The versatility that a chainsaw offers as a cutting tool remains unparalleled. But with prices for powerful saws creeping up to $500 or more, many are reluctant to invest in this power tool. If you’ve been wishing to buy a chainsaw on a budget, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of the best cheap chainsaws on sale.
These are affordable cutting tools that don’t sacrifice quality or safety. Read on to learn more.
What to Expect from the Cheapest Chainsaws
Chainsaw technology has come a long way from what was available in the past. Initially, shopping on a limited budget meant that you’d be stuck with small, weak machines that couldn’t handle much.
But this tool has evolved immensely and thanks to advancements in tech, we now have affordable chainsaws that can do a great deal of work. And the good thing is, you can find the best budget chainsaws in different categories: including a gas powered chainsaw.
Here are a couple of features you can expect from a cheap chainsaw:
Gas vs Electric vs Battery Chainsaws on a Budget
One key consideration you’ll have to make is which type of chainsaw to go for based on your budget.
A gas powered chainsaw is generally more expensive than its electric counterparts. On the plus side though, it's more powerful. So if you don’t want to sacrifice power, a gas model is your best bet.
That said, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a gas chainsaw on a budget. There are a few models whose price hovers around the $200 mark.
However, if you’re looking to spend the least amount of money possible, you’re better off investing in a cordless or corded electric chainsaw. With these types, you’ll find several that are priced under $100.
Wondering which saw to choose between a cordless and corded electric? Well, the first thing you'll want to take into your account is your accessibility to power. If you have a power outlet where you can plug your saw's extension cord, then a corded model is the best option.
But if you want a bit of flexibility, then a cordless electric saw is a better option. This one uses rechargeable batteries, offering you freedom of movement.
How to Choose the Best Cheap Chainsaw
Intended Use and Bar Size
The bar length you choose should be based on two aspects. One, the scope of work you intend to handle, and two, your level of expertise with these tools.
If you’ve been using chainsaws for a while, then we recommend getting two guide bar lengths. This way, you’ll have the right guide bar length to use for different tree sizes. To fell small trees, a 10 or 12 inch will suffice whereas felling larger trees will require at least a 16 inch bar length.
However, if you don't have much experience with chainsaws, a saw with a short bar length is your best starting point. By this, we mean an 8-, 10- or 12 inch bar.
On the other hand, if you're a veteran arborist, then you can go for any bar length as long as it suits your cutting job.
Weight
Another factor you should take into account is the weight of your chainsaw. This decision boils down to location and experience.
If you plan to carry your chainsaw for long distances to get to your place of work, then invest in a lightweight model. But, if you’re planning to use your chainsaw from a permanent location, then investing in a heavier, more powerful chainsaw is the way to go.
Your experience with chainsaws also comes into play here. If it’s your first time using this power tool, going for a lighter one is advisable because it’s easier to maneuver. On the other hand, if you have plenty of experience using chainsaws, then the weight shouldn’t be a hindrance.
Remember that the chainsaw's bar length will have a significant impact on weight. For instance, a 16 inch chainsaw will be bulkier and heavier than an 8- or 10 inch model.
Starting
The ease of starting your chainsaw will depend on the type you go for. It’s a no-brainer that electric models are the easiest to start.
For a corded electric, all you need to do is find an outlet, plug in the chainsaw’s power extension cord, and you’re good to go! A cordless chainsaw is also easy to start as you just have to equip it with the right batteries and ensure they’re charged to full capacity.
A gas powered chainsaw is an entirely different animal. With this tool, there are a couple of things you’re required to do before you start it, namely:
Engaging the Chain Brake
This ensures that the chain is secured before you start pulling the power cord.
Pressing the Decompression Valve
This component is designed to emit some of the compression from the combustion unit, making the engine easier to start.
Pumping the Primer
This helps to pump gas through the carburetor.
Once you’ve taken these steps, you can start pulling the power cord to get your machine running.
Lubrication
The non-stop rotation of a chainsaw around the guide bar generates a fair amount of heat and friction. The only way to minimize this is by ensuring that your chainsaw is well-lubricated.
The best chainsaw will have a built-in lubrication system. This works by constantly dripping tiny amounts of oil on the chain while it’s running.
Other chains are designed with minute channels in the drive links, which serve to distribute oil throughout the length of the chain.
Avoid chainsaw manufacturers who omit this feature in the name of trying to offer affordable chainsaws. All the chainsaws we’ve reviewed below are cheap, and the majority have an automatic oil filler for easy lubrication.
Chain Brake
We’ve talked about the safety of the best cheap chainsaws at length in the section below. But we’d like to single out this specific feature because it plays a very important role.
The chain brake prevents the chain from rotating any further. So when activated, it causes the chain to stop immediately, which is useful in two instances.
