Quick Answer: Electric vs Gas Chainsaw
A gas chainsaw is the traditional, heavy weight, heavy duty chainsaw which can cut through any wood and runs on a mixture of oil and gas. It makes noise while operation and is difficult to carry around, thus best suited for professionals or people at a farm or ranch. An electric chainsaw is more suited for home needs and basic yard work as it runs on electricity and is light to carry around and requires less maintenance.
So you are ready to go out in the woods, get your hands dirty and get the full worth of firewood to burn in your new fireplace.
Or perhaps you just want to trim up your yard and are looking for a decent chainsaw to start off in your new ventures.
You researched and re-researched and you seem to be stuck on two particularly useful chainsaws- the electric chainsaw and the gas chainsaw. Read on to clear all your confusion
Gas Chainsaws have been in the market for a long time and are the tough boys of the business. They are powerful and reliable.
Electrical chainsaws appeared on the scene much later, but as electricity only makes the tool more efficient and life easier, their sales went off the charts and they have made a permanent place in the market of chainsaws.
Gas Chainsaw
A gas chainsaw offers tremendous power to weight ratio and is unparalleled in its productivity. It is a sturdy tool offering a wide range of functionalities at its disposal.
A gas chainsaw is cordless and large, thus a little difficult for a typical desk job man to operate. It possesses superior oiling systems and is highly efficient.
A gas chainsaw is a sturdy tool best suited for heavy-duty jobs. It is mostly employed by people who have to cut large trees, branches, and firewood daily.
It has a long run time and is run by a mixture of gas and oil. It offers great power and high cutting speed and comes in a wide variety of bar lengths.
A gas chainsaw is a polluting device simply because it runs on gas. It lets out fumes while it operates and is also loud and noisy.
All its power and suitability for heavy duty jobs comes due to its large size which makes it difficult to maneuver. Also, you have to prepare its fuel, which is a mix of gas and oil.
Electric Chainsaw
An electric chainsaw is very efficient and as you guessed from its name, runs on electricity. As it runs on electricity, it is corded which reduces its portability.
An electric chainsaw has better power output and degrades over a longer time than a gas chainsaw.
An electric chainsaw is best suited for lightweight jobs, in the garden or the yard. It can be maneuvered easily due to its extremely lightweight and is quite compact, making it easy to carry.
It makes minimal noise and requires extremely low maintenance. It is a tool of the future and is very to operate.
An electric chainsaw, however, is not suitable for large jobs. It cannot do all that a gas chainsaw can do while the other way around is true.
As it is corded, it restricts the area of your operation and you might struggle to cut larger trees and heavier branches.
Gas Chainsaw VS. Electric Chainsaw
Here is a quick comparison of the key parameters between gas and electric chainsaw
Use
A gas chainsaw is used for the heavy duty work- cutting the firewood, heavier branches- typically in a snowy forest in Canada. It can cut through large trees and make your log into firewood.
It is a great addition if you have a lot of trees on your property or if you need it for your farm or ranch.
An electric chainsaw is best for sprucing up the trees, cutting small logs, trimming small, light branches and giving your yard a makeover.
Benefits
A gas chainsaw can handle any need, be it a commercial need, something at your home or ranch or anywhere else you might find trees.
It can cut any tree or branch, however large and heavy. It has a long runtime and just needs to be refueled at regular intervals.
It offers great power and cutting speed and comes in a wide range of bar lengths and you can choose the one that suits your needs.
An electric chainsaw is ideal for light work and sprucing up trees. It is easy to operate and is very light. It does not require regular refueling and is compact, and easy to carry.
It is the best kind of chainsaw for around-the-house work and requires minimal maintenance. It also makes very less noise while operation.
Disadvantages
A gas chainsaw is heavily priced and also has a lot of operation and maintenance costs. It makes a lot of noise while operating and is heavy, making it difficult to carry around.
An electric chainsaw cannot do your rough jobs of making firewood from logs or cutting thick branches. It is restricted in its abilities.
As it is corded, it can cover only a certain area of your yard and you can use it only in places where electricity is available. Thus you cannot carry it into forests.
Price
A gas chainsaw is priced more than an electric chainsaw. Its operating and maintenance costs are also higher because of the regular amount of gas and oil it requires for operation.
An electric chainsaw has virtually no operating cost since it runs on electricity and only requires a bit of oil for its chain. In the case of breakdown, the cost of servicing is also higher for the gas chainsaw.
Here’s a video pitting the two kinds of saws against each other –
Final Words
Both the chainsaws offer tremendous power and functionality. If you want to go the traditional route, and want big things out of your chainsaw- the cutting down trees, big branches, heavy firewood, go for the gas chainsaw.
If you are looking for a cheap, easy to operate, easier to maintain chainsaw that will basically make yard work easier and more fun, purchase an electric chainsaw and you will not regret your decision.