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Home & DecorJuly 11, 2026Updated July 11, 202614 min read

The Best Chainsaws of 2026

Battery-first: 9 picks from a $79 Greenworks storm saw to the $589 Husqvarna 455 Rancher, for storm cleanup, firewood, property work, and harvesting free bowl blanks for the lathe.

By Justin Park · How we research

Tested in This Guide · Our Top Picks

EGO Power+ EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw

EGO Power+

EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw

$329.00 →

Greenworks Greenworks 24V 12" Compact Chainsaw

Greenworks

Greenworks 24V 12" Compact Chainsaw

$79.00 →

Makita Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)

Makita

Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)

$223.81 →

Greenworks Greenworks 80V 18" Brushless Chainsaw

Greenworks

Greenworks 80V 18" Brushless Chainsaw

$246.99 →

Quick Picks

EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw

Our Pick

EGO Power+ EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw

Best Overall (Battery) · $329.00

Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)

Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)

$223.81

Greenworks 80V 18" Brushless Chainsaw

Greenworks 80V 18" Brushless Chainsaw

$246.99

DeWalt 20V MAX 12" Chainsaw Kit

DeWalt 20V MAX 12" Chainsaw Kit

$256.94

EGO Power+ 18" 56V Chainsaw

EGO Power+ 18" 56V Chainsaw

$449.00

The chainsaw market flipped in the last few years: battery saws went from lawn-toy to legitimate, and for most homeowners they are now the right default. Our pick for most people is the EGO Power+ 16-inch at $329.00, the saw that made gas loyalists switch, and this guide ladders from a $79.00 Greenworks storm saw to EGO's $549.00 Farm & Ranch flagship, plus one deliberate exception: the $589.00 gas Husqvarna 455 Rancher, because firewood production is still a gas job.

We sorted 9 picks (8 saws plus the chaps you should not skip) battery-first, by the work you actually do: storm cleanup, property maintenance, firewood, and, for the makers this site serves, harvesting green wood. A chainsaw is step one of the woodturning pipeline: buck a fallen oak into blanks and your wood lathe turns free timber into bowls, with the bandsaw rounding blanks in between. Battery saws even share a garage wall with your cordless drill platform. Every pick is verified live on Amazon with real pricing and imagery.

In a Hurry?

The 4 picks that cover most readers. Tap to read the full review or buy direct.

Our Pick

EGO Power+ 16"

EGO Power+ 16"

$329.00

The battery saw that converted the gas crowd.

Check Amazon →Read review

Best Budget

Greenworks 24V 12"

Greenworks 24V 12"

$79.00

The $79 storm-cleanup and first-saw answer.

Check Amazon →Read review

Battery Flagship

EGO 20" Farm & Ranch

EGO 20" Farm & Ranch

$549.00

Acreage-grade cutting with zero fuel maintenance.

Check Amazon →Read review

The Gas Benchmark

Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Husqvarna 455 Rancher

$589.00

55cc of all-day firewood and felling muscle.

Check Amazon →Read review
Best Overall (Battery)Our Pick
EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw by EGO Power+

EGO Power+ 16" 56V Chainsaw

EGO Power+$329.00
4.7(3,000)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Bar

16"

Platform

EGO 56V

Type

Brushless battery

Best for

Most homeowners and makers

Pros

  • The 56V platform that made battery saws credible
  • 16-inch bar covers most property and firewood work
  • Instant start, low noise, no fuel mixing
  • Batteries share with EGO mowers and blowers

Cons

  • Battery and charger config varies by listing: check before buying
  • Long full-day bucking still favors gas or the bigger EGOs
EGO's 56V chainsaws are the reason 'battery chainsaw' stopped being a punchline, and the 16-inch is the version most people should buy. It starts with a trigger pull, needs no fuel mixing or carb babying, runs quiet enough for suburban weekends, and cuts hard enough for storm cleanup, felling small trees, and bucking firewood rounds. If you are already on EGO's yard platform, it is a no-brainer; if not, it is a good reason to start.

Our Pick

The battery saw that does what most people actually need a chainsaw to do.

