Top 6 Smallest Gas Chainsaws For Home Use – 2020

Nowadays, a latest, versatile and efficient gas chainsaw can make the usual yard work a piece of cake, even for the most average homeowner. Aimed to cater for the needs of the average home use, the chainsaws have greatly evolved over the decade and created a large market  of home-used duty tools with a thousand of brands. In order to easier your buying process, here is our tabulated review with relevant information of top 6 smallest gas chainsaws for home use.

Image	Product	Details
	Best Rear Handle Chainsaw Husqvarna 240	Bar size: 14 in Engine: 38.2cc 2-cycle	View on Amazon
	Remington RM4214	Bar size: 14 in Engine: 42cc 2 cycle	View on Amazon
	Poulan P3314	Bar size: 14 in Engine: 33cc 2-Cycle	View on Amazon
	Best Top Handle Chainsaw Husqvarna T435	Top handle, gas powered 35.2 cc, 14”, low-exhaust X-Torq engine	View on Amazon
	Tanaka TCS33EDTP	Bar size: 14 in Engine: 32.2 cc	View on Amazon
	Hitachi CS33EDTP	Bar size: 14 in Engine: 32.2cc 2-Stroke	View on Amazon

Differences between Top Handle and Rear Handle Chainsaws

All type of powered saw are extremely dangerous and buying a chainsaw should not be a rush decision. A proper choice selection will directly influence not only the outcome of your work but also your safety. Indeed, the level of knowledge should be taken in consideration.

The first and the most basic knowledge is about identifying two primary configurations of the chainsaws, which is the rear handle and the top handle design.

The most popular configuration is rear handle which is versatile and easy to use. The inherent feature of the front and rear widely spaced handles allows users to easily apply and mobilize. Despite a little impractical and unwise single-handled operation, the rear handle is considered at the highest level of beginner friendliness.

On the other hand, the top handle chainsaw is specially designed to eliminate this imbalance and offer a much better control (even with one-hand) to average homeowners. The professional and powerful improvement helps users control the saw from the top to the bottom, flexibly and balanced. However, it also causes to the lack of versatility which limit any work at height.

Top Handle

• Well-balance control from the top to the bottom of the saw
• Best used on lower lying branches
• Lack of versatility

Rear Handle

• Offer a versatility use and beginner friendliness
• Features both front and rear handles which allow better mobility
• Cause the impractical and unwise single-handed operation

Top 6 smallest Gas Chainsaws for Home Use

Chainsaw is a necessary duty tool that you should have one at home, especially for a small gas one which is less than 14 inches, light and easy to carry. The above paragraph did explain the basic differences between the rear handle and the top handle chainsaws, now is time to buy one that matches all your needs. In this article, I’ve compiled a list of 6 top handle chainsaws. They are all special in their own ways. Go through below reviews and compare all feature to determine which is good for yourself.

Rear Handle Chainsaws

Husqvarna 240 – Perfect For Beginners

The Husqvarna is a Swedish brand of chainsaws and other outdoor power product. The brand is quite familiar with the professionals and for a new starter, a Husqvarna 240 with 16 inch bar will be a perfect choice.

Specifications:

The Husqvarna 240 chainsaw delivers a modest bite with its 16-inch bar and fuel-efficient engine, and Professionals are far from strangers to the Husqvarna chainsaw brand. Although cutting through our test log in approximately 7 seconds, the 240 just need a few attempts to start. While this chainsaw’s cutting capability is slightly above average, its power overall is about average when compared to other saws in our reviews. However, it is noticeable that 240 are low though we couldn’t help. In duration of the test, 77 decibels at its lowest and topped out at 93 decibels is the noise level it cut.

But homeowners can also take advantages of the quality parts in building these chainsaws; Husqvarna is a trustworthy brand for professionals. The clean X-Torq gas engine uses low volumes of fuel and releases low exhaust levels, and the 240 has a 38.2 cc two-cycle engine. While deterring dust and wood particles from entering the air filter, the air injection system also keeps emissions at a low level inside this gas chainsaw. These features make engine life longer with proper and regular maintenance.

Unfortunately, there is no absolute good product and this Husqvarna is not an exception. The most controversial problem of the product is about its difficulty to start and might need a few tries before really getting used to it. The second drawback is that it is not powerful enough for processing a larger project (such as a thick wood). However, those problems seem to happen infrequently and the product was intentionally designed for pruning a smaller piece of product.

To sum up, the Husqvarna 240 gasoline powered is a capable chainsaw. It might not as powerful as other higher end models but it is perfectly fit for your light task in a small backyard. The ergonomic and lightweight features of the product will guarantee you an absolute simple gardening like no other!

Remington RM4214

Remington Power Tools are well-known for their reliability and easiness in use. Being considered as one of the most compact gas powered chainsaw and going along with a low-kickback, 14 inch bar and the chain, the RM4214 Rebel is an ergonomic and balanced design, which is ideal for hard-to-reach or tight area.

