Table of Contents
Introduction
Are you thinking of getting a chainsaw to fell trees? Or you want to have one to keep in your tool-shed for an unforeseeable need. You may intend it for home use or as a professional. No matter what the use, you need to get the right size of the chainsaw.
Chainsaws have various use varying from tree felling, cutting firewood into pieces, prune branches, or any other need that involves a piece of wood being cut. There are various sizes of chainsaws to get Depending on the use and your level of experience or expertise in using chainsaws. There are also various brands and models of chainsaws to get.
Types of Chainsaw
There are three primary variants of chainsaws you can get: electric, battery-powered, and fuel-powered chainsaw. Fuel-powered chainsaws are usually heavy-duty and bulkier than the other chainsaws, and the electric chainsaw and battery-powered chainsaw are lighter.
How Do You Figure Out the Right Size of Chainsaw?
There are many things to consider when you want to get a new chainsaw; do you need a long chainsaw or a short one? Read on while we guide you through the things you need to consider to influence your buying decision.
However, before we proceed, the general rule to the size of chainsaw you need to get is that the blade of the saw must be a minimum of 2” longer than the thickness of the wood or tree you want to cut. Asides from the rule of thumb, the following are things you need to consider.
Type of Job You Need It For
The primary determinant of your chainsaw size is the type of use you need it for. As a casual user or you need a chainsaw for light jobs, then getting a big saw will be pointless. Instead, you will get a smaller size saw.
If you need a chainsaw to prune tree limbs, then the ideal size of chainsaw is between 6” and 10”. You don’t need to get a bigger chainsaw for dealing with thin branches; you may even use a handsaw instead of a chainsaw.
As you prune the trees in your garden, check out the Best lawn mowers for Small Yards to take care of the lawn too. These are the Best lawn mowers for hills.
Cutting off branches from larger trees will require a larger saw. A blade length of about 8” to 12” is suitable for removing tree branches in your home garden. If you have small trees that need felling, a blade between 12 and 14 inches will get the job done.
To split logs of firewood of average size, a chainsaw blade of anywhere between 14” and 16” will do. Use a 16 to 18-inch chainsaw to fell medium-sized trees. If the trees are large, you will need at least a 20-inch chainsaw, depending on the size of the trunk, you may end up using a chainsaw above 20 inches.
Check this post out to find the Best chainsaw for milling
Power of the Chainsaw
Another factor worth consideration is how powerful the saw is; this is also dependent on the job you need it for. For light and oCCasional users, a small chainsaw without a lot of power is what you need. You can get an electric or battery-powered chainsaw. Battery and electricity-powered chainsaws are lightweight, easy to use, and controlled instead of the more bulky chainsaws, and the vibrations are minimal, and they are less noisy.
When you use a gas-powered chainsaw, check its CC (Cubic Centimetre of volume) and make sure it’s sufficient for your use. For light and moderate use, you can get a chainsaw of up to 40 CC.
If you want to engage in more heavy-duty work, you will need at least a 50 CC chainsaw. Generally, the more powerful a chainsaw is, the heavier it is, so you must be well trained to handle a bulky chainsaw. For professional loggers, forest clearing, etc. a chainsaw with at least a 24” blade is needed. An engine capacity of 50 CC to as much as 120 CC is required.
How Strong You Are
Your physical strength is something you need to consider when choosing the size of a chainsaw to get. If you have a slight frame, it is sensible for you to get a lightweight chainsaw; get a chainsaw that will be easy for you to control and have little vibrations. It is no surprise that professional loggers are buff people; they need all that strength to handle the more powerful chainsaws.
Conclusion
It is necessary to get the correct size of a chainsaw to ensure your safety and maximize efficiency. A small size chainsaw will not cut big logs of wood, while big saws are impractical to use on small trees. Before operating your chainsaw, ensure you read the instruction manuals carefully. Better still, if you are an amateur, ensure an expert is there to supervise you.
Regularly service your chainsaw to avoid it breaking down totally. If you need to replace the chains of your chainsaw, these are the Best Chainsaw Chains‘ Go for chainsaws that will be easy to service.
