Chainsaws tend to be associated with heavy-duty commercial use, but they can also come in handy around a residential garden. Chainsaws can help you keep your outside space looking its best with minimum effort, and you'll find there are plenty from which to choose. One of the most fundamental decisions is whether to pick up an electric chainsaw or a petrol chainsaw.

Both have their own pros and cons, but electric chainsaws are generally better for home use. Here are just four reasons why.

1. Less Power

Electric chainsaws generally boast less power than petrol ones. That might seem like a drawback, but keep in mind that more powerful chainsaws are harder to control, which increases user fatigue and the risk of accidents. Home use probably involves things like trimming trees and cutting firewood, and the electric chainsaw is ideal for those tasks. There's no reason to buy more power than you need.

2. Lighter Weight

Electric chainsaws are lighter than petrol ones, and you can get the lightest type possible by opting for a corded electric chainsaw that doesn't need to carry its own battery. Again, this makes them ideal for home use since lighter chainsaws are much easier to handle, especially for more delicate tasks like pruning trees and bushes. With a petrol chainsaw, you're likely to finish up feeling far more tired than you should.

3. Less Disruptive  

Most people think chainsaws are extremely noisy, but that's really only true of petrol chainsaws. Electric chainsaws are surprisingly quiet, and that's ideal for home use since you'll have to think about how noise pollution could affect your neighbours. Of course, it isn't just noise pollution you need to worry about. The emissions produced by petrol chainsaws can also be unpleasant in residential areas. Electric chainsaws produce no emissions, so this isn't something you'll need to worry about.

4. More Convenient  

Chainsaws purchased for home use probably aren't going to be used too regularly. You'll take them out when you need to do some trimming or cutting, but you're not going to be using them every day. That makes electric power far more convenient since you can simply take the chainsaw out when you need it, plug it in or charge the battery then get going. With petrol chainsaws, you'll need to worry about refuelling, and you'll probably be advised to drain the tank if the chainsaw isn't going to be used for a few months.

For more information on chainsaws, contact a company near you.