NOT ANY MORE. While the quietestchainsaws are not exactly silent,we’ve found some that are quiet

enough that the operator need not wearhearing protection, and we’ve found a qualitysaw that is quieter than the quietest gas poweredlawn mower we’ve ever tested.

NPC is testing and promoting quieter chainsaws as partof our expanded Quiet Lawns Project. (See our QuietLawns Special Report where we examine the noise levels ofmore than 70lawnmowers.) As weexpand the number andtypes of lawn equipmenttested, we are startingwith chainsaws, becausefor years the chainsawhas been the poster childfor noise. By showingthat chainsaws can bequieted, we show thatalmost anything can bequieted.

Secondly, we’retesting chainsaws because we want to balance our projectsbetween rural, suburban, and urban noise. Testingchainsaws expands the scope of our Quiet Lawns Project torural areas, since chainsaws have a significant impact on therural soundscape.

Finally, we’re testing chainsaws because theyare no longer solely the tools of lumberjacksand loggers. Chainsaws are found in moreand more garages; their noise is found in moreand more neighborhoods. There are probablymore than 30 million chainsaws used in the US.More than three million chainsaws are sold inthe US each year. The NationalGardening Association reportsthat 5.7 million new and usedchainsaws were sold last year.If there aren’t any chainsaws inyour neighborhood right now,

Is a Quiet Chainsaw an Oxymoron?

they will be coming soon. There aren’tthree million loggers in the United

States; there are slightly more than100 million households in the United

States. The people buyingchainsaws today don’t need gassaws. There is no reason electricchainsaws, which are currentlyabout 10% of the market,couldn’t be 80% of the market.

The demand for chainsaws willcontinue to increase as more and more homeowners areusing them for lawn maintenance and clean-up. In addition,with oil prices at the highest levels since the energy crises ofthe 1970s, many households are turning or returning towood as an energy source. Newer EPA certified stoveswhich burn much cleaner than the older ones and the factthat wood is a renewable fuel with no net carbon dioxideemissions are also driving this trend. The increased demandfor chainsaws, combined with falling prices for chainsaws,make their noise which was once limited to wooded ruralareas, now much more common in suburbs too.

Chainsaw Safety and Hearing Protection Often Forgotten

Chainsaws are a remarkably powerful tool, but they comewith a number of drawbacks, and noise is just one of them.A chainsaw in the hands of a careless, inexperienced, or tired

operator can be very dangerous. Approximately28,000 to 40,000 people per year require

emergency treatment for injuries from usingchainsaws. So we are beginning our report

on chainsaw noise with a brief look atchainsaw safety and hearing health,

because the best way to quiet a neighborhoodis to get the people who shouldn’t be using a

chainsaw in the first place not to use them. The graphic from the Consumer Products Safety

Commission (CPSC) shows chainsaws can cut up flesh aswell as wood. And when a moving chain meets a human-being, the results are not small flesh wounds. Chainsaw

Chainsaws are comingout of the woods. Infact, most of the threemillion-plus chainsawssold this year will neversee the woods, let alonetravel more than acouple hundred feetfrom the garage.

Summer 2005

2

wounds require an average of 110 stitches. Hearing lossfrom chainsaws, since it does not result in a trip to theemergency room, is not reported on this graphic. Fatalitiesare not reported either. As you look at the graphic,remember that both hearing loss and fatalities do occur.

Gas powered chainsaws measured by NPC ranged from106 to 117 dBA at the operator’s ear. The EPA and WorldHealth Organization recommend daily unprotected exposureto 106 decibels be less than 23 seconds; to 117 decibels, lessthan 2 seconds (assuming no other noise exposure for therest of the day). Not a lot of wood can be cut in 2 seconds,or even 23 for that matter. Chainsaws have been the posterchild of noise because they have been very, very loud.

Electric chainsaws (excluding battery powered ones)ranged from 90 to 102 dBA at the operator’s ear. The NoisePollution Clearinghouse recommends the use of hearingprotection be used when 85 dBA is exceeded for anyextended period of time. Although the electric chainsawshave significantly lower community noise levels, the shortdistance between the saw and the person’s ear, compared toa lawnmower, for example, where the engine is five to sixfeet away, makes hearing protection necessary.

