Pruning an overgrown tree can be hard, backbreaking work at the best of times, and trying to do the job with manual tools like hacksaws and loppers won't make your life any easier.

Whether you're a professional arborist who needs to trim back a dense thicket of trees or a homeowner who just needs to prune a few branches overhanging your neighbor's yard, buying or hiring a chainsaw can make your pruning project much easier and faster.

However, traditional, gas-powered chainsaws aren't always suitable for pruning trees, especially if you need to work at heights using ladders or tree climbing equipment. Electric chainsaws are much more suitable for most tree pruning projects and have a number of advantages that make them ideal for pruning trees both large and small.

Why Should You Choose Electric Chainsaws For Tree Pruning Projects?

You might wonder what benefits electric chainsaws offer for your tree pruning. Discover just a few below.

1. Compact and Lightweight

Because they do not contain bulky gas-powered engines, electric chainsaws tend to be much smaller and lighter than their gas-powered counterparts.

Corded electric chainsaws are lighter than battery-powered chainsaws, and smaller corded saws designed for trimming small branches are light enough to use one-handed for extended periods. This makes electric chainsaws ideal for tree pruning projects, where maneuverability and precision is much more important than raw cutting power.

They are particularly suitable for crown thinning, small tree topping, and other pruning methods that require you to work from inside the tree's crown. Working in these tight spaces can be very difficult, and a small, lightweight chainsaw will be much easier to maneuver around immobile branches and other obstacles.

The light weight of most electric chainsaws also reduces operator fatigue and makes your chainsaw easier to carry to and from isolated locations. If you use a vehicle to transport your pruning tools, an electric chainsaw will take up significantly less cargo space.

2. Easy to Start

Unlike gas-powered chainsaws, electric chainsaws do not need to start using a pull cord. Most electric chainsaws have very simple, push-button start mechanisms and do not need to warm up before they reach full power. This is another feature that makes electric chainsaws ideal for working at elevated heights, as pulling hard on a stiff pull cord can be difficult and dangerous when you stand on a ladder or scaffold.

Some electric chainsaws are also fitted with soft-start functionality, which limit the chainsaw's power for a few seconds after activation. This useful feature gives the operator time to brace themselves before the saw reaches full power, further increasing safety when working at heights.

3. Quiet

Electric chainsaws are much quieter than gas-powered models, and many can be used safely without hearing protection equipment such as earplugs. This can be a very useful property if you need to prune trees in urban areas, residential neighborhoods, or other noise-sensitive locations and also allows the operator to keep their awareness of ambient noise while they work.

4. Environmentally Friendly

Modern gas-powered chainsaws are highly efficient, but they still release a significant amount of pollutants and noxious exhaust fumes into the air while they operate. While a portion of these fumes will be absorbed by the tree you prune, most are released into the atmosphere.

As well as being decidedly unfriendly to the environment, these fumes are also unfriendly to the chainsaw operator. In some cases, they can even be dangerous, especially if you are working inside an area of dense foliage with poor ventilation (such as the crown of a large coniferous tree).

Electric chainsaws do not produce any harmful emissions and can be powered by any convenient electrical power source, making them much more environmentally friendly. Choosing electric chainsaws also means you don't have to store any spare gas on your property, which can be very damaging to the local environment if accidentally spilled.

Both corded and battery-powered electric chainsaws can be very useful for both professional and amateur tree pruning projects. If you have any more questions about electric chainsaws and need expert advice, contact the tool professionals at West Equipment Company Inc.