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Gas-powered chainsaws are noisy, high-maintenance tools. For many homeowners looking to fell small trees or prune limbs around their property, an electric chainsaw offers quiet yet robust cutting power.

I have tested and ranked 7 of the most popular options to help you find the best electric chainsaw that is perfect for you.

Note: Prices and ratings are accurate at the time of writing.

1. Worx Nitro 40V: Best For Medium Sized Branches (14 to 16 Inches)

Total Ratings: 363

Highlight: This 40v electric chainsaw model provides ample power and extended runtime to handle home and light commercial cutting jobs, rivaling gas chainsaws in performance.

Helpful Review:

“I’ve tried a couple of 20v electric chainsaws and they work ok but they aren’t comparable to a gas unit. This 40v model is a lot more powerful and the 4Ah battery packs provide decent operating time for most home and light commercial cutting needs.

I don’t feel like it lacks power, and I only had it locked up if I pressed down very hard, which I learned not to do after just a couple of cuts.

Safety features are good with a chain break and decent guard. You hold this a lot like a gas chainsaw and the 16-inch blade is an excellent length for cutting larger logs. Thankfully, this saw has a built-in lubrication tank and uses normal bar and chain oil.

A big part of the cost of this saw is the two 4Ah batteries and charger. The charger can charge both batteries at once and although it’s quite large, it works well and charges them up in a couple of hours or less when they are empty.

The charger also works with other 20v Worx Powershare batteries and the batteries should work with any other Worx 20 or 40v Powershare tools, like the line trimmer or pole saw.

The quality is fantastic on this saw. It feels good to hold and use and seems like it will hold up over time. Worx may not seem like one of the top brands but I’ve been very impressed with this unit and would place it above Ryobi and near the quality of a DeWalt or Makita tool.

The included chain seems to be good quality and since it’s a standard size, it can be replaced eventually.

Very happy with this saw. It may not be quite as powerful as a gas unit, but it’s a lot quieter and for my use at home, it’s more than powerful enough for cutting up logs and removing old trees on my property.”- Eric

2. RYOBI RY: Best Chainsaw For Small Branches

Total Ratings: 108

Highlight: Works great for thin and medium-sized branches that don’t require excessive power.

Helpful Review:

I’ve included reviews from 3 different persons.

“A great deal on this. I have several of the 40V Ryobi tools and love ’em. I wanted the chainsaw, but they were so expensive. Found this deal and decided to take a chance on it.

I’ve been chopping up a big oak branch that I had taken down recently. The branch is bigger than any tree in my yard. This thing is going through it with no issues.”- Jeff S

“Perfect for a homeowner! I can’t imagine a tree company switching to the battery yet, but maybe for climbing up in the canopy?

As a casual user with the occasional need to drop a tree or cut up one that came down, this saw will do whatever you need to do, as long as you have some time &/or extra batteries.

Quiet, and SO MUCH BETTER than having to deal with 2-stroke gas and a carbureted engine that most likely will be problematic if it just sits around most of the time… as a former mechanic.”- Scott

“It depends upon what you’re cutting…

No battery-operated saw compares to the gas saws. I however found a place for this saw in my skill set. I cut 7 fireplace cords every year.

I found that this saw wasn’t very good on the thick stuff and burned through batteries like crazy in that area of the tree (something you don’t have to worry about with a gas saw). A gas saw can cut way more wood before needing to be refilled and is untouchable on 12”+ sized trees.

This saw however works well on the top of the trees where the branches are smaller. This saw is irreplaceable in the need for a quick cut now too. Take it with you when you go four-wheeling as a precautionary measure.

Make sure the chain bar oil is full before you leave and away you go. Love it. If you’re driving around in vehicles or on your motored toys enough, you will find a need for a saw sooner or later for that down tree.

This battery saw is awesome for that. If you live in the city suburbs, this saw is irreplaceable for noise and won’t upset the neighbors having to listen to that gas saw.

