Page 21 - LandscapeSA_119

MaChINERy FEaTURE

BaTTLE

OF ThE

SawS

wo of the most popular tools used for
cutting trees are the chainsaw and the
Tpole saw. while they’re both power
tools, choosing the most appropriate saw
for the job is best determined by what you
need to cut. Traditionally, chainsaws were
only used by farmers and tree fellers, but
today’s homeowners use them for anything
from cutting firewood to felling trees and
building wooden fences. while both are
powerful and easy to handle, selection
should be based on what you’ll be using Chainsaws are more powerful than pole saws and are used for cutting down trees
them for most often. a chainsaw is best for
heavy duty work like cutting large trees and are exclusively designed for cutting a table or any kind of base when
thick logs at eye level, whereas a pole saw trees, branches and vegetation; operating.
is best for light duty work such as cutting • motors and power: both have motors Differences between chainsaws and
twigs, branches or other vegetation in and are either petrol, battery or pole saws include the following:
higher, hard-to-reach places. electric-powered; • handle: a pole saw has a long handle,
Similarities between chainsaws and • chains: both use special types of allowing the user to cut and trim
pole saws include the following: chains to cut, which are fitted with branches in places that cannot be
• single purpose: unlike other types teeth that spin around a guide bar to reached with a chainsaw. a chainsaw’s
of saws which have different blades cut wood; handle is short and fixed in place, best
that can be used for cutting a range • hand-held: both are hand-held tools, for working close to the body to cut
of materials, chainsaws and pole saws meaning they cannot be fixed to trees or logs at eye level;
• weight: a chainsaw is usually bulkier
Pole saws are lighter than chainsaws, and are used to cut branches off trees at great heights with a more powerful motor, making
it much heavier as it is designed to
cut thicker pieces of wood, whereas
pole saws need to be lightweight
so that users can lift them up to cut
the branches above their heads. Pole
saws are longer than chainsaws but
much lighter;
• blade: generally, a chainsaw has a
larger/longer blade than a pole saw,
enabling it to cut thicker pieces of
wood. Choose a chainsaw to cut down
a tree, and a pole saw for cutting
smaller branches around 25 to 40 cm
thick;
• power: a chainsaw is bigger and more
powerful than a pole saw;
• purpose: chainsaws can be used for
many things such as cutting down
trees, cutting apart logs and cutting
branches at ground level. Pole saws
are designed specifically for superior
reach, balance and performance, to
cut branches off trees at great heights;
• safety: while cutting oneself is the
biggest risk to safety when operating
a chainsaw, branches falling on one’s
head is the biggest concern when
using a pole saw;
• price: depending on the make and
model, chainsaws are slightly more
cost effective than pole saws.
www.husqvarna.com
n

Landscape Sa • Issue 119 2022 19