Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (2024)

Bosch Easy Chain 18v Cordless Chainsaw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (1)

This well balanced cordless chainsaw runs off batteries from the superb Bosch 18v Power4all range.

So it uses the same tried and tested 18v battery that I use in my favorite cordless hedge trimmer -the Bosch AHS 50-20Li.

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (2)

In fact the battery can be used in a wide range of Bosch garden and DIY powertools.

The 20cm (10 inch) Oregonchain runs a lot slower than a petrol or mains electric saw but it is still up to the job of sawing 8 inch hardwood logs.

With the battery included it weighs a tad over 3kg and is well balanced.

It has a 80ml oil reservoir and tool free chain tensioning mechanism.

A full charge of the battery takes 95 minutes, an 80% charge takes 65 minutes.

Bosch UniversalChain 18 Cordless ChainsawCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (3)

The chainsaw can be purchased without the battery and charger if you already own other tools in the Power4 all range.

Bosch AKE 30 LI 36v Cordless Chainsaw

The 36v chainsaw has been discontinued but chains and batteries are still available.

2 amp hour, 2.6,or 4.0 amp hour 36v batteries available for this chainsaw.

Bosch 36 V Battery 2.6 AhCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (4)

Bosch 36V Battery 4.0 Ah

Bosch 30cm x 1.1mm Chainsaw Chain for Bosch AKE 30 LICordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (5)

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Stihl MSA 120C 36v Cordless chainsaw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (6)

This superb saw from the masters of chainsaw technology weighs only 3.76 kg with battery

It has a 32cm (14 inch) bar that is adjusted without tools.

There are 2 ranges of Stihl 36v Cordless Chainsaws and they use DIFFERENT 36v batteries.

The model shown above uses the cheaper compact AK batteries whilst the Pro range uses the AP batteries.

The compact range is the lightest but both battery types can be charged by the same chargers. There are several options for the bar length too.

Due to company policy Stihl chainsaws can only be purchased from dealers to ensure safety standards are met.

Prices vary from £350- £470 depending where you go and what you can negotiate.

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Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (7)

Greenworks 24V Cordless Chainsaw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (8)

Greenworks 24V Cordless Chainsaw 25cm bar - tool only

This whole pile was cut by one fully charged 24v 2 amp hour battery

The Greenworks cordless chainsaw is slightly more powerful than the Black & Decker 18v but is similar in most other ways.

It has a 25cm (10 inch) bar, which is about right for the power of the tool.

The main difference is that the chain tensioning device is simpler to use. As with the B&D the battery can be used in a range of other tools too.

Performance is quite impressive although the saw did stopa few times, but only on the largest logs towards the end of the job.

Overall this is a very good chainsaw for the money and the battery is particularly good.

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Long Reach Cordless Chainsaws

Also known as battery powered pole saws these tools can save a lot of time when pruning small to medium size trees. You will need to be reasonably strong but as the bar rests on the branch it is easier to use than a long reach hedge trimmer.

The new 2018 Bosch 18v model is designed for domestic use whilst the Stihl model is a top quality saw suitable for domestic and professional use.

New 18v Bosch Model for the Power 4 All Range

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (9)

Bosch Universal 18v Long Reach Telescopic Chainsaw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (10)

This well made, no gimmicks, pole saw has a telescopic handle, shoulder strap and multi-angled head.

The bar is 7 inches long, the chain is easily adjusted with an Allen key and is kept lubricated by an oil reservoir.

If you have a lot of trees to cut you could buy a second 2.5 amp 18v battery for around £50.

As cordless polesaws go this is one of the best I have tried.

Bosch Universal Chain Pole 18v Long Reach Telescopic Chainsaw/Tree Pruner 1 x 2.5AhCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (11)Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (12)

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (13)

Bosch 18V Li-ion battery 2.5AH

Stihl HTA85 Telescopic Cordless Pole-saw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (14)

Stihl make 2 models of 36v pole saw, the smaller HTA65 is not telescopic whilst the HTA85 is and extends to 4.5m.

These are professional quality, superbly made tools that command a premium price.

Stihl powertools are not available online so see your local dealer if you are interested.

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (15)

The chain tension is easily adjusted with the screwdriver supplied.