Yes, I confirm this saw is in everybody’s skill set. I once had to cut my gas saw out of a tree because it got pinched, glad I had this battery backup saw if you know what I mean.

Hope this helps you make that decision you need to make and this sets a light on some of the things you might have to go through using it.”- Bender

3. DEWALT 20V MAX: Best Value For Money Chainsaw

Total Ratings: 4345

Highlight: Dewalt’s 20v battery-powered chainsaw provides ample cutting capacity for most homeowner needs while being lightweight, easy to control, and eliminating the hassles of gas-powered maintenance.

Helpful Review:

“I was a bit skeptical regarding battery-operated chainsaws – honestly I thought this would be underpowered having a previous crappy experience with Dewalt’s 18v 6.25in circular saw.

I decided on this unit after being very pleasantly surprised by the line trimmer and being quite happy with Dewalt’s 20v line of tools.

I purchased this saw after reading reviews and deciding to further my commitment to Dewalt (for context, I have about a dozen 18v tools that I began purchasing since their inception – was a GC back in the late 90’s and went with Dewalt so the batteries were interchangeable with the various contractors at job sites).

Regarding Dewalt’s 20v line, it’s a marked improvement over their 18v tools – the batteries just last longer, are in general less bulky (they run from 1ah to 10 or 15ah depending on the battery type) as you can use a battery-appropriate for a job (for light work use the smaller batteries, for heavier the larger).

I’ve only had a problem with one battery that won’t charge properly that I wished I had sent back (it was part of DCA2203C- two 20-ah batteries, a charger, and an adapter).

Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the battery so no recourse (buried somewhere in my basement. As an aside, if you buy a battery adapter you can use the new batteries on older equipment – makes them last a bit longer.

I’ve slowly been swapping out as the older equipment dies (all the old batteries are completely dead and it’s not worthwhile to have them rebuilt).

About the line-trimmer – my property is a 1/2 acre wooded lot with about 40 large hardwood trees and only a couple of strips of grass along the edges and the backyard”.

I tried various line trimmers and the mix-fuel versions are frankly just not worth the trouble – the corded trimmers are too much of a pain.

The Dewalt DCST925B works quite well for my needs – a single battery is more than enough for most trimming with a second needed if I’m also edging (I’ve got about 120 feet of sidewalk on one side of the corner lot.

In any case, this led to me thinking about replacing my chainsaw – it was an 18″ Stihl Farm Boss that frankly was overkill for the number of times I needed it.

I ended up getting the bar jammed up in a log and decided that I had enough. 95% of the time a 12-inch bar was plenty – I had also read some reviews about upgrading the bar to a 16″ using aftermarket parts so there are options if I need a bigger capacity.

The DCCS620 is fairly lightweight and super simple to use – it also cuts out when the trigger is released so it is much safer than gas-powered.

It’s light enough that it can be used one-handed (if you have the grip strength) but I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s safer and easier to control with two hands.

There’s also a chain break across the top to cover accidents on the plunge. The only negative, which I was aware of going in, is that it leaks bar chain oil a bit – not enough to drain the reservoir but enough to be annoying.

I put the whole thing in a plastic shopping bag when not in use. I mostly use it to cut fallen limbs – these mostly don’t exceed 12″ in diameter but on the occasion, I’ve had to reposition the saw to get through them.

When making a lot of cuts I’ve had to change out the battery, but it’s what I expected for this type of saw. In all, a great battery-powered chainsaw.” – John Eaton

4. Greenworks 80V: Best For Hard To Reach Branches

Total Ratings: 1348

Highlight: This electric pole saw provides excellent cutting capacity and run time for trimming hard-to-reach limbs, with quiet and easy operation, though the safety features can be tricky, and monitoring oil levels is critical for continued sharp chain performance.

Helpful Review:

“We already had the 80V battery and charger, so when we needed a pole saw, this was almost a no-brainer! And we find it works well enough for 6″ diameter and under limbs, which is what we have.

