Consumer Chainsaw Buyer's Guide

In simple terms, a chainsaw is a pretty straightforward piece of power equipment.

Engine. Bar. Chain.

In reality, most consumer gas chain saws also contain a collection of features to consider.

Manufacturers design consumer grade chainsaws with the inexperienced user in mind, stuffing them with safety and ease-of-use features.

Gas & Oil Mixture
All gas chainsaws feature two-cycle engines. Two-cycle (or 2-stroke) engines require a mixture of gas and oil in the gas tank, supplying both fuel and lubrication to the engine during operation.

Basically, you are “changing” the oil every time you gas up your chainsaw. This means you won't have to perform oil changes on your chainsaw. Consult the owner's manual to get the exact ratio of gas to oil for your model.


Vibration Dampening
Across grades, chainsaws have pretty consistent weights. The constant vibration of the saw is what really wears you out.

Look for a model that features vibration dampening to lessen fatigue. Many consumer grade models have this feature, making it much easier to use the saw for any extended period of time.


Automatic Bar Oiler
Due to the constant metal-on-metal friction between the bar and chain of a chainsaw, the bar needs to be continually lubricated with oil. This allows the chain to run smoothly. Without it, chains can easily break.

Look for a chainsaw with an automatic bar oiler, which will automatically apply oil to the bar as needed. Without one, you need to be vigilant about stopping to oil the bar, slowing you down.


Chain Break
One of the best safety feature available on chainsaws is inertia activated chain break. Look for a saw with this feature. This will reduce the risk of injuries to the user caused by blade kick back.

When the nose of the bar comes in contact with an impediment such as a knot, it can kick back, usually down towards the operators legs. Inertia activated chain break senses the kick back and stops the chain.