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A Chainsaw is a hand-held tool in Farming Simulator 17 that is used to cut Trees, clear their branches, and split them into any sized Logs.

Chainsaws are completely independent tools that can only be used in first-person mode. There is no need to buy any vehicle or other machinery to use a Chainsaw. They do not use any fuel, do not require any input materials, and do not need to be stored anywhere - they are always in the player's inventory and can be pulled out and used at any time.

Farming Simulator 17 features four models of Chainsaws from different companies - but all four models are completely identical to one another in terms of price, performance, and every other meaningful way. The only difference between them is the color design. You can purchase only one of each model.

List of Chainsaws[]

Below is a list of all four models of Chainsaws in Farming Simulator 17. There is absolutely no difference between these models. All models can be found in the "Chainsaws" category at the store.

Model Colors Name Price Maintenance Cost
per Day
FS17 Stihl-MS261
Stihl MS 261 1,000 5
FS17 Husqvarna-550XP
Husqvarna 550 XP 1,000 5
FS17 Jonsered-CS2252
Jonsered CS 2252 1,000 5
FS17 McCulloch-CS410
McCulloch CS 410 1,000 5

Buying Chainsaws[]

Chainsaws are bought like any other machine, through the local farm equipment store. They all cost the same amount of money - $1,000.

Note that when buying Chainsaws, there is no confirmation dialog or information screen for each model of Chainsaw, like there is for other tools. Once you select a model from the list, the game will immediately buy that model for you (and spend your money) without asking. Be careful not to accidentally buy a chainsaw when you are low on money.

Unlike other types of machines, you can only own one of every model of Chainsaw. The game will not allow you to purchase the same Chainsaw a second time. You can, however, own all four available models at the same time, and switch between them freely.

After buying a chainsaw, it will remain in your inventory for the rest of the game. There is no way to sell a Chainsaw. Because Chainsaws are in your inventory, there's no need to store them anywhere - they don't take up any space. You can pull out a chainsaw "from thin air" whenever you need to use it, and when you're done you can put it away immediately into your inventory.

Cutting Trees[]

The first function of a Chainsaw is to cut down trees. Chainsaws are the cheapest and simplest of all tools that can perform this job. The process is rather simple and quick:

1. Select the tree you wish to cut down, and approach it in First-Person mode (on foot, not in a vehicle). Pull out your chainsaw by using the correct button FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: Change ToolDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 Mouse Scroll Up/Down30?cb=20170827234910 ??30?cb=20170828002413 ??. It will appear in your hands, and be turned on automatically.

2. Put the edge of the Chainsaw close to the trunk of the tree, where you wish to cut it. Generally, it is a good idea to cut as close to the ground as possible, to maximize the size of the resulting log (and thus the profits from selling it). You can usually cut closer to the ground by crouching FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: CrouchDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 L.Ctrl30?cb=20170827234910 ??30?cb=20170828002413 ??.

3. Select the angle of the cut by rotating your chainsaw FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: Rotate ChainsawDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 LMB + Drag Right/Left30?cb=20170827234910 ??30?cb=20170828002413 ?? to the desired angle. You can rotate to any angle between completely vertical and completely horizontal. Horizontal cuts give the most profit, but you may need to push the tree over manually afterwards with a vehicle or tool, otherwise it might not fall. A diagonal cut increases the chance that the tree will fall over, but reduces the profits from selling the tree by a small amount.

4. Move the tip of the Chainsaw around until you see a glowing blue disc appear around the trunk of the tree. This indicates the cut you will perform. If you're not getting a blue disc, you might be too far from the tree, or are trying to cut at a bad angle. Get closer, change the angle, and move the chainsaw's tip around some more until the blue disc appears.

5. To cut, simply hold down the "Activate" button FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: Activate ToolDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 LMB (hold)30?cb=20170827234910 ??30?cb=20170828002413 ??. The glowing disc will turn green as the chainsaw cuts through the tree. It will disappear (or turn blue again) once the cut is completed. You can stop cutting prematurely by releasing the button - this will leave the tree unaffected, regardless of how deep you've cut into it.

6. Once the cut is completed, the tree will likely fall over. If it doesn't, you may need to push it over using a vehicle or tool.

Once you get the hang of it, this whole process should not take more than a few seconds in total. You can cut many trees very rapidly with a Chainsaw.

Removing Branches[]

After the tree has fallen over, it's time to turn it into a Log by removing the branches. This substantially increases the value of the log, especially if all branches are cleared.

Branches are removed by putting the tip of the Chainsaw on the branch, and hitting the "Activate" button FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: Activate ToolDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 LMB30?cb=20170827234910 B30?cb=20170828002413 ??. If the chainsaw is in the right place, the branch will disappear immediately.

You can remove branches by holding down the "Activate" button and walking up and down along the fallen tree, while moving the chainsaw around to make contact with each branch. However, if the chainsaw gets too close to the trunk of the tree, it may accidentally begin cutting into the tree instead. Be careful of this, as cutting a tree up accidentally in the wrong place can reduce the value of the resulting logs by quite a bit. If you see a blue or green glowing disc appearing, release the button immediately!

Hidden Branches[]

When a tree falls over, in many cases some of the branches will clip into the terrain and be hidden from view. Those branches cannot easily be removed while they are "underground".

To solve this problem, one way is to roll the tree over, exposing the branches that were previously hidden. This can sometimes be done with a vehicle simply pushing the log over.

A more reliable method is to use a Loader with a Log Fork (or similar tool) or the built-in crane arm on some Log Transports to lift the tree up into the air. This exposes all of the branches, so that you can cut them all off. There's no need to lift the tree far off the ground - a meter will do.

Chopping Logs[]

A Chainsaw can also be used on a fallen tree to cut it up into smaller, more manageable Logs. The process of cutting a fallen tree into logs is pretty much the same as cutting a standing tree (see above). The only difference is that the position of the cut is extremely important, because you generally want logs of a very specific size.

If you intend to sell the logs directly, it's important to cut logs of at least 6.0 meter length, and no more than 11.0 meters. This ensures that you won't suffer a penalty to the price of the resulting log. Also take into account the size of the Log Transport you intend to use to transport the tree to the Sawmill - long logs are harder to load into a Transport, and can more easily fall off. A length of around 10.0 meters is typically best for a Fliegl Timber Runner; 6.0 meters for other transports. If you're going to carry the logs one-by-one to the Sawmill using a Log Fork or similar instrument, cut them to just less than 11.0 meters.

If you intend to turn the tree into Wood Chips using a Wood Chipper, the length of the logs is not inherently important, but it's generally a good idea to chop the tree into small logs that can be carried by hand. This will remove the need for a Loader or other lifting machine. Pretty much any Log 2.0 meters in length can be lifted by hand regardless of how wide it is. To lift a log by hand, go to First-Person mode and click the correct button FS17 KeyboardButtonFirst-Person Mode: Pick Up ObjectDefault Buttons: 30?cb=20170827234847 LMB30?cb=20170827234910 ??30?cb=20170828002413 ??. Carefully move it to the Wood Chipper and hit the same button to release.

Unfortunately, there is no way in the base game to measure the length of a log before or after cutting it. You will need to "eyeball" the length yourself, or use an object of known length as a yardstick.

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