BS Power Has a Wide Range of Products
BS Power offers a variety of products, from trimmers to brush cutters to chainsaws and blowers. Their chainsaws, in particular, offer a great advantage to those who are looking to do some tree felling professionally or domestically. Stihl chainsaws are efficient power tools that come in handy when dealing with root rot, gathering firewood or simply redecorating the landscape. If you’re looking to buy a chainsaw or any Stihl product for that matter, then read this article to understand why these products are indisputably useful for tree felling and other tasks.
BS Power offers many STIHL products for any Do-It-Yourself gardener or professional landscaper who requires robust tools to get the job done. With equipment like this, it’s efficient, easy and even enjoyable working with trees. And, as you probably already know, these products are incredibly affordable considering the quality assurance that you get. When it comes to Stihl products, BS Power tends to receive many questions about chainsaws, so let’s walk you through the basic operational and technical issues concerned with chainsaw safety and operation.
Chainsaw Operation and Safety
A chainsaw is a portable cutting machine that can cut through timber by virtue of its sharp, rotating ‘teeth’ – the saw blades or ‘teeth’ move in a circular motion, and they are operated by an electric motor. Depending on the type of job you’re doing, you should pick a chainsaw that you feel comfortable with as these machines can be dangerous when the operator is unsure of how to handle them. Chainsaws deserve proper care and they need to be purchased with a specific intention in mind.
Before getting started, the chainsaw needs to be scanned for any issues. The operator, before switching the engine on, should check that there are no loose parts or bolts and that these different parts are properly lubricated, as rust can damage the machine and force it to work inefficiently. The operator should also check that the chain has the right amount of tension, and that the teeth are sharp because blunt teeth and a slack chain will cause problems and prolong the job at hand.
Finally, the operator should always ensure that the area in which they’re working is clear of any obstacles and that all of the relevant safety measures are in place. Chainsaw safety is particularly determined by the use of accessories such as personal protective equipment. The chainsaw handler’s body should be shielded from any flying debris that might escape when the chainsaw is working.
For the feet, it is recommended that operators wear steel toe-cap boots. For the legs, it is preferable that the operator wears trousers with several layers of ballistic nylon material, as this material is strategically designed to prevent the chainsaw from making contact with the operator’s leg. For the hands, gloves are recommended as a good means of protecting the operator from blisters or skin irritation when handling the large and heavy machine.
Furthermore, for the head, it is recommended that all operators wear face protectors, goggles and hard hats. It is also necessary to use earplugs to prevent ear damage in the noise zone. It is always the responsibility of the operator to enforce these kinds of safety measures. These tips and tricks should also be used in conjunction with the Occupational Health and Safety Act if you’re using the chainsaw as an employee.
Safety guards, such as regular maintenance or accessories can also be used. For example, handguards, chain brakes, chain catchers, anti-vibration systems and anti-kickback devices, can also be applied so that the operator remains safe and sound in any scenario. This will prevent any incidents or common injuries from occurring, such as hearing loss, splinters or cuts.
Safety Tips When Handling A Stihl Cape Town Chainsaw
- Clear the area of any obstacles. Make sure that there is nobody nearby. Remove valuable or fragile objects in case the debris of the plant damages them.
- Watch for kickback. When the teeth hit the solid object, or if the chain is too slack, then it might kick. To reduce the chance of kickback, hold the chainsaw firmly and handle it cautiously.
- Ensure that the chain brake is activated. The chainsaw brake stops the movement of the chain if a kickback occurs. This is an important safety feature of a chainsaw.
The Uses of a Chainsaw
Chainsaws are used for a variety of reasons, including tree felling, debranching, limbing and crosscutting. Stihl chainsaws are particularly useful for those in the forestry industry, who have to work with large trees and plants. In these scenarios, it is vital to have the correct tools that can manage the large scope of tasks that foresters and landscapers encounter – as they are often required to work with trees and plants three or four times their size.
Felling
When diseases spread amongst trees and pests multiply, this can cause serious concerns for conservation efforts. Domestically, it can hurt the quality of your garden and interfere with your landscape. Internationally, it can pose threats to food security, economic growth and environmental protection efforts. Threats to trees in the form of pesticides and diseases are frightening because they pose problems for biodiversity and biological control.
Hence, it is important to mitigate the spread of these issues through methods such as tree felling using Stihl Cape Town chainsaws. Tree felling is the process of cutting down a tree using a chainsaw, and it is done for a variety of reasons. Some reasons to fell a tree might be because of old age or root damage. Another reason to fell a tree is for the purpose of preventing the spread of plant disease.