Fatalities from chainsaws themselves are less commonthan fatalities due to trees or branches striking the chainsawoperator. According to a Minnesota study “90 percent ofthe chainsaw deaths resulted from trees or branches fallingon operators as they used a chainsaw.” Nevertheless, thescientific literature on the subject contains graphic depictionsand photos of chainsaw kickback injuries to the neck,severing carotid and jugular blood vessels and resulting infatalities.

The chainsaw is actually cheap compared to the full costof proper safety attire for chainsaw operation. The totalcost of a chainsaw safety package is $350-$400 (10 timesthe cost of the cheapest saws we tested, twice as much as thebest electric saw we tested, and equivalent to a high-end gaspowered saw). One very important reason chainsaw noise isbecoming more common is that people are purchasing therelatively cheap chainsaw and not the necessary safety items.No one should be operating a chainsaw, quiet or noisy,without the following. Included in the list are a number ofchainsaw safety products we tested and liked:

• Proper training on how to use the equipment.

• Head, Hearing, Face Protection— a hardhat, combinedwith a mesh visor or shield and earmuffs (earmuffs arepreferable to earplugs because they also provide someprotection to the outer ear). We used three hardhat/screen/earmuff combinations. When it comes to hearingprotection, we recommend you select the mostcomfortable quality hardhat/hearing protectioncombination. That will change from individual toindividual. The most important thing about hearingprotection is that it be worn. If additional hearing

protection is needed for very loud noises, earplugs can beworn with earmuffs for double protection. • Elvex ProGuard CU-20R— $48.• Husqvarna Pro Forest Helmet System— $50.• Peltor Logger— $50.

• Eye Protection—safety glasses with wrap-around lenses orside shields (the mesh visor on the helmet is faceprotection but not eye protection). • Goggles— $5.

• Upper Body Protection—cut resistant ballistic nylon orKevlar lined vest or shirt.• ProVest JE-50— Lightweight, well ventilated, and

comfortable. $78

• Leg Protection—either safety pants that have cut resistantballistic nylon or Kevlar sewn into the whole front of thepants or chaps that have cut resistant ballistic nylon orKevlar leg pads that strap over work pants.• Elvex ProChaps JE-9436— $100.• Husqvarna Pro Forest Wrap Chaps —We liked the

Husqvarna chaps slightly more than the Elvex becausethey wrapped around the lower leg. Otherwise theywere very similar, and Elvex makes chaps that do wraparound the lower leg too. $90.

• Foot Protection—boots with a steel toe, non slip soles,and Kevlar protection in the front similar to safety pantsor chaps.• Cove Chainsaw Boot is a very comfortable Kevlar-

lined, steel toed work boot. The Kevlar lining is veryimportant because foot injuries tend to occur rightbehind the steel toe of traditional work boots. $300,although Kevlar lined boots are available for about$150.

• Hand Protection—chainsaw gloves or mitts to protecthands from injury; they should have added safety paddingon the back of the left hand.

Head Injuries: 3,418

Upper Body Area: 2,141

Arm and Hand Area: 17,994

Leg Area: 16,348

Foot Area: 2,885

U.S. Product Safety Commission

Accident and frequency asrelated to chain saw use (1994)

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• Husqvarna’s work gloves with Kevlar padding workedquite well. $20.

• Shock protection for electric chainsaws—Ground Fault protected extension cord. $36.

It is important to remember that chainsaw safetyequipment is like seatbelts to a car. The equipment doesn’tmean that accidents and injuries won’t happen, just asseatbelts don’t mean car accidents and injuries won’thappen.

Tree work is among the most hazardous professions,according to John Ball, Professor of Forestry, South DakotaState University. “You are three times more likely to bekilled on the job as a tree worker than as a police officer orfirefighter. The odds of being killed or seriously injured inany year are about one in 120.” That is for an industrywhere workers are professionals covered by OSHAregulations and insurance requirements concerningprotective clothing, procedures, and training.

Homeowners generally lack the training, experience, andsafety equipment of the professional. There won’t be threemillion chaps, hardhats with visors and earmuffs, vests, andboots sold this year. And it is unfortunate. Using achainsaw requires hearing protection, eye protection, headprotection, upper body protection, leg protection, footprotection, and hand protection.

The Advantages and Limitations of Electric Chainsaws

The quietest chainsaws are electric. Electric saws don’thave the same cutting speed of high performance gaspowered ones, and are of little use tothe logger in the woods. They areideal, however, for the homeowner whooccasionally uses a chainsaw. Themore powerful electric chainsaws arealso sufficient for people seeking to cut(buck up) their own firewood. Theyare in general 10 decibels quieter thangas powered chainsaws, or half as loud,with some being 20-30 dBA quieter, or1/4 to 1/8 as loud.

