Chainsaw Accessories, what should each user have..

If you just bought a new chainsaw or used one for some time, there are some handy accessories. Especially if your goal is to finish the work efficiently and safely. If you are felling trees in a remote area, some essential chainsaw accessories will help you stay prepared for the unexpected. What you need in your specific case will depend greatly on what job you are doing. In this blog post, we will introduce several of the more common chainsaw accessories and their jobs.

Chainsaw Accessories, what should each user have:

• Chainsaw chaps: Heavy-duty pant covers to protect you from chainsaw kickbacks and are an essential safety accessory.
• Helmet system: It includes a helmet, a face shield, and earmuffs. The helmet system is vital to protect you from head injuries, debris, and noise.
• Wedges: Chainsaw wedges make sure that while felling, the tree falls in a certain safe direction. And they help to keep the chain from getting stuck.
• Sharpening kit with depth gauge: chainsaw teeth need to be sharpened regularly for best results.
• Cant hook: A cant hook has a long handle with a giant hook attached to it. Using a cant hook will save you a lot of energy needed for turning and positioning the logs.
• Oil: You’ll need suitable 2-stroke oil to keep your chainsaw in good condition. Make sure to maintain the right oil-to-fuel ratio.
• Chain lubricant: Chain lubricant is used to prevent excessive friction and wear of the cutter. Chain lubricant is essential for your chainsaw’s long life and good health.
• Accessories like a proper first aid kit, sawhorse, ax, logger belt, spare parts, etc.

We will look into the details of the various chainsaw accessories and how they function.

The Essential Chainsaw Accessories:

What we mean with essential chainsaw accessories are items for personal protection, equipment needed for properly operating a chainsaw, necessary felling tools, and items for chainsaw maintenance.

● Chainsaw Chaps:

Those who have operated chainsaws before know very well that chainsaw kickbacks are pretty common. A kickback is when a chainsaw tries to get out of your hand and fly towards your body. A chainsaw kickback is somewhat like a gun recoil.

Chainsaw chaps come in handy to reduce the chances of serious injury because of kickbacks. Chaps are made with layers of cut redundant material with a rugged outer layer and are designed to immediately stop the saw chain if the chainsaw comes in contact with your legs. Chaps are a must-have, and you must never operate a chainsaw without your chaps on, especially when performing a heavy-duty task. You can buy chainsaw chaps at a local hardware store or from an online store. You can purchase good quality chaps for under 100 dollars. Chaps with extra layers (6 to 9) of protection usually cost more than 100 dollars and are recommended for professionals.

● Chainsaw Helmet System:

Just like chaps, the chainsaw helmet system is also a must-own chainsaw safety gear. Most chainsaw helmet systems consist of three components: the helmet, the face shield, and the earmuffs. 

The hard plastic hat is there to protect your skull from serious injuries due to impact. When felling trees, part of trees or branches may fall down, and you don’t want one to hit your bare head. The face shield is to protect your face from debris and wooden chips. Without a face shield, the debris can cause serious harm to your face, especially your eyes. This makes a face shield an essential safety item. Finally, the earmuffs are there to protect your ears because working with a chainsaw can be very noisy. Most chainsaws produce 110 decibels or more and can cause serious harm to your ears if you don’t have any ear protection.

A chainsaw helmet system can cost you somewhere between 35 to 60 dollars. You can easily find a helmet system at a local hardware store or an online selling place.

● Chainsaw Wedges:

Chainsaw wedges fall in the category of felling tools. Wedges are there to prevent the tree from falling in the wrong direction. Additionally, they help create a gap so the chain is not getting stuck due to the tree’s weight.

A tree not precisely falling in the direction you plan is usually not an issue when felling in the woods but can be a major risk when working in an urban area. A tree falling in the wrong direction can damage electricity transmission lines, vehicles, buildings, etc. So, wedges are employed to help the tree fall in a safe direction, making them an essential item.

Using a chainsaw wedge is pretty simple. Make a partial cut around the tree trunk where you want to cut it from and place the wedge in the cut. You should place the wedge on the side you don’t want the tree to fall.