Check Price on Amazon →$329.00 · EGO Power+
Best Budget / First SawBest Value
Greenworks 24V 12" Compact Chainsaw by Greenworks

Greenworks 24V 12" Compact Chainsaw

Greenworks$79.00
4.5(8,000)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Bar

12"

Platform

Greenworks 24V

Weight

Light

Best for

Limbs, storm cleanup, small property

Pros

  • A real chainsaw for $79, listed with battery and charger
  • Light enough for anyone in the household to run
  • Perfect limbing and storm-cleanup size
  • Zero maintenance beyond chain oil

Cons

  • 12-inch bar and 24V power cap it at small wood
  • Not a firewood-production saw
At $79 listed with battery and charger, this little Greenworks is the answer for the household that needs a chainsaw a few times a year: downed limbs after a storm, pruning gone ambitious, breaking down a Christmas tree. It is light, quiet, and safe-feeling in a way big saws are not. It will not buck a cord of oak, and it does not pretend to. As a first saw or a truck-box backup, it is the easiest recommendation on this page.
Check Price on Amazon →$79.00 · Greenworks
Best for Makita 18V Owners
Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool) by Makita

Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)

Makita$223.81
4.6(900)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Bar

14"

Platform

Makita 18V LXT (bare tool)

Motor

Brushless

Best for

LXT tool owners

Pros

  • Runs on the LXT batteries already in your shop
  • Brushless and beautifully balanced
  • Quiet top-handle-style ergonomics for yard work
  • Makita build quality

Cons

  • Bare tool: no battery or charger included
  • 14-inch bar and 18V suit medium duty, not felling days
If your shop already runs Makita 18V, the XCU11Z turns the batteries you own into a very capable yard and shop saw. The 14-inch bar handles limbing, small felling, and cutting green turning stock to length, and the brushless motor sips the 5Ah packs woodworkers tend to have in multiples. Remember it is listed as a bare tool: no battery, no charger. That is the point for LXT owners and the dealbreaker for everyone else.
Check Price on Amazon →$223.81 · Makita
Best for DeWalt 20V Garages
DeWalt 20V MAX 12" Chainsaw Kit by DeWalt

DeWalt 20V MAX 12" Chainsaw Kit

DeWalt$256.94
4.6(1,200)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Bar

12"

Platform

DeWalt 20V MAX

Kit

Listed with battery and charger

Best for

Property odd jobs

Pros

  • Joins the 20V MAX batteries half of America owns
  • Kit is listed with battery and charger included
  • Compact, controllable 12-inch bar
  • Ideal camp, deer-lease, and cleanup saw

Cons

  • 20V platform limits it to light-medium cutting
  • Not the saw for a woodpile-sized weekend
DeWalt's 12-inch is the chainsaw as power-tool accessory, in the best way. It shares the 20V MAX batteries that already run your drill and circular saw (see our cordless drill guide), packs small for camping or the lease, and handles limbs, small trunks, and lumber-yard cross-cutting without drama. Think of it as the biggest cordless tool in the kit rather than a logging instrument and it will not disappoint.
Check Price on Amazon →$256.94 · DeWalt

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The Battery FlagshipBig Battery Energy
EGO Power+ CS2005 20" Farm & Ranch Saw by EGO Power+

EGO Power+ CS2005 20" Farm & Ranch Saw

EGO Power+$549.00
4.7(300)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Bar

20"

Class

Farm & Ranch

Platform

EGO 56V

Best for

Acreage on batteries

Pros

  • A 20-inch battery saw built for farm and ranch duty
  • EGO's hardest-hitting chainsaw
  • Full fuel-free acreage capability
  • The proof battery saws reached gas territory

Cons

  • $549, and big batteries to feed it cost real money
  • At this spend, the gas Rancher is the direct rival
The CS2005 Farm & Ranch is EGO planting a flag: a 20-inch saw aimed squarely at the acreage owner who was about to buy gas. It brings full-size bar capacity and the platform's instant-start, low-maintenance living to genuinely heavy work. The honest comparison is the Husqvarna 455 Rancher below, and the head-to-head is exactly that fight.
Check Price on Amazon →$549.00 · EGO Power+
Best Pro Gas SawThe Gas Benchmark
Husqvarna 455 Rancher 20" Gas Chainsaw by Husqvarna

Husqvarna 455 Rancher 20" Gas Chainsaw

Husqvarna$589.00
4.7(3,500)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Engine

55cc gas (listed 3.5 HP)

Bar

20"

Class

Rancher

Best for

Firewood production and felling

Pros

  • The legendary all-rounder of the Rancher line
  • All-day cutting with fuel-can refuels in seconds
  • 20-inch bar and torque for hardwood felling
  • Husqvarna dealer and parts network

Cons

  • Gas realities: mixing fuel, winter starts, carb care, noise
  • Heavier than the battery saws here
Some jobs are still gas jobs, and the 455 Rancher is the saw that owns them: a 55cc workhorse that fells hardwoods, bucks cord after cord, and refuels from a jerry can in thirty seconds instead of waiting on a charger. It is the model that a generation of rural owners standardized on. You accept the gas tax (mixing, maintenance, noise, vibration) and get back the deepest well of raw endurance on this page.
Check Price on Amazon →$589.00 · Husqvarna
The Non-Negotiable Add-OnBuy With Any Saw
Husqvarna Technical Chainsaw Chaps by Husqvarna