We almost felt the need to knock the star rating down a notch because of incorrect and misleading instructions, but we finally got over our frustration. Even though it took us an extra half hour to assemble–when it was already basically assembled right out of the box.

The tool comes in three pieces, (like a floor lamp), with the three long pieces folded over themselves and the wiring running through it all and fully connected.

The instructions first said to couple the handle piece and the middle piece together first. We did that and then could not make the other connection because the wiring would not allow room for the two pieces to come together.

We were about ready to call the Greenworks helpline when we decided to re-read the instructions.

Found a “NOTE” down further in the directions that advised me to do the opposite of what it said to do in the regular instructions. So, if you buy this, definitely connect the middle piece to the saw blade end FIRST.

I was personally surprised to find that the saw end was heavier than the handle end. I thought that the heavy battery would make the handle end heavier.

But the weight is in the saw end. When the battery is attached, it works to balance the whole thing nicely. My husband will be the main user of this tool, but I am happy to say that I can hold it up there, too!

The battery is very efficient, too. Plenty of power to cut through many 6 1/2″ limbs at a time. Still have not worn it out in one session.

Definitely consider the diameter of your limbs before choosing the Greenworks 8″ over this 10″. If you are dealing with 5 1/2″ – 6 1/2″ limbs, you will need this length.”- I Do The Speed Limit

5. Makita XCU03PT:

Total Ratings: 279

Highlight: This compact electric chainsaw delivers sufficient power for light jobs but battery life is limited, though it allows easily swapping different bars and chains to boost cutting versatility.

Helpful Review:

“I got this to do some small trees around my yard. Overall, I love that it can cut pretty well with good technique, but it requires an excessive amount of recharging, thus not having the performance time to do more than a few things at a time.

One nice thing is the fact that it can take different chains and bars and it’s easy to swap out. Tightening the chain can still become a task that leads to sore thumbs.

To summarize:

Pros:

-Strong chainsaw for its size. Can quite quite nicely.

-reasonably easy to use, and as with any quality tool comes with good documentation.

-Easy to change between bar sizes.

-Good display to show remaining battery life.

Cons:

-pretty short battery life, most useful for very small jobs around the house, but may need more than one set of batteries to jump around for a single job. Might be worth forking over the $130 for another pair of batteries.

-chain tightening done by a thumb mechanism can lead to sore thumbs quickly.”- Krystian

6. Oregon CS1500: Best For Heavy Tasks

Total Ratings: 8001

Highlight: This electric chainsaw delivers comparable cutting power and speed to gas models, with the added benefits of always-sharp chain sharpening, no toxic fumes, less noise, and lower operating temperatures.

Helpful Review:

“After the muffler fell off my Husqvarna 350 and it lost compression, I needed an alternative for cutting logs in my backyard.

I was sick of sucking on those 2-stroke oil/gas fumes and feeling like I couldn’t get out of bed the next morning from all the toxicity, so I decided to go electric.

I was really worried about it not having enough power. Well, just an FYI, you can bog any chainsaw if you lean on it hard enough – so it’s not like gas-powered chainsaws are invincible. I’ve had plenty of them stall.

The good:

– This electric saw had absolutely no trouble, even cutting through rock maple. This thing was a BEAST – it barely bogged, even when I leaned on it, cutting through 24″ maple rounds. Man did it make wood chips fly! Look, there is NO LIMIT OF POWER on this thing – it easily has as much power as my Husky did.

– The chain sharpening is AWESOME! I cut more wood faster than ever because the chain was always sharp. No stopping and sharpening which is such a PITA.

– NO MORE FUMES!

– MUCH LESS NOISE!

– NO MORE HEAT. It can get hot in the summer running a gas-powered chain saw.

– Fewer parts to break.

