The simple chainsaw license bears witness to the fact that its owner knows how to handle the dangerous device skilfully. Stop guessing about costs, qualified providers, modules and course content. This guide provides well-founded answers to important questions about the chainsaw driver's license for self-advertisers.

A chainsaw makes cutting wood much easier

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Chainsaw license costs?
  3. get a chainsaw license where?
  4. Buy a chainsaw license?
  5. Chainsaw license module learning content
  6. Which participation requirements?
  7. Is a chainsaw license required?
  8. Tree felling with a chainsaw license?
  9. Why KWF seal of approval?
  10. frequently asked Questions

    11. the essentials in brief

    • The chainsaw license for self-promoters costs from 49 euros for a one-day course plus from 250 euros for chainsaws and protective equipment.
    • The course consists of a theoretical part (module A) in the morning and a practical part (module B) in the afternoon.
    • A simple chainsaw license is mandatory for all private individuals who cut firewood outside their own property (called self-promoters).

    How much does a chainsaw license cost?

    The chain saw license is not uniformly defined throughout Germany. As a result, the learning content and process can be designed differently, depending on the chosen provider. It is important to note that the course fees only make up part of the actual costs. A chainsaw and full protective equipment are essential for participation. Some providers make the equipment available on loan for a corresponding fee. The majority of the organizers expect you to come with your own saw and protective equipment. We looked around the market and put together the following chainsaw license costs for you:

    course fee costs equipment costs
    hardware store from 49 euros chainsaw from 70 euros
    forest office from 100 euros Helmet with hearing and face protection from 24 euros
    chainsaw trousers from 60 euros
    Cut resistant gloves from 14 euros
    safety shoes from 78 euros
    Equipment rental fee on demand

    Optionally, there are also: petrol canister with 3-5 liters of petrol, biodegradable chain oil, high-visibility vest or warm jacket in a striking color and a small first-aid kit that can be worn on the body.

    This overview makes no claim to representative completeness. Rather, the table aims to provide you with a rough guide to the costs associated with a chainsaw license for self-advertisers.

    Free and useful - app "Help in the forest"

    Does the practical part of the chainsaw license training take place in the middle of the forest? Then you should be armed with a charged mobile phone and the app "Hilfe im Wald". In an emergency, the app shows your own position as well as the nearest rescue points that the RTW and fire brigade know and can head to.

    The database of "Help in the Forest" is currently still under construction. Rescue points are recorded in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt. If you are later out and about in the woods as a self-advertiser with your chainsaw license in your pocket, the active app should not be missing either.

    Where can I get a chainsaw license?

    You can get a chainsaw license in almost every city

    Courses for a chainsaw license are offered almost everywhere in Germany. A long, time-consuming and costly journey to obtain the certificate is a thing of the past thanks to numerous providers. For example, training courses are offered by:

    • forest offices
    • nurseries
    • fire brigades
    • Hardware stores, especially Obi and Bauhaus
    • chainsaw manufacturers
    • gardening and landscaping companies

    An excellent source for certified course providers is the homepage of the Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. (KWF). Here you can either search by your zip code or in an alphabetical list of certified instructors. The hardware store chain OBI offers a comparable search mask for Germany. At Hagebau, the range of courses is still being set up with participating stores in Dortmund, Frechen, Hagen, Münster and Solingen (as of 2022). Hornbach does not currently offer any chainsaw license courses.

    tips

    In order to separate the wheat from the chaff among the providers of the chainsaw license, there are two important quality features. The training course should be carried out according to KWF-tested standards (Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V.), marked with the appropriate seal of approval. A meaningful indication of a high level of quality is also the certification according to DGUV information 214-059 (German statutory accident insurance for training in working with a chainsaw).

    Can I buy a chainsaw license?

    You can't buy a chainsaw license online without a course

    Unfortunately, the great interest in the chainsaw license calls dubious providers on the plan. The scammers suggest that self-advertisers could simply buy the chainsaw license certificate. Especially on free online classifieds portals, the crooks cavort to lure bona fide buyers into the trap. Sometimes insidious providers also appear on Ebay or Amazon. Anyone who buys a chainsaw license online without taking part in the course risks their own health and serious conflicts with the forester or forest owner.

    What knowledge do chainsaw license modules impart?

    There are no national standards for the content of a chainsaw license course. As a result, the training process varies from provider to provider. A one-day course for a simple chainsaw driving license has proven itself in practice. This is divided into a theoretical part in the morning (module A) and a practical part in the afternoon (module B). The following table provides a brief overview of the knowledge that each module imparts:

    Module A Module B
    protective equipment components Basics of handling
    Components of a chainsaw cutting techniques
    Care and Maintenance cutting exercises
    Protection regulations for woodwork

    In hardware stores, the courses usually take place on Saturdays and begin with the theoretical part (module A), which lasts from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. After a lunch break, they go outside, where the participants devote themselves to the practical part (module B) from 12.30 p.m. to around 5 p.m. Forestry offices, chain saw manufacturers or gardening companies are more flexible in scheduling appointments, and they can also conduct a chain saw license course on weekdays or after work on request.

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    Exam questions don't need to cram

    You don't have to take a theory test to get a chainsaw license

    There is no test for the simple chainsaw license. As a participant in the course, there are no exam questions to answer or a practical test to complete. Nervous fluttering and heart palpitations, like driving a car, are spared you. This means that you don't have to get a template in advance to cram into exam questions for the chainsaw license. Instead, you will be presented with a certificate at the end of the training, which confirms your knowledge of how to use the chainsaw.

    For courses that go beyond Module A and Module B, most providers carry out a final test. In this context, some exam questions have to be answered and practical exercises have to be done. Of course, this is an advanced chainsaw license, which is mandatory for professional woodwork.

    What are the participation requirements?

