The Best Chainsaws for Homeowners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

EGO Power+ 18" Chain Saw 50cc (CS1815)

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The EGO Power+ CS1815 is the best default homeowner chainsaw: an 18-inch bar, cutting EGO rates as equal to a 50cc gas saw from a single 56V battery, tool-free tensioning, and a digital display at a mid-range price. The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16" is the pick if you already own M18 tools and want serious battery cutting power.

Cutting firewood, clearing storm damage, and taking down the odd tree no longer means wrestling a gas saw. We synthesized independent testing and owner reports across four popular chainsaws that span light battery to full gas: two we'd happily recommend, one that only makes sense for a specific buyer, and one most homeowners should now skip. The right pick comes down to how much wood you cut, whether you already own a battery platform, and how far you work from an outlet.

RBE top pick

EGO

EGO Power+ 18" Chain Saw 50cc (CS1815)

Buy it

The best all-round homeowner chainsaw: 50cc-class cutting from a single 56V battery, an 18-inch bar, and genuinely tool-free tensioning.

Best for: Homeowners who want one saw for firewood, cleanup, and occasional felling without touching gas.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Long 18-inch bar handles bigger logs and small felling that shorter saws can't
• Runs on one 56V battery, so there's no fuel to mix, no pull-starting, and instant on/off
• Tool-free chain tensioning by dial, plus a digital display with speed modes, battery status and a safety brake on/off indicator
• Ships as a kit with a 6.0Ah battery and charger, rated by EGO for up to 330 cuts on a 4x4 per charge

Know before buying

• One battery only powers so much continuous cutting; heavy users will want a spare
• The longer 18-inch bar carries more weight out front than a 16-inch saw

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Milwaukee

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16" Chainsaw (2727-21HD)

Buy it

A pro-grade 16-inch battery saw that cuts hard and fast, and a no-brainer if you already live on the M18 platform.

Best for: Owners already invested in Milwaukee M18 who want serious cutting power in a battery saw.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Brushless motor and a HIGH OUTPUT HD12.0 pack, which Milwaukee rates at the performance of a gas engine up to 40cc
• 16-inch bar, all-metal bucking spikes, and a variable-speed trigger give real control in firewood and bucking
• Shares one battery with a huge M18 tool lineup, so owners avoid buying into a second platform
• Automatic chain oiler with a factory-set flow rate

Know before buying

• Premium price, and the big high-output battery it needs adds cost and weight
• Overkill if you don't already own M18 tools and only cut a few times a year

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Makita

Makita 36V (18V X2) LXT Brushless 16" Chain Saw (XCU04PT)

It depends

A refined, lighter 16-inch saw that's a great value if you already own Makita 18V LXT batteries, and a pricier proposition if you don't.

Best for: Existing Makita 18V LXT owners who value light weight and refinement over the longest bar.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• 11.1 lb with both batteries fitted, per Makita, and owners note the balance reduces fatigue on longer sessions
• Runs two standard 18V LXT batteries, so it shares packs with a large Makita cordless range
• Tool-less chain adjustment and an adjustable automatic oiler
• Electric chain brake and a front hand guard for kickback protection

Know before buying

• Needs two 18V batteries charged and fitted for every use
• Only worth the premium if you're already in the LXT ecosystem; buying in from scratch is expensive

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We'd skip it

STIHL

STIHL MS 162 Gas Chainsaw

Skip it

STIHL's current lightweight homeowner gas saw, but for most homeowners the fuel-mixing, pull-starting, and maintenance no longer pay off versus battery.

Best for: Rural or off-grid users who cut for hours away from power and don't mind gas upkeep.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Lowest entry cost of the group and a 9.9 lb powerhead, per STIHL
• Refuels in seconds and runs all day far from any outlet
• Quickstop chain brake, anti-vibration system and bumper spikes
• Master Control Lever puts choke, throttle lock and on-off on one lever

Know before buying

• Requires mixed two-stroke fuel, pull-starting, and ongoing engine maintenance
• Chain tensioning uses a side-access tensioner and a bar wrench rather than the tool-free systems on the battery saws
• More noise, fumes, and vibration than the cordless options for the same light-to-moderate cutting

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We don’t run our own cutting lab. Instead we synthesize independent testing, expert teardowns, and aggregated owner reports, then weigh them against what actually matters for a homeowner saw. Our priorities, in order: real-world cutting power and how it holds up in hardwood; bar length matched to typical firewood and light felling; safety, especially the chain brake and kickback protection; how easy the saw is to live with, which covers chain tensioning, the automatic oiler, weight, and balance; and finally value, including whether you already own a compatible battery platform.

We deliberately spanned the range, from lighter cordless saws to a full gas engine, so the comparison reflects the real choice you face rather than four near-identical models. Across sources, three themes came up again and again: high-voltage battery saws have closed most of the gap to small gas saws, tool-free tensioning changes how often owners keep the chain right, and the biggest hidden cost is the battery platform you commit to.

