Pick a saw and see what it actually sells for on eBay, where tree crews replace kit on a cycle and the old one goes straight to market. Prices are pulled live, so what you see is what sellers are asking this minute, not dealer retail.
Live from eBayPull the starter and feel for compression before anything else. A saw that spins freely with almost no resistance has a worn cylinder or a scored piston, and on most consumer models that costs more to fix than the saw is worth. Ask a seller to describe how hard it is to pull, or better, to send a video of it starting from cold.
A saw that has run straight petrol is scrap, and the exhaust tells you. Pull the muffler cover and look at the piston through the port: a clean grey crown is fine, scoring or aluminium transfer means it has been run lean or on unmixed fuel. This is the single fault that separates a bargain from a boat anchor, and it is invisible from the outside.
Check the bar and chain last, not first. They are consumables and a worn set is worth almost nothing either way, so a tired bar should not put you off a healthy saw and a shiny new one should not reassure you about a sick one. What the bar DOES tell you is how the saw was treated: a bar worn unevenly on one rail means it was run with a loose chain.
Professional models are the value on this page. A Stihl MS 362 or Husqvarna 372XP was built for daily commercial use, has a rebuildable engine and full parts availability years after production, and often sells used for less than a new homeowner saw of half the capability. The trade-off is weight and that it may already have thousands of hours on it.
Beware of listings that are actually parts. Chainsaw parts are listed by the saws they fit, so a search for a model number returns carburettors, cylinders and oil pumps alongside the saws. This page filters those out, but if you search eBay directly, read the title carefully: "fits MS 261" is not an MS 261.
Value. Stihl and Husqvarna hold their money unusually well because the professional models stay in demand and parts stay available. Budget brands from big-box stores fall much further, which makes them the cheaper buy secondhand but rarely the better one.
Live eBay listings, which is where a large share of used saws change hands. Pick a model and it fetches the current lowest-priced listings in real time, with the listing shown next to each price.
Compression is the answer to almost everything. A saw with good compression is hard to pull and fires readily; one with low compression spins easily and needs a lot of choking to start. After that, look through the exhaust port for scoring on the piston, which is what running unmixed fuel does.
Often it is the best value here. A commercial model has a rebuildable engine and parts available for years, and it frequently costs less used than a new homeowner saw. It will be heavier, and it may have had a hard life, so compression matters more than cosmetics.
Because they are parts. Chainsaw components are listed by the models they fit, so a search for a model number turns up carburettors and cylinders described as fitting that saw. This page filters them out; searching eBay yourself, treat the word 'fits' as a warning.
Less than people expect. Both are consumables and cost little relative to the saw. What they reveal is how it was used: a bar worn on one rail only means it ran with a slack chain, which suggests the rest of the maintenance was casual too.
A daily snapshot of the lowest genuine eBay price for every model we track, and how good that price is right now versus its usual level, updated automatically. Prices last refreshed 6 August 2026 . Tap a price to see that model's cheapest listings on eBay, or tap a model name for the full live list here.
Under each model is the actual listing that price came from, so you can see whether it is the thing you want or a bundle, a variant, or an accessory that happens to share the name.
| Model | Cheapest now | vs typical | This week |
|---|---|---|---|
Stihl MS 180 Stihl Ms 180 Chainsaw Running See Description | $135 | – | steady |
Echo CS-310 ECHO CS-310 Chain Saw | $140 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 170 Used Stihl MS 170 Chainsaw (needs work) | $150 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 435 Husqvarna 435 X-TORQ 16|" Gas Chainsaw 41cc | $175 | – | steady |
Echo CS-400 *LOCAL ONLY* Echo CS-400 40cc Gas Chainsaw Gas Powered Pull Start | $176 | – | steady |
Stihl 026 NEW OEM STIHL SCREW M4x8mm 9041-216-0630 026 028 034 036 038 044 066 088 090… | $209 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 250 STIHL MS 250 45.4CC 3HP GAS CHAINSAW WITH 16" BAR & CHAIN | $215 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 271 Stihl MS201TC Chainsaw, Stihl MS 271, Echo 650 EVL, Pruner & Drill *GREAT DEA… | $250 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 450 Rancher Husqvarna 450 Rancher Chainsaw - Orange / USA SHIPPING ONLY | $260 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 455 Rancher HUSQVARNA 455 RANCHER W/ 20" Bar & Chain TESTED WORKS | $270 | – | steady |
Stihl 044 OEM STIHL FUEL FILTER 017 018 021 025 026 029 031 034 036 038 039 044 046 –B57 | $315 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 460 Rancher NEW OEM HUSQVARNA THROTTLE TRIGGER LEVER 537260501 455 E RANCHER 460 461 465… | $315 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 291 Stihl Ms 291 Z Chainsaw Starts Runs Cuts Powerhead Only | $320 | – | steady |
Echo CS-590 Echo CS-590 Timber Wolf 59.8 cc Gasoline Powered Chainsaw, Powerhead Only | $330 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 545 HUSQVARNA VIKING QUILTING 545 LILY QUILTING SEWING MACHINE Pedal,manual, Box | $400 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 372 OEM HUSQVARNA 362 XP 365 371 K 372 XP 375 385 XP 390 XP BUSHING 537086701 B54 | $517 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 550XP husqvarna 550xp Mark 2 chainsaw | $525 | – | steady |
Makita EA6100P Makita EA6100P 2-Stroke 61cc 20” Chainsaw | $671 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 362 (MA3) STIHL (MS 362) 59cc Professional-Grade 20" Bar Gas-Operated Chainsaw | $700 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 461 STIHL MS 461 Chainsaw | $840 | – | steady |
Stihl MS 440 Stihl MS 440 Chainsaw | $850 | – | steady |
Husqvarna 372XP Husqvarna 372XP - Powerhead Only - Pro Series | $1,099 | – | steady |