How to Service a Chainsaw Before the Cutting Season
A chainsaw that has been sitting in the shed since the last time you needed it is the one most likely to give you trouble, and the trouble usually turns up at the worst possible moment. Half an hour on the bench before you start it saves you the afternoon, and more to the point it is the difference between a saw that cuts and a saw that grabs.
Why it is worth doing properly
A saw that has been looked after cuts better and it is safer to hold, and those two things are the same thing rather than two separate benefits. A blunt chain needs pushing, a pushed saw is a saw that kicks, and a chain running dry wears the bar out from underneath you. Everything below comes back to one of those.
1. Clean it down
Brush the loose sawdust and bark off first, then get at the sap with a damp cloth and a bit of mild detergent, because sap sets hard and holds grit against the moving parts. Pull the air filter out and clean it while you are there. A clogged filter will have the saw running rich and starting badly, and it is the single most overlooked part on the whole machine.
2. Look at the chain, then sharpen it
Go around the chain and look for teeth that are blunt, bent or chipped, and check the drive links for damage while you are at it. If the chain throws fine dust rather than proper chips, it is blunt, and that is the easiest test there is. Sharpen it with a file and a guide, taking the same number of strokes on every tooth at the same angle, because a chain sharpened unevenly will pull to one side and cut a curve. If the teeth are down near the wear marks, put a new chain on it rather than fighting with the old one.
If you would rather not stand there filing, bring it in. We are a tool sharpening depot and it is a lot quicker than doing it badly.
3. Set the chain tension
The chain wants to sit snug against the underside of the bar and still pull around by hand with a glove on. Too loose and it can come off the bar, too tight and you are cooking the bar and the sprocket. Adjust it with the tensioning screw, and check it again after the first few cuts, because a new chain stretches.
4. Oil it
Fill the bar oil reservoir with proper chainsaw bar oil rather than whatever is on the bench, because bar oil is tacky on purpose so it stays on a chain moving at speed. The habit worth building is simple. Every time you fill the fuel, check the oil. A saw that runs out of bar oil will wreck a bar in a matter of minutes.
5. Check the fuel system, if it is a petrol saw
Old fuel is the reason most saws will not start after a lay off. Drain it and put fresh mix in at the ratio the manufacturer asks for. Then have a look at the fuel lines and the filter, because lines go hard and crack over time when a saw sits, and that is a job for a small engine shop rather than a job for the kitchen table. Better to find that out on the bench now than halfway through a load of firewood.
The short version
If you put it away clean, this is a quick look over rather than a job. If you did not, it is still only half an hour. Nobody is born knowing how to file a chain properly and it is one of those things that takes a couple of goes and then stays learnt.
Shop related products
- Archer Chain Loop Semi Chisel 3/8 inch .058, 72DL. A common replacement size, and worth having a spare of.
- Archer Chain Loop Semi Chisel .325 .050, 72DL. The other size a lot of saws around here take.
- Jak Max Grinding Stone 5/32 inch, 5 pack. For sharpening the smaller pitch chains.
- Jak Max Grinding Stone 3/16 inch, 5 pack. For the larger pitch chains.
Did you know we also stock bar oil, chain oil and 2 stroke fuel in the shop. They are not listed on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
Bring the old chain in with you if you are not sure what size you need, because the pitch and the gauge are stamped on it and it takes about a minute to match. We are at Building 2, 34-52 Milnes Rd, Strathalbyn, open seven days.
More from the tool bench
- The Beginner's Guide to Essential DIY Tools
- How to Replace the Mesh in an Aluminium Flyscreen
- How to Order Custom Flashings in Strathalbyn
Cheers, Candeece. I have been shown how to file a chain properly about four times and I still take it to Guru.
