# Rear-handle saw

The conventional chainsaw layout, with the throttle handle behind the engine and a wrap or front handle across the top, designed to be held with both hands. It is the correct configuration for essentially all ground-level work.

Source: https://chainsawdata.net/en/glossary/rear-handle-saw/
Site: ChainsawData (chainsawdata.net) — open technical specification database
Last updated: 2026-08-24
License: free to quote with attribution to chainsawdata.net

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The two-handed grip is what makes this layout safe: the left hand on the front handle both resists the rotation of a kickback and puts the wrist in position to trigger the chain brake. Rear-handle saws span the whole market from small consumer machines to large felling saws, so the label describes handle geometry rather than size or power. A full wrap handle, where the front bar extends around the left side of the saw, is worth looking for if you often cut with the saw on its side, as in bucking large stems.