Since recently making this article I just had to update it to include this super mini cordless chainsaw. The Bosch Home and Garden Cordless Chainsaw has just a 20cm bar so only able to cut up to 6 inch logs. However, if you’re looking for lightweight and easy to use, especially for an alternative to a pruning saw, this might well be your top choice! It certainly is mine for the mini chainsaw category!

Best alternative if you don’t like the Dewalt: Ryobi OCS1830 18 V 30 cm Bar ONE+ Cordless Brushless Chain Saw Best value cordless chainsaw: WORX WG322E.9 18V (20V MAX) 25cm Cordless Compact Chainsaw or The Cobra cordless chainsaw [Personally tested and proven] Power delivery is superb. You’ll be very surprised by just how powerful this thing sounds and feels. Which makes it even more surprising just how many logs you’ll cut on one battery. It’s hard to give a perfect estimate but I would say at least 50 cuts before you run out of power which is very good and easily inline with Makita. I decided to test the Cobra cordless chainsaw to the limit and cut the trunk lengthways. It struggled, but it did it and logging the entire tree was just two full charges of the battery (withstanding the Makita was used to fell the tree). We used the Cobra cordless chainsaw to rip a trunk down lengthways and it really held up well – the Makita wasn’t much better at this believe it or not There’s only one cordless chainsaw bigger and badder than my favourite Makita DUC355Z. It’s another Makita pretty unsurprisingly. This does everything the Makita DUC355Z does but with a longer bar. Interestingly I’m not sure I would attempt much larger logs though but it can handle it. They appear to deliver exactly the same power and the only difference of note is the longer chain and bar.

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Alternative large cut cordless chainsaw: Greenworks Cordless Chainsaw GD40CS40 (Li-Ion 40 V 11 m/s Chain Speed 40 cm Sword Length The Makita DUC355Z cuts an 11 inch log easily and to be unbiased I measure the shortest point -the other way is 12 inches

Cordless chainsaws are a minefield and extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. You can get a bar length typically from 30-40cm and the voltage tends to range from 18V to 36V. The more powerful versions are 36V and generally carry the longer bar. The sweet spot seems to be around 35cm as they generally have the same power output at the 40cm with a smaller chain. And what’s even more impressive, the best chainsaws in the UK are not only easily capable of cutting through decent 12 inch diameter tree trunks, they are actually starting to come down in price as they are more widely adopted. I know it’s hard to believe so here’s a cut on a fresh tree below, right up to the dimensions the bar can handle 🙂 Look below at this video from my Makita DUC355Z Twin 18v 36v Cordless Chainsaw review: On a strict budget this tool may make sense, it performs similarly to the best cordless models and if you invest in Greenworks then make sure you take advantage of their other bare tools. This model is considerably lighter and quieter than a petrol and provides enough power for almost all cutting you would expect in an average garden. It’s claimed you’ll get 150 logs cut on a single charge. I’m not sure that’s easy to quantify but in my opinion you can get a solid 75 6-8 logs cut with minimal fuss before you need a charge, certainly more than you’ll burn in the next couple of days!Largest cut on a cordless chainsaw: Makita DUC405Z Twin 18v / 36v LXT Li-Ion Cordless Brushless Chainsaw 400mm

Other than that, as you can see from the years of use the bar has taken a hammering but that’s a small cost and the motor remains tight and as powerful as ever. You can hear it in the video it really sounds sharp and vicious – like new! Dewalt correctly appreciate (just like Makita) there is a limit to the amount of power you can deliver to a cordless chainsaw and therefore a really long bar makes little sense. Makita have the Makita DUC405Z which is fine and about the limit of what you want to cut. They manage this by making a much thinner and sharper blade for these cordless models and so allows you a bit of wiggle room and ability to compete with petrol chainsaws 🙂 So before I get going I need to show you the difference in power between these two chainsaws. Cutting into a decent bit of treated and dry timber you can clearly see the power difference but a little bit later on in the video just how good the Cobra is for logging and how someone who has never used a chainsaw before got to grips with it easily: Cordless tools are quieter, provide the power homeowners need for most mid weight jobs, and remove the need for dangerous power cables everywhere. I would predict in the next ten years cordless will have completely taken over as the prices will continue to drop on mass usage. Cordless chainsaw safety first – boots, trousers, and a sharp chainsaw The Greenworks Cordless Chainsaw GD40CS40 has a nice all around performance. The batteries are pretty cheap, it’s a big 16 inch bar with a 3/8 inch pit that will cut decent sized logs. There’s no complaints on the cut power but I wouldn’t put a 2 amp battery on this, it won’t last ten minutes! So make sure if you’re going to buy this model invest in a 4 amp battery to give a longer lasting cut and gives off similar vibes to the Makita DUC405ZIt edges Makita on the weight too. Being only 8lb it’s a tad lighter. I’d have to say this is totally unnoticeable when holding them though. It’s such a small difference and of course this is a 5cm smaller bar so expected that it’s lighter. Remember cordless chainsaws come with batteries separately sold and that also includes chargers. Whilst some batteries are more expensive than others, it’s always been my experience that the best battery value for money is found with Makita. I know plenty who like Ryobi too, but I don’t think they match Makita who I would almost say fall into a commercial come home use slot. Many tradesman swear by Makita and have done so for years. I am one of them. Best cordless chainsaw: Makita DUC355Z Twin 18v 36v Cordless Chainsaw 35cm Bar [Personally tested for two years and proven] Not only that, I liked the safety features too. The bar needs to be brought forward to engage the motor as well as turned on. It is very difficult to actually press the switch on by accident which goes without saying is a very good thing. Needless to say poor little 8 inch logs don’t stand a chance; this thing is absolutely superb at cutting, raw power isn’t two words you would associate with a cordless chainsaw but Makita have made that possible. Their battery tech is miles ahead in my opinion for everyday use at home and I feel like I had a right bargain. Have a look at 8 inch logs being cut. Would I be mad for suggesting this was actually ‘fun’? 😀