Gas chainsaws are probably the most popular chainsaws. It’s used by homeowners, farmers, professionals, and even amateurs. This is because the use of gas as opposed to electricity, to fuel chainsaw, offers some much needed portability and convenience.
Top 8 Best Gas Chainsaws
Now that you’re all caught up on the basics of gas chainsaws and know about the factors to consider while buying them, you’re prepared to read about the 10 best gas chainsaws in the market right now. Once you’ve read them, you can consult with the following comparative table to help narrow down your options based on specifications and budget.
1.Husqvarna 460 Rancher/Best Husqvarna Chainsaw
Husqvarna 966048330 460 Rancher 20-Inch 60.3cc 2-Stoke X-Torq Gas Powered Chain Saw
It can effortlessly saw through dense logs and trees with a 24” guide bar powered by a 60.3cc engine. Despite the fact that it’s so powerful, it weighs just a little over 12 pounds and as such can be used by anyone. The X-Torq engine has a high torque power, and as such you get a very high rpm rate as well.
The centrifugal air cleaning mechanism helps get rid of all the debris and shavings in the engine, thus extending its life. The chain brake is also an essential feature that prevents the chain from running when it’s not being used. Furthermore, the oil pump is adjustable and as such the users can control how much oil is injected into the chain.
Ideal for: Large vast-scale tree felling projects.
PROS:
Easy to start
Low maintenance because of the auto-oiler
The X-torque engine makes it very powerful and fast
he centrifugal air filtration system extends life span
Produces low vibration for such a heavy duty machine
CONS:
Extremely noisy
The chain brake needs to be taken off while changing the chain
2.Remington RM5118R/Best Remington Gas Chainsaw
Remington RM5118R Rodeo 51cc 2-Cycle 18-Inch Gas Chainsaw
This Remington RM5118R gas chainsaw has a high value for money. At an extremely reasonable price you get a very attractive chainsaw with an 18” bar powered by a 51cc 2-Cycle engine. It also comes with a QuickStart technology, with which the chainsaw starts easily with just a single touch. It also comes with an auto-oiler so that the chain remains lubricated throughout use.
However, in addition to being extremely powerful, it’s also extremely heavy at 26 pounds, and as such it can only be used by people who are incredibly strong physically.
Ideal for: Cutting firewood, sawing stumps, felling trees, etc.
PROS:
Cheap
QuickStart technology
Great red-and-black design
Comes with two vibration dampening handlebars, and as such it doesn’t cause fatigue
CONS:
Extremely heavy
3.Poulan Pro PP5020AV
Poulan Pro PP5020AV 20-Inch 50cc 2 Stroke Gas Powered Chain Saw With Carrying Case.The Poulan Pro PP5020AV is a heavy duty chainsaw that features in this list largely because of the fact that it’s extremely reasonable. Poulan isn’t one of the popular chainsaw brands. However, it is known as the brand with the most reasonable chainsaws. While the quality of the chainsaw isn’t as top notch as a Husqvarna or a Stihl, it’s still efficient. As such, it can be used by professionals who can’t afford to pay a premium price for a chainsaw.
It comes with a large 20” bar powered by a 50cc DuraLife Engine. It also comes with an in-built air filtration system that can expel harmful emissions, keep the engine clean from debris, and thus give the machine a longer lifespan. It also comes with an effective pull start system and an auto-oiler to keep the chain running smoothly.
Ideal for: Professional lumberjack and farmers on a budget.
PROS:
Reasonable
Long lifespan
Auto-oiler to keep the chain lubricated
Effortless pull system to start the engine
CONS:
Not as smooth as premium chainsaws
Can prove too powerful for novice users
4.Echo CS-400
Echo CS-400 is a gas chainsaw that comes with a bar length of 18”, however it can accommodate a 16” bar as well. It’s powered by a 40.2 cc dual cycle G-force engine. G-force engines are typical in Echo chainsaws and they help optimize the filtration system so that there’s no clogging, thus increasing the lifespan of the machine. The chainsaw also has an auto-oiler feature which keeps the chains and the machine lubricated so that it works in a uniform rpm, and remains durable. Furthermore, the i-30 starting system helps the engine start smoothly and immediately.
Ideal for: Cutting firewood, branches, and stumps, and felling small trees.
