A chainsaw is a brilliant innovation no doubt. It can spare you a considerable amount of time- either at home or your job site. It helps you get rid of dead tree branches and slice firewood quickly.
In any case, you have to keep up your cutting tool in excellent working conditions. Fortunately, this should be possible without consuming much of your time. Using routine maintenance, and sharpening when required, will increase the lifespan of your cutting tool, as well as making it easier to use.
Top Chainsaw Maintenance Tips in This Year
Check The Air Filter
You don’t wish your chainsaw air filter to become clogged as this will force the machine t work harder. The harder it works, the more it will overheat.
Your air filter MUST be clean at all times! If you’re working in a dusty environment, we recommend you to check the air filter regularly- almost after every use.
Some air filters can be easily cleaned while others ought to be replaced. Your local saw dealer will be able to help if you don’t know the style of filter that comes with your saw.When your air filter is always clean, your machine will enjoy a steady air flow and thus experience correct combustion as well as cooling of the engine.
Lubrication is also necessary
Like any other machine, your chainsaw will have to fight the frictional force. As you know, the frictional force is notorious for affecting the saw productivity. Gladly, you can counter it by lubricating your saw.
Enough lubrication will ensure that your machine runs smoothly during the entire working period.If you’re in the middle of the job and your chainsaw stops all of a sudden, this might be a sign that it’s not well lubricated.
You can also check to confirm whether your saw is well lubricated before you start off. You just place the machine on a clean ground- e.g. a newspaper- in an upright position and run the chain. If you see a trail of the lubricating oil, your machine is ready to go. Otherwise, it desperately needs a dose of lubrication.
Sharpening the Saw
When new, all chainsaw are very sharp, and you can tell this by the easy they slice through wood beams easily and fast. But after several uses, they tend to dull.
How do you tell if your saw is becoming dull and needs some sharpening?
It’s quite simple… When cutting, you’ll only need to apply a small amount of pressure on your chainsaw to make it get a good “bite.”
That’s a sharp chain- it will dig in and cut with little pressure. The opposite happens for a dull chain. You’ll have to put in a lot of pushing down on your saw for it to do some cutting.When you notice this, grab a chainsaw sharpener or file ASAP and sharpen the saw for better performance.
Never Run Your Chainsaw into Dirt
Did you know that sand and dirt are some of the top chainsaw killers?
Every chainsaw user should be very careful not to run a moving chain into ground. In case you’re cutting a small sapling off its bottom, we advise you to start by digging around the tree base to ensure the trunk at/below the ground level without the saw bar getting into contact with dirt.
When cutting a tree limb, ensure the limb is well supported off the surface on either side to prevent your chain from dipping into the dirt at the completion of the cut.
Only cut the sizes of limbs specified by the manufacturer
Chainsaws are intended for specific, and this depends on the bar length and motor horsepower. If you try to cut limbs that are too big, you might damage your saw. Always consult your owner manual for specifications regarding the saw cutting size restrictions.
Check your chain tension periodically.
If your machine chain is loose, it can damage your chainsaw bar or the sprocket. What’s more, a loose chainsaw might jump off the bar when the cutting tool is in use.A loose chain is a safety hazard. Always check the tension of your saw before you return it to casing for storage.
If loose, tighten it according to the owner’s specifications. And if using the chainsaw for large projects (those involving many cuts) shut your chainsaw frequently and check the chain as well as other key components.
Employ the correct Petrol-to-oil mixture
A chainsaw runs on a blend of two-cycle oil and petrol. Different manufacturers will use different mixing specifications, depending on your chainsaw engine design.
The standard ratio is 40-to-1 petrol-to-two-cycle mixture but makes sure you check the specification for your particular saw before you attempt to refill the oil tank.
Check for the loose components
Because chainsaws operate at extremely high r.p.m, with significant vibrations, its fasteners and screws are likely to loosen with time. At the end of the day, therefore, fasten all the attachments that might have become loose.
Lose fasteners/screws are likely to cause damage due to the vibration and rubbing.Pay particular attention to your chain break bar before the top chainsaw handle. This particular component needs to be correctly attached to keep you safe when running the saw.
Replace your chain once a year
If you’re running a chainsaw with worn-out chain, you’re placing an unnecessary burden on the machine engine. A dull chain will not cut according to your expectation and is only good at overheating the motor, chain, and bar.
Performing a chain replacement once every year ensures that your cutting tool is always at its peak regarding performance (not forgetting that you’re also extending its durability).
Final Verdict
These are the most valuable tips on how to maintain your chainsaw you’ll ever find. Maintaining your chainsaw is the key to making it perform excellently and serve you for a long time. As you have seen, the maintenance is as easy as pie.
You don’t need to possess any mechanical skills to carry out different maintenance and repair tasks on your cutting machine. Whether you’re a heavy medium or light chainsaw user, the above tips will help you keep your cutting machine at its best at all times.