CHOOSING THE BEST CHAINSAWS and THE BEST POWER SAWS
Choosing the best chainsaw and power saws for you and your job can cause some real angst! There are so many saws to buy that you can spend a lot of time researching to find what you need – that’s where we come in.
Our chainsaw and power saw reviews and Buyer’s Guides provide essential information on the most popular and useful chain saws and power saws. There will be different versions of saws with slightly different uses and varying features. To choose the right saw you need to know:
- What type of jobs you will be working on
- Acknowledge your level of experience
- Know the facilities you have at hand, for example, access electricity
- Know what the saw is capable of before you hand over your money.
Chainsaws
We review and compare the bestselling chainsaws on the market. You have a choice of corded electric, battery or gas-powered as well as bar length, maintenance, the capability of the saw, ease of use and safety. We are here to help you decide.
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Power Saws
We have Buyer Guides for each type of power saw along with reviews of the bestselling saws. We make choosing the right saw for your project easy by reviewing the features and performance of the best power saws on the market. Read more →
Safety
Manufacturers are making tools as safe as possible but ultimately safety is up to you. It’s your responsibility to learn the proper way to operate these tools and to protect yourself with personal safety equipment. Along with tips and articles, we review personal protection gear.
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Maintenance and Accessories
Power saws just make the life so much easier but that is only true if they are kept in great working order. Regular maintenance is a necessity and a safety consideration. We have tips, information and accessories for your power saws.
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Power Saws
We help you choose the best power saw to suit the work you have to do.
Circular Saws
- Cuts straight angled or bevelled pieces of wood to particular sizes
- Cuts MDF, timber-based benchtops, decking, concrete, bricks
- Known for precision and straight cuts
- Great for timber construction
- A very popular choice of saw
Table Saws
- Cuts MDF and plywood with the grain You can control the depth and angle
- Great for cutting small pieces of wood, long clean cuts, cuts wide pieces to thinner pieces; larger sheets cut down to size eg melamine
- Furniture, bookshelves
- If you can only have one saw this is often the chosen one
Miter Saws
- Cuts bevel cross, miter cuts, against the grain
- Hardwoods, plastics softwoods some metals
- Great for jobs such as window and picture frames, cutting mouldings,
skirtings - Offers more accuracy and features than a circular saw and bench saw
- Mostly portable and not really suitable for large projects
Jigsaws
- Cuts shapes, straight lines, curves and angles.
- Cuts metal plastics, masonry, glass, ceramic, wood, plaster
- Great feature – cutting shapes into middle of a surface e.g. a rectangle for
a sink - Light weight and easy to manoeuvre for custom shapes
- Decorative pieces
Reciprocating Saws
- Cuts thick material quickly
- For serious DIY handyman, serious branch lopping, demolition jobs
- Great for working overhead, in tight places and vertically
- Not chosen for their accuracy.
Tile Saws
- Cuts straight
- Cuts tiles made of porcelain, ceramic marble
- Water cooled blade
10 Safety Tips for Using Power Saws
We all know chainsaws and power saws are dangerous, that’s not the real issue.
The challenge we have is the mix of humans and dangerous equipment with the inevitability that there will be an accident.
We should remind ourselves every time we use a saw that there are some things you just don’t do!
Remember this: Complacency is the enemy of safety. Just because it’s going well now doesn’t mean it can go horribly wrong.
- Clear the worktable with a stick or hand brush.
- Make sure the saw and area is stable and clear of trip hazards
- Always use the safety guards. Never disable safety features
- Always have blade clear of work when starting and stopping.
- Let saw get to full speed before cutting
Make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit nearby.
Read our full article on power saw and chainsaw safety for a thorough approach to handling these machines.
5 Chainsaw Safety Tips
- Always check your chainsaw over before you begin work
- Don’t cut by yourself – a have someone nearby
- Don’t climb with a chainsaw
- Don’t cut with the saw above head height
- Always hold the chainsaw with both hands when its running
Wear Protective Gear – Every time
- Eyes – goggles
- Hearing – ear muffs – ear plugs
- Head – hard hat
- Legs – chaps
- Hands – gloves
