The 8 Best Electric Chainsaws of 2026

The CS1500's party trick is the PowerSharp system: when the chain dulls, you run the built-in sharpener for 3 to 5 seconds and get back to cutting. That is a real convenience on a saw with an 18-inch bar, because a longer chain has more teeth to dull. The rest of the package is conventional corded chainsaw: a 15-amp motor, automatic bar oiling, a chain brake, and a 12.6-pound body.

Corded power suits this saw. You get consistent speed without a battery gauge or a charger, and the 18-inch bar gives you more capacity than the 16-inch battery saws here. The saw is quieter than a gas model but not silent, so hearing protection still belongs in the kit. It also starts instantly, which is the part gas owners notice first.

The self-sharpening system and 15-amp motor make it the corded saw we recommend for driveway and barn work. The 18-inch bar is more capacity than most homeowners need for limbing, but it earns its place when a storm drops a bigger limb across the drive.

Two 40V 4.0Ah batteries and a charger in the box is the reason to look at this SEESII. Most budget cordless saws give you one pack, which means you are either waiting or buying a spare before the first big storm. This kit gives you a working battery and a backup, plus a 2000W brushless motor and a 16-inch bar. That combination is why it is our value pick.

The saw has a 35 ft/s chain speed and a 150ml bar-oil reservoir, and the oil tank is the detail that makes the 16-inch bar practical: you are not refilling every few cuts. It also has tool-free chain tensioning, so you can tighten a stretched chain without digging for a wrench. The 10.3-pound body is manageable for limbing, and the two batteries let you keep one on the charger while the other works.

For a homeowner who wants one saw and two batteries, the SEESII is the kit we point to first. The 16-inch bar gives you room for storm limbs, and the brushless motor has enough torque to keep the chain moving in dry wood. It is not a premium saw, but it is a lot of cordless chainsaw for the money.

At 7.7 pounds, the Power Axe 350i is the lightest 18-inch saw in this group on the listed figure. It pairs that light body with a 1.9 hp brushless motor, a 25% boost mode, and an X-Cut chain on an 18-inch bar. The tool-free tensioner and included battery and charger round out a kit that feels aimed at someone who has used gas saws and does not want to give up torque.

That light body is why it is our premium pick. The 18-inch bar gives you real capacity for bucking, but the saw does not feel nose-heavy the way a big corded model can. Boost mode is the detail we appreciate most: press it for a knot or a buried bar and the saw picks up speed without a pause to restart.

The 18-inch bar and 1.9 hp motor put it in a different class from the 12- and 14-inch saws here. It is the saw we reach for when a limb is too big for a compact saw but we do not want to drag out a cord. The included battery and charger mean it is ready to cut without a separate purchase.

We recommend it for the homeowner who wants one premium battery saw that can limb and buck. If your work is mostly pruning, the 14-inch 225i is the better fit; if you are cutting firewood, this is the one.

The DCCS621B is a bare tool, so it is aimed at someone already on DeWalt 20V MAX. The saw itself is a 0.7 hp brushless unit with a 12-inch bar, a 10-pound body, and a sheath in the box. It uses the same battery interface as your drill or impact driver, which is the whole reason to consider it.

That compact size is built for limbing and quick cleanup. The 12-inch bar is easy to control, and the 10-pound body is light enough to carry around the yard. The bar-oil system is the quirk: store the saw on a drip tray and check the oil level before each session. It is not a saw for a big trunk, but it is easy to keep ready for branches.

We recommend it for the DeWalt owner who wants a small saw for branches and storm debris. It is a niche tool, but it is a useful one, and the sheath makes it easy to keep on a shelf between storms.

The 225i puts a 14-inch bar on a 6.8-pound body, which makes it the saw you reach for when the work is overhead or in tight quarters. It has a 1.1 hp brushless motor, a pass-through battery, and a kit that includes the battery and charger. The design is aimed at control rather than raw capacity.

That light, balanced package is the point. The 14-inch bar gives you enough reach for limbs and small logs without the nose-heavy feel of an 18-inch saw. The active cooling system is there to keep the battery from cooking during longer sessions, and the 25% boost button adds power for knots.

We noticed the saw's light body most when we were moving between branches; it does not wear you out the way a bigger saw does. The 14-inch bar also gives you more control in a tight hedge line or around a fence.

That control is why it earns a place as the premium pruning saw in this group. If you need one saw for everything, the 18-inch 350i is the better fit; if you want the saw you reach for first when a limb is above your head, this is it.

The FLEXVOLT 60V is a 16-inch saw with a 3 hp brushless motor and a 60V 2.0Ah battery and charger in the kit. It weighs 16.6 pounds, which is heavy for a battery saw but still lighter than a comparable gas model. The 16-inch bar gives it more reach than the 12-inch DeWalt, and the 3 hp motor is the reason to step up.

That motor has the torque to pull the bar through hardwood, and the 60V pack holds up for a useful number of cuts. It is the kind of saw you keep for storm cleanup and firewood when you do not want to mess with gas. The 16-inch bar also gives you more margin when a limb is bigger than you expected.

The 16.6-pound body is heavy for a battery saw, but it is stable on the ground, and the 16-inch bar gives you a wider stance for bucking. The saw is easy to handle for its size, and the tool-free tensioner keeps chain adjustments simple.

We recommend it for the DeWalt user who wants one full-size cordless saw. If you are not already on the 60V platform, the EGO CS1613 is the more well-rounded 16-inch saw; if you are, this is the one that makes use of the batteries you own.

The SEESII 12-inch is the saw you buy when the job is a pile of branches, not a tree trunk. It comes with two 4.0Ah batteries, a charger, and a 12-inch bar, and the kit is priced like a budget tool. That is why it earns a place for light cleanup.

The 1200W brushless motor and 12-inch bar handle 4-inch limbs and small logs. The tool-free tensioner and auto-oiler keep maintenance simple, and the two batteries let you keep cutting while one charges. It is light enough to carry around the yard, and the compact body fits in tight spots where a 16-inch saw feels clumsy.

The 12-inch bar is the boundary: it is for branches and small logs, not trunks. For the right pile of storm debris, though, the kit is an easy value. The compact body is the kind of tool that stays in the shed and comes out for the small jobs a full-size saw is too much for.