6 Best Budget Chainsaws: Top Picks & Reviews

If you have been weary of purchasing a chainsaw due to the cost of them, you may want to reconsider your search process surrounding this. With the availability of various models made by various brands, you have an abundance of inexpensive choices to fit almost any budget.

With just $200, you can find the best budget chainsaw from a large selection of both gas and electric-powered products to make any sort of task you have in mind relatively easy to complete. Cheap doesn’t always have to define a lack of quality like it does with some products, as you will find some of the best cheap chainsaws also being some of the most powerful chainsaws currently available for homeowner use.

I know for a fact I won’t be the only person to have been incredibly impressed in the past with an inexpensive chainsaw bought on a tight budget. This article will provide you with our top picks and reviews of some of the best affordable chainsaws on the market!

Table of Contents

• Why Buy a Budget Chainsaw?
• 6 Best Cheap Chainsaws of the Year
  • Poulan Pro 20 in. 50cc 2-Cycle Gas Chainsaw, PR5020
  • Remington RM4214 42CC 14-inch Gas Chainsaw
  • WORX WG322 20V Power Share 10″ Cordless Chainsaw
  • Black+Decker LCS1020 20V Max Lithium-Ion Chainsaw
  • Greenworks 40V 8-Inch Cordless Polesaw, 2.0Ah Battery
  • CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16-Inch, 12-Amp
• Best Budget Chainsaw Buying Guide: What to Look
  • Budget
  • Type of Motor
  • Bar Length
  • Auto Oiling
• Recap
• FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why Buy a Budget Chainsaw?

Human nature is to naturally associate cheap products with poor quality right? But, this isn’t necessarily true with chainsaws. Don’t get me wrong, quality chainsaws do have a typically higher price point, but, you can still get a high-quality chainsaw at a very affordable price. Long-standing brand names and saw size is often more influential on overall cost in comparison to similar products.

The thing with the more expensive and dubbed “higher-quality” saws is that they’re almost always made specifically for large jobs that require a large chain, and a powerful motor, and are almost exclusively used on a regular basis for heavy-duty cutting.

Given that we homeowners would likely not have a workload such as this, then we can look in a much less expensive range of cost for an equally well-made saw.

Therefore, you can really have a price point of below $200 for a durable gas-powered chainsaw, and even below $100 for an electric chainsaw without having to sacrifice quality or power for the tasks you would like to complete.

6 Best Cheap Chainsaws of the Year

Here we’ve compiled a short list of the best cheap chainsaws below to showcase the different varieties and models that are available to you at a reasonable price.

These are a great little selection to help show the power and size of various products that you can choose from within various price ranges.

Note: Please be aware that these prices may fluctuate, but at the time of writing, all examples were around or below the $200 price point with the exception of the Poulan Pro.

Poulan Pro 20 in. 50cc 2-Cycle Gas Chainsaw, PR5020

• Weight: 17.8 lbs
• Bar Length: 20-inch
• Power Source: 50cc gas-powered
• Warranty: 2 years

Poulan Pro is a very well-respected name in the landscaping and home property maintenance industry. They have built a name for themselves based on affordable and durable products. Their 50cc 20-inch chainsaw is a great example of what they are capable of offering.

This is a gas chainsaw that can be used for some of the heaviest jobs you have, and its wrap-around handle provides you with a secure grip to be able to work in any condition and at any desired angle. The Poulan Pro OxyPower engine technology allows for a cleaner running powerful engine that produces fewer emissions; resulting in a more environmentally friendly product.

It includes safety features such as a chain brake, an anti-vibration system, as well as a low kickback bar and chain. Along with these, you have easy access to filters, an easy start system, and combi tool storage that allows for you to conduct simple maintenance when away from your designated workbench.

On top of all this, the easy start is supported by the combined choke/stop control for added reliability and to be able to avoid engine flooding. This is a durable, powerful machine built for moderate to large cutting jobs. Homeowners with regular maintenance or firewood cutters can’t go wrong with a product like this.

Pros

• Starts very easily
• Very powerful and durable
• Idles nicely

Cons

• Bit pricier compared to others in this article
• The bar is a bit flexible but this can be changed
• Ignition modules may have issues

Remington RM4214 42CC 14-inch Gas Chainsaw

• Weight: 15.7 lbs
• Bar Length: 14-inch
• Power source: 42cc gas-powered
• Warranty: 2 years

Yet another very strong brand name within the landscaping industry, Remington products are made by MTD, and have a respectable reputation as can be illustrated by their 42cc, 14-inch saw made specifically for dependable home use.

This chainsaw is powerful and long enough to handle a heavy workload while boasting a few features that make it easy to handle in residential environments. In addition to this, the chainsaw has easy tension control and an automatic oiler to help you work more efficiently.

