Electric Chainsaws

Clean and quiet -- some electric chainsaws are as good as gas-powered models

If you can do your cutting within 100 feet of an electric outlet (or 150 feet on a few models), experts recommend electric chainsaws. They're quieter and vibrate less than gas chainsaws, and though they cut more slowly, electric chainsaws are less troublesome to start and use. You avoid the hassles involved with starting, fueling and maintaining a gas chainsaw. And even taking into account the air pollution created by the power plants that generate electricity, electric chainsaws generally pollute less than gas chainsaws.

For occasional use, reviewers recommend the 13-amp Craftsman 34118 (*Est. $100) electric chainsaw, made by Poulan and nearly identical to the Poulan Pro 400E CRBB (*Est. $85). The only difference seems to be that the Craftsman 34118 provides tool-free chain tensioning, and the Poulan Pro 400E does not. Under either brand name, two comparison reviews say this electric chainsaw is an excellent buy for homeowners. The Poulan chainsaw's 18-inch blade tapers at the front end to help prevent kickback, and under both brands the saw automatically oils the chain. Tests at Tools of the Trade, where the Craftsman 34118 is named the budget pick, show that the double-acting chain brake is activated not only when anything pushes the handle against part of the user's body, but also by inertia -- sensing when kickback starts.

Owners reviewing the Craftsman 34118 at Sears.com, and the equivalent Poulan Pro 400E at Amazon.com, give the electric chainsaw excellent reviews. This model is also tested (the Poulan Pro 400E version) by ConsumerReports.org for its 2006 chainsaw ratings.

The less expensive Poulan ES350 (*Est. $75) gets very high ratings at Amazon.com; more than 30 reviewers contribute to a 4.8 out of five star rating. The less-expensive Poulan chainsaw is not quite as powerful at the Poulan 400E, and it has a shorter 16-inch bar compared to the 400E's 18-inch bar, but otherwise it's quite similar. The only major drawback with the Craftsman 34118 and the Poulan Pro 400E is that neither offers an anti-vibration handle.

For more frequent use -- cutting one's own firewood, for example -- anti-vibration handles are important, and experts recommend moving up to a more expensive chainsaw. The 13-amp Husqvarna 316E (*Est. $270) is the most-recommended electric chainsaw in this price range. It has a 16-inch bar, and uses an in-line design that mounts the engine behind the bar. This makes it much quieter than most chainsaws and easier to handle, because you don't need to fight sideways torque. The Husqvarna 316E's safety features include an inertia-activated chain brake, a low-kickback chain and a reduced-kickback cutting bar.

A comparative review at Noise Pollution Clearinghouse (NPC) finds the Husqvarna 316E to be the quietest of 13 corded chainsaws tested. Tests at Tools of the Trade confirm that the 316E's inertia-activated chain brake works well; they also rate the Husqvarna chainsaw's cutting speed among the fastest of all the electric chainsaws tested. ConsumerReports.org includes the Husqvarna 316E in its evaluation, and ConsumerGuide.com gives it high ratings as well.

Reviewers say you'd only need a more powerful chainsaw for day-in, day-out cutting. Tools of the Trade, reviewing powerful electric chainsaws for construction work, gives top ranking to the Stihl MSE 180 C-BQ (*Est. $390). The review praises its coast-down brake, which stops the chain within a second after the trigger is released, and tests find that this Stihl chainsaw's inertia brake works well too. A review at Mother Earth News also recommends the Stihl MSE 180 C-BQ, saying it's as powerful as a midsize gas model. However, as with some Stihl gas models, Stihl electric chainsaws take some criticism for their bar design. Unlike the less expensive electric chainsaws discussed earlier, Stihl chainsaws use a bar that doesn't narrow at the tip to help prevent kickback. Comparison tests demonstrate that there is indeed more risk of kickback with the Stihl MSE 180 C-BQ.

The same is true of the 11.7-amp Stihl MSE 140 C-BQ (*Est. $340), but this saw's lower amperage and built-in circuit breaker give it a 150-foot range (provided you use a 10-gauge cord). That's a lot more useful than the 100-foot cord limit you'll find with most electric chainsaws. The overload protection is important, too, because pushing a nearly 12-amp chainsaw beyond its limit can otherwise burn out the motor.