“How do you keep from dulling the chain on a chainsaw while cutting wood?”Whether you’re a wood enthusiast or a DIYer, knowing how to maintain your chainsaw will prolong its form.
Maintaining a sharp chainsaw will save you time, money, and effort. Plus, it would also ensure your safety every time you use your chainsaw.
That is why it is important that everyone who uses their chainsaw regularly should make adequate provisions to clean and maintain it.
Learning to keep your chainsaw from dulling might sound difficult if you’re not a chainsaw expert, but it isn’t.
In this article, we’ll explain to you what causes your chainsaw chain to dull.
You’ll also learn how you stop this from happening and extend the lifespan of the chain of your chainsaw.
Why Does Your Chainsaw Keep Dulling?
Let’s get to the heart of the matter. Why exactly does your chainsaw lose its sharpness?
Knowing the why would not only help you solve the problem but also help you avoid it.
Below are some of the reasons why your chainsaw might keep getting dull.
Rakers
Rakers are those little teeth on your chainsaw chain. They are also referred to as depth gaugers and riders.
They’re responsible for controlling how deep the cut goes and how much you cut at every turn.
When these rakers aren’t set to the correct height, they will create more dust from the material you’re trying to cut.
That means you would have to put in more effort to cut as well as normal.
At this point, your chainsaw would get hotter than experts recommend and cause problems like the dulling of the chains.
Dirt
When you consistently use your chainsaw chain to cut through dirty wood, you could allow debris, sand, and dirt into your chain.
Unfortunately, all of these things could cause friction and seriously harm the sharpness of your blade.
Technique
How you handle your chainsaw matters a lot. Using improper techniques could put a lot of strain on your chain and make it dull.
You can think of it as trying to drive a car without proper driving skills. Not only would you probably damage the car/chainsaw, you could also injure yourself while at it.
The chainsaw chain is on backward.
This might sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes chainsaws, you might mistakenly install your chainsaw backward.
That means that the cutting teeth are facing the wrong way. When this happens, you would need more effort than usual to cut through whatever material you want to cut.
In the long run, doing this could have adverse effects on the durability of your chainsaw.
Contact with the ground.
Accidentally grazing the ground with your chainsaw while it’s running can be very harmful to your device.
That is because the ground contains sand, dust particles, and tiny rocks and can be abrasive.
Thus, letting your chainsaw touch the ground could increase the chances of dirt and debris getting into it. And you definitely don’t want that.
Strong or metal objects in the wood
Sometimes, while trying to cut firewood, your chainsaw might come across a strong or metal object stuck in it.
Your chainsaw coming into contact with those obstacles can damage your chain and make it go blunt faster.
Some of the obstacles you might find in the wood could be nails, metals, or any other hard object. Strange as it may sound, it does happen.
Cutting angle
One of the most common ways you can dull your chainsaw chain is by using the tool at the wrong angle.
Cutting your wood at an excessively steep angle is the fastest way for it to lose its edge and sharpness.
Also, when you cut your wood from top to bottom, the chances of the chainsaw touching the ground increase.
And, as we’ve pointed out, that could spell trouble for your chainsaw chain.
Another notable mention is the issue of your chainsaw smoking. When your chainsaw keeps exuding lots of smoke, that might be a sign that its chain is becoming dull.
If this is the case for you, here’s a proper way to fix this issue.
How To Keep Your Chain Sharp?
Now, you’ve learned some of the reasons the chain on your chainsaw could be getting duller by the day.
It is now time to discuss some of the remedies for them. Here, we discuss the most effective ways to prevent your chain from dulling.
Use more than one saw.
To keep your chainsaw in pristine condition, consider getting more than one saw. That way, you can reduce the strain on a single chainsaw and extend its overall lifespan.
In fact, you could have a separate chain you use to do all the dirty work. Then another sharper one for all your cleaner cuts.
Quickly clean what you can
Remove dirt, sawdust, sand, and other debris on your chain as soon as you can. Do not let them stick to it.
If you do, it can lead to friction and, thus, dulling of the chains the next time you use it.
How Do You Keep From Dulling The Chain On a Chainsaw While Cutting Wood: Cut strategically
Adopt a strategic approach to your woodcutting. Being more careful when cutting can significantly decrease the chances of your chainsaw coming into contact with dirt.
So, before you begin to cut the wood, consider if your action might bring dirt into the cutting areas.
Finally, always aim for clean, uninterrupted cuts. For a proper example of how to do this, here’s a video that would help you.
A person using a chainsaw blade
How Do You Keep From Dulling The Chain On a Chainsaw While Cutting Wood: Use Semi-Chisel Chain Cutters
There are several chainsaw types in the world. Out of all these types, the semi-chisel chain cutter has proven to be the best for dirty work.
Engineers have designed Semi-chisel chain cutters to be more durable and to maintain their sharpness longer than other types.
That is why you should have at least one semi-chisel chain cutter in your chainsaw set.
A person cutting wood with a chainsaw
Conclusion
You won’t go wrong if you follow the suggestions in this article for preserving the sharpness of your chainsaw chain.
By understanding the factors that lead to chain dulling, you can now take proactive steps to maintain your chain’s edge.
Your chainsaw will last a long time if you adopt the maintenance tips outlined in the article.