Top Electric Chainsaws for Under $150 - Poulan, Earthwise, McCulloch, Remington, Ryobi, Craftsma, WORX

Lately I have been writing some pretty strange articles on topics I never in a million years would have thought I would tackle...case in point...electric chainsaws??? Really? Well, after going through 4 of these things while looking for one to use in my new part time job as a general vineyard-rat for my father-in-law I realized that there is a need for a good, easy to use, up to date and reliable review of electric chainsaws...the variability in quality and price is UNREAL for these tools..as I have found out the hard way.

Electric chainsaws are great for anyone that would like a chainsaw for general gardening, yard work or the occasional downed tree etc. These saws are not meant to be "production" level..i.e you will not see loggers, fire wood cutters or heavy landscapers using these. This type of saw is great for occasional/seasonal/light use around the home and garden..or the vineyard in my case. I was originally looking at gas powered saws but when looking into them I realized how much of a pain they would be for just occasional use as you need to keep your gas-oil mixture fresh and ready to go and they smell like crazy and tend to breakdown. Since we have power outlets all over the place as it is, all i needed was a good, heavy gauge 200 ft extension cable, some chain and bar oil and I was ready to go!

My criteria for this list are as follows.

1. These saws are all under $150 and available readily online.

2. They have a minimum of a 16 inch blade (smaller than that makes them hard to use on even a small tree.)

3. All rate 4 or more stars on at least 4 review boards AND have over 100 reviews OR are saws I have personally used.

It is always great when I do a "Best Of" list and the best item also happens to be one of the best values. That is certainly the case with the Poulan Pro 400E. Packing a powerfull 4HP motor and with a 18 inch blade and automatic chain oiler, this saw really gets the job done! Note that there is a smaller model (ES350) that is 3.5HP and has a 16 inch blade, but it is only $10 less....spend the $10 and get the bigger saw!!! You won't regret it!

I am a huge fan of this saw and it is the saw I am using now (after trying 4 different models.) Amazon has a great deal on this model for $79.90 including free shipping. There are many smaller, less powerful saws out there that cost much more than that! I have done quite a bit of shopping around and I am goign to stick with Amazon as the best source for an electric chainsaw. Unless you really hit a killer sale at Lowes or Home Depot, you will not get anywhere close to these prices.

It is unreal how inexpensive some of the best saws are, especially compared with how much they cost in your local hardware store AND compared to what they are asking for some of the more poorly reviewed models.

My number 2 saw is just a fantastic value! One of our fieldhands has this saw (I know as I was borrowing it while I waited for my new Poulan to arrive.) Great little saw and a really great value at $69.99 delivered. Many of the same features as the #1 saw, just a little smaller, which might be good for some of you depending on what you are looking for. 16 inch blade and a 12 Amp motor (about 2 1/4 HP.) Great for small jobs, branch trimming, general yard work. Automatic bar and chain oiler and tool-less tension setting just like the Poulan.

I am really surprised that this saw came in at #3...it is really a testament to how good the first 2 in this list are and what good deals they are as this is just a GREAT saw! I had one for about 2 years until it was stolen out of the back of my truck. I wanted a little longer blade anyways and that is why I made the move to the 18" Poulan, but I REALLY liked my old McCulloch!

Automatic tension system, automatic oiler nice power and just a well-made saw. There is another version of this saw with the same blade but a 4.5 HP motor, however, it is about $15 more ... the model is the MCC4516FK if you are interested.

WORX makes some really top-quality yard tools, I have one of their blowers and one of their edgers and have been very happy with them both so far. This seems to be a great saw as well though honestly, for the price I would go with the Poulan I ranked as #1 as I don't see a reason to spend $15 more for a smaller, less powerful saw. However, maybe if the price drops this would be a contender as they are really known for quality and dependability.

I do like the auto-tension system though and this does have a automatic bar and chain oiler as well. Nice saw, but I think there are better for less money.

Make sure to pick up chain oil and a sturdy pair of work gloves! Amazon also has some great deals on both those items and will recommend them to you when you are checking out.

Happy cutting!!!