Shopping for a chainsaw can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what to look out for. You need to understand what factors are important and what jobs you need to consider for how you go about making your purchase decision. Here are some simple tips to help you find the right chainsaw.
Understand There Are Different Types of Chainsaws
There are four types of chainsaws that you will want to consider for your cutting job. The four types can be broken down into the following categories: cordless, electrical, gas, and pole saws. Each chainsaw comes with its own set of pros and cons and what jobs they are suitable for. You need to consider all the factors that are involved regarding the task at hand.
Cordless Chainsaws
These chainsaws combine your need for portability with your need for them to be powerful. These chainsaws are powered by batteries, they are quick and easy to start, and simple to maintain. Additionally, since these are the most common type of chainsaw and likely have some experience with them, they can be argued as being the easiest to handle as well out of sheer familiarity. They are light and quiet tools as well. Being portable and easy to hand is the biggest draw for these tools, as examined and researched by Backyard Mike, and this makes these chainsaws an ideal chainsaw for most of your jobs, large and small. If you are looking for a simple chainsaw that will meet most of your needs around the home, a cordless chainsaw is something to consider.
Electric Chainsaws
The electric chainsaw is similar to cordless chainsaws in their simplicity to operate and easy to start them. They don’t require a lot of maintenance either. The biggest difference between electric chainsaws and cordless ones is in the name. Electric chainsaws need to be plugged into an outlet, as well as an extension cord that provides the right amount of wattage or output. This may make maneuvering a little more difficult, but the benefit of having a chainsaw plugged in means you have constant power and won’t have to worry about battery replacements or fuel replacements.
These tools are on the light and quiet end as well, if those factors are important to your decision, perhaps considering neighbors or other people around you. You will most often be using these chainsaws around your home where you have access to the outlets and wires you need to keep them powered.
Gas Chainsaw
The gas chainsaw is most likely going to be the heaviest of these chainsaws. They are, however, much more durable than other chainsaw models. Unlike the electric chainsaw, these are more portable, which makes them extremely useful for working in remote areas that don’t have access to a power source. This means this is more of an industrial purpose as they are used for larger trees or larger jobs with more trees to cut down, and are also much louder and heavier than their previous counterparts. With gas chainsaws, they can be more difficult to start than others, but more important to know is that they require a lot more maintenance to keep them running.
Pole Saw
A pole saw is a special kind of chainsaw that is essentially smaller in size but attached to the end of a pole. This is necessary as they are utilized to cut down branches and more difficult shrubbery. They are not meant to cut down larger trees. With pole saws, you can get them in either electric or cordless models.
Length of the Bar
There are other, more detailed factors that you need to consider when it comes to choosing a chainsaw. One of those factors is the length of the bar, as it is important to note when looking at the job at hand. You do not want the diameter of a tree or log to be larger than half the length of the bar.
Power
The power of a chainsaw also will come into play as different chainsaws have different outputs. This determines how quickly you will cut through your logs. If you need something for your home, you won’t need as much power output as you might if you were working for a logging company or landscaping business to cut down large amounts of trees.
Keep in mind that while you are shopping for chainsaws, you should also consider your own body. Your height and strength will come into play to what sized chainsaws are suitable for you and your needs. Do your research, test out the tools, and this way you ensure you have the ideal chainsaw.