If you’re in the market for your first chainsaw or have rarely used a chainsaw in the past, the best option for safety is to purchase the smallest chainsaw that will fulfill your cutting needs. Of course, this depends on what you are trying to cut – cutting through tree trunks will necessarily require a larger chainsaw than cutting through branches. In general, opt for a chainsaw with a guide bar of 18 inches or less, such as the EGO Power+, Makita, or Dewalt chainsaws, since larger guide bars will be harder to wield and more likely to experience kickback.