{"id":752,"date":"2011-11-01T16:21:04","date_gmt":"2011-11-01T16:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cjcltd.co.uk\/?p=752"},"modified":"2026-10-21T15:03:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T14:03:49","slug":"which-chainsaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/which-chainsaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Chainsaw"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-753 aligncenter\" title=\"which-chainsaw\" src=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/which-chainsaw.jpg\" alt=\"which chainsaw\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Which chainsaw?<\/h3>\n<p><em>Which chainsaw<\/em> you choose depends on many factors, some of which we will look at in this article.<\/p>\n<p>Winter will soon be upon us and along with winter comes the cold weather resulting in high heating bills (electricity and gas prices are due to rise again!). In this current economic climate a lot of people are going to be cutting their own firewood for the first time and they&#8217;ll be purchasing a chainsaw to do this.<\/p>\n<h3>A Bit of History<\/h3>\n<p>Two important contributors to the\u00a0<em>modern<\/em>\u00a0chainsaw were Joseph Buford Cox\u00a0and\u00a0Andreas Stihl (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/stihl-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stihl chainsaws<\/a>); the latter patented and developed a chainsaw in 1926 and a petrol-powered chainsaw in 1929, and founded a company to produce them. In 1927, Emil Lerp, the founder of\u00a0Dolmar, developed the world&#8217;s first petrol-powered chainsaw and mass-produced them.\u00a0The early models were heavy, two-person devices with long bars. Often chainsaws were so heavy that they had wheels!\u00a0After World War II, improvements in aluminum and engine design lightened chainsaws to the point where one person could carry them. Nowadays most chainsaws are manufactured to be light-weight, high performance and safer and easy to use.<\/p>\n<h3>Some questions to ask yourself when deciding which chainsaw to buy<\/h3>\n<p>What size engine do I need? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/petrol-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Petrol chainsaws<\/a> range from 30cc to over 100cc.<\/p>\n<p>What bar length should I be looking at? Bar lengths range from 12&#8243; to over 27&#8243; in some professional models<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211; How will you be using the saw?<\/strong><br \/>\nWill you be using the chainsaw on the ground for limbing, felling, cutting firewood or will you be climbing using it in trees? Will you be using the chainsaw for light trimming or for making firewood? If so, a good start would be a small top-handled chainsaw. They are \u00a0lightweight and agile with smaller cc engines. They are good for professionals in trees because of the D ring for clipping onto belts.<\/p>\n<p>If you are going to be using your chainsaw for medium use, then consider using a more powerful engine with a rear handle. It will make operating the saw not only easier but also safer. Also consider using a longer bar and chain.<\/p>\n<p>If you are going to be tree-felling, or doing heavier ground-work, then consider a professional chainsaw with a long chain bar and chain, high cc engine and rear handle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211; Are you a novice or a professional user?<br \/>\n<\/strong>If you are a novice or occasional user, we would recommend a 30 to 40cc chainsaw with a bar length no longer than 16 inches.<\/p>\n<p>If you are going to be using a chainsaw for everyday tasks such as cutting firewood or trimming back trees, then consider a 40-60cc chainsaw with a 16&#8243;-18&#8243; bar length and a rear handle. It will cope with larger log\/branch diameters.<\/p>\n<p>If you are an experienced, professional or frequent user, then use a 16&#8243;-27&#8243; bar length and use a 60cc+ size engine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other features to consider when deciding which chainsaw to buy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A large air filter will allow plenty of air in to give higher performance.<\/p>\n<p>Does the chainsaw have a large intake area to keep the engine cool engine.<\/p>\n<p>Does it come with an easy start recoil system? If it doesn&#8217;t, you might find the chainsaw harder to get going on a cold morning!<\/p>\n<p>Does it feature a side chain tensioning system to allow tightening and loosing of the chain.<\/p>\n<p>Does it have an automatic oiler? Is this system adjustable? Depending on the application u are using your chainsaw for you may need more or less \u00a0chain bar oil.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, does your chainsaw feature an anti-vibration system seperating the chainsaw from the handle (using rubber gromets or steel strings), giving you complete control of your chainsaw.<\/p>\n<h3>Electric Chainsaws<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/electric-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Electric chainsaws<\/a> offer many advantages. They are quieter, emission-free and ideal for lighter cutting, trimming and carpentry. In addition, they can all be used both indoors and out. Electric chainsaws are ideal for novice or\u00a0occasional\u00a0users. The main drawback to using an electric chainsaw is that it&#8217;s use is limited by the distance your work is from an electric power source. They are not designed to be go-anywhere chainsaws, but more for cutting firewood close to home.