You can also use wedges to prevent large horizontal logs from collapsing inward and damaging the saw. Chainsaw wedges come in different sizes and packs of different numbers. A pack of four wedges can cost 15 to 20 dollars.

Other important felling tools include ropes, winches, and pulleys. You may need these depending on the complexity of your task.

● Sharpening Kit with Depth Gauge:

The teeth of a chainsaw need regular sharpening for efficient cutting. The sharpening need depends on the cutting edge’s size and quality, the wood’s hardness, and operating temperature.

Usually, a chainsaw sharpening kit consists of the following:

• A flat file and a depth gauge
• A round file
• A file guide

It is recommended to check the teeth every time you refill the gas tank and sharpen when needed. Depending on your skillset, it is recommended to take your saw for professional sharpening after sharpening the teeth several times yourself.  

The sharpening kit you use should depend on the size of your saw. You may consult the user manual for more info in this regard. A good chainsaw sharpening kit may cost you up to 70 to 100 dollars.

● Cant Hook:

A cant hook consists of a long lever handle with a moveable metallic hook at one end. The hook is also called the dog, so a cant hook is also called a cant dog. A cant hook is an important logging tool used for turning a positioning fallen logs and trunks.

Professional chainsaw operators have such skills that they can usually work without cant hooks. But if your skills are slightly less, and once you use one, you’ll realize how beneficial it is. A cant hook will save you a lot of energy that you would otherwise be spending on turning, position, and pulling the logs.

Cant hooks come in different sizes and can cost you somewhere between 70 and 150 dollars.

● Oil:

Chainsaws have two-stroke engines that need a suitable 2-stroke oil for best performance and longer life. The issue with 2-stroke engines is that they also burn a little oil with the fuel, which can cause smoke. So, maintaining the correct oil-to fuel-ratio is important. Using the wrong oil or too little oil can cause overheating and other serious problems.

Most chainsaw manufacturers supply their oil mixtures that are best suited for their products. So, the best practice would be to use the oil provided by your chainsaw manufacturer.

● Chain Lubricant:

A chain lubricant’s job is to prevent excessive friction in the chain when the chainsaw is used. Excessive friction can cause wear, resulting in chain breaking. The chainsaw lubricant sits in the lube tank and is pumped to the chain and bar when the chainsaw is being used. The pumping can be manual or automatic.

Please consult the user manual for info on the best lubricant for your chainsaw. A bottle of chain and bar oil usually costs around 20 dollars. Using a good chain lubricant will enhance the performance and life of your chainsaw.

Other Chainsaw Accessories:

Besides the essential chainsaw accessories, some accessories are not necessarily crucial but can be very helpful in some instances. Such items include:

● Saw Horse:

A sawhorse is not a chainsaw essential, but it will make your firewood preparation much easier and safer. With the logs locked in place, a sawhorse will help you cut the wood to the required size. Eliminating the risk of injury or running the chainsaw into the dirt, which can make it blunt. A wooden sawhorse is perfect for household firewood preparation and can handle up to 155 pounds (70kg). But if you’re for a more robust sawhorse for professional use, a metal sawhorse that can hold up to 220 pounds (100kg) is the better option.

● Logger Belt:

A logger belt is a complete toolbelt for professional loggers. It is flexible and can store various tools with you, like lifting hooks, axes, wedges, files, measuring tape, and a first aid kit.

Professional logger belts usually cost between 150 and 200 dollars.

● Ax:

You may use an ax to remove soil and bark from the log before cutting it with your chainsaw, as this will reduce wear on the guide bar and chain. You can also use the backend of an ax to push in the felling wedges.

● Chainsaw Spare Parts:

When working in remote areas, it is highly recommended to bring some essential spare parts with you. This can include spark plugs, some wires, an extra chain, etc.

● Log Dolly:

Sometimes you need to move logs in larger sections to process them in another location. In this is the case, a log dolly will be really useful. A log dolly can be costly, but it can save a lot of time and potential back pain.

Final Remarks:

Even the most professional chainsaw operators can’t perform all tasks without using some of the mentioned essential accessories. They are accessories that help make your job easier for you and your chainsaw and prevent any damage. Personal protection items are also part of necessary accessories as operating a chainsaw is not without danger and can seriously harm you if safety measures are not taken.