Pulls

The number of pulls required to start the saw is one important issue. Some brands start reliably on the first pull every time the saw is used. Others require five or six pulls to work the fuel into the chamber. While a chainsaw that fires right up is nice, it probably isn't a necessity. Five or six good pulls on the starting rope are no hardship to anyone fit enough to be using a chainsaw in the first place. However, trying to use a saw that takes ten to twenty pulls to get started will be a big nuisance. Stay away from brands that have a reputation of not starting reliably.

Chain Brake

The chain brake is a safety feature that was developed to lessen the damage done by the chain during a kickback. Most safety features on a chainsaw are related to kickback in one way or another. Some features are designed to prevent kickback while others are designed to reduce injuries when kickbacks occur.

Chain brakes stop chains under full power in just a fraction of a second by tightening a spring-loaded steel band around the clutch drum. It's activated automatically when the force of a kickback pushes the top hand guard into the operator's hand. Some brands of chainsaws link the top handle with the chain brake trigger so that the brake is activated if the saw's bar is suddenly forced upward, even if the operator's hand never leaves the handle.

The chain brake can also be activated manually when an operator moves between cuts or starts a cold saw with a partially opened throttle. As a maintenance feature, this will hold the chain immobile on the bar and allow the operator to sharpen the teeth with a file. For this and for the safety aspects, the chain brake is one of the most important features chainsaws can have.

Bar size

The only other important issue is the size of the bar. Many people gravitate towards chainsaws with larger bars, intuitively feeling that these saws are more powerful that smaller barred models. That isn't true, and saws with larger bars can be more dangerous to operate. A 16-inch or 18-inch bar is big enough for most tasks and is much easier to handle than a larger saw.