How to choose a chainsaw for home

One of the main tools for any summer resident is a chainsaw. She is a great helper when harvesting firewood for the winter, while working in the garden, as well as during construction work related to wood processing. It is necessary to approach the choice of this tool with all responsibility, because it has a rather high cost and is not bought for 1 year.

The scheme of the chainsaw device.

When choosing a chainsaw for the home, it is necessary to take into account not only its technical characteristics, but also the type of the intended work, uninterrupted work time and equipment. Due to the fact that in the modern market there are a huge number of chainsaws, it is very difficult to make a choice in favor of this or that model. Therefore, consider how to choose a chainsaw for the home.

The device and the principle of operation of the chainsaw

Despite the wide variety of gasoline chainsaws, they all consist of the following basic elements:

• two-stroke gasoline engine;
• torque feed devices from the internal combustion engine to the cutting blade, that is, from the gearbox to the guide sprocket;
• tires on which the cutting blade moves during operation;
• housing made of aluminum, steel or plastic;
• working handles with which the control operation of the tool.

Characteristics of chainsaws.

When you start the chainsaw, a spark is created that ignites the gasoline. As a result, gas is released, which starts the engine of the instrument. With the help of the gearbox and guide sprocket, the torque from the engine is fed to the circuit. For constant work of the tool it is necessary fuel. When the chainsaw shuts off, the gas supply stops and the cutting blade stops.

Modern models are equipped with automatic clutch. When the cutting blade is wedged in the wood, it lowers the engine speed or turns it off completely. This allows not only to reduce injuries, but also to protect the instrument from premature failure.

The advantages and disadvantages of gasoline saws

The main advantages of chain saws are:

1. Mobility. Due to the absence of the need for a power source, the saw can work not only on the garden plot, but also in the forest.
2. Large selection of power. Depending on the class of petrol saws have different power, so you can choose the best option for the performance of certain works.
3. Independence from weather conditions. It is possible to work with the tool at any level of humidity and ambient temperature.

However, before choosing a chainsaw, you should consider not only its advantages, but also its disadvantages:

Types of chainsaws.

1. The need for frequent preparation of the fuel mixture. At the same time it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions of gasoline and oil.
2. The presence of exhaust gases. When the benzoagregat is operating, exhaust gases are released into the surrounding area, which have a negative effect on human well-being and health. In this regard, to work with such a tool is not recommended in enclosed spaces.
3. Compared with the electric saw, the gasoline unit has a significantly greater weight.
4. The presence of strong noise and large vibrations, which dramatically reduces the quality of the cut.

How to choose a chainsaw class

According to the scope of use chainsaws are divided into household, semi-professional and professional. First class saws have the lowest power (up to 2 kW) and can be used no more than 45-50 minutes a day. They are equipped with low-profile cutting blades that reduce the level of vibration during operation. Household chainsaws are convenient, have a relatively small weight and can cope with most of the tasks that periodically arise in the suburban areas (harvesting firewood, pruning trees, etc.).

The semi-professional equipment is equipped with more powerful engines (2-3 kW), which allows it to be used not only for economic purposes, but also on the construction site and felling of wood. With semi-professional saws, you can continuously work daily for up to 10 hours, but not more than 200 hours per month, because otherwise they will quickly fail. Such a tool weighs about 5.5 kg. Saws of this class are the best option if you need to build a house in which you want to perform a lot of woodwork (flooring, framing, etc.).

Table of comparison of chainsaws in power.

Professional equipment is equipped with the most powerful engines (3-6 kW), able to work more than 200 hours per month. Such saws do an excellent job with logging, they can cut thick trees. However, for everyday tasks such a tool is not recommended to buy, because it has a high price, considerable weight (more than 6 kg) and a high level of vibration.

Therefore, if you need to choose a chainsaw for the house, then you should not overpay for unnecessary power. The best option in this case would be a household class saw.

What to look for when buying a chainsaw

Before choosing a chainsaw to perform certain tasks, it is necessary to pay special attention to the following characteristics of this tool:

• power and weight;
• tire length;
• chain pitch;
• security;
• design

Power and weight. Choosing a chainsaw to give, first of all you should pay attention to the weight and power of the tool. For simple tasks, a power of 2 kW is enough. Such equipment will have a small weight, which will allow them to work without the application of excessive effort.

Tire length Tire - this part of the tool to which the cutting blade (chain) is attached. From its length depends on the diameter of the tree, which you can cut for 1 set.

When choosing a tire, you need to take into account not only the tasks that the saw will perform, but also the power of the tool: the more power, the longer the tire can be installed.

The main parameters of the chainsaw chain.

Tires can be:

• 30-35 cm - used for cutting wood with a thickness of not more than 30 cm for 1 approach or not more than 60 cm, if sawed into 2 approaches;
• 40-45 cm - for cutting wood with a thickness of up to 40 cm for 1 approach or up to 80 cm - for 2;
• more than 45 cm - used for cutting thick trees with a cross section of more than 80 cm.

Chain pitch. The chain pitch is the distance between the nearest teeth, although more often ½ the distance between the rivets is used per unit of measurement of the pitch. The market can meet the chain in increments of 0.325 ″, 0.375 ″ (3/8 ″) and 0.404 ″.

Chains with a pitch of 0.325 ″ are used in household chainsaws. A small step allows to reduce the level of vibrations, but the performance of a saw with such a chain will also be small. Semi-professional and professional saws are equipped with cutting blades with a step of 0.375 ″ and 0.404 ″. When they work, a higher vibration is created, but the productivity of the tool increases significantly.

Security. One of the main causes of injuries in the operation of chainsaws is a kickback. It occurs when the chain of the saw meets with any hard object (for example, a nail), as a result of which the saw is thrown back. To protect against this phenomenon, the saw must be equipped with a special shield that automatically stops the cutting blade when it strikes back.

Design. The more the fuel tank and the engine are spaced apart, the more evenly the weight will be distributed, respectively, and it will be easier to work with such a tool. It should be noted that most experts recommend buying a chainsaw with a longitudinal engine placement.

How to choose a chainsaw by manufacturer

Choosing a gasoline saw for the manufacturer, it should be noted that domestic models are of lower quality in terms of assembly and component parts. The most reliable and proven saws are the brands STIHL and Husqvarna, although the price of such equipment is much higher than its counterparts.

To perform simple operations, it is recommended to purchase the STIHL-18 saw, which belongs to the household class. For the annual harvesting of wood up to 6 m³ the STIHL-21 model is perfect, and for serious logging it is better to use a chainsaw STIHL-262 or higher.

Among the cheaper models, Partner saws and their various analogues (for example, Jonsered) have recommended themselves well. With identical capacities, Partner will weigh more than STIHL, so it will be harder to work with such a tool. In Partner saws, the housing is made of plastic, which can melt when heated during long periods of time.

Arguing about which chainsaw to choose for the house, you need to take into account all the characteristics of the tool and the tasks that will be put before it. Only in this case, you can buy the best option that will last for many years.