Buying a chainsaw is obvious when you are looking to harvest wood for your winter insulation.
It is also helpful in keeping your garden in shape. But chainsaws are not cheap. Here are some chainsaw manuals for you to check out. Before you spend your bucks on one, you have to consider these 5 important points and make sure you are ready for the deal.
1. Know the Types
There are many types of chainsaws that will confuse you if you don’t know about them beforehand. As none of us want to sweat a lot and prefer to get the job done easily, we shall skip knowing about the manual model. Minus manual model, these are the basic types.
Gas powered chainsaws are picked widely as they are super powerful. They require a proportion of gasoline and oil (oil lubricates the chain) to run efficiently. Its quick results demand good maintenance.
Corded chainsaws are electric and are ideal for beginners who never had an experience of using a chainsaw before. However, you are restricted by the cord length (which you can fix with extension cords) and cannot expect results like that of a gas powered chainsaw.
Cordless chainsaws, also called battery chainsaws, need no gasoline or electricity. The battery has to be recharged frequently. The work efficiency is the least than all types and is suitable for small garden works. If mobility is your priority, this is perfect for you.
2. Safety Prep
A chainsaw has more probability to hurt you if you don’t pay attention to the safety measures.
Hearing protection: Though this is not observed in the starting days, if you work regularly with a chainsaw and don’t use hearing protection (like earplugs), it can cause you long term hearing loss.
Your hands need gloves to minimise vibration. Your legs need chaps and your feet need safety shoes. Wear goggles to protect your eyes. A hard hat (better with a side shield) is a must to protect your head.
Before using the chainsaw, you should check all the controls (including sharpness) and see that the clutch cover is not damaged. Remember to stay away from any source of ignition if you are refilling fuel into your saw.
Power Source
Chainsaws have long evolved since their invention. Nowadays, you will see the tools running on three primary power sources, i.e. gas, electricity, and battery-powered. A gas chainsaw runs on gasoline and it’s the most common type available in the market. An electric or corded chainsaw uses direct electricity from a nearby power switch to run the machine. A battery chainsaw, on the other hand, utilizes the power stored in batteries for efficient running. Before you purchase a chainsaw, keep these power sources in mind. It’s better to visit ChainsawGuru, especially if you are interested more in learning about saws running on different power sources.
3. Features
Note these features you must look for in your chainsaw. If you’re wondering if these features are important, you should know that while reviewing chainsaws; out of eight, only three chainsaws got a good review.
Anti-vibration and hand-guard make working with the chainsaw easier on your hands. In case of accidental chain breakage, the hand-guard will protect your hand from getting hurt. Chain catcher prevents the chain from hitting you after breaking.
If you are using a gas powered chainsaw, it should have automatic lubrication. Gas powered chainsaws usually get damaged when the chain falls short of lubrication. Air-cleaning is a bonus feature as it extends the saw’s air filter.
Chain brake is common but pick the one with manual brake to stop sudden unwanted movement. Kickback reduction feature is a bonus.
4. Guide Bar Length
The purpose of your chainsaw counts here. Bars measuring around 16 inches should be good enough if your work is restricted to the household. Bar length exceeding 20 inches is a must if you are cutting huge logs.
Wanna know how this calculation works? Any chainsaw can cut trees twice the length of its guide bar. You can cut more than that but it takes extra effort. Many chainsaws have the option to change the blade bars. If you choose a saw like that, you can swap blades according to the work.
Proper maintenance of the guide bar is needed irrespective of the type of the chainsaw.
5. Comfort
This mainly includes the size and weight of your chainsaw. Though it may be tempting to pick a huge one so that the job is done in a single shot, it will be hard on your back to carry such heavy weight.
There is also a potential danger of involuntarily dropping it on yourself. Go with a chainsaw of suitable size and easy maintenance (easy according to your conditions).
With this basic knowledge, you can check out chainsaw reviews that help you to make the right decision. You can also attend a chainsaw safety course to have a practical experience before buying.
