# Electric chainsaw and chaps Warning.



## Flatbedford (Aug 27, 2009)

I was looking at chaps on the Stihl website today and I saw this warning.

"WARNING FOR ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW USERS!
The fibers will not stop the sprocket on most electric chain saws because of their constant high torque"

I never knew this. Is this common knowledge? I don't use an electric saw, but I know some of  us here do. Kinda scary. I always thought of electric saws as saws for lightweights, but it seems they could be more lethal than gas ones.


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## TMonter (Aug 27, 2009)

Electric motors have much higher torque than gas engines and have a relatively flat torque curve meaning they produce the same torque across all RPM ranges. I'm guessing that is what they are referring to.


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## Flatbedford (Aug 27, 2009)

Makes sense to me. Chainsaw engines are pretty low torque, high revving engines, I guess that why its easier to stop them.


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## YZF1R (Aug 27, 2009)

I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but I think they are direct drive, no clutch to slip once chain stops and motor keeps trying to power. I also agree with the others on the torque of an electric motor verses internal combustion. 

Steve


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## LLigetfa (Aug 28, 2009)

YZF1R said:
			
		

> I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make, but I think they are direct drive, no clutch to slip once chain stops and motor keeps trying to power. I also agree with the others on the torque of an electric motor verses internal combustion.
> 
> Steve


+1


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## Gooserider (Sep 11, 2009)

Exactly...  With a gas saw, as soon as the chain gets bound up by the pad material the clutch drops out and torque goes way down (assuming the engine doesn't stall)  The engine is tuned for a high peak power, which means a narrow powerband so they will have trouble turning the chain once the engine goes off the peak...  

An electric saw is direct drive, which gives more inertia after the power cuts off, but more importantly, an electric motor INCREASES it's torque as it's rpm's drop, producing the maximum force just before stalling out - just the formula needed to keep that sprocket turning even after the pad material has done it's best to bind things up...

Electrics tend to be smaller and lighter, so they might arguably be safer than a BIG gas saw, but that does not make them safe...  If wearing the proper PPE, I would tend to say that a gas saw in the same size / power range as an electric would be safer.

Gooserider


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