TOP-10 best electric chain saws in 2020

What is the best electric chain saw? First of all, you should look at how powerful the motor is. A good-quality model features 13 amp and more. Another thing to take into consideration is the design, whether it is corded or cordless. The latter ones are more convenient and can be used in the areas where there is no power outlet nearby. The main downside to cordless models is the limited battery life, meaning that they are suitable just for completing minor tasks that take a few hours. That is why professionals opt for corded chain saws that are more powerful and allow you to handle a heavy workload without interruption. We believe that Makita UC4051A 16 ″ Electric Chain Saw fit these criteria best.

Why have we chosen this product? This model is really powerful as it draws 14.5 amps at load, which is about 1740 watts at 120VAC. Electric chain brake adds to the tool’s productivity while an automatic oiler and the 2,900 FPM chain speed makes this tool a great choice for continuous work of any complexity. Add to this how easy the saw is adjusted and the convenience of a rubberized grip, and you will understand why this model is frequently picked by professionals. The tool has a corded design and is safer than many of its analogs on the market. The latter is particularly ensured by a current limiter that reduces power to the motor should the device be overloaded.

Makita UC4051A 16-Inch Electric Chain Saw

I've made my admiration of this brand no secret in my recent looks at various types of tools. Average users may not have heard of them, because you usually tend to find them in the shops of dedicated craftsman, and very expensive, high-end contractor jobsites. Another reason why average users may not have heard of them is the price tag.

This is unfortunate, because they are extremely powerful, extremely high-quality tools indeed. I really like this chainsaw, and if I had a standard, corded electric chainsaw these days, this is probably the one I would have. The big trick with it is that it’s tool less, meaning all you need to do is twist the dial to remove, or replace the chain and reset the housing.

It also has a very clear, easy to see oil indicator, and I cannot overstate how dangerous letting the oil drop too low in a chainsaw, regardless of its power source, actually is. If oil gets too low, the motor can burn out or even burst. While I’ve never seen a chainsaw do this, I have seen water pumps burst from oil contamination and oil depletion, and had I had ahold of it at the time, it would’ve hurt if not actually injured me.

Makita tools are all about safety, quality and durability, and that's why I love them in spite of their price tag. The cord is also nice and rigid, meaning it doesn’t entangle with things as nicely, and the stopping power on the blade is unmatched, which means my friend would’ve never had the problem she did, had she owned this saw.

Features

• Weight: 14 pounds.
• Voltage: Standard 110 / 115v
• Cord Length: Not listed, but about 20 feet.
• Braking: Automatic when trigger is released.
• Safety: Superb.
• Durability: Excellent.

Performance

Makita tools are powerful, and this is why they’re as costly as they are. They don’t break easily, and require strikingly little maintenance compared to most other brands. I love the grip on this one, my one complaint is that it’s really heavy. 14 pounds doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re hoisting it for a few hours, you get tired, and fatigue and chainsaws do not make good bedfellows, obviously.

This weight is unavoidable though, as a really powerful electric motor has to have serious magnets and a massive coil, so if you want power, you have to deal with weight. We haven’t perfected light weight superconductive materials quite yet, so yes, power has heft to it.

My advice is to take regular breaks.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

If you need a chainsaw often, don’t want gas, but need more power than batter, you’ve found your saw.

Makita: Check the current price

What Types of Chain Saws Are There?

I’ve been talking a lot about saws lately, and some would say I’m a bit of a downer, in how I take the time to indicate how dangerous these tools can be, and harping on not buying something too cheap. But when it comes to tools, it's critical to take safety seriously.

Recently, I talked about chainsaws, specifically cordless electric versions of them. As I said in that piece, there are basically three types of chainsaws at the end of the day. The first are the traditional gas-powered models, which are the most powerful, but also aren’t very environmentally sound, and they’re very heavy, dangerous machines.

I also talked about battery-powered electric chainsaws, which are something of a compromise due to the limitations and amperage available through a battery in the first place. Now, battery-powered compact chainsaws are nice, but if you don’t want to sacrifice power, at least not much, but you don’t want to go with gas power, there is a third alternative.

