Best Cordless Chainsaw (2026): Battery Saws for Real Yards
Chainsaws and tree care
The best cordless chainsaw for storm cleanup and firewood is a 16- to 18-inch brushless saw with two battery packs. The EGO CS1611 leads for most yards, and the SEESII 18-inch is the value pick when you want a longer bar.
Our picks
The best cordless chainsaw for most homeowners is the EGO Power+ CS1611 when you want a light saw that starts with a trigger pull and shares batteries with the rest of your EGO tools. If your storm pile runs to thicker logs, the SEESII 18-inch gives you a longer bar and two packs for less. This guide sits inside the chainsaws and tree care guides, and it is the lead buying guide for battery saws here.
What separates a good cordless chainsaw from a toy
Three things decide whether a battery saw is worth owning:
A cheap saw with a brushed motor and one small battery will bog down in green wood. A brushless saw with two packs cuts like a small gas saw and keeps going when the first pack dies.
Bar length is the next decision. A 16-inch bar covers most limbs and firewood rounds, and an 18-inch bar means fewer passes on thick logs. The last piece is the battery line. If the brand also sells trimmers, blowers, and mowers on the same packs, your spare battery does more than one job.
Which bar length do you actually need?
Most homeowners never need more than an 18-inch bar. A 16-inch bar covers limbs and firewood up to about 14 inches across, and an 18-inch bar takes thicker logs with fewer passes. Stay under 20 inches unless you cut large hardwood every week.
How many batteries should a chainsaw kit include?
Two packs beat one big pack for most buyers. A 2.5Ah pack handles light trimming, and two 5.0Ah packs let you swap and keep cutting instead of waiting on a charger. A single small pack is the one spec that turns a good saw into a frustrating one.
How long does a cordless chainsaw run on one charge?
A 2.5Ah pack on a 16-inch saw handles a short trimming session, while two 5.0Ah packs clear a storm-damaged tree. Cold weather cuts runtime, so keep spare packs indoors until you need them.
Run time by battery size
What changes run time
Three things pull run time down: cold packs, a dull chain, and green wood. A dull low-kickback chain drags and eats runtime, and a fresh chain cuts in half the time on the same pack. Store spare packs inside the house and keep the chain sharp between sessions.
Here is how the two saws line up on the specs that matter.
Top pick: EGO Power+ CS1611
The EGO Power+ CS1611 is the best cordless chainsaw for most yards. Its 16-inch bar and brushless motor deliver the power of a 40cc gas saw without the noise or the fuel can, and it makes up to 130 cuts through a 4x4 on the included 2.5Ah battery.
The tool-free tensioning knob and flip-top oil cap make routine checks quick between cuts. Metal bucking spikes, a low-kickback chain, and a chain brake with an easy-to-read indicator round out the safety setup. The saw runs on any EGO 56V ARC battery, so it shares packs with EGO trimmers, blowers, and mowers. EGO backs the tool with a five-year warranty.
Who it is for: Homeowners who want one quiet saw for storm cleanup, pruning, and a few cords of firewood. Skip it if you plan to cut all day, because the bundled 2.5Ah pack is a light-duty battery and a second, larger pack is a smart add-on.
Shop: EGO Power+ CS1611 on Amazon
Best value: SEESII 40V 18-inch
The SEESII 40V 18-inch (M18 Ace) is the best cordless chainsaw value when the logs are thick and the budget is not. The 2200W brushless motor runs a 30 ft/s chain, and the 18-inch bar gives you two more inches of reach than a standard 16-inch saw. Fewer passes on a big round means less time bent over the cut.
The kit is generous: two 5.0Ah batteries, two fast chargers, two chains, an 80 ml auto-oiler, and basic safety gear. Tool-free tensioning and automatic oiling keep maintenance simple. At roughly 8.6 pounds with both packs mounted, it is light enough to carry one-handed up a slope.
Who it is for: Buyers who want the longest bar and the most batteries for the money and do not mind a lesser-known brand. Skip it if a nationwide service network matters to you, because EGO has the deeper support bench.
Shop: SEESII 40V 18-inch on Amazon
What does it cost to run a cordless chainsaw?
A charge costs about two to seven cents, so an afternoon of cutting runs on pennies of electricity instead of a tank of mixed fuel. The bigger running cost is the chain and the bar oil, not the power.
How much does one charge cost?
Multiply volts by amp-hours for watt-hours, then price it at the US average of about 17 cents per kWh. The EGO CS1611's 2.5Ah 56V pack is 140 Wh, so a full charge costs about 2.4 cents. Each SEESII 5.0Ah 40V pack is 200 Wh, or about 3.4 cents, so the pair costs about 6.8 cents to fill.
