STIHL is one of those brands gardeners trust almost on instinct. Ask anyone who has spent a weekend clearing fallen branches and they will probably tell you a STIHL saw started first pull and never let them down. The catch is that STIHL makes a lot of chainsaws, and working out which one suits your garden can be genuinely confusing. Do you go petrol or cordless? Homeowner or prosumer? Small bar or big?
In this guide we cut through the range and explain which STIHL chainsaw is right for you, whether you are pruning a few apple trees, cutting next winter’s firewood, or felling small trees on a smallholding. We have focused on the models a UK gardener is most likely to be choosing between in 2026, and we have been honest about where each one shines and where it falls short.
One important note up front: unlike most tools we review, STIHL chainsaws are sold through approved STIHL dealers and the official STIHL online shop rather than through Amazon UK or the big sheds. That is deliberate on STIHL’s part — they want you set up and shown how to use the saw safely. So treat the prices below as indicative guide prices and check your local dealer for the exact figure and current promotions.
How to choose a STIHL chainsaw
Petrol or cordless?
This is the first and biggest decision. STIHL’s cordless MSA saws run on the same AK and AP battery systems as the rest of their cordless range, so if you already own STIHL batteries the maths gets very appealing. Cordless saws are quieter, lighter, need no fuel mixing and start instantly — perfect for pruning, light firewood and jobs close to the house or neighbours. The trade-off is runtime and outright grunt on big timber.
Petrol still rules for sustained, heavy cutting. If you are processing a winter’s worth of logs or working away from a power source for hours, a petrol MS saw will keep going as long as you keep feeding it fuel. The downside is noise, vibration, emissions and the small ritual of mixing two-stroke fuel correctly.
Bar length and power
As a rough rule, match the guide bar to the wood you cut. A 30cm (12in) bar handles branches and logs up to around 25cm thick and keeps the saw light and manageable. A 35-40cm (14-16in) bar suits firewood and small tree work. Anything longer is really for occasional felling and is best left to confident, experienced users. Bigger is not better if you cannot control it — a lighter saw you can hold steady all afternoon is safer than a heavy one that tires you out.
How we chose
We looked at the STIHL saws most relevant to UK home gardeners in 2026, spanning the cordless AK homeowner range, the cordless AP prosumer range, and the newly refreshed MS petrol line (the MS 162, 172, 182 and 212 that replace the long-serving MS 170, 180 and 211 family). We weighed real-world weight, ease of starting, safety features and value, and we have flagged who each model is genuinely for.
STIHL MSA 60 C-B – best for light pruning and small gardens
The MSA 60 C-B is the lightest saw in STIHL’s AK homeowner battery system and the natural starting point for most gardeners. With a 30cm bar and a weight of well under 3kg with the battery fitted, it is the saw you reach for to tidy a hedge, cut up a fallen branch or prep kindling. Paired with the AK 20 battery it runs for up to around 40 minutes of intermittent use, which is plenty for typical garden jobs.
Pros: very light, near-silent, instant start, no fuel. Cons: not built for big firewood sessions; you will want a spare battery for longer jobs. Expect to pay around £300 for a set with battery and charger.
STIHL MSA 120 C-B – best all-round cordless for homeowners
Step up to the MSA 120 C-B and you get noticeably more capability while staying in the lightweight, easy-to-live-with bracket. It uses a 30cm bar with a fine ¼in chain that cuts cleanly, and STIHL quotes around 100 cuts through 100mm wood on a single charge. Tipping the scales at roughly 3.8kg with battery, it carries the same build quality and Quickstop chain-brake safety you would expect from STIHL’s professional kit.
This is the saw we would point most homeowners towards if they want one cordless saw to do nearly everything around an average garden: pruning, log cutting, storm clear-up. Pros: excellent balance of weight and performance, quick chain tensioning, great safety. Cons: the ¼in chain is for lighter work, not felling. Indicative price is around £260-300 as a set with battery and charger.
STIHL MSA 220 C-B – best cordless for serious garden work
If you want petrol-class performance without the petrol, the MSA 220 C-B is STIHL’s prosumer cordless flagship. Running on the professional AP battery system, it delivers cutting speed that genuinely rivals a small petrol saw, making it a superb choice for larger gardens, smallholdings and anyone doing regular firewood who values low noise. It is heavier and a serious investment, but for noise-sensitive areas it is hard to beat.
Pros: petrol-rivalling power, quiet, no emissions, top build. Cons: expensive, and you need AP batteries which add to the cost. Tool-only prices start in the region of £500-650, with battery sets higher.
STIHL MS 162 – best entry-level petrol saw
For gardeners who want petrol simplicity on a budget, the MS 162 is STIHL’s entry-level petrol chainsaw and a worthy successor to the much-loved MS 170. It is light, easy to handle and ideal for occasional firewood and general garden cutting. The refreshed design brings tool-free or simplified servicing and modern anti-vibration comfort. Expect to pay around £190-220.