Corded electric chainsaws are actually pretty powerful, especially if you can get one that uses a 220 line, though those are fairly rare. There are pitfalls with this, as you don’t think about chainsaws having a cord to trip over and deal with hazards. Today, I'd like to talk about these chainsaws, because despite cords being a nuisance, there are a lot of virtues to this sort of electric chainsaw.

How Do Electric Chain Saws Work?

First, let’s talk about how these work. An electric tool of any sort uses an electric motor. Electric motors utilize current running through an electric copper coil, and magnets which cause a shaft or cam to spin. The more stable, high amperage and high voltage signal that is provided, the more power the motor can provide. This is why a battery version has some significant power limitations, compared to one plugged into an outlet.

No electric chainsaw is as powerful as a gas chainsaw, because short of having a nuclear generator at your disposal, electricity just isn’t as powerful as internal combustion. Alas, that's just physics.

Aside from the difference in power supply, being considerably lighter on average, and having a cord to deal with, there’s really not that much difference in how you use one of these chainsaws.

What Are The Benefits Of Using High-End Electric Chain Saws?

However, I do want to talk about how dangerous cords can be, and I have a slightly gruesome story which I think epitomizes this best. This didn’t actually happen to me, but rather a friend of mine, and I’m grateful that it wasn’t me that it happened to.

A friend of mine, let’s call her Dorothy, was up on a very tall letter, using her corded electric chainsaw to trim branches off of her tree. There’s nothing unusual about this, I’ve done the same on many occasions, because a battery-powered chainsaw just doesn’t pack the power needed to cut through exceptionally tough limbs. However, she was doing this alone, and the cord ran afoul of the ladder.

Now, she wasn’t just up 5 feet on a simple step letter, she was a solid 50 feet up in the air, and she fell to the ground hard. As a matter fact, she broke her hip and part of her left leg. She couldn’t move, and being a stubborn, slightly technophobic person, she wasn’t in the habit of keeping her phone at arm’s reach at all times. Well, she learned her lesson about that at least. She lay in her backyard, and the baking Arizona sun, for hours in agony.

Fortunately, a neighbor saw her when they came home from work that evening, and she was taken to the hospital. She needed more treatment for dehydration and exposure that she did for the brakes, which were thankfully relatively hairline and trivial in the long run.

What’s really scary is, she didn’t have a high-quality corded chainsaw either. The thing didn’t stop when she fell, and it landed about a foot away from her with that blade still spinning. If it landed on her, I don’t think it would have been fatal, but it would’ve badly injured her.

The lesson we can take away from her brush with severe injury is that you have to be tremendously careful when you’re using corded tools, especially around ladders and extreme heights.

The other big thing to take away from it is, always have a very well-made chainsaw that reduces risks should you drop it, fall off of something or any number of other disasters. Safety is something you cannot put a numeric value on, and the better the chainsaw, not only the more power it can provide, but also the better safety it can provide.

You want to focus on a chainsaw that can clearly indicate when it needs new oil, and yes electric chainsaws the oil, but also that has good breaking, to prevent a spinning blade from running afoul of parts of your body.

Fortunately, you kind of have to mean the buy a poorly made chainsaw these days, with various regulatory bodies ensuring that the most basic safety and durability measures are taken. The trick is, if you have an older chainsaw that you think is perfectly fine because, “they don’t make them like they used to ”, you may have one that’s very dangerous because it was made before these regulations were put in place.

I personally have only cordless chainsaws, one gas and one battery-powered. This is mainly due to the fact that the most I do with a chainsaw is trimming my fence row, I don’t have a lot of major projects that involve them. I also tend to avoid doing my own yard work, letting the neighborhood landscaping service do everything that I'm willing to pay for, but their fence row trimming is just too expensive.

However, I do have quite a bit of experience using these tools, because there was a time when I lived in a much colder climate, and I did a lot of woodcutting to keep myself warm without a nasty power bill. Well, I was going to be damned if I was going to do it manually with an ax when we live in a century that has power tools. So, I’ve used just about every type of chainsaw you can name, including a corded one which I used to cut that wood.

