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

How to start a petrol chainsaw

Updated: October 2026

The saw is on the ground, the cord is in your hand, and the chain is the part you do not want moving yet. This is how to start a petrol chainsaw in that first hour, whether the housing says Stihl or it is the Hyundai, an eSkde, or the Neilsen from our [Stihl petrol chainsaw comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/stihl-petrol-chainsaw). Products Compared used Stihl's own start and fuel pages, the Health and Safety Executive's INDG317 checks, and the ratios printed on these listings, with no lab test, on 16 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission. Read the ratio on your saw, put the chain brake on, and keep the bar clear of the ground.

The saw is on the ground, the cord is in your hand, and the chain is the part you do not want moving yet.

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.Fuel mix is not the same on every petrol saw
  2. 2.Cold start with the brake on
  3. 3.The checks in the first minute
  4. 4.When starting has become a repair

Fuel mix is not the same on every petrol saw

Stihl's fuel page, dated 26 June 2025, states 50:1: 100 ml of two-stroke oil in 5 litres of petrol. On the listings in this set, the eSkde CS58-S7 and the Neilsen print 25:1. The Hyundai HYC6200X and the eSkde CS62-S7 do not print a ratio. If the listing is silent, the manual in the box is the source before the first pull. Chain oil is the other tank, not a substitute for oil in the petrol.

Cold start with the brake on

Stihl's start page is the sequence for a Stihl, and the lever names will not match a Hyundai. Chain brake on, which on a Stihl means the brake lever pushed forward. Primer bulb several times if a primer is fitted. Master control to the cold-start position. Saw on level ground, bar clear, foot in the rear handle, then pull until it fires. Move the choke up one stop, tap the throttle to settle it, and only then release the brake. INDG317 asks for the same bones: a cold start on level ground, your foot on the rear handle, and the maker's own settings. The chain must not touch anything while you pull. If the saw is already warm, use the warm position in your manual.
Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X

Testsieger

Hyundai Hyundai HYC6200X
6.8/10about £109.89
View offer

The checks in the first minute

After it fires, confirm the chain is still at idle, the chain brake works at the revs the maker states, the stop switch stops the engine, and chain oil is reaching the bar. You can see that last one as a fine line of oil if you point the tip at a clean board for a moment, with the brake released only for that test and the surroundings clear. No oil means you stop. If the chain creeps at idle, or the stop switch does nothing, the saw goes back on the ground with the brake on.

When starting has become a repair

Stop pulling when the cord has failed, when the starter pawls have stripped, or when the saw dies hot and further yanks only fray the rope. A Hyundai that has eaten its pawls needs parts, not twenty more heaves. An eSkde or a Neilsen that will not fire on the ratio printed on its listing needs that mix checked before you blame a plug you have not seen. A Stihl dealer is the right counter for a Stihl. The Hyundai, eSkde, and Neilsen are supported as those brands. This page does not rank the four saws and it does not teach you to fell. Which one you bought sits on the petrol chainsaw buying guide and the petrol chainsaw for firewood page.

Common questions

What is the Stihl mix?
Stihl states 50:1, which is 100 ml of two-stroke oil in 5 litres of petrol. The fuel page allows E10 and gives homemade mix 30 days. MotoMix is Stihl's pre-mixed option, from £7.84 a litre, stored for up to five years. Refuel about 3 metres away, engine stopped and cool. That page is about Stihl engines.
Can I use that mix in the eSkde or the Neilsen?
Only if their own instructions say 50:1. In this set the CS58-S7 and the Neilsen print 25:1, which is a richer mix. The HYC6200X and the CS62-S7 print no ratio, so you use the manual in the box rather than Stihl's figure. One recipe for every logo is how engines get the wrong oil.
Where is the chain brake before I pull?
On. On a Stihl the published cue is the brake lever forward, the saw on the ground, and your foot in the rear handle, with the bar clear. Other brands put the lever elsewhere, so learn that control on your saw first. You release the brake only after it is idling and the chain is still.
How is a cold start different from a hot start?
A cold Stihl start uses the cold position and a primer if one is fitted. Stihl says several presses, not a fixed count of six. A saw that has just been running does not need that full choke again. Repeating it floods the engine. Use the warm position in your manual.
How long can I keep fuel I mixed myself?
Stihl's guidance gives homemade two-stroke mix 30 days. After that it is not starter fuel. MotoMix is the longer-life option they sell, up to five years, at a higher price per litre. Keep the can marked with the ratio and the date.
What if the pull cord has already snapped?
Stop. A snapped cord, or pawls that have stripped, is a repair. Hyundai reviews in this set describe pawls failing when the cord is yanked, so a harder pull is how that fault gets worse. Fit a cord and pawls only if you are competent with that starter, or take the saw to someone who is.
When do I stop and take it to a dealer?
When the brake does not work, the chain creeps at idle, the stop switch is dead, the starter is stripped, or fresh mix at the right ratio still will not fire. A Stihl goes to a Stihl dealer. A Hyundai, eSkde, or Neilsen goes to support for that brand. Do not expect a Stihl parts counter to stock the other three.

Related pages

Stihl vs cheap petrol chainsaw

Stihl petrol chainsaw

Best Stihl petrol chainsaw: Hyundai if you can hold it

Petrol chainsaw buying guide: decide the wood first

Petrol chainsaw for firewood: bar length for stove logs

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)