Choosing the right size chainsaw for your needs is important. You need to make sure that you get a chainsaw that is appropriate for the job and also one that you can handle and use properly. There are many different types of chainsaws on the market, but we will focus on three: gas-powered, electric, and battery-powered. All three come in several different sizes so it’s easy to find one that fits your budget as well as meets your size requirements.
Chainsaw Features
Chainsaws are high-powered, fast-cutting machines that have evolved greatly since they were first introduced. They come in a variety of sizes and styles to fit the needs of users working on many different types of woodworking projects.
How can I choose the right chainsaw?
This is the most popular question that we get asked, below are some of our most common chainsaw sizes used in yards around America!
Chainsaws come with several different bar lengths – which one will be right for you?
Chainsaw Bar Length Guide:
- 16″ – best for limbing and pruning small trees. Also good if you tend to do a little bit of everything, like cutting firewood or felling smaller trees (under 18″). Not the right choice for heavy-duty tasks such as large tree removal. Great all-around chainsaw size, but is not the best for heavy-duty tasks.
- 18″ – good if you need a chainsaw that can handle most daily cutting tasks around your property, such as bucking firewood and felling medium to large trees (up to 24″). This is one of our more popular chainsaw sizes because it’s perfect for homeowners who cut every day or every weekend.
- 20″ – perfect for cutting large trees, but not as good as a 24″ size if you cut smaller ones on a regular basis (over 18″). This is the best choice if your main task will be felling and bucking entire trees. Also great for homeowners who have a property with several acres of land because you won’t be constantly stopping to cut up the wood.
- 24″ – best for cutting large trees and entire forests! This is a very popular size chainsaw because it can handle most homeowners’ needs, but professionals love this one too due to its reliability and power.
The higher number the greater power the saw gets.
Types of chainsaws
One of the first things you need to consider when buying a chainsaw is how it will be powered.
Electric chainsaws are generally lighter and easier to use, while gas powered chainsaw models have more power. Once you’ve decided if your saw will be powered by electricity or gasoline, it’s time to choose the right size for your project.
Electric chainsaws
An electric chainsaw is easy to start with a simple push of a button. corded electric chainsaw can be used by anyone, with no previous experience necessary! They are ideal for smaller projects like cutting firewood or removing branches from trees around your yard.
Cordless Chainsaw
Ideal for trimming branches around the garden without having to be tethered to an electric outlet.
Gas chainsaw
Gas-powered models provide more power than their corded counterparts and deliver impressive results in most applications. A gas chainsaw is a great option for homeowners who want to tackle bigger projects like felling trees and removing large stumps.
Suitable for cutting wood in larger quantities. These are much more expensive, but offer better performance and reliability when compared with electric chainsaws.
Handheld Chainsaw
Ideal for people who are unable to use traditional chainsaws because of arthritis or other ailments that make it difficult to handle a normal saw. These can be used with both hands instead of just one, making them much easier and more comfortable to operate than standard gas-powered chainsaws.
Engine size
If your yard is small and doesn’t require a lot of work, a smaller chainsaw should be fine. However, if it’s big enough so that you’ll need multiple trees felled at once, then you’ll want to consider opting for a larger chainsaw.
Engine size will have a direct impact on the power output while bar length will affect how much cutting you can do before having to refill with gas or oil.
As far as engine size goes, bigger is not always better. If it’s too big and bulky chances are that you’re going to tire out quickly. The same can be said about smaller engines; if they lack the power you won’t get much done before having to stop for a break.
You’re going to have to decide what fits your needs best and go from there, but the rule of thumb is that bigger chainsaws are more expensive which means they will also be more powerful. You can figure out how much cutting you’ll be doing by taking into account things like whether it’s one tree or several trees, how large the trees are, and just how much yard work you’re planning on doing.
Additionally, if your area is prone to frequent storms that bring down alot of branches then opting for a saw with an 18-20 inch bar will be beneficial as it can cut through those more easily than smaller ones.
Safety Equipment for Chainsaws
It goes without saying that you should never operate a chainsaw unless wearing protective equipment. That would include sturdy boots, long pants and shirt (and eye protection), thick gloves, and ear muffs or plugs.
Chainsaws can be dangerous because of the nature of their operation: The rotating chain is under tremendous tension, which means there’s a lot of stored-up energy being released as the chain is let loose on a log. The danger becomes worse if the chainsaw bar tip gets caught in wood and suddenly stops, causing it to whip around wildly as more energy tries to release from the rotating chainsaw body.
Which chainsaw brand is the best?
Since our childhood, Husqvarna has made exceptional chainsaws. They began in 1689 as a weapons factory and have continued to be one since then. After that, they were capable and willing to produce sewing machines, motorcycles, bicycles, food appliances, and chainsaws. It has been over 300 years and its reliability is why. They recognize exactly who they are dealing with and make strong items.
Your strength and expertise will help you in this endeavor
The main factors in determining the right size chainsaw. Generally, a 14-inch chainsaw will be suitable for most persons who are not strong or experienced enough to handle larger machines.
Is it possible to customize your chainsaw?
Chainsaws can be customized to fit your specific needs. you can also sharpen your own chainsaws, you need the right equipment of course! We suggest using Oregon power sharpeners for all kinds of saws and blades. For example their Chain Sharp 2000 is great for sharpening onsite. it’s portable and compact so that you can take it to the job site with ease.
Shorter bar
You can put a shorter bar on your chainsaw, but it may not be safe. A shorter bar will reduce your cutting capacity and, most importantly, can increase kickback significantly. Chainsaw bars are designed to cut at specific angles in order to control kickback without compromising power or safety. You should replace the chainsaw’s original bar with a new one of the same size.
The chainsaw model from other companies includes a variety of features
Other chainsaw designs are made for more specialized purposes. For example, some chainsaws are designed to be mounted on the front of a tractor (front-mounted) or even operated by remote control (radio-controlled).
Other chainsaws are designed for arborists (professional tree surgeons) and do not use typical gasoline/petrol or electricity, but instead use compressed air.
Final thoughts
There are many different sizes of chainsaws because each type is designed for a specific purpose and there should be one that meets your needs. More specialized chainsaws may cost more or just fit your requirements better than general ones, but they might not necessarily be superior to them in terms of safety and effectiveness.