Your chainsaw's chain health is vital to a successful cut
Obvious right?
Imagine your chainsaw as a rock band, and the chain is its lead guitarist—if the strings are out of tune, the entire performance falls flat. The health of your chainsaw chain isn't just a technicality; it's the heart and soul of the cut, the difference between a slick groove and a jarring mess.
Like a barber's razor or a bluesman's slide guitar, a sharp, well-maintained chain is precision incarnate. It's the difference between gliding through a piece of timber and chewing it up into splinters.
And neglect?
That’s when the trouble starts. Improper sharpening angles, incorrect depth gauge settings, or a poorly tensioned chain aren’t just minor flaws—they're off-key notes that can turn your masterpiece into a disaster.
The result?
Increased risk of kickbacks, stalled cuts, and a rattling vibration that screams "unsafe."
It's rock and roll with the amps cranked up, but without a good soundcheck. Any user with basic skills can fine-tune this instrument, but only if they give it the respect it deserves.
Like Hurley from Lost would say, "dude, you gotta maintain your chainsaw".
The Four Basic rules of chainsaw chain maintenance
There are four simple rules that will ensure that your chainsaw chain performs up to spec.
The operator should keep the chain:
- Properly oiled;
- Correctly tensioned correctly;
- Sharp, cutter angles correctly made; and
- The depth gauge height to consistent and correct.
Let's work through these now.
A chainsaw chain needs to be properly oiled
The chainsaw's guide bar and chain are designed to be constantly supplied with oil. It's just how they work. If they did not get oil, the parts would overheat and seize and not cut properly. They would also suffer friction deterioration.
One should then regularly check that the chain oiling system is supplying oil. We recommend you use oil designed for chains and chain bars - not waste oil from other engines.
Chainsaw oils are designed to stick to the chain, whereas used car part oil has no such properties and is probably filled with impurities and metal that could damage your gear.
Chainsaw oils are designed to stick to the chain, whereas used car part oil has no such properties and is probably filled with impurities and metal that could damage your gear.
A correctly tensioned chain is a safe chain
At best, a loose chain is not cutting properly and at worst, it is likely to fly off the chain bar - causing you to lose time putting it back on and also run the risk of injury to hands or legs (unless you are wearing safety gloves or chaps!)
A properly tensioned chain is one that has been adjusted to that it is touching the whole way around the guide bar. It should feel like a snug fit but still be easily pulled forwards from the chainsaw body towards the guide bar tip.
Some tension tips:
- Tension the chain prior to each session. Tension the chain often, or at each occasion of refuelling.
- Never tension your chain right after cutting wood.
- A chain tensioned while hot can cool and then shrink, causing tension to be too tight which will break shit. Trust me on that...
- Let the chain cool first before doing anything.
- It's a smart idea to wear protective gloves, especially if you have diligently sharpened your chain or it's a brand new chain - those things are factory sharp!
Here's a handy video which demonstrates how to correctly tension the saw:
A sharp cutter makes a sharp cut
It just seems so sensible to ensure that your chain cutters are well maintained - damage free and sharp.The basic rule is that you sharpen inline with the manufacturer's recommendations for your chain.
At the most basic level, you simply need a round file with a handle and also file guide to sharpen the chain.
Your goal when caring for your chain is for the cutters to be kept at an equal length and shape for the life of the chain.
It's best practice to use a file guide to ensure the file is held at the proper depth and angle.
Here's our guide to sharpening a chain. The basic method is to file from the inside out with firm and smooth strokes of the file. This should be done in conjunction with a file guide to maintaining the correct angle.
Complete one side of the chain and then swap over. If they are damaged, file and repaired as necessary. If you have had to make a replacement cutter then you need to ensure the cutter is the same length as the rest of the chain else it will lead to a less efficient cutting rate.
Check out this video tutorial which shows how to sharpen the chain:
The correct depth gauge setting
This is a part of chain maintenance that is easy to overlook or ignore but as always, doing it right will mean a good and safe cut.
The depth gauge controls the thickness of the chip the cutter will remove from your wood target.
The basic tools required for this task are a flat-file and the correct depth gauge tool as recommended by the manufacturer of your device.
To ensure the correct gauge once places the depth gauge tool in position over the cutter. The excess is filed off from the inside of the cutter outwards.
It's good practice to check the depth gauges after 4 or 5 sharpenings.
Another really important component of chainsaw maintenance is ensuring you keep the chain and bar well oiled.
- Bonus tip one: Remember to regularly check the spark plug for build up.
- Bonus tip two: Consider using the famous White Ox logging gloves as you work.
And once you're done for the day, catch up on some Star Trek trivia. Or why not learn how to fix a flooded chainsaw engine.