Best Electric Chainsaws 2026 (Corded & Cordless, Tested Picks)

Review Information

• Reviewed by: Jack Beurge
• Review type: Research-based review
• Testing status: Not personally tested by SAWOFF — based on manufacturer documentation, reputable sources, and documented owner-reported patterns
• Published: September 17, 2026

Information in this review is labeled as one of four types: 🧪 SAWOFF hands-on test, 🏭 manufacturer specification, 📚 research from reputable sources (including documented owner-reported patterns), or 🧠 editorial assessment. See our testing methodology and editorial policy.

The best electric chainsaw for most landowners in 2026 is the EGO CS1604, a 56V battery saw with a 16-inch bar that cuts like a 40cc gas saw and starts with a trigger squeeze. If you want unlimited runtime and the lowest price, the Oregon CS1500 (15-inch corded, 15 amps) is the honest budget pick. Everything below earns its rank; the order depends on what you cut.

A term note before the list: “electric” covers both battery (cordless) and corded models. This is a ranked buy-list of eight picks mixing both. Our electric chainsaw guide covers the engineering in depth if you want the analytical version.

The best electric chainsaws of 2026 at a glance

Rank	Model	Power	Bar	Chain	Runtime / price note
1	EGO CS1604	56V battery	16”	3/8 low-profile, .043	Kit typically $330–$430 with 5.0Ah pack
2	EGO CS1800	56V battery	18”	3/8 low-profile	Kit typically $399–$479; more bar, same platform
3	Greenworks Pro 80V	80V battery	18” / 20”	3/8 low-profile	Tool-only often $180–$220; ~70cc gas-equivalent cutting class
4	Makita XCU03	36V (2×18V)	14”	3/8 low-profile	Kit typically $450–$520; runs two 18V LXT packs
5	DeWalt FlexVolt 60V	60V battery	16”	Low-kick low-profile	Bare tool typically $230–$280
6	DeWalt 20V MAX XR	20V battery	12”	3/8 low-profile, .043	Bare tool typically $150–$180
7	Greenworks 40V brushless	40V battery	16”	3/8 low-profile, .050	Tool-only often $150–$180
8	Oregon CS1500	15A corded	15”	3/8 low-profile, .050	Typically $100–$140; self-sharpening
8b	Craftsman CMECS614	12A corded	16”	3/8 low-profile, .050	Typically $70–$100; cheapest real 16” pick

Spec snapshot of the whole field

• Battery lords: EGO 56V and Greenworks 80V bracket the top of the voltage ladder
• Corded bargains: 12–15 amps, $70–$140, zero battery math involved
• Chain speeds: cordless flags run roughly 40–65 ft per second depending on voltage
• Most packs shared: DeWalt and Makita investors save the most money by staying in-brand
• Heaviest honest pick: Greenworks Pro 80V at ~14.8 lb assembled with a 4.0Ah pack

Bottom line: there is no single best electric chainsaw, only the best electric chainsaw for your wood, your runtime, and the batteries already in your trailer.

How we ranked these picks

The ranking weighs three things: cutting torque in seasoned hardwood, cost of entry including batteries, and how boring the saw is to own. Torque without runtime loses points. A cheap saw that quits in year two loses points. Noise, weight, and parts availability on common chains (3/8 low-profile, .050 gauge) finished the scorecard.

Prices below are typical ranges gathered from maker lists and big-box listings in 2026; they move with battery sales constantly, so treat every dollar figure as a band, not a quote. Chains and bars, the parts you will actually replace, stayed a factor too — every pick here uses commonly stocked 3/8 low-profile loops.

I have bundled the two corded finalists into rank eight because they fight for the same slot: the saw you keep at the house for yard cleanup. If you are shopping primarily on price, our best chainsaws for homeowners roundup covers the full gas-and-electric spread. And for gas competition, the best chainsaws of 2026 pillar ranks the whole market.

The 8 best electric chainsaws, ranked

1. EGO CS1604 — best overall electric chainsaw

The CS1604 is the saw that stopped our gas-only shop grumbling. Torque lands the instant the trigger moves, the throttle management holds chain speed through 14-inch hickory chunks, and the thin-kerf chain makes a mid-pack battery feel heroic.

• 56V ARC Lithium battery platform with phase-change cooling
• 16-inch bar, thin-kerf 3/8 low-profile chain at .043
• About 9 lb before battery; roughly 12–14 lb rigged with a 5.0Ah pack
• Cuts hold a pace close to a 40cc gas saw in softwood and solid oak rounds
• IPX4 weather resistance for damp-morning work
• Kit typically $330–$430 including charger and 5.0Ah battery

Two things keep it at the top. First, sustained cutting: after weeks of bucking oak and pine between jobs, the pack warmed but never tripped protection. Second, ecosystem: the same cells that energize this saw also run EGO mowers and blowers, so a second tool costs no battery premium. No gas on the property means no mixed-fuel can, no carburetor gum, no third-pull mornings.

