Chainsaws sell on bar length because that number is easy to compare on a shelf, and homeowners almost universally buy too much saw. A 20 inch gas saw is genuinely scary to use for a Saturday cleanup of small branches, and an 18 inch electric is overkill for trimming a few apple trees. The bar length you actually need depends entirely on what you cut, how often, and your physical comfort with the weight and reactive torque. Here is how to match bar length to real tasks, with a 2026 price and weight breakdown for each class.
How bar length works
The bar length is the cutting length, not the full length of the metal bar (the sprocket end recessed into the housing does not count). A 16 inch bar can crosscut a 16 inch diameter log in a single pass. A larger log requires cutting from both sides, which is slower and less precise.
The chain wraps around the bar and the powerhead drives the sprocket. The powerhead engine displacement (gas, measured in cc) or motor wattage (electric or battery, measured in watts or by V x Ah) must match the bar length. Bar length and power must be paired.
Common pairings:
- 30-45cc gas or 36-48V battery: 12-16 inch bar
- 45-55cc gas or 60-80V battery: 16-20 inch bar
- 55-70cc gas or 80V+ battery: 18-24 inch bar
- 70cc+ gas (pro saws): 20-32 inch bar
Class 1: 10-12 inch (pruning and trim)
The smallest practical saw class. These are usually top-handle saws designed for one-handed use, pole saws on extension shafts, or compact rear-handle saws for limbs and brush.
- Weight: 4 to 7 pounds bare
- Power: 18-36V battery typical, or small 26-30cc gas
- Bar oil capacity: 3 to 5 fluid ounces
- Typical price: 99-249 dollars (electric/battery), 199-349 dollars (gas top-handle)
- Best for: pruning branches under 6 inches, light brush, apple and citrus tree trimming, storm cleanup of small limbs
This class is a second saw for most users. The branches stack up faster than expected once you start cleaning a property and a 12 inch saw kills the work in a fraction of the time a hand pruning saw takes.
Class 2: 14 inch (light firewood and branches)
The smallest size that handles light wood-cutting tasks without struggle. Many homeowners pick this as their only saw, sometimes correctly.
- Weight: 8 to 11 pounds with battery or fuel
- Power: 40-48V battery, 36-40cc gas
- Bar oil capacity: 5 to 7 fluid ounces
- Typical price: 199-329 dollars (battery), 199-279 dollars (gas)
- Best for: branches and limbs up to 12 inches, light firewood bucking (rounds under 12 inches), small tree felling under 10 inches
This is the right class for a homeowner with a half-acre lot who clears storm debris and bucks a cord or two of firewood per year. Anything larger is wasted capacity sitting in the garage.
Class 3: 16 inch (the universal homeowner size)
The most common consumer chainsaw size and the one that fits the broadest range of work without being unwieldy.
- Weight: 10 to 13 pounds running weight
- Power: 60-80V battery, 40-50cc gas
- Bar oil capacity: 8 to 11 fluid ounces
- Typical price: 249-449 dollars (battery), 249-399 dollars (gas)
- Best for: firewood up to 14 inch rounds, small to medium tree felling (under 14 inches), full property cleanup, occasional storm work
If you can only own one saw, this is the size. It crosscuts a 14 inch log in one pass, fells a 12 inch tree without struggle, and is light enough to use for half a day without exhausting your forearms.
Class 4: 18 inch (serious firewood and small property work)
The step up from 16 inch is more about engine size than bar length, but the 18 inch bar is also useful when bucking the occasional larger log.
- Weight: 12 to 14.5 pounds
- Power: 80V battery (top tier), 50-60cc gas
- Bar oil capacity: 10 to 13 fluid ounces
- Typical price: 349-599 dollars (battery), 349-549 dollars (gas)
- Best for: 4-6 cords of firewood per year, regular tree felling up to 16 inch diameter, storm cleanup including downed hardwoods, light land clearing
This is the right saw for someone who heats with wood and processes their own firewood from rounds or who has 2+ acres of mixed forest.
Class 5: 20-22 inch (heavy firewood, small commercial)
Real wood-processing capacity. The weight starts to limit how long you can run the saw comfortably.
- Weight: 14 to 17 pounds
- Power: 55-65cc gas (battery saws this size exist but are rare)
- Bar oil capacity: 12 to 16 fluid ounces
- Typical price: 449-749 dollars
- Best for: 8+ cords per year, regular felling of 18+ inch trees, ranch or rural property work, occasional commercial use
Most homeowners do not need this much saw. If you find yourself wanting one because cleanup of a single storm took an extra hour, rent a 20 inch saw for that one job. Buying it for 10 days a year of use is a poor investment.
