Our top picks for the best Ryobi chainsaws in 2026 are RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw (Best Overall), RYOBI HP 18V Brushless Mini Chainsaw 6in (Best Compact), RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in (Editor’s Choice), RYOBI 40V HP Brushless RY40590 12in Chainsaw (Best Performance), RYOBI RY3716 16in 37cc Gas Chainsaw (Also Great), RYOBI 18V ONE+ 8in Pruning Chainsaw (Also Great), RYOBI RY40550 40V 16in Cordless Chainsaw (Also Great) and Ryobi RY405011 40V 20in Chainsaw (Best Large Capacity).
Start with the batteries already in your garage. If you run 18V ONE+ or 40V tools, a bare tool on that platform gets you cutting with nothing else to buy, while a kit only makes sense when the shelf is empty. Bar length comes next, because it sets how thick a piece of wood the saw can get through and how much weight you hold at the end of your arms.
Cutting power is rarely where a homeowner’s Ryobi saw lets you down. A tool-only listing that arrives without a battery, a pruning saw pushed against a trunk it was never built for, or a top handle saw run with one hand causes more trouble than any motor rating, so matching the version, the bar and the grip to the job matters as much as the spec sheet.
What Should You Look for in a Ryobi Chainsaw?
Battery platform, bar length and power source settle most of the fit, with motor type and safety hardware separating saws that share a platform.
Platform comes first because Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ and 40V batteries don’t swap between lines, so a saw on the platform you already own runs off packs sitting in your garage. Bar length sets the thickest limb or log you can cut and how much weight hangs off your arms through a session. Choosing between battery power and the 2-cycle gas saw comes down to routine: batteries skip fuel mixing and pull starts, while gas keeps running as long as the can holds out. Brushless motors and HP electronics change how well the chain holds speed in hardwood, and features such as an automatic chain brake or a chain guard change how a kickback plays out. If you’re still deciding whether Ryobi is the right maker at all, line it up against the best chainsaw brands before you commit to a battery platform.
The 8 Best Ryobi Chainsaws of 2026
The Ryobi saws worth buying right now are the RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw, RYOBI HP 18V Brushless Mini Chainsaw 6in, RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in, RYOBI 40V HP Brushless RY40590 12in Chainsaw, RYOBI RY3716 16in 37cc Gas Chainsaw, RYOBI 18V ONE+ 8in Pruning Chainsaw, RYOBI RY40550 40V 16in Cordless Chainsaw and Ryobi RY405011 40V 20in Chainsaw. The battery voltage tells you most of what each saw is for: the 18V saws carry short bars for ornamental trees and overhead limbs, while the 40V saws run longer bars into firewood rounds and storm-downed trees. The 37cc gas saw sits beside the 40V saws for owners who would rather mix fuel than charge packs, and together they cover everything from trimming a crabapple to clearing a yard after a windstorm.
#1 RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw — Best Overall
If you already own 18V ONE+ batteries, this tool-only saw turns one of them into an 8-inch pruning saw that weighs 4.4 pounds and cuts branches up to 6 inches thick. Its compact body reaches crowded shrubs and fence lines.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 8 in
- Cutting capacity: branches up to 6 in diameter
- Weight: 4.4 lb
- Controls: variable speed trigger
- Safety: chain guard against kickback
- Included: tool only (battery and charger sold separately)
Detailed Review:
Squeezing the variable speed trigger partway starts the chain slowly, which matters on a branch that sways or sits at an awkward angle, because the teeth bite where you aim instead of skating across the bark. Pulling it all the way brings the brushless motor to full speed once the cut is started.
The body is 30 percent more compact, and that pays off where pruning actually happens: between crossing limbs, inside a hedge, or along a fence where a bulkier housing would hit the boards first. The light build keeps it manageable at shoulder height through a string of cuts.
