Best Chainsaw Chains For Hardwood In 2024

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Finding a chainsaw can prove to be a challenge for beginners and professionals. What more when it’s finally time to look for chains? It sounds like a struggle!

Luckily, we’re here to review some of the best chainsaw chains for hardwood available in the market.

Keep on reading to discover more.

Quick Overview

Winner

Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain

Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain

Low kickback and vibration

Fast and smooth performance

68 drive links

Runner-Up

Husqvarna H30-72 Pixel Saw Chain

Husqvarna Pixel Chain

72 drive links

Uses a .050 ” gauge

Low kickback

Our Top 6 Choices For Best Chainsaw Chains For Hardwood

Best Chainsaw Chains For HardwoodChain SizeDrive LinksPrice
1. Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain18″68Check Price
2. Husqvarna H30-72 Pixel Saw Chain18″72Check Price
3. Oregon Eco, Homelite Chainsaw Chain14″52Check Price
4. Husqvarna H80-7220″72Check Price
5. SUNGATOR Chainsaw Chain SG-S6218″62Check Price
6. WoodlandPRO Chainsaw Chain Loop24″84Check Price

Top 6 Best Chainsaw Chain for Hardwood

#1 – Winner – Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain

Quick Facts

Low kickback and vibration

Fast and smooth performance

68 drive links

Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain
Chain Size: 18″ | Chain Pitch: .325″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .063″ | Drive Links: 68

Chains for chainsaws typically look the same. You’d be able to stop them from afar because of their familiar and classic looks.

But, the real difference lies with the design of the chain itself. Most often than not, the design plays an essential role in making sure you enjoy a safe and aggressive cut each time.

The Stihl Aggressive Chain is one product that comes with an excellent and unique design. You can expect a smooth cut each time without compromising quality and performance.

What’s not to love about that? You’ll be able to work faster while staying accurate!

Durable and Sharp

We love a sharp chain because of the wonders it could do. But sometimes, it’s only at the start where you’d notice the sharpness.

At some point, the chain starts to dull. You’ll have to work long hours trying to sharpen them and trying not to make mistakes when you’re about to cut something.

No one wants ever to experience that. We’re sure everyone would like durable and quality products as much as possible. You want it to be sharp and always performing at its best.

Therefore, it wasn’t hard for us to fall in love with the Stihl Aggressive chainsaw chain.

You can cut rough and hardwood to your heart’s content without damaging them! No matter how hard and how much you work on it, the chain stays sharp.

Work for as long as you want with nothing stopping you!

Is the Stihl Aggressive Chain for You?

Stihl has one of the best chainsaw chains for hardwood. It provides an accurate and smooth cut each time, even on the hardwood!

So, if you’re someone who values perfection, then you’ll love this chain for hardwood.

The only drawback we found about this product is it doesn’t fit some chainsaw brands. Luckily, the brand offers excellent customer support. They can assist you with any of your concerns.

Here’s what you’ll love

Hard teeth for faster cutting

Perfect for machines that have large displacement engines

Semi-chisel

Here’s what you might not like

Chains need to be oiled and sharpened


#2 – Runner-Up – Husqvarna H30-72 Pixel Saw Chain

Quick Facts

72 drive links

Uses a .050” gauge

Low kickback

Husqvarna H30-72 Pixel Saw Chain
Chain Size: 18″ | Chain Pitch: .325″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .050″ | Drive Links: 72

What makes this chain a remarkable product is its design. The chain sports a .050” gauge and .325” pitch.

The chain makes it possible for you to finish almost any project. Whether you’re cutting hard or softwood, trust this chain can power through.

The Stihl Aggressive Chain is one product that comes with an excellent and unique design. You can expect a smooth cut each time without compromising quality and performance.

What’s not to love about that? You’ll be able to work faster while staying accurate! You can finish any gardening or landscaping project you’ve meant to accomplish. Or maybe you’d want to clean-cut down some storm-stricken trees. It’s up to you! What’s not to love about that? You’ll be able to work faster while staying accurate!

Smooth, Reliable, and Precision Cutting

We loved how sharp the chains are in this product. We’ve tested it on varied materials, like soft or hardwood, and we’re pretty amazed that it gave us fantastic performance.

We had smooth cuts each time, feeling no obstacles throughout the process. There were hardly any vibrations, and we enjoyed its low kickback.

Narrow Kerf Chain

Owning a chainsaw that gives you a wide range of use is always ideal. You’re not limited to using it just to clean up your garden. Instead, you can use it to craft other projects!

