How Does Chainsaw Work: Everything You Need To Know

A chainsaw is one of the most used tools for cutting down trees. Most people associate using a chainsaw with cutting wood for a winter fireplace. Still, chainsaws are rather versatile and are increasingly being used in a wide variety of contexts.

So, how does a chainsaw work? Chainsaws consist of a bar with saw blades or teeth attached to the end of a chain. When we turn it on, the chain quickly spins around the bar, cutting through anything in its way. 

If you’re still struggling to understand the chainsaw working process, then you’re at the right place. So walk with us to know all the details.  

Types Of Chainsaw

Before going into the working process, it’s important to know the available chainsaw types. Let’s check some of the major types of chainsaws here.

• Gas Chainsaw

Powered by gasoline, gas chainsaws are both robust and convenient. They can be as lightweight as a handsaw or as powerful as professional logging saw. Gasoline chainsaws use two-cycle engines that run on a mixture of oil and gasoline and are started by a pull cord.

A gas chainsaw has a fuel tank that transfers fuel to the carburetor, where the fuel is mixed with air, and then to the cylinder, where it is ignited to provide power. This power is utilized to reciprocate a piston, which in turn rotates a chain.

• Electric Chainsaw

Plugging electric chainsaws into an electrical outlet provides the chainsaw with the energy it needs to function. This energy is then used to turn a rod and crank assembly, which in turn drives the chain in a circular motion.

Also, when working with an electric chainsaw, you won’t have to worry about the hassle and cost of fixing and maintaining components like carburetors, fuel lines, spark plugs, and air filters.

Due to the absence of a gas tank, the saw’s gas supply will never go bad. A few silent chainsaws won’t just be less of a nuisance to the locality and the local wildlife, but they won’t even have much of an effect on your hearing.

• Battery Chainsaw

Chainsaws that are powered by batteries typically run on lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are more powerful than their predecessors, can be recharged in as little as an hour, and can be recharged without adding much weight. 

Simply exchanging one set of the woodcutter’s lithium-ion batteries for another is all that is vital to maintain it functioning normally. Both conventional and brushless motors can be found in battery-powered chainsaws. 

It has been found that cordless power tools are more efficient since they generate less friction. This implies less time spent waiting for the battery to die and increased motor efficiency.

Components of A Chainsaw

Parts of a chainsaw play an important role in the total performance of a chainsaw. Here are the major parts of a chainsaw.

• Chain Brakes

In case of a mechanical malfunction, these are built inside the chainsaw and dampen any chain kickback’s impact. This is crucial for ensuring the security of the users and avoiding any catastrophic injuries. 

In addition, chain brakes prevent dangerous kickbacks by promptly stopping the chain from rotating over the bar if it fails.

• Speed Triggers

This is a key component of the chainsaw that allows you to set the chain speed and is not very common manually. The motor’s performance is under your control, and the chain and sprockets’ rotational velocity can be adjusted independently.

• Throttle

The throttle controls how fast the chain moves. A gas chainsaw has a throttle that lets you control how much fuel goes into the combustion chambers. The more fuel you use, the faster you accelerate. When operating an electric or battery-operated chainsaw, the throttle controls the amount of power delivered to the motor.

• Spark plug

An engine’s gasoline needs to be ignited, and a spark plug does just that. A spark plug guarantees the motor has fuel input once the push button or pull cord sends the signals. When a motor has been in use for a long enough time, it’ll need to replace its spark plug.

• Muffler

In order to lessen the amount of noise produced by a gas chainsaw, a muffler is an essential component. If it didn’t have a muffler, a gas-powered chainsaw would be far too loud to use or even stand in close proximity to without risking permanent hearing loss.

• Chain

The chain itself generates the cutting action of a chainsaw. It has pointed teeth spaced at regular intervals (pitch) and across its breadth. 

There’s a standard-size chain that goes with every kind of chainsaw. When it comes to chainsaws, not all chains fit every saw.

How Does Chainsaw Work?

Together, the aforementioned components are what give a chainsaw its cutting power; they generate enough friction to cut through more resilient materials easily. 

• Both gasoline and oil, or electricity from a nearby wall outlet, can fuel the engine. The chainsaw’s bar and chain are propelled in a cyclical motion by air sucked into the carburetor and pushed through the tool. 
• Using this motion, you may effortlessly cut through solid wood or ice. Both push-button and pull-cord starters are standard on modern chainsaws, and the safety shutdown valves are conveniently placed near the handle.
• When you put fuel into a chainsaw machine, the machine uses that energy to chop through logs. Simply 0.5 liters of gas is all that can be stored in a standard chainsaw machine’s tank.
• Once the fuel and air have mixed, the resulting air-fuel mixture is pushed and pulled like an internal combustion engine’s chambers. A flash plug makes contact with the air-fuel mixture inside the chamber, discharging its energy to move a barrel back and forth. 
• The turning motion is encouraged by a pole and corresponding wrench. A chain turner is unnecessary unless you’re chopping wood; even then, it’s dangerous and inefficient. The chain’s holding sprocket receives power from the clasp via the cogwheels.

This is how a chainsaw work generally. However, when working with a chainsaw, you have to be very careful because if it comes in contact with you, it may cause serious injuries.

FAQs

• Is it time to sharpen the chainsaw?

A gas chainsaw’s engine has to warm up, but it will do so rapidly because of the engine’s compact design. After starting, the engine usually idles for a while so that the oil can warm up and lubricate all the moving parts.

• Does a chainsaw work on frozen wood?

Cutting frozen wood with a chainsaw is not impossible, but it is quite challenging. A sharp chain is necessary for cutting wood, and cutting frozen wood will dull your chain. To cut frozen timber, you must maintain your chainsaw and wear protective clothing.

• Will the chainsaw be damaged if it gets wet?

Using a corded chainsaw outside in the rain is unsafe, even though most brands are made so that water doesn’t get inside too easily. If water gets inside your chainsaw, it can cause short and possibly permanent damage.

• Do chainsaw chains have a preferred direction?

A clockwise motion occurs in the chain. Take a look at the saw from the side, and you might be able to see it more clearly. Clockwise implies the chain moves away from you when it’s over the bar and toward you when it’s under it.

Conclusion

Till now, you got to know everything about chainsaws. So how does a chainsaw work? The chain begins to rotate rapidly around the bar once you turn the saw blade or teeth on.

Here is one thing to remember when using a gas-powered or electric Chainsaw Machine, keep it out of harm’s way and take precautions to avoid harming yourself or others.