You’ve been using your chainsaw for a little while now, and you probably think you know all there is to it. Well, you’re wrong! Sorry to be so blunt, but I need to mention some important things to you in this post.
So let’s get straight into it!
Be careful of the bar to engine power ratio
When you purchase a chainsaw, the bar and engine power are kept to a similar ratio. For example, if you get a chainsaw with a 12-inch bar, the chainsaw engine isn’t going to be very powerful.
That small chainsaw was probably designed for pruning. But let’s say you’re thinking about using that same chainsaw to fell a tree; you might be thinking you can install a bigger bar and be good to go.
This won’t work because even though the bigger bar you’ve installed is designed for big tasks, the chainsaw engine probably isn’t. So keep this in mind when considering a change in bar size.
Make sure you file the depth gauge along with the teeth
There are multiple features on a chain: the teeth/blades, and another is the depth gauge.
When you sharpen the teeth, they’ll shrink and eventually be smaller than the depth gauge. This will prevent your chain from cutting because it’s not able to touch wood.
So make sure you’re filing down the depth gauge. I would recommend getting a Stihl chain sharpener; this will sharpen the teeth evenly.
Clean the flywheel
Right now, your chainsaw may be in top-notch condition; it runs like a dream. However, it will eventually get clogged and start to overheat if you’re not cleaning it properly.
There’s one place that people tend to forget about when doing a clean, and that’s the flywheel. Open the chainsaw side, and you’ll see a gap; inside, there is the flywheel.
If you don’t feel comfortable opening up your chainsaw that much, you don’t have to; make sure you’re getting a brush inside of that gap and giving it a good clean.
Unclog the oil holes
As the chain rotates around the bar at rapid speeds, it will cause friction, and this friction will cause heat, which will damage your chainsaw.
To prevent this, you oil your chainsaw, and it allows the components to work smoothly. Modern chainsaws come with an automatic oiler; you need to fill it with bar oil.
Eventually, the hole responsible will get clogged. To unclog it, you need to open the bar, and you’ll find a hole(s). It would be best if you unclogged them.
To check if your chain is oiling, run it whilst pressing the throttle, pointing at a piece of cardboard. If the cardboard is wet, it’s oiling properly; if not, there’s something wrong.
Conclusion
So those were the things you may not be considered when using your chainsaw.
Make sure you’re using your chainsaw for tasks it’s been designed to handle, make sure it’s being sharpened properly, clean it, and unclog the oil holes.