Chainsaws
Electric chainsaw options for fast, clean cutting when you cannot be messing with fuel, pull starts, or noise on smaller site and garden jobs.
When you are breaking down sleepers, trimming back overgrowth, or chopping firewood after a site clear-up, a decent chainsaw saves your back and your time. An electric chainsaw is the easy grab for quick cuts and tidy work, while a petrol chainsaw still earns its keep for all-day felling and heavy timber. Pick the bar length to match what you are actually cutting, keep the chain sharp, and you will get straight cuts without fighting the saw.
What Are Electric Chainsaws Used For?
- Cutting firewood and breaking down timber on driveways, yards, and back gardens where you want quick start-up and no fuel mixing.
- Snedding and pruning branches after a site clearance, especially where noise matters and you are in and out of the cut all day.
- Trimming sleepers, posts, and landscaping timbers for edging and retaining work when you need clean, controlled cuts.
- Dealing with storm damage and fallen limbs where you need a saw that is easy to handle and predictable in tight spaces.
Choosing the Right Electric Chainsaw
Match the saw to the size of timber and how long you will be cutting, because that is what decides whether electric is enough or you need petrol.
1. Electric vs Petrol
If you are doing quick cuts, pruning, and firewood, an electric chainsaw is the sensible choice because it starts instantly and needs less upkeep. If you are felling, cutting big diameter timber, or working away from power all day, a petrol chainsaw is still the one that keeps going.
2. Bar Length and What You Actually Cut
If you mostly cut small limbs and logs, a shorter bar is easier to control and less tiring. If you regularly cut thicker timber, go longer, but do not buy a massive bar just because it looks the part, because it is slower, heavier, and easier to bind if your technique is not there yet.
3. Chain and Tensioning
If you are new to chain saws, look for a setup that makes chain tensioning straightforward, because a loose chain is a headache and a safety risk. Whatever you buy, plan on spare chains and keep them sharp, because a blunt chain makes any saw feel like a cheap chainsaw.
Who Uses These Chainsaws?
- Landscapers and grounds teams who need an electric chainsaw for regular pruning, timber trimming, and quick clear-ups without the faff of petrol.
- Maintenance teams and caretakers keeping sites, estates, and access routes tidy, where a quieter saw is easier to run around people.
- Groundworkers and fencing crews cutting posts and rails on smaller jobs, then stepping up to a petrol chainsaw when the timber is bigger and the day is longer.
The Basics: Understanding Chainsaws
Most problems with chainsaws come down to power type, bar length, and chain setup. Get those three right and the saw cuts straight, clears chips, and does not fight you in the cut.
1. Electric vs Petrol Power
An electric chainsaw gives you instant start and simpler maintenance for regular trimming and cutting jobs. A petrol chainsaw brings higher sustained power for bigger timber and longer sessions, but it needs proper fuel, warm-up, and more routine checks.
2. Bar Length and Cutting Technique
Your bar length needs to suit the timber so you are not forcing the saw or burying the bar and pinching it. On thicker cuts, work the saw steadily and let the chain do the graft, because pushing hard just overheats and dulls it quicker.
3. Chain Sharpness and Lubrication
A sharp, correctly tensioned chain throws chips and cuts clean; a dull chain makes dust and drags the motor. Keep chain oil topped up and check tension little and often, especially after fitting a new chain.
Chainsaw Accessories That Stop Downtime
A couple of cheap add-ons make the difference between cutting all day and standing there with a blunt chain and a half-finished pile of timber.
1. Spare Chains
A spare chain saves you when you clip soil, stones, or a hidden nail and the cut turns to dust. Swap it over and keep working, then sharpen the damaged one back at the yard.
2. Chain Oil
Do not run dry, because it cooks bars and chains fast. Keeping the right chain oil in the van stops avoidable wear and keeps the cut smooth.
3. File and Sharpening Kit
A quick touch-up on site keeps the saw biting properly and reduces kickback risk from forcing a blunt chain. If you are cutting regularly, it pays for itself in chains you do not bin early.
4. Bar and Chain Cleaning Brush
Clearing packed-in chips around the sprocket cover and bar groove stops overheating and keeps the chain running free, especially when you are cutting sappy wood.
Shop Electric Chainsaws at ITS
Whether you need a compact electric chainsaw for pruning and firewood or a petrol chainsaw for bigger cuts and longer days, we stock the full chainsaws range in all the key sizes and types. It is all held in our own warehouse, in stock and ready for next day delivery so you can get cutting without waiting around.
Electric Chainsaw and Chainsaw FAQs
What are the different types of chainsaws?
The main types are electric chainsaw models and petrol chainsaw models. Electric covers corded and battery saws for quicker, cleaner running, while petrol is built for longer runtime and heavier cutting where you cannot rely on mains power.
Is an electric chainsaw actually powerful enough, or will it stall in thicker timber?
For pruning, logs, sleepers, and general cutting, an electric chainsaw is more than capable if the chain is sharp and you are not oversizing the bar for the job. If you are regularly felling or cutting big diameter hardwood all day, that is where a petrol chainsaw still makes more sense.
What bar length should I go for?
Buy for what you cut most often, not the odd worst-case log. A shorter bar is easier to control and less tiring for pruning and firewood, while a longer bar is only worth it if you are consistently cutting thicker timber and you know how to avoid pinching and binding.
Do I really need spare chains, or is that overkill?
Get at least one spare chain. On real jobs you will hit grit, soil, or the odd hidden fixing, and a chain goes blunt fast when that happens. Swapping chains keeps you working and stops you forcing a dull chain and cooking the bar.
I have searched chainsaw near me and seen chainsaws deals, but how do I avoid buying a cheap chainsaw that is a waste of money?
Do not judge it on price alone, judge it on whether you can get spare chains, keep it oiled, and tension it properly without hassle. Most "cheap chainsaw" complaints come from blunt chains, wrong bar size, and poor maintenance, not just the motor, so buy the right size and budget for chain oil and a spare chain from day one.
