I just bought a Makita electric chainsaw as it's quieter and less maintenance than petrol and perfectly adequate if just for garden use.

With the saw, PPE and one of those cantilever saw horses (which works great) I ended up spending about £350 but can spend that across a cold winter if I don't have pulp wood available.

but recently a tree in my garden fell down and I'm keen to be able to use the wood for the stove.

I felled a Sycamore and cut up using a Bosch corded chainsaw....

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2nd hand Makita electric here, has been perfectly good to knock down a few trees worth.

Although I would happily have had a petrol - the electric was a freebie on 'permanent loan'. I'd struggle to justify a brand new one for

a tree in my garden fell down

dopuble post

electric all the way here - for one it only makes a noise when you squeeze the trigger doesnt sit idling.

and second of all no annoying 2 stroke rasp pissing off the neighbours.

Different if you live in mid no where (and fwiw im pretty close to mid no where ville)

Makita as well.

FWIW i always had stihl petrol before at parents but went electric when i moved here for noise. makes no real odds for cutting up cord in my garden its not as if im willy the STW axe man felling trees in the woods.

As an owner of a small stihl petrol (ms180) I can say it's great. However if buying again I'd probably go electric, for the same sort of money you get a slightly more powerful saw, so if you don't need mobility, electric is great. Get a good make though.

Electric - unless away from mains or in need of a longer chain guide

Thanks all, very helpful

I read somewhere that an electric chainsaw can require different PPE than a petrol one is that true? Something about the way it can cut into trousers etc?

Also does anyone have any thoughts on the chainsaw that is currently on sale in LIDL, which inspired this post in the first place?

Buy the LIDL one - perfect for occasional use.

Mine is a lidl electric one. It's fine. The bar(?) seems a bit flimsy but it cuts fine. You gets what you pays for.

Using my Dad's 30+ year old black and decker electric CS. Never missed a beat.

Default buy the Titan from Screwfix reply.

Ive a lidl one, does the job, struggles with thicker trunks.

Then again I have no idea what I'm doing with it, get halfway through, tie a rope round the top of the tree and pull ot down with the car.....

Electric all the way if you are near a power source where stuff will be cut...

No pull start, no fuel / servicing, pick it up, press button and you are off. Great for cutting, put it down, move stuff, pick it up, cut some more...

The LIDL ones are ok, the chain and bar are, I think standard OREGON stuff... something to note is there is a steel cog on the motor meshing against what looks like a die cut aluminium gear wheel that turns the drive through 90 degrees, thats why the body of the saw is quite thin.. Its obvious then that the steel won't play nicely with the aluminium and it fails.

Look for an electric one that has the motor placed so that it drives the chain directly off the end of the spindle, no gears.

The Ryobi corded 2300w / 400mm bar we have is ace.

It's all (well mostly) about mobility. If you're likely to end up doing odd jobs for friends and family then a good petrol saw might be a sound investment, but otherwise electric will be perfectly adequate.

Must depend which lidl one it is, mine has the motor under/behind the chain brake, can't remember if it directly drives the sprocket or not but there's no 90deg gears in it.

there is a bosch green chainsaw that bnq sells - it has the same issue only its a plastic cog doing the 90 degrees....

piece of land fill junk.

NEver actually bought it . just in the shop looking told me enough

The Bosch I have has no 90 degree cog, either direct drive or possibly one fixed ratio gear in there...

I had a pro cut down a couple of trees in my back garden that worked for a large company and he only had cordless electric saws of various sizes, all Stihl.

He was saying that the petrol ones have been phased out as much as possible due to vibration white finger claims, not that it would be an issue for occasional use.

Having cut about 20T with a electric one I'd say if you are near a power source you have to question why you'd get petrol.

all the + points above for electric, plus the chain brake is nearly instant.

I'd add get a decent helmet and gloves, maybe chaps if you are reckless! Various cuddy type are available depending on what you are cutting up

replacement chains available for £6 ish so don't struggle if they are worn.

Petrol for me. I stick it in the car when taking the dog out for a walk in the woods. If I happen to come across a fallen tree....

Plus it's more manly.

I can see the sense of electric though if it's just for the back garden.

Decent Bow Saw ?...They're very quick with the right blade and you will get ripped 😀

Electric ones are coming on at a fair pace now. Fine for domestic use and tree surgeons as only required for short bursts. Out in the woods, petrol is still king. No recommendations, but will be having a look at forestry show in a few weeks.

PPE would still be the same, it's still an exposed chain flying around plus the chip. Pro versions will have more aggressive chain patterns, so hold on.

PPE wise get trousers and a foresters helmet (a must imo), boots and gloves are also worthwhile/add a great deal of protection. The lot would be around £100. its all rated as class 1,2 or 3. the class equates to a chainspeed, 1 slowest (22m/s iirc) upto 3 as the fastest (28m/s i think). For a small saw class 1 will be okay, but 2 or 3 is still betterer....you're relying on the kevlar wadding getting picked up in the chain and clogging the drive gear before the chain cuts deeper and does YOU damage....my view is more wadding and supposed faster clogging is a good thing.

Trousers are also front protection or all round protection. The latter is for climbers and less experienced as the saw could be anywhere.
Gloves are of negligible benefit, the protection level is low and wrongly placed in terrible fitting gloves.