The message
from "H Ryder" contains these words:

How easy are these to use? Someone has lent us one but we are afraid to
touch it. We are thinking of trying to dismantle a couple of trees with
them.

Well, there are chainsaws and power saws.

Chainsaws break down into two types, remote, and operated with cords
(difficult), and hand, (fairly easy).

However, I expect you mean power saws. These can be quite easy,
especially the electric ones, but the petrol driven ones can be very
idiosyncratic.

Most of them have excellent safety features these days, so assuming that
it isn't too heavy for you to use comfortably, go for it.

A few rules:

Correct CUT
________________________________/ /
| Free end, weight _||_
________________________ ___________ \ /
\ \ \/

--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

Wrong CUT
________________________________/ /
Free end, weight _||_
_______________|________ ___________ \ /
\ \ \/

--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

Correct CUT (Upwards)
______________________________/ /
| |
|________________|_______________|
/ \ / \
| | | |
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

Wrong CUT
______________________________/ /
| | |
|________________________________|
/ \ / \
| | | |
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(cut will tighten on the blade)

--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------

| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Fall | | Fall | | FALL |
| --- | | --- | | --- |
| | | | | Even |
| OK | |BETTER| |BETTER|
|___ | |\ | Second |\ |
| | | \ | cut | \ __| First cut
| | | \| | |
| | | | | |

But the angle of the downward cuts is a lot less steep

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/