Black + Decker Electric Chainsaw, 18 Inches

Black & Decker is more well known in the consumer market, everyone who likes tools, has a respect for the brand, and anyone who's used them has an appreciation of them. They make quality, durable products albeit not quite to the level of Makita.

They're lighter weight on average, and not quite as powerful, and they often cut some corners on ease of use to drive the price down without sacrificing quality, which, well, okay, we’re spoiled if having to do some tool-empowered maintenance is that big of a deal.

This is a longer saw, which makes it perfect for tree trimming, and with my limited use of chainsaws as far as frequency goes, as much as I like Makita, this would be the corded saw I would own now, as my trees and fence row are the inciting incidents where I do need chain saws.

However, the cord prevents me from reaching that far without stringing extension cords across my lawn, and I just don’t like the idea of ​​that.

Still, the quality of the cord on this, while not quite on the level of the Makita saw, is also very tangle proof, and I think we’ve established just how crucial that kind of safety engineering is.

One thing that really stands out with this one is its handling, which I'll get to in just a moment. First, let’s look at the features of this saw - features are important as the next / last item on the list is from the same brand. We try to avoid this, but honestly, I am not comfortable recommending anything but Makita and B&D when it comes to corded electric saws.

Features

• Weight: 12 pounds.
• Voltage: Standard 110 / 115v
• Cord Length: Not listed, but about 20 feet.
• Braking: Automatic when trigger is released.
• Safety: Superb.
• Durability: Decent. Chains wear out on these kind of quickly.

Performance

So, what really stands out with this one is how well-designed the grip is, and how it handles. Have you ever felt your hands going kind of numb from the vibration of a chain saw? Well, this one, whether it was by design or by chance, absolutely reduces that, with minimal vibration.

It also handles like butter, even better than the Makita. Frankly, if it had less plastic in its build, and a bit more power, I’d, gasp, appreciate this one maybe more than the Makita, which is a rarity for me, that’s for sure.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

For tree trimming, you can’t beat this Black & Decker chain saw. It's long, it's powerful, and it handles so smoothly.

Black + Decker Electric Chainsaw: Check the current price

Black + Decker 40V MAX Cordless Chainsaw, 12 Inches

Like I said, there are two Black & Decker offerings on the list, which is something I try to avoid usually, because comparing things of the same brand is kind of pointless and tedious for everyone involved. However, if I don’t think any other brands make the cut, then I don’t compromise just for the sake of variety.

Where the other one is perfect for tree trimming due to its reach, this one is ideal for things like fence row clearing or general maintenance, and is also great for cutting firewood and other less precise projects.

It's worth noting that an artist I know down here that makes carved log art, uses one of these to make absolutely beautiful and intricate designs. I don’t know how he does that, but if this saw will let the proper skill express itself this way, that says a lot.

Black & Decker is a respected brand as I said, and while I usually prefer Makita, and used to be skeptical of an overly-advertised brand, I find myself reevaluating my opinion on things. This is a solid saw, and it’s proving that B&D have what it takes to compete with the big boys.

I don’t think it’s perfect, and I’ll get to why in a moment, but for the price, it’s not bad, though I do have to say it’s about fifty bucks more than I think it should cost. This is a common trend in tools, because these big brands know they have you where they want you. That's just corporate culture in a nutshell I suppose. What can you do? You can't cut corners with something like this.

Features

• Weight: 10.4 pounds.
• Voltage: Standard 110 / 115v
• Cord Length: Not listed, but about 20 feet.
• Braking: Locking mechanism.
• Safety: Superb.
• Durability: Decent. I've seen the grip on one of these work itself loose over time.

Performance

This is a smooth-handling chainsaw, just like its 16-inch counterpart, though the compact size does mean it lets more vibration through than the other one. And, as I said, I have seen the grip on these loosen or begin to warp, because they seem to have adopted a plastic and steel formula that’s just slightly under par.

It’s a problem you can easily fix with a little TLC though, and there’s no such thing as an indestructible tool, so I’d say these are minor complaints that’re at worst, annoyances.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

This is a solid saw, great for basic maintenance, trimming shrubs and bushes, clearing fence rows, and while it's not indestructible, it's still pretty durable.

Black + Decker Cordless Chainsaw: Check the current price