Whenever you’re shopping for a new chainsaw, it can be hard to know which which chainsaw to buy, which brand or model to choose. Chainsaws have one job – to cut wood – but which type of chainsaw you purchase will depend on exactly what you need the saw to do. For example, occasionally cutting firewood, felling large trees daily, and in-tree pruning all require different types of chainsaws.
Before purchasing a saw, you need to narrow down the available choices. Richardson Saw & Lawnmower stocks a wide range of quality chainsaws from top brands like Echo, Honda, Redmax, and Stihl. You can trust chainsaws from any of these brands, especially knowing they’re backed up by Richardson Saw’s reliable service, but you’ll still need to figure out which type of chainsaw will best fit your needs.
To get you started in choosing a new chainsaw, here are a few questions to ask yourself. Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be well on your way to picking out the chainsaw that will best meet your needs.
How Will I Use This Saw?
All the other questions in this article hinge on how you answer this first question. Power source, bar length, engine power, and which features you need all depend on what tasks you’ll be doing with your chainsaw. The size of wood you plan to cut, how often you use the saw, and how much experience you have cutting with a chainsaw all play-in to deciding which chainsaw to buy.
- Do you want to do some light trimming around the house? Occasionally cut firewood? Then you won’t need an extremely powerful saw and you can get one with a shorter guide bar. Click here to read our article on how to choose a chainsaw for your home.
- Want to fell medium-size trees and cut larger pieces of wood? You’ll probably need a more powerful saw and you might consider getting one with a longer guide bar, depending on the size of the trees and how comfortable you are using a chainsaw.
- Are you using the saw professionally? Logging, clearing land, and taking down trees on a customer’s property require heavy-duty chainsaws that can stand-up to frequent use. Click here for our article on what to look for in a professional chainsaw.
- Are you an arborist who does in-tree cutting work? Then you’ll probably want a specialty, top-handle saw that’s designed for professional use and is not recommended for homeowners. We won’t spend a lot of time on these saws in this article, but you can click here for more information.
Once you’ve settled on what type of wood cutting you want to do and how often you’ll use the saw, you can move on to answering the rest of the questions on this list.
Do I Want Gas or Battery Power?
If you will only be using the chainsaw for trimming small tree limbs or cleaning up after a storm, a corded or battery-powered electric model can be a good choice. These saws are lightweight and portable. They’re also quiet, which makes them better for in-town use. They’re a good option for homeowners and for professional jobs that require light trimming and wood cutting. Battery-powered saws also require far less maintenance and are a good choice for people who aren’t planning to use a chainsaw frequently. To learn more, click here to read our Buying Guide for choosing the best battery-powered chainsaw.
For larger-scale cutting tasks and for cutting hardwoods like hickory, maple, and oak, you’ll need a gas powered chainsaw to keep up with the workload. Most gas-powered chainsaws are more powerful than battery-powered saws. In the case of professional chainsaws, they are significantly more powerful than the smaller battery models. With gasoline-powered says, you also won’t need to mess with an electric cord or charging batteries. This makes gasoline-powered saws a good choice for both homeowner and professional use.
Besides cutting power, another thing you’ll need to keep in mind when picking between battery or gas is bar length. Most battery-powered chainsaws have bar lengths of 12 to 16 inches. Some go as small as 10 inches while a very few are available with 18-inch bars. For longer bar lengths, you’ll have to go with a gasoline-powered saw.
What Bar Length Works For Me?
Chainsaw bars vary in size from 10 inches or smaller to over 50 inches. How long a bar you need depends on what type of wood you’re cutting. Shorter bar and chain lengths reduce hazard when using the saw because they are easier to control. However, you don’t want the bar to be too short. Wood cutting is safer if the bar is about 2 inches longer than the diameter of the wood you’re cutting.
For most homeowners, a bar between 16 and 18 inches long will be a good choice. That will cover most tasks like firewood cutting and taking down small trees but still be fairly easy to control. Longer bar lengths are important for professional/commercial uses such as logging and large tree removal.
Keep in mind while deciding on which chainsaw to buy that you can switch-out bars and chains on your saws. However, this does not mean that you can use whatever length bar you like on every saw. You’ll need to check product specs before you buy (or your owner’s manual after purchase) to see which bar and chain length(s) will work with your saw.
You’ll also want to look at how you adjust the chain tension. Some saws offer tool-free adjustment that many users find super convenient. Tool adjustment is a little more time-consuming, but it lets manufacturers equip their saws with two mounting studs on the bar instead of one. Which option you choose for comes down to a matter of personal preference.
How Powerful Should The Saw Be?
When choosing a chainsaw for the type of job you have in mind, look at how powerful the engine is. For battery-powered saws, the power is measured in volts (V). For gasoline-powered saws, the power is measured in cubic centimeters (cc). In both cases, the higher the numbers the more powerful the chainsaw.
- A 30 cc to 40 cc engine will be good for clean up and cutting small tree limbs. Most battery-powered saws also fall into this power category.
- If you’re going to be cutting firewood or felling small trees, a 40cc to 60cc gas engine will be a good choice. The more powerful battery saws with 60 V or 80 V can be on-par with a 45cc gas chainsaw.
- For more demanding professional use, you can get more powerful gasoline-powered saws. Battery saws are typically not powerful enough for these types of tasks.
Keep in mind that the more powerful the saw is, the heavier it tends to be. Increased power comes with larger engine sizes that increase the weight. Cutting with a saw that is heavier than you’re comfortable with – especially for long periods of time – can become dangerous because it’s harder for you to control the saw. That’s one of the reasons it’s best to get a saw that matches your cutting needs rather than just buying the most powerful saw on the market.
Which Features Are Important To Me?
Safety features are a key part of any chainsaw, and quality chainsaws manufacturers take this into account by making essential safety features standard in every model. There are, however, additional factors and features that can influence how safe and easy each saw is for you to operate.
Operator fatigue is one of the factors that causes the most chainsaw accidents, so you will want to choose a chainsaw that is comfortable and easy for you to operate. Choosing an easy-to-start chainsaw will help with this. Vibration control features also help reduce operator fatigue. If you visit a dealership so you can handle the chainsaws that you’re considering in-person, you’ll be able to get a better idea of how heavy they are and check that they feel balanced.
Other features you might find useful include automatic oiler, chain brake, and an air-cleaning feature to filter out large debris before it reaches the filter. These features make cutting simpler and safer as well as helping to extend the life of your chainsaw. If you do a lot of cutting in the winter, you might want to get a chainsaw with a heated handle and heated carburetor.
In Conclusion
For those new to chainsaw purchasing, keep in mind that safety equipment is not optional when operating a chainsaw. We highly recommend you wear safety pants or chaps, cut-resistant safety boots, safety glasses, head protection, hearing protection, and gloves when operating a chainsaw. We carry safety equipment so you can purchase anything you need at the same time as the chainsaw.
Choosing a new chainsaw can be simple if you know what you are looking for. Now that you’ve started to narrow-down what type of chainsaw will work best for you, we invite you to come visit Richardson Saw & Lawnmower. This will give you the chance to see the chainsaws in person and get an idea of how they feel in your hands. Our helpful service professionals would be happy to answer any questions you have on which chainsaw to buy and help you find the perfect chainsaw for you.
