Chainsaw Chain Maintenance Tips
Maintaining your chainsaw chain is vital for smooth, safe, and efficient cutting. Follow these simple steps to keep your chain in top condition and prevent damage to both the chain and saw.
Common Types of Chain Damage & How to Prevent Them
Regularly inspecting your chainsaw chain helps you catch problems early and avoid costly damage. Below are the most common issues caused by improper chain tension, along with how to prevent them:
Excessive Wear on Rear Cutting Teeth and Tie Straps
Cause: Blunt cutting edge dropping too steeply to the rear, chain too slack, depth gauge possibly also too low.
Prevention: Keep the chain sharp and tensioned correctly.
Heavy Wear on All Chain Links
Cause: Chain over-tightened; high depth gauge; dull teeth with a small filing angle, causing too much pressure on the bar.
Prevention: Sharpen teeth properly and adjust tension as recommended.
Cracks under the rear rivet hole of the cutting teeth and of the opposite tie straps
Cause: Blunt cutting edge dropping too steeply to the rear, with the result that too much pressure is applied when cutting.
Prevention: Maintain sharp teeth and correct tension.
Bar Rail Damage and Uneven Underside
The bar rails are battered at the inlet near the top and at the end of the sprocket nose at the bottom. The underside of the bar is uneven or wavy, causing the chain to run poorly and accelerating wear.
Cause: Chain too loose for an extended period; bar becomes unserviceable.
Prevention: Check and re-tension the chain regularly.
Need help? Reach out to our experts or stop by our Nowra store for personalised advice and service.