Chainsaw, professional or hobby portable chainsaw

Although few people have never heard of a chainsaw, the word wasn't even in the dictionary until the 2009 edition of the DEX, at least not as a tool. It was used to describe the portable chainsaw, but had not yet entered Romanian as a noun. And that's because in fact, Drujba (друшба) is a proper name, being the Russian brand name under which the motortrailers were sold in the past and which, in translation, means friendship. The transformation from a proper name to a noun is not unique, neither in our country nor in the world. The use of the term 'xerox' to mean a copy made with a copying machine is perhaps the most apt example. But back to the chainsaw. I could not find exact data on the year of the brand's appearance, but chainsaws appeared in Romania around the 1950s, when many of the machines and tools used came from the USSR. As this chainsaw is so well known and used nowadays I think it would be interesting to know what is, in short, its history, how many types there are, the differences between them, how to make the choice if you are a beginner and other such information.

The first saw is considered to be the one invented in 1830 by the German physician Bernhard Heine, called the osteotome. As the name suggests, the device was used to cut bones. The device has undergone many refinements, but until the 20th century it was mainly used in medicine for cutting bones.

Attempts to use the invention in the forestry sector have been made since the end of the 19th century. The first portable chainsaw is said to be made by the Festo, founded by Gottlieb Stoll and Albert Fezer in 1925 and which is the predecessor of the brand Festool.In fact, this chainsaw was invented and patented in 1918 by Canadian James Shand. When the patent expired, he no longer protected it. Festo took it over, perfected and manufactured it, and were the first to market the portable chainsaw.

Another important name in chainsaw history is Andreas Stihl. He invented and patented the electric chainsaw in 1926. He founded the company Stihl which began to manufacture and market them, and in 1929 also began production of petrol chainsaws. This had been invented in 1927 by Emil Lerp, who founded the company Dolmar, producing and selling the saw worldwide.

All of these major sawmill manufacturers were German. The outbreak of the Second World War interrupted exports to the USA and Canada, which again led to the emergence of manufacturers who became big names and started exporting all over the world. After the war, the power saws were continuously improved. They became lighter and lighter and could be operated by one person, which was very difficult before, when two people were needed to operate them safely.

The chainsaw is a portable, engine-driven chainsaw. The saw blade is a chain with cutting parts. The motor drives the chain and turns it into a cutting blade. In terms of the type of power used, chainsaws have several types of engines:

• electric
• petrol
• hydraulic
• compressed air.

The most commonly used are electric and petrol, each with their advantages and disadvantages.

Petrol chainsaw:

• is stronger - the speed of the chain is higher which makes the pressure applied to cut less;
• has independence - connection to the power source is not made by cable;
• Starting is done by repeatedly pulling on a cable until the spark appears to start the 2-stroke engine;
• the petrol engine requires the same maintenance as any engine: oil change, air filter, etc;
• The engine noise is quite loud so the operator needs to wear a helmet;
• remove noxious and combustion gases;

Electric chainsaw:

• starts at the touch of a button;
• is lighter and quieter;
• does not need filter or oil changes;
• does not remove noxious substances;
• the power is lower so it needs more pressure to cut;
• is connected to the power supply which limits movement;

There are also battery version of the saw, which is the same as the electric motor version, with the advantage of freedom of movement. But the price is higher, similar to petrol-powered models, but without the performance.

When choosing the type of chainsaw, 4 criteria should be considered:

• weight;
• power - most of them are between 1200 and 4500 W;
• blade length - an average chainsaw has a blade length of between 40 and 45 cm;
• which activity should be done with the chosen chainsaw.

Chainsaws are used by both professionals (those involved in logging) and amateurs. In the case of professionals The important thing is that the machine should work in good conditions for as long as possible, have the power to cut hard and thick wood, have a blade long enough to cut thick logs, not be difficult to handle, and the most suitable for such operations are petrol chainsaws.

For chainsaw users amateursThe criteria for using the machine are weight, noise level, lack of noise, ease of handling, i.e. those who use it to do household chores - pruning trees, chopping firewood - i.e. they do not use it every day and operate it for a small number of hours. Electric chainsaws best meet these requirements.

There are many companies that sell portable chain saws. I was curious to see which ones are considered the best. In the top are Husqvarna, Makita, Stihl, Heinner and Bosch, of course with models for both professionals and amateurs, differentiated by power, weight, blade length and even whether the user is right- or left-handed.

Although they look like hard and heavy tools, chainsaws are also used in the arts. You may remember chainsaw carved animals by Jungen Lingl Rebetz or Itsyville, the fairytale town made by Steve Blanchardall with a chainsaw. There are plenty of chainsaw carving festivals around the world.

In July 2017 such a festival was organized in Vaideeni. It was the first edition of the festival and brought together 11 artists. The organizer was one of the most famous chainsaw sculptors in the country, Gabriel Rizea.

Chainsaws are not only made to cut wood. There are also models for cutting concrete, stone, marble, metal. In these cases, because of the high friction between the material and the tool, the chain can get very hot and therefore needs to be cooled with water.

There's a lot to be said for chainsaws and there's plenty of expert information to be found, so it's no problem to do your research before you buy. It's worth remembering that it's a dangerous tool if not used correctly and that protective equipment is necessary. Many companies have developed models that include advanced protection systems. Their cost is higher, but it is good to remember that safety comes first and not to save money on this aspect.