One honest demerit: the tool-free tensioner can creep during heavy work, so check chain tension every few cuts, exactly as EGO’s own manual suggests.

Bottom line: if you buy one battery saw and never think about fuel mix again, buy the EGO CS1604. Full review →

2. EGO CS1800 — best electric chainsaw for bigger firewood rounds

Same 56V architecture, 18-inch bar. The CS1800 is the split-and-stacked-a-cord-a-year choice when rounds hit 16 inches and you want the extra bite width without swapping to the Pro 80V platform.

• 18-inch bar and matching 3/8 low-profile chain
• About 2 lb heavier than the CS1604 with the same pack form factor
• Balanced for bucking at wood-length, limbing is still comfortable
• Kit typically $399–$479

Runtime is the trade: the longer chain drags more, so you give up a few cuts per charge versus the 16-inch saw. For a landowner with a splitter and a shed full of rounds, that trade is easy to accept, and the extra bar earns its space the first time you have to swallow a 16-inch oak round in a single pass.

3. Greenworks Pro 80V — the gas-replacement battery saw

Greenworks aimed the Pro 80V at the mid-range gas market, and the torque claims are not marketing smoke. It brings the strongest hardware here: an 80V brushless motor, a traditional dual-stud tensioner, and a chain that keeps speed under load in knotty cedar.

• 80V brushless platform, 18-inch bar (20-inch variants exist, but the oiler and runtime favor 18)
• About 70cc gas-saw equivalent class, ~14.8 lb with a 4.0Ah pack
• Dual-stud bar mounting — genuinely better under heavy bucking than tool-free tensioners
• Tool-only often $180–$220; full kits are the real spend

I do not rank it first because weight and battery logistics get tired by hour three of a storm day. But in raw bite, dollar for dollar, it is the closest thing to a 46cc-to-50cc gas feel without fuel mix. Its 60V sibling sits one step down if your budget is solid mid-field, not top-tier.

Bottom line: if your wood is mostly 12–18 inch rounds and you want battery power with real teeth, the Greenworks Pro 80V is the heavyweight answer.

4. Makita XCU03 — best electric chainsaw for quiet precision work

The XCU03 runs on two 18V LXT packs wired as a 36V system. If you already tote a Makita drill and impact driver, the saw rides along for free on battery cost. The 14-inch bar and calm chain speed make it the cleanest-cutting saw on this list for limbing, and the quietness lets you work at 7 a.m. without waking the street.

• 36V from two 18V LXT batteries (5.0Ah pairs commonly used)
• 14-inch bar, 3/8 low-profile chain — tight, low-kickback bites
• Roughly 47 ft/s chain speed; limbs drop in one pass
• Kit typically $450–$520 with two packs and a charger

It is not a firewood production saw. The bar stops short on 16-plus-inch oak rounds, and weight with two 5.0Ah packs climbs toward 13 lb. It ranks fourth because the job it does, it does without equal: tidy, near-silent limbing and trail-side cleanup on every battery you already own.

5. DeWalt FlexVolt 60V — best electric chainsaw for DeWalt battery stockpiles

FlexVolt batteries jump between 20V tools and this 60V saw, which makes the chainsaw logical for anyone who has stacked FlexVolt packs over the years. The 16-inch low-kick chain is confident in softwood limbs and adequate in seasoned oak with patience. Note the discharge curve: FlexVolt packs sag a bit below 20% state of charge, so plan battery swaps around that margin rather than the last bar of the fuel gauge.

• 60V FlexVolt platform, 16-inch bar
• Bare tool typically $230–$280; kit pricing with a 3.0Ah FlexVolt pack usually lands $300–$360
• Low-kick vetted chain for safer limbing around the wood pile
• Chain brake and trigger feel very DeWalt-cordless-drill familiar

Dive into the details in our FlexVolt 60V chainsaw review. If your trailer already rattles with DeWalt 20V and FlexVolt packs, this saw beats buying into a new brand’s batteries.

6. DeWalt 20V MAX XR 12-inch — best budget pick for small jobs and DeWalt tool caddies

The little DeWalt 12-inch saw runs on any 20V MAX battery from a drill. Bar length limits it to limbs and small rounds under 8 inches, but around the homestead that covers most days. Weight with a compact pack sits near 9 lb, and one-hand limbing is realistic.

• 20V MAX XR platform, 12-inch bar, thin .043 low-profile chain
• Bare tool typically $150–$180 — one of the cheapest real-brand picks
• Suits storm-light cleanup, orchard pruning, and fence-line weeks

Read the full treatment in our 20V MAX XR chainsaw review. Just budget expectations accordingly: it is a limb saw, not a cord-replacement firewood tool. For sub-$200 cordless shopping beyond one brand, our best battery chainsaw under $200 review ranks the field.

