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Petrol chainsaw buying guide

Updated: October 2026

You searched for a Stihl petrol chainsaw because that is the name people in the UK actually say, and the amazon.co.uk rows in this set are a Hyundai, two eSkde saws, and a Neilsen. This petrol chainsaw buying guide is the order of decisions before any of those prices matters. None of the four powerheads on our [Stihl petrol chainsaw comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/stihl-petrol-chainsaw) is a Stihl. Products Compared read those listings and the public UK guides named below, with no lab cut, on 16 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The job comes first, then a bar you can stop, then whether you will mix fuel.

You searched for a Stihl petrol chainsaw because that is the name people in the UK actually say, and the amazon.co.uk rows in this set are a Hyundai, two eSkde saws, and a Neilsen.

Our top picks

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X

Best overall

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X
6.8/10about £109.89
View offer
Neilsen Neilsen 25.4cc 12 inch

Preis-Tipp

Neilsen Neilsen 25.4cc 12 inch
4.4/10about £83.00
View offer
eSkde eSkde CS58-S7

Alternative

eSkde eSkde CS58-S7
4.8/10about £119.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What you are actually cutting
  2. 2.Bar, weight, and a saw you can stop
  3. 3.Petrol means a mix, a second oil tank, and a manual
  4. 4.Stihl at a dealer, or one of these Amazon petrol saws
  5. 5.When the buying guide stops and a professional starts

What you are actually cutting

Stihl's buying guide on stihl.co.uk starts with the wood in front of you and asks for the lightest saw that can do that work. Branches on the lawn, a winter of stove rounds, and a standing stem are three different machines. Parker Brand's guide uses a rule of thumb that the bar should be about two inches longer than the wood. That line is a seller's habit, not a British Standard. In this set the Neilsen is 25.4 cc with a 12 inch bar, and the Hyundai is 62 cc with a 20 inch bar. Diameter for stove logs sits on the petrol chainsaw for firewood page.

Bar, weight, and a saw you can stop

Husqvarna's UK picking guide treats weight and bar length as safety, not as a bigger number to win. A longer bar reaches further, and the chain sits further from your hands when the tip catches. The Hyundai HYC6200X is listed at 7 kg with a 20 inch bar, at £109.89. The Neilsen is listed at 3.85 kg with a 12 inch bar, at £83.00. Both eSkde listings are top-handle petrol saws with a 20 inch bar, a layout associated with work above shoulder height. On a trestle of logs it is the wrong shape. Check that the listing names a chain brake you can reach. The pull itself belongs on the how to start a petrol chainsaw page.
Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X

Testsieger

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X
6.8/10about £109.89
View offer

Petrol means a mix, a second oil tank, and a manual

A saw in this class is a two-stroke. The engine takes petrol mixed with two-stroke oil, and the bar takes chain oil from a second tank. Stihl states 50:1 for its own saws. Two listings in this comparison print 25:1, and the Hyundai listing prints no ratio. If you will not keep a marked can and read the manual in the box, petrol is the wrong tool. Stihl's C, E, and B bar letters do not transfer onto a Hyundai or eSkde bar. Buy the chain that matches the bar you receive.

Stihl at a dealer, or one of these Amazon petrol saws

The amazon.co.uk set behind the query contains no Stihl powerhead. The rows are Hyundai, eSkde, and Neilsen. Stihl asks you to try the weight at an approved dealer, and it warns that new Stihl machines are not the thing to hunt as a marketplace bargain. You do have to know you are buying another maker. The two eSkde files share one review text, so neither row wins here on reviews alone. The Hyundai carries the review volume in the set.

When the buying guide stops and a professional starts

The Health and Safety Executive's chainsaw guidance is about competence at work, not a licence amazon.co.uk checks at checkout. You can buy a petrol saw for your own garden without a certificate. The line moves when the work is paid, when you are in or on a tree, or when the timber is hung up and under tension. A top-handle shape on a listing is not a climbing qualification.

Common questions

What should I decide before I look at cubic centimetres?
Decide the job and the thickest wood you will cut. A 62 cc figure is an engine class, and it does not say whether a 20 inch bar is controllable in your hands. Name fallen branches, stove logs, or something larger, then match a bar you can stop. Cubic centimetres come after that.
Is a 20 inch bar better than a 14 inch bar?
It is better only when the wood is wide enough to need the extra length. A longer bar adds reach and weight, and Husqvarna treats that weight as a safety limit. Parker's idea of about two inches over the wood is a seller's rule of thumb, not a standard.
Do I have to buy a Stihl if I searched for one?
No. The four petrol rows here are Hyundai, eSkde, and Neilsen. Buy a Stihl if you want that badge from a dealer who can show you the weight. Buy one of these saws if the bar, the fuel note on the listing, and the support you will actually get match the job.
What is a top-handle saw for?
A top handle sits above the engine so the saw can be used in a compact grip, the layout associated with work off the ground. Both eSkde rows here are top-handle saws with 20 inch bars. That is a poor match for a first saw used on a log pile at waist height.
Do I need a certificate to buy a petrol saw?
You do not need a certificate to purchase one for your own property. The Health and Safety Executive frames competence around chainsaw work, especially paid work or work above the ground, not around the checkout button. A certificate does not appear on these listings, and buying the Hyundai does not grant one.
Why do two eSkde listings share one review text?
The review wording on the two eSkde files matches. Those stars should not be added together or read as two separate ownership histories. A shared text can still describe real annoyances, and it cannot prove that each model has its own long record. That is why this guide does not rank either eSkde on reviews alone.

Related pages

Best Stihl petrol chainsaw

Stihl vs cheap petrol chainsaw

Stihl petrol chainsaw

Petrol chainsaw for firewood: bar length for stove logs

How to start a petrol chainsaw: brake on, then pull

Sources

Sources are Stihl UK pages, HSE guidance and the amazon.co.uk listings for the four saws. Last checked 16 October 2026.

  1. Stihl chainsaw buying guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Stihl chainsaw fuel mix (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. Stihl starting a chainsaw (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Stihl warns about imitations (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. HSE chainsaw operators (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. HSE INDG317 Chainsaws at work (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Stihl MS 172 petrol chainsaw (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Stihl Cut Kit 2 (retrieved 16 October 2026)