Husqvarna Technical Chainsaw Chaps

Husqvarna$79.00
4.8(6,000)
Shop on Amazon

Available at Amazon

Type

Apron chaps, cut-retardant layers (listed)

Brand

Husqvarna

Best for

Every single person running a saw

Pros

  • Cut-retardant fibers designed to stall a chain (listed)
  • $79 against a leg is not a decision
  • Adjustable fit over work clothes
  • The habit that separates old sawyers from statistics

Cons

  • Warm in Texas summers: wear them anyway
Chainsaw injuries are overwhelmingly leg injuries, and chaps exist precisely for the millisecond a chain grabs and kicks toward your thigh. The layered fibers are designed to pull out and stall the chain before it reaches you. Every serious sawyer wears them; every chainsaw order on this page should include them, along with eye and ear protection and boots. Seventy-nine dollars. Buy the chaps.
Check Price on Amazon →$79.00 · Husqvarna

Head-to-Head

How the top picks compare

The 2026 question in one matchup: has battery actually caught gas at the top end?

EGO 20" Farm & Ranch vs Husqvarna 455 Rancher

The battery flagship against the gas benchmark, $549 vs $589.

CS2005 Farm & Ranch 20"

EGO Power+

Winner

CS2005 Farm & Ranch 20"

Instant start, quiet, zero fuel maintenance

$549.00
Check Price →
455 Rancher 20"

Husqvarna

455 Rancher 20"

All-day endurance, 30-second refuels

$589.00
Check Price →

Our verdict

Winner: EGO Power+ CS2005 Farm & Ranch 20". For most buyers at this level, the EGO wins the ownership experience: it starts every time including February, needs no fuel mixing or carb work, and cuts hard enough for genuine ranch duty. The Rancher wins the marathon: when you are producing cords of firewood, a jerry can refuels in seconds while batteries wait on chargers, and 55cc of gas torque never checks a charge gauge. Cut in sessions: EGO. Cut all day: Husqvarna.

Buy the EGO Power+

Buy the EGO if you cut in sessions and never want to think about fuel or starting again.

Buy the Husqvarna

Buy the Rancher if firewood production or full felling days are your normal.

How we
chose

We have not run a test woodpile through these saws ourselves; this is a research-based guide. Every saw here is genuinely available on Amazon with verified live pricing and real product imagery, and the analysis draws on listed specifications, manufacturer documentation, and the very large owner bases of the EGO, Greenworks, DeWalt, Makita, and Husqvarna platforms. Where a spec or included accessory comes from the listing rather than independent verification, we say "listed"; battery-kit contents in particular vary by listing, so confirm before ordering.

  • Battery-first on purpose: instant start, low noise, and zero fuel maintenance fit how most homeowners actually use a saw. We include one pro gas benchmark because all-day firewood production still favors gas.
  • Sorted by platform: if you already own EGO, DeWalt 20V, or Makita LXT batteries, the right saw is usually the one that shares them.
  • Bar length matched to work: 12-inch for limbs, 16 to 18 for property and firewood, 20 for felling and ranch duty.
  • Safety treated as part of the purchase: chaps are listed as a product here on purpose.

Austin Gallery may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. It never changes our rankings.

Quick Shop

All Products at a Glance

Every product in this guide, with direct links to current prices.

1EGO Power+ 16" 56V ChainsawBest Overall (Battery) · EGO Power+$329.00Shop on Amazon →2Greenworks 24V 12" Compact ChainsawBest Budget / First Saw · Greenworks$79.00Shop on Amazon →3Makita XCU11Z 18V LXT 14" (Bare Tool)Best for Makita 18V Owners · Makita$223.81Shop on Amazon →4Greenworks 80V 18" Brushless ChainsawBest Power Per Dollar · Greenworks$246.99Shop on Amazon →5DeWalt 20V MAX 12" Chainsaw KitBest for DeWalt 20V Garages · DeWalt$256.94Shop on Amazon →6EGO Power+ 18" 56V ChainsawBest Step-Up Battery Saw · EGO Power+$449.00Shop on Amazon →7EGO Power+ CS2005 20" Farm & Ranch SawThe Battery Flagship · EGO Power+$549.00Shop on Amazon →8Husqvarna 455 Rancher 20" Gas ChainsawBest Pro Gas Saw · Husqvarna$589.00Shop on Amazon →9Husqvarna Technical Chainsaw ChapsThe Non-Negotiable Add-On · Husqvarna$79.00Shop on Amazon →

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