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by Peter Brett - September 2008
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Feeling a bit chipper
The ability to cut lumps of tree into manageably sized pieces in situ is a great time saver. I got to the point where I could create a reasonably balanced bowl blank straight from the saw. Simple then, to stick it onto a faceplate and start rough turning. Many woodturners of my acquaintance routinely use a chainsaw and they are essential tools for any small estate or even a large garden.
Although safety equipment then was not as advanced as it is now, I treated the chainsaw with huge respect and always wore, at least, gloves, ear and eye protection and safety boots.
But the downside for me, in some ways, of the easy availability of chainsaws is that the potential for accidents to occur is considerably increased. Let any untrained person the opportunity to buy any dangerous machine and I suppose they are exposing themselves to more danger. The solution might be training, but we can’t force people to do it if they are operating privately.
However, I can’t blame the Silverline or any other manufacturer of potentially dangerous tools. We live in a democracy and are not entirely Nanny Stated yet and we do have to assume some responsibility for our actions.
However the relevance for the retailers who receive ToolBusiness and Hire Magazine might want to think about where their responsibilities might lie and whether they might be able to do anything about it.
Moans and trepidation out of the way now and to the product. First impressions of the Silverline 52cc Petrol Chainsaw are favourable.
It is very compact and the controls are laid out in an orderly way.
There is a preponderance of plastic covers to protect the works from ever-invasive chainsaw dust. Underneath the plastic though, the grey alloy casting that makes the casing of the 52cc motor, is neat and without ugly casting nibs. The motor has a 2.6kW power output and should therefore be powerful enough to cut even dense beechwood on the 508mm long guide bar.
The on/off switch, although an old-fashioned looking flick switch, falls readily to thumb, and the choke and trigger switches are all man enough to be handled with gloved hands.
It doesn’t feel heavy to handle, but it is important to have some feeling of weight and inertia on a chainsaw because it needs to be anchored a bit! The balance is about right too, with the weight leaning a bit towards the front bar where all the action should take place.
The whole package comes in a smallish cardboard carton, so the user needs to screw in the log spike and assemble the bar and chain and then adjust the tension of the chain before it is ready to be started and for the user to begin the process of familiarization with the operation of the safety chainbrake and where and how to hold the generously sized and rubberised grippy handle.
Although the print in the booklet is a bit small for my aging eyes, the emphasis of all the instruction is on the safe use of the chainsaw and the safety of the operator. Even a complete novice couldn’t fail to take note of the warning on the first page that reads “ YOU WILL BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IF YOU FAIL TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS”.
A curious anomaly is that the instructions do not make it perfectly clear that the chain needs to be mounted so that the sharp cutting edges run round the bar in such a way that they cut towards the operator. If the chain were mounted incorrectly the saw might not cut at all.
I am pleased to note that in the usual Silverline way, that everything needed to get going straight from the box is supplied as standard (apart from the fuel mixture of course) and I was pleased to see a well-made double ended socket spanner, screwdriver, chain file and petrol/oil mixer in the box. These all enable safe and extended use and reinforce the message that the saw is a valuable yet potentially dangerous tool that needs to be properly maintained.
It is clear that the correct mixture of two-stroke oil and petrol is crucial to the smooth running and long life of the motor and Silverline has therefore included a plastic container that makes the mixing of the oil and petrol a foolproof operation. I was therefore quickly able to fill the machine with petrol mixture and chain oil via the easy to remove and tighten captive caps and get ready to start cutting.
It took a bit of fiddling to get the motor going, as I expected of a completely new machine, but it clearly had been adjusted correctly at the factory and was soon buzzing happily in that noisy chainsaw way.
I set to on some beech logs that I am hoping to turn into small bowls and turned table legs. The dense, but still wet beech cut quickly with the new sharp chain and all systems were go. After about ten minutes of solid cutting I followed the safety advice and stopped to adjust the chain tension. New chains stretch very quickly and it is important to re-tension them before they run off the bar.
The Silverline is, I decided, a good size for general work around and is competitively priced at around £136.00. It also comes with a three year warranty, which is a very good selling point as chainsaws are very hardworked machines generally.
For the retailer this would seem to be another good product to stock. It is well priced, has the Silverline guarantee and is also very capable. Just think of the aftermarket sales in chains and chain oil too.
Airstream Communications