A chainsaw is a mechanical and portable device that cuts through a rotating chain. It is mostly used for cutting trees for various purposes like limbing, pruning, bucking, or harvesting fire wood. The engines in the chainsaws are either electric motor driven by an electric power cord or an electric motor or runs through gasoline (petrol). The cutting chain through which the chainsaw cuts the trees or the wood is constructed with metal and is a bit similar to a bicycle chain but has sharp teeth for cutting. Different chains have obvious different pitch and gauge.
Using a chain saw can be tricky if you do not have prior experience, although most of the chainsaws today have quite a number of safety features but these of course cannot guarantee a person’s safety, so it is advisable to always read the instructions and the manual before attempting to use the chainsaw.
Types of Best Chainsaw for Home Use
Gas-powered chain saws: They typically have more power and have faster chain speeds than their electric counterpart. As a result cuts will be quicker, smoother and with less effort. However, they are heavier, noisier and do require refueling. They can also require several pulls to start however higher-end gas powered chainsaws usually require less pulls. Gas powered chainsaws usually work best for those that use one more frequently, on harder jobs or in remote areas.
Electric chain saws: The benefits are they cost less, start effortlessly, weight less and most just plug into a standard extension cord, a 12-gauge is recommended. They are best for smaller, lighter duty projects such as trimming small tree limbs or shrubs. Since they are reliant on power it does limit how far your work area can be. There are options for battery powered chain saws that will provide more freedom of where it’s used. For chainsaws requiring a cord the bar length is typically 12-14 inches and cordless battery models are 12 inches.
How Do You Find The Best Chainsaw for Home Use?
So if you are living in a farm (or not necessarily a farm, but maybe near to the woods or a forest), chances are that a chainsaw can be quite handy for you as you will end up needing it at some point. Even if there are no intentions of cutting down trees from your side, you might still need the chainsaw as the trees usually fall due to windy weather or even when the trees have gotten old they fall down.
Sometimes the trees end up falling on random places, like your driveway or across paths or on the road, you simply cannot ignore it and walk away. You would require a chainsaw so that you can easily cut them up and then move them out from the way. Moreover, you might want to use the wood for your fireplace or maybe you have a stove that works through the wood burning so you would need to get wood in order to burn the stove.
So whether you think you want a chainsaw or not, if the above points apply to you, then chances are, that you very much need a chainsaw at hand. There are a few tips that will help you and guide you so you know beforehand, what type of chainsaw to get and what to look for in a good chainsaw.
Things to Consider When Buying a Chainsaw
- The Guide Bar
The length or how long the guide bar is is something very important to consider before buying a chainsaw. The guide bar is the actual thing that does the cutting of the wood. If the guide bar is long, you are able to cut trees that are larger in size, but this feature has a downside that it will make the chainsaw heavier and it will become difficult to carry and operate. Weight of the chainsaw is a very important feature to consider as it should be easily used by you and if it is too heavy, chances are you will get tired in the middle of the cutting or it may even cause accidents.
- Gas or Electric Chainsaw
There are two options when buying a chainsaw to choose from. You can either get a chainsaw that runs on or is powered by gasoline engine or you may get a chainsaw that runs on batteries. The battery operated ones are obviously more user friendly and lightweight as compared to the gas powered ones which are bulky and give off exhaust and also require quite a lot of maintenance.
The battery operated chainsaw however, is not has powerful or strong as its gas powered counterparts and the battery operated ones would obviously be good enough for cutting small tree trunks.
- Safety and Security
Like everyone knows, chainsaws are quite dangerous if they are not used correctly and properly. One should be extremely vigilant when operating the machine and make sure they have read and understood any details or instruction manuals that could have accompanied the chainsaw when they purchased it.
- Tool-Free Tension System
A tensioning nut and a locking disc as well, allow the user to make the chain tight without any extra tools. The chain has to be tensioned in a proper correct manner. If it is too tight or too loose, it can be a problem and may pose a safety hazard. There are different ways of doing this in different types of chainsaws. Always check which type of system the chainsaw has before purchasing it for convenience.
- Easy to Start System
Always try and test pull saws to see how they start. Some chainsaws have easy to start system where you just pull and the machine starts. However, the more powerful is the engine, the more effort would be required to pull the cord for starting the machine.
- Size
The smaller the chainsaw is, obviously it would be easier to use and to hold. The smaller ones however are more expensive than the larger, bulkier ones but the small ones have the benefit in the ease of carrying them and to maneuver them in small, tight spots.
- Air Filter
Always check how the air filter is like in the chainsaws. If the air filter gets clogged, it will end up wasting gas and polluting the air and of course not running properly. You should go for a chainsaw where you can access the air filter easily and keeping it clean without requiring any extra tools.
- Less Vibration is Better
The amount of vibration from the chainsaw is something to consider when buying a chainsaw. A loud rattling and heavy chainsaw becomes difficult to handle and control and not easy to use for a long period of time and so it may tire you out quickly as well.
- Chain brake
You may or may not want a chain brake. As the name suggests, this is a chain brake that is there near the hand grip and can be used to immediately stop the chain when it is pushed. This feature can be used for emergencies.
One of the most popular types of Chainsaws are the Jonsered Chainsaws. The ones mentioned below are those we reviewed in order to find out the basic features, its user-friendliness, durability, and its value for money.
Safety and Security when Using a Chainsaw
In order to use a chainsaw safely and effectively it is important to make sure that you are using it securely and there may be many reasons why you would require a chainsaw.
- Size up: Before aiming to cut a tree make sure you have planned it accurately and pin pointed to danger zones, the direction where the tree will fall, etc before even starting the saw.
- The tree’s location: It really matters how close or far the tree is to other objects and the tension and the support which determines the fall of the tree. You might want to make the tree fall into a particular destination or vice versa. One should always make sure the tree does not fall onto another object or on another tree.
- You may be cutting trees which could have fallen and have gotten trapped amongst other trees. You need to look or the safest way in order to release any sort of tension that may be in the tree.
- You could use it for Limbing which is the process of cutting off the branches from a log. The person operating the chainsaw must be able to reach the spot where the cut is in order to avoid kickback.
- Slashing and brushing is the concept where the operator is clearing away quickly the small branches and trees that are under 5 inches diameter.
