- You are here:
- Home »
- Chainsaws »
- Electric vs Gas Chainsaws – Power, Price, Features Comparison
Electric vs Gas Chainsaws – Power, Price, Features Comparison
The two major types of chainsaws are gas and electric and one minor type is battery-powered chainsaws. Most people find it hard to determine the best between the two. To clear your doubts, this guide about the electric vs gas chainsaw will explain their differences and uses to make your work easier when buying.
A chainsaw is one of the most versatile and portable power tools you can find today. Whether you are a homeowner, lumberjack, or orchard worker, you will require a chainsaw for various cutting tasks. Chainsaws are usually classified according to the type of motor and also the length of the guide bars.
Note: We recently reviewed a bunch of saws. Click here to see our Top 5 Chainsaw Picks of 2022
Why Choose Gas Chainsaw?
Gas chainsaws use gasoline as their major source of fuel. As compared to other types of chainsaws, gas chainsaws are more powerful. Again, if you compare them with electric chainsaws, you will find that gas chainsaws have the best power-to-weight ratio. This means that if you are searching for a chainsaw that will boost your productivity or performance, a gas chainsaw will be the most suitable.
Another thing is that since they do not require cables, you can use them anywhere because they are highly mobile. If you are intending to use a chainsaw in a large terrain, gas chainsaws will be the best.
Don’t forget that they come in different sizes. This means that you should choose according to the size of the trees or logs you are planning to cut. Their sizes range from 10-24 inches. You can also find gas chainsaws with 36 inches but these ones are meant for professionals.
Gas chainsaws are suitable for:
- Cutting large amounts of firewood
- Felling trees
- Clearing after a storm
Downsides of Gas-powered Chainsaws
Very heavy – One of the things you won’t like about gas chainsaws is that they are a bit heavier as compared to the electric saw. This means that they are not the best if you are planning to use them the whole day. In case you have a lot of work, you will need to have frequent rests when cutting or plan to complete the task within some days.
They are very noisy– You will require to use ear protectors when using them. You can buy a pair of earmuffs or those ear protectors that are designed for use during gun shootings.
Difficult to start– They are not easy to start since you have to follow several steps to get started.
Not easy to maintain –Every time you are using a gas chainsaw, you must keep removing debris from the air filter. You will also need to drain any remaining fuel from the engine. This can be a very tedious exercise and may affect your productivity.
Why choose Corded Electric Chainsaws?
The two types of electric chainsaws: cordless and corded electric. One of the major benefits of electric chainsaws is that they are very quiet as compared to gas-powered chainsaws. They are also lightweight which makes them suitable even for indoor use. With these tools, you will never need to worry about disturbing your neighbors when doing various cutting jobs within the compound.
Again, you do not need to use ear protectors. Due to their lightweight design, you can use them when you have a lot of cutting tasks since they will minimize fatigue. In addition, electric chainsaws are easy to maintain because they do not have a filter that you may need to clean frequently. All you need to do is to sharpen them after some time to boost their performance.
Lastly, electric chainsaws are very easy to start. Just connect the tool to a power source and press the start button.
Downsides of Corded-Electric Chainsaws
The major disadvantage of corded electric chainsaws is that their portability is limited. Since they are usually connected with a cord. You can only use them in a limited area. However, you can use an extension if the cord cannot reach the areas you want to reach.
What about Cordless Electric?
The major difference between a corded and cordless electric chainsaw is that, unlike corded chainsaws, cordless electric chainsaws do not require to be connected to a power cable. This means that they are highly portable because they use batteries. This means that you won’t need to worry about cables like when you are using an electric chainsaw. When fully charged, you can use it for about one hour which is enough if you are trimming bushes. However, if you have many bushes in your yard that need to be cleared frequently, a cordless chainsaw may not be the best.
In terms of price, corded chainsaws are inexpensive as compared to gas chainsaws.
A cordless or corded chainsaw is ideal for:
- Pruning and trimming
- Removing small branches
- Simple DIY projects involving cutting
Downsides to Cordless
As compared to corded chainsaws, cordless is very portable. However, they have a short battery life which means that you need to keep recharging. If you are planning to do a lot of work, a cordless electric chainsaw may not be the best. They are also not very powerful as compared to gas chainsaws which makes them suitable only for light projects.
Electric vs Gas Chainsaw: Conclusion
Before you make the final decision on whether to buy an electric chainsaw vs gas, it is good to first think of the tasks you are intending to do with the machine. If you are searching for a cutting tool that is more powerful, then you need to look for a gas chainsaw. However, they are a bit noisy and are very heavy.
This means that if you are searching for a lightweight cutting tool, you should look for a cordless or a corded electric chainsaw. Irrespective of your choice, we hope that this guide will help you to pick the best chainsaw that suits your needs.
Check out our guide on How To Store A Chainsaw
More Chainsaw posts:
About the Author David Vieria
David has been a woodworker for most of his life — in his dad’s cabinet shop. After using the tools himself, he decided to share it his woodworking and power tools knowledge with DIYers. Read more about him