How many cuts do you get from one charge?
The EGO is rated for up to 130 cuts through a 4x4 on the included 2.5Ah pack, which covers a storm limb and a few small rounds. The SEESII's two 5.0Ah packs roughly double the work before you stop. Cold packs cut output, so keep the spare charged and warm indoors until you need it.
How much bar and chain oil does it use?
The SEESII carries an 80 ml automatic oil tank, and the EGO has a spill-free auto-oiler reservoir you fill with bar and chain oil. A dry bar wears out fast, so check the tank before each session and top it off. Bar oil is cheap, but skipping it is not.
Bar size, runtime, and battery platform
Match the bar to the wood you cut.
- 14-inch bar is for pruning and small limbs. It is light, but it struggles with firewood rounds.
- 16-inch bar is the sweet spot for most yards. It covers limbs and small logs and keeps the saw light.
- 18-inch bar is for thicker logs and storm trunks. It takes more motor to pull, so pair it with a brushless saw.
Runtime comes from the amp-hour rating. A 2.5Ah pack handles short trimming jobs, and a 5.0Ah pack roughly doubles the run time. Two packs beat one big pack for most people, because you can swap and keep cutting instead of waiting on a charger.
Cold weather drops battery output, so store spare packs inside the house and carry them out when you need them. A sharp chain also matters more than most buyers expect. A dull low-kickback chain drags and eats runtime, while a fresh chain cuts in half the time on the same pack.
Who should still buy a gas chainsaw
A gas saw is still the right call in a few cases:
- All-day cutting. A gas saw with a full tank runs longer than any pack you can carry.
- Very large trunks. Bars over 20 inches and repeated bucking of big hardwood favor a gas engine.
- No interest in batteries. If you already own gas tools and a fuel can, you can skip the platform question.
For everything else, a 16- or 18-inch brushless battery saw handles the job without the pull start, the mixed fuel, or the noise.
Bottom line
The EGO Power+ CS1611 is the best cordless chainsaw for most yards, with a 16-inch bar, a proven 56V battery platform, and a five-year tool warranty. The SEESII 40V 18-inch is the value pick when you want a longer bar and two 5.0Ah batteries for less money. Both cut storm limbs and firewood without gas.
For the rest of the yard gear, browse the chainsaws and tree care guides and the best riding lawn mower for 1 acre guide for bigger lots. Once the limbs are down, the best electric wood chipper for home use guide covers turning the pile into mulch, the best log splitter for home use handles the rounds, and the best wood moisture meter tells you when they are dry enough to burn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cordless chainsaw is the best?
For most homeowners the EGO Power+ CS1611 is the best all-round cordless chainsaw. Its 16-inch bar handles storm limbs and small firewood, the brushless motor matches a 40cc gas saw, and it runs on the same 56V batteries as the rest of the EGO yard tools. If you want a longer bar for less money, the SEESII 18-inch is the better value.
Are cordless chainsaws any good?
Yes, for yard cleanup, storm damage, and small firewood. A modern brushless battery saw cuts about as fast as a small gas saw and starts with a trigger pull. They are not the right tool for all-day commercial logging, where a gas saw with a full tank still wins.
What is the most reliable battery chainsaw?
Reliability comes down to the motor and the battery platform. EGO has supported its 56V line for years and backs the CS1611 with a five-year tool warranty. A 16- or 18-inch brushless saw from a brand you can still buy batteries for in three years is a safer long-term pick than a cheap one-off.
What is the most powerful cordless chainsaw?
In the homeowner class, look for a brushless motor in the 2,000W to 2,200W range. The SEESII 18-inch runs a 2200W motor at 30 ft/s, and the EGO CS1611 delivers 40cc gas-equivalent power with a 20 m/s chain speed. Above that you are into commercial battery saws that cost several times more.
How long does a cordless chainsaw battery last?
Runtime depends on the pack. A 2.5Ah pack on a 16-inch saw handles a short trimming session, while two 5.0Ah packs can run long enough to clear a storm-damaged tree. Cold weather cuts runtime, so keep spare packs indoors until you need them.
Do I need bar and chain oil in a cordless chainsaw?
Yes. Battery saws still need bar and chain oil, and both picks here run an automatic oiler. Check the tank before each session and top it off, because a dry bar wears out fast.
What size chainsaw do I need for firewood?
A 16-inch bar covers most firewood up to about 14 inches across. Step to an 18-inch bar for thicker logs and fewer passes on big rounds, and stay under 20 inches unless you are cutting large hardwood on a regular basis.