How To Use Chainsaw In Rust

The chainsaw is one of the most efficient wood-gathering tools in Rust, and it has surprising combat applications too. Whether you're farming for a base build or clearing a path through enemies, the chainsaw deserves a spot in your arsenal.

This guide covers how to obtain, operate, maintain, and fight with the chainsaw in Rust.

Getting a Chainsaw

Chainsaws cannot be crafted — they must be found in the world. Common sources include:

• Military crates — Found at monuments like Water Treatment, Airfield, and Trainyard.
• Elite crates — At harder monuments (Launch Site, Military Tunnels).
• Roadside barrels and crates — Rare but possible.
• Dropped from other players — If you kill someone using a chainsaw, you can loot it.
• Locked crates and chinook crates — Sometimes contain chainsaws.

Chainsaw Stats

• Damage to players — 40 damage per hit (compared to 10 for the hatchet).
• Damage to trees — 50 damage per tick, roughly 4x faster than a metal hatchet.
• Fuel consumption — 1 Low Grade Fuel per second of operation.
• Max fuel capacity — 500 Low Grade Fuel.
• Max HP — 300. Chainsaws take damage as you use them and must be repaired.

Using the Chainsaw for Wood Farming

The chainsaw is primarily a farming tool. Here's how to use it efficiently:

1. Equip the chainsaw — Select it in your hotbar and left-click or hold left-click to start the engine. It takes about 1 second to rev up.
2. Approach a tree — Walk up to any harvestable tree (oak, pine, birch).
3. Hold left-click — The chainsaw will automatically cut through the tree. It consumes fuel continuously while running.
4. Collect wood — The tree drops wood as it's cut. Oak trees provide the most wood per tree; birch provides the least.

Tip: The chainsaw's fast cutting speed makes it ideal for clearing forests quickly. A full fuel tank (500 LGF) can harvest several hundred wood.

Fuel Management

Low Grade Fuel is essential for the chainsaw. You can obtain it by:

• Recycling animal fat and cloth — At any recycler. 1 animal fat + 1 cloth = 3 LGF.
• Looting barrels and crates — LGF is a common drop from red barrels.
• Cooking animal fat in a campfire or furnace — Place animal fat in the cooking slot to convert it to LGF.

Always carry spare fuel when farming with the chainsaw. Running out mid-swing leaves you with a dead tool and an awkward retreat.

Chainsaw PvP — Yes, It Works

The chainsaw is surprisingly effective in close-quarters combat:

• High DPS — 40 damage per hit with a fast swing rate. It can kill an unarmoured player in 3 hits.
• Fear factor — The loud engine and visual intimidation make players panic and miss shots.
• Breaking through doors — The chainsaw deals damage to wood doors and barricades, useful for raiding soft-side wood structures.

However, the chainsaw has major drawbacks in PvP:

• Slow wind-up — The 1-second startup leaves you vulnerable.
• Loud — Every player within render distance hears you coming.
• No ranged capability — You must be in melee range to deal damage.

Best use in PvP: ambush attacks in dense forests or inside tight base corridors where the enemy can't kite you.

Repairing the Chainsaw

Chainsaws take damage during use. To repair:

1. Open a repair bench.
2. Place the chainsaw in the repair slot.
3. Repair costs are in Metal Fragments (not HQM). The cost depends on remaining durability.

Keep your chainsaw repaired — when it reaches 0 HP, it's destroyed permanently.

Storing the Chainsaw

The chainsaw is bulky — it takes up 6 slots in your inventory. Plan accordingly when heading out on a farming run. Consider bringing:

• A large backpack or extra inventory space.
• A tool cupboard or box near your farming route to deposit wood quickly.

Conclusion

The chainsaw is a powerful but specialised tool in Rust. Use it for rapid wood gathering during big build projects, or pull it out as a surprise weapon in tight quarters. Keep it fuelled, keep it repaired, and it will serve you well.