A chainsaw is a portable power saw with teeth linked in an endless chain. The chain is propelled rapidly around a grooved guide bar (at speeds of up to 45 mph) by a compact 2-cylinder gasoline engine or sturdy electric motor acting through a sprocket and clutch.

The first chainsaws were developed for loggers. They required 2 people, one at each end, to hold the machine steady as it noisily gnawed its way through massive tree trunks. Eventually the chain and bar were shortened enough to allow one person to manage the machine while the toothed chain whirled around the free end of the guide bar. With this basic modification, the chainsaw came of age. Today’s chainsaws are light and easy to use and can cut in any position, even upside down.

Using a Chainsaw in the Yard

Chainsaws come in lightweight, midweight and heavyweight (professional) models. Bigger is not always better with this equipment. A modern, lightweight chainsaw is an efficient tool that can be operated by a homeowner and handle a variety of yard chores. Use it for pruning large limbs from trees and shrubs, removing unwanted, small dying or diseased trees, cutting up broken and fallen branches, and shearing densely overgrown, woody hedges. A chainsaw is also great for handling brush and brambles and, some folks use them for cutting back large clumps of dried ornamental grasses in late winter, although this is not recommended by many manufacturers because of the increased chance of kickback.

Always handy for cutting firewood, a chainsaw can also be useful in construction projects such as fence and deck building where rough cuts will suffice.

For more information about pruning trees see the files on Pruning Shade and Flowering Trees and Choosing Pruning Tools

Always Use Ear Protection

Whether you are using a gasoline chainsaw or a electric chainsaw, the noise of those machines, when experienced for more than 30 minutes, can cause measurable harm to your hearing. Traditional passive ear protectors, like those used on a shooting gallery, do not provide sufficient protection. Go to the Yardener's Tool Shed and check out NoiseBusters