The chain guard is there to protect against kickback, which matters on a short saw that gets pushed into tight, cluttered cuts. Its branch limit marks where the job ends, and anything thicker belongs to a full-size saw with a longer bar.
The RYOBI 18V ONE+ 8in Pruning Chainsaw shares this saw’s PSBCW01 model base, bar length and branch capacity, and adds a battery and charger. This bare tool makes sense when your ONE+ batteries already outnumber your tools; with no batteries at home, the kit saves you a second order.
Pros:
- Variable speed trigger lets you start cuts slowly and precisely.
- Compact body reaches into crowded shrubs and fence lines.
- Light 4.4-pound build stays easy to hold overhead.
- Runs on 18V ONE+ batteries you may already own.
- Chain guard helps protect against kickback.
Cons:
- Battery and charger are sold separately.
- Short bar limits it to branches and small limbs.
Who It’s For:
Homeowners who already keep 18V ONE+ batteries charged can add pruning to their tools with this saw and no extra charger on the shelf. It suits ornamental trees, overgrown shrubs and limbs within reach from the ground. Anyone cutting firewood or clearing fallen trunks needs a full-size saw with a longer bar instead.
Editor’s Verdict:
For pruning on a platform you already own, this is the saw I’d buy first: light, easy to place, and long enough for ornamental trees and overgrown shrubs.
#2 RYOBI HP 18V Brushless Mini Chainsaw 6in — Best Compact
At 3.7 pounds with a 6-inch bar, this is a light, easy pick for pruning and light limbing, since the oil-free design means no bar oil to fill. The kit includes an 18V ONE+ battery and charger.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 6 in
- Weight: 3.7 lb
- Lubrication: oil-free design
- Chain tensioning: tool-less
- HP performance: 40 percent faster cutting with an HP battery (sold separately)
- Included: 18V ONE+ battery and charger
Detailed Review:
Most chainsaws carry a bar oil reservoir, and the oil-free design removes it, so there’s nothing to fill before a job or leak in the back of the car afterward. Tool-less chain tensioning keeps the other routine adjustment simple, since you snug the chain by hand when it starts to sag.
The included 18V ONE+ battery runs the saw out of the box, but the 40 percent faster cutting of ONE+ HP Technology arrives only with an HP battery, which is sold separately. If you already own an HP pack, use it here and keep the kit battery as a spare for your other ONE+ tools.
The Compact Series body is 41 percent more compact, which helps it slip inside a shrub or between limbs without the housing snagging. Against the RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw, you give up bar length in exchange for less weight and a battery and charger in the box. Pruning and light limbing are its job, so storm wood and firewood belong to a bigger saw.
It ships bulk packaged in a generic box rather than retail packaging. That changes nothing about the saw, but it helps to know before you assume the wrong item arrived.
Pros:
- Oil-free design means no bar oil to fill or spill.
- Tool-less tensioning adjusts the chain by hand.
- 3.7-pound weight keeps overhead cuts easy to control.
- Battery and charger come in the kit.
Cons:
- Faster HP cutting needs a separately sold HP battery.
- Short 6-inch bar keeps it to pruning and light limbing.
- Bulk packaging arrives in a generic box.
Who It’s For:
Gardeners starting fresh on 18V ONE+ get a complete pruning setup in the box, and the oil-free design suits anyone who wants a saw that can sit in a cabinet without leaking. It handles shaping shrubs, clearing fruit-tree suckers and trimming overhead growth. People cutting firewood or storm wood should look at a full-size saw instead.
Editor’s Verdict:
Choose it when low upkeep and light weight matter more than bar length; the oil-free design and included battery make it ready from the day it arrives.