But sometimes, the limitation is within the chain itself. It only delivers excellent performance for cutting a single way. But if you try cutting wood into thin pieces, for example, it just doesn’t seem to do the job.

This is why we’re happy to find the Husqvarna chain is one of the few products out there providing a great deal of flexibility.

Besides precision cutting, the Husqvarna allows you to make cuts thinner than most chains out there.

Is the Husqvarna Pixel Chain for You?

Husqvarna has proven itself to be one of the best go-to brands for chainsaw products. And their Pixel chain is just another product from them that’s sure to get your money’s worth.

You’re assured of its quality! Don’t worry about the chain breaking down anytime soon and wasting your time and money.

This chain does an excellent job of cutting both hard and softwood. However, we recommend it to everyone out there.

It packs impressive performance, plus its outstanding stability and features.

Here’s what you’ll love

Impressive performance

A chainsaw chain for hardwood and softwood

Low vibration

Here’s what you might not like

It doesn’t fit some models


#3 – Oregon Eco, Homelite Chainsaw Chain

Quick Facts

14-inch length

52 drive links

Very safe to use

Oregon Eco, Homelite Chainsaw Chain
Chain Size: 14″ | Chain Pitch: 3/8″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .050″ | Drive Links: 52

There are three words to describe the Homelite Chain: affordable, advanced, and dependable.

Unbelievably, this chain comes at a pretty affordable price. And believe us when we say you won’t regret buying this robust chain.

It’s sharp and powerful enough for you to finish your gardening and landscaping projects, which marks this chain as the perfect product for today’s homeowners.

Because of its durability and outstanding performance, you won’t be able to find a chainsaw chain for hardwood that’s as sweet as this.

LubriTec Oiling System

Many chainsaw owners have to deal with a shared responsibility in lubricating their chains. And if they don’t do this, they’ll risk having a poor chainsaw performance or end up with damaged chains.

Therefore, many chainsaw owners prefer chainsaws that come with self-lubricating features. All they must do is make sure the oil tank is full!

This is why we’re thrilled to tell you that the Homelite chain comes with a LubriTec Oiling System. It’s one of the standout features of this chain that’s sure to give you 100% each time.

It gives you the best lubrication possible for the best cutting performance possible. This translates to having a long-lasting chain, chainsaw bar, and better productivity.

Low Vibration

If you’ve used a chainsaw before, you know how much vibration it can make. Once you’ve powered up your chainsaw, you’ll be shaken to your core.

And afterward, you’ll feel that awful dizzying feeling you can’t seem to shake off as fast as it came.

It’s a good thing that the Homelite chainsaw chains promise to deliver low vibrations in their performance. You’ll feel more comfortable instead of feeling faint and tired right after.

This is thanks to the design of this chain. You’ll see there’s a small gap between the chain and the guide bar. The chain acts as a shock absorber, so it never reaches the chainsaw bar.

Chrome-Plated Cutters

Finally, an essential feature this chain has is its chrome-plated material. The material makes it possible for the chains to stay sharper than most.

You can cut hard surfaces without worrying about wearing the quality of this chain! More important, you don’t have to worry about grinding and sharpening the chain repeatedly.

Instead, focus on cutting and getting your project done.

Is the Oregon Eco Homelite Chain for You?

It’s always handy to have a reliable and robust chainsaw around the house. You can complete as many projects as you want in a day without worrying about your dull tools stopping you.

The Oregon Homelite is one chain that’s sure to power through anything you put before it. It’s a strong and powerful chain that allows effortlessly cutting on almost anything.

And for the price? You’ve got nothing to worry about; it’s affordable and won’t break your bank.

Here’s what you’ll love

Low vibrations

Smooth and easy performance

LubriTec Oiling System

Here’s what you might not like

Dulls pretty quickly


#4 – Husqvarna H80-72

Quick Facts

Very easy to use

Provides accurate and easy cutting

Reliable brand

Husqvarna H80-72
Chain Size: 20″ | Chain Pitch: 3/8″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .050″ | Drive Links: 72

Meant for Tough Jobs

If you’re a professional looking for the best chainsaw chain for hardwood, this product comes highly recommended.

It withstood even the most challenging jobs of seasoned chainsaw users. Safe to say, this chainsaw chain is on top of the list for being a high-performance tool coming from a well-known brand.

You’d think you need to go through some complicated maintenance procedure for such a high-performing product. But you don’t!

Use it, wipe it, and you’re done. You need not produce some long-step process that’ll stop you from doing other important things. Maintenance is virtually zero. Perfect!

