When it comes to getting things done around your house or at work you need your chainsaw to be ready to go at a moments’ notice. But if it always seems like your chainsaw is dull, you may be wondering if you’re doing something wrong.
The truth is, there are a few things that could cause your chainsaw to dull more quickly. And a few things you can do to reduce the risk.
Take Care of It
The first thing is to make sure that you’re taking proper care of your chainsaw and the chain especially. That means cleaning it and putting it away when you’re done using it. It also means making sure that you keep the blades properly sharpened in the first place so it’s cutting properly.
Make sure that you sharpen the blades evenly on both sides to get a proper cut every time. This will help extend the life of your chain as well, and make sure that you’re not dulling the blades. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult for many people to sharpen their blades evenly just by default.
It’s natural to be stronger and therefore more attentive to one side of your blade than the other, but that’s only going to cause damage to the blade and it’s going to make your cuts inefficient. If you sharpen one side of a blade better you’ll end up with crooked cuts that damage the blade as well as the project.
Also, you want to make sure that the edges of your blade aren’t too thin, which will be laid out in the manufacturer’s guide. Too thin on the edges while sharpening will also mean that your chain dulls more quickly because it’s a lot easier for that thin edge to be worn down.
Check the Rest
You should also make sure that you check out the rest of the unit to make sure there’s nothing wrong. This includes putting enough oil on the chainsaw for it to run properly and stay lubricated. If it’s not lubricated well (and that means quite a bit of oil) it could overheat and you could damage more than just the edge of the chainsaw blade. It also means making sure that you monitor the air filter.
The air filter is often overlooked on a chainsaw, but it’s extremely important to make sure it operates the way you would expect. If your air filter gets clogged it could actually cause problems with the spark plugs and more. All of that means you’re not going to have a good connection.
Getting the Right Cut
Getting a good cut on your next project requires you to keep proper care of your chainsaw and especially the blade. But if you’re not quite sure what you’re doing or how to care for the blade that can be more difficult than you think. So, take a look here and check out guides on proper sharpening to get off on the right foot.
Walt moonlights as a handyman after getting off his busy job as a commodities trader. He enjoys writing about all things related to DIY, home improvement, etc.