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Which chainsaw<\/span> you buy depends on a great number of factors. For a closer look at our range of petrol and electric chainsaws please follow the links below:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<a title=\"Husqvarna Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/husqvarna-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Husqvarna Petrol Chainsaws<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><a title=\"Tanaka Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/tanaka-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Tanaka Petrol Chainsaws<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><a title=\"Mountfield Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/mountfield-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Mountfield Petrol Chainsaws<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><a title=\"Stihl Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/stihl-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Stihl Petrol Chainsaws<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><a title=\"Gardencare Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/gardencare-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>Gardencare Petrol Chainsaws<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><strong><a title=\"Ryobi Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/ryobi-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Ryobi Petrol Chainsaws<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Which chainsaw &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong><a title=\"MTD Lawnflite Petrol Chainsaws\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/mtd-lawnflite-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong>MTD Petrol Chainsaws<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 15px;\">Which chainsaw &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/electric-chainsaws.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">Choose from our extensive range of electric chainsaws<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is packed full of useful information regarding which chainsaw you should buy. It contains details on petrol and electric chainsaws, bar lengths, engine sizes, handles, features and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[172,104,59],"tags":[103,55,308,309,310,311,312,313,314],"class_list":["post-752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buying-guides","category-chainsaws","category-advice-tips","tag-chainsaw","tag-chainsaws-2","tag-electric-chainsaw","tag-electric-chainsaws","tag-husqvarna-chainsaw","tag-petrol-chainsaws","tag-stihl-chainsaw","tag-stihl-petrol-chainsaws","tag-which-chainsaw"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1162,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/stihl-chainsaws-prices-reduced\/","url_meta":{"origin":752,"position":0},"title":"STIHL Chainsaws &#8211; Many Prices Reduced","author":"Alex Evans","date":"3rd February 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"STIHL chainsaws\u00a0create international standards: they combine innovative technology, high performance, optimum ergonomics and low weight. Accordingly, through a process of continual research and development,\u00a0Stihl chainsaws\u00a0have evolved into a range of specialist chainsaws to meet every application, including: work in your own garden, in agricultural and forestry cultivation or in orchard\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Chainsaws &amp; Wood Machinery&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Chainsaws &amp; Wood Machinery","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buying-guides\/chainsaws\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8025,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/top-chainsaws-petrol-electric-or-battery\/","url_meta":{"origin":752,"position":1},"title":"Top Chainsaws &#8211;  Petrol, Electric or Battery?","author":"Alex Evans","date":"4th January 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Firstly, on behalf of all the staff here at Just Lawnmowers we would like to wish our customers new and old a Very Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Here\u2019s to 2017! So it might be January and your garden may look windswept and dried up, but that doesn\u2019t mean\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Buying Guides &amp; Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Buying Guides &amp; Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buying-guides\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Efco 132S 12\" Professional Chainsaw","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/efco-mt-132-s-free-chain.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1427,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/stihl-garden-machinery-why-choose-stihl\/","url_meta":{"origin":752,"position":2},"title":"STIHL Garden Machinery &#8211; Why Choose STIHL?","author":"Alex Evans","date":"14th February 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In this post we give some reasons why we\u00a0believe\u00a0(as do many others!) that STIHL manufacture some of the best garden machinery available in the world today.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Buying Guides &amp; Comparisons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Buying Guides &amp; Comparisons","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buying-guides\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"STIHL garden machinery - Stihl the best","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/stihl-collage.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":898,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/chainsaw-safety-guide\/","url_meta":{"origin":752,"position":3},"title":"Chainsaw Safety Guide","author":"Alex Evans","date":"18th November 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Chainsaw safety guide -\u00a0Using a Chainsaw can be extremely dangerous - read through our guide for some basic information on chainsaw safety.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Chainsaws &amp; Wood Machinery&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Chainsaws &amp; Wood Machinery","link":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/category\/buying-guides\/chainsaws\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6988,"url":"https:\/\/www.justlawnmowers.co.uk\/blog\/bosch-chainsaw-to-get-you-through-the-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":752,"position":4},"title":"Bosch Chainsaw To Get You Through The Winter","author":"Alex Evans","date":"6th October 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The autumn chills are kicking in, and there's nothing better than a nice warm fire in the evening to settle down to. 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