Aggressive and Powerful Chain

Your powerful chainsaw deserves only the best and powerful chains. Where else can you get that but with the Husqvarna H80-72?

The chain packs a ton of power for its size, so you’re sure to save a lot of time in the future. Don’t keep cutting and repeating the process countless times. One cut is all you’ll need!

This is one thing we love about using this chainsaw chain. It’s easy to use, comfortable on the hand, and lets us finish cutting in no time.

Is the Husqvarna H80-72 Chain for You?

Like what we’ve mentioned above, Husqvarna is one brand you can choose that won’t give you any headache.

They offer excellent quality and performance to compete with even the best of the bests. If you don’t want to look around for too long, this is one of the best chains to grab.

Here’s what you’ll love

Powerful and heavy-duty chainsaw chain

Low-maintenance

Great price

Here’s what you might not like

It doesn’t fit some chainsaw models


#5 – SUNGATOR Chainsaw Chain SG-S62

Quick Facts

62 drive links

It fits most chainsaw sizes

High-quality chain

SUNGATOR Chainsaw Chain SG-S62
Chain Size: 18″ | Chain Pitch: 3/8″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .050″ | Drive Links: 62

Great Versatility

Besides looking for a high-quality saw chain, we also want to make sure it’s versatile. What do we mean?

Well, as much as possible, we want it to be compatible with most chainsaw sizes. We want to buy a chain and not worry about whether it’ll fit or not.

If we buy a chain and do not consider its size, we risk buying another chain size. That’ll be expensive in the long run!

Luckily, the size of the Sungator Chain fits most chainsaw models. And it’s versatile and convenient; it’s one less thing we must worry about.

High-Resistance and Anti-Rust chainsaw chain

When placed under too much pressure, chainsaw chains go through the usual wear and tear. Some more than others, unfortunately.

Luckily, the Sungator delivers a high-resistance chainsaw chain. It can withstand normal wear and tear, and it will face no chips or fractures.

It’s also worth mentioning that your chain is susceptible to rusting. This is especially true if you work around wet substances and don’t clean the chain afterward.

Don’t worry because this will be the least of your problems when you use the Sungator because it is coated with anti-rust oil. You won’t have to worry about rust developing on your chainsaw chains!

Whether you’re working for an extended period or not, trust that the Sungator chainsaw chain will be with you to see the end of your project.

Meets ANSI Standards

The Sungator chainsaw chain isn’t just one of the best high-quality chain. And it’s more than that. When we say more, we mean meeting the highest standard possible, ANSI Standards.

We’re impressed with all the materials used to make this one of a kind chainsaw chain. Each bit and pieces are guaranteed to give excellent performance and quality.

Comfort and Safety

The Sungator is one of those chainsaw chains out there that’s designed especially for comfort and safety.

The chain moves around the chainsaw bar like how it usually would. But, you’d see a noticeable difference between vibration and kickback.

There are at least 20% fewer vibrations when you use the Sungator chainsaw chain. This translates to longer work time, less fatigue, and more!

Is the Sungator Chain Right for You?

If you’re someone who’s always working on different home improvement projects each time, you’ll love using this chain.

We noticed a great deal of precision from this high-quality and semi-chisel chain. Cutting through hardwood was easy and enjoyable, which left us feeling productive and satisfied.

The Sungator chainsaw chain is a must-have if you’re tired of buying a new chain each time. It’s incredibly durable.

Here’s what you’ll love

Anti-rust material

Low vibration

Semi-chisel chain

Here’s what you might not like

Low to average lifespan


#6 – WoodlandPRO Chainsaw Chain Loop

Quick Facts

Skinny drive links

Industrial chrome plated chains

Perfect for cutting hardwood and softwood

WoodlandPRO Chainsaw Chain Loop
Chain Size: 24″ | Chain Pitch: 3/8″ | Chain Thickness/Gauge: .050″ | Drive Links: 84

Patented Steel Alloy

One feel of this chainsaw chain, and we’re sure you have found yourself a keeper. It looks and feels very durable, thanks to its material.

The chassis is made of a patented steel alloy material, making sure the chain won’t deform soon. Whether it’s working under high resistance, it won’t break and let you down.

No Need to Sharpen

When you look at the cutters themselves, you’ll notice that it’s chrome plated. And it’s for a good reason.

It keeps the chainsaw chain sharp for a long time. You don’t have to go through the hassle of sharpening the chain every use. Instead, focus on what’s ahead of you.

No more hassle for you. Enjoy an uninterrupted performance!

However, do note that you must make sure to clean this chainsaw chain right after.

