The 3 Best 45cc Chainsaws

A 45cc chainsaw hits a sweet spot that a lot of homeowners never find. It’s powerful enough to drop small to medium trees, process a full cord of firewood, and handle the kind of seasonal cleanup that accumulates on a property — without the weight, cost, and complexity of a professional-grade saw.

I run a ranch in Montana. I’ve owned saws from Stihl, Husqvarna, Jonsered, and a few budget brands I’d rather forget. The 45cc displacement class is what I’d recommend to any homeowner who’s serious about their property but doesn’t need a $600 pro saw sitting in the garage. If your main goal is finding the best chainsaw for cutting firewood, this engine size has you covered for most situations.

Below, I’ve reviewed the three best 45cc chainsaws you can buy right now — a professional-quality pick, a budget option, and one for light occasional use.

Product	Best For	Bar Length	Displacement	Weight
Jonsered CS2245	Best Overall	18″	45cc	~9.5 lbs
Stark 22″ 45cc	Best Budget Pick	22″	45cc	~13 lbs
XtremepowerUS 22″ 45cc	Best for Occasional Use	22″	45cc	~13.2 lbs

What to Look For in a 45cc Chainsaw

Before I get into the reviews, here’s what actually matters when you’re shopping this class of saw. A lot of buyers fixate on bar length or horsepower numbers and overlook things that affect how the saw actually feels and performs on a Saturday morning when you’ve got ten trees to drop.

Bar Length and Cutting Capacity

For a 45cc engine, an 18″ bar is the ideal pairing. The engine has enough torque to drive an 18″ chain through hardwood without bogging, and the setup stays light and maneuverable. A 20″ bar is manageable on a quality 45cc engine — you’ll notice slightly more drag in dense hardwood, but nothing that should stop you.

The budget saws in this roundup both come with 22″ bars. Longer bars look impressive on a spec sheet, but a 45cc engine strains to push a 22″ chain efficiently through hardwood. You’ll get slower cuts, more bogging, and added fatigue from the extra weight. If bar length is something you’re still working through, take a look at my full guide on how to choose the right chainsaw bar length — it’ll save you a headache.

Engine Quality and Brand Reputation

There are two categories of 45cc engines: name-brand OEM units built by companies like Husqvarna, Jonsered, Stihl, or Echo, and generic no-name engines that are often sourced from overseas manufacturers with no established quality control history.

OEM engines are engineered to tighter tolerances, have better parts availability, and come with real warranty support. A Jonsered or Husqvarna 45cc will run reliably for years with basic maintenance. The budget engines in saws like Stark and XtremepowerUS can perform fine for light use, but longevity and consistency are hit-or-miss. Know what you’re buying before you commit.

Safety Features

This matters more than most buyers realize, especially if you’re new to operating a chainsaw. At minimum, a 45cc saw should have an inertia-activated chain brake, a rear hand guard, a throttle lockout trigger, and a front kickback guard.

Chain brakes stop the chain in milliseconds if kickback occurs. Don’t buy any saw that doesn’t have one — regardless of price. Before you swing your first cut, I’d also recommend reading through these chainsaw safety tips for beginners. They cover stance, grip, and the situations where kickback is most likely to happen.

Weight and Ergonomics

A quality 45cc saw in the OEM tier runs around 9 to 10 pounds dry. Budget saws in the same displacement class often come in heavier — sometimes 13 pounds or more — because the components are bulkier and less refined.

That three to four pound difference is irrelevant for a ten-minute job. Over a full afternoon of processing firewood, it adds up fast. If you’re planning extended use, weight is one of the most important specs on the sheet.

The 3 Best 45cc Chainsaws: Full Reviews

Here’s a close look at each saw — what it does well, where it falls short, and who it makes the most sense for.

1. Jonsered CS2245 — Best Overall

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Jonsered is a Swedish brand with deep roots in professional forestry. The company was originally founded to improve safety and efficiency for lumberjacks, and that heritage still shows up in how their saws are built. Jonsered is now owned by Husqvarna, which means the CS2245 is backed by one of the most capable chainsaw engineering teams in the world.

The CS2245 runs an 18″ bar paired with a 45cc two-cycle engine. It’s not trying to be a pro saw — it’s designed specifically for part-time homeowner use. That focus comes through in how it handles. The saw fires up reliably, balances well in hand, and doesn’t feel like it’s fighting you when you’re working your way through a pile of rounds.

The Clean Power engine is worth calling out. It reduces exhaust emissions while improving fuel efficiency — you’ll get more cuts per tank compared to older-generation engines at the same displacement. The turbo intake air cleaning system pulls sawdust away from the filter automatically, which keeps performance consistent and reduces how often you need to clean the filter manually.

Maintenance access is well thought out. The snap-lock cover lets you reach the air filter and spark plug without tools, which is exactly what you want when you’re out in the field and something needs adjusting.

Anti-vibration dampening is solid on this saw. It won’t eliminate all vibration — nothing does at this price point — but it’s noticeably more comfortable than most budget saws I’ve used. On a two-hour firewood session, the difference in hand fatigue is real.

My only honest caveat: the Jonsered costs more than the other two options in this roundup. But you’re paying for a quality engine, a real warranty, and a saw that will still be running in five years if you take care of it. For most homeowners, that math makes sense.

2. Stark 22″ 45cc — Best Budget Pick

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The Stark 22″ is the saw to consider if your budget is tight and you need something to handle occasional cleanup work without spending $300. It’s a budget-tier chainsaw with a no-name engine, and I want to be upfront about what that means before you click buy.

The 45cc engine paired with a 22″ bar is an aggressive combination for this class. In softwood — pine, cedar, fir — the saw handles it reasonably well. In hardwood, you’ll notice it bogs more than the Jonsered, and you’ll need to let the chain do more of the work rather than forcing cuts. That’s not a dealbreaker for occasional use, but it’s something to know going in.

