Chainsaw buying guide
Updated: 16 October 2026
You searched for a STIHL chainsaw and landed on a mixed amazon.co.uk shelf: Hyundai, Oregon, Bosch, Seesii, eSkde, and the STIHL GTA 26 pruner. A chainsaw buying guide starts with the wood, then the shortest bar that finishes that cut, then whether you can stand by a socket. The [Stihl chainsaw comparison](/hub/power-saws/stihl-chainsaw) holds the prices. This page does not name a top pick. The Products Compared editorial team used those listings, STIHL UK, and HSE handle guidance on 16 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission.
You searched for a STIHL chainsaw and landed on a mixed amazon.co.uk shelf: Hyundai, Oregon, Bosch, Seesii, eSkde, and the STIHL GTA 26 pruner.
You searched for a STIHL chainsaw and landed on a mixed amazon.co.uk shelf: Hyundai, Oregon, Bosch, Seesii, eSkde, and the STIHL GTA 26 pruner. A chainsaw buying guide starts with the wood, then the shortest bar that finishes that cut, then whether you can stand by a socket. The Stihl chainsaw comparison holds the prices. This page does not name a top pick. The Products Compared editorial team used those listings, STIHL UK, and HSE handle guidance on 16 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Bar | Power | Handle | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Seesii Seesii M8 Boost 8 inch | 8 inch fitted, spare 6 inch | Battery, two packs in the box | Both hands | 8.6 | about £59.99 | View offer |
 HYUNDAI Hyundai HYC2400E 16 inch | 16 inch | 2400 W, 230 V, 12 m cable | Rear handle | 8.4 | about £88.98 | View offer | |
 HYUNDAI Hyundai HYC6200X 20 inch | 20 inch | 62 cc petrol | Rear handle | 8.3 | about £109.89 | View offer |
On this page
Start with the wood, then the shortest bar
STIHL UK says use the lightest saw that finishes the job, and HSE says choose the shortest guide bar suitable for the work. A 6 or 8 inch mini, or the GTA 26 with its 10 cm bar, is for branches. A 14 or 16 inch bar is the garden-log band. A 20 inch bar here is petrol only, and only for larger timber.
The HYC6200X is a timber saw, not a hedge tool. The Seesii CH700R at 6 inches does not reach a trunk the way a 14 inch bar does. No cut diameter was measured. Short against full is on mini chainsaw or full-size chainsaw.
Petrol, a cable, or a battery
Power follows where you stand. Away from a socket, petrol keeps going while you have lawful fuel, up to 30 litres at home without notice. STIHL’s 50:1 mix is for STIHL engines only, so the Hyundai and the eSkde take the ratio in their own manuals.
Beside a socket, a corded saw needs a BS 1363 plug, an RCD, and a fully unwound reel. The HYC2400E states 230 V and 12 metres. The HYC1600E states 230 V and 3 metres. The Oregon CS1400 states neither voltage nor lead length. If you want neither fuel nor a lead, the pack has to be real: the HY40CCS350 includes two batteries, and the Bosch UniversalChain 18 does not. The storage rules are on petrol or cordless chainsaw.
Rear handle on the ground
On the ground, a rear handle is the default in this set. HSE says you grip it with both hands, and a top-handled saw is for a trained arborist off the ground. The eSkde CS62-S7 states top handle, 62 cc, and 20 inches. The handle does not suit the lawn.
The GTA 26 is a pruner. STIHL UK tells you to use the main handle and the top handle together. A one-handed bullet on the Seesii 6 inch sits next to an auxiliary handle in the same box. Use both hands. Tension and oil are on how to use a chainsaw.
Read the rows, then the box
The title and the spec rows outrank a clashing bullet. The Hyundai HYC1600E title says 1600 W, 14 inches, 230 V, and 3 metres. The bullets say 2400 W and 16 inches. Buy the rows. For 2400 W and 16 inches, use the HYC2400E, whose title agrees, or the Oregon CS1400 title. The HYC2400E chain-speed field says 15 rpm. That is not a chain speed.
A brake counts only if a sentence names it. The Oregon and HY40CCS350 bullets do. The HYC2400E, the HYC6200X, and the GTA 26 listing do not. Bar oil is missing from most boxes. Bosch includes 80 ml. The Seesii 6 inch bottle is empty. A travel adaptor is not a fix for a two-pin charger.
Which path matches where you stand
Beside a socket, choose a 14 or 16 inch corded saw whose title matches its rows. With Bosch 18 V packs and only shrubs, the bare UniversalChain 18 can fit. Away from a socket, accept petrol and a longer bar. The GTA 26 and the 6 inch mini are the wrong tools for a trunk.
Common questions
What size chainsaw do I need for branches, logs, and a larger trunk?
Use the shortest bar that finishes the cut. Here, 6 to 8 inches or the GTA 26, with a 10 cm bar on stihl.co.uk, suits branches. A 14 or 16 inch bar suits garden logs. A 20 inch bar is petrol only, and only for larger timber. No cut diameter was measured, so a review count does not prove a 6 inch saw will open a trunk.
Should I buy petrol, a corded saw, or a battery saw first?
Buy the source you can run where you stand. Petrol, if you are away from a socket and can store up to 30 litres in a proper can. Corded, if the cut stays by a 230 V socket with an RCD and a UK 3-pin plug. Battery, only when the right pack is in the box or already on your shelf. The Bosch is bare. The Hyundai 40 V kit includes two batteries.
Is a top-handle chainsaw suitable on the ground?
No. HSE guidance reserves top-handled saws for trained competent arborists off the ground. Rear-handled saws are held with both hands. The eSkde CS62-S7 is a top-handle 20 inch petrol saw, so it is not a lawn saw. The GTA 26 is a pruner that STIHL tells you to hold with both hands. That is not the same tool.
The HYC1600E bullets say 2400 W and 16 inches. Which figures do I use?
Use the title and the spec rows: 1600 W, 14 inches, 230 V, and a 3 metre cable, at about £59.50. The bullets describe a different saw. For 2400 W and 16 inches, use the HYC2400E, whose title and row agree, or the Oregon CS1400 title. Do not quote the HYC1600E bullets as the specification.
Does the box include bar oil, a battery, or a charger?
Read the included line. Bosch includes 80 ml of chain oil and excludes the battery. The Seesii minis include batteries and a charger, and the 6 inch oil bottle is empty. The Hyundai 40 V kit includes two 4.0 Ah batteries and a charger, and does not name oil. Most petrol and corded boxes name no oil. Buy bar-and-chain oil before the first cut.
When should I hire someone instead of buying?
Hire a competent person for work on or in a tree, aerial cutting, a hung-up stem, or any cut from a ladder. Also stop if the saw smokes, will not stop, leaks fuel, or has a damaged lead. A householder pruning a shrub is not being told to sit a certificate. At work, PUWER 1998 regulation 9 is a training duty.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources for handles, kickback, PPE, training, noise, vibration, petrol storage, and the plug. STIHL pages cover bar choice, the GTA 26, and STIHL fuel mix. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this set. Retrieved 16 October 2026.
- HSE INDG317 — chainsaw handles, kickback, and checks (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE — chainsaw PPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE — training and competence (PUWER regulation 9) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE — hand-arm vibration responsibilities (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE — petrol storage at clubs and associations (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First — garden tool chainsaws (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- STIHL UK — chainsaw buying guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- STIHL UK — GTA 26 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- STIHL UK — chainsaw fuel mix (retrieved 16 October 2026)