As much as possible, you want to keep it dirt-free, so it doesn’t interfere with the chain’s performance and operation.

Is the WoodlandPro Chain Loop for You?

The WoodLandPro is one of the best chainsaw chains for hardwood if you’re a professional completing tough jobs. And we aren’t joking when we say that.

This is one of the best chainsaw chains that packs a lot of power, providing speed, accuracy, and low kickback. Awesome combinations!

However, we don’t recommend this chainsaw for first-timers or anyone who plan to use it for minimal tasks.

Sure, WoodlandPro can accomplish even the smallest tasks, but you’ll find that it’s too powerful to be comfortable for those jobs.

Here’s what you’ll love

Easy to sharpen

Perfect hardwood chain for professional use

Long-lasting

Here’s what you might not like

Needs to be cleaned often


Choosing the Best Chain for Hardwood

You probably have one of the best and powerful chainsaws out there already. Consider pairing it with one of the best chainsaw chains out there to improve its performance.

Choosing the chain can sometimes prove to be no easy task. With a ton of products out there, what should you choose?

To help you find the right chain for your saw, we’ve listed a guide for you to live by. Let’s go through them!

Type of Chain

There are distinct chains out there, depending on your need. Take note of this before buying your chains.

Full Chisel

If you’re a professional woodworker, you’re better off using a full chisel chain. It’s famous for providing great accuracy even at immense speed.

In general, full chisel chains are ideal for cutting hardwood, regardless of size.

SEMI CHISEL or FULL CHISEL CHAIN

Semi-Chisel

A semi-chisel chain is recommended if you plan to cut medium-sized trees or do basic woodcutting jobs.

Low-Profile

These days, this chain is popular because it can match most chainsaw models today. It’s effortless to use and install!

No matter how long you use this type of chain, you’re guaranteed that it can stay sharp.

Bar Length

Another factor affecting your choice is the chainsaw bar length. Remember, not all chains fit the same chainsaw bar length.

It could either be too long or short, depending on the current bar length of your saw.

Size

Similar to the bar length, you also want to consider the size of the chain. Is it skinny or narrow?

Sometimes you’d be lucky to find a chain size that fits most saws. However, do note you might encounter a chain that will never be fit for the size of your saw.

Anti-Vibration and Kickback

If you want a comfortable and stable operation, choose a chain that provides the least vibration and kickback.

You don’t have to feel fatigued after working for hours. That’s the beauty of having this feature!


Top Picks

We’ve listed some of the best chainsaw chains in this review. All the products we’ve mentioned promise to deliver excellent performance.

But there are two products in this list that’s worth mentioning one more time: the Husqvarna Pixel Chain and the Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain.

Winner

Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain

Stihl Aggressive Chainsaw Chain

The Stihl comes out as the ultimate winner for us in this roundup review. Why? It offers fast and smooth performance each time.

Plus, it’s nearly kickback-free and produces no vibrations. However, it makes this chainsaw chain very easy and comfortable to use.

Runner-Up

Husqvarna H30-72 Pixel Saw Chain

Husqvarna Pixel Chain

Hailing from a reputable brand, the Husqvarna Pixel Chain is one product you’ll never regret.

It comes with exceptional quality, and its size is ideal to meet most chainsaws. What else can you ask for?

You can enjoy using this hardwood chain for nearly all sorts of projects. It’s that durable!

If you’re looking for one of the best chainsaw chains for hardwood, you need to get your hands on this one.


Conclusion

We’ve finally come to the end of this review, which means it’s the decisive moment for you. After all the products we’ve listed here, we’re sure you’ve found the best chainsaw chain for hardwood.

What are you waiting for? Head straight to the store and enjoy exceptional performance and quality from your chainsaw chain.

Feel free to share this article with your friends and family. Who knows, you might just save them. You can also leave a comment below. We’ll be glad to hear from you.

Until our next review, see you!


Why You Can Count on Backyard Mike's Reviews

At Backyard Mike, we take pride in providing honest and unbiased reviews of the best chainsaws, log splitters, and pole saws for your specific needs. Our team of experts thoroughly researches and tests each product before recommending it to you. In addition, we take feedback from users of the product into consideration when writing our reviews. We believe in transparency and always disclose any potential biases or conflicts of interest. You can trust our reviews to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your next outdoor power tool.


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Mike
Hi, I'm Mike - but my friends call me Backyard Mike. I'm the founder of this website, and I'm addicted to outdoor power tools. I love to work with wood and share my knowledge here on this website with you. You can find more about me here.