Examples of pests on trees include:
Red spider mites
These small pests are near invisible to most. They suck chlorophyll from leaves and they usually occur in small outbreaks in places with hot and dry conditions. Without chlorophyll, the plant or tree will suffer from a lack of nutrients.
Aphids
Similar to termites, aphids also suck the nutrients out of plants. This prevents reproduction from taking place and causes stagnation in growth. The presence of aphids is usually recognisable by small yellow spots on the leaves. Aphids tend to target areas of new growth on a plant.
Ants
When sucking insects like aphids and red spider mites appear on a plant or tree, they produce lots of honeydew in order to attract ants. These ants, in turn, protect the sap-feeding or sucking insects from predators. Ants will thus proliferate when they find a steady supply of honeydew to eat. However, large infestations of ants can encourage more sap-feeders to reside on your plants and slowly drain them of nutrients.
Carpenter ants
Carpenter ants arrive when a tree is in a state of decay. They excavate tunnels and further damage the sections that are decaying, thereby causing the tree to disintegrate faster. Carpenter ants cause the wood to break down faster, and they present a definite risk to the health of your plants.
Polyphagous shot hole borer
This insect is a massive threat to South African tree species, tree farmers and horticulturalists. Once these insects colonise a tree, their hole-boring habits will damage the phloem and xylem, causing the tree to slowly decomposes without any particular ways to save it. The borer, which is also known as a beetle, carries a fungus known as the Fusarium euwallaceae, which will ultimately kill the tree.
Examples of plant diseases in trees:
Sooty black mould
More commonly known as mildew, this is a black fungus that thrives on plants where there is abundant honeydew. Hence, sooty black mould usually multiplies where there are many sucking-insects present to produce honeydew. Sooty mould often tends to drip onto other surrounding plants and objects. In Cape Town, it is not uncommon to hear that sooty mould tends to collect on cars and even houses too, causing long term damage.
Vachellia xanthroploea canker
This is a common issue with fever trees, also known as acacia trees. It is a fungus infection that creates a moist dark spot on the wood of a tree. Cankers occur when a virus or active pathogen grows on the cambium tissue under the bark of trunk of a tree. Cankers cause a part of the tree bark to sink, crack, discolour and eventually shed off.
When pests cannot be solved by natural insecticides, and plant diseases begin to spread and worsen, then a forester might be called in to resolve the solution by felling the tree. This will keep the diseases or pests from spreading to other neighbouring plants.
Debranching
Debranching is the process of removing tree branches at the point where they connect to the main trunk. Trees often require debranching because their size and growth can interfere with the surroundings if their expansion is not kept under control. For example, when trees grow too quickly they can incline towards power lines. If the power line has a high voltage, there is a high risk that fires, blackouts or power surges can occur and cause infrastructural damage.
Another reason to debranch might be to minimise neighbourly disputes with other residents in your area. Many people use trees as a way to enforce spatial boundaries between neighbouring houses, but if the tree is left to grow freely, then it can cause problems. If a tree surpasses your limited perimeter and encroaches on the adjacent residential space, the overhanging branches and roots could become a source of contention to other property owners. In these scenarios, it is useful to yield a Stihl Cape Town chainsaw and debranch the tree yourself.
Another reason to debranch is for the purpose of gathering firewood. It is always preferable to gather firewood from younger trees as they are smaller and thus more accessible. This makes it much easier to gather the firewood directly, without using up too much time or expending too much energy. If you have trees planted specifically as a source of firewood, then it is a good idea to assess their growth and chop them down or debranch them as often as possible – this will keep them from growing larger than what is manageable.
Available Stihl Cape Town Chainsaws at BS Power
- STIHL MS250 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MS170 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MSA 120 C-BQ CORDLESS CHAINSAW
- STIHL MS382 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MS361 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MSE 141 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MS310 CHAINSAW
- STIHL MSE190 ELECTRIC CHAINSAW
- STIHL MS661 C-M CHAINSAW
Stihl Cape Town chainsaws are good for harvesting wood, cutting firewood, tree felling, debranching and thinning out the wood in many different environments. Whether you need to fell a massive tree in a forest, or simply debranch in your garden, Stihl Cape Town products are affordable, reliable and efficient. With so many options to pick from, you can guarantee that you’ll find the right machine for your unique needs.
