Seems obvious, right?
Think of your chainsaw as a rock band, with the chain as the lead guitarist. If the strings are out of tune, the whole performance falls apart. The condition of your chainsaw’s chain isn’t a trivial matter—it’s the heart of the tool, determining whether you glide through timber or struggle to make the cut.
Much like a razor blade or a seasoned bluesman’s slide guitar, a sharp, well-maintained chain is the essence of precision. It’s what allows your chainsaw to slice through wood with ease rather than hack it to pieces.
Neglect the chain, though, and trouble begins.
Improper sharpening, incorrect depth gauge settings, or poor chain tension aren’t just small issues—they’re glaring mistakes that can ruin your cutting experience.
The result?
Increased risk of kickbacks, stalling, and the unpleasant buzz of an unbalanced saw, signaling “unsafe.”
It’s like cranking up the amps in a band but skipping the soundcheck. Anyone can tune up their chainsaw with basic know-how, but only if they treat it with the attention it deserves.
Like Hurley from Lost would say, "dude, you gotta maintain your chainsaw".
There are four simple rules that will ensure that your chainsaw chain performs up to spec.
The operator should keep the chain:
A loose chain also increases the potential chance of a kick back from happening. And no one wants a kickback blade to the face.
An incorrectly tensioned chain will also place more pressure on the saw's sprocket, causing it to wear.
A properly tensioned chain should be adjusted to make contact all around the guide bar. It needs to fit snugly, yet allow easy movement when pulled from the chainsaw body toward the tip of the guide bar.
Here's a handy video which demonstrates how to correctly tension the saw:
Check out this video tutorial which shows how to sharpen the chain:
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.
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.
It’s like cranking up the amps in a band but skipping the soundcheck. Anyone can tune up their chainsaw with basic know-how, but only if they treat it with the attention 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
- The depth gauge height should be consistently and accurately set.
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.
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 should be adjusted to make contact all around the guide bar. It needs to fit snugly, yet allow easy movement when pulled from the chainsaw body toward the tip of the guide bar.
Some tensionion tips:
- Tension the chain prior to each chopping session by adjust the tensioning screw with a screw driver until the chain fits snugly against the bar yet moves easily by hand. Tension the chain often, or at each occasion of refuelling over the course of a day.
- 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 wood cut
To ensure your chain cutters remain well-maintained, damage-free, and sharp, always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for your specific chain model. Begin with a round file attached to a handle, and use a file guide to maintain precise depth and angle during sharpening. The goal is to keep the cutters uniform in length and shape throughout the chain's lifespan.
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.
Remember to regularly check the spark plug for build up.
Consider using the world 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.