In december, I signed up for a How to use a chainsaw training. Covid and cold weather made it difficult to point a date, but today was the day. A brilliant day! I was the only non-professional in the classroom. Other attendees were fire brigade personnel, H&S officers from large roadbuilding companies and a zookeeper working with gorillas. Her stories about these animals are worth a separate thread, I can tell you*).

Before today, I'd never touched a chainsaw in my life - but I have hundreds of trees on my land. There's the problem. And I'd promised my wife: first the training, then the purchase of a chainsaw. After spending a part of the morning in the classroom we went outside for an hour 'maintenance and safety'. That included sharpening the chainsaw. That's work for an artisan, but with some help... This course was not about felling a tree. That's a next step and it takes more that one day to get that certificate.

After lunch we went to the forest and we had to handle some (already) cut trees. Fully geared up with the proper protective clothing. "No gear, no chainsaw." It was the first time I fired up a chainsaw. It went brilliant.

I can safely say that it's well worth every penny (185 euros) and it has learned me a lot about how to operate safely. Recommended to if you ever want to cut a tree into logs for your fire.

Some highlights: Still MS261 or Husqvarna 550xp MKII are on top of the list. Other good products are Dolmar and Echo. More important than the brand is the dealer. Going electric: Stihl's accupacks aren't as good as Husqvarna's. Battery powered chainsaws cause more injuries that petrol powered: the noise keeps people alert, is the idea. So-called top handle chainsaws are not allowed for use on the ground. Only for certified tree workers in cherry pickers etc. People who use machines on the ground are more prone to accidents. It reminded me of my time in the army: more harm is done with someone with a gun than with a rifle: it's so easy and nimble... you can point it everywhere!

*) About gorillas and their strength: when a gorilla should have / use the correct technique, he would be able to throw a tennis ball over a distance between 230 - 250 meters. And perhaps even further after practice!