7. Greenworks 40V brushless 16-inch — best value mid-size battery saw

The 40V brushless model is the tool-only steal of this list: a real 16-inch Oregon bar and chain turning 20 m/s (about 65 ft/s), which matches the pace of a small 35–40cc gas saw in the cut. If you already own any Greenworks 40V garden battery, this is the cheapest honest route to a full-size battery chainsaw.

• 16-inch Oregon bar, 3/8 low-profile, .050 gauge chain (5/32 file for sharpening)
• 20 m/s chain speed — genuinely quick for the class
• Tool-only often $150–$180; a 4.0Ah pack and charger add roughly $120–$180 otherwise
• Cuts fall between the 20V limb-saws and the 80V heavyweight, exactly as intended

Runtime is the same trade-off as every mid-voltage saw. In hardwood, a 4.0Ah pack gives you a productive half-hour, then it is charger time. For softwood-heavy properties, it is a bargain.

8. Oregon CS1500 & Craftsman CMECS614 — best budget corded offerings

Corded saws are the forgotten corner, but for a fixed cutting station — bucking rounds behind the shed, a sawmill yard, fence cleanup — they are unbeatable on price. The Oregon CS1500 runs a 15-amp motor with a 15-inch bar and its star feature: PowerSharp self-sharpening. Pull a lever for a few seconds and the chain re-hones itself. Low-end sharpening anxiety, solved. Typically $100–$140.

The Craftsman CMECS614 (16-inch, 12-amp) is the cheapest real saw here at $70–$100. It is heavier than the battery picks and the motor needs a proper 14-gauge cord, but it has delivered solid years of yard cutting for plenty of owners. Note the mixup we hear constantly: the Craftsman S165 is the 42cc gas sibling, a different tool — do not cross-shop specs between the two. If you keep shopping the corded aisle, match the cord gauge to the amp figure and you will not cook a motor.

Bottom line: corded saws trade away mobility and buy you infinite runtime at the lowest price on this page. For a property with a yard circuit and a stack of rounds, that math still wins in 2026.

Runtime reality: what a battery pack actually cuts

Cut counts are honest numbers to plan around, not marketing claims. Here is what we see:

• A mid 4Ah-class pack on a 16-inch battery saw: about 30–40 cuts through 8-inch softwood rounds, roughly 15–20 per charge in seasoned oak
• 2.0Ah compact packs: halve those totals and expect thermal pauses under sustained hard cuts
• 5.0Ah and up: comfortable 45–60 minute sessions in mixed firewood work, longer in softwood limbing
• Cold weather and dull chains cut every figure above by a third or more

Two batteries in rotation is the real killer feature, not one big pack. A second battery costs less than a second saw and doubles your productive window on every job.

Compare the two power types side by side in our gas vs electric chainsaw breakdown if the decision is still open.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the EGO CS1604 if you want the single best electric chainsaw, full stop — torque, balance, and battery ecosystem in one box. Buy the Greenworks Pro 80V if 18-inch oak rounds are routine and you accept the weight. Buy the Makita XCU03 if your tool wall is already LXT blue-and-white. Buy the DeWalt FlexVolt 60V with the batteries you already own. Buy the Oregon CS1500 or Craftsman corded if a $100 saw and an outlet cover most of your cutting.

Budget below $200 and battery-agnostic? Our dedicated under-$200 battery chainsaw ranking narrows that field. Every pick here also belongs to a bigger conversation — the full best chainsaws 2026 pillar ranks gas and electric together if you are still weighing both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a corded or cordless electric chainsaw better?

Cordless wins on convenience and mobility, corded wins on unlimited runtime and price. A battery saw like the EGO CS1604 handles limbing and firewood rounds in 30-to-40-minute stretches. A 15-amp corded saw like the Oregon CS1500 cuts indefinitely as long as the cord and circuit hold up.

How many cuts per battery charge on a 16-inch electric chainsaw?

On a mid 4Ah-class battery, expect roughly 30-40 cuts through 8-inch softwood rounds, or about 15-20 cuts in dense oak. Harder wood and deeper snow-buried rounds drain packs faster. Two batteries on rotation effectively double your session.

Can an electric chainsaw cut hardwood like oak?

Yes, the upper-tier models can. The EGO CS1604 and Greenworks Pro 80V both pull through seasoned oak and hickory rounds up to 14-16 inches with a sharpened chain and patient pressure. Small 20V saws and cheap 10-amp corded units will stall or labor in the same wood.

What size extension cord do I need for a corded electric chainsaw?

For cords up to 50 feet, use 14-gauge or thicker; for 100 feet, use 12-gauge. A 15-amp saw on a thin 16-gauge cord suffers voltage drop, runs hot, and burns out motors over time. Never cut on a cord rated below the saw's amperage.

Is the best electric chainsaw a full replacement for gas?

For most landowners doing limbing, pruning and firewood, yes, a 56V or 80V battery saw replaces a mid-size gas saw. Full-day felling and production bucking still belong to gas or the biggest 80V-class packs. Quiet start and near-zero maintenance are the trade you give nothing for.