When in Doubt, Skip the Chainsaw

For some of us, a chainsaw is an indispensable tool. If you work in trees or burn a lot of wood, learning how to safely use a chainsaw, keeping it well maintained, and having all of the personal protective equipment at hand are well worth the effort and cost.

For the rest of us, it just doesn’t make sense. If you don’t have enough training they can be dangerous.  There are about 36,000 chainsaw injuries in the U.S. every year.  The average chainsaw cut needs an average of 110 stitches.  A good chainsaw is expensive to buy and maintain.  If you don’t maintain the chainsaw properly it probably won’t cut well when you really need it. 

If you find yourself occasionally needing to cut some branches or smaller trees, you may be amazed to find out how much you can do with a good handsaw.

It took me less than 7 minutes to cut a 4”-5” diameter branch into an evenings worth of firewood using a larger folding handsaw.  In comparison, to prepare to use a chainsaw for the same job, I have to fill these with gas and bar oil.  I should check the safety features of the saw and chain tension and sharpness.  Then I need to put on chaps, hard hat safety glasses, and hearing protection.  For smaller cutting jobs, if I use a handsaw, I can be done cutting in less time than it takes to prepare to use a chainsaw.