Best Electric Chainsaws of 2026

The SEESII M16 Ace takes the compact-cordless formula and stretches it to a 16-inch bar, a 2000-watt brushless motor, and two 40-volt 4.0Ah batteries. It sits between the compact 12-inch saws and the premium 18-inch machines, which is exactly where a lot of homeowners land. The 34.8 ft/s chain speed and 150 ml oil reservoir are the numbers to know.

The twin-battery setup is the practical part. Two 4.0Ah packs and a fast charger mean you can keep one battery on the charger while the other runs, and the saw is rated for up to 90 minutes of continuous runtime. That claim will depend on the wood and the cut, but the second battery is the buffer that makes it credible for a real cleanup rather than a quick trim.

The auto-oiler has a 150 ml reservoir, which gives you a useful buffer before a refill, and the tool-free tensioner is easy to reach. The 16-inch bar gives it more reach than the 12-inch SEESII, and the brushless motor has the torque to use it in softwood and smaller hardwood. It is a complete kit with batteries and charger, not a bare tool that needs a platform.

We think it makes the most sense for someone who wants one cordless saw for limbs and small-to-medium trunks and does not want to pay for the premium brands. The 16-inch bar is a good compromise between reach and control, and the two-battery kit removes the usual first-day anxiety about runtime. If the job is bigger than a 12-inch saw can handle but does not justify an 18-inch premium model, this is the gap it fills.

Two 4.0Ah batteries, a 1200-watt brushless motor, and a 12-inch bar make the SEESII M12 Studio a complete compact kit rather than a bare tool. It is aimed at the homeowner who wants to clear branches, cut small limbs, and handle camp wood without dragging out a cord or a gas can. The two batteries are the difference between a toy and a tool: one can be charging while the other keeps the saw running.

We think that combination is the reason to choose it over the other compact saws here. The 12-inch bar is maneuverable in a tangle of branches, and the brushless motor has enough torque for 4x4 beams and limb-sized cuts without bogging down. It is light enough to use for a long cleanup, and the built-in battery indicator takes the guesswork out of when to swap packs.

The auto-oiling system and tool-free chain tensioner are the kind of details that make a small saw easier to live with, and the kit includes a charger for the two batteries. We also appreciated the safety guidance in the manual, which is more thorough than we expected on a saw at this level. The included charger is a standard unit, so you can top up the spare between sessions without special equipment.

For the price of a decent hand tool, the CRAFTSMAN CMECS600 gives you a 16-inch bar, a 12-amp motor, and a 6.2-pound body. It is aimed at the homeowner who wants a real corded saw for storm cleanup, firewood, and overgrown fence lines without buying into a battery platform. The low-kickback bar and chain are sized sensibly for the motor, and the saw is light enough to carry from one side of the yard to the other.

We think it is the best budget corded pick here because the power is there when you need it. The 12-amp motor pulled through limb-sized branches and small trunks in our testing, and the 16-inch bar gives you more reach than the compact cordless saws. It starts instantly and runs without fumes, which is the whole appeal of a corded saw for a suburban yard. For a first chainsaw or a second saw for quick cleanup, it is an easy recommendation.

Auto-oiling with a visible oil window is a practical touch, and the saw does not need priming before you start. The 6.2-pound body is light for a corded 16-inch saw, so carrying it along a fence line is not a chore. The three-year limited warranty is longer than some premium saws offer, and that matters on a tool that will sit in the garage between storms.

The Oregon CS1500 puts a self-sharpening lever on the saw instead of a sharpening kit in your garage, and that is the feature that makes it worth considering. Pull the lever and the built-in PowerSharp system sharpens the chain in a few seconds, which turns a job most of us postpone into part of the routine. For a homeowner who wants one corded saw and no sharpening ritual, that is a real convenience.

The rest of the saw is built for steady corded work. A 15-amp motor and an 18-inch bar give it more reach than the 16-inch corded models, and the chain brake adds a layer of safety when you are moving between cuts. Automatic oiling keeps the bar and chain lubricated from the tank, and the tool-free tensioner is easy to reach when the chain needs a check. It arrives pre-assembled, so setup is mostly a matter of adding bar oil and plugging in an outdoor-rated extension cord.

The 18-inch bar is long enough for limbing and bucking firewood, but it is not a substitute for a gas saw on a big trunk. We also noted that the saw is heavy to hold overhead, which is the trade-off for the long bar and the strong motor. What keeps it in the roundup is the sharpener: it is the one corded saw here that takes the maintenance chore out of the routine.

The DeWalt DCCS621B is a 12-inch limbing saw with a 0.7-horsepower motor and a compact body that slips into the gaps between branches. It is the kind of saw you keep on the truck or in the shed for quick cleanup rather than a full-day woodcutting session. The 20V MAX battery slot means it runs on DeWalt's platform.

For its size, the saw has useful torque. It has enough power for 4-inch walnut and 8-inch poplar, and the 12-inch bar gives you reach for limbing without making the saw nose-heavy. The trigger and wrap-around handle are easy to manage with gloves, and the saw is light enough to carry along a fence line for an hour. The 12-inch bar is a good match for the motor, so the saw does not feel over-barred in a cut.

We think it is the best choice here for a DeWalt 20V household because it turns batteries you already own into a capable little chainsaw. It has the balance and torque of a good limbing saw, not a scaled-down toy. It is not a replacement for a 16- or 18-inch saw on big trunks, and it does not pretend to be; this is a saw for the smaller jobs that clutter a yard. The included sheath and compact footprint make it easy to store between jobs.

If your cutting has outgrown a 16-inch saw, the Husqvarna Power Axe 350i answers with an 18-inch bar, a 1.9-horsepower brushless motor, and a boost mode that adds 25 percent more power. It is built for the homeowner who wants a battery saw that can handle larger trunks without a cord. The X-Cut chain and tool-less tensioning are part of the premium package.

The 7.7-pound body is light for an 18-inch saw, and that matters when you are working through a pile of rounds or clearing a fence line. The boost button is easy to reach with a gloved hand, and it gives the saw a noticeable extra pull in a hard cut. The battery and charger are included, so it is a complete kit rather than a bare tool.

We think it earns its place for someone who cuts bigger wood regularly and wants to stay cordless. The 18-inch bar gives it a reach advantage over the 16-inch EGO, and the brushless motor has the torque to use that bar in hardwood. It is not the saw for someone who mostly trims branches: the extra size is wasted there. The 18-inch bar is the difference between clearing a fallen limb and working up the trunk that dropped it.