#3 RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in — Editor’s Choice
Owners with RYOBI 40V batteries already on the shelf can add this tool and get a 16-inch brushless saw for firewood and storm cleanup, since it works with every RYOBI 40V battery. An automatic chain brake comes standard.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 16 in
- Weight: 11.6 lb
- Motor: brushless
- Safety: automatic chain brake
- Lubrication: automatic oiler
- Battery: works with all RYOBI 40V batteries (tool only)
Detailed Review:
A 16-inch bar driven by a brushless motor puts this saw in firewood territory, and the motor keeps chain speed up when the bar is buried in a round. That pairing covers the bucking and limbing a gas saw usually gets bought for, without fuel to mix.
The automatic chain brake stops the chain when a kickback throws the saw back toward you. The automatic oiler feeds the bar on its own, and side-access chain tensioning lets you take up slack from the side of the saw instead of working around the bar cover. On-board storage gives you a place on the saw itself for what you’d otherwise carry in a pocket.
It weighs 11.6 pounds, and a 40V battery adds to that once it’s mounted, so this is a saw for two-handed cuts at waist height rather than anything overhead. You’ll feel it by the end of a long woodpile.
Buying it tool only makes sense when your shed already holds RYOBI 40V batteries, since it works with all of them. The RYOBI RY40550 40V 16in Cordless Chainsaw packages this same RY40505BTL saw with a battery and charger, which is the easier route if you own no 40V gear.
Pros:
- Brushless motor drives a full 16-inch bar.
- Automatic chain brake stops the chain during kickback.
- Automatic oiler lubricates the bar without manual pumping.
- Side-access tensioning makes chain adjustments quick.
- Works with every RYOBI 40V battery.
Cons:
- Needs a 40V battery and charger bought separately.
- 11.6-pound weight rules out comfortable overhead cutting.
Who It’s For:
If your garage already holds a RYOBI mower, blower or trimmer that uses the same batteries, this saw puts those packs to work on firewood and storm limbs without another charger. It suits owners who want gas-saw reach with battery-saw upkeep. Buyers with no 40V packs will get running sooner with a kit that includes a battery and charger.
Editor’s Verdict:
Pair it with 40V batteries you already own and you get a brushless 16-inch saw with an automatic chain brake and oiler, in exchange for extra weight.
#4 RYOBI 40V HP Brushless RY40590 12in Chainsaw — Best Performance
This top handle saw fits storm cleanup and limbing, because its 12-inch bar gives a 10-inch cut capacity in a 6-pound body you can aim closely. Its HP technology is built for noticeably faster cutting.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 12 in
- Cut capacity: 10 in
- Weight: 6 lb
- Handle: top handle design
- Lubrication: adjustable automatic oiler
- Included: 40V 4.0 battery, charger and heavy-duty deluxe carrying case
Detailed Review:
The top handle puts your grip above the motor and keeps the saw short, which brings its weight close to your hands. That layout gives the control this saw is built around, and it shows in the short, angled cuts that come with untangling a downed limb from a fence or a shrub.
The bar’s cut capacity covers storm limbs and the lower branches of a yard tree, while a whole trunk calls for a longer-bar saw. HP electronics keep the chain from bogging when you lean into green wood, so each cut finishes quickly.
The adjustable automatic oiler lets you raise oil flow for long cuts in hardwood and lower it for quick trimming, so the chain stays lubricated without dripping on the driveway. Side-access chain tensioning and on-board tool storage keep adjustments at the saw, and the heavy-duty deluxe carrying case protects the chain on the way to the back of the property.
Next to the RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in, it gives up bar length for much less weight. Keep both hands on it, because a top handle saw held one-handed is hard to control in a kickback.
Pros:
- Top handle layout gives close control in tangled limbs.
- 10-inch cut capacity covers storm limbs and lower branches.
- HP technology delivers noticeably faster cutting.
- Adjustable oiler matches oil flow to the job.
- Heavy-duty carrying case protects it in transport.
Cons:
- Top handle layout demands two hands to control kickback.
- 12-inch bar falls short on trunks and firewood rounds.
Who It’s For:
After a windstorm, homeowners clearing broken limbs from lawns, fences and driveways get a saw that’s quick to steer and light enough to carry around the yard. It also suits trimming the lower branches of yard trees. Owners bucking firewood will want a longer bar on the 40V platform.
