Things To Know Before Choosing A Suitable Chainsaw

Nowadays, with the evolution of a variety of chainsaws, it has become a common thing to have it in your household. It is one of the major tools on the inventory of every homeowner. However, who you are and what your purpose is of owning a chainsaw make all the difference.

There are three types of chainsaws available in the market_

1. Petrol-Powered Chainsaw

2. Electric Corded Chainsaw

3. Electric Cordless Chainsaw

Depending on their significance, they are used by different people of different proficiency in a variety of places and for unique purposes. Now, if you are an individual who is aiming to buy a chainsaw and wondering which one would be perfect for your mode of application, this article is for you.

You browse through the internet for good chainsaws, and you’ll get plenty of informed choice. But before buying anything, it is vital to learn about its features and usage and understand the pros and cons. So let’s figure out facts about these chainsaws for your better understanding.

Petrol-Powered Chainsaws:

Features

These are the classic ones and the strongest. Petrol or gas-powered chainsaws use gasoline to run, which they carry inside a built-in tank in them. Capacities of these chainsaws are usually around 500 ml, and they can go up to 40 minutes before filling it up again for further use.

However, some of them may last only till 15 minutes each time they get refilled. Eventually, the run time of these chainsaws not only varies based on their oil-containing capacity, but it also depends on their engine types.

Their engine can be of two types - a 2-stroke engine and a 4-stroke engine.

2-stroke engines are lighter than 4-stroke engines since they consist of fewer parts; hence they are handier. Nonetheless, they are a more powerful option than 4-stroke engines too! So if you are thinking that having fewer parts has anything to do with their strength or capacity, you are absolutely wrong.

4-stroke engines are definitely heavier because of all those extra parts they contain. However, two features make them rather desirable-

1. They are much more energy-efficient, therefore, they are cheaper to maintain.

2. They make less noise for a petrol chainsaw.

Usage

Petrol-powered chainsaws are widely used by arborists and lumberjacks and usually used for heavy-duty usage mostly by professionals for cutting hardwoods thicker than 13 inches.

Pros

1. It’s the most powerful of all the chainsaws.
2. Best for heavy-duty/ professional usage.
3. The most reliable option for cutting hardwood that is thicker than 13 inch.
4. They are cordless and can be taken anywhere.
5. Any woodcutting-related work can be done with it.

Cons

1. It can be expensive to maintain, especially the 2-stroke ones because of their heavy consumption of gas or oil.
2. Requires a lot of maintenance since sawdust mixes with the oil on the chain and affects its performance if not cleaned well regularly.
3. They are noisy; some make a sound too loud for residential usage.
4. They can be heavy and not very handy.
5. They emit dangerous fumes while working.
6. They can cause pollution.
7. After refilling the gasoline, one needs to wait for the engine to cool down before starting working again. Therefore, it can be a little time-consuming.

Therefore, if you're looking for a chainsaw to do your simple household works or moderate DIY projects, a petrol chainsaw would be too much for you. However, if you decide to buy one, don’t forget protections like headphones and eye protection for sound and fumes.

Electric Corded Chainsaws

Features

These electric chainsaws are great for light to moderate usage; therefore, they are very popular among the household users and DIY enthusiasts. These chainsaws source their power through a cable plugging it into an outlet, so they are called corded chainsaws.

However, they are pretty powerful as well; although these Corded Chainsaws typically feature a 12 to the 14-inch guide bar, they can support guide bars up to 16 inches.

Usage

These are pretty popular among homeowners for doing their routine pruning job around their garden. A good corded chainsaw can comfortably cut small, medium, and large branches. This makes them a great option for household use.

Also, if you are interested in carpentry and love to make DIY stuff, or if you are an artist who makes artworks with wood, these chainsaws are something you want in your garage. You just need to make sure that you have an outlet in a perfect place to work with them comfortably.

Pros

1. Powerful enough for cutting small to moderate wood.
2. Great for household use and DIY projects.
3. Lightweight.
4. No extra cost for buying petrol.
5. Easier to maintain.
6. Not noisy like petrol ones.
7. Doesn’t emit any dangerous fume to endanger your home and around.
8. Doesn’t cause pollution.

Cons

1. Mobility is a big problem here. You cannot use it just anywhere you wish.
2. While working in a garden, cords can get tangled with other branches, making quite a mess.
3. Not good for heavy-duty work.

Electric Cordless Chainsaws

Features

These chainsaws run on batteries that take around an hour to recharge. They are sometimes taken for granted since they are powered by batteries, and many may think they are like some kind of toy chainsaws, but in reality, they can be as powerful as the corded ones.

Basically, they are just electric chainsaws like corded ones but without cords. Those jobs that could be done with the corded chainsaws can be done with cordless chainsaws, too! However, sometimes some of these cordless chainsaws can work even better than the corded options!

Usage

One can easily cut branches with them in their garden and move around with them comfortably while working since they don’t have any cord attached to them.

They are capable of cutting up to 8-inch thick wood, which also makes them a nice desired tool for small DIY projects. If you are a constant wanderer and mostly spend your life on wheels, you may also want to have this one in your inventory to get done with small jobs from time to time.

Pros

1. Very handy and almost anyone can use.
2. Lightweight.
3. Can be taken anywhere for work.
4. No noise or soil pollution.
5. No danger of fume emission.
6. Great for pruning branches and small DIY projects.

Cons

1. Not powerful enough for heavy-duty work.

Conclusion

Once you know Your purpose of buying a chainsaw, decision making is quite easy with extensive knowledge. If yours is a heavy-duty work, then buy the petrol chainsaw. For moderate to small jobs, electric ones are great. To learn more about this tool, check out this guide on how to use a chainsaw.

If you need something for both professional and household use, a petrol chainsaw will do. However, to make it comfortable for you and neighbors around you, it may be good to have them both and use them according to their different applications.