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Chainsaw operators are exposed to many hazards that can lead to health problems. The two most frequently documented ergonomics threats in the use of chainsaws are noise and vibration exposure. Since the use of battery chainsaws is increasing due to the growing improvements in battery life and power, the study aims to compare the difference in terms of noise emission and vibration levels of the following two new models of chainsaws: the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered Stihl MS 261 C-M. Black pine and European beech logs were cross-cut in order to evaluate both noise and vibration exposure. The results show that the use of battery-powered chainsaws, in comparison to the petrol one, can reduce the daily vibration exposure by more than 51% and the noise dose by 11%. The daily vibration exposure of 1.60 ms−2 and 1.67 ms−2 measured for the battery-powered chainsaw on Black pine and on European beech, respectively, is far from the daily exposure action value set by the EU directives for health and safety requirements (2.5 ms−2). On the contrary, the daily noise exposure for the battery chainsaw was 93 dB(A), exceeding the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent technological development of batteries has allowed the production of powerful tools that are also used in forestry operations. For this reason, this study aimed to compare the performance of two latest chainsaw models in a conifer clear-cut. The examined chainsaws, the battery-powered Stihl MSA 300 and the petrol-powered MS 261 C-M, have comparable power and weight. The overall working times were recorded and then gross, net and felling/processing productivities were quantified. Our findings reported that in a working day (7.4 h gross time), each chainsaw felled and processed an average of 20 trees of 0.64 m3 with an average diameter at breast height of 28 cm. Considering the net productivity, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the two chainsaws. Investigating the productivities on operations conducted using the chainsaws, the battery chainsaw showed a lower average tree-processing productivity than that recorded for the petrol chainsaw. On average, the battery duration was 0.88 h, while the petrol tank duration was 0.97 h. Our study shows that battery chainsaws have great potential in forestry operations; however, considering the actual need for 8 charges per standard workday, optimizing battery management is an important objective for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, battery technology has been greatly improved and some types of battery chainsaws are currently comparable with light-type petrol machines, suggesting their possible introduction into forest operations. In this context, the aim of this study was to test and compare the performance, in a Douglas-fir thinning, of two chainsaws similar in terms of weight and power, the Stihl MS 220 CB battery-powered saw and the Stihl MS 201 CM petrol-powered saw, measuring the working times and calculating the productivities. The results showed that, within a working day (about 6 h gross time), an average of 15 trees of 0.56 m3 was felled in each area. No statistically significant differences between the two chainsaws were found in terms of gross and net productivity; and the same result was obtained when focusing the analysis only on operations conducted using the chainsaws. Moreover, the average battery charge duration was 1.04 h, while the full tank duration for the petrol model was 1.12 h. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that, on the basis of their performance, battery chainsaws can be introduced into thinning operations, but a solution is needed to manage batteries in the forest, since the actual need is for 7–8 charges per workday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]