The saw ships with most of the safety basics: chain brake, rear hand guard, and throttle lockout. Check those features specifically when yours arrives and make sure they’re functioning before your first cut.

Weight is the other thing to factor in. At around 13 pounds, the Stark is noticeably heavier than the Jonsered. For a short job, that’s fine. For a long afternoon processing wood, it gets tiring.

Availability on budget saws like this one can be inconsistent — they sometimes go in and out of stock or get replaced by updated versions without notice. If you’re comparing options at this price point, my roundup of the best chainsaws under $200 has a few alternatives worth considering.

The Stark is not a long-term saw. Treat it as a tool you’ll get a few seasons out of with proper care, and it delivers reasonable value for the money.

3. XtremepowerUS 22″ 45cc — Best for Occasional Use

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The XtremepowerUS lands in a similar category to the Stark — a budget chainsaw with a generic engine and a longer bar than the displacement really wants. Where it earns its spot in this roundup is price accessibility and availability for homeowners who genuinely only need a chainsaw a handful of times per year.

If you’ve got a small property, you occasionally need to drop a dead tree, and you’re not planning to process firewood by the cord — this is a viable option. It’s not a saw I’d recommend for heavy or frequent work, but for what it’s designed to do, it holds its own.

The 22″ bar comes with a standard Oregon chain, which is actually a positive. Oregon makes reliable chain, and starting with a quality chain matters more than most people realize. The chain will dull with use like any other, and keeping it sharp is the single biggest factor in how the saw performs. If you need a refresher on that process, my guide on how to sharpen a chainsaw chain covers it from scratch.

The XtremepowerUS is also heavy — comparable to the Stark at around 13 lbs — and shares the same fundamental limitation: a 45cc engine driving a 22″ chain is working hard. Plan your cuts around softwood and smaller-diameter logs to keep performance where it needs to be.

Like the Stark, availability for this model fluctuates. Check before you order, and if it’s out of stock, the budget chainsaw alternatives I mentioned above are worth a look.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 45cc chainsaw good for?

A 45cc chainsaw is well-suited for felling small to medium trees (up to about 14″ in diameter), processing firewood, limbing, and general property cleanup. It sits between the lighter 40cc class — which is better for pruning and small jobs — and the 50cc and above range used for larger timber. For most homeowners, 45cc handles about 90% of the cutting work they’ll realistically face.

Is a 45cc chainsaw enough for a homeowner?

Yes, for the majority of homeowners. If you’re maintaining a residential property, managing a few acres, or processing a cord or two of firewood each season, a 45cc saw is more than adequate. Where you might want to size up is if you’re regularly felling hardwood trees over 16″ in diameter or running the saw daily. For one-person seasonal use, 45cc is plenty.

What bar length works best with a 45cc engine?

An 18″ bar is the ideal match for a 45cc engine. The motor has enough torque to drive it efficiently through hardwood without laboring. A 20″ bar is workable on a quality engine. The 22″ bars on the budget saws in this roundup are technically functional but push the engine harder than is ideal — you’ll get slower cuts and more bogging, especially in dense wood. Match the bar to the engine, not the other way around.

How long does a 45cc chainsaw last?

An OEM engine from a brand like Jonsered or Husqvarna, properly maintained, can last 10 years or more with regular homeowner use. Budget engines are harder to predict — some hold up for three to five seasons, others fail earlier. The biggest factors are how consistently you clean the air filter, use fresh fuel, run the correct oil mix, and keep the chain sharp. Neglect any of those, and even a quality engine will fail prematurely.

Is Jonsered a good chainsaw brand?

Yes. Jonsered has been manufacturing chainsaws since 1954 and was acquired by Husqvarna in the 1970s. Today, Jonsered saws are engineered alongside Husqvarna’s lineup, which means they benefit from the same R&D and quality control. The brand is positioned for the serious homeowner market — not quite a full pro saw, but built significantly better than budget-tier alternatives. If you want reliability without paying for features you won’t use, Jonsered is a solid call.

Can I use a 45cc chainsaw to fell large trees?

You can fell trees with a trunk diameter up to about 30″ using a 45cc saw with an 18″ bar — you’d need to work from both sides. That said, felling large trees with a smaller saw takes more technique and more time. For trees consistently over 18″ in diameter, a 50cc to 60cc saw with a 20″ or longer bar is a better tool for the job. Be honest about the size of timber on your property before committing to a displacement class.

What fuel mix does a 45cc chainsaw use?

The standard mix for most 45cc two-cycle chainsaws is 50:1 — that’s 50 parts gasoline to 1 part two-stroke oil. Always check your owner’s manual to confirm the ratio for your specific saw. If you’re new to mixing fuel or want a cleaner, simpler option, pre-mixed fuel like TruFuel or Husqvarna XP is worth the added cost. It eliminates ethanol-related problems and comes ready to pour.

How much does a good 45cc chainsaw cost?

Budget-tier 45cc saws from brands like Stark and XtremepowerUS typically run between $100 and $175. OEM saws in the same displacement — Jonsered, Husqvarna, Echo — typically land between $250 and $400 depending on bar length and features. The price gap reflects real differences in engine quality, longevity, warranty support, and parts availability. If you plan to use the saw more than a few times a year, the OEM investment pays off quickly.

My Pick

The Jonsered CS2245 is the saw I’d buy. The engine is proven, the weight is manageable, and the maintenance access is the kind of thoughtful design you only see on saws built by companies that actually understand how people use them. It’s priced higher than the budget options, but it earns that premium.

If your budget won’t stretch that far right now, the Stark 22″ gets the job done for occasional softwood work. Just go in with realistic expectations about longevity and performance in hardwood.

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