Chainsaws: What To Look For

Types of chainsaws

Each type of chainsaw has advantages and drawbacks, and if you cut a lot of wood, you may end up with two or three saws for different situations. Experts urge using an electric chainsaw if you can, because electric saws are quieter, lighter, cleaner, and easier to use and maintain.

• Electric chainsaws are the only type that can be safely used indoors -- for carving in a workshop, for example -- and electric models vibrate less than gas models. On the other hand, you can't use an electric chainsaw in wet weather or more than 150 feet from an outlet. In fact, most models have a 100-foot limit.

• Gas chainsaws cut faster in general, and you can use one anywhere outside, even in the rain or snow. But they're heavier and require additional maintenance. Gas chainsaws use noisy two-cycle motors that emit fumes and require the operator to mix oil with the gasoline. Additionally, you need to store the gasoline and make sure it's fresh or mixed with a fuel additive. You may even have to drain the fuel from the chainsaw between uses to keep it from gunking up the carburetor.

• Cordless chainsaws are the quietest, and the lightest type. Reviews say cordless chainsaws are great for pruning and for limbing small branches, and some owners say they're happy cutting all their firewood with a cordless model. For most users, though, a cordless chainsaw is a pleasant addition to the tool shed rather than the primary logging saw.

For comparison purposes, the weight of a chainsaw is nearly always specified for the power head only, because the guide bar (the long metal frame that guides the chain) and chain (similar to a bicycle chain with a small sharp blade or tooth on each link) are removable. You can equip most chainsaws with bars of various lengths to suit the size wood you usually cut, but most saws balance best with a certain length bar installed. The bar and chain usually account for another 1.5 to 2 pounds, and adding about a pint of gasoline will tack on another pound or so to a gas chainsaw.

For very light work, as with a cordless chainsaw, experts recommend a bar measuring 14 inches or less. For most jobs (unless you're a pro), a midsize chainsaw with a bar 14- to 20-inches long is best. It's safest to use a bar longer than the wood you cut, but not so much longer that the tip is apt to hit the ground or another branch.

Chainsaw features

Reviews indicate that a scabbard is important for covering the chain when the saw isn't in use. Scabbards are inexpensive accessories to buy, and regardless of whether one is included with the saw, it shouldn't be a big factor in your choice.

The chain-oil tanks on gas chainsaws are designed so you still have oil left when you've used up the gasoline. Of course, electric chainsaws never need refueling and most come with windows or translucent oil tanks, and you can check the level easily.

Thanks to standards agreed upon by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), most consumer-grade chainsaws come with basic anti-kickback features. These include an anti-kickback chain, a chain catcher (to keep a broken chain from flying back at the user) and a C-shaped rear handle that protects the rear hand.

Most chainsaws also come with a wrap-around front handle, and the user can adjust the grip and balance. A lock-out trigger prevents accidental startups. Other features vary; experts say the following are the most important:

• A trigger lock with a deadman feature is safest. A deadman feature automatically stops the blade whenever the user stops pressing the trigger. The trigger lock or lockout keeps someone from starting the blade accidentally.

• Anti-kickback chains are the best type unless you're a professional; most consumer-grade chainsaws come equipped with one. We found a few complaints about them from owners already used to other chains that cut more aggressively and need less frequent sharpening. However, anti-kickback chains are much safer.

• Chain brakes activated by inertia are safest. These are sometimes called double-acting chain brakes, because they can be activated in two ways. The front hand guard protects the hand from moving toward the bar and chain, but it also serves as a manual chain brake; if the saw kicks back and the guard bumps against the hand, the chain stops. The safest chain brakes also have inertia sensors that stop the chain earlier and automatically, by sensing the rotation typical of kickback.

• Anti-vibration handles help prevent discomfort and long-term hand injuries. An anti-vibration handle includes metal springs and/or rubber bushings that separate the handle from the vibrating engine and chain. This is important for anyone who operates a chainsaw for more than occasional use in short sessions, because vibration can cause irreversible chronic pain and numbness in the hand and wrist.

• Side-mounted or tool-free chain tensioning is convenient. Reviews say it's easier to see what you're doing with side-mounted chain-tensioning screws than rear-mounted. Most reviews praise tool-free chain tensioning (with knobs at the side), but the Tools of the Trade review finds that the tensioning wheels easily get clogged with sawdust and oil -- making screwdriver adjustment more reliable.

• On a gas chainsaw, look for a primer bulb and decompression valve. Reviews say these make starting much easier. Spring-assisted starters get more mixed reviews. Gas chainsaws aren't made with electric starters, presumably because it would make them heavier.

• California Air Resources Board-certified (CARB) or 50-state gas chainsaws pollute less. All two-cycle gasoline engines cause air pollution and emit toxic fumes, but if a gas chainsaw can't be sold in California, that's a clue that its emissions are especially high.

• A built-in circuit breaker protects an electric chainsaw's motor. This is especially important if you'll be tempted to push an electric chainsaw beyond its normal capabilities, which can burn out the motor.

• For an electric chainsaw, use a heavy-gauge weatherproof extension cord no longer than required. The longer the cord, the more voltage drops. Most electric chainsaws should be used with a cord no longer than 100 feet, but at 12 amps or under, the range extends to 150 feet. A 10- to 12-gauge cord is best, and a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) cord adds a margin of safety.

• Budget for protective gear. Reviews say this can cost more than the chainsaw itself, but far less than a trip to the emergency room. Hearing protection, goggles and Kevlar (heat- and cut-resistant) gloves are the minimum, but reviews strongly recommend a hard hat, Kevlar jacket and chaps, plus safety boots -- not just with steel toes, but with Kevlar behind the toes where chainsaws often cut. Chainsaws cause nearly as many cuts on legs as on hands, so the leg chaps are important.

• A sharp chain makes all the difference in cutting smoothness and speed. Experts say you can sometimes improve a budget chainsaw by equipping it with a topnotch chain, and you can always improve performance by keeping the chain sharp. Unless you've had expert training, however, it's best to stay with the blue-labeled type of chain that comes on most consumer-grade chainsaws, because it's designed to minimize the risk of kickback.

Chainsaw safety

The bigger and more powerful the chainsaw, the more potential there is for danger. But the sharp teeth on even a small saw are moving at 40 to 60 miles per hour, at fairly close proximity to the user's arteries.

The average chainsaw cut on a person requires 110 stitches. It's better to buy a less expensive chainsaw and have money left over for safety gear than to blow your whole budget on the saw alone. Chainsaw safety features are great, but most are designed to prevent injuries from kickback, when the saw tip catches on something. Studies show that most new consumer-grade chainsaws do indeed minimize kickback, but statistics say that only about a fourth of all chainsaw injuries are caused by kickback.

In addition to minimizing your risk by wearing protective clothing and selecting a chainsaw with good safety features, professionals and owners suggest getting some training. Many dealers provide hands-on instruction in using a chainsaw, and you may also find a chainsaw certification course useful. Unless you've had good hands-on instruction, experts warn that it's best to restrict your chainsaw use to cutting up trees that are already down. Felling trees is best left to professionals; it's dangerous even for them.