PROS:
Auto-oiler feature
i-30 starter engine
Can accommodate two bar lengths
G-force engine is ideal for air-filtration
CONS:
Some users complain of frequent oil leaks from the chainsaw
It’s important to get the fuel proportion right as there’s no inbuilt regulator for that
5.Tanaka TCS33EDTP/Best Chainsaw For Women
Tanaka TCS33EDTP/14 32.2cc 14-Inch Top Handle Chain Saw with Pure Fire Engine
The Tanaka TCS33EDTP is a chainsaw perfect for medium-level projects around the house. It comes with a 14” bar that’s powered by a 32.2cc engine. While it can saw through medium-level trees, it can’t get through vast trees, and it can’t be used on large scale projects. As such it’s not ideal for professional use.
One of its best features is the half throttle choke with purge primer bulb, which ensures that the chainsaw starts immediately without any lag. The chain tensioning system ensures that the chain is always tightly in place, and the auto-oiler extends the life of the chain.
Ideal for: Novice users who needs to cut small trees around the house.
PROS:
Starts very well
Easy to use and perfect for novices
Can get through medium size trees
CONS:
Requires a lot of maintenance
6.Husqvarna 455 Rancher/Best Husqvarna Chainsaw For the money
The Husqvarna 455 Rancher is another powerful beast of a machine ideal for large-scale heavy-duty tasks such as cutting trees. It comes with a 20” bar powered by a 55.5 cc engine. The X-Torq engine drastically reduces fuel consumption by at least 20 percent, and harmful emissions by 60 percent. As such it’s both fuel efficient and eco-friendly.
The centrifugal air cleaning gets rid of all the debris from the engine, thus increasing the lifespan of the machine. It also starts very easily and works at an even pace. The handle bars are shock-absorbent and designed ergonomically so that they minimize vibrations and don’t cause arm fatigue.
Ideal for: Professionals can use this for tree felling.
PROS:
Low vibrations
Extremely powerful
Easy to manage and handle
CONS:
Heavy
Expensive
Extremely loud
7.Stihl MS170/Best Stihl Chainsaw
Stihl is one of the world’s leading chainsaw brands and it has some of the best chainsaws in the market. They’re powerful, they’re durable, and they’re eco-friendly. However, the only reason I’ve placed Stihl MS170 so low in this list is because they’re hard to attain. Stihl likes to maintain exclusivity by only making their chainsaws available in a few dealerships. You have to go there on your own, receive a compulsory training session, and only then can you buy the device. This is very inconvenient.
However, as far as performance is concerned, Stihl MS170 is the best lightweight to medium-duty chainsaw in the market. It comes with a 16” bar powered by a 30.1 cc two-stroke engine, and it can cut over an inch in a second. It also comes with the IntelliCarb Compensating Carburetor which helps keep the engine clean from debris, thus increasing lifespan.
Ideal for: Pruning and trimming of bushes, cutting firewood, etc.
PROS:
Fast and powerful
Ideal for lightweight uses
IntelliCarb Compensating Carburetor
CONS:
Hard to purchase
Not for heavy duty tasks
8.Makita DCS5121/Best Makita Gas Chainsaw
Makita DCS5121 is a compact yet powerful gas chainsaw with an 18” bar powered by a 50cc engine. It combines a high power-to-weight ratio so as to start slowly but smoothly with lower vibrations. Whit it doesn’t have anti-vibration handles, it does include a vibration dampening system within the machine. The chain compartment has been designed in a manner that it’s easy to take apart and clean up. Perhaps the biggest drawback of a Makita is that it’s extremely expensive, and it doesn’t quite match the kind of features and power offered by the other most expensive brands — Husqvarna and Stihl.
Ideal for: Forestry work such as tree felling.
PROS:
Light weight
Vibration dampening system
High high power-to-weight ratio
Easy to clean chain compartment
CONS:
Expensive
Not meant for light weight tasks
If you’re on the lookout for the best gas chainsaws in the market, I’m sure you’re being met with a lot of difficult choices. Which brand do I get? What power chainsaw should I use? What should the bar length be?
Well, all of those are subjective questions that only you can answer based on your needs. However, in this article I’m gonna give you a run down of 10 of the best gas chainsaws in the market so you can narrow your choices. If you’re a first time chainsaw user, you can also read through the following introductory 101 session on the basics of gas chainsaws.
What are Gas Chainsaws?
A chainsaw is basically a saw with toothed edges that are spun around at an incredibly fast pace so as to smoothly and effortlessly cut through hard wood surfaces. Chainsaw motors are largely powered by either gas or electricity. A “gas chainsaw” is one that’s powered by oil and gasoline. These chainsaws are portable so you can easily carry them around wherever you need, and they can withstand harsh weather conditions.