Most residential uses of chainsawsare an extension cord away from anelectric outlet. Residential uses areinfrequent enough that a slower cuttingelectric chainsaw is quite sufficient.And running an extension cord is muchless inconvenient than driving to thegas station for gas, the hardware storefor oil, mixing the two, and spillingsome of each on your newly recoateddriveway.

Electric chainsaws also are much cleaner and environ-mentally friendly than gas powered ones, in terms of noise,other pollutants, and energy use. That gas and oil spilledonto the driveway will add to the volatile organiccompounds (VOCs) in our atmosphere. Two-cycle engineslike those on chainsaws, trimmers, and leafblowers areamong the dirtiest internal combustion engines, emittinglarge amounts of unburned gas and oil. Carbon monoxide,toxins, carcinogens, and greenhouse gases are all emitted bytwo-cycle engines.

In addition to harming the environment, these pollutantsdirectly impact the operator, who is basically working withhis or her face near the exhaust stream of an internalcombustion engine. In 1999-2000, the National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigated theexposure of foresters to chainsaw exhaust at the TurnbullNational Wildlife Refuge in Cheney, Washington. NIOSHinvestigators concluded that exposure to carbon monoxideand carboxyhemoglobin levels in foresters exceeded thelimits recommended by NIOSH.

Electric chainsaws do not have emissions for the operatorto inhale. Emissions related to electric chainsaws occurredat the power plant, and while power plants are not clean,they are much cleaner and more efficient than two-cycleengines, and much farther removed from the operator’slungs. As a result, electric chainsaws can be used indoors, inworkshops and basements.

Electric chainsaws have a significant weight advantageover gas powered ones, need less servicing and maintenance,are easier to use, and are less expensive. The smaller, lighter-weight electric saws are ideal for those who don’t have alogger’s biceps and forearms. Electric chainsaws are also agood choice for those who don’t religiously remove old gas

from the tank before storing the sawfor long periods of time. With nospark plugs to foul or carburetors toadjust, electric chainsaws require lessmaintenance and less service, and startwith the first pull of a finger. There’sno worry about throwing out yourshoulder trying to start the electricpowered chainsaw. And since electricsaws often cost hundreds of dollars lessthan gas ones, purchasers will have lotsof money to buy the needed safetyequipment. Gas saws run from $100-$600, while electrics run from$40-$200.

Some of the time an electric sawsaves (maintaining them, going to thegas station, and going to the repairshop for tune-ups) will be lost whilecutting wood. Consumer Reportsnotes that electric saws took 2-4 timesas long to cut wood as the fastest

Electric wood splitter.

Country Home Products makesan electric 4-Ton DR® WoodSplitter remarkable for its quietand splitting ability (there is also a6-ton version available if you’resplitting larger diameter wood).We tested the splitter on a cord offirewood. It is much quieter than atypical gas engine, and we werevery happy with its performance.It measured 59 dBA at 25 feet,one-half to one quarter as loud asa typical gas engine at the samedistance. And like other electricequipment, it can be used ingarages, sheds, workshops, andbasements. The four-ton splittercost about $450.

4

cutting gas powered saw they tested (the Husqvarna 345 atabout $300). Consumer Reports did not test the fastestcutting electric chainsaws (the Husqvarna 316 and theMakita UC 4000), however. Our expert judged thesesuperior to the low-end gas powered saws. Moreover, forthe homeowner with either a high-end electric or low-endgas model, the sharpness of the chain is more important thanthe motor type in terms of cutting speed. Extra cutting timecan complicate the noise issue if the duration of the noiseoutweighs the intensity of it. It is important not to purchasean electric saw that is too small for the job. Bucking upfirewood, for example, requires the best electric chainsawsand the understanding that high performance is more thanjust cut speed, but also means not breathing toxic andcarcinogenic fumes, and not blasting the neighborhood withnoise.

Safety features on electric chainsaws vary (and tend toincrease with cost), and NPC was unable to find good dataon the safety record of electric vs. gas powered chainsaws.We also did not find good data on the issue of electric shock.All the chainsaws we tested were double insulated and ULlisted. Nevertheless, NPC used a ground fault protectedextension cord for all tests, which seemed like a very sensibleprecaution given the lack of data.