Editor’s Verdict:
Fast, light and easy to aim, this is the saw I’d reach for after a storm, as long as both hands stay on it.
#5 RYOBI RY3716 16in 37cc Gas Chainsaw — Also Great
Pick this 37cc 2-cycle saw if you cut far from an outlet for long stretches and would rather pour fuel than swap batteries. The anti-vibe handle keeps those sessions easier on your hands.
Key Specs:
- Engine: 37cc 2-cycle
- Bar length: 16 in
- Weight: 8 lb
- Safety: inertia-activated chain brake, Safe-T-tip
- Service: tool-free air filter cover, side-access chain tensioner
- Included: heavy-duty case
Detailed Review:
With a 37cc engine on a 16-inch bar, this saw keeps cutting as long as there’s fuel in the tank, so a long day of bucking firewood doesn’t depend on how many charged batteries you own. The anti-vibe handle cuts down the buzz reaching your hands, which is what lets you stay on the saw through that kind of day.
The inertia-activated chain brake stops the chain automatically when kickback snaps the saw toward you. The Safe-T-tip guards the bar nose against rotational kickback, the kind that starts when the tip touches wood.
The tool-free air filter cover makes the filter check quick, and the adjustable automatic oiler and side-access chain tensioner handle the bar and chain. Mixed fuel and winter fuel storage come with owning it, which suits someone who already keeps a gas can for other 2-cycle tools.
Against the RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in, it weighs less on the same bar length, but the battery saw skips fuel, filter care and engine noise. The included case handles off-season storage and the ride to and from a job.
Pros:
- 37cc engine runs as long as you have fuel.
- Anti-vibe handle eases long firewood sessions.
- Inertia-activated chain brake stops the chain automatically.
- Tool-free air filter cover speeds routine service.
- Included case covers storage and transport.
Cons:
- 2-cycle fuel needs mixing and care before winter storage.
- Engine noise rules out quiet early-morning cuts.
Who It’s For:
Owners heating with wood or clearing land far from the house get a saw that never waits on a charger. It also suits anyone who already mixes oil and gas for a trimmer or blower. Suburban owners making occasional quick cuts will find the fuel routine outweighs the benefit.
Editor’s Verdict:
Gas still makes sense for long days of firewood, and this saw backs it with an inertia-activated chain brake, a Safe-T-tip and an easy filter check.
#6 RYOBI 18V ONE+ 8in Pruning Chainsaw — Also Great
Buyers new to 18V ONE+ get a compact 8-inch pruning saw with the battery and charger in the kit, so the first cut doesn’t wait on a second order. It’s built for pruning and light limbing.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 8 in
- Cutting capacity: branches up to 6 in diameter
- Weight: 4.3 lb
- Runtime: over 65 cuts per charge with an 18V ONE+ 2Ah battery
- Performance: 18V ONE+ HP Technology, 3X faster cutting
- Included: battery and charger
Detailed Review:
18V ONE+ HP Technology and the brushless motor give much faster cutting, which keeps the chain from slowing in green wood and finishes each pruning cut sooner. With over 65 cuts per charge on a 2Ah ONE+ battery, a bigger ONE+ pack from another tool stretches a session further.
The body is 30 percent more compact for tight, hard-to-reach spots, and the 8-inch bar handles branches up to 6 inches in diameter. At 4.3 pounds, it stays comfortable held up into a fruit tree for a series of cuts. That sets its job as pruning and light limbing, and a fallen trunk needs a full-size saw.
The RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw shares this saw’s PSBCW01 model base, bar length and branch capacity but comes without a battery or charger. The kit gets you cutting with no other ONE+ gear, while the bare tool avoids a second charger in a garage that already has one.
Pros:
- Battery and charger included for a complete start.
- Over 65 cuts per charge on a 2Ah battery.
