Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Chainsaw hour meter

Updated: October 2026

You want to know when this petrol saw has done enough hours for the service the manual describes. A chainsaw hour meter remembers engine time. It does not measure vibration, and a sealed cell means the memory ends when the cell ends. Range and refresh stay on the [chainsaw tachometer buying guide](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-tachometer/sub/chainsaw-tachometer-buying-guide). Mixture screws stay on the [chainsaw carb tuning tachometer](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-tachometer/sub/chainsaw-tachometer-carb-tuning) page. Fitting is on the [how to use a chainsaw tachometer](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-tachometer/sub/chainsaw-tachometer-how-to-use) page. Prices stay on the [chainsaw tachometer comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/chainsaw-tachometer). We compared the listings with HSE vibration guidance on 16 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want to know when this petrol saw has done enough hours for the service the manual describes. A chainsaw hour meter remembers engine time.

Our top picks

YOOREAL YOOREAL YR-HM011F hour tachometer

Best overall

YOOREAL YOOREAL YR-HM011F hour tachometer
8.5/10about £13.99
View offer
Yooreal Yooreal YR-HM011E hour tachometer

Preis-Tipp

Yooreal Yooreal YR-HM011E hour tachometer
8.0/10about £11.99
View offer
Yooreal Yooreal RL-HM012 IP68 meter

Alternative

Yooreal Yooreal RL-HM012 IP68 meter
6.7/10about £13.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Hours, job time, and a service countdown
  2. 2.A meter that stays on the saw
  3. 3.Water claims and what reviewers reported
  4. 4.What the hour figure is not

Hours, job time, and a service countdown

TOT is total engine time. JOB is a trip meter you clear when that work ends. SVC is a countdown you set from your saw’s manual. The meter’s maximum is not a service schedule for every chainsaw. The YR-HM011E and the YR-HM011F offer resettable total hours and a long service timer. The YR-HM011J offers a service timer to the minute and a job timer, while total hours are not freely resettable. The RL-HM032A’s service timer only runs to 200 hours. NInE-ROnG, at about £21.99 with 4.5 from 13 ratings, has a clock and two maintenance timers and states no rpm ceiling. POFET’s hour display returns to zero at 10,000 hours. The RL-HM012 logs total hours and does not include a service countdown.

A meter that stays on the saw

The RL-HM012 is the sealed IP68 puck: total hours, 0–30,000 rpm, a sealed CR2032, and no service timer. Two ASINs are the same model. When a sealed cell dies, the stored hours die with the meter unless you have copied them. UK reviews mention a cell you cannot swap, a blank screen, and one failure after about two months. One owner’s comparison with a generator meter that lasted about two to three years is one owner, not a specification. The YR-HM011F pairs resettable hours and a long service timer with a CR2450 you can change, plus live rpm to 20,000 and 0.5 second, at about £13.99. A new meter can show 0.0 hours after a one-minute test. Class notes say 0.1 hour may need several minutes, with one sheet citing about six minutes. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a 30-day short-term right to reject a meter that is dead on day one.
YOOREAL YOOREAL YR-HM011F hour tachometer

Testsieger

YOOREAL YOOREAL YR-HM011F hour tachometer
8.5/10about £13.99
View offer

Water claims and what reviewers reported

Keep the IP68 claim on the RL-HM012 alone. It means dust-tight and protected against continuous immersion under the conditions the maker tested. It does not add a service timer the bullets omit, and it does not promise a dry display after a wet British winter. A CE mark on one twin does not automatically apply to the other ASIN. Keep the lead off the chain and the body off brittle plastic. If the saw lives indoors and you want a replaceable cell, pay for the cell door.

What the hour figure is not

Hand-arm vibration exposure is time and magnitude together. The Health and Safety Executive sets a daily action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8) and a limit of 5 m/s² A(8). INDG317 treats a sharp chain and sound anti-vibration mounts as part of controlling exposure. You cannot convert 3.0 hours into a vibration magnitude. Employers should treat the puck as a notebook that starts when the plug lead pulses. A home owner can use SVC as a prompt to follow the manual’s interval.

Common questions

Do I need rpm if I only want hours?
You do not need a live rev counter if the manual’s service interval is the only figure you will act on. A meter that logs TOT, JOB, or SVC is enough for that prompt. You do need rpm if you will also check a maximum or set the high-speed screw. In that case choose a listing that states the ceiling and, for tuning, a refresh, such as the YR-HM011F. Hours alone will not show a lean mixture.
Can I reset total hours when I move the meter to another saw?
On the YR-HM011E and the YR-HM011F, total hours are described as resettable, so a move can start a new total if you clear it. On the YR-HM011J, total hours are not freely resettable, so the life total stays with the meter. Copy the old total into a log before you move any meter. POFET’s display returns to zero at 10,000 hours by itself, which is a rollover, not a reset you commanded.
How is a job timer different from a service timer?
A job timer measures one piece of work and you clear it when that work ends. A service timer counts the interval you set from the saw manual. The RL-HM012’s bullets give total hours and no service countdown. The RL-HM032A’s service timer stops at 200 hours. NInE-ROnG’s two maintenance timers suit reminders when you do not need a stated rpm ceiling. The manual’s interval still wins over the meter’s maximum display.
Does the hour count meet the vibration regulations?
The hour count supplies time only. HSE’s action value is 2.5 m/s² A(8) and the limit is 5 m/s² A(8). Exposure needs magnitude as well as time, and a sharp chain and sound anti-vibration mounts are part of the controls in INDG317. No conversion from hours into metres per second squared is valid. A log of hours can sit beside a proper assessment. It does not replace one.
Which listing is for reminders rather than a high rpm ceiling?
NInE-ROnG, at about £21.99 with a clock, two maintenance timers, and a replaceable CR2032, fits reminders when you do not need a stated rpm ceiling. It has 4.5 from 13 ratings and no published rev range. The YR-HM011J fits a service timer to the minute and a clip, with total hours that are not freely reset. If you also need 0.5 second and 20,000 rpm, the YR-HM011F states both, with resettable hours and a long service timer.

Related pages

Best chainsaw tachometer

Chainsaw tachometer

Chainsaw tachometer buying guide: range, then cell

Chainsaw carb tuning with a tachometer, not by ear

How to use a chainsaw tachometer: pickup and pattern

Sources

Sources checked for this comparison; last retrieved on 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE, Chainsaws at work (INDG317) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE, Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE, Training and competence (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. BSI, BS EN ISO 11681-1:2022 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, UKCA and CE marking in Great Britain (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Arbtalk, how to check rpm (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Arbtalk, chainsaw tachometers in 2022 and beyond (retrieved 16 October 2026)