For starters, the brake can be used to secure the chain when you want to shift position or move between cuts. You may also want to secure the chain if you’re attempting to start a cold saw, in which case the throttle needs to be partly open.
The second instance where a chain brake is very handy is when a kickback happens. A kickback results from an abrupt upward movement of the bar. In case this happens, the brake springs into action to stop the chain’s movement; hence, preventing you from being struck.
Durability
On average, a chainsaw should last anywhere between 5 and 6 years. In fact, the best budget chainsaws can last for up to 10 years if they're well taken care of.
That said, its durability depends largely on the quality of its parts. So before making any purchase, take a closer look at the saw and check how well it’s designed.
More specifically, check the materials used to make each part. Based on this, you’ll be able to tell whether it’s a power tool that’s going to last or not.
Brands
When buying a cheap chainsaw, your safest bet is to rely on reputable brands. Such companies will never take shortcuts or sacrifice the quality of their products for the sake of keeping prices low.
So what are the best cheap chainsaw brands? Here are a few examples:
Oregon
This brand is more prominent for their chains than their chainsaws. But the few saws they’ve made are high-quality.
Greenworks
Greenworks makes battery powered and gas chainsaws of exceptional quality. If you happen to buy directly from the manufacturer, you’ll enjoy a 4 year limited warranty.
Husqvarna
It’s the most popular brand for power tools, including chainsaws. The only problem is that their products are high-priced. So you might not find a chainsaw on a small budget.
Black & Decker
Even though this brand didn’t start out by making power tools, it’s grown to become a strong contender in this space. As a bonus, their chainsaws are very affordable.
Echo
This brand is mostly known for making the best gas chainsaws. But it’s also started to make some quality battery chainsaws too, like their CCS-58VBT that’s powered by a Lithium ion battery.
Although not as popular as those mentioned above, these chainsaw brands are also worth mentioning: Huyosen and Worx.
Warranty
A good chainsaw manufacturer is one who offers a reasonable warranty policy for their power tools.
By reasonable we mean that it should have a generous refund period and at least one year’s worth of standard warranty.
The refund period gives you an opportunity to get acquainted with and put your new power tool to the test. If you notice any manufacturer defects, you have a right to return the product and get a complete refund or replacement.
When it comes to a warranty, it should cover a period of at least one year. The longer the warranty the better. The best brands are confident about the quality of their chainsaws; hence, they're not afraid to offer warranties that cover up to 3 or 5 years.
Safety Equipment
If you’re planning to buy a chainsaw for cheap, then one thing you should remember to check is whether it has safety features.
Some manufacturers skimp on this in an attempt to cut down costs. But this should not be the case. Here’s a rundown of the most important safety features that your power tool ought to have.
While these features are crucial to improving your safety, you should also arm yourself with personal safety gear. This includes:
Reviews of the Best Budget Chainsaws
1. Greenworks 40V 12-Inch Cordless Chainsaw
If you’ve decided to go with a battery powered chainsaw, then one model that makes a strong contender is Greenworks 40V.
As with most cordless chainsaws, this one gets its power from a lithium-ion battery. As a result, it’s best used for light-duty cutting tasks. Here, it provides maximum cutting power, slicing through branches and tree limbs like a hot knife through butter.
To perform this task, the electric saw uses its sturdy 12 inch bar and chain. We were particularly impressed with the fact that the chain uses a tool-free chain tensioning mechanism. The ⅜ inch pitch of the chain provides exceptional cutting capabilities while reducing the risk of kickback.
Another feature that makes this one of the best chainsaws for the money is the automatic oiler. As you probably know, the act of the chain passing over the bar generates friction. The oiler lubricates this section so that heat doesn’t build up and damage your bar and chain.
A closer look at this electric chainsaw proves that Greenworks really thought about the user when designing this power tool. This explains why it has a wrap-around handle, an ergonomic feature that makes it easy to trim from different angles.
Important to note though is that the saw uses very particular batteries. It’s only compatible with either the G-Max 4.0 Ah battery or G-Max 2.0 Ah battery.
On the brighter side, they’re both long-lasting batteries, so you’ll be able to do a decent amount of work.
To be more specific, you should be able to make up to 150 cuts before having to recharge it. Besides, there’s a translucent battery life indicator so you’ll know just how much more time you have to work.
Pros
Cons
Another electric chainsaw that doesn’t come with a high price tag is the Black & Decker LCS1020. While it’s not the most powerful saw, it has a nice selection of features that make it worth investing in.
The most notable feature is the 20V Max lithium ion battery, which boasts a long battery life. This battery offers an impressive 150 cuts on a single charge. This lets you enjoy the perks of a cordless chainsaw without the drawback of short battery life.
Another advantage that is offered by this lithium-ion battery is the fact that it makes it easy to start your saw. Just flip a switch and you can get started on your cutting jobs.