- 18V ONE+ HP Technology delivers much faster cutting.
- Compact body slips into tight, hard-to-reach spots.
Cons:
- 8-inch bar keeps it to pruning and light limbing.
- Kit adds a duplicate charger for existing ONE+ owners.
Who It’s For:
Newcomers to ONE+ who want to prune fruit trees, hedges and ornamental limbs get everything needed in the box, and the battery can later run other 18V tools. Owners already holding ONE+ batteries are better served by the tool-only RYOBI 18V Brushless 8in Pruning Mini Chainsaw, which skips the duplicate charger.
Editor’s Verdict:
Starting a ONE+ collection with this kit makes sense, since the saw handles pruning and light limbing and its battery moves to other ONE+ tools between jobs.
#7 RYOBI RY40550 40V 16in Cordless Chainsaw — Also Great
Anyone without 40V batteries who wants a firewood-class saw gets the whole setup in this kit: a 16-inch brushless saw, a 4Ah battery and a charger. It’s a complete start on the 40V platform.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 16 in
- Weight: 14.9 lb
- Motor: brushless
- Controls: variable speed throttle
- Battery: OP40404 40V 4Ah
- Charger: OP404 40V
Detailed Review:
This kit pairs the RY40505BTL saw with an OP40404 4Ah battery and an OP404 charger, making it the ready-to-run version of the RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in. For a buyer with no 40V tools, that bundle is the difference between cutting this weekend and waiting on another order. The charger keeps its value later, since it handles any 40V pack you add.
The brushless motor drives the 16-inch bar with gas-like power for bucking rounds and limbing downed trees. The variable speed throttle lets you ease the chain into a log that’s rolling or pinched, then open it up once the cut is started.
At 14.9 pounds, this is a hefty saw, and that weight shows up on long sessions and any cut above waist height. Plan on two-handed cuts from the ground with short breaks between rounds. Once your shed holds other RYOBI 40V tools, the battery moves between them.
Pros:
- Saw, 4Ah battery and charger arrive together.
- Brushless motor delivers gas-like power on a 16-inch bar.
- Variable speed throttle gives fine control starting cuts.
- Battery moves to other RYOBI 40V tools.
Cons:
- 14.9-pound weight wears on arms during long sessions.
- Kit duplicates a charger for existing 40V owners.
Who It’s For:
Homeowners new to RYOBI’s battery system who need firewood or storm-damage cutting get everything in the box, with no parts to match up. It also suits a cabin or rural property where the saw is the only battery tool. People who mostly prune overhead will find it too heavy for that work.
Editor’s Verdict:
Buy the bundle when you have no 40V gear: the saw cuts like a full-size machine, and the battery and charger start your platform.
#8 Ryobi RY405011 40V 20in Chainsaw — Best Large Capacity
With a 20-inch bar that tackles cuts up to 36 inches, this saw takes on felling, bucking and limbing jobs on battery power. It delivers more power than a 50cc gas chainsaw.
Key Specs:
- Bar length: 20 in
- Cut capacity: up to 36 in
- Weight: 9 lb
- Safety: mechanical chain brake, metal bucking spikes
- Replacement chain: Y70 3/8 in. LP 20 in. (RY20C1)
- Included: tool and carrying case (battery, charger and chain lubricant sold separately)
Detailed Review:
A 20-inch bar brings felling and bucking larger trees within reach of battery power, and the brushless motor, advanced electronics and lithium technology back it with more power, runtime and durability. That combination is why it works as a true gas replacement rather than a yard-cleanup saw.
Metal bucking spikes dig into the log so the saw pivots on them instead of pulling toward you, and the mechanical chain brake adds kickback protection. The automatic oiler keeps the chain lubricated for longer chain life, and the soft grip handle eases your hands on long cuts.
