Which chainsaw to choose for preparing firewood

What brand to look for

Along with the technical characteristics, you should consider the question of which brand to choose. A chainsaw is a tool with an increased risk of injury, so it is very important to choose a reliable manufacturer, whose decent reputation will serve as a guarantee of quality.

The most expensive saws are saws from Western European companies STIHL (Germany) and Husqvarna (Sweden). Who is the best, read here.

For the first, vary from 17 to 50 thousand rubles, for the second. from 15 to 30 thousand rubles. The tool of the Emak company is relatively affordable with good quality. there are saws at a price of 14. 20 thousand rubles.

Those who are interested in choosing an inexpensive chainsaw should pay attention to the Partner brand, which belongs to the Husqvarna concern. Due to the relocation of production to China, saws produced under this TM (trade mark) have a low cost. from 6 to 15 thousand rubles.

Other well-known foreign manufacturers: Dolmar, Huter (Germany), Champion, STIHL, Kioritz, Makita (Japan), Carver, Champion (China).

For permanent use for professional purposes, it is better to choose chainsaws from the following companies:

Which Chainsaw Should I Buy? Best Chainsaw for Homeowners, Landowners, & Firewood STIHL & HUSQVARNA

• STIHL;
• Husqvarna;
• Makita.

The price for them is decent, but the quality is also high. They will never break at the most inopportune moment. Start up and work without problems, which is very important when performing a large amount of work in difficult conditions, for example, when logging.

To solve professional tasks in small volumes, you should give your choice to professional-grade chainsaws from Partner. In their lineup there is a decent number of tools with different characteristics and technical equipment, which means that they do not stand still and are constantly improving their products and expanding the range.

For home use with a limited budget, it is worth choosing chainsaws from the following companies that have gained considerable popularity among consumers:

• Carver;
• Champion;
• Partner;
• Huter.

The price for them is several times lower than that of famous brands. The quality is acceptable, spare parts for repairs are freely available and inexpensive. Value for money at a decent level.

If you need a chainsaw for home use from a popular brand that has established its products as high-quality, and the budget allows you to make such a choice, then you should give preference to STIHL or Husqvarna.

They are very popular in Russia, a large number of service centers, there will be no problems with repairs and spare parts. It is worth choosing from chainsaws of the household segment, for example STIHL 180, Husqvarna 142 and others.

There are many manufacturers of chainsaws with a Russian name. The following TM can be cited as an example:

• Bison;
• Zenith;
• Caliber;
• Ural;
• TAIGA.

These saws cost about 4 times cheaper than products from STIHL and the like with the same power. The quality of these chainsaws leaves much to be desired. they are made in China from the cheapest parts. And only the name remained from the Russian.

When choosing a brand, it should be borne in mind that domestic saws are less demanding on the quality of fuel: the mixture can be made from gasoline with the lowest octane number (up to 76) and the cheapest oil intended for use in two-stroke motorcycle engines. The oil to gasoline ratio is 1:25.

Saws of foreign production have to be filled with a more expensive mixture consisting of gasoline at least 92nd and special branded oil, while the ratio of oil to gasoline is 1:50.

We also recommend reading an interesting article about the proportions of oil and gasoline for a chainsaw, it details all the issues of preparing a fuel mixture, how much oil and gasoline is needed for any gasoline saw.

How to choose a professional

Professional chainsaws are a tool for lumberjacks. To work with such a unit requires a fair amount of physical strength, which is clear from the characteristics below:

• Engine power: 6. 9 kW (8. 12 HP).
• Cylinder volume: up to 121 cc cm.
• Weight: 10. 15 kg.
• Bus length: 50 cm to 1 m.
• Chain parameters: high profile, coarse pitch (0.404 inches).
• Motor resource: about 2 thousand hours, can work 10. 16 hours a day, without a break. 8 hours.

It should be noted that in forestry work, the significant weight of the saw turns from a disadvantage into an advantage, since it greatly facilitates cutting large diameter trunks.

Before choosing a professional-grade chainsaw, read the following guidelines:

• Select the length of the bar according to the thickness of the trunks to be cut. The longer it is, the thicker the saw will be able to cut in one pass. But first you need to look at the instructions to find out how long the tire can “pull” a given engine with its power. Do not install a long tire without specific need, as if “just in case”, as it is rather difficult to handle.
• Additionally, purchase a saw chain, on the teeth of which there are victorious solders. Such equipment is needed for cutting frozen wood. However, it must be remembered that when working with soft wood, such cutting edges quickly become dull.
• It is good if the chain tensioner can be adjusted without tools. With constant use of the chainsaw, you have to change the chain tension quite often (under load it gradually stretches), and it will not be very convenient if you have to look for a key every time for this. As for the vibration protection system, on professional saws the most effective varieties are installed by definition.
• Look for a model that has a starting aid system. A powerful engine is not easy to start with a recoil starter, as you have to overcome the air pressure in the cylinder.

