The chainsaw probably sounds like the coolest weapon for killing a zombie and you would receive a 10 from us for style, but let's look more in depth. The chainsaw is basically a small engine with a gear that turns a chain covered with miniature blades down a track. The track is called the blade. There are two types of chainsaws; gas powered and electric. We will only discuss the gas powered because if you are using an electric, you probably deserve to die (not only is it lame, but where do you get power from?). Most commercial blades are between 14" – 20" long, and have a two-stroke engine between 33cc and 46cc. The higher the cc's(cubic centimeter) the larger the engine is. The larger the engine, the more power the engine will have to pull the blade through what your trying to cut, be it trees or rotting flesh and bone.

	A Gas Chainsaw

As a functional weapon the chainsaw scores low. The chainsaw runs on gas and on a full tank can run for about an hour or two. But when the saw hasn't been started up in a while it can take a few minutes to get going, something that is not particularly good when the undead are bearing down on you. The chainsaw is by no means a silent killer. Any one zombie or human in almost a mile radius will hear the screaming engine, even it is it just sitting idle. The chainsaw is also an awkward weapon to wield and will take its toll and wear you out very quickly. There are also many safeties on the newer chainsaws that can hamper the usefulness when trying to swing. The chainsaw is about as dangerous to you as it is to a zombie. Should you swing and miss, drop it, cut through quicker than expected, or slip and fall, and a hundred other mishaps, the spinning blade will do a nice job of chewing through you as easily as it will the undead. The chainsaw also has a tendency to choke and shut off when the chain becomes stuck on a hard object such as on a bone. Lastly, the chain saw makes an awful mess while you use it, spraying blood, bone debris, and contaminated flesh everywhere making infection not only possible but probable.

When a chainsaw works, it will cut and rip quite effectively and efficiently. Flesh and bone aren't harder than wood, and the chainsaw was designed to cut through that with ease. The only thing that will really stop the chainsaw from severing an arm, leg, or head would be the chain getting caught on a bone, and this could cause the saw to cut out and would have to be restarted. Generally a saw with a larger engine will have less of a chance of binding up while slicing through the legions of the undead but it will be a lot louder and heavier, which makes it harder to wield.

IF you can get the saw running quickly when you are confronted by a group of 3 or less zombies and IF the blade cuts cleanly and doesn't bind up and IF the engine doesn't choke out, then this weapon will have no problem dismembering the undead. Now all of these are "IFs". There is also no way to silence this weapon, and so be assured once used, more of the undead will be on their way.

	A chainsaw's true use

The chainsaw runs on a gas or a 50x50 mix of gas and oil. Check the label on the chainsaw to determine its proper fuel mixture. Gas is a precious commodity and can be used for many other more useful purposes. Chains can also break, and over time, dull. Keeping a fresh chain or two ready (if you can find one) is probably in your best interest.

The average chainsaw ranges in weight from 10-20 pounds (4.54 – 9.07 kg) this makes the chainsaw a heavy accessory to your arsenal. That doesn't include the gas or oil needed to run the beast, and all that does is add more weight. Also the saw is an awkward shape to pack up, and is prone to leaking, so generally it needs its own case to pack away. Unpacking the chainsaw is not quick so this makes the saw a terrible weapon to use in a pinch. Overall portability is terrible with the chainsaw.

With all of the downsides stacked up against the chainsaw—weight, stalling, noise, maintenance, fuel, and infected spray—there is no way the chainsaw can be considered a practical weapon. If the situation were me, a zombie, and a chainsaw, I would probably pick up the chainsaw and beat the zombie until he stayed dead before starting it up.