Electric vs Gas Chainsaw – Which one should I choose?

A chainsaw is a highly portable power tool to work in cutting large and small trees and lumber in your backyard, deeper forest, or secluded area. 

Gas chainsaws are more powerful and have faster blade rotation, allowing them to handle heavy-duty cutting work more effectively and quickly. Also, it can run all day long with sufficient fuel in any situation.

On the other hand, electric chainsaws are compact and eco-friendly, emitting no smoke or odor while producing less vibration and sound.

Let’s get the detailed description and other aspects of the Electric vs Gas Chainsaw.

Comparison table between Electric and Gas chainsaw

Pros and Cons between Electric and Gas Chainsaw

Gas chainsaw

Gas chainsaws are robust and large and have a combination of excellent power and portability to do heavy-duty cutting work effectively and quickly.

They come in two versions; 2-cycle and 4-cycle chainsaws. The 2-cycle versions have a single tank, and you must mix gasoline and oil at the perfect ratio. The 4-cycle versions, on the other hand, have two tanks, one for gasoline and the other for oil.

Electric chainsaw

Electric chainsaws are compact and lightweight to handle easily, and unlike gas chainsaw, it does not need maintenance and produce less vibration and sound and are environment friendly, and are used for medium and small jobs.

This electric power chainsaw comes in corded and cordless versions. The battery version price is almost the same and even more, as batteries are costlier.

Differences between Gas chainsaw and Electric chainsaw

Weight and size

Comparatively, a gas chainsaw weighs more and larger than an Electric chainsaw because of its heavy motor component and large blades, making it difficult to handle for a long time.

Power

Comparatively, a gas chainsaw generates more power for its powerful internal combustion engine. But, unfortunately, the corded and cordless chainsaw’s electrical motors can’t match its power to handle heavy-duty workloads and cut large-size trees.

For generating more power, a gas chainsaw can handle larger blades and rotate the chain faster than the electric one to cut through hard lumber and cut way faster.

Note: Even in some cases, the cordless versions generate less power than the electric corded versions.

Blade size

Generally, electric chainsaw blades can be large, up to 18 inches. In comparison, a gas chainsaw blade can be large, up to 72 inches, to cut more deeper and longer at a time.

Usage

A gas chainsaw is suitable for most cuts and can handle heavy-duty work easily. In comparison, an electric chainsaw is mainly suitable for lightweight tasks and can easily do light landscaping.

Cuts

The electric and gas chainsaw can trim, spruce, and prune. But the fact is that a gas chainsaw can do it on both large and small trees efficiently and quickly, whereas an electric power chainsaw can do it only on small trees; best for cutting small pieces of logs and trimming limbs of trees.

Portability

Both the gas and electric chainsaw is portable to carry anywhere in your working places as there is no limitation in the distance. But looking at the availability, comparing gas vs battery chainsaws, they can be used in distant places or deeper forests. 

However, the corded one needs electricity to run, which may not be available in all places.

Maintenance

You need regular maintenance to keep your gas chainsaw in working condition. You must regularly check and change the oil, oil filter, air filter, and spark, and you have to mix the right ratio of fuel, which could be a headache for a worker.

In contrast, there is nothing to worry about these, and they need way less maintenance to keep them in working condition.

Powerup

Powering up the electric chainsaw is easier as you only have to push a button to start it instantly, making it safer to use and control.

 In compassion, you have to pull the cord to start a gas chainsaw. Even sometimes, you may need to pull the cord multiple times if you have an older one.

Vibration and sound

Because of the hand-held saw, both portable power tools do vibration and sound after powering up. But for the powerful internal combustion engine, a gas chainsaw vibrates more and creates louder sounds than an electric chainsaw, making it dangerous to handle on inexperienced hands.

Also, for using a fuel motor, a gas chainsaw pulls out black smoke and smells bad, which is bad for health and the environment.

Kickback

Both chainsaws kick back while coming into contact with the cutting surface. As for rotating more faster, you feel it more on gas chainsaws and less on electric chainsaws.

Versatility and accuracy

Both chainsaws have the versatility and accuracy to work in any condition, as they are handheld and easily portable to any location. But a gas chainsaw has more versatility and accuracy for handling a heavy workload, fast cutting, and continuous working capabilities.

Price 

Gas chainsaws cost more for fuel motor power engines than electric chainsaws. However, if you need a power-pick electric battery chainsaw, it will cost almost the same as a gas chainsaw and sometimes even more for its battery because quality batteries are expensive.

Spending around $300, you will get a quality gas chainsaw. In comparison, spending around $150 will get a quality electric corded chainsaw, and spending around $250 will get a quality electric cordless chainsaw.

Which one should I choose; Gas chainsaw or Electric chainsaw

Depending on your context of work and situation, it’s better to compare between gas vs corded chainsaw, gas vs battery chainsaw, and corded vs cordless chainsaw to choose one. 

Keeping that in mind, if you want a combination of portable and power saw and want to deal with heavy-duty cutting work and need maximum versatility and great accuracy and performance, and you don’t have problems with vibration, sound, smoke, and maintenance, choose the gas chainsaw.

If you want a compact saw and want to deal with lightweight work with versatility, accuracy, less vibration, less sound, less maintenance, and less price, you want to cut small pieces of logs and trim limbs of trees, then choose the electric corded chainsaw.

However, with all these, if you want better portability to work in any situation and place, then you can choose an electric cordless chainsaw. But it will cost more than the electric corded chainsaw as a quality battery costs more, and a better battery is needed for long performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Earlier, people thought that gas chainsaws were the only powerful tool to cut large trees and lumber. But now electric chainsaws are also getting more powerful, and competing gas chainsaws in partibilities and even beating in ensuring less vibration, sound, and maintenance. However, in generating huge power, electric chainsaws are still behind.

I hope I have described all the aspects and you understand what you want for your desired job. Thank you.