Tool only means the battery, charger and chain lubricant all come separately, so even an owner with 40V packs needs bar oil before the first cut. The included carrying case covers transport, and when the chain wears out, the Y70 3/8 in. LP 20 in. replacement chain, model RY20C1, fits the bar.
It weighs 9 pounds, lighter than the RYOBI 40V Brushless Chainsaw 16in despite the longer bar, but a mounted battery adds weight and the long bar puts more of it out front. Expect your forearms to feel that on a long felling and bucking session.
Pros:
- 20-inch bar tackles cuts up to 36 inches.
- Delivers more power than a 50cc gas chainsaw.
- Metal bucking spikes steady the saw against the log.
- Mechanical chain brake adds kickback protection.
- Carrying case included for transport.
Cons:
- Battery, charger and chain lubricant are sold separately.
- Long bar is more saw than small yards need.
Who It’s For:
Rural property owners who fell their own trees or buck large trunks for firewood get gas-class capacity on a 40V battery they may already own. It fits owners ready to buy a battery and bar oil separately when they don’t have them. Suburban yards with ornamental trees won’t use enough of the bar to justify it.
Editor’s Verdict:
Felling and bucking big wood is this saw’s job, and with a battery and bar oil added, it stands in for a 50cc-class gas saw.
Should You Choose Ryobi 18V ONE+ or 40V?
The smaller platform caps you at pruning-class saws with short bars, while the larger one reaches full-size bars and gas-like cutting, so your workload and the batteries already in your garage decide it.
The 18V ONE+ saws here carry 6- and 8-inch bars sized for limbs and shrubs, and their light weight is the reason to own one. The 40V line runs 12-, 16- and 20-inch bars, and its biggest saw is built as a gas replacement, so the voltage you choose sets the ceiling on the wood you can cut.
The split shows up across the work each platform handles:
| 18V ONE+ | 40V | |
|---|---|---|
| Bar lengths in these picks | 6 in, 8 in | 12 in, 16 in, 20 in |
| Work it suits | pruning, light limbing | storm cleanup, firewood, felling |
| Handling | light, easy overhead | heavier, two-handed at waist height |
| Shared battery family | ONE+ yard and shop tools | 40V mowers, blowers and trimmers |
Batteries you already own tilt the decision hard. A tool-only saw on your existing platform runs off packs already charged for the trimmer or blower, so it adds no new charger and no extra battery to store over winter, and a pack that runs flat in the saw can be swapped for the one in the blower. I’d stay on 18V ONE+ if your cutting stops at ornamental limbs and hedges, and move to 40V once firewood or downed trees are part of the yard.
If you aren’t tied to Ryobi batteries yet, the best EGO chainsaws and the best Greenworks chainsaws run on their own cordless systems, which are worth weighing before you commit a garage to one platform.
Which Bar Length Fits Your Yard Work?
A longer guide bar raises the largest cut the saw can make, but every added inch also brings weight and leverage your arms have to control. Sizing the bar to the thickest wood you cut regularly, rather than the rare oak limb that comes down in a bad storm, keeps small jobs light while still covering the work you do most often.
What Can a Short-Bar Pruning Saw Handle?
Ornamental limbs, overgrown shrubs, fruit-tree suckers and light limbing in tight spots are the work these saws handle, and the 8-inch models top out at branches 6 inches thick. Their light weight makes overhead and awkward cuts reasonable, because you can hold one at shoulder height through a string of cuts without the saw dragging your arms down. The compact housing helps for the same reason, since it doesn’t snag on neighboring branches as you work into a crowded canopy.
That ease ends at the branch limit. Once a limb is thicker than the 8-inch saws are rated for, or the job turns into cutting a fallen limb into rounds, a 40V saw with a longer bar finishes the cut with less strain on the motor.
Which Bar Length Suits Yard Cleanup and Larger Limbs?
Storm-broken limbs, overgrown shrubs and the lower branches of yard trees fit a 12-inch top handle saw, which gives enough cut capacity for that work in a body far smaller than a full-size saw. Mid-size work means a lot of short cuts at changing angles: freeing a limb from a fence, cutting it into lengths you can drag, then taking out the shrub it flattened.