Specifications:

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Ease of use
• Reliable and durable
• Low kickback
• Automatic lubrication

Cons:

• The mess of mixing oil and gas

Easily start and operate, the RM4216 provide some great features, but at a very lower price!   Combined with excellent cutting performance and a solid construction, the chainsaw is an excellent entry level for the gas chainsaw, which is perfectly fit for those needs of an occasional light duty tool. However, the Rebel one is provided Remington’s quick start technology which allows the user to make a very quick and easy start with their saw. Being specially designed for pruning and trimming small and medium-sized branches, the saw should not be used to cut logs with a diameter greater than 12 inches.

However, we cannot turn a blind eye on its mess of mixing gas and oil. To limit this drawback, the user need to pay attention on cleaning and clearing minor storm damage, as well as cutting modest amounts of firewood before and after use. Furthermore, it isn’t the lightest chainsaw to hang around. They can be very temperamental and difficult to start, even when warned.

Overall, this saw is suitable for occasional use and light cutting duties. However, the ergonomic design, cushion wrap handles, and anti-vibration system allow users to find the saw easy to operate and maneuverable and makes the saw a comfortable handling reasonably heavy power tool.

Poulan P3314

Poulan is another brand name of the Swedish and the Poulan P3314 is their special designed for light tasks around the home. Powered by a 30cc gas engine allows users to generate enough power to cut trees at a height!

Specifications:

Pros:

• Simple set up
• Quality and sturdy construction
• Longer engine life
• Easy to start

Cons:

• Generates lots of vibration

The Poulan P3314 chainsaw is designed for beginners, proved to be the reliable and strong engine. Being light and easy to carry, the saw is very practical and definitely a great investment.

With the features of the Poulan P3314 chainsaw 14-Inch 33cc 2-Cycle Gas-Powered, the saw is much stronger and gets the job done more quickly and more efficiently than electric powered chainsaws. Indeed, gas-powered chains are more reliable and give you more mobility.

The second feature, which might be a bit controversial, is the sufficiency of 14-inch bar in compared to models with 18 and 20 inches. However, it all depends on what you choose to do with the chainsaw. If you are looking for a chainsaw just to cut off additional branches or maybe firewood, and then the Poulan P3314 is perfect for you.

With the weight of only 16 pounds, the saw is definitely lightweight and very useful when you need to handle the tool or walk a lot. It achieves a higher precision, especially for those intending to make something at home. The strong motor allows you to finish any garden job relatively quickly and have a good result in the end.

Top Handle Chainsaws

At the market, we have incredible things including Husqvarna 966997234 Tanaka TCS33EDTP, and Hitachi CS33EDTP which are top 3 top-handle chainsaws.

Along with surfing the Internet to search for elaborate reviews and features of these products, the table below will assist customers to have the obvious understanding of different kinds of chainsaws, and hence they can effortlessly make a purchase decision.

Husqvarna T-435  – Great Chainsaw for Trimming or Bucking

If you are going in search of a high-quality chainsaw, any type of chainsaw involved with Husqvarna will give you the best products. Indeed, there is no doubt that Husqvarna 966997234 is an absolute excellent chainsaw.

Specifications:

 Pros:

• Having great power
• It comes with auto-oiler and tool-free tensioning system.
• Fuel-efficiency and environmental-friendliness.

Cons:

• Pricey

Packed with a 4” bar charged by a 35.2cc trademark from X-Torg, Husqvarna 966997234 deserves to earn a place in the list of top handle gas chainsaws. What makes it stand out is that the chainsaw is capable of cutting small trees easily without any physical effort and even bigger ones with a little effort. It has the bar length using the power from a relatively strong engine. Additionally, X-Torg is famed for a fuel-saving and eco-friendly product. The engine plays an important role in keeping the maintenance of the weight to performance ratio, hence even giving a very lightweight chainsaw for a giant beast. Moreover, it does a great job of cutting down a large amount of fuel consumed and reduces the rate of emission by around 70%.

Taking its features into account, it packs with an auto-oiler and maybe the remembering of supplying with oil to the chain is not always too vital. It does automatically, however, in case you are still worried about the oil wasted, its oil pump will take responsibility for your worry as it can be adjusted conveniently. Perhaps users can control the oil flow themselves. Another plus is that its air filter is equipped with a quick release and hence you can make it clean easily in order to make sure your chainsaw still perform well. Of course, we cannot turn a blind eye on a huge benefit of the tool-free tensioning system as the knob can be tensioned effortlessly. To conclude, this chainsaw is totally able to become your desired product as it has all the essential features of an ideal chainsaw.

Indeed, pricey is its solely disadvantage. It cost a treasure to invest in, so, reconsider if your need is occasional!

Tanaka TCS33EDTP – Perfect Household Chainsaw

Tanaka Power Equipment is a company manufacturing small internal combustion engines and associated light machinery. The Tanaka TCS33EDTP is powered by a 32.2 cc pure fire engine that’s used to power a 14” bar. The engine is powerful enough to cut through small trees effortlessly.

