Our Guide to the Best Gas Chainsaws Under $150

The WOIZAO pairs a 58cc, 3.4 HP engine with a quick-switch bar system, so the same powerhead runs an 18 inch bar for limbing and a 20 inch bar for bigger cuts. It reaches 10,500 rpm, has an instant-response chain brake with anti-vibration handles, and an automatic oiler keeps the bar wet without you pumping a button.

Against the 62cc saws it gives up a little engine size, which only shows in hardwood logs over a foot thick. In return it is the cheapest saw here and ships with two bars, which the single-bar VEVOR 20 inch does not. It is the better pick than the IVOVI if you want to spend less.

Buy it as a first saw for storm limbs and softwood firewood. If you routinely cut trunks wider than 16 inches, step up to the VEVOR 62cc with the 22 inch bar.

VEVOR lists 3.8 HP and a 12,000 rpm ceiling, with a 550 ml fuel tank and a 260 ml chain oil tank that give long runs between refills. Cold and hot start modes, an emergency stop lever and a glass-filled nylon body round out a saw built for ordinary homeowner abuse. The mix is 40:1, so measure the oil carefully.

Next to the WOIZAO it has about 4cc more engine and a higher rpm limit, but only one 20 inch bar in the box. Next to the other VEVOR it costs less and stops at 20 inches, which is the right length for most firewood.

Pick it for firewood from wood up to about 16 inches across. If you want a spare bar, the IVOVI fits better.

This saw lists a 3D anti-kickback chain brake, a forged magnesium crankcase for rigidity, and a tool-free chain tensioning system, so you tighten the chain without hunting for a wrench at the stump. The engine is listed as EPA Phase III and CARB compliant, which matters if you live in California or a similarly strict state.

Where the VEVOR 62cc gives you rpm and horsepower numbers, this one gives you hardware. It has no second bar, so it competes with the VEVOR on a single-bar basis and wins on the tensioner and the brake, but publishes no horsepower figure.

Choose it if you want to adjust the chain in the field and care about the compliance label. Skip it for a spare bar or 22 inch reach and go to the IVOVI or the second VEVOR.

The IVOVI runs a 63cc, 3.7 HP engine with a 20 inch bar for wider trunks and a shorter 18 inch bar for limbing and tighter cuts. A 0.26 L automatic oiler feeds the chain, and the recoil system is described as easy-start to cut pull effort.

It costs more than the WOIZAO but carries a bigger engine, and it matches the WOIZAO on two bars. Against the NEO-TEC it gives a shorter second bar rather than a longer one, so it favors limbing over reach.

Buy it if one saw has to do firewood and limbing both. If the budget is tight, the WOIZAO does the same two-bar job for less.

VEVOR lists a 62cc, 3.8 HP engine with 20 and 22 inch guide bars, and says the saw handles logs up to 19.88 inches in a single pass. A throttle-synced choke is meant to cut flooding, with startup in as little as 9 seconds, and a reinforced starter rope is built for repeated pulls.

It costs more than the single-bar VEVOR and adds reach for thick trunks. Compared with the NEO-TEC, which also offers 20 and 22 inch bars, it carries the higher horsepower figure and the faster-start claim.

Buy it if you cut oak, maple or fence-post sized logs. If your wood is under a foot across, the cheaper VEVOR 20 inch does the job.

NEO-TEC lists a 62cc, 3.5 HP engine at 7,500 rpm, with 20 and 22 inch bars and a total weight of 14 pounds fully equipped. It has a choke knob and a precision carburetor for fast starting and says it is tuned for fuel efficiency.

The rpm and horsepower are a notch below the VEVOR saws, and it carries the highest price here. What you get in exchange is a lighter saw, which matters when you hold it overhead while pruning.

Pick it if weight matters more than speed. If you want the cheapest two-bar saw, go to the WOIZAO.