Speaking of cutting, the Black & Decker chainsaw employs Oregon’s low kickback 10 inch bar. With such a size, you might not be able to tackle heavy duty trimming as you would with say, a 16 inch bar. What you’ll get instead is the ability to move with speed and make very clean and accurate cuts.
We particularly that the saw's chain tensioning system doesn't need any tools or expertise.
Also worth mentioning is the ease of carrying the Black & Decker electric chainsaw around. Weighing a measly 10 pounds, this chainsaw is extremely light; making it convenient to carry to a job site.
Pros
Cons
If you don’t want to suffer any sort of power interruptions when you’re working, a corded electric chainsaw is your safest option. And the good thing is, there are affordable models in this category too, such as the Oregon CS1500 electric chainsaw.
This saw’s key highlight is Oregon’s proprietary self-sharpening mechanism referred to as PowerSharp. What this does is that it automatically sharpens the chain whenever it becomes dull.
The best thing about this feature is the fact that it does not involve any chain removal nor fancy tools. The integrated sharpening system works flawlessly, helping you to get started on your cutting jobs in less than 3 seconds.
Another thing you’re sure to love about the CS1500 electric chainsaw is that you won’t have to compromise on cutting power even on a shoestring budget. This is because it comes equipped with a 15 amp motor alongside an 18 inch bar. This enables you to tackle 16 inch diameter logs.
The 18 inch bar is also designed for a low kickback, so you can worry less about your safety and pay more attention to the task at hand.
The Lubri-Tec automatic oiling system is another welcome addition to this chainsaw. It distributes oil on the guide bar and chain, ensuring that they’re always lubricated. This way, you’ll never have to be concerned with friction, which would otherwise slow you down significantly.
Pros
Cons
As we mentioned earlier, gas powered chainsaws will often be the most pricey of the lot. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t find an affordable tool. The Echo CS-310 ensures that you don’t have to sacrifice cutting power just because you have a limited budget.
On board this machinery is a 30.5 cc 2-stroke engine. This gives you more cutting power to work with than what you’d ever get from its corded and cordless counterparts. You also get a 14 inch bar and chain. While this is not as long as a 16 inch bar, it's still able to cut through different materials with ease.
We were particularly impressed with the speed of this gas powered chainsaw. The chain cuts through logs at an average speed of 5 seconds per cut.
While this performance is pretty impressive, it comes at one expense, level of noise. The chainsaw averaged a noise level of 90 decibels, which is quite high but not unexpected for gas powered tools such as this one. As such, you’ll want to arm yourself with the right hearing protectors, especially if you plan to work for extended periods of time.
On a brighter note, the saw is equipped with the best anti vibration system, making the handles comfortable to hold. There's also an automatic chain oiler, which makes it easy to keep your chainsaw well lubricated.
Gas chainsaws have a reputation for being difficult to start. Luckily, this is not the case with CS-310, which comes fitted with the brand’s i30 starting technology.
According to Echo, this cuts back starting effort by a whopping 30%. So even though it may not instantly like the electric models, you don’t have to worry about expending all your energy to get your chainsaw running.
Pros
Cons
In case the Echo CS-310 ends up being out of your budget, the Huyosen 5520E is the best cheap gas powered cheap chainsaw.
Interestingly, it’s more powerful than the Echo, giving you a decent value for your money. To be specific, the chainsaw utilizes a 54.6 cc two-stroke engine. Factor in the 20 inch bar and you wind up with a whole lot of cutting power. Thus, it comes as no surprise that it clocks in at a speed of 8500 rpm.
Another thing you’ll love about the Huyosen 5520E gas powered chainsaw entails its ergonomic design. It’s fitted with an array of features that make it as user-friendly as possible.
For instance, it has a cushion wrap handle that gives you a secure grip on the saw. It means that you don’t need to worry about the saw slipping from your hands during use.
This handle also boasts a shock-absorbing feature, reducing the intensity of vibrations you feel when using the saw. This allows you to work longer without feeling fatigued.
This gas powered chainsaw also has a safety switch. Popularly referred to as the dead man's switch, the purpose of this is to bring the piece of equipment to an instant halt; hence, enhancing your safety.
Keeping this chainsaw lubricated will be a breeze thanks to the automatic oil filler. This mechanism constantly distributes oil to the chain and guide bar, reducing friction and extending the life of the saw.
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
One of the best cheap chainsaws is the Greenworks 40V. Despite its low price tag, it has a decent range of features that are sure to impress you.
For instance, it has a 12 inch bar combo that’s made of steel, giving you maximum cutting power. The automatic oiler keeps the bar and chain well lubricated so you’re not slowed down by friction. And the chainsaw also has a wrap-around handle, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods.