The chainsaw is a popular and especially important tool that, while once mainly used commercially, is now found in many homes and gardens. Fast and powerful, and also dangerous if used without due care and attention, this is a tool that will save you time and effort in ways that you may not know about. Used mainly for slicing through large pieces of wood - and they do it with no effort at all - chainsaws are worth the money if you often have woodworking to deal with, or when you have trees on your land.
The chainsaw has been developed over time to become useful and easy to use a machine that they now are, and the market is a busy one with many brands offering a variety of models. There was a time when a chainsaw was a large, heavy gas-powered device that some people struggled to handle.
While we have been using chainsaws for many decades, the advent of the electric version made a lot of difference to the consumer. We're here to talk about chainsaw maintenance, but before we get to that, let's have a look at why an electric chainsaw is an ideal model for the home user.
The Advantage of Electric
The chainsaw was traditionally powered by a small, 2-stroke gas engine, the type you might find on powered lawnmowers. Advances in electric motors and rechargeable batteries mean that we can now buy electric chainsaws that are lighter, easy to use, and often more compact than the gas-powered examples. There is no doubt that a gas model will be more powerful, but do you really need one? What are you going to use your chainsaw for? If it's for chopping firewood, just about any electric model will do the job, and will do it very well.
The choice is between electric models that connect to the mains power outlet and those that have rechargeable batteries. The latter is great for garden use - for chopping back branches and chopping logs - but have a limited time between charges. The corded version will run and run, but you can only reach so far. For workshop use, this sort is ideal, but you may want to look at rechargeable for the garden.
So, before we go on to talk in more detail about electric chainsaws and maintenance, please have a read of this guide that explains how to use a chainsaw safely. They are powerful machines that can be very dangerous and are used incorrectly or without due levels of care and can cause serious damage. Right, let's have a look at what the electric chainsaw is all about.
Choosing and Maintaining an Electric Chainsaw
So, now you know you want an electric chainsaw, how do you go about choosing one? You'll need to take some time and investigate them as there's a lot of choices! We found a great resource at traditionalgardening.com/best-electric-chainsaw with some very good choices and detailed information, so that might be the place to start.
The factors to consider are the size you need, what you're going to use it for, the power of the motor, and your budget. In that review, you can find all of those explained, and it's also a great source of information for different brands and models, so it should get you started. Now, we're here to talk about how to perform maintenance on an electric chainsaw, so let's not hang around and get down to business!
The Maintenance Routine
one of the major advantages of an electric chainsaw over its gas-powered cousin is that it requires far less in the way of maintenance. Whereas a gas machine will require you to clean the motor and change the fuel regularly, and when you put it away for the season, there's much less to worry about with an electric motor.
However, although the basics are to simply unplug or switch off and put it away, there are things that may go wrong if you neglect your chainsaw maintenance routine, so here's a brief guide to maintaining one correctly. We've split it into the various parts that might need attention.
The Chain Blade
The chain blade is the heart of the cutting mechanism, as it drives the machine. The blade will be continuously lubricated with oil when in use with most models. This is necessary but also means the chain becomes clogged and coated with oil, which can get into the small holes and impair performance. Your chainsaw will come with instructions as to removing the chain and cleaning it - we suggest that you use compressed air to get rid of the oil in the holes - so follow this carefully, and you'll have a great performing blade at all times.
Chain Bar
The bar will become worn in time, but it should take a lot of use before it does. Use a small brush with stiff bristles to clean the bar regularly and get rid of debris that builds upon it. The bar needs to be in top condition, so if it does get damaged, the best course of action is to replace it rather than try and fix it.
Oil Reservoir
As mentioned above, the lubrication of the chain is a vital part of its operation, so you need to check the oil in the reservoir is clean and not contaminated. This can be done by taking the lid off and checking visually. Always replace the oil each season as it will become dirty over time.
The Body
Keep the body of the chainsaw clean at all times - wipe it over with a damp cloth after each use - as debris and dirt can get in and cause problems, and this can lead to damage.
In short, always read through the manufacturer instructions for using your chainsaw and follow any maintenance at the intervals they suggest. Most of all, keep it clean and safe and away from children, and make sure you take care when using this useful and versatile machine.
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