How to Start Every Type of Chainsaw

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How to Start a Gas Chainsaw

The biggest favor you can do for yourself with a gas chainsaw is to follow a regular maintenance schedule, including cleaning the air, fuel and oil filters. “A gas chainsaw that is properly maintained is not hard to start, but most issues arise with that properly maintained part,” says master arborist Lisa Tadewaldt.

Safety precautions: Before you try to start any chainsaw, stay safe by making sure the chain brake is on and that you’ve positioned the saw on the ground. Once it’s running, practice other safety precautions, including:

• Always keep two hands on the chainsaw.
• Wear cut-resistant PPE, including chainsaw chaps and eye and hearing protection.
• Wear long-sleeve shirts and pants to protect yourself from flying debris and hot parts of the chainsaw.
• Do not push your limits. Hire a professional arborist if you’re uncertain of your skills.

Before starting your saw, have the proper fuel on hand, which is a mix of unleaded gas and 2-cycle engine oil, or a ready-made chainsaw fuel mix. Kaustubh Deo, President at Blooma Tree Experts, also recommends using high-octane ethanol-free unleaded gas to optimize performance. And don’t forget to have some bar oil on hand, which is essential for lubricating the bar-chain action.

How to start a gas chainsaw will vary slightly depending on your make and model, so refer to your owner’s manual for directions specific to your saw. In general, when starting a cold engine:

• Check to make sure the saw has enough fuel and bar oil.
• Turn the chain brake off and then back on to make sure it’s properly engaged. You should hear a click when the brake is back on, and the lever should be away from the operator, toward the bar.
• Press the decompression valve on your saw if it has one.
• If your saw has a purge bubble, press it four to eight times and visually check that it is mostly filled with fuel.
• Turn the chainsaw on and put the choke in the on position. Instead of a choke, older saws might have positions for cold start, warm start, run and off. The choke is only needed when the saw engine is cold.
• Get into the proper starting position with the saw on the ground. Bend over with your right foot on the handle to hold the saw down, your left hand on the handle pushing down, and your right hand on the pull-cord handle.
• Pull the cord two or three times. “You will want to first slowly pull out any slack in your pull cord and then pull the pull cord in a short fast pull,” says Tadewaldt. “Pull it once or twice until you hear the chainsaw attempt to start.”
• Then turn off the choke or put it in the warm start position so you don’t flood the saw. If you have a decompression button, press it one more time to “burp” the saw.
• Pull the cord in a short, fast motion until it starts.
• Once started, pull in the throttle to put the saw in idle mode before moving it to your cutting position.

How to Start a Gas Chainsaw If It’s Flooded

A flooded chainsaw means the carburetor has been filled with too much gas. “The only way to flood the saw is to leave the choke on too long,” says Tadewaldt.

If you’ve flooded it, Tadewaldt recommends taking off the air filter and waiting for the fuel to evaporate and the filter to dry.

You can also try laying the saw on its side for a while with the air cover off, says Deo. “It basically needs to breathe for a bit so that there isn’t such a rich mix in the carburetor,” he says.

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How to Start a Battery Chainsaw

Starting an electric chainsaw that runs on a battery is much simpler than starting a gas-powered one. “There’s no need to fuss with refueling or mixing oil before you start your job, no exhaust while you work and no pull cord or choke to keep the engine running,” says Landon Schulteis, a design engineer at Toro.

Another bonus of battery-powered chainsaws is that there’s less to maintain. But you’ll still need to use bar oil to lubricate the chain, keep it sharpened and adjust the chain tension. Otherwise, the biggest task is keeping your batteries charged and healthy by not storing them in freezing temperatures or extreme heat.

Safety precautions: Though electric chainsaws are simpler to start than gas ones, they are just as dangerous, so you’ll want to follow the same safety precautions, including:

• Keep two hands on it at all times,
• Avoid unstable stances and slippery surfaces (including ladders),
• Wear protective clothing, including eye and hearing protection,
• Don’t cut anything until the saw is up to speed,
• Cut toward the rear of the bar, not with the tip, and
• Be careful of spring-back, especially while cutting limbs under tension. If you’re buying an electric chainsaw, look for one like Toro’s, with a chain-brake that automatically stops the chain rotation if the saw kicks back.

A few more safety precautions, specifically for electric chainsaws:

• Keep your hands on the designated handles, which are insulated to prevent electric shock.
• Don’t use the saw in damp or wet situations.
• Check the motor periodically for overheating. If it feels hot, stop and let it cool off.

How to start a battery-powered chainsaw varies between manufacturers, but in general:

• Make sure your battery is charged and installed properly.
• Ensure the chain is not touching anything.
• Push down the start button and pull the trigger.
• If your model has a chain brake, engage it before starting and after cutting.

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How to Start a Corded Chainsaw

Corded electric chainsaws start and operate just like battery-powered ones, except that they have a cord, which needs to be plugged into a power source. That adds a few extra safety precautions to keep in mind, including:

• Be mindful of the cord while cutting with and carrying the saw, and especially don’t nick or cut the cord, yank it or get it wet.
• Use a heavy-duty extension cord (at least #10-3 wire, and no longer than 50 feet), because these electric motors are powerful, requiring between 10 and 20 amps.
• If the motor feels hot, stop and let it cool off. It might be overheating if you’re using too light or long of an extension cord (which is making the voltage too low), or if your chain is dull or you’re applying too much pressure.

About the Experts

• Lisa Tadewaldt is an International Society of Arboriculture board-certified master arborist. She has worked in residential tree care in the Portland, Oregon, area for the last 24 years, and is the founder and owner at Urban Forest Pro.
• Kaustubh Deo is President at Blooma Tree Experts, a tree care company in the Greater Seattle area, with 17-plus years of service to more than 6,000 homeowners.
• Landon Schulteis is a design engineer at Toro, with a decade of experience creating electrical equipment for various industries and applications.