Post #314623 by Chip and Andy on Sun, Jun 24, 2007 12:02 PM

There are many people here more qualified than I to andwer your question, but I will add my bit of change to the discussion....

Start with your budget and get the best you can afford. When I got my chainsaw the thing I was most concerned about was the weight of the beast. I got a 14 inch electric guy from Black and Decker and I am very happy with it. It is long enough to work most of my wood stock, powerful enough to carve what I am carving, and light enough that I don't aggrivate my carpal-tunnel after a few hours of work.

I don't know if you have a big-box hardware store like a Home Depot or Lowes, but if you can find a place that has many to choose from go and play with several models and see what feels OK. Pick one up and carve an imaginary log and see how it feels. Carry it around the store a bit and see how long it takes to get heavy.

And, when you do finally pick one out, get some good gloves and a face shield.

Good luck. Post lots of pictures. Keep us updated.