Chainsaw Guide: Bar Length, Gas vs. Electric, Chain Types, and Safety

Gas vs. Electric vs. Battery

Gas chainsaws deliver the most power and run continuously as long as you have fuel. They handle the largest bar lengths (20+ inches), cut the hardest wood, and work far from any power source. The tradeoffs are weight, noise, exhaust fumes, and engine maintenance (fuel mix, air filter, spark plug, carburetor tuning).

Battery chainsaws have closed the gap dramatically. A good 56V or 80V battery saw with a 16 to 18-inch bar handles most homeowner tasks — storm cleanup, firewood processing, tree pruning, and small tree felling. They start instantly, produce no exhaust, and run quieter than gas. Battery life limits continuous cutting to 30 to 60 minutes, which is plenty for most residential work.

Corded electric chainsaws are the lightest and cheapest option but limited by cord length and power. They work for occasional pruning and small limbs near the house. For anything serious — felling, bucking firewood, storm damage — the cord is both a limitation and a safety hazard.

If you already have a battery platform (DeWalt 60V, Milwaukee M18 FUEL, EGO 56V, Makita 36V), buying a chainsaw on that platform means using batteries you already own. This is often the most practical decision — the saw costs less bare-tool, and your existing batteries work immediately.

Bar Length and Saw Sizing

Bar length determines the maximum diameter of wood you can cut in a single pass. A 14-inch bar cuts through logs up to about 12 inches in diameter. A 16 to 18-inch bar handles up to 16 inches. A 20-inch bar is the standard for firewood processing and medium tree felling. Longer bars require more powerful engines to drive the chain effectively.

The most common homeowner mistake is buying a bar that is too long. A 20-inch bar on a saw you struggle to control is more dangerous than a 16-inch bar that you handle confidently. You can cut logs larger than the bar by cutting from both sides. A shorter, lighter saw that you can maneuver precisely is safer than a longer one that exhausts you.

For pruning and light limbing, a 12 to 14-inch bar is ideal. For general homeowner use (firewood, storm cleanup, small to medium tree felling), a 16 to 18-inch bar covers most tasks. For regular firewood processing of large hardwood, a 20-inch bar saves time on bigger logs.

Match bar length to engine or battery power. An underpowered engine pulling a long chain bogs down in cuts, causes the chain to stall, and increases the risk of kickback. The manufacturer's bar-length range for each saw reflects what the motor can drive safely. Stay within it.

Chain Types and Maintenance

Full-chisel chain has square-cornered cutting teeth that cut fastest in clean wood. It dulls faster in dirty or sandy wood and is more aggressive — higher kickback risk. Semi-chisel chain has rounded cutting teeth that stay sharp longer in dirty conditions and have lower kickback tendency. For most homeowner use, semi-chisel is the safer, more practical choice.

Low-kickback (safety) chain has extra guard links between cutters that reduce the chance of kickback. Most consumer saws ship with safety chain. It cuts slightly slower than full-chisel chain but dramatically reduces the most common chainsaw injury mechanism. Keep the safety chain on unless you have professional experience and know why you are switching.

Sharpen the chain regularly — a dull chain requires more pressure, heats up, cuts crooked, and increases kickback risk. A sharp chain pulls itself into the wood; if you are pushing the saw into the cut, the chain is dull. A round file matched to the chain pitch resharpens each tooth in a few strokes. Sharpen every tank of fuel or after hitting dirt or rock.

Chain tension affects safety and cutting performance. A loose chain can derail from the bar. An overtight chain wears prematurely and strains the bar and engine. The chain should pull away from the bar about 1/4-inch and snap back when released. Check tension every time you refuel — chains stretch as they warm up.

Safety Equipment and Technique

Chainsaw chaps or pants are not optional. They contain layers of cut-resistant fibers (Kevlar or similar) that jam the chain and stop it within fractions of a second if the saw contacts your leg. Most chainsaw injuries hit the left leg (the forward leg during normal cutting stance). Chaps have prevented thousands of amputations.

A chainsaw helmet with face screen and hearing protection combines three essential pieces of PPE into one. The face screen blocks chips and debris from your eyes and face. The earmuffs reduce the 100+ dB noise to safe levels. The hard hat protects from falling branches — which are a leading cause of fatality during tree felling, not the saw itself.

Kickback is the most dangerous chainsaw event. It happens when the upper portion of the bar tip contacts an object — a branch, the ground, or pinched wood. The chain grabs and throws the bar upward and backward toward the operator. The chain brake (the large lever in front of the top handle) stops the chain in milliseconds when your wrist pushes forward against it during kickback. Never disable or remove the chain brake.

Never cut above shoulder height. Overhead cutting removes your ability to control the saw if it kicks back, and a falling cut piece can knock the saw into you. For limbs above shoulder height, use a pole saw or call a professional. The risk-to-benefit ratio of overhead chainsaw work is never in your favor.

Frequently Asked Questions