What chainsaw to give
In a private courtyard or cottage you can not do without improvised tools. Even for the elementary harvesting of logs, an ax and a saw are needed, and even more powerful units, for example, a chainsaw, are required to create economic buildings. According to statistics, it is chosen much more often than electric models, because there is no binding to a power source. But gasoline units vary so much in configuration and weight that it can be difficult to decide on a particular model. Let’s figure out how to choose a chainsaw for your own needs.
Content
- Where will the chainsaw be used
- Garden Saws
- Semi-professional tool: will help in the construction of the house
- Professional saws: cut down the forest around the clock
Where will the chainsaw be used
Chainsaw abilities, its power and weight are designed for different areas of application of the unit. Manufacturers produce three groups of tools, each of which successfully copes with specific tasks, so before choosing a chainsaw you need to decide what it will do on your site and how often.
Garden Saws
The smallest power units are amateur class. They are designed for periodic operation, which is no more than an hour a day. Most chainsaws in this group have up to 2 kW of power, which affects their weight. Such models are easy to lift, keep on weight. In this case, you will not feel the vibration of the instrument, as it is damped by a low-profile chain.
If you are the owner of a finished house or cottage, and you need a tool to maintain order on the site, minor repairs, then it is worth taking a closer look at the amateur class of chainsaws. Trimming trees, preparing firewood, making a bench or sandbox – all this is quite within the power of this unit. But your hands will not experience heavy loads, and even an inexperienced owner (or mistress!) Will be able to control the saw.
Ease, safety and ease of use – the main “bonuses” of a household chainsaw
Semi-professional tool: will help in the construction of the house
When choosing a chainsaw for a summer residence or a house, which are located at the very beginning of construction, it is better to look at a semi-professional tool. They have higher power than amateur units (2-3 kW), so you can safely entrust them with all the construction work related to wood. For example, the preparation of rafters, cutting boards for floors, lining the house with timber, etc. The main thing is not to “torment” the unit all day, because it is not designed for 8-10 hours of continuous operation.
The weight of the semi-professional model is about 6 kg.
When the main construction is completed, the saw will be needed in the care of the garden or in landscaping.
Semi-professional chainsaw can withstand the construction of a log house and at the same time help to cope with pruning a garden
Professional saws: cut down the forest around the clock
The most powerful class of chainsaws is professional. They are developed for organizations that are engaged in felling and cutting trees on an industrial scale. For such work, you need a tool that can saw for many hours in a row, and in the most difficult areas, with thick and knotty trees. Therefore, professional chainsaws have corresponding power – from 3 to 6 kW. Such a “beast” is designed for 1.8-2 thousand hours, slowly wears out and roars heavily.
In most cases, the choice of a chainsaw of such a high class for personal use is not justified. Professional models are difficult to manage. They vibrate strongly during work and weigh a lot (more than six kilograms). If the owner does not plan to erect a log house (for example, a bath) and does not use stove heating, for which firewood needs to be harvested, then paying a high price for excessive power and at the same time giving a heavy load on your hands is hardly worth.
When working with a powerful chainsaw, experience and skill are required, because the considerable weight of the unit coupled with vibration interferes with control
Optimum unit power for country needs
To decide what type of chainsaw to choose by power, calculate how thick the wood you will load the tool. After all, it is precisely the power that affects how quickly the material is sawn, whether there will be difficulties when working with hard and thick wood.
For gardeners, picking up a tool for pruning trees in the garden and simple work on sawing boards, a chainsaw with a power of up to 2 kW is enough. In the construction of the house, they are well managed with a roofing frame and chainsaw of 2-2.7 kW. Capacities above this will affect ease of control, give a burden on the hands, although you still will not use the full power of the instrument.