Class 6: 24-32 inch (large felling, pro)
Bar lengths in this class are for dropping mature timber and serious land clearing. These are professional saws.
- Weight: 18 to 25 pounds
- Power: 70-100cc gas
- Bar oil capacity: 16+ fluid ounces
- Typical price: 850-1700 dollars
- Best for: felling trees over 24 inches diameter, milling lumber from logs, professional tree removal, large land clearing
For the typical homeowner reading this, the answer is no. Hire an arborist. A 24 inch felling job done by someone without training is one of the most dangerous chores in homeownership. Pros are 200 dollars an hour and worth every cent.
What actually decides your bar size
Three questions, in order:
- What is the largest log you will cut regularly? Add 2 inches and that is your minimum bar length.
- How long do you want to run the saw before your arms quit? A 13 pound saw is comfortable for 20 to 30 minutes. A 17 pound saw is tiring in 10 minutes for most users.
- How often do you cut? If you fell one tree a year, rent the big saw and own a 14 inch. If you process firewood every weekend, own the 18 inch.
Brand picks for 2026
- Best 14 inch battery: EGO CS1400, 249 dollars with battery, quiet and reliable
- Best 16 inch battery: Stihl MSA 220 C-B, 449 dollars bare tool, the cleanest electric on the market
- Best 18 inch battery: EGO CS1804, 449 dollars with 7.5Ah, matches gas performance
- Best 16 inch gas: Husqvarna 440e II, 339 dollars, the all-around homeowner standard
- Best 18-20 inch gas: Stihl MS 261 C-M, 729 dollars, semi-pro reliability
- Skip: anything off-brand under 100 dollars, the chains and bars are usually substandard
Maintenance budget
A working chainsaw costs roughly 8 to 15 percent of its purchase price per year to keep cutting:
- Replacement chain (2 per year typical): 35-70 dollars
- Bar oil (2-4 quarts per season): 12-24 dollars
- Mix oil or fuel stabilizer (gas saws): 15-30 dollars
- Tune-up or chain sharpening service: 35-60 dollars
- New bar every 2-4 years: 35-90 dollars
For more on small-engine outdoor power tools and how electric stacks up against gas, see our methodology page for evaluation criteria.
Frequently asked questions
What size chainsaw bar do I need for firewood?+
For bucking logs into stove lengths, your bar should be at least 2 inches longer than the largest log diameter you cut. For a typical homeowner cutting 8 to 14 inch hardwood, an 16 to 18 inch bar is the right size. You can cut a 20 inch log with a 16 inch bar by cutting from both sides, but it is slower and slightly less safe. Match the bar to the work and you cut faster with less effort.
Is a longer chainsaw bar always more powerful?+
No, opposite usually. Bar length is paired to engine displacement or motor wattage. A long bar on an underpowered saw bogs down and cuts slowly. A short bar on the same engine spins fast and cuts efficiently. A 20 inch bar on a 40cc gas saw is a bad pairing. A 16 inch bar on a 40cc saw is well-matched. Bigger is only better when the powerhead can drive it.
Can a battery chainsaw replace a gas chainsaw?+
For pruning, branch cleanup, and firewood up to 16 inch logs, yes, especially the 80V class. A high-end 80V battery saw (EGO 18 inch, Greenworks Pro 18 inch) matches a 40cc gas saw in cutting power and beats it on noise, vibration, and morning startups. For storm cleanup of large hardwoods, felling 30 inch trees, or all-day professional work, gas still wins on sustained power and refueling speed.
Are 10 inch and 12 inch chainsaws actually useful?+
Yes, as second saws. A small 10 or 12 inch top-handle saw or pole saw handles pruning, light branches, and overhead work where a full-size saw is dangerous or unwieldy. Owning a small saw plus a larger primary saw is more useful than owning two mid-size saws. The small saw gets used more often than expected.
How often should I replace the chain?+
When sharpening can no longer restore aggressive cutting, typically after 5 to 10 full sharpenings depending on use. Hitting dirt, rocks, or nails kills a chain instantly. A new chain costs 18 to 35 dollars and a fresh chain cuts dramatically faster than a tired sharpened one. Some owners replace twice a season and never sharpen, which works fine if you only run a saw 20 to 40 hours a year.
