Trueshopping stocks a total of six Draper chain saws, which range from 1700watt electric models with 350mm chain, suitable for cutting logs, pruning branches and chopping down small trees, to the powerful 46cc 450mm petrol-engine model, capable of tackling heavy-duty wood chopping and tree felling tasks.

Whether your chainsaw is electric or petrol powered, it is important to remember that a chainsaw is potentially the most dangerous tool that can be used in the garden. It can cause catastrophic injuries, especially if you're not familiar with using one. Whilst it's not compulsory to be formally trained in how to use a chainsaw for use in your own garden, it is highly recommended, as many competent gardeners have severed limbs or suffered other serious injuries as a result of not being properly trained. No matter how carefully you follow the manufacturer's guidelines for using a chainsaw, it cannot make up for proper training.

Maintenance
Safe use of a chainsaw depends on proper, regular maintenance. Unlike some other tools, you need to carry out your maintenance checks every time you use a chainsaw. You should check the silencer (petrol models), side plate, front and rear hand guards, the chain catcher, chain links, drive sprocket, guide bar and anti-vibration mounts for excessive wear and damage each time you use the chainsaw.

You should make sure that the tension of the chain is correct and that it is sharpened to the correct specifications, as recommended by the manufacturer. You should also test that the power switch, chain brake mechanism and safety catch are all working correctly and that all screws and nuts are secure, so that you cannot throttle up the chainsaw until the safety catch has been released. Without carrying out all of these checks, the chainsaw might, at best, be difficult to control and, at worst, it could cause serious injury.

With petrol models, you should secure the fuel cap once you've filled the chainsaw and wipe away any petrol residue before starting it up. It is vital that any electric model, e.g. Draper 2000watt, is connected to the mains supply by means of a residual current detector (RCD), which will cut the power supply instantly should there be any damage to the cable.

Wear Protective Clothing
No matter how small the job may seem, you should wear a safety helmet, eye and ear protection, gloves, appropriate steel toe cap boots and protective clothing, for both the upper body and lower limbs, at all times.

Risk Assessment
Before powering up the chainsaw, you should consider the job carefully to identify any areas of difficulty. For example, if the job you're doing might possibly bring down another large tree, make sure you have the knowledge and any extra special equipment to do the job safely. You should also watch out for any overhead power cables or telephone lines and make sure there are no gas pipes, power cables etc. running beneath the ground onto which a heavy branch or tree may fall.

Using the Chainsaw Safely
Because you need to be alert at all times and have quick reactions, you should never operate a chainsaw if you're feeling tired or if you've been drinking alcohol. Some of the worst chainsaw accidents have been caused by fatigue.

Kickback injuries are responsible for the majority of injuries to the face and parts of the upper body where it's difficult to protect yourself fully. Kickback occurs when there is a sudden upward deviation of the guide bar, which is hard to control when it comes into contact with an object. To prevent this from happening, you should take great care to make sure that the nose of the guide bar is kept well away from any possible obstruction. Other important safety precautions are: to make sure you're not over-reaching when using the chainsaw; to keep the saw below the level of your chest and always to use full power when cutting.

In addition, you need to consider the safety of other people, especially children, by ensuring that they are kept a safe distance away from where you're working and that the chainsaw is stored safely (i.e. locked away) after use. On no account should you leave the chainsaw unattended at any time. You should also remove branches, twigs and leaves as soon as possible after chopping them off, so that they do not pose a hazard for anyone walking in the area or passing the site.

There are different ways in which to use a chainsaw depending on what you are cutting down. For example, you'd adopt quite different techniques when felling a tree to simply cutting a few sturdy branches, but you should get trained in how to use these different methods of cutting before tackling a job.

It cannot be emphasised too greatly just how potentially dangerous chainsaws can be, if you're not properly trained and have no experience in using one. If you're in any doubt at all, there are plenty of tree fellers and other gardening services providers to be found in your local Yellow Pages, who can tackle the job for you.