1 ESSENTIAL
HEAD SAFETY /
Protect your head,
eyes, and ears from
noise and debris
with this Husqvarna
Functional Forest
helmet ($57). You
might feel self-
conscious at first,
but you’ll get over
that when a thorny
branch rakes over
the face screen and
you escape unhurt.2 SUPERIOR
BUG PROTEC-
TION / Using
permethrin-based
tick repellent trans-
forms your clothing
into a bug-free zone.
It repels ticks and
other pests; if they
stay around, it can
kill them. I like Saw-
yer’s Premium Insect
Repellent ($8.95).3 NEVER LEAVE HOME
WITHOUT / The surest
way to keep a saw blade
from being pinched in a log
is to insert a plastic wedge
behind the bar. The Timber
Tuff Felling Wedge ($20 for
two) can withstand being
pounded into the saw kerf,
but the plastic won’t dull the
chain if you hit one with the
saw chain. These are also
great for felling: Pound them
into the cut, urging the tree
to topple./ If you want a4 THE BEST CHAIN SHARPENER (FOR
BEGINNERS) / A dull chain won’t cut
through a rose bush. Keeping it sharp can
be an onerous chore, but Stihl’s 2-in-1 Filing
Guide ($35) makes it ridiculously easy. It
simultaneously files the front of the saw
tooth and levels the depth gauge behind it.
You get a perfectly tuned chain, every time.With gas saws, determining power
is easy—just look at the engine size,
measured in cubic centimeters, or
cc. It’s trickier with batter y-powered
saws because there are two ways the
motor can arrive at its output, mea-
sured in voltage and amps.
A saw’s electric motor can draw
more amps (current) at a lower volt-
age or fewer amps at a higher voltage.
Both can produce the same end
power result in watts: amps x volts =
watts. Consider the Stihl saw in this
amps-volt argument. It won with
only 36 volts, one of the fewest in the
test. Another very capable competi-
tor, the Milwaukee, has only 18.
The electrically knowledgeable
will argue that more voltage is pref-
erable. Current is what causes
heat, and relying on more current
(amps) to get the job done will create
increased heat, which can shorten
the life of electrical components.
Now, it is also possible to design the
motor, the switch circuit, and bat-
tery to withstand that higher current
f low. This is exactly the path Stihl
took. But that careful engineering
costs money, driving up prices; the
Stihl is the most expensive saw in
this test.
So which is better, amps or volts?
Based on our testing, and consider-
ing cost, it’s a draw. The low-voltage
Stihl is a winner, but there are sev-
eral great low-amp alternatives that
cost much less. As long as you keep
your chain sharp and use your saw
properly, you’ll be happy with either.KNOW YOUR AMPS FROM VOLTS
COURTESY (GEAR PRODUCTS)
September 2019 77