A shorter bar keeps the saw’s weight close to your hands for that kind of work, and the top handle layout makes it easier to aim, so an afternoon of cleanup leaves your arms in better shape. You’ll run out of saw when a storm drops a whole tree or the cleanup turns into a firewood pile, because every trunk wider than the cut capacity has to be cut from both sides.
Which Bar Length Suits Firewood and Felling Small Trees?
Splitting-length rounds and small standing trees need a 16- or 20-inch bar on the 40V platform, or the 37cc gas saw, because the bar has to pass through a full round in one cut and the motor has to hold chain speed with the whole bar buried in wood.
Those saws are heavier, and the weight builds over a long session: bucking a downed tree means holding the saw at waist height for cut after cut, and each extra pound reaches your forearms and lower back by the end of the pile. A sawbuck that raises the log, regular breaks and a sharp chain all cut that fatigue.
The 20-inch saw is overkill when your trees are ornamental, your firewood arrives already cut to length, or the biggest wood in the yard is a storm limb. For that kind of occasional cutting, a 16-inch bar is less saw to carry.
What Do Brushless and HP Mean on a Ryobi Chainsaw?
One swaps the motor’s carbon brushes for electronically switched magnets, and the other is a high-performance tier of tools built to hold chain speed when the chain is under load.
Without brushes dragging on the spinning part of the motor, a brushless motor loses less energy to friction and heat, so more of each charge reaches the chain and there are no brushes to wear out. Every battery saw in these picks has one, so motor type alone won’t separate them.
HP tools add upgraded electronics on top of the brushless motor, and on some models the full gain depends on the battery: the RYOBI HP 18V Brushless Mini Chainsaw 6in reaches its faster cutting speed only with an HP battery, sold separately from that kit. A brushless saw without the HP label still cuts cleanly through pruning and occasional cleanup, where you’d rarely feel the difference. The gap shows when you lean into hardwood or a thick round, because the HP models hold chain speed there instead of slowing down.
Should You Buy a Ryobi Battery Chainsaw or the Gas Model?
Go cordless for short jobs near the house, and pick the RYOBI RY3716 16in 37cc Gas Chainsaw for long runs of continuous cutting if mixing fuel doesn’t bother you.
The daily routine around each kind of saw differs more than the cutting does:
| Battery saws | 2-cycle gas saw | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | press the trigger | choke and pull the starter cord |
| Noise | quiet, motor stops between cuts | loud, engine idles between cuts |
| Upkeep | bar oil, chain care, battery storage | fuel mixing, air filter, spark plug, bar oil, chain care |
| Long sessions | limited by charged batteries | refuel and keep cutting |
A battery saw starts with a trigger pull and goes silent the moment you let go, which makes a quick cut by the patio or near the neighbors easy to justify. It also sits through the off-season without fuel going stale in a carburetor. The Ryobi RY405011 40V 20in Chainsaw is built as a gas replacement for felling and bucking, so a battery saw now covers firewood work too.
Gas keeps its place when the cutting runs for hours far from an outlet, because a refill takes moments while a drained battery needs time on a charger. That runtime comes with a routine: 2-cycle oil mixed into the fuel, an air filter to clean, and a tank to drain or stabilize before winter. For a yard that sees storm cleanup and a modest firewood pile, I’d take a 40V saw; for owners heating with wood or clearing land, the gas saw earns its upkeep.
Heavy daily cutting on gas points to makers built around 2-cycle saws, and the best Husqvarna chainsaws and the best Echo chainsaws cover that ground with more professional-grade models than Ryobi’s homeowner line.
Ryobi sells its 16-inch 40V brushless saw under one model number as a bare tool and under another as a kit with a battery and charger, and the two look nearly identical at a glance. Order the bare-tool number with no 40V battery at home, and the box that arrives holds a saw that can’t make a single cut until another order shows up.