Problems:

– It does use oil a bit faster than normal. But for the price of the saw and having to check the oil a bit more often – who cares? It’s still faster than filling gas AND oil…

– Chain: It came off a couple of times – mostly when a newbie was running the saw. It came off on me once if memory serves – mainly because the blade got pinched badly inside the cut. Oh well, I put it back on and we kept going.

– Cord: Make sure you have a good 12 gauge 50 ft cord (just about $29 here on Amazon) unless you are close enough to go with a 14 gauge 25 ft cord. I bought my 50-footer and it worked like a champ.

– Portability: There needs to be an outlet somewhere in sight. You could go 100ft with 10 gauge Romex if you added plug and receptacle ends to it, and do that reasonably cheap. Then just add a short 14 gauge cord at the end so you can move around easily (Romex is very stiff, esp. 10 gauge!).

Conclusion:

AMAZING SAW – AT ANY PRICE POINT. Honestly, it’s plastic, and its construction doesn’t look like a $350 saw, no, but this thing solved my three biggest problems: environmental pollution, noise, and frequent blade changes/sharpening.

And it did so for $120. How does it get better than that? And it’s a full 18-inch saw! Not a ‘baby saw’ (I could never do what I do with a 16″ or worse still, a 14″ bar).”- Thundersinspring

7.Milwaukee 16-Inch Chainsaw Kit:

Total Ratings: 303

Highlight: Milwaukee’s M18 cordless chainsaw delivers robust cutting capacity in a compact, easily cleaned package with well-designed features like the integrated chain tensioning tool, though more batteries may be needed to sustain longer jobs.

Helpful Review:

“I want to preface all my Milwaukee M18 reviews with a disclaimer that I do not and have never worked for Milwaukee, nor have I ever accepted anything from them. I just started switching my 15-20 years of electric tools collecting over to, almost all, Milwaukee 18V.

Out of the box:

PROS:

-The blade was already tensioned decently but the nuts could’ve been tighter.

-Put oil in it and run it plain for a bit to lube it up. It uses the perfect amount of oil, in my opinion, to keep the blade well-oiled and the parts moist enough to be easily cleaned.

-Upon my third battery use, I got the bar stuck in a decent Russian Olive. Thought I was for sure bending the bar or losing the chain. Neither happened, they’re still great. The tree popped off and the saw came out with the chain needing a little tightening. I even destroyed the tree a little more before tightening the chain in retaliation Muahahaha.

-Very easy cleanup. I took it to the garage, disassembled it (easily with the included tool), cleaned it with mineral spirits in my tank (making sure not to blow liquid directly at it, blew it all out real good with compressed air, oiled it all, put it back together with my new blade (I’ll sharpen the 1st in the meantime), and it’s like mint condition again, aside from a couple of tiny spots of paint on the bar that have come off where the hardening was done.

-Oh, the little hidden tool for tightening is excellent and stored nicely. I’ve wondered why this hasn’t been a thing for years.

CONS:

-The Trigger area has a hole for a foot like you’re starting a combustion engine pull-start but isn’t necessary. If anything, it makes for a nice huge storage spot for the wonderful little wrench.

-Need more than 1 battery if you’re going to be working a lot. I feel as a homeowner of about 4 acres, 1 wooded, I need about 2-3 12.0 Ah batteries for the Chainsaw, Weedeater, Hedge Trimmer, and Blower when needed. I don’t usually need to use them all on the same day but there’s no way you’d need over 3 with how much work you could do plus if you had to have some on fast charge.

-The teeth by the handle need to be a little longer, probably 1/8″ even. It does grab a lot of the time but if there is something small in the way, the teeth have a hard time getting to the material.

Conclusion:

I think if this saw was made more like my Stihl topping saw, with the battery weight distribution in the back, handle grips closer, and a little smaller bar, this thing would be unstoppable.

It’s still a great saw and I’d grab it any day over my Stihl 14″, knowing I can slap a battery in and start eating. It’s hard to think how hard it’s working for how quiet it is, so people need to remember to be safe with this thing.” – Raymond K