Chainsaws, 101

Here are some considerations when contemplating the purchase of a chainsaw:

1. Do you need one? Sometimes an ax will do. I'm still not sure that I need a chainsaw, but I bought one anyway.
2. Electric or gas? Electric (almost?) universally require a cord, so you can't walk deep into the woods with an electric chainsaw. Electric chainsaws are ideal for people who want to do some cutting in their basement or who have all of the wood brought to their shed. If you want to tackle the woods IN the woods, you need a gas-powered chainsaw. Initially I bought an electric, but when I realized my mistake, I switched it for the gas-powered one that costs three times more. I also learned that you can't get a cord long enough to allow you to use the electric saw in the woods; it's a safety issue.
3. Are you adept enough to handle a gas-powered tool? I thought I was, but it was a bit daunting. The second-worst part is getting the gasoline into the machine. The third-worst part is turning it on. The fourth-worst part is keeping it on. (The very worst part would be chopping off a body part, but luckily that didn't happen).

You need ear plugs and goggles. I remembered both but left the plugs in my pocket and the goggles in the basement. You need gloves and steel-toed boots. Gloves came with the saw, but I didn't read about the boots until long after I'd finished chopping. I think I have a pair up in the closet. They're not the kind seen in the hands of the guys on ESPN's Outdoorsman contest; mine were made by Doc Marten, and they're blue. Won't I look dashing?

You need something to chop. I didn't really have any particular NEED to chop, driven mainly by something found on my Y chromosome, but I'd already spent 30 minutes trying to fill the saw with gasoline (not including the time spent washing the gasoline smell off my hands -- ketchup seemed to do the trick), so I was determined to get some chopping done. I went to the outskirts of our woods and found some fallen trees that were begging to be made into logs. We don't have a working fireplace yet, but I guess I could store the logs in our shed for when we do.