How to use a chainsaw
Updated: 16 October 2026
How to use a chainsaw in a UK garden starts before the cut: the chain tensioned, the bar oiled, and the brake checked if the listing names one. You stop for a tree, a hung-up stem, a ladder, or a saw that smokes, will not stop, leaks fuel, or has a damaged lead. The [Stihl chainsaw comparison](/hub/power-saws/stihl-chainsaw) is the buyer’s table. This page is the check. The Products Compared editorial team used HSE guidance, STIHL UK notes, and the amazon.co.uk listings. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How to use a chainsaw in a UK garden starts before the cut: the chain tensioned, the bar oiled, and the brake checked if the listing names one.
How to use a chainsaw in a UK garden starts before the cut: the chain tensioned, the bar oiled, and the brake checked if the listing names one. You stop for a tree, a hung-up stem, a ladder, or a saw that smokes, will not stop, leaks fuel, or has a damaged lead. The Stihl chainsaw comparison is the buyer’s table. This page is the check. The Products Compared editorial team used HSE guidance, STIHL UK notes, and the amazon.co.uk listings. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Chain brake | Bar oil in the box | Power | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Bosch Bosch UniversalChain 18 | Not named in this set | 80 ml included | 18 V, battery excluded | 8.3 | about £98.74 | View offer |
 Oregon Oregon CS1400 16 inch | Named in a bullet | Not in the included line | 2400 W corded | 8.0 | about £114.42 | View offer | |
 HYUNDAI Hyundai HYC2400E 16 inch | Not named | Not in the included line | 2400 W, 12 m cable | 8.4 | about £88.98 | View offer |
On this page
Three checks before the chain moves
Unplug a corded saw, remove a battery, or leave a petrol saw cold. With the brake released, the chain should sit on the underside of the bar and still pull round in a glove. Too slack and it can come off. Too tight and it will not move. Recheck when it is warm.
Use bar-and-chain oil. HSE says discarded engine oil is a poor lubricant and a skin risk. Bosch includes 80 ml. The Seesii 6 inch bottle is empty. Do not invent an auto-oiler for the GTA 26. If you cannot see oil on the bar once it is running safely, stop.
After a safe start, the chain should stop at idle and the stop switch should work. Test a brake only if the listing names one. The RCD and the fuel can are on petrol or cordless chainsaw.
Start it the way that saw is powered
Petrol starts on level ground, chain clear of your legs, can at least 4 metres away. Fill outdoors. STIHL’s 50:1 mix is for STIHL engines. Do not put it in the Hyundai or the eSkde.
A corded saw stays unplugged until tension and oil are done, then goes to 230 V through a BS 1363 plug and an outdoor RCD, reel unwound. The HYC2400E title says 12 metres. The Oregon states neither lead length nor voltage, and a 15 amp bullet is not a 13 A fuse.
Take the battery out before you tension, and refit it only when the chain is snug. The Bosch is bare and wants a home-and-garden 18 V pack. One of three GTA 26 reviews says the AL 1 charger was a two-pin European plug. A travel adaptor is not a fix.
Both hands, the nose, and the brake
Kickback is the bar throwing back from the nose. A brake reduces that risk and does not remove it. Keep the nose out of the cut, stay below chest height, and put your thumb around the front handle. A rear-handled saw takes both hands.
The eSkde CS62-S7 is a top-handle saw for trained arborists off the ground, so this page gives it no lawn method. STIHL says the GTA 26 also takes two hands. A one-handed Seesii bullet is not the method, and that box includes an auxiliary handle. Bar length is on mini chainsaw or full-size chainsaw.
On the ground, HSE names a helmet to BS EN 397 or BS EN 14052, eye or face protection, hearing protection, gloves to BS EN 381-7 where cut protection is required, chainsaw trousers, and boots. No listing printed noise or vibration.
When you put the saw down
Pruning a shrub at home is not an instruction to sit an NPTC certificate. Work on or in a tree is different: HSE expects a relevant certificate unless the person is training under supervision. At work, PUWER 1998 regulation 9 is the training duty. Felling, a hung-up stem, and a ladder are when you hire someone.
Smoke, a chain that will not stop, a fuel leak, a damaged lead, or no oil on the bar means you stop before the next cut. Which saw matches the wood is the chainsaw buying guide.
Common questions
What should I check before I start a chainsaw?
With the saw unable to run, set the chain so it fits the bar and still moves under a gloved hand, fill bar-and-chain oil, and confirm the stop switch. If the listing names a brake, test it as that manual specifies after a safe start. If it does not name a brake, do not invent the test. Look for oil on the bar before you cut.
How tight should the chain be?
Power off, pack out or lead unplugged. The chain should sit on the underside of the bar and still pull round in a glove. Too slack and it can come off. Too tight and it will not move. Recheck when it is warm. Follow the manual for the wheel or screw. STIHL’s tension pictures are not the Hyundai adjuster.
What oil goes on the bar if the box has none?
Use bar-and-chain oil. Bosch includes 80 ml. The Seesii 6 inch bottle is empty. Most other included lines name none. HSE says discarded engine oil is a poor lubricant and a skin risk in regular contact. If you cannot see oil on the bar once the saw is running safely, stop. Do not assume the GTA 26 has an automatic oiler.
How do I know the chain brake works?
Only on a saw that has one. After a safe start, the chain should stop at idle, and the brake should work as the manual specifies. The Oregon listing names an integrated chain brake. The Hyundai 40 V kit names one in a bullet. The HYC2400E title and spec rows do not. A brake reduces kickback injury. It does not stop the bar nose from catching.
When should I stop and hire someone?
Stop for work on or in a tree, a hung-up stem, or a ladder. Stop if the saw smokes, will not stop, leaks fuel, or has a damaged lead. Ask a tree contractor about insurance and qualifications. A shrub at ground level, with both hands on a rear-handled saw, is the garden job. A top-handle saw is not that job.
How do I start a corded or battery saw without a pull-cord?
Leave the petrol sequence alone. Unplug a corded saw, or remove a battery, until the chain is tensioned and the bar is oiled. Then use an RCD-protected outdoor socket with the reel unwound, or refit the correct pack. The Oregon does not state lead length or voltage. One GTA 26 review reported a two-pin European charger. Do not bridge that with a travel adaptor.
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)