As one of the major parts of the chainsaw, the cutting chain has an important impact on productivity and health risk in motor-manual harvesting. The efficiency of cross cutting and quantity of sawdust produced in relation to different cutting chain settings, chain producers and wood species has been measured. The trial was set up to include two tree species (fir and beech) and saw chains from two different producers. The chains were filed at three different top plate filing angles and depth height gauges. All factors were significant in terms of cutting efficiency and wood dust production. The top plate angle recommended by producers proved to be the most efficient, with the smallest quantity of inhalable wood dust. Cutting chain settings can be adapted to the specific requirements of the user; however, safe working practices should be followed. Significant differences between chain producers mean that users should conduct rational decision making when choosing a saw chain.

Recently, electrical cordless chainsaws were introduced, which provide less harmful working conditions for the operators, and should therefore be deployed as much as possible in all non-professional and professional applications. The low power of the electric engines may result in lower efficiency and higher energy consumption in the case of over-tensioned chains, due to increased friction between the saw and the chain. Therefore, a partial factorial experiment with one factor on three levels (saw type) and two factors on two levels was designed, whereby a wooden beam was cross-cut at two levels of chain sharpness and tension. The time of cross-cutting and energy consumption were controlled. The chain tension does not have a significant effect onto time of cross cutting, or electricity consumption. Both have cross-cutting and energy consumption have been found to differ significantly when comparing the saws used in the experiment. The average efficiency of cross cutting using electrical chainsaws reported is 2.35 times lower than when using petrol powered saws. The lower efficiency is caused by the lower engine power of electrical saws, and lower speed of chain rotation. Energy consumption and time of cross cutting are significantly higher when using a blunt chain, with large differences in time of cross cutting and electricity consumption, making the chain sharpness the most important of all controlled factors. In the study, we did not find evidence that over tensioning of the chain increases the time of cross cutting or energy consumption, however the integration of such systems is recommended because of the worker’s safety.

This study presents the effects of using a battery-powered chainsaw on work efficiency and ergonomics under real conditions during timber harvesting. The study was conducted during the felling and processing of coniferous and deciduous trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 13 cm to 78 cm using both a petrol-powered and battery-powered chainsaw. The results include comparisons of time composition, work efficiency, psychophysical workload, and noise exposure. Heart rate and noise exposure were measured over ten days as part of a time study using the Husqvarna 543 XP petrol-powered chainsaw and the Husqvarna 540i HP battery-powered chainsaw. The comparison of the time composition between the chainsaws used showed 3%–4% differences in the duration of productive time operations and 16% in service time. The difference in work efficiency during the productive time between the two chainsaws was statistically insignificant, but generally higher when working with the battery-powered chainsaw than with the petrol-powered chainsaw. During the main productive time, the work efficiency was 9.89 min/t for the petrol-powered chainsaw and 9.44 min/t for the battery-powered chainsaw. The psychophysical workload of the feller was lower when using the battery-powered chainsaw than when using the petrol-powered chainsaw as the relative working heart rates during the entire productive time was 32.5% for the battery-powered chainsaw and 35.0% for the petrol-powered chainsaw. The noise exposure of the workers was lower when using a battery-powered chainsaw, namely 6.0 dB(A) and 0.4 dB(C) compared to the use of a petrol-powered chainsaw. The results of this paper indicate that battery-powered chainsaws can compete with petrol chainsaws in harvesting conditions that are currently considered unsuitable due to the large volume of trees.