The Remington chainsaw is equipped with a chain brake, low kickback bar and chain, balanced weight, and a 5-point anti-vibration system, all of which help you work safely throughout your tasks. It has added comfort through an easy startup and cushioned wrap-around grip. Finally, it comes with a protective case for easy storage and to help keep it clean when it is not in use.

If you want the best cheap chainsaw that’s powered by gas, this is likely going to be your top choice. The 14-inch length makes it perfect in many ways for most homeowners and casual lumberjacks. Perfect for suburban cutting, this is a product made with homeowners in mind.

From property maintenance to firewood cutting, and everything in between, this is a good choice for anyone who needs power and comfort in a more compact saw design.

Pros

• Very reliable
• Well balanced and cuts easily
• Perfect size for property management

Cons

• May leak oil when stored
• Some issues with the on/off switch

WORX WG322 20V Power Share 10″ Cordless Chainsaw

• Weight: 6.2 lbs
• Bar Length: 10-inch
• Power source: 20-volt battery-powered
• Warranty: 3 years

The Worx name has become a popular brand for many residential solutions in the yard and garden. This compact 20-volt chainsaw boasts a 10-inch chain for light to moderate work. It’s cordless and easily transported, allowing you to work in just about any condition with ease due to its lightweight 6 lbs heft- making it one of the most economical saws currently available.

With its worry-free chain tensioning, automatic oiling features, and the ability to transform it into an extension saw with an optional pole, this is a great chainsaw to have at home. It includes safety features such as a low chain and bar kickback, hand protection, and low vibration for easy use.

The Worx chainsaw has a wrap-around handle that allows you to get into tight spots. It also is part of the 20 volt Auto Share Platform, allowing you to work interchangeably with other Worx products.

This is the perfect light to moderate duty chainsaw addition to your toolbox. It is a handy homeowners tool to cut, trim, and prune your common property vegetation, and for any small construction jobs.

Pros

• Great, portable size
• Very quiet
• Perfect for residential use

Cons

• Care must be taken to keep chains properly adjusted
• Battery life is short, investing in a second battery is likely needed

Black+Decker LCS1020 20V Max Lithium-Ion Chainsaw

• Weight: 7.2 lbs
• Bar Length: 10-inch
• Power source: 20-volt battery-powered
• Warranty: 2 years

Black + Decker is a very well-known brand for its many property management tools. This compact, battery-operated chainsaw is a popular choice for homeowner use.

The 20-volt battery power will enable you to work for hours on lighter cutting jobs, and the 10-inch chain makes easy work of all the trimming and pruning jobs you have ready for it. The chainsaw can also handle the occasional heavier job with care along with featuring a tool-less chain tensioner for immediate adjustments while you’re operating it.

The safety features include a low kickback bar and chain, a hand guard, and an easy wrap-around grip for easy use. The oiling system has a window included so that you’re able to check oil levels prior to working. With its weight of only 7 lbs, this is one of the lightest cordless versions available on the market and it is highly portable to reach any of your tasks locations.

This is an amazingly powerful, small saw suitable for quick jobs in and around your house. If you have patience, it can easily handle heavier tasks, but it is made specifically for an amount of dependable convenience.

Pros

• Incredibly lightweight
• Long-lasting
• Perfect for firewood

Cons

• Chain oiler may not always put out enough oil

Greenworks 40V 8-Inch Cordless Polesaw, 2.0Ah Battery

• Weight: 7.8 lbs
• Bar Length: 8-inch
• Power source: 40V battery-powered
• Warranty: 4 years

If you want a small chainsaw for delimbing and trimming that runs on batteries, this is a superb choice. The telescoping pole only takes a few simple twists to extend your reach an extra 8 feet in the air in order to cut branches that are at a distance. This chainsaw also weighs only around 8 pounds which makes it one of the lightest pole-style chainsaws you can buy in today’s market.

The best part about this chainsaw is that you can get a full one hour of cutting time on each battery charge. Which should be more than enough time for most users. Equally, recharging can take as long as one hour.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Automatic (fixed flow) oiler to ensure lifetime durability of the bar and chain
• Tool-less chain tensioner to fine-tune the chain without using any special tools
• Interchangeable battery with other Greenworks power tools

Cons

• The chain must be kept correctly adjusted to avoid slippage. A lot of reviewers indicate that chain falls off easily

CRAFTSMAN Electric Chainsaw, 16-Inch, 12-Amp

• Weight: 6.19 lbs
• Bar Length: 16-inch
• Power source: 12-amp corded
• Warranty: 3 years

12 Amp 16-inch Electric Chainsaw features a powerful motor helping the user manage tough cuts. This unit is built with the user in mind eliminating the inconvenience of priming and knowing when it is time to refill with the built-in window.