How Do You Read Ryobi Chainsaw Model Numbers?
The prefix tells you the platform and the suffix tells you what’s in the box. RY40 numbers belong to the 40V line and P or PS numbers to 18V ONE+, while endings like B or BTL mark a bare tool and K or KIT mean a battery and charger come with it. The gas RY3716 even packs its engine size and bar length into the number.
The same saw often appears both ways. The 18V pruning saw is the PSBCW01B as a bare tool and the PSBCW01K as a kit, and the 16-inch 40V saw sells bare as the RY40505BTL and inside the RY40550 kit. Older generations can share a name and bar length with the current saw while using a brushed motor, skipping the HP electronics or carrying different safety hardware, so a description that only says “40V 16-inch chainsaw” isn’t enough to buy from.
Before ordering, match the full model number, suffix included, to the saw you want, then check the included items for a battery and charger. When that line names only the saw, plan on supplying your own battery.
What Maintenance Does a Ryobi Chainsaw Need?
Keep bar oil in the reservoir, the chain tensioned and sharp, and a correctly sized replacement chain ready for when the old one wears out; the gas saw adds air filter and fuel care.
The automatic oiler only works while the reservoir has oil, so check it whenever you swap a battery or refuel; the oil-free RYOBI HP 18V Brushless Mini Chainsaw 6in skips this step. A starved oiler shows up as smoke at the bar, a chain that darkens, or a bar too hot to touch near the tip, and running it that way wears out the bar and chain together.
Chains stretch with use, new ones fastest. With the battery out or the engine off and the saw cool, the chain should sit snug on the bar yet pull around by hand in gloves.
A dull chain throws fine dust instead of chips, needs pressure to cut and drifts to one side. Sharpen it at that point, and replace it once the cutters reach their wear marks, a tooth breaks, or the stretch runs past the tensioner’s range. A replacement has to match the bar’s pitch, gauge and drive-link count, which is why the RY405011 calls for the RY20C1 chain.
On the RY3716, clean the air filter regularly and run fresh mixed fuel, draining or stabilizing the tank before winter.
Is a Top Handle Chainsaw Safe for Yard Work?
Yes, for limbing and storm cleanup from the ground with both hands on the grips. The risk climbs once you start using it one-handed, which its compact size invites.
A top handle saw puts the grip above the motor and keeps the whole saw short, so it’s tempting to hold it out at arm’s length for a quick trim. That position is where kickback does the most harm: when the upper tip of the bar touches wood, the saw rotates up and back toward you, and a single hand can’t hold it. A chain brake, on saws that have one, stops the chain once the kick starts, which limits the damage but doesn’t prevent the kick.
A rear handle saw spreads your hands front and back, giving more leverage against that rotation, and it’s the safer layout for anyone not cutting from a harness in a tree. Chainsaw chaps or pants do the most to change an accident’s outcome, because their fibers pull into the sprocket and stop the chain on contact. Eye protection and a helmet with a face screen handle chips and springing branches.
When Is a Ryobi Chainsaw Not Enough?
Daily use, big hardwood and paid work outgrow a homeowner-grade saw, because those jobs run the motor, chain and battery hard for hours, day after day.
Ryobi aims these saws at work around a house: storm cleanup, a season’s firewood, a tree that needs to come down. A tree service, a firewood business or a landowner clearing brush every week puts far more cutting time on a saw, and wear on the motor, bar and housing shows up sooner. Dense hardwood adds to it, because the chain spends longer in each cut and the motor works harder through it.
For that kind of duty, look for a professional-grade cordless line with high-capacity batteries, strong anti-vibration, replaceable parts and a service center within driving distance. Contractors already running a jobsite battery platform can start with the best DeWalt chainsaws, and the best Makita chainsaws fit owners who want a cordless system built around professional tools.
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