Who Makes Homelite Chainsaws? (Owner History + What’s Sold in 2026)

Homelite chainsaws are made by Techtronic Industries (TTI), the Hong Kong-based manufacturer that also owns Ryobi and Milwaukee Tool — but TTI has only owned the brand since 2001. Get the ownership chain wrong and you’ll chase parts or support from the wrong company. This guide covers Homelite’s full ownership history, where its saws are built today, and what’s actually still sold under the name in 2026.

Who Makes Homelite Chainsaws?

Homelite is a chainsaw and outdoor power equipment brand owned and manufactured by Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. (TTI), a Hong Kong-headquartered company that also makes Ryobi, Milwaukee Tool, and RIDGID. TTI does not just license the Homelite name — it designs, builds, and markets every current Homelite chainsaw itself, using the same manufacturing network it runs for its other outdoor-power brands.

Homelite wasn’t always a TTI brand, though. It changed hands twice before TTI bought it, and each owner shaped what “Homelite” means today — from a scrappy American generator maker to a budget line inside a global power-tool conglomerate.

Homelite’s Ownership Timeline: From Textron To TTI

Homelite began life in 1921 as the Home Electric Lighting Company in Port Chester, New York, building portable gasoline generators before it ever made a chainsaw. Since then it has changed owners three times:

Years	Owner	What changed
1921–1950s	Independent (Home Electric Lighting Co.)	Founded making portable generators; chainsaws followed in the 1940s.
1950s–1994	Textron	Homelite grew into a major U.S. chainsaw brand, including the iconic Super XL line.
1994–2001	John Deere	Deere bought Homelite as an outdoor-equipment line; manufacturing began shifting overseas to cut costs.
2001–present	Techtronic Industries (TTI)	TTI bought Homelite from Deere and repositioned it as a budget-tier brand alongside Ryobi.

That 1994–2001 John Deere ownership is the detail most “who makes Homelite” articles skip — Homelite didn’t go straight from Textron to TTI. The overseas manufacturing shift that dinged Homelite’s reputation in the 1980s and 1990s actually started under Textron and Deere, before TTI ever owned the brand.

Where Are Homelite Chainsaws Made Today?

Current Homelite chainsaws are manufactured at TTI-owned factories in China, the same production network TTI uses for entry-level Ryobi tools. There is no U.S. Homelite chainsaw production anymore — that ended decades before TTI took over. TTI’s Homelite line is built to a lower cost target than Ryobi or Milwaukee, which is reflected in simpler features and a shorter parts-support window rather than in basic safety or build quality.

Homelite And Ryobi Share A Parts Bin

Homelite and Ryobi chainsaws are both designed and built by TTI, and many components — bar mounts, oil pumps, switch assemblies — are shared across both brands’ entry-level saws. If a Homelite and a Ryobi model use the same part number, that part is interchangeable, which is useful once Homelite-specific parts get harder to find. TTI’s other outdoor tools, including string trimmers for the yard, follow the same shared-parts approach across brands.

Homelite’s Current Chainsaw Lineup (2026)

As of 2026, Homelite’s own site lists exactly three chainsaws, and all three are electric — there is no gas-powered Homelite chainsaw currently in production. That’s a real shift from the gas-only Super XL era, and it’s the single most useful fact for anyone assuming Homelite still sells a gas saw like it did decades ago.

• 12V 6″ cordless pruning saw — a compact, battery-powered saw for light pruning, not felling or bucking firewood.
• 14″ 9-Amp corded electric chainsaw — an entry-level corded model for yard cleanup and small trees.
• 16″ 12-Amp corded electric chainsaw — Homelite’s largest current saw, still corded rather than gas or battery.

If you’re comparing Homelite’s current corded and battery saws against other compact options, our best handheld chainsaw roundup covers models across brands, including several battery saws that out-cut Homelite’s current 12V pruning saw.

Is Homelite Still A Good Brand?

Homelite is a fair budget choice for light, occasional yard work, but it’s not a like-for-like replacement for its own history. The brand that built the rugged, professional-grade Super XL in the 1960s is not the same engineering team building today’s entry-level electric saws — TTI positions Homelite below Ryobi in its own lineup, aimed at homeowners who want the cheapest usable option rather than a daily-use tool.

For anyone still running an older gas Homelite, see our dedicated breakdown of whether Homelite chainsaws are any good for model-specific reliability notes and what to expect from parts support on discontinued saws.

Where To Buy Homelite Chainsaws And Parts

Current Homelite electric chainsaws are sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart, plus Amazon and eBay online. Older gas-powered Homelite saws are no longer sold new; parts for them come from authorized TTI service centers where still available, or from new-old-stock and salvage listings on eBay once a model is fully discontinued.

Before buying a used gas Homelite, check that replacement bars and chains are still made for its bar-mount pattern — some older Super XL-era mounts are now a special-order item rather than a shelf stock part.

Frequently Asked Questions

What company makes Homelite chainsaws?

Techtronic Industries (TTI), a Hong Kong-based multinational that also owns Ryobi, Milwaukee Tool, and RIDGID, makes and sells every current Homelite chainsaw.

When did Textron sell Homelite, and who bought it after?

Textron, which had owned Homelite since the 1950s, sold it to John Deere in 1994. Deere then sold Homelite to Techtronic Industries in 2001, which has owned it ever since.

Are Ryobi and Homelite the same company?

No, they’re separate brands, but both are owned and manufactured by the same parent company, TTI. That shared ownership is why parts with matching part numbers are often interchangeable between the two.

Are Homelite chainsaws still made?

Yes, but only as electric models. TTI currently sells one 12V cordless pruning saw and two corded electric chainsaws (14″ and 16″) under the Homelite name — there is no current gas-powered Homelite chainsaw.

Is Homelite chainsaw a good brand?

It’s a reasonable budget pick for light, occasional yard work, but TTI positions it below its own Ryobi line, and it isn’t built to the same standard as the professional-grade gas Homelite saws sold decades ago.

Conclusion

Homelite chainsaws are made by Techtronic Industries today, but the brand passed through Textron and John Deere first — a three-owner history that explains both its reputation shift and why older gas models are harder to support than current electric ones. If you’re shopping new, expect an electric-only lineup; if you’re keeping an older gas saw running, budget for special-order parts as TTI’s own support for it continues to shrink.