If you have trees or a wood stove you will eventually need a chainsaw. Over the last couple years we have used a number of chainsaws and some different equipment. One thing I learned is if you are going to do a lot of cutting in the future you definitely want to get some quality equipment. If you aren’t sure or just want to do a few cuts occasionally it won’t matter as much so I am listing more economical options under each section. You can determine whether a quality or economical solution is the best option for you depending on your situation. Just remember to be careful, chain sawing is dangerous. Be sure to get safety gear even if it is the economical stuff.
Stihl and Husqvarna are some of the top chainsaw brands. I started out using the Menards Poulan chainsaws. Every year or two they either needed to be rebuilt or scrapped. (Since they were cheap it wasn’t a huge loss) Eventually a friend gave me a Stihl chainsaw as a wedding present. Wish I had it years ago! I do recommend getting at least a 16 inch blade so you can handle some of the larger trees.
Here is a basic tool kit so you can clean and change the chains on your chainsaw.
It is a good idea to have 1 or 2 extra blades on hand. You never know if one will hit a rock or a nail or if you just don’t want to deal with sharpening the blades that day. If you have a couple blades on hand you can always swap them out as they get dull and take them in to the nearest hardware store to have them all sharpened at once.
It can take a lot of skill & time to sharpen your chainsaw blade. This sharpener does a great job speeding it and simplifying it. It is preset at the best angle for the cutting edge and automatically positions the blade to sharpen the next tooth. Once you have it installed, all you need to do is pull the blade and spin the handle until all the teeth are sharp! It is also small and easy to carry out on the field.
Chainsaws have very small fuel tanks. Get a fuel can about 1 gallon in size and has a thumb or finger operated valve. Be sure to use premium non-oxygenated fuel. This will help your chainsaw last longer.
You can’t put straight gas in the chainsaw. You need to mix in the right amount of oil for a 50-1 ratio. Check the instructions in the back of this container to mix the correct amount in the tank. for a 50-1 ratio.
For best results get a face shield with reinforced edges. Select one with earmuffs which have decent muffling characteristics If you get an economy version you will want to wear earplugs with the earmuffs. I have had small branches hit me on the head while working in the woods and even when it is a twig it can hurt after it falls 50 ft. A small 2” branch could cause some serious injury.
It only takes one slip for the chainsaw to cut your legs up pretty bad. That assumes you still have a leg afterwards. These are carefully designed to minimize the damage the blade will cause.
Same goes for the gloves. Chainsawing is extremely dangerous. Make sure you have some good protective gear.
These wedges are an important addition when felling trees. They help keep the chainsaw blade from getting stuck and also help get the tree started in the right direction.
This splitting maul is handy for splitting wood or pounding in the wedges when felling trees.
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