Top-handled chainsaws
A résumé of what’s available.
Times have moved on a bit since I started working for a tree surgeon in the 1970s. Although for the bigger cuts to be made aloft we used the Husqvarna chainsaws that also saw service on the ground and in the forest, most of the cutting in the crowns was done with the little Poulans. Lime-green in col- our and sporting 11-inch bars and ¼-inch chains, the Poulans were, we thought, essentially hobby-saws the boss had picked up cheap. Nevertheless, they were light, well balanced and could take a strop on the rear handle without hampering the throttle control and did a lot of valuable work – for the boss, anyway. (Left) Stihl MS200T

I did, after a while, make an investment in the new Husqvarna 181 when it appeared, and also in a smaller Sachs-Dolmar saw for the tree surgery. Dolmar, I knew, was a company well respected as a chainsaw builder. The saw I bought (for less than £100) turned out to be exactly the same as the Poulans, except for the red colour and a plastic front hand guard; it almost certainly came from the same factory.

Even with the comparatively recent appearance of top-handled chainsaws, things have not changed so much then: check out the specifications of Makita’s German-built DCS3400TH and they are surprisingly similar to those of Dolmar’s PS3410-TH. The two companies are, after all, financially linked. As it happens, the front hand guard is a legal requirement for a chainsaw in Europe at the moment, although, somewhat surprisingly, a chain- brake is not. If, however, the saw you use was designed and manufactured with a chain-brake (as they all
are nowadays), then that item has to be fitted and in properly working order.

When it comes to technical jargon, ‘default’ is the word in vogue at the moment when it comes to discussing the rights and wrongs and the ‘dos and don’ts’ of safe working practices. The ‘default’ personal protective equipment for the use of a chainsaw – any chainsaw – includes a glove or a mitt that carries that specific little chainsaw logo that indicates that a small part of the left hand is guarded, to some extent, from chain cuts. Fortunately, the risk of injury to the back of the left hand is relegated to second place in favour of the undoubted
safety benefits of the fingers’ sense of touch whilst working suspended in the crown of a tree. A couple of fumbling errors with karabiners, knots or strops can be extremely costly at height, so the ‘default’ is discarded and the gloves, quite rightly, come off.

The ‘default rule’ applies to the top-handled chainsaw as well. Unless conditions specifically require its single-handed use (and the operator makes a conscious decision to use it that way) the ‘default’ is to hold the saw with both handles whilst cutting. The current AFAG guide from HSE notes: “Top-handled chainsaws have two handles. To maintain proper control of the saw you must, wherever possible, grip both handles. Poor work positioning in the tree is not an acceptable reason for one-handed use.”

The requirement for the top-handled chainsaw to have a dedicated strop attachment point does not mean the saw should always be attached to the operator; although again this is the ‘default’ option. If the operator deems there is a risk of the saw jamming and being taken down with the severed material, he should temporarily remove the strop to prevent possible injury to himself. Unfortunately, there may be the temptation to use the free hand afforded by the top-handled chain- saw for purposes other than maintaining a safe and comfortable working position. The AFAG guide is quite unequivocal in its view that the free hand should never hold material as it is being cut. In our industry, various safety councils have appeared and disappeared since I started work, and I make no apology for commending the current AFAG guides to tree workers – they are considerably more practical and precise than previous similar UK publications. One of our technological advances, in those early days, was to move on from the Poulans to the lightweight Stihls for work aloft. The introduction of the top-handled saws, many years later, may be seen as a major move forward on the but all are keen to point out the less obvious developments in the latest saws available.

Echo’s new top-handled saw, the CS-260TES (26.9cc engine and standard 25cm bar), on sale to trained tree service operators only, is now available. The suggested retail price (SRP) of the CS-260TES is £299 (+ VAT). Also new from Echo is the larger CS-350TES top-handled
chainsaw. Equipped with a 35.8cc two-stroke engine and 35cm bar, the saw weighs just 3.4kg. It has an SRP of £329 (+ VAT). In addition to many anti-vibration improvements, chain lubrication is now by means of a clutch-driven oil pump. The pump is ‘operatoradjustable’, and the working life of the bar and chain has thus been prolonged. Another feature on the newer Echo models is a digitally controlled CDI (Capacitor Discharge Ignition) system with electronic-timing advancer. Although similar systems are common on many saws, this is new to Echo. The automatically- advanced ignition timing results in considerable increases to both
engine power and performance. For example, whilst at 1500rpm ignition is 12° before ‘top dead centre’, at 7500rpm it is advanced to 29°. All Echo products have a two year professional use warranty.

