Ryobi sells more cordless garden tools in the UK than anyone, and the chainsaws exist to serve that: if the ONE+ battery in your drill fits the saw, the saw is cheap. We hold 11 Ryobi models.
Ryobi saws are built for gardens rather than woodland: pruning, branches, storm damage and the occasional log. For firewood in quantity or felling, look at petrol or a bigger battery platform.
Ryobi chainsaws compared
ONE+ 18V or 36V
ONE+ 18V is the reason to buy Ryobi. The same battery has fitted every ONE+ tool since 1996, which is a remarkable commitment, and there are well over a hundred tools on it. An 18V saw with a 30 cm bar handles branches, small logs and garden clear-up without complaint.
36V MAX POWER is the separate higher-output platform for larger garden machinery: mowers, blowers and the bigger saws. A 36V saw with a 30 to 35 cm bar cuts noticeably faster and stalls less in hardwood. The packs do not interchange with 18V, so pick the platform that matches the rest of your garden kit.
Brushless models are worth the premium on both platforms: more cuts per charge and a motor that lasts. The OCS1830 is brushless, which is why it appears in most recommendations.
What Ryobi saws are good at
They are light, cheap to buy into if you own ONE+ batteries, and perfectly adequate for the cutting a normal garden generates. Tool-free chain tensioning on most models makes them approachable for people who have never owned a chainsaw.
What they are not is a forestry tool. Bar lengths stop at around 35 cm, sustained cutting drains packs quickly, and the chain and bar quality is a step below Stihl or Husqvarna. Treat them as garden tools and they are good value; expect them to process a winter of firewood and they will disappoint.
Chain fitting and tensioning
More people search for how to put a chain back on a Ryobi than for any other question about the brand, so briefly: take the battery out first. Loosen the side knob, remove the cover, and seat the chain with the cutters on the top of the bar pointing forwards, towards the nose. Drop the chain into the bar groove and over the drive sprocket, refit the cover, then tension with the wheel until the chain sits against the underside of the bar and can still be turned by hand.
Re-check the tension after the first few cuts. A new chain stretches as it beds in, and a loose chain coming off the bar is the usual cause of a saw that "stopped working".
Ryobi chainsaw FAQs
Do all Ryobi ONE+ batteries fit the chainsaw?
Any ONE+ 18V battery will physically fit and run an 18V Ryobi saw, including older packs. Capacity is what matters: a 1.5Ah or 2.0Ah pack will manage only a few minutes of cutting, so use a 4.0Ah or 5.0Ah pack. The 36V MAX POWER saws use a different battery that does not interchange with ONE+ 18V.
How do you tighten the chain on a Ryobi chainsaw?
Remove the battery first. Loosen the side knob a turn, then turn the tensioning wheel clockwise until the chain sits snug against the underside of the bar, holding the bar nose up as you do it. Tighten the knob fully. The chain is right when you can pull it a few millimetres away from the bar and still turn it round by hand with a glove on. Check again after the first few cuts.
How do you put the chain back on a Ryobi chainsaw?
Battery out, side knob off, cover off. Lay the chain so the cutters on the top of the bar point forwards towards the nose, which is the single most common thing people get wrong. Seat the drive links in the bar groove and wrap the chain over the sprocket, refit the cover loosely, take up the slack with the tensioner, then tighten the knob. If the saw cuts dust rather than chips afterwards, the chain is on backwards.
Is a Ryobi chainsaw good enough for firewood?
For a bag or two of logs, yes, particularly the 36V models. For a winter's worth, no. Bar lengths top out around 35 cm, and sustained bucking will flatten batteries faster than you can charge them. If firewood is the main job, a petrol saw or a mains saw with a 40 cm bar will cost less and do it faster.
What size chain does a Ryobi chainsaw take?
Check the bar: the cutting length, pitch, gauge and drive link count are stamped on it. The 30 cm ONE+ saws typically take a 3/8 inch low-profile chain with 45 drive links, but it varies by model and generation, so match the markings rather than the model name. Ryobi sell their own replacements and standard Oregon-pattern chains fit most models.
Are Ryobi chainsaws any good?
For garden work, yes, especially if you already own ONE+ batteries, which is where the value is. They are light, easy to live with and cheap to buy into. They are not built for professional or heavy use, and the bar and chain quality is a step below the forestry brands, but for pruning and tidying they do the job for a lot less money.