This electric chainsaw features a 16-inch low kickback bar and chain with a built-in oil window. Finally, it has an easy-to-adjust tool-free chain for ideal cutting performance.

Pros

• Lightweight
• The 12-Amp motor of a corded electric chainsaw helps with tough cuts
• Features a 16-inch low kickback bar and chain

Cons

• Corded design can limit the reach

Best Budget Chainsaw Buying Guide: What to Look

Remember, cheapness does not always equate to poor quality. With the many products available below the $200 price point, it is handy to have a good idea of your needs and knowledge of chainsaws to make the best-informed decisions prior to purchasing your best budget chainsaw.

The most important considerations will typically be:

• Budget
• Type of motor
• Bar length
• Auto Oiling

Budget

Obviously, if you have a firm budget you need to stay within, you will need to consider the use of the product you are interested in against the jobs you have in mind. For light, periodic cutting you will not require a large, expensive saw. Weighing your wants against your needs will allow you to better balance your budget surrounding this.

Having a firm budget will also provide fewer choices available to you. Therefore, you should create a flexible budget with a maximum amount that you will not go over and a minimum price point that you would like to stay at if possible. This will force you to seek great deals to try and get the best chainsaw for your budget, and allow you a bit more flexibility in the search.

Type of Motor

There are three basic types of chainsaws:

• Gas-powered chainsaw
• Electric chainsaw
• Battery-powered chainsaw

Gas-Powered Chainsaws

Gasoline engines are most commonly categorized as motorbike engines in cc’s, but you’ll occasionally see them rated by horsepower (HP). You will be able to find chainsaws with ratings from 25cc to 80cc or even more in more industrial-like models. Horsepower will vary, but a mid-range chainsaw may have around 4 horsepower, with heavy-duty models packing a lot more power.

Note: gas-powered chainsaws are prohibited in many cities, and that trend will only continue to grow.

Electric Chainsaws

Electric motors are rated in amps. Light duty electric chainsaws will start at about 8 amps, but more robust models will fall between 12 and 15 amps. Unless you only really have very basic trimming tasks to complete, you will likely want to consider an electric chainsaw with amps at the higher end of this range to ensure sufficient power.

Battery-Powered Chainsaws

A battery-powered chainsaw skips the motor and engine rating altogether and instead measures the power of the chainsaw in volts. Many models are available with 18 to 40 volts, but a few may stretch the power up to 80 volts or even more.

Bar Length

The chainsaw bar can also sometimes be referred to as the blade and its job is to serve as the guide for the chain. Chainsaw bar lengths will vary significantly among different models of chainsaws and can range from 8 inches to 30 inches.

Chainsaws with shorter bar lengths are easier to handle than those with longer bar lengths. However, with a shorter bar length, it will also reduce the saw’s cutting capabilities. A chainsaw bar should generally be 1 to 2 inches longer than the wood you’re cutting to avoid kickback (which is when the nose of the saw makes contact with the cutting surface and is sharply forced upward).

Chainsaws with longer bar lengths allow you to make considerably larger cuts of wood in a single pass. However, with a longer bar length comes a requirement for a more powerful motor and a heavier machine, resulting in the need for increased caution when using these heavy-duty chainsaws.

A bar length of 14 inches or less should be sufficient when shopping for a chainsaw for the average homeowner’s tasks. If you have more than average yard tasks to tackle, then you may need to look for a more capable model which has 14 to 18 inches of bar length. Heavy-duty chainsaws will have a bar length of 18 to 24 inches, and professional chainsaws will stretch the bar length as much as 30 inches.

If you’re interested in how to measure a chainsaw bar, visit our guide!

Auto Oiling

For maximum performance and maximum safety when using a chainsaw, you will need to oil your chainsaw blade regularly. If you fail to do adequately oil your chainsaw blade, it can become dull very quickly, with the friction heat also causing the nose of the saw to warp weirdly.

Most modern chainsaws have an automatic oiler that saves the user time while also ensuring the chainsaw remains in its optimal working condition. Automatic oilers are also available with either fixed flow or adjustable flow.

A fixed-flow oiler will distribute a consistent, steady flow of oil onto the chainsaw chain. While an adjustable flow oiling system allows the user to adjust the setting of the oiler to release more or less oil if necessary. This adjustable system can be good when placing conducting tasks that carry significant strain on the saw, such as cutting harder woods.

Whichever type of automatic oiler you opt for, depending on your budget, you should become familiar with the size of the oil reservoir and also pay close attention to the oil level. Fortunately, most modern models of chainsaws will have a small window on the side that lets you easily keep an eye on the level of your oil supply.

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Recap

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)