Finally, with 18” and shorter bars, electric chainsaws arenot going to be used to cut large trees. Since most chainsawrelated fatalities occur while cutting down trees, cuttingdown medium to large trees is best left to professionalsanyway. In the case where a quieter electric chainsaw isused to fell a tree, a spotter’s warning would more likely beheard by the operator over the noise of an electric chainsawthan a gas powered one, making the operation slightly safer.

NPC Chainsaw Test Results

NPC conducted noise tests in the winter of 2004-2005.Fifteen electric and four gas powered saws were tested.Noise levels were measured at the operator’s ear todetermine hearing protection recommendations, and at 25 feet to gauge the impact of the noise on the community.Each saw was also ranked in terms of the quality of its cut.

Of the chainsaws we tested, two stand out as exceptionalquality saws, and remarkably, they were also the quietest(except for two small battery powered ones we tested): TheHusqvarna 316 was rated the quietest and the Makita UC4000 won the highest subjective cut rating. The Husqvarnaalso finished a very close second to the Makita for cutquality. The Husqvarna’s 71 dBA at 25 feet was remarkablefor being the quietest corded saw we tested. At 71 dBA, itwas 20–30 dBA less than gas powered saws. Both of thesesaws were exceptional because of their cut and noise level.

The Husqvarna and Makita are of a very different designthan the rest of the saws we tested. Most electric saws aredirect drive, meaning an electric motor is placed on the sideof the chainsaw and directly powers the chain. They looklike a circular saw motor bolted onto a chainsaw. TheHusqvarna and Makita use an inline (and in many casessmaller) motor in the handle of the saw. Gears direct thepower to the chain. The gearing takes better advantage ofthe characteristics of electric motors to provide improvedperformance.

The inline saws have significantly less cooling fan noisethan the direct drive saws. For the inline saws, the noise ofthe chain going around the bar is the dominant noise source,which is quite a remarkable achievement. For the directdrive saws, the dominant noise is the motor/fan. For gaspowered chainsaws, the dominant noise is the engine,including exhaust and valve noise.

NPC chain saw test on a farm near Hardwick, Vermont.

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The electric motor of the Husqvarna 316 (indicated byarrow), like the Makita UC4000 (not pictured), is in thehandle of the saw. These saws are more powerful, quieter,and more expensive than the direct drive saws whose motorsare perpendicular to the length of the saw.

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Subjective Cut Test

NPC’s ranking is the subjective impression of the testteam concerning the quality of the saw and cut. It isimportant not to put too much weight on these findings. A saw with a chain that needed sharpening jumped fivepositions in our test after it was sharpened. It is clear that aless powerful and less expensive saw with a well maintainedchain is superior to a more powerful and expensive saw witha poorly maintained chain. In most cases, how often yousharpen the chain will have more to do with yoursatisfaction than which saw you choose. All of the cordedsaws are sufficient for occasional suburban uses.

We’ve ranked the chainsaws into four classes based ontheir cutting performance: exceptional cutting quality, sawsfor the typical user, small chainsaws, and battery poweredchainsaws.

Our Picks

Exceptional Cutting Quality Saws: For the quietest powerfulsaw you can’t beat the Husqvarna 316. Only the batterypowered chainsaws (with a 4.5” bar) were quieter. TheMakita UC 4000 is also an excellent choice, with only theHusqvarna and the battery powered chainsaws beingquieter. Both these saws are good choices for someonewho bucks up their own firewood, who uses it for morethan cleaning up the occasional wind damage, whoappreciates the quietest tools, or who is a tool snob thatwants the best. The Poulan Pro and the Poulan 3.5 HP16” chainsaws were close in our subjective cut test, andwhile significantly quieter than gas powered chainsaws,were also significantly louder than the Husqvarna andMakita. They were also more than $100 less expensive.

Saws for the Typical User: These chainsaws didn’t performquite as well as the first four, but don’t cost as mucheither. The Remington 3 HP and the Troybilt werequieter than the Poulans and Craftsmans. Electroluxmakes both the Poulans and the Craftsmans, and they arequite similar, although the bars were slightly different.The differences seem to be a matter of preference. Weliked the cut of the Poulans slightly better than theequivalent Craftmans, although the Craftsmans’ chainswere easier to adjust.

