Owning a chainsaw is a wonderful thing. You now have the ability to lop off unsightly dead branches with ease, size chunks of firewood, and recreate scenes from Texas Chainsaw Massacre at will. However with great power comes great responsibility. Maintaining your chainsaw is an essential task, but luckily you can learn to do so quickly. Sharpening your chainsaw blade and carrying out regular maintenance will greatly extend the working life of your saw - and it will cut better too.
Safety gear is important when carrying out maintenance on a sharp tool - leather gloves and some eye protection are the advisable minimum standard. You will also want your chainsaw sharpening tool of choice, a hook or hooked piece of wire for cleaning the chain bar groove, screwdriver and socket to remove the chainsaw cover, and the manual for your chainsaw.
Your daily maintenance routine should consist of checking the oil and petrol are topped up, or checking power cords for any sign of wear if you have an electric chainsaw. Also, check that the chain blade is properly tensioned.
Every few uses, you will want to use your sharpening tool to keep each tooth on your blade properly sharp. A good indication that you have a blunt blade is if the saw starts producing sawdust instead of even small chips. If you have a petrol driven chainsaw, checking the fuel filters regularly is advised.
Although you can sharpen your own chainsaw easily enough, field sharpening is only intended to keep an edge on the cutting tooth. Once your tooth becomes more seriously worn, it should be sharpened by a professional who will be able to restore the correct cutting angle.
Safety gear is important when carrying out maintenance on a sharp tool - leather gloves and some eye protection are the advisable minimum standard. You will also want your chainsaw sharpening tool of choice, a hook or hooked piece of wire for cleaning the chain bar groove, screwdriver and socket to remove the chainsaw cover, and the manual for your chainsaw.
Your daily maintenance routine should consist of checking the oil and petrol are topped up, or checking power cords for any sign of wear if you have an electric chainsaw. Also, check that the chain blade is properly tensioned.
Every few uses, you will want to use your sharpening tool to keep each tooth on your blade properly sharp. A good indication that you have a blunt blade is if the saw starts producing sawdust instead of even small chips. If you have a petrol driven chainsaw, checking the fuel filters regularly is advised.
Although you can sharpen your own chainsaw easily enough, field sharpening is only intended to keep an edge on the cutting tooth. Once your tooth becomes more seriously worn, it should be sharpened by a professional who will be able to restore the correct cutting angle.
There are many models of chainsaw sharpener on the market. Purists will use a round file of the appropriate gauge for the tooth, with or without a file guide. Electric sharpeners also exist which can make your life easier, but at the expense of some degree of portability.
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