What chainsaw to buy?

Chainsaw is a tool that many cinema lovers associate with the famous saga of films about a serial killer who has just cut his victims with a chainsaw. Everyone who has a home garden has a much more positive association with a chainsaw – as an indispensable tool when performing any work with wood in the background.

Regardless of whether you are a two-meter, bearded lumberjack working on clearing a huge forest or you only have a small garden with several branches to be cut, you should invest in a professional chainsaw. It is a great alternative to axes and handballs, thanks to which you will make your gardening work much easier. There are several dozen products on the market for trimming trees, hedges or wood cutting. What type of chainsaw should we choose to meet our expectations?

Types of chainsaws

Among the manufacturers of chainsaws there is a basic division of chainsaws due to the type of drive used. And this is how we distinguish chainsaws:

combustion
electric

Engine

This is the most common drive in chain saws. Its greatest advantage is high mobility and enormous power of such engines. The petrol chainsaw can be easily taken with you wherever you need it, without limiting access to energy. This is why they are so eagerly used in clearing large forests.

The majority of petrol chainsaws are equipped with a two-stroke engine, which, in addition to gasoline, requires a special oil for proper operation. The gasoline itself is too dry for him and without the addition of a specially selected oil, the chainsaw engine will not have adequate lubrication. This can quickly seize the drive and permanently damage the saw. Repair in this case can be very expensive. It is therefore worth remembering that if you decide to use a petrol chainsaw, you should take care of the correct mixture of gasoline and oil in the proportions recommended by the manufacturer of the equipment.

What distinguishes petrol chainsaws? Internal combustion engines are strong and durable, making them ideal for special tasks, which is why they are so eagerly chosen by professional lumberjacks when cutting large trees. Thanks to their high power, they can easily handle large trees in forests or primeval forests, which cannot be said about electric chainsaws. What are their disadvantages? First of all, they are very noisy, when working with such chainsaws you should use ear muffs or special stoppers to properly protect your hearing. They also emit a significant amount of exhaust gas and require regular servicing, because in the event of a breakdown, repair is very expensive.

Electric engine

The use of electricity in a chainsaw has many advantages. First of all, such equipment is more comfortable to work with in relation to combustion tools. Such engines do not cause as strong vibrations as internal combustion engines. They are also much quieter and more ecological because they emit less exhaust gas into the air. They also have their limitations. The basic one is the cable that powers the saw. The average length of such a cable is 4m, which greatly limits the work in a larger garden. For proper operation, the use of extension cords will be required. Additionally, when cutting, make sure not to damage the cable.

The main advantage is high lightness, which greatly facilitates work in uncomfortable conditions. Electric chainsaws are an ideal solution for people who have a garden, such motors are ideal for trimming trees, hedges and cutting wood for a fireplace.

There are also cordless chainsaws available on the market, which are as mobile as petrol chainsaws and at the same time much more ecological due to the battery installed in them. The main disadvantage of this solution is the relatively high weight of the device, mainly due to the weight of the battery. In addition, the charging of the battery itself takes a lot of time, and the purchase of a second, replacement battery significantly increases the cost of the saw.

You should also take into account the fact that electric saws are usually weaker, intended only for work at home and garden.

Choosing the right chainsaw is not easy. Manufacturers around the world offer several hundred products with different engine power, weight and chain length. Before you decide to buy a specific piece of equipment, you must first of all assess what work you need this equipment for. If you plan to do heavier work, such as cutting thick tree trunks – you should use a powerful chainsaw. If you need equipment for small garden works, it is worth looking around in the offer of electric or battery saws. They are lighter and allow for more accurate work. They are also much more ecological because they emit less pollutants to the environment than their combustion counterparts. In addition, their purchase is associated with a lower financial expense.