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Low-kickback chainsaw chain: reduced, not prevented

Updated: 22 October 2026

A listing that says low kickback is easy to read as a promise that the saw will not kick. A low-kickback chainsaw chain reduces kickback. It does not prevent it, and it does not replace the chain brake, the way you stand, or work clothing. INDG317, from the Health and Safety Executive, is the UK wording for that limit. This page does not rank the eleven chains in the [chainsaw chain comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-chain). Direction and tension are on [how to fit a chainsaw chain](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-chain/sub/chainsaw-chain-how-to-fit). Peter F. checked the listings. There is no laboratory kickback test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A listing that says low kickback is easy to read as a promise that the saw will not kick. A low-kickback chainsaw chain reduces kickback.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain

Best overall

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain
8.5/10about £14.11
View offer
CHAMSUREUK CHAMSUREUK 16 inch 56-link three-pack

Best value

CHAMSUREUK CHAMSUREUK 16 inch 56-link three-pack
8.0/10about £14.99
View offer
Rotatech Rotatech 14 inch 50-link pair

Alternative

Rotatech Rotatech 14 inch 50-link pair
7.7/10about £17.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What kickback is
  2. 2.What a low-kickback chain changes
  3. 3.Work, home, and clothing
  4. 4.Words on the listing that are not a certificate

What kickback is

INDG317 describes kickback as the bar kicking up and back when the chain at the nose grabs. Bury that nose, or touch a hidden stem while you over-reach, and the bar can be thrown up in a fraction of a second. The leaflet is for work. The motion is the same at a log pile. Keep the nose clear, do not over-reach, keep the saw below chest height, and keep your thumb around the front handle. Husqvarna says no chain fully prevents kickback, and a smaller nose radius lowers the force.

What a low-kickback chain changes

The claim on these listings is usually a bumper drive link and a depth gauge on a semi-chisel or chamfer tooth. Oregon’s 91PX page describes that for homeowner saws. INDG317 says a maintained brake and a low-kickback chain reduce kickback and cannot entirely prevent it. One review of the Rotatech 50-link pair, among 915, said it kicked more than expected. AFAG308 tells users of top-handled saws to keep the maker’s chain.
Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon 91P057E single chain
8.5/10about £14.11
View offer

Work, home, and clothing

Work saws come under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Cutting your own firewood does not, by itself, make you an employer. The bar can still rise. Where HSE specifies cut protection for tree work, the page cites BS EN 381-7 gloves, BS EN 381-5 leg protection, and BS EN ISO 17249 boots. None of those marks is printed on these chains. Gardening gloves are not BS EN 381-7 gloves.

Words on the listing that are not a certificate

CHAMSUREUK’s 16 inch and 20 inch packs say the chain is UL approved and meets the ANSI Standards, with no document number. That is not a UK certificate. BS EN ISO 11681-1:2022 covers the chainsaw as a machine, not a badge for a loop. ANSI B175.1 on Oregon’s 91PX page is a US selection note, not HSE approval. Fit a low-kickback chain when the three numbers match and the saw maker calls for that type. Do not read reduced as cannot kick.

Common questions

Does a low-kickback chain prevent kickback?
No. INDG317 says a low-kickback chain and a maintained chain brake reduce kickback and cannot entirely prevent it. Husqvarna says no saw chain fully prevents kickback. The chain lowers the chance of a grab at the nose. It does not stop the bar if the nose is buried or if you over-reach. Technique stays with you.
What is a bumper drive link for?
It is the shaped link these listings cite, with the depth gauge, as the reason a chain is called low kickback. It is part of the loop, not part of the saw’s brake. Oregon describes it on the 91 family as part of a homeowner chamfer-chisel chain. It does not lock the chain when the bar kicks. The brake does that, if the brake works.
Does the chain include the chain brake?
No. The brake is on the saw. A new loop does not repair a brake that fails to snap shut, and fitting instructions that tell you to release the brake are about seating the chain, not about removing the brake. Check the brake before you cut. INDG317 treats a maintained brake as a separate control from the chain.
Do you still need trousers, boots, and gloves?
The chain does not replace them. HSE’s tree-work PPE list includes helmet, hearing, and eye protection, and, where cut protection is specified, BS EN 381-7 gloves, BS EN 381-5 leg protection, and BS EN ISO 17249 boots. Those standards are not printed on these chain listings. Work clothing follows your training. A household saw can still cut a leg that has no protection.
What chain is required on a top-handled saw at work?
AFAG308 says a top-handled saw is only used with a reduced-kickback chain, and that cutters and depth gauges stay as the maker specifies. Use the manufacturer’s chain for that saw. An aftermarket bullet that says low kickback, without your model and without a document, is not a substitute in aerial work. That sheet is about climbing saws, not every garden chainsaw.
Is meets the ANSI Standards a UK approval?
No. ANSI B175.1 is a United States chainsaw standard. Oregon mentions it on the 91PX page as a US selection note. A CHAMSUREUK sentence that says UL approved and meets the ANSI Standards, with no document number, is not a UK certificate and not BS EN ISO 11681-1. It does not prove the chain, and this page does not treat it as a failure label either.
Can you file the depth gauges lower for a faster cut?
Do not. The depth-gauge height is part of the reduced-kickback profile. AFAG308 tells users of top-handled saws to keep the maker’s profile. Lowering the gauges to speed the cut can increase kickback, and this page does not give filing angles. Use the chain maker’s specification, or stop and have the chain sharpened by someone who follows it.
Does a householder have the same duties as an employer?
Not automatically. PUWER 1998 and the training duty in INDG317 apply when the saw is work equipment. Cutting your own firewood does not, by itself, make you an employer. The bar can still kick. The chain still only reduces that kick. The legal difference is who must train and maintain, not whether the nose of the bar is harmless.

Related pages

Chainsaw chain buying guide

Chainsaw chain

Best chainsaw chain: match your bar, not the stars

How to fit a chainsaw chain: direction and tension

Semi-chisel or full chisel chain: the corner to trust

Sources

Public sources listed below. Prices and star lines are from the eleven amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026.

  1. Husqvarna UK, choosing a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Husqvarna UK, chainsaw chain size explained (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Stihl UK, how to choose the right saw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Chainsawbars.co.uk, chain, bar and sprocket identification (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE, INDG317 Chainsaws at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE, AFAG308 Top-handled chainsaws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. HSE, chainsaw PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Oregon UK, 91P057E chamfer chisel chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)