McCulloch CS 42S Review – UK Tried & Tested

I’ll be straight about where the McCulloch CS 42S sits before I start, because it makes everything else easier to follow. This is a budget petrol chainsaw from a Husqvarna-owned brand, priced below the Husqvarna 435 II and below a comparable Stihl, and it performs at its price point rather than above it. I have used it for firewood processing and general clearance over a few seasons and it has done those jobs, with reservations I’ll get to. The main one is the warranty, which is 12 months. For a petrol chainsaw, that is short, and it tells you something about where the manufacturer has set expectations.

The CS 42S is a 42 cc petrol chainsaw with a 16 inch / 40.5 cm bar, a chain speed of 20 metres per second, a 9000 rpm no-load speed, and a bare weight of 4.9 kg. It comes fully assembled out of the box, which is a practical detail that matters more than it sounds if you are buying your first petrol saw. McCulloch is owned by Husqvarna AB and the saw was designed at the Husqvarna facility in Sweden, which gives it a bit more engineering credibility than the price might suggest. Whether that credibility translates all the way into the finished product is where the story gets more complicated.

Overview and what it actually is

The OxyPower engine technology claims 70% fewer emissions and 20% less fuel consumption versus previous McCulloch engines, which is the same kind of claim that Husqvarna makes for X-Torq. Given that they come from the same parent company, I would not be surprised if there is a relationship between the two technologies. In practice, the 0.3 litre fuel tank is the constraint, not the efficiency of the engine. At a steady pace of mixed cutting work I was refilling the tank more than I expected to, certainly more than once an hour on a heavier session. The CCS centrifugal cleaning system pre-cleans the intake air before it reaches the main filter, which does extend the intervals between filter cleans, and I noticed this over a dusty session cutting through dry dead timber. That part works as described.

Starting is straightforward when the fuel is fresh and the correct 50:1 mix. The Soft Start system reduces cord resistance by up to 40%, and the combined choke and stop controls reduce the chance of flooding the engine, which is the most common beginner mistake on a cold start. On a warm engine the saw picks up on a short pull. On a cold morning it takes a bit more, but nothing unreasonable. The fuel mix the saw requires is 50 parts petrol to 1 part two-stroke oil, and I use a quality two-stroke oil rather than the cheapest available, partly out of habit and partly because at this price point there is not much margin for carburettor problems. The carburettor on the CS 42S is adjustable, which is unusual at this level and can be useful if the saw starts running rough, but adjustment is something best left to a service centre rather than done freehand unless you know what you are doing.

Specifications and scores

How it performed on the jobs I used it for

For splitting and sectioning firewood in the under-12-inch range, the CS 42S is capable enough. The 42 cc engine produces 1.5 kW and cuts at 20 metres per second, and that combination makes fast work of softwood and handles hardwood up to about 10 to 12 inches in a single pass without labouring. I pushed it into some decent-sized ash and it managed, though it was working harder than a larger saw would have. The Oregon semi-chisel chain it comes with is a reasonable starting chain, cuts cleanly when sharp, and is easy enough to replace when the time comes using the 3/8″ pitch, 0.05″ gauge, 56 drive links spec.

The anti-vibration system isolates the handles from the engine, rated at 5.2 m/s² on the front handle and 6.2 m/s² at the rear. Those numbers are noticeably higher than the Husqvarna 435 II, which sits at 3.1 and 3.8 respectively. Over a short session I did not feel this as a significant issue. Over two hours of sustained cutting, by mid-afternoon my hands had had more than enough. If you are using this saw for occasional half-hour jobs it will not bother you. If you are planning a full day’s work with it, those vibration figures are worth sitting with before you commit.

The inertia chain brake activates automatically on kickback and is also hand-activated via the front guard, giving you two ways of stopping the chain in an emergency. That is standard at this level and works as expected. The fuel and oil caps lock solidly, which is a better situation than the screw-type caps on older entry-level saws and worth mentioning; they are straightforward with thick gloves on. The oil tank holds 0.2 litres and the pump is automatic and fixed flow.

Where the CS 42S starts to show its price point is in the finer details. The chain tensioner is manual and requires the integrated combi tool from the rear handle, not tool-free, despite some product listings describing it otherwise. Adjusting the chain mid-session with the combi tool and gloves on is manageable but not elegant. The air filter cover has easy access, which is good, but the filter itself does not seal as firmly as I would like and I found on one session that some fine dust had worked its way in underneath the edge and collected above the choke valve. After that I cleaned it more carefully and more often.

The warranty: why 12 months matters more than it sounds

Twelve months. The Husqvarna 435 II carries two years. Stihl offers two years standard and extends to three with MotoMix purchase. McCulloch offers one year. On a tool you are using outdoors, in wet conditions, mixing two-stroke fuel, and running hard against wood and dirt, one year is tight. If the carburettor fails in month 14, which is not an unheard-of timeline for petrol chainsaw issues, you are paying for the repair yourself. At the price point the CS 42S sells at, a carburettor repair or replacement would be a significant proportion of the saw’s original cost.

The carburettor is the thing I would watch. On one occasion after only a few sessions of use, the saw developed a carburettor fault that left it unable to run. It went back under warranty and came back working, but the confidence that episode produced in the saw’s long-term reliability was limited. Keeping fresh fuel in, running it dry at the end of each session, and not leaving old mix sitting in the tank are the basic precautions for any petrol chainsaw, but they matter more here because the cost of getting it wrong falls on you sooner than with a longer-warranty alternative.

Performance, limitations and how it compares

At 4.9 kg without bar and chain the CS 42S is heavier than the Husqvarna 435 II, which is a comparison worth making because both come from Husqvarna AB and both are positioned at similar domestic use cases. The 435 II is 700 grams lighter, has substantially lower vibration, and carries twice the warranty period. It is also meaningfully more expensive. Whether the gap in specification justifies the gap in price depends on how much use you are going to get from the saw: I would lean toward the 435 II for anyone who expects to use a petrol chainsaw regularly, and toward the CS 42S for anyone who wants an occasional-use petrol saw and is working to a tight budget.

The plastic housing is the visual element that most clearly signals where costs have been trimmed. It does the job, but it does not inspire confidence in the same way the Husqvarna’s body does, and a drop or knock that a heavier-duty saw might shrug off is something I would be more concerned about here. The sound level is 99 dB(A) at the operator’s ear and 115 dB(A) sound power, which sits in the normal range for a petrol chainsaw at this size. Chain speed of 20 metres per second means the CS39 certificate applies for professional or employed users in the UK.

Verdict: what the CS 42S is and what it is not

It is an accessible, fully assembled, reasonably capable petrol chainsaw for domestic use, sold at a price that reflects those qualities honestly. The OxyPower engine starts well on fresh fuel, the CCS air filter system works as described, the Oregon chain cuts cleanly from the box, and for light to medium domestic work, firewood processing, clearing, pruning, it gets through the job. The 12-month warranty is the number that changes the calculation. If you are happy with that and buying for occasional use, the CS 42S is a workable tool. If you expect to use a petrol chainsaw regularly, season after season, the one-year warranty cover should push you toward the Husqvarna 435 II or a Stihl instead.

The fuel tank is on the small side at 0.3 litres, meaning a full day’s work will need multiple refuels. The combi tool is always in the rear handle, which is the right design decision for a saw that will be used by people who are not always thinking about where they put things down mid-job.

Keep the fuel fresh, run it dry before storage, check the chain tension before each session, and clean the air filter with care after dusty work. Do those things and it performs the domestic jobs it is built for. Miss any of them and you will be paying for it sooner than you would with a saw that carries a longer warranty and stronger build.

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