Contained in this guide is a framework to help you make an educated choice about what type of chainsaw will suit your needs. Questions you should ask yourself. Questions you should ask sellers. How to do your research so you can make the right decision. Safety information.

Picking a Saw

My first advice is that first time buyers should get a smaller, inexpensive saw to learn on before moving onto a pro size saw. Larger pro saws are more powerful and more dangerous, not to mention more expensive to fix if you make a beginner's mistake.

Top handle saws are light and run short bars. They are designed primarily for cutting small limbs and branches, sometimes called limbing saws or arborist saws. They are suitable for cutting limbs, branches and small diameter trees (generally nothing over an 8" diameter).

The quantity of wood you will be cutting is a major factor in what type of saw you should purchase. If you cut a small quantity, say a tree or two that's blown down or a sick tree in the front yard, then you won't require a more expensive professional quality saw. If you cut many cords a year of firewood, or use your saw on a daily basis a more reliable higher quality saw is a good idea and worth the extra money. Buying a pro quality saw greatly reduces your down time with mechanical failures and is much more reliable on a daily basis.

The type of wood you cut is a determining factor. Hardwoods will require a more powerful saw than comparable sized softwoods.

Weight is very important. Don't buy a big displacement saw to cut one large tree and then use the same saw on little trees all day. Heavy saws will tire you out quickly and the more tired you get the danger level increases exponentially. When you're tired is when accidents happen. As a general rule I try to use the lightest saw possible for the job.

Doing your research

Research the seller. By looking at their feedback you can determine to some extent who you're buying a saw from. Look for negatives and neutrals and see how the seller has responded to them. Look at what the seller has sold in the past. If they've sold dozens of hundreds of saws than they're probably a dealer or have a shop. If they've never sold a saw before then it could be a saw they used personally. Or...

Research the make and model of saw you're looking at (some resources to help you in this are posted at the bottom). Older saws can be wonderful and save you some money but, they don't have the safety features of modern saws and can be nearly impossible to find parts for. Any obsolete saw whose parts dealers no longer stock will be a challenge to find repair parts for. Some makes and model are more common than others making used parts plentiful. For example McCulloch 10-10s were very popular decades ago, although they no longer manufacture new parts used parts are plentiful. However Jo-Bu chainsaws were made decades ago and not widespread and parts for those are virtually impossible to find.

Try a google search for the saw you are looking at. This can dig up a lot of reviews and opinions on a saw.

If you're looking at newer saws see what they sell for brand new. I've often seen used saws on ebay sell for more than the exact same model new at a dealer. People just get caught up in the excitement of bidding so be careful and do your price research. Don't get emotional about a saw there are thousands out there.

Arboristsite dot com and the chainsaw collectors corner are the two most usefull sites on the internet for researching chainsaws.

Brands

The best advice I can give on what brand of chainsaw to buy is that you should buy something that you can have serviced locally. That is unless you plan on doing all of your own maintenance and repairs. For instance if the nearest Jonsered dealer is 250 miles away I wouldn't recommend getting a Jonsered. Get something that you can have serviced locally.

Don't buy a saw just because it's what everybody else has. Get the saw that is right for you, brand is almost irrelevant. Pretty much every brand sold at independent dealers is on the same quality level. If the saw is sold new at Walmart you know the quality just isn't there.

Right now there are many high quality brands of chainsaw to choose from: Stihl, Husqvarna, Jonsered, Dolmar, and Echo are some of the best names right now.

In their day Homelite, McCulloch, and Poulan were excellent saws and are worth considering if you are looking at older models.

Safety

Always follow proper safety procedures. Read the safety manual that comes with your saw before you use it. Most brands have the safety manual available for download from their website free.

Always wear full protective gear: chaps, gloves, helmet, safety glasses.

Chainsaws are dangerous, especially so if you do not know how to use on properly. Remember that chainsaws kill people every year and you don't want to become part of that statistic.

If you can't find any other safety information I suggest the you use the OSHA logging E-tool which can be found through google.

Modern chainsaws have what is called a 'chainbrake' it is a major safety upgrade and whether or not the saw you're looking at has one should be a major consideration.

Engine size

Engine size, or displacement is a rough measure of what the power of a saw will be. Displacement is measured in either cubic inches CI or CID and cubic centimeters or CCs. CCs it the most common method of measuring displacement today and you can use an online calculator to convert CI to CC if you need to in comparing saws. There are numerous other factors that determine the power output of a saw but I won't go into those here. The table below is a guide that I've personally developed from experience:

Up to 30cc is adequate to run up to a 14" bar

30-50cc is adequate to run up to a 16" bar

50-65cc is adequate to run up to a 18" bar

(I would be hesitant to recommend a saw larger than 65cc to a first time user)

65-80cc is adequate to run up to a 20" bar

80-90cc is adequate to run up to a 24ö bar

90cc+ You'd better know what you're doing and what types of bar you run if you get into a saw this large!

Judging Condition

When buying a used saw assume that unless specifically stated by the seller it doesn't work. If there is no mention of how the saw starts, runs or cuts then assume that it doesn't. Assume it's broken unless told otherwise. Ask lots of questions before you bid, not after. The guide below outlines the crucial aspects of a working chainsaw.

Spark: Simple, the spark plug should make spark to ignite the fuel mixture when the saw turns over. This can be tested visually by removing the sparkplug from the cylinder.

Compression: Most chainsaws need 100psi minimum compression to run well (the minimum varies for every make and model of chainsaw). This can be tested with a compression gauge.

Engine condition: The piston and cylinder should be smooth and clean. Free of any scratching, scoring or pitting. The piston should move smoothly in the cylinder.

Scored piston

Fuel supply: The saw should idle at rest without stalling out. Also it should rev up smoothly and maintain a high, steady RPM.

Cosmetics: How the saw look on the outside. Look for cracks, welds, missing paint, melted areas, color match in the parts. Beware of repairs made with JB weld or epoxy, they often hide considerable damage.

Completeness: Obviously there can be no missing parts.

Oiler: The chain oiler should put oil on the chain. You should not cut with a dry chain and oilers can be easily overlooked.

If you have very little mechanical experience consider buying a new saw or a used saw that is guaranteed by the seller. Many competent and reputable sellers guarantee the used saws they sell to work just as described. Unless you are very mechanically inclined avoid 'parts' saws or saws that are completely untested and undescribed.

If a seller can't answer your questions move on and look at a different saw.

Bars and Chains

Bars and chains come in different pitch and gauge. The saw's bar, chain, and clutch drum all need to be made for the same pitch and gauge. There should be no mismatching. Some common pitches are .325, 3/8 and .404. Larger pitches are ideally suited for longer bars. First time chainsaw users should use a 'low kickback' chain which is designed with special links to reduce the danger of kickback.

Low kickback chain

Bars come different lengths and styles. Every saw manufacturer uses a specific mounting design and you should always use the proper bar for the chainsaw. A loose, poorly fit bar is very dangerous. Bars come in either hard nose or sprocket tip. A sprocket tipped bar has a sprocket built into the end of the bar which helps guide the chain efficiently around the tip.

You should never use a bar longer than the manufacturers recommended length on a given model of chainsaw.

It's a good idea to have multiple bars and chains for your saw. That way if your chain gets dull or you get your bar stuck you have back up. Or you have different length bars to suit different needs. Short one for small hardwoods and a longer one for large softwood.

 Please contact me with any questions or suggestions.