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Cheapest And Best Chainsaw Oils

OREGON Chainsaw Chain and Guide Bar Oil 1 LitreCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (16)

Stihl Synth Plus Chain Oil (1 Litre)

Bosch Chainsaw Oil - Biodegradable (1 litre)Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (17)

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (18)

You will be hard pressed to find a litre of chainsaw oil in the shops for under £10 and certainly not the superb Stihl oil. So use the links above to get a total bargain and help this site too.

Safety Gear For Using Cordless Chainsaws

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (19)

Always wear gloves, protective trousers and a hard hat with a visor when using chainsaws.

Cordless chainsaws run slower than petrol and make less noise so you don't need ear protection but the rest of the kit is ESSENTIAL

Use Link below for best deal on complete chainsaw safety kit.

OREGON Type A Chainsaw Safety Clothing Kit with Leggings, Trousers, Gloves and HelmetCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (20)

Best Sawhorse for Cutting Logs

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (21)

Stihl Genuine Wooden Saw Horse

Oregon Steel Log Saw HorseCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (22)

Best Sharpener for Chainsaws

Stihl 2 in 1 Easyfile

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (23)

Stihl Chainsaw Sharpener

There is no point having the best chainsaw if you don't keep the blade sharp.

Chainsaw blades are relatively complex and can be hard to sharpen properly.

Stihl have designed this unique tool that contains a flat and a round file to sharpen both blade edge types at the same time, and at the correct angle.

The Stihl sharpener can be used on any make of chainsaw blade but you must buy the corresponding sharpener for your size of blade.

The Stihl filing kit is more flexible and if you have a Dremel multi-tool the sharpeners for that are excellent.

Stihl Chainsaw SharpenerCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (24)

Stihl Genuine Filing Kit for 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch Picco ChainCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (25)

Dremel 453 3 x 4.00mm Chain Saw Stone Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (26)

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Mains Powered Electric Chainsaws

If you want to buy a corded electric chainsaw my recommendation is Bosch.

They have a wide range, good performance and can be easily contacted for spares and repair.

The saws have no fancy gimmicks and all the features, including tool-less adjustment of the chain on the higher end models.

Another good feature of the Bosch chainsaws is the longevity of the range which means that spares are also going to be around longer.

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (27)

Bosch Chainsaw UniversalChain 35 1800 W, Lightweight 4.2 kg, Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (28)

SCARED OF USING A CHAINSAW? - TRY A RECIPROCATING SAW FOR SMALLER BRANCHES

Reciprocating Saws With Coarse Blades To Cut Green Wood

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (29)

With the right blade a cordless reciprocating saw can be great for pruning, especially in tight spaces! The universal blades are cheap to buy and easy to change. If you can run a cable then a mains powered saw will be cheaper to buy and more powerful.

The Ryobi one+ battery can also power a telescopic pruner that uses the same universal blade fixing.

For tree pruning you can buy some excellent blades that are longer than the usual carpentry blades, cheap and have larger teeth spacing to cope with soft green wood.

I use this tool all the time now and if I need to cut hard dead wood then I swap to the shorter, finer tooth carpentry blade.

240v mains recip saws are cheaper and have more power so worth considering too.

Ryobi ONE+ Cordless Pole Pruner, 18 V (Body only)Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (30)

Saxton Reciprocating Saw BladesCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (31)

Bosch PSA 700 E Sabre SawCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (32)

New Bosch 18 Nano Saw

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Bosch Keo - Cordless Saw

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (33)

Bosch Original 10.8v KEO

This superb little saw is lightweight yet surprisingly powerful thanks to its 10.8v Li-ion battery and clever gearing.

I have used it extensively to prune trees and to cut up old branches and building timber for my wood burning stove.

A range of blades are available for different materials and I am particularly impressed with the metal hacksaw blade.

There are a couple of little things I don't like about it; firstly the battery is built in and secondly the connector to charge it is hard to insert.

These issues are resolved if you buy the new 18v version which uses the superb Power4all all batteries.

Bosch 18v Keo with removable battery

The removable metal guard that holds branches is particularly useful and once you get your technique right you will be able to cut branches up to around 4 inches thick with ease.

Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (34)

Despite its relatively small battery the Bosch Keo is a tool that punches well above its weight!

Bosch KEO Cordless MultisawCordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (35)

Bosch Keo Blades (Pack of 3)Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (36)

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Cordless chainsaws tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed (2024)

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