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Chainsaw saw horse for firewood

Updated: 22 October 2026

The logs are on the ground, or they sit on a horse that puts steel in the kerf, and you want them short enough for the stove. A chainsaw saw horse supports the stem. It does not make the saw safe, and it does not train you. This page starts after the type choice on [log saw horse or trestle](/hub/forestry-tools/saw-horse/sub/saw-horse-log-or-trestle). Only Oregon, Einhell, and Harbour are in scope. The other rows stay on our [saw horse comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/saw-horse). Prices are GBP shelf prices from the amazon.co.uk capture of 19 October 2026. We did not run a saw. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The logs are on the ground, or they sit on a horse that puts steel in the kerf, and you want them short enough for the stove. A chainsaw saw horse supports the stem.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon 584145

Best overall

Oregon Oregon 584145
9.1/10about £39.50
Einhell Einhell 4500067

Best value

Einhell Einhell 4500067
7.9/10about £32.97
On this page

Support the log before you start the saw

FISA 304 tells you to put timber on bearers, keep a firm footing, and let the log sit where it cannot roll onto you. Stay uphill if the stem can move. Keep at least 5 m between people, and have one person on a length. Do not twist a log up onto the horse. A smooth plastic trestle will not grip a round stem, which is why the trestles in the comparison are out of this page. The horse has to leave a path for the bar. Stihl’s UK firewood note says to secure the piece and not to cut so close that you hit the horse. If a strut, a bolt, or the frame sits in the line, move the log before you start. One UK review of Harbour says the middle support stops a complete cut. Check that on the metal. Setup of the legs, once you own the horse, is on how to use a saw horse.

PPE and competence

On the ground, the HSE chainsaw PPE page still expects a kit: a helmet to BS EN 397, BS EN 14052, or BS EN 12492; hearing protection to BS EN 352; a BS EN 1731 mesh visor or BS EN 166 glasses; gloves to BS EN 381-7 where chainsaw gloves are required; trousers to BS EN 381-5; and boots to BS EN ISO 17249. An older AFAG note cited BS EN 20345. The current HSE page is the one to follow. Do not drop hearing protection because a cordless saw might be quieter. A horse does not replace competence. INDG317 says chainsaw use at work needs training. Kickback is still the nose of the bar, and the chain brake should be on when you are not cutting. If you are cutting for someone else, PUWER 1998 requires suitable work equipment. A consumer listing is not a certificate. Household stove wood is still a chainsaw.
Oregon Oregon 584145

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon 584145
9.1/10about £39.50

Three log horses in this set

The Oregon 584145 is the log horse with the large UK file: 4.5 from 4,130 reviews, about £39.50, serrated teeth, and a stated maximum of 27 cm. The load field prints 79.83 kg and cites no test. You assemble it, and the spanner is not in the box. One UK review reports uneven legs. It is the top pick when your wood is inside 27 cm, and the wrong horse for a wider stem. Who should skip the trestles is on the best saw horse page. The Einhell 4500067 states trunks up to 300 mm and 150 kg, at about £32.97, with heights of 600, 640 and 680 mm. The line is 3.9 from 4,072 reviews. The attribute says no assembly. UK reviews describe a bolt kit and sharp struts. Buy it for the wider stated diameter only if you will build that kit. Harbour Housewares is about £23.99 and 4.7 kg, with teeth, no printed load, and 3.9 from 16 reviews. One review says the middle strut stops a full cut. Take Harbour only after you have checked that the bar can finish.

The cut itself

Cut with the lower part of the bar, not the nose. EGO’s UK firewood note and FISA 304 both treat the tip as the kickback zone. Cut the compression side first so the kerf opens. If the saw jams, switch it off. Do not twist a stuck bar free. Keep the chain off the soil. A stem over 27 cm does not belong on the Oregon. A stem over 300 mm does not belong on the Einhell. If Harbour’s strut crosses the line, stop. Do not bore with the nose to get past steel, and do not cut into the frame. If the bar has touched metal, look at the chain and the horse before anyone starts again. Felling, and any stem you cannot control, is outside this page.

Common questions

Do I still need chainsaw PPE if the log is on a horse?
Yes. The horse stops the log moving. It does not stop the chain. Use the HSE ground kit, including hearing protection to BS EN 352 and boots to BS EN ISO 17249. A cordless saw does not delete hearing protection. The horse is not training, and it is not a reason to leave the visor in the van.
What diameter will these three horses take?
Oregon states 27 cm. Einhell states trunks up to 300 mm. Harbour prints teeth and no centimetre limit. Do not force a stem past a printed figure. The load lines are seller text: 79.83 kg on the Oregon field, 150 kg on the Einhell bullets, and nothing on Harbour. None is a British Standard test.
Why can the saw not finish the cut?
Usually because the frame is in the kerf. On Harbour, one of four written UK reviews says the middle strut and support stop a complete cut. The other cause is a kerf that closes and pinches the bar, which is why FISA 304 says to cut the compression side first. If the bar has met steel, stop.
What is kickback doing here?
Kickback is the bar nose throwing the saw back at you when the tip hits wood or an obstruction. A horse does not remove that. FISA 304 and HSE’s INDG317 both treat the nose as the zone to keep out of the cut. Use the lower bar. The chain brake is on whenever you are not in a cut.
Can I use a plastic trestle instead?
No. A plastic folding trestle will not hold a round stem, and the chain can reach the stand as the log rolls. The trestles in this comparison are for boards, doors, and sheets. A decorating pair is not a bearer for a round. Do not add a loose strap and call the plastic top a log horse.
Is the Einhell ready to use?
Not on the UK reviews. The attribute says assembly is not required. Reviewers describe bolts, unclear instructions, and sharp struts. Build it before the woodpile. The stated limits are 300 mm and 150 kg, at 600, 640 and 680 mm, for about £32.97. Oregon is the simpler top pick when 27 cm is enough.
What if I am cutting for someone else, or at work?
Treat the saw as work equipment. INDG317 requires training and competence at work, and a horse is not that certificate. PUWER 1998 says the equipment must be suitable. If the stem is large, stuck, or above shoulder height, stop. Felling is not this page.

Related pages

Sources

Public UK sources listed below, last checked on 22 October 2026. Prices in the rows are amazon.co.uk shelf prices captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. FISA 304: chainsaw cross-cutting (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. FISA 301: chainsaw practice and PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE INDG317: chainsaw training (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Chainsaw PPE (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 11 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Product safety advice for businesses, including Northern Ireland (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Elliotts: kiln-dried C16 CLS timber (retrieved 22 October 2026)