What we typed
Stihl MS 170 gas chainsaw with 16-inch bar
The model and bar length pin down the package. A single word like “chainsaw” would pull a whole-category average spanning pole saws to felling saws; the MS 170 gets its own dimensions.
Tools
How much does it cost to ship a chainsaw?
A chainsaw packs to about 32 × 12 × 12 inches at 12–20 lb. For gas saws the shipping question is not size — it is fuel: carriers refuse anything with gasoline residue, and a saw that smells of fuel is a rejected parcel. Once the saw is prepped, the cost question is ordinary: your lane, your speed, your packed box, all best answered by a live quote.
Live parcel ratesFreight review pathTracking included
One saw, one real rate pull
The worked example below isn't hypothetical: a 31 × 12 × 12 in box at 13 lb drew a $31.24 UPS Ground rate on the Texas-to-Colorado lane shown.
A real quote: Stihl MS 170 gas chainsaw with 16-inch bar
On 2026-07-24, the description “Stihl MS 170 gas chainsaw with 16-inch bar” went into the SMKlog calculator with Austin, TX 78701 at one end and Denver, CO 80202 at the other. The box, the weight, and the rate table that follow are its unaltered output; no measuring happened on our side of the screen.
Packed box it returned
31 × 12 × 12 in
80 × 30 × 30 cm
Packed weight 13 lb (6 kg).
Route
Austin, TX 78701
to Denver, CO 80202
Austin to Denver is a mid-length lane, priced live on real ZIPs. Distance dominates the arithmetic here; nothing about the packing would move the total the way a longer route would.
The long box is what gets billed. At 31 × 12 × 12 ÷ 139 the dimensional weight comes to roughly 32.1 lb, two and a half times the 13 lb on the scale, so the rates below price the carton rather than the saw. Pulling the bar off and shortening the box is worth real money.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $31.24 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Smart Post | $38.53 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | 3Day Select | $47.17 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $47.17 | 4-5 business days |
What you see is the whole bill: carrier label and SMKlog's charge in one checkout figure, with no later add-ons. The low rate on this run belonged to UPS Ground, $31.24. Rate cards get revised all the time and lanes never price alike, so hold this table loosely. It demonstrates the mechanics; your ZIP pair supplies the answer that matters.
Typical packed size
About 32 × 12 × 12 in once boxed. Drain the fuel and bar oil completely, run the engine dry, remove the bar and chain and wrap them separately in oil-resistant material, and bag the powerhead — residual bar oil wicks through cardboard.
Packed weight
12–20 lb packed. What hits the invoice is the higher of scale weight and the dimensional number, and a chainsaw's long carton usually makes the dimensional side win, so the tape measure matters more than the scale here.
What moves the price
Zone, service level, and carton bulk, in that order. Austin to Denver sits mid-table for distance, and even that lane produced a $31.24 to $47.17 spread from a single box depending on carrier and speed. A flat chainsaw-shipping price would have to ignore all three variables, which is why the calculator refuses to guess and prices your route instead.
Shipping a chainsaw: common questions
What box size do I need to ship a chainsaw?
Plan around 32 × 12 × 12 in packed. Drain the fuel and bar oil completely, run the engine dry, remove the bar and chain and wrap them separately in oil-resistant material, and bag the powerhead — residual bar oil wicks through cardboard.
How much does a chainsaw weigh packed for shipping?
Typically 12–20 lb packed. Carriers rate the package on the greater of its scale weight and its size-derived weight (multiply length × width × height, divide by the divisor), so both figures need checking on the sealed box. Underquoted packages get re-billed after the carrier's own scan.
How do I legally ship a gas chainsaw?
Empty the fuel tank, run the carburetor dry, drain the bar oil, and air the saw out until there is no fuel smell. Carriers treat fuel residue as hazardous material — a fuel-smelling parcel can be refused, returned, or destroyed at your cost. Battery and corded electric saws skip all of this.
Do the bar and chain ship attached?
Off. A mounted bar makes the package long and points a cutting edge at the box wall. Remove both, wrap the chain in oil-resistant paper, sheath or cardboard-wrap the bar, and box them beside the powerhead.
What about a battery chainsaw?
Ship it like any lithium tool: battery installed on the saw or packed with the kit is fine for ground; bare battery packs alone are blocked. No fuel steps needed — just drain the bar oil reservoir.
How much does it cost to ship a chainsaw?
Box length is the quiet cost driver. A chainsaw packs long — about 32x12x12 in at 15 lb — and carriers bill the greater of actual and dimensional weight, which puts this box around 33 lb dimensional. Distance zone and ground versus expedited service set the rest. Describe the saw and your two ZIPs in the SMKlog calculator and it returns live USPS, UPS, and FedEx pricing without you weighing a thing.
What is the cheapest way to ship a chainsaw?
Ground, and usually UPS or FedEx. At roughly 33 lb billable, a chainsaw box is past the small-parcel range where USPS Ground Advantage wins, and USPS applies dimensional pricing above one cubic foot — this box is over two. Any inch you shave off the 32-inch length lowers the billable weight directly. Buying the label online at commercial rates typically saves 20-40% versus walk-up counter prices.