    Prior knowledge is not required to participate in the course. Even if you hold a chainsaw in your hands for the first time during the training, you can register. This applies under the following conditions:

    • Minimum age 18 years (exception trainee in a green profession)
    • physically and mentally fit to operate a chainsaw
    • sober (no alcohol and no drugs)
    • own or rented chainsaw
    • complete protective equipment

    Physical fitness is one of the requirements, because a chainsaw weighs several kilograms and wood work is always strenuous. Mental fitness is required because the chainsaw is a dangerous tool. The practical exercises of module B are not possible without complete protective equipment. If you take part in the course without a firm intention of working as a self-advertiser, you can borrow the protective equipment from some providers.

    Is a chainsaw license required?

    A do-it-yourselfer on their own property does not need a chainsaw license

    In principle, obtaining a chainsaw license is not compulsory in any federal state. This applies equally to NRW, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hesse and every other federal state. If you use a chainsaw on your own property, it depends on your individual assessment whether you take part in the course. Furthermore, every private forest owner can decide whether or not to require a chainsaw license from the self-advertiser. The following overview summarizes when a chainsaw license is always mandatory:

    • as a self-advertiser in the public forest
    • in all PEFC (certification for sustainable forest management) certified forests
    • who, as a private third party, operates a chainsaw in the forest or in the garden of strangers, friends or relatives
    • basically for all commercial users

    If in doubt, an inquiry will bring light into the darkness. You can get a reliable answer to the question of whether a chainsaw driving license is mandatory directly from the forest owner concerned. This is usually the local forest service.

    Felling trees with a chainsaw license - is that possible?

    The simple chain saw license from the hardware store does not imply permission to fell trees. If self-advertisers invest a little more time, money and the willingness to stay overnight, the chainsaw license obtained includes the license to fell trees. This permit extends to small trees with a diameter at breast height (BHD) of 20 to 25 centimetres. The Waldgut Roitzsch in Saxony-Anhalt is one of the KWF-certified providers as the location of the event. The engineering office for occupational safety Jacob GmbH is responsible for the training. Here is how the process works in short:

    • Friday: arrival and theory module from 5 p.m. to 9.30 p.m
    • Saturday: Practice module from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m
    • Costs: 99 euros plus 20 euros for the certificate and one night's accommodation
    • Note: chainsaw and protective clothing are provided, apart from work shoes

    The theoretical and practical training goes beyond woodwork on lying wood. In addition, the participants learn how to assess trees and the tensions that prevail in them. The instructor teaches felling techniques, explains the notch, fracture bar and fracture stage. This knowledge enables the course participants to fell so-called weak wood as self-promoters of firewood. The course is also recommended for private garden owners with small trees.

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    Why a chainsaw license with the KWF seal of approval?

    This guide recommends attending a chainsaw course with the KWF seal of approval for good reason. There are no national or state standards on how to teach self-promoters how to use a chainsaw correctly. The quality seal Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. provides a remedy and provides security when selecting a competent provider. The following advantages are associated with a chainsaw license with the KWF seal of approval:

    • Course leader has proven his professional and pedagogical qualifications
    • Course content according to national standards according to KWF, professional associations, accident insurance, forestry
    • Learning content is guaranteed to convey all theoretical and practical basic knowledge
    • Presentation of a uniform, nationwide recognized certificate of participation
    • Chainsaw certificate with its own ID number and online authenticity check

    If you ever lose your chainsaw license with the KWF ID number, you can easily get a new license. You are not forced to take part in a course again.

    frequently asked Questions

    Can you fell trees with an Obi or Bauhaus chainsaw license?

    No, that is not allowed. With a basic chainsaw license, private individuals acquire basic knowledge of how to use chainsaws and how to work safely on lying wood. With the certificate in your pocket, you are not allowed to go into the forest and cut down trees. However, woodwork, such as cutting firewood, is permitted.

    For which chainsaws do you need a license?

    It doesn't matter which drive a chainsaw uses. Electric chain saws are just as dangerous as petrol-powered machines. The course provides you with important knowledge and skills for handling a chainsaw, regardless of whether the engine is powered by electricity or petrol.

    Can you fail the chainsaw license?

    If you participate in the course for the basic chainsaw license, it is practically impossible to fail. This applies on the premise that you meet the requirements: at least 18 years of age, mentally and physically fit, chainsaw at hand and protective equipment within reach. You will not be bothered with oral or written exam questions. In addition, there is no practical test to be taken.

    I have my chainsaw license in my pocket. Can I cut firewood in the forest now?

    The chainsaw license alone is not enough for you to cut your firewood yourself in the forest from now on. A permit from the responsible forestry office or district manager is mandatory. As a rule, the public or private forest owner concludes a firewood contract with you as a self-advertiser. A fixed amount of wood is assigned to you. Cutting firewood in the forest without the written or verbal consent of the owner or forester is punished as an administrative offence. With a bit of luck, you'll only get a warning as a first-time offender. If you do it again, you risk a hefty fine.

    Are there chainsaw courses only for women?

    In fact, some providers have recognized that women prefer to be alone to learn how to use the chainsaw. The Thuringia Forest, for example, is one of the pioneers, where courses have been held only for women since 2014. Since then, the offer has not only increased steadily in Germany. The Lower Saxony State Forests are exemplary with a two-day course only for women on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings at a price of 150 euros. Anyone who values female trainers should turn to the mobile chainsaw school in Breisach.

    tips

    A creative gift idea for robust hobby gardeners and courageous gardeners is the experience voucher "Lumberjack course with chainsaw licence" from Jochen Schweizer. The recipient can not only let the scraps fly with the chainsaw for a day under competent supervision. As a positive side effect, the certified course instructor hands over the coveted chainsaw license for self-advertisers at the end.

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