Electric Chainsaws Are Now Mainstream
I build handcrafted wood homes. The best tool for much of my work is the electric chainsaw. I still use my gas chainsaw for heavy work, but the electric saw is vital for most of the jobs I do. Electric chainsaws are not just for the home owner any more. Many carpenters who would not be caught dead using a chainsaw do not know what they are missing. Most carpenters view a chainsaw as a destructive tool and not one to create with.
Combustion power saws are extremely loud and can damage hearing easily if proper precautions are not taken. Many gas powered saws are rated over 100 decibels. I almost always reach for my electric saw because it is quieter. I still wear hearing protection, but I don't want to damage the hearing of others around me either.
So many jobs are easier and faster with an electric chainsaw. Next time you build a wall with windows or doors, try cutting the sheeting from the inside with a electric chainsaw. It is so much faster than pre-cutting the sheets or buzzing them out with a router. Cutting out the roof vents for shingled roofs is faster and easier with an electric saw as opposed to using a circular saw.
Having a chainsaw that you can use indoors is great. Sometimes you can use an electric chainsaw in place of a reciprocating saw, if there are no nails present. The noise levels are tolerable if others are working in the same area and there is no nasty fumes poisoning the indoor air. Just make sure you treat the electric chainsaw with the same respect for safety as you would for gas powered saws.
Before buying an electric chainsaw you should always research consumer reports and reviews. Compare the saws for power and durability. One thing I have noticed, is some of the cheaper electric chainsaws vibrate badly. The bar on some saws are too light and they shake so bad, that trying follow a straight line is impossible. Vibration in any chainsaw is also bad news for the blood vessels in your fingers. You can get a permanent injury to the small blood vessels known as "vibration white finger" if you use a chainsaw that has too much vibration for extended periods of time.
Electric chainsaws are great for cutting really long compound angles, that you could not achieve using a circular saw when cutting dimension lumber. For instance, cutting the top cuts on an irregular hip or valley rafter is really simple with a chainsaw. Just make sure that the piece you're cutting is safely secured in position.
Electric chainsaws are indispensable for sculptures of wood and ice. They are preferred because of their lightweight and lack of fumes. The sculptors often only resort to gas saws when they need more power or long chains for huge works of art.
With electric chainsaws the major drawbacks are that it should not be used in damp conditions and the saw is tethered to an extension cords. You should never run a saw on more than 100 ' of cord. This will vary on the rated amperage that the extension cord was designed to handle. It should match or be greater an the amps the saw consumes. Always have the saw plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter.
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July 27 2010 | Electric Chainsaws | 1 Comment »