Pros: affordable STIHL petrol reliability, light, simple. Cons: basic features, no comfort-start refinements of the C models, and it is still a petrol saw with all the fuel-mixing that entails.
STIHL MS 172 C-E – best value petrol for most homeowners
The MS 172 C-E is the sweet spot in the new petrol line for many UK gardeners. The C-E designation brings STIHL’s ErgoStart easy-start system and tool-free chain tensioning, so it is genuinely easy to live with. It is versatile, reliable and has enough power for regular firewood without being a handful. If you have settled on petrol and want one saw to keep for years, this is the one we would recommend looking at first. Indicative price is around £250-280.
Pros: easy ErgoStart, tool-free tensioning, well-judged power-to-weight. Cons: pricier than the MS 162; more saw than a light pruner needs.
STIHL MS 182 / MS 212 – best for firewood and small felling
Move up to the MS 182 and MS 212 (and their C-BE comfort versions) and you are into proper firewood-and-felling territory. These saws offer more power, longer bars and better control for heavier, sustained cutting. If you heat your home with wood or manage a paddock with mature trees, this is where to look. The C-BE models add comfort features and quick field servicing. Prices climb from around £300 for the MS 182 to roughly £380-430 for the MS 212.
Pros: serious cutting power, suited to all-day work and felling. Cons: heavier and louder; genuinely more saw than the average small-garden owner needs. Only buy this much saw if your workload justifies it.
STIHL chainsaw comparison
| Model | Type | Bar | Best for | Guide price |
| MSA 60 C-B | Cordless (AK) | 30cm | Light pruning, small gardens | ~£300 set |
| MSA 120 C-B | Cordless (AK) | 30cm | All-round homeowner use | ~£260-300 set |
| MSA 220 C-B | Cordless (AP) | Up to 40cm | Serious, low-noise garden work | ~£500-650+ |
| MS 162 | Petrol | 30-35cm | Entry-level occasional use | ~£190-220 |
| MS 172 C-E | Petrol | 30-35cm | Best-value all-rounder | ~£250-280 |
| MS 182 / 212 | Petrol | 35-40cm | Firewood and small felling | ~£300-430 |
Which STIHL chainsaw should you buy?
If you mainly prune and tidy a small or average garden, the MSA 60 C-B or MSA 120 C-B cordless saws are the easiest, quietest and most pleasant to own — and the MSA 120 is our pick for most homeowners. If you cut regular firewood but hate fuel and noise, stretch to the cordless MSA 220 C-B. If you prefer petrol and want one dependable saw for years, the MS 172 C-E is the value champion, with the MS 162 as the budget entry point. And if you genuinely process a lot of wood or fell small trees, step up to the MS 182 or MS 212.
Whatever you choose, buy from an approved STIHL dealer who can set the saw up, fit the right chain and show you how to maintain it. It is worth it.
Chainsaw safety – please read
Chainsaws are the most dangerous tool most gardeners will ever use. Always wear the right protective kit: a helmet with visor and ear defenders, cut-resistant chainsaw trousers or chaps, gloves and sturdy boots. Keep the chain sharp and correctly tensioned, never cut above shoulder height, and never use a saw when tired or alone without telling someone. If you have any doubt about felling a tree, hire a professional — it is far cheaper than a hospital visit.
Frequently asked questions
Are STIHL chainsaws available on Amazon UK? STIHL chainsaws are generally sold through approved STIHL dealers and the official STIHL online shop rather than Amazon UK, B&Q or Screwfix. Accessories and consumables are more widely available, but for the saw itself a dealer is the right route.
Is cordless powerful enough for firewood? The MSA 120 handles light firewood comfortably, and the MSA 220 will tackle regular firewood that previously demanded petrol. For all-day, heavy log processing, a petrol MS 182 or 212 still has the edge.
What bar length do I need? For a typical garden, a 30cm bar is plenty. Choose 35-40cm only if you regularly cut thicker logs or small trees.
Which STIHL is best for a beginner? The cordless MSA 120 C-B is the most beginner-friendly: light, no fuel, instant start and excellent safety features.
Final verdict
STIHL’s 2026 range gives UK gardeners an excellent saw at every level. For most people, the cordless MSA 120 C-B is the smart all-round choice — light, quiet and capable enough for the vast majority of garden jobs. Petrol fans who want lasting value should look hard at the MS 172 C-E, while anyone doing serious firewood will be happy with the MSA 220 C-B or the petrol MS 212. Buy the saw that matches your workload rather than the biggest one you can afford, get it set up by a dealer, and gear up properly — and a STIHL will serve your garden faithfully for many years.