Manufacturers are constantly simplifying the process of starting a chainsaw by introducing innovative technologies, examples of some of them:

• A starting spring is installed, which is charged by pulling the cord. Thus, there is no need to sharply pull the cord. the spring can be charged at any speed.
• The engine is supplemented with a fuel pump at start-up (primer). Thanks to this, the force that needs to be applied to the starter is reduced by 50%. 70%.
• A so-called decompression valve is cut into the cylinder, through which excess pressure in the cylinder is released during crankshaft unwinding.

If on a household saw, due to the weakness of the engine, it makes no sense to put a chain with a large pitch, then on a professional one. with a small one. The powerful drive will pull it at such a speed that the teeth will hardly cut into the wood.

How to choose a chainsaw for your needs. expert advice to help you make the right choice

In order to choose the right chainsaw for solving your problems, you need to know their classification, main characteristics. What to look for, which manufacturer to give preference to and for what reason? The answers to these and many other questions are discussed in more detail in this article.

• Classification
• Household saws (household)
• Chainsaws for agricultural work and horticulture (semi-professional)
• Firewood and forestry saws
• Special petrol saws
• How to choose a budget
• For home
• For giving
• For woman
• How to choose a semi-professional
• How to choose a professional
• Important selection criteria
• What else to pay attention to
• What brand to look for
• Video
• Summing up

Classification

When choosing a chainsaw, first of all, it is worth considering the purpose of its use, starting from this, you need to choose a tool with the appropriate characteristics and class affiliation. In total, there are three main classes in the world of gasoline chainsaws and you need to know them to make the right choice:

• Household. for home use
• Semi-professional. for permanent work
• Professional. for work in harsh conditions for wear and tear

There is also an unspoken class. the budget. Most often, there are either chainsaws from well-known household-grade brands (for example, STIHL MS 180), or Chinese floor and professional grade saws. The latter are well suited for large volumes of work and are inexpensive at the same time.

On a note! And what is most interesting here, the price of the eminent STIHL MS 180 is comparable to a Chinese-made professional-grade saw!

This is where it all comes down to cost. After determining the scope and class, based on the budget and frequency of using the chainsaw, it remains to choose the company that makes the tool. Let’s analyze each of the classes in more detail.

Important selection criteria

The main criteria that should be considered when choosing a chainsaw are:

• Engine power (powerful saws last longer, because they work on them, not at the limit of their capabilities)
• Bar length (depending on the task, it is necessary to choose a tool with a bar of the appropriate length). For example, a 14-inch bar is good for cutting small tree trunks. This tire is convenient to use while working in the garden. For felling, tires with a length of 18 inches or more are used.
• Model weight (this criterion affects the ease of use of the tool) Hands get tired less when working with light models of chainsaws.
• Fuel consumption (it is economically justified to use an economical tool in the work). When choosing a chainsaw, you should pay attention to models with low fuel consumption, as well as models that have a lower level of emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.
• View of the chain tensioning mechanism. There are models of chainsaws in which the chain tension is adjusted without the use of a wrench and a screwdriver. This function is useful to anyone who is going to purchase a tool, because the need to carry a key to adjust the saw with you everywhere will disappear.
• The presence of a device that facilitates starting the engine is an important criterion when choosing a chainsaw. The device consists of an additional spring installed in the saw starter. Using chainsaws models with this option is convenient for both professionals and beginners.
• For a professional tool, a decompression valve must be present. Its main task is to reduce the resistance of the engine at start, which greatly facilitates its start.

Firewood and forestry saws

Powerful chainsaws, with an increased service life, are usually distinguished into a professional look. Professional models are used in the forestry industry, when felling wood.

Chainsaw models for forestry are distinguished by their endurance, the ability to work all day long. In professional models, the chrome-plated cylinder technology can be used. The essence of the technology is in a special coating of the cylinder, which ensures its long service life.

Chainsaw, this is a tool of increased danger, you should not use professional models of chainsaws without experience.

How to choose a budget

If the buyer is interested in the question of how to choose a chainsaw for preparing firewood, he should pay attention to the budget or household option. Such models are just suitable for one-time execution of small-volume work:

Watch This Before Buying A Chainsaw. Firewood Saw

• cut off unnecessary thick branches from a garden tree or completely cut it down if it is dry;
• prepare firewood for a stove in a small house;
• sawing boards for the construction of a small outbuilding or gazebo.