Specifications:

Pros:

• The engine assist to put emission to a minimum, leading to eco-friendly
• Cutting down tree branches become more effortlessly
• Fuel- efficient in the pure fire engine

Cons:

• The bar isn’t large enough to saw through larger trees

Like a 14” bar, Perfect Household Chainsaw the Tanaka TCS33EDTP is fueled by 32.2 ccs pure fire engine. In addition to the ability to cut down small trees easily, this one works with lower fuel consumption and generates really less emission.

Purge primer bulb and a half throttle choke help the chainsaw work effectively, and the start of work avoids serious problems like a lag. The chainsaw is under control in an easy way, and this is the result of the bar with short-lasting. Moreover, putting the risk of experiencing kickbacks to the low–ideal level is the well-known feature of the chainsaw because of the use of Oregon chain. It becomes more effortlessly to control thanks to the appearance of the top handle, leading to perfect cuts.

Unfortunately, the saw is best fit for pruning and cutting down the tree branches only. The bar isn’t large enough to saw through larger trees. Besides, the wonderful chainsaw stands out for other great characteristics like the tool-free chain tensioner and the auto-oiler. Releasing the oil into the chainsaw, the auto- oiler helps it work smoothly at a uniform rpm and because of turning the knob at the side of the chainsaw, tension is likely to adjust.

Hitachi CS33EDTP

Hitachi Power Tools provides professional-grade power tools for a variety of applications, including woodwork, metalwork, concrete, drilling, cutting and fastening. Since its inception, Hitachi has pioneered innovative technologies that have improved the quality of craftsmanship worldwide.

Specifications:

Pros:

• It’s an eco-friendly product
• Fuel-saving
• Reducing vibrations

Cons:

• Not a perfect choice for professionals
• Only suitable for a short-term period

If you are looking out for of a greatest gas top handle chainsaw, indeed when it has to tackle small tasks, take a notice of the Hitachi CS33EDTP. It’s always by far the most priority of both beginners and hobbyists. It packs with a 14” bar having power from a 32.2 cc engine. It has a great contribution to minimizing emission levels and the amount of fuel consumed. An Oregon chain also does a good job of helping reduce vibrations and hence cut down arm fatigue. That’s why the sawing on top becomes much convenient.

However, there is a huge disadvantage of this chainsaw is that it overheats a mile a minute. Perhaps, it will not be an ultimate choice for long sessions. Best performance of the saw is used for beginners and hobbyists, and maybe even experts who want to remove high branches.

The safe measures and guidelines

We all know how dangerous a powered saw can be, but gas chainsaw are on another level of danger! Indeed, they are designed (and powered) to move around freely, which is just like a razor sharp metal teeth moving at blinding speed.

Therefore, a quick safety lesson will give you a great foundational understanding of using chainsaw wisely and safely:

The first and foremost lesson is getting know about your saw. Any type of chainsaw has its own technique and any saw producer has its own instruction book packed with its product. Read them carefully and check up whether all features are fully functional or not. It also a good habit to ensure that the saw never run out of lubricating oil while it being used.

Secondly, a written instruction is valuable, but hand-on training and explanations form instructor is far superior. The best way to learn is by doing and practicing till you get familiar entirely with the saw as well as its safety measures and tips.

Thirdly, personal protective equipment (PPE) is a must, not choice. Remember to wear good eye and ear protection, sturdy boots and long pants. A hard helmet is worth its weight in gold, especially in case of felling down from height.

Lastly is creating a safe environment. Make the ground under the tree clean and add the saw into the rope of climber. All of these actions must be done before starting climbing the tree. In the end, ask yourself if you are comfortable with the sawing task at hand. If you are doubted and afraid of any risk, don’t force yourself to say “yes”.

How to use the chainsaw effectively and safely?

Once you are absolutely ready for the sawing things, let start the rock! Basically, sawing is about felling, limbing and bucking. At first, you fall down a upright tree on the ground as your wish, then you limb (remove) the branches and buck (cut) the trunk of the downed tree to leight. To sum up, below are some safety usage guideline and technique of which is extremely important to remember.

First, maintaining the chainsaw carefully and fully! Check up everything and fill up both gas and bar oil reservoir each time you use the saw, even if you are only using it for a couple of time.

Secondly, your saw will be switched on only with an engaged chain brake and closed choke. Then tap the throttle trigger to set the saw to an idle and it should be purring like a kitten.

Thirdly, footing good and handling right. A good footing requires your knee and hand put in a right position. It means that your right knee is put on the level with the chainsaw top handle, and the front handle will be held on by your left hand. Use the right handle to pull the cord, the front handle is held by left hand at the same time. You can have another way by using the right hand to keep on the top handle and simultaneously pulling the cord by using the other.

Verdict

So now you know all about top 6 smallest gas chainsaws, about what they are, the differences between rear handle chainsaws and the top ones as well as know how to use them, effectively and safely. To help you decide which of the right chainsaw for you, you can go through the factors listed out above and read up on the safety tips for chainsaw use before you start working with them. Last but not least, don’t be hesitate to leave a comment down below and we would love to know which chainsaw you think is ideal for you!

Read more:

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James J. Decker

I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.