This is the saw we’d hand most homeowners. The 18-inch bar is the longest here, so it takes on bigger logs and small felling that the 16-inch saws struggle with, and EGO rates the 2500W brushless motor as equivalent to a 50cc gas saw, with chain speeds up to 22 m/s. Because it’s a single-battery design, there’s no fuel to mix and no pull cord, just squeeze and cut. Chain tension is set by twisting a dial, with nothing to take apart, and a digital display shows the speed mode, battery charge and whether the safety brake is on; an adjustable LED work light and metal bucking spikes round it out. It arrives as a kit with a 6.0Ah battery and charger, which EGO rates for up to 330 cuts on a 4x4 per charge, and EGO covers the tool for 5 years and the battery for 3. The honest caveats: one battery only sustains so much continuous cutting before a recharge, and with the pack fitted it carries a bit more weight out at the bar than the shorter saws. Neither is a dealbreaker for typical use, and a spare battery solves the first.

If you already own Milwaukee M18 tools, this is arguably the smarter buy than starting a new platform. The brushless motor paired with the HIGH OUTPUT HD12.0 battery is rated by Milwaukee at the performance of a gas engine up to 40cc, and the 16-inch bar, all-metal bucking spikes, and variable-speed trigger give real control when bucking firewood. It carries the expected automatic oiler and chain brake. The trade-offs are cost and heft: it’s a premium saw, and the large high-output pack it wants adds both price and weight, so it makes the most sense when the battery is already in your garage rather than a fresh purchase. For an M18 owner who cuts regularly, it’s an easy recommendation; for someone buying in cold to cut twice a year, the EGO is the more sensible spend.

The Makita is the most refined saw in the group and, at 11.1 lb with both batteries per Makita, among the lightest and best balanced, which owners say noticeably cuts fatigue on longer sessions. It runs on two standard 18V LXT batteries rather than a single dedicated pack, so it shares power with one of the widest cordless lineups on the market, and it pairs tool-less chain adjustment with an adjustable automatic oiler, an electric chain brake, and a front hand guard. So why “it depends”? The value math hinges entirely on whether you already own LXT batteries. If you do, this is a superb, light 16-inch saw. If you don’t, you’re buying two batteries and a charger to feed it, which pushes the real cost up against saws that do more for the money. It also always needs two packs charged and fitted, a small but real bit of overhead.

None of this is a knock on the MS 162 as a machine; it’s STIHL’s current lightweight homeowner saw, with the lowest entry cost here, a 1.8 cubic inch engine rated at 1.60 bhp, a 9.9 lb powerhead before fuel, bar and chain, a Quickstop chain brake, and an anti-vibration system. The problem is fit for the modern homeowner. To use it you mix two-stroke fuel, pull-start a cold engine, and keep up with the maintenance any small two-stroke needs, and you tension the chain at a side-access tensioner with a bar wrench rather than by hand. For the light-to-moderate cutting most homeowners actually do, the battery saws deliver comparable results with far less hassle, less noise, and no fumes. Gas earns its place only in a specific case: hours of continuous cutting far from any outlet, where refueling in seconds beats recharging. If that’s not you, skip it and put the money toward a cordless saw or a spare battery.

EGO Power+ CS1815 vs Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16”: which should you buy?

These are the two strongest saws here, and the decision is refreshingly clear. Both cut hard, both carry a chain brake, and both are pleasant to live with. The EGO gives you a longer 18-inch bar and a lower, mid-range price, and as a self-contained kit it’s the better choice if you’re starting fresh and want one saw that does everything from firewood to the occasional small tree. The Milwaukee counters with fast cutting, rated by Milwaukee at up to 40cc gas performance, and, crucially, battery sharing: if your garage already runs on M18, you skip buying into a platform and just add the tool. So the tiebreaker is your existing batteries. No cordless platform yet, or invested in EGO? Take the CS1815 for its bar length and value. Already on Milwaukee M18? The M18 FUEL 16” is the pick, and you’ll appreciate its speed. Either way you end up with a saw that handles the vast majority of homeowner cutting without a drop of gas.

What to look for

• Cutting power matched to your wood: a high-voltage battery saw (roughly 40V and up) or a small gas engine handles firewood and light felling; avoid underpowered saws that bog in hardwood.
• Bar length: 14 to 16 inches suits most homeowners; step up to 18 inches only if you regularly cut larger logs or drop small trees.
• Chain brake and kickback protection: insist on an inertia or electric chain brake and a front hand guard; it’s the feature that protects you most.
• Tool-free chain tensioning: hand-adjustable tension gets kept right far more often than a screw-and-tool system.
• Automatic oiler: an auto-oiler, ideally with a level window, keeps the bar and chain lubricated and lasting longer.
• Weight and balance: lighter, well-balanced saws are safer and less tiring; feel the saw with the battery fitted, not bare.
• Battery platform: the biggest hidden cost is the battery, so buying into a system you already own usually saves the most.

Our final take

For most homeowners, the modern answer is a high-voltage battery saw, and the EGO Power+ CS1815 is the best all-round pick: the longest bar here, 50cc-class cutting, tool-free tensioning, and a clear safety brake indicator at a mid-range price, ready to run out of the box. If you already own Milwaukee M18, the M18 FUEL 16” is the hard-cutting choice that shares your batteries, and Makita LXT owners will love the lighter XCU04PT for the same platform reason. The STIHL MS 162 is a capable budget gas saw, but for typical homeowner cutting its fuel, pull-start, and upkeep make it the one to skip unless you genuinely work off-grid. Buy the saw that matches how much wood you cut and the batteries you already own, and you’ll spend far more time cutting than fussing.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: EGO Power+ 18" Chain Saw 50cc (CS1815) vs Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16" Chainsaw (2727-21HD).

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