Gas chainsaws can be used for a number of different purposes. It’s sometimes used by hobbyists and wood carvers. It’s even used by homeowners for lawn upkeep, to trim and prune the bushes and chop firewood. Some of the more powerful gas chainsaws are used by farmers and professionals for the purposes of felling whole trees.
The strength of the gas chainsaw depends on the power of its engine. Furthermore, the bar length determines how wide a cut it can make at a single go. Different length and powered chainsaws are used for different purposes, and as such they’re the primary factors to consider when deciding which chainsaw to buy.
What are Gas Chainsaws
There are a lot of different features used in gas chainsaws. Most of the time, different brands create their gas chainsaws with different feature sets. You need to look out for gas chainsaws that have the features that you most need for your individual purposes.
For example, many gas chainsaws come with anti-vibration handles that can minimize vibrations felt by the user, so as to reduce fatigue caused by handling the chainsaw. There are also those gas chainsaws that bear an electric ignition so that the gas chainsaw functions perfectly even in harsh climates. Some gas chainsaws come with features meant for air filtration, and some come with a choke for easy starting of the gas chainsaw.
You should also look out for chainsaws that come with “brakes” to slow down the chain when not in use as it can prevent accidents. Furthermore, it’s important to get a chainsaw that comes with some kind of a safety feature to stop the chainsaw in case of a kickback, especially for the more powerful chainsaws.
These are only some of the many feature sets that you can find in gas chainsaws. In order to but the gas chainsaw ideal for you, you should make a note of all the features you get as opposed to all the features you don’t get.
Benefits of owning a Gas Chainsaw
There are a number of great benefits of owning gas chainsaws, whether you’re a modest homeowner, or a professional farmer, or a lumberjack.
In case of storms, a gas chainsaw is the most effective tool in helping you clear out all the damage.
A gas chainsaw can be used to get rid of dread trees, broken branches, large obstructing stumps, etc.
It’s also useful in lawn and yard upkeep. You can use a chainsaw to cut off ugly branches from trees, or trim and prune the bushes.
Gas chainsaws are ideal in cutting through firewood which can come in handy during cold winter months.
You can cut large trees with a powerful gas chainsaw. However, this is an activity only suited for trained professionals.
Chainsaws can also help you construct your own boats, log cabins, etc.
Finally, on an ornamental side, low-powered chainsaws can even be used for ice sculpting and other ornamental purposes.
Factors to Consider when Buying Gas Chainsaws
Choosing the right gas chainsaw is all about your own personal requirements. What is your skill level? How physically strong are you? What do you need the gas chainsaw for? These are all questions you need to answer to determine which chainsaw is the best for you. Below I’ve listed some factors you can take into consideration.
Bar Length
Longer bars can make deeper cuts on the surface. If your purpose is to fell trees, you need the biggest bar possible so that you can saw tree anything effortlessly. However, if you’re just using it to cut firewood or prune bushes, then you should aim for a small or medium length bar. Bar lengths usually range from 12” or 14” all the way to 24”.
Power
The bar and the chainsaw in generally is powered by a motor. The engine power of the motor determines how powerful the chainsaw is. The higher the power, the stronger it is. Light weight chainsaws have a power in the 20cc to 30cc range, whereas heavy duty chainsaws have power ranging in the 50cc to 70cc range.
Safety
Chainsaws are powerful tools, and they can also be quite dangerous. The slightest of missteps can cause serious accidents. As such, you need to look out for chainsaws with all the necessary safety features in place. Does it have a preemptive feature to stop the chainsaw in times of kickbacks? Does it have anti-vibration handles so that your body doesn’t suffer extensively? Does it have a feature in place to slow down the speed of the chainsaw when it’s lying idle?
Features
You need to keep an open eye for all the additional features that not all chainsaws have. For example, a feature such as the presence of an air filtration system will help increase motor life. An auto-oiler will help the saw run smoothly. These are essential features for you to look out for.
Budget
Finally, before you consider the previous points, you need to narrow down your options based on budget, and then move on to the specifics.
In Conclusion…
If you’ve read the whole article, you know all there is to know about gas chainsaws. You know what they are, what they’re good for, what are their main features, and what are the factors to consider when purchasing one of them.
Furthermore, I’ve also given you a brief overview of the 10 best gas chainsaws in the market. You can go through them and narrow down your options based on the factors of consideration I’ve listed above. I hope this article has helped you better understand what you need.
Whichever chainsaw you’ve decided to eventually purchase, please feel free to let me know about it down in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!