts at the bar nose. Keep that nose out of the horse and below chest height when you can. Your left thumb goes around the front handle, not along the top. A trestle the bar can cut through is not a support. Two people on one length, one holding the offcut, is the arrangement AFAG 304 is written to stop. When the chain pinches, stop the engine, open the kerf, and only then restart.
Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc

Testsieger

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc
8.4/10about £109.89
View offer

Which kept saw fits a log pile

The Hyundai can reach a large round, and UK reviewers say the 20 inch bar is too long on a horse. At about £109.89, 62 cc, with two chains on the box list and 4.2 from 1,335 reviews, it is a credible firewood tool when your rounds are near that bar and you keep the nose clear. It is a poor match for small rings while you are learning. The chain-brake field is empty, so you confirm the brake on the saw before the first log. The Neilsen at about £83.00 is 12 inches, 25.4 cc, and 3.85 kg, with 25:1 stated. Twenty reviews include a saw that dies after a few minutes. If the single-hand title is a top handle, HSE treats it as an aerial tool, not a horse saw. Twelve inches is not the default for a mixed log pile. The Akorida at about £268.00 does not become a firewood saw because the title says 32 inches. The file does not show that the bar ships, and there is no review line. If the pile is small and close to the house, read petrol vs cordless chainsaw before a two-stroke afternoon. Keep hearing protection on. HSE still treats chainsaw noise as a reason for it.

Dry wood

A clean cut does not make wet wood a good fire. In England, wood sold for domestic use in volumes under 2 cubic metres is the Ready to Burn case: GOV.UK expects moisture at or below 20 per cent. Schedule 2 of the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020 is the wording for volumes of 2 cubic metres or more, which is a different sale. Wood you cut and burn yourself is not that shop rule. These sources do not ban burning your own unseasoned logs. Wet wood still smoulders, tars the flue, and wastes the cut. STIHL UK says to split thick wood so it dries. Stack it off the ground and give it a season. This page has no moisture-meter reading for your shed. If you are selling in England, read the 20 per cent figure on GOV.UK before you advertise a load. Do not fell a standing tree from this page.

Common questions

What bar length cuts firewood?
Use a bar a little longer than the rounds you cut most weeks. bestchainsaw.uk, as a publisher rule of thumb, says about 2 inches over the diameter and usually quotes 14–16 inches with a 35–45 cc saw. MowShop's chart also puts 14–16 inch bars on most firewood. Here the Neilsen is 12 inches and the Hyundai is 20 inches. The Akorida 32 inch claim is not confirmed by the components line.
Is the Hyundai 20 inch bar a good log saw?
It reaches thick rounds and it is clumsy on small logs. The listing states 20 inches, 62 cc, and 7 kg, at about £109.89, with 4.2 from 1,335 reviews. UK comments include a logger who wanted 16 or 18 inches and reports of the chain grabbing on a horse. Keep the nose off the stand. If your usual round is much shorter than 20 inches, the extra bar is not an advantage.
Do I need a saw horse?
You need the log supported so the cut opens and the nose cannot strike the support. AFAG 304 expects one person on the length, other people at least 5 metres away, and the saw switched off if it jams. On a slope, stand uphill of a round that can roll. A wobbly trestle the bar can cut is not support.
How dry should logs be before I burn them?
Wood sold in England under 2 cubic metres is expected at or below 20 per cent moisture under Ready to Burn guidance on GOV.UK. Larger sales sit under Schedule 2 of the 2020 regulations. Wood you burn yourself is not that sales rule, and wet logs still burn poorly. Split thick rounds and season them. This page has no meter reading for your stack.
Can I fell the tree and then cut firewood from this page?
No. This page starts with timber on the ground. A felling cut, a lean, and a hung tree are a different task, and HSE expects training. If the stem is still standing, stop. A 12 inch Neilsen is enough only when the round is shorter than that bar. The usual rule of thumb above is 14–16 inches, so 12 inches is a small-round saw, not the default for a mixed pile.
Does Ready to Burn apply to wood I cut in my own garden?
The 20 per cent figure is about wood sold for domestic use in England, in the small volumes that scheme covers. Logs you cut and burn yourself are outside that sales rule. They can still be too wet, and selling them is a question for GOV.UK before you list a load. Season what you keep. Not for sale does not mean dry enough tonight.

Related pages

Petrol chainsaw buying guide

Petrol chainsaw

Best petrol chainsaw UK: three amazon.co.uk listings

How to start a petrol chainsaw: mix, then cold start

Petrol vs cordless chainsaw: noise, fumes and runtime

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.

  1. HSE INDG317 chainsaw guidance (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE AFAG308 top-handled chainsaws (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK felling licence (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Forestry Act 1967 section 9 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. STIHL UK chainsaw fuel mix (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Hyundai HYC6200X manual (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. GOV.UK Ready to Burn (retrieved 22 October 2026)