A chain saw is an excellent investment if the homeowner is also a landowner.
A chain saw can take the place of a too-heavy axe (not everyone feels like being a lumberjack), or supplant the price of a landscaper.
And, if the homeowner has a log-burning stove or fireplace, it's ideal for providing a continuous firewood supply.
But, one might wonder which kinds are the best chain saws for his particular situation.
When the potential purchaser scopes out stores and websites that offers chainsaws for sale, he may be tempted to go the easier route of a rental; if one has a single project in mind, such as clearing away shrub brush, this is the way to go, especially since the rental is usually around $50.
00 a day.
However, if there's a steady amount of cutting work around his place, the homeowner is well advised to buy.
The best chain saws (gasoline powered) start as little as $150, the price of a three day rental.
One should never purchase chains saws that have been used; even someone renting a chain saw should be sure that the rental outfit maintains the saw well.
And although it may be romanticizing the lumberjack business to say it, nobody gets rid of a good chainsaw unless it's no good anymore, and a "fixer-upper" will run the homeowner more money than he will save.
The rule of thumb is, buy new.
Chains saws come in three grades: Professional, standard and consumer.
The one that the potential lumberjack picks depends on whether or not he's a man with a few projects or a genuine lumberjack.
The professional saw is exactly that, designed for and used by wood-cutting professionals.
It is hardy, and sturdily built for long lasting and daily use.
It usually is fairly bulky, and requires an operator who has the ability to heft, and hold steady, a chainsaw of up to 40 pounds or more in weight.
It is the preferred model for professional lumberjacks and all those who make their living in the woods.
The standard saw is used less frequently and is less bulky, simply because it may be called upon to do jobs such as clearing brush or knocking away old fence or wooden structures, which wouldn't need the bulkiness and power that a chainsaw designed to fell a massive tree would need.
It's smaller and handier in tight spots.
It can be used daily, but requires fairly regular checking and maintenance.
This particular type is the budding lumberjack's best friend, provided the lumberjack has himself a day job or weekend work to supplant his woodcutting.
The consumer saw is the one that is most often purchased, and is usually the least expensive; $300 should buy a top of the line model.
It's used less often, usually accomplishes tasks around the home and immediate property, and can put in a day's work once a month with few if any problems, which is just about the average that a homeowner needs for most of his lumber and sawing tasks.
The type of chain saw one buys depends on the type of work one does.