The characteristics of household chainsaws are approximately as follows:

• Engine power: up to 2 kW (2.7 HP).
• Cylinder volume: up to 50 cc cm.
• Weight: up to 5 kg.
• Fuel tank volume: 0.2. 0.5 l.
• Bus length: within 30. 40 cm.
• Chain Teeth: Low Profile Fine Pitch (0.325 ”).
• Resource: 1 thousand operating hours, the tool is designed for operation no more than 40.50 minutes. In a day.

It is quite convenient to work with a household saw even in the absence of experience and great physical strength, since it has a low weight and gives the least vibration, which is explained by the low profile of the teeth and their small pitch.

In addition, with such parameters of the saw chain, the likelihood of a kickback (a situation when, due to a tooth hitting a hard area, the saw “rushes” at the user) is minimal. The for these chainsaws, of course, are also the lowest.

With the operating mode for which the household saw is designed, its motor resource will last for a long time (the motor resource depends on the amount of work and correct operation), after which it will be necessary to overhaul the engine. An indicator for overhaul is a decrease in compression in the engine cylinder by 40%.

The choice of a budget chainsaw is best done taking into account the following recommendations:

• Give preference to models with a metal crankcase. Many of the saws in this class are equipped with plastic housings, which are very light and cheap. But they are too fragile, and therefore short-lived.
• Specify how the crankshaft was made. Some of the budget saws are equipped with a stamped crankshaft, which is characterized by low strength. We recommend looking for a model with a forged crankshaft.
• Lightweight tire. If the tool will often be used for pruning or other work in which it will have to be lifted high, choose a model with a lightweight tire. It consists of two steel plates, between which a polyamide core is enclosed.
• Look for a model that has two compression rings on the piston. Most chainsaws of this class have a piston equipped with one ring, which is bad for compression and durability. It should be noted, however, that such engines are easier to start.

Please note that you should not try to install a long bar or a chain with a large pitch between the teeth on a household chainsaw. such equipment requires a significant effort to work, which a low-power engine cannot develop.

Note that the choice of a household chainsaw is also justified by the fact that it is less demanding on the quality of fuel than a tool of a higher class.

We recommend watching an interesting video, the author of which tells in detail how to choose a saw, what to look for in the first place.

How to choose a chainsaw

• Tourists, hunters, fishermen. The main tasks: harvesting firewood, sawing small-sized wood for arranging parking lots, organizing crossings, bucking fallen trees when clearing roads for transport. Features: increased requirements for minimizing weight and size characteristics, cutting ice.
• Owners of suburban areas or private houses. (Procurement of firewood, maintenance of garden trees, construction work for personal needs)
• Builders specialized in timber construction. (Sawing sawn timber at various angles, processing wood surfaces). Features: work at height, in confined spaces, sawing dry wood.
• Lumberjacks. (Felling, delimbing and crosscutting, cross-cutting).
• Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, utilities and specialized organizations for the care of trees. (Cutting the crown, pruning branches, felling trees, cross-cutting). Features: work at height, in confined spaces, sawing dry and burnt wood.
• Wood and ice carvers. (Cross and longitudinal sawing, processing wood and ice surfaces).

When choosing a chainsaw, it is wrong to focus solely on the cost of the offered models. The choice, first of all, should be based on what you need the tool for. Having decided on the goal, compare several models of the required class in terms of key parameters. This approach will allow you to purchase a chainsaw that fully justifies its cost and will meet your requirements.

Choosing a saw according to its characteristics depending on the purpose

Despite the fact that absolutely all chainsaws are designed to work purely with wood, the scope of this tool is conventionally divided into three groups:

• Amateur (household). rare and short-term work on a private site. These include thinning the garden, harvesting firewood for a barbecue or fireplace, seasonal pruning of trees, sawing boards, bars and other sawn timber for household needs.
• Universal. with an engine power of 2-3 kW, designed for use in agriculture, public utilities, wood construction. These saws are versatile in their field, no matter whether it is for construction, wood harvesting or plant maintenance. Any of these jobs can be performed with tools of this class.
• Professional. work with a chainsaw can be performed continuously throughout the entire work shift. This includes the construction of wooden houses, logging and felling, carried out in order to care for forest plantations, the creation of fire and road clearings, etc.

The chainsaw you choose should suit your purpose. Otherwise, you will either overpay for the potential that you will never use, or “force” the tool to work with a load for which it is not designed by the manufacturer.

Saws for special working conditions can be singled out separately. the engine is located horizontally, which makes the saw compact. The main operating handle with controls is located at the top, which allows you to operate the saw with one hand if necessary. Such saws are used mainly for work in confined spaces, for example, pruning branches directly on a growing tree.

