Chainsaws, Pole Saws, and Pruning Saws

Bar length is the first thing to match to the job. A shorter bar, in the 12 to 14 inch range, handles pruning, limbing, and smaller diameter cuts without the extra weight of a longer saw. A longer bar, from 18 inches up past 24, is built for felling and bucking larger trees, where reach through the trunk matters more than maneuverability.

Power source shapes how the saw behaves under load. A gas chainsaw runs at full power for as long as the tank lasts, which matters most on all-day felling work or repeated cuts through hardwood. A battery chainsaw trades some of that endurance for a lighter saw with no mixed fuel, no pull cord, and none of the exhaust that comes with a small engine.

Pole saws and pruning saws solve a different problem: cutting limbs that are out of reach without climbing or setting up a ladder. A pole saw extends a small cutting head on a long shaft, useful for high branches from the ground. A dedicated pruning saw, sized smaller than a standard chainsaw, handles closer trim work where precision matters more than raw cutting power.

Husqvarna covers the widest range on this page, spanning gas chainsaws, battery chainsaws, and pole saws. ECHO adds battery chainsaws and pruning saws of its own. Dewalt and Makita cover the cordless side with chainsaws and pruning tools built around their own battery platforms, and Greenworks rounds out battery chainsaws and pole saws.

If you're not sure which saw fits the cut, give us a call and we'll help you figure it out.