Countax Ltd 01844 278800
Emak of Italy manufactures both Efco and Oleo-Mac chainsaws. The Efco dealership network in the UK is more extensive than that of Oleo- Mac, but while neither brand has yet made a huge impact on the British professional market, each offers two top-handled chainsaws. The Efco 125 (Oleo-Mac 925) is a lightweight 25.4cc, 1.2hp saw fitted with a standard 10-inch bar. A compact, balanced geometry and minimal weight make the saw ideal for professional pruning and maintenance services, according to the manufacturer. Side chain-tensioning and the Efco ‘Easy-on’ starting system ensure ease of use when working at height. The Efco 132S (Oleo-Mac 932C), with its 30.1cc engine (1.6hp) is a machine for both pruning and cutting. The high speed applied to the 3/8 by .050-inch chain ensures clean, precise cutting, and avoids damage to bark and timber. The smaller saw is well suited to professional pruning and maintenance work. In Italy, both brands are favoured for work in olive groves and fruit orchards.
Emak UK Ltd 01543 687660

Husqvarna offers only one top-handled chainsaw in the UK. The 338XPT represents an upgraded edition of its forerunner with an increased compression ratio for more rapid acceleration and increased torque. Higher performance and longer operating times ensure maximum efficiency, and the soft inlays on the handle, a new choke/stop control, and chain tensioning from the side are other improvements aimed at easier operation and a better working environment. The low-weight and teardrop design with flat underside make the 39cc saw easy to manoeuvre. Modifications to the chain-brake guard allow an enhanced view of the guide-bar tip, ensuring improved control whilst in operation. If the weight, excluding cutting equipment, is greater than that of some of its rivals, the power (2.3hp) is well above average too. Husqvarna’s 339XP, whilst not a top-handled chainsaw, has been developed with the arborist in mind. The handles are designed for optimum control and ergonomics, and
with a weight of just 4.0kg the 39cc machine is light, handy and manoeuvrable. Husqvarna’s new automatic Smart Start system makes it the ideal choice for work with frequent starts and stops. With its use on the ground permissible, the rearhandled option is certainly worth
considering for those regularly working from platforms.
Husqvarna 01453 820300

Makita’s DCS230T, at 2.5kg, claims to be the world’s lightest production chainsaw. It is powered by a 22.2cc, two-stroke petrol engine that delivers 1.0hp, and the 25cm long bar carries a 91VG chain for smooth, accurate work. The fully enclosed ignition plug is a valuable safety feature for tree surgeons having to start the saw when above ground in the tree. The
Makita Easy Start system reduces the pull cord load by 40% through the inclusion of a damper spring which is pre-loaded by the pull. When this load is released the spring effectively drives the crankshaft to reduce the total pull cord load requirement. This feature, coupled with the ‘liftup’ type carburettor system, allows idling level starting to prevent the chain running on start-up. Also, still listed as available in the UK is the DCS3400TH. This is the saw with the noted similarities to Dolmar’s PS-3410-TH. The 34cc engine produces almost double the power of the smaller saw and weighs 3.2kg.
Makita UK 01908 211678

Stihl also offers only one top-handled saw to British arborists. The MS200T is the top-handled version of the MS200, itself an adaptation of the 020. A cylinder displacement of 35.2cc produces a power of 2.3hp. Machine weight is 3.5kg and cutting is by the 3/8-inch Picco Micro chain, on a 12-inch to 16-inch bar (manufacturer’s recommendation). Stihl’s ElastoStart system and sidechain tensioning are standard features, along with single lever control and a special filling cap. When it comes to take downs and removals, as opposed to pruning work, the power of the Stihl MS200T has certainly earned itself a worldwide reputation. The top-handled MS192TC-E has not been made available in UK, but the 30.1cc rear-handled MS192C-E, from which it is derived, is certainly a design suitable for the arborist. A very light clutch, flywheel and cylinder give a low overall weight (it is in fact lighter than the MS200T at 3.3kg) and reduce gyratory forces. This saw would be ideally suited for use from a platform – where single-handed use of a saw should be minimal anyway – and the rearhandle configuration allows for the fitment of a longer guide bar and also permits use on the ground. The ergonomic design, with the front hand space almost recessed into the body, will make it handy for ropework as well.
Stihl 01267 20202

The rules and regulations governing the sale of top-handled chainsaws in the UK, and the consequent limited market, probably explain the reluctance of some manufacturers to make their full ranges available in the British Isles. The Echo catalogue in the US, for example, lists
four models. A couple of top-handled saws from fellow US competitor Tanaka are available from some dealers – and from online sales outlets – as are saws from German producer Solo and Swedish garden machinery company, Stiga. Stiga, in fact, have recently unveiled a new top-handled saw – the SPR270 – specifically for the professional arborist – with a professional price too, at almost double the cost of its forerunner, the SPR350.

Hilary Burke

The Husqvarna 338XPT