“Stuffing” chainsaws: how to select a saw headset
In addition to power, the filling of the instrument also affects the usability of the tool, i.e. a headset, which includes a chain, a tire, protection methods, etc. When buying a chainsaw, keep in mind that you will have to buy all components and parts that need replacement from one manufacturer. Other brands of saw heads just won’t fit your chainsaw. Therefore, buy a well-known brand so that there are no problems with finding stars, chains, etc..
How to choose a chain for a chainsaw: attention to the pitch of the links
From the right choice of chain depends on how your saw successfully cope with difficult trees and how much time it will spend. On sale there are models with three chain pitch sizes: 0.404, 3/8, 0.325 inches. These numbers are a common designation, so a saw of any brand will have one of these indicators in the instruction.
In increments of 3/8 and 0.404 inches, powerful models of the professional and semi-professional class are produced. They withstand many hours of stress and a significant thickness of wood. True, even this step is not enough to cut contaminated or frozen material. For such purposes, buy a separate chain created with carbide brazed.
For the preparation of frozen wood you need a saw chain reinforced with carbide brazed
The most running chain pitch for summer residents is 0.325 inches. Almost all amateur saw models are equipped with just such low-profile chains. This step is good for short-term work. With prolonged continuous use, such circuits quickly dull..
Some owners, buying a low-profile chain in increments of 0.325, immediately take a spare, so that while one is on sharpening, the second can perform seasonal work
The length and shape of the tire
Before choosing a chainsaw for a summer residence, pay attention to the features of its tires. It can be of different lengths. The instructions for a specific model always indicate the optimal tire length, which cannot be exceeded, because it will affect the operation of the engine. For example, long tires cut thick wood well, because they bite deeper, but if they are equipped with a saw that is weak in power, then you will lose speed. The motor will have to spend energy on the rotation of the crankshaft, while the cutting speed is lost, although more fuel will burn. So that excessive tire length can cause rapid wear of the mechanism.
It happens that the same power units have tires of different lengths. For country needs, it is preferable to take the one where the tire is shorter. She will work faster, and for the trunks of garden trees and thick boards her strength is quite enough.
The shorter the tire, the faster it cuts the tree, but for thick logs its length may not be enough
In addition to length, analyze the shape of the tire. So, for amateur models there are narrow flat tires that are equipped with low-profile chains and are advantageous in that they do not give a backstroke. Such units are very safe, which is important for novice users..
The second option is lightweight tires. They are so named because they weigh less than ordinary ones, and are designed for work at heights. On the roof of the house it is more convenient to work with a light chainsaw. The lightweight saw bar consists of 2 steel plates that are internally fastened with polyamide.
The third tire option has interchangeable heads. This is necessary for chainsaws working in heavy duty on felling, when the wear rate of mechanisms increases. For domestic use, a similar tire shape is not needed..
Security and Security Settings
The protective mechanism that increases the level of safety when working with a chainsaw includes the following devices:
- Vibration protection
If there is no such protection, then with frequent use of the tool the joints of the hands will begin to hurt. Therefore, see how the fuel tank is located in relation to the engine. Ideal if they are at the maximum distance. Then the weight of the chainsaw is more evenly distributed. Rubber gaskets also contribute. They are installed between the body and the handles..
- Kickback protection
When cutting a tree, it may happen that the saw only grabs the trunk with the end of the tire, causing a rebound on the one holding the tool. As a result, there is a risk of flushing your face, shoulders and other part of the body that will fall on the path of the saw. To avoid this, two types of protection are put in chainsaws: a brake and a guard.
The first option is more common. It is a small lever, which at startup tilts closer to the hand, and in the event of a backward stroke, the brush automatically presses on it.
The brake lever is an additional guarantee of safety for inexperienced summer residents who are just beginning to master such a technique
The guards are placed on the end of the saw so that it is isolated during the rebound. But you will not find this element in Swedish chainsaws, because there loggers officially use the end of the tool when felling.
Having figured out how to choose a chainsaw for the home, feel free to go to the store and study the assortment according to the criteria that were analyzed above.
