Perhaps you’ve felled a tree yourself or there’s a fallen tree in your garden that’s become the victim of an especially windy day or stormy night. Whatever the case, the dead tree can be harvested with nothing more than a cordless chainsaw and a bit of manual labour, so you can keep warm on those long winter nights.
How to use a battery chainsaw to cut logs for the winter
Cordless chainsaws are all that you need for cutting up a felled tree for firewood. There’s no need to worry about the type of tree, either. EGO cordless chainsaws are capable of cutting through even the hardest of woods like oak, hornbeam and ash. Here’s all you need to know about cutting a tree for firewood.
Preparation
A word on safety
PPE and safety gear are essential for working without the risk of injury. Therefore, before you start cutting your tree up, wear the following safety gear:
- Safety goggles
- Protective gloves
Hearing protection is necessary for chainsaws that are petrol-powered due to the noise they give off. Thankfully, EGO cordless chainsaws are battery-operated and give off significantly less noise and vibration so ear defenders are not a prerequisite with EGO battery chainsaws.
Although wearing safety gear will give you some protection, you should be mindful that this can be a risky task.
You must always watch your footing when moving around the tree, especially as it will likely be uneven ground. Some good footwear like sturdy hiking boots should also be worn as this will provide you with greater stability.
Assess the task
Before you set to with your battery chainsaw, assess the fallen tree and surroundings. You should look for potential hazards and obstacles that may sabotage your operation. These could be things like:
- Uneven terrain
- Nearby structures like fences
- Entangles branches
If the tree is freestanding, we have a blog on the basic techniques on how to fell it, have a read of it first.
Clear the area
Any debris, branches, rocks and any other objects that could be hazardous or damage your cordless chainsaw, should be removed from the area first. Branches aren’t much of a danger however they can make accessing the trunk and boughs of the tree with a cordless chainsaw difficult.
Service your cordless chainsaw
Before you start cutting, inspect your battery chainsaw. Check things like the chain tension and sharpness of the teeth. If you find your chainsaw needs sharpening, you can find how to sharpen it here.
You should also check the fuel and oil level for servicing a petrol-powered chainsaw, an extra consideration you forgo with battery chainsaws like the EGO CS1800E chainsaw. If you have an EGO chainsaw, you can check out the product manual for your tool, which is available on the EGO product page.
Cutting
Plan where you are going to cut
Determine what size of logs you want before making any cuts. Then plan where you will cut the boughs and trunk of the tee. You should start with large cuts and work your way down to the smaller ones.
Make a buckling cut followed by a top cut
A buckling cut is done upwards from the underside of the fallen tree. The buckling cut stops your cordless chainsaw from being pinched by the log when you come to do the top cut. The cut should be about one-third the way through the log.
Next, make a top cut; this is a second cut from top to bottom starting at the top side of the fallen tree. The cut should also be slightly in front of the buckling cut. The top cut should meet the buckling cut and create a notch as you cut through the trunk or bough with your battery chainsaw.
Finish the buckling cut
Now you’ve cut through the top of the log, you can finish the buckling cut. Simply complete the original buckling cut by cutting through the last portion. The notch that was formed in the previous step will help to prevent the cordless chainsaw bar from getting stuck.
Repeat the cutting process and store the logs away
Repeat the cutting techniques until you have completely cut up the tree into manageable logs. You can remove the logs from the site and store away undercover for the winter to be used as firewood.
With that being said, you should not use the logs straight away if:
- The tree was alive and recently felled. The wood will still be “green” and, therefore, wet. Not only will this make your fire not as hot, but it will also be harder for it to get going. You should store the wood under cover until next winter when it will have dried out.
- The tree has been fallen/felled for some time and is wet from being in contact with the ground for too long. Again, the wood will be wet and will need drying out over the summer first.
- The logs are too thick to put in a wood burner. If this is the case, you will need to have them split into smaller pieces before you can use them.
The perfect EGO tool for the job
EGO has a good selection of battery chainsaws; some are ideal for small garden owners needing to prune the odd fruit tree here and there, and others are optimal for tasks like cutting a fallen tree into logs.
Introducing the EGO CS1800E cordless chainsaw. It’s equipped with a 45cm bar, weighing 4.4kg (without the battery) and with a robust design, this battery chainsaw is optimal for cutting up trees that range from large to small.
All EGO chainsaws come with exceptional warranty. Each battery chainsaw comes with 5 years warranty for domestic use and 3 years for professional use.
There’s more too. Each EGO cordless chainsaw has the capacity to fit any size EGO battery for your convenience. No matter what job you’re undertaking, it’s good to have another battery as a backup just in case. Browse our battery range here to see the best one for your needs.