Petrol vs cordless chainsaw
Updated: 22 October 2026
You can buy either, the garden is small, and the log pile may not justify the noise. Petrol vs cordless chainsaw is a split between a saw that keeps cutting while you can refuel and a saw that is easier to live with until the pack is flat. It is not a test of the three petrol listings on the [petrol chainsaw comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/petrol-chainsaw): the Hyundai HYC6200X at about £109.89, the Neilsen at about £83.00, and an Akorida title at about £268.00. No cordless product was kept here, so this page will not review a named battery model. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those petrol files and from UK sources on runtime, noise, and nuisance. He did not run a comparison test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You can buy either, the garden is small, and the log pile may not justify the noise.
You can buy either, the garden is small, and the log pile may not justify the noise. Petrol vs cordless chainsaw is a split between a saw that keeps cutting while you can refuel and a saw that is easier to live with until the pack is flat. It is not a test of the three petrol listings on the petrol chainsaw comparison: the Hyundai HYC6200X at about £109.89, the Neilsen at about £83.00, and an Akorida title at about £268.00. No cordless product was kept here, so this page will not review a named battery model. Peter F. updated this on 22 October 2026 from those petrol files and from UK sources on runtime, noise, and nuisance. He did not run a comparison test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Engine | Fuel mix | Weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X 62 cc | 62 cc two-stroke | n/a | 7 kg | 8.4 | about £109.89 | View offer |
| Best value |  Neilsen Neilsen 25.4 cc 12 inch | 25.4 cc two-stroke | 25:1 | 3.85 kg with bar and chain | 8.2 | about £83.00 | View offer |
 Akorida Akorida MS381 title, 32 inch | n/a (3 hp claimed) | n/a | 5 kg | 1.0 | about £268.00 | View offer |
On this page
What you are actually comparing
The false start is that petrol is always more powerful. HSE research report RR1183 says to choose the saw that can do the job, then use the noise data. In that sample, electric saws were quieter and less efficient at felling and cross-cutting than the combustion saws tested. That sample is not a 2026 test of a 62 cc Hyundai, and it is not a reason to call every battery saw weak. Farmers Weekly, on five cordless farm saws, found them quieter and less fussy to prepare, heavier once the batteries were fitted, and still second choice for day-long cutting away from a charger.
Runtime is the cordless limit you can number, and the number is not ours. Which? reported an average cordless runtime of about 12 minutes in their test, with charge times from 40 to 150 minutes. Do not pin that average on a named model this page has not listed. Petrol continues while the fuel, the chain oil, and your arms last. In this set the Neilsen states a 230 ml tank, which is short, and the Hyundai file does not state tank volume. A few branches beside the house favour cordless. A stack away from a socket favours petrol, because it does not wait on a charger.
Noise and neighbours
None of the three petrol files states a decibel figure. This page will not call the Hyundai the loudest or the quietest. Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 can treat noise as a statutory nuisance where it substantially interferes with the use of a home, or is prejudicial to health. GOV.UK explains how councils in England deal with those complaints. Ordinary daytime work is not automatically a nuisance. Hours of sawing against an open window is a different fact from a short cut on a Saturday morning.
You still wear hearing protection with a petrol saw. INDG317 treats noise and hand-arm vibration as reasons for protection and maintenance. Do not drop ear defenders because another article says many cordless saws are quiet enough to skip them. A battery saw can be kinder at the fence and still loud at your ear. RR1183's quieter electric saws were that sample, and those saws were also less efficient at the cuts measured. Choosing cordless to keep the peace is a lower nuisance risk and a shorter continuous cut. It is not a measurement against these three ASINs.
Fumes, fuel and fuss
A two-stroke exhaust does not belong in a shed or under a kitchen window. The Neilsen listing states 25:1. The Hyundai listing does not; a hosted manual says 40:1. The Akorida file states none. That bookkeeping is the fuss Farmers Weekly were glad to skip. AFAG308 puts the start at least 4 metres from the fuelling point. Battery saws skip the mix and the exhaust, and they add a charger, a pack, and the weight of that pack.
Stay with petrol when the work is sustained and away from a charger, and you can keep fumes out of the house. Stay with cordless when the jobs are short, close to the house, and you would rather charge overnight than store mix. The condition is the job, not a winner for every garden. A corded electric saw is a third route, with a cable and 230 V. A lead across a wet lawn is not the same as cordless. It removes the pack limit and adds a cable you can cut. Bar length before either power source is the petrol chainsaw buying guide. Bucking, once you have chosen petrol, is chainsaw for firewood.
Nothing in this set is cordless
The table cannot be your cordless shortlist. The Hyundai is a 62 cc, 20 inch petrol saw at about £109.89 with 4.2 from 1,335 reviews. The Neilsen is a 25.4 cc, 12 inch petrol saw at about £83.00 with 4.1 from 20 reviews. The Akorida listing is petrol at about £268.00 with no star line, and a box line that does not match a 32 inch title. None of them is a battery saw. If you have decided on petrol, use those rows and skip the Akorida until the carton matches the title. If you have decided on cordless, you need another category.
There is no decibel or runtime figure on these petrol ASINs to set beside Which?'s 12-minute average. Saying the Hyundai lasts longer than 12 minutes would join a multi-model cordless test to a number that does not exist here. How to start a petrol chainsaw applies only after you accept the mix, the exhaust, and a ground start. Petrol keeps cutting as long as you can refuel. A cordless saw is the better default for short jobs close to the house. Neither sentence is a test of these three saws.
Common questions
Is petrol still better than cordless for logs?
Petrol fits a large pile, away from a charger, where you can refuel outdoors. Cordless fits short cutting close to the house. Which?'s test put average cordless runtime at about 12 minutes, which is their figure. RR1183 found the electric saws in that sample less efficient at felling and cross-cutting than the combustion saws, and quieter. Efficiency is not the same as better for every garden.
How long does a cordless saw run?
Which? reported about 12 minutes on average in their cordless test, and charge times from 40 to 150 minutes. That average is not a promise for every battery saw, and this category has no cordless ASIN to attach it to. A second pack changes the day only if you own one. The Neilsen tank is stated at 230 ml, which is still a short tank on petrol.
Are petrol saws too loud for neighbours?
They can be a statutory nuisance under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 if the noise substantially interferes with a home or harms health. Ordinary daytime work is not automatically unlawful. These listings have no decibel figure, so this page cannot rank them against your fence. INDG317 still expects hearing protection for you. Do not skip defenders on a battery saw unless you have a noise figure at the ear, which this page does not have.
What about fumes in a small garden?
Keep the exhaust and the fuel can away from the house. AFAG308 says start at least 4 metres from the fuelling point, outdoors. A small garden makes that gap harder, which is a reason to prefer cordless for short cuts. The Neilsen states 25:1. The Hyundai manual says 40:1 even though the amazon fields do not. Spilled mix is a petrol problem a battery saw does not have.
Can I do a day's firewood on one battery?
Not on the evidence here. An average of about 12 minutes, and charges up to 150 minutes, will not clear a large log pile on one pack. Farmers Weekly still preferred petrol for day-long cutting away from a charger. Extra packs may cover a small pile. They are not in this comparison, and a 20 inch Hyundai is not a battery with a long bar.
Is a corded electric saw the same choice as cordless?
No. Corded saws left this category because a mains lead is a different constraint. You get 230 V and a cable you can cut. Cordless removes the cable and adds runtime. Petrol removes the charger and adds fuel, fumes, and noise. None of the three petrol rows is a battery saw.
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)