Sound Pressure Level

Specification
Updated 2026-08-24 · Read this page as Markdown

The A-weighted noise level measured at the operator's ear position, in dB(A). It is the figure that describes what the person holding the saw is actually exposed to.

Chainsaws sit well above the level at which hearing protection stops being optional, and because the decibel scale is logarithmic a difference of 3 dB(A) between two models represents twice the sound energy. Sound pressure is measured under a defined test procedure, so published figures are comparable between brands but will not match what you meet in a confined space or against a hard wall, where reflections make it worse. This is a different quantity from Sound Power Level: pressure is what reaches your ear, power is what the machine radiates in total. Always wear hearing protection regardless of the number.

This spec across the catalog

Recorded on 35 models in this database, from 89 dB(A) to 107 dB(A), averaging 98.57 dB(A).

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Related terms

Anti-vibration system The set of rubber buffers or steel springs that separate the engine unit from the handles, reducing the vibration transmitted to the operator's hands. Its effectiveness is what the declared front and rear handle vibration figures measure. Chain brake A safety device that stops the chain almost instantly by clamping a steel band around the clutch drum. It is triggered either by pushing the front hand guard forward or, on inertia-activated saws, automatically by the sudden rotation of a kickback. Chainsaw chaps and PPE The personal protective equipment worn for chainsaw work: cut-resistant leg protection (chaps or trousers), a helmet with face screen and ear defenders, gloves and steel-toed boots. Cut-resistant garments contain long loose fibres that pull out, jam the drive sprocket and stall the chain on contact. Kickback The violent upward and backward rotation of the guide bar towards the operator, caused when the upper quadrant of the bar nose — the kickback zone — contacts wood, or when the chain is pinched in the top of the cut. It is the leading cause of serious chainsaw injuries. Sound Power Level The total acoustic energy the machine radiates in all directions, in dB(A), independent of where the listener stands. In the EU the guaranteed sound power level is the value that must appear on the machine's noise label. Vibration Front Handle The vibration transmitted to the operator's hand at the front handle, expressed as an acceleration in m/s². It is one of the two figures used to estimate daily hand-arm vibration exposure.

See also

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