Chainsaw selection criteria

The problem of choice is always acute for mankind, it is difficult for a man, but for a woman it is generally one of the main problems of life, whether it is buying a dress, choosing a partner for living together, or purchasing an instrument. Therefore, we will try to treat with a little humor the proposed scheme for choosing a chainsaw, because, as you know: how many people. so many opinions.

The table below provides information on using a particular type of chainsaw for the most common types of work. The binding of work to the type of tool is somewhat conditional, in principle, any type of chainsaw can do any work, if you do not take into account the time of work, quality or cost.

Popular STIHL chainsaws

The equipment produced by German manufacturers is suitable for work both on the site and at small logging sites. The tool is considered a model of reliability and occupies one of the first places in the rating. The lightweight and optimally balanced chainsaws are equipped with 14-16 “tires. With their help, you can cope with any work in the garden. Maximum comfort when using the tool is provided by a well-thought-out control system with only one lever.

Household chainsaws Oleo. Mac

Due to the reasonable price and excellent characteristics, the tool from the Italian manufacturer occupies high places in the rating. Manufactured for more than forty years, the equipment is small in size and light in weight. It is very convenient to use as a lopper. When developing models of this company, technologies were used that are used to produce tools of a higher class.

Husqvarna. chainsaws from a Swedish manufacturer

A professional tool from a well-known manufacturer always tops the rating of the best chainsaws. The equipment produced under this brand has an economical engine and is adapted for operation in Russian conditions.

The models are manufactured using the latest technology, which significantly reduces exhaust emissions and saves up to 20% fuel. The powerful engine of the Husqvarna chainsaw is equipped with an air cleaning system that does not require maintenance for a long time.

Hyundai chainsaws. reliability and ease of use

The tool of the popular South Korean manufacturer is in demand all over the world. It is easy to operate, reliable, efficient and has an acceptable cost.

The EASY. START starting system and the powerful engine of the unit will allow you to easily cope with work in a garden and park or a farm, on a personal plot or when building a house. And the light weight of the chainsaw will allow its owner to work with it tirelessly for quite a long time.

Partner chainsaw. the perfect companion in the garden

This rating of worthy chainsaw models will help potential owners make the right choice of tool. Indeed, there is often a huge range of chainsaws on the market, which confuses buyers.

Saw motor and chain

All chainsaws are equipped with a two-stroke carburetor engine with two tanks. One tank for fuel has a volume of 0.3-1 liter, the other for oil. half as much. Due to this ratio, gasoline and oil in the engine runs out at the same time.

For tools from foreign manufacturers, high quality gasoline and branded oils are required. Domestic chainsaws can operate on ordinary motorcycle oil and seventy-sixth gasoline.

The chain pitch determines the distance between the saw teeth, so they pay special attention to it when buying.

• Home models have a minimum pitch of 0.325 inches.
• powerful saws are equipped with 0.404 inch chains. They are distinguished by their great performance, but at the same time, they also have great vibration. They are used for bucking and felling trees.
• Only powerful devices with high torque can be equipped with wider pitch chains.

Tires and tool safety

The depth of cut of the chainsaw depends on the length of this indicator. Household saws for home and summer cottages are equipped with tires up to 40 cm long, professional tools up to 75 cm.

In addition, attention should be paid to the ratio of power and length of the bus. Insufficient tool power can lead to rapid engine wear and damage, as well as high fuel consumption.

When the end of the tire touches the material being processed, the tool is thrown back sharply, and a kickback is obtained, which is one of the dangerous moments in work. Stop the chain quickly to prevent injury. This can be done using a lever located in front of the operator’s left hand.

The inertial brake, the drive of which is located in the shield, stops the saw. The lever responsible for its activation takes two positions. During operation, the hand rests on the lever, and, if necessary, activates the inertial brake. Therefore, when choosing a saw, special attention should be paid to the quality of its work.

Types and main indicators of chainsaws

Conventionally, all saws are divided into household, semi-professional and professional.

• Household tools are used in the construction of outbuildings, for cutting boards, preparing firewood and much more. Most often, a household saw has a low power and weight, and is designed for 20-25 hours of work per month.
• Semi-professional chainsaws are designed for longer use. With their help, houses are built, trees fall, branches are cut at sawmills. The duration of their work can be whiter than 2-3 hours a day.
• A professional tool has a power that exceeds 2.5 kW and can work without interruption for 8 hours. It is designed for a load of about 10 hours a day and is used in the industry for cutting wood. The resource of such chainsaws is three times higher than the resource of household models.