Small Chainsaws: For occasional use, the Remington 1.5 HPsaw performed well in the noise test. If you are shoppingfor a small saw, however, it might make more sense tobuy the Remington Pole Saw. It can reach branches 10-15 feet overhead. The Pole Saw can also be operated as aregular chainsaw. Unfortunately, the Remington Pole Sawwas significantly noisier than the other smaller saws.

Battery Powered Chainsaws: The Neuton battery poweredsaw is a quite remarkable innovation. It is quiet enoughthat hearing protection is probably not needed. And its18 volt battery is powerful enough to be an excellent toolfor cleaning up small branches (it has a 4.5 inch bar). Weshowed this saw to several lawn service owners whothought it would be an excellent addition to their trucks,since it would eliminate the need to carry (and start up) alarge saw just to clean up small branches, and would savetime and money. The Makita 12 Volt had noticeably lesspower compared to the Neuton, but it comes with a polesaw extension, and its increased versatility as a pole sawmore than compensates for its slower cutting speed. TheMakita was also quieter than the Neuton. It also coststwice as much.

Best Buys: The McCulloch 1.5 HP was the quietest saw forunder $50. The Remington 3.5 HP and the Troybilt 3.5were the quietest saws for under $100. The best buy in

In the foreground, chainsaws are lined up in terms of subjec-tive cut. In the background, NPC’s Executive Director mod-els chainsaw safety equipment including Husqvarna hardhatand hearing protection, Elvex vest, Husqvarna gloves,Husqvarna chaps, and Cove boots.

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terms of an aggregate of price, noise, and cut ratings wasthe Poulan 2 HP. The best buy in terms of noise and cutratings was the Husqvarna 316. The best buy for abattery powered chainsaw was the Neuton.

About the Chainsaw TestOur test team consisted of a Vermont logger/farmer and

his staff who cut an average of 175 cords of wood eachyear; a Vermont farmer/writer who cuts about seven cords ofwood a year; a chainsaw toting acoustical expert withResource Systems Group (a noise consulting firm); andNPC’s Executive Director. Tests were conducted whilecutting hardwood (maple) firewood. Noise measurements

were made at the operator’s ear and at 25 feet, under bothload (cutting) and no load conditions. Ear measurementswere made using a 10-second Leq and maximum level, while25 foot measurements reflect maximum levels. Eachchainsaw was subjectively ranked in terms of cuttingperformance by the team. Then each chainsaw was retestedin order of ranking to confirm the subjective cut determi-nations by each tester. All but two chainsaws were testedfresh out of the box with new chains. The Husqvarna 316and Remington 1.5 were used for approximately one hourprior to testing. This dulled the blades and allowed us todetermine the importance of blade condition on the tests.The Husqvarna chain was then sharpened and reevaluated.

Chain Saw Noise Levels

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Electric

Gas

Gas

Gas

Gas

Makita

Neuton

Husquavarna

Makita

McCulloch

Remignton

Remington

Troybuilt

Poulan

Craftsman

Poulan

Remington

Craftsman

Poulan

Poulan

Husquvarna

Pouland

Jonserud

Jonserud

Battery

Battery

316

UC4000

Pole

Saw

Pro

261

2775

Turbo

2171

1.5

3

1.5

3.5

2

2.5

3.5

1.25

3.5

4

3

$198

$100

$229

$199

$40

$85

$55

$90

$50

$50

$80

$110

$80

$100

$60

61

67

71

77

79

80

81

82

86

86

87

87

86

87

86

88

92

98

97

79

83

90

92

94

98

96

95

100

101

97

98

97

98

99

102

107

111

110

81

84

92

95

98

99

99

98

102

102

100

101

99

101

101

109

114

114

79

82

92

93

95

97

93

94

96

97

98

97

98

98

97

106

109

115

112

80

83

94

95

96

100

95

97

99

97

101

99

101

102

100

112

117

116

Fuel Model Cost

25 footno

loadLmax(dBA)

Operatorwith load Leq

(dBA)

Operatorwith load

Lmax(dBA)

Operatorno

load Leq

(dBA)

Operatorno

loadLmax(dBA)HPBrand

15

14

2

1

13

10

11

5

6

9

4

12

8

3

7

61

66

71

75

77

78

79

80

81

81

81

81

83

83

84

86

85

91

NA

SubjectiveCut

Rank

25 footwith load

Lmax(dBA)