It is no secret that using a chainsaw is dangerous. In fact, logging is consistently the most dangerous profession in the United States due in no small part to the use of chainsaws (and of course the risks of felling trees). However, there is one part of chainsaw use that causes disproportionate fear among those…
Getting your chainsaw pinched is one of the most common and frustrating problems encountered by inexperienced chainsaw operators. It is easy to underestimate the forces involved with cutting wood, so it can be incredibly easy to get your bar, chain, or both stuck under hundreds if not thousands of pounds of pressure. That’s a good…
It happened to you, huh? At first, it felt like your clutch cover was stuck, so you pried and pulled. And then… *SNAP.* By the time you realized what had happened, it was too late. You took your chainsaw clutch cover off with the chain brake engaged, and now you can’t get it back on….
Keeping the chainsaw cutting depth consistent is an essential, but often-overlooked aspect of chainsaw maintenance. If you don’t file down the rakers on your chainsaw occasionally, the cutting depth of the teeth will diminish overtime and severely hamper your saws ability to cut. In fact, it may inhibit its ability entirely. When you go to…
As a chainsaw cuts, it releases an incredibly high amount of energy, and a large amount of that energy is converted into heat. To help alleviate some of that heat build-up, chainsaws have built-in systems to dispense oil to the bar and chain while it cuts, greatly reducing friction and thus the conversion of energy…
It does not need to be said that chainsaws are incredibly dangerous tools, deadly even. Their use absolutely necessitates careful operation and a keen eye for safety. Luckily, their operation is made substantially safer with a mechanism known as a “chain brake.” The chain brake of a chainsaw is a pressure-activated switch that abruptly and…
Like the spear that can pierce any shield and the shield that can deflect any spear, a chainsaw chain that will never dull has been the unobtainable, paradoxical jewel sought by mankind for millennia–or at least the 70 or so years since the chainsaw was invented. In this noble quest, many have looked to carbide…
Spark arrestor screens can be a great annoyance to chainsaw operators everywhere. Spark arrestors are the mesh screens on the exhaust of virtually all modern chainsaws, and they can occasionally get clogged with carbon, greatly affecting chainsaw performance. Predictably, many are tempted to simply throw these easily-removable screens away, but is that really a good…
We have all done it: Drop starting our chainsaw. It is an extremely popular way of starting a saw due to its ease and success rate. But should you really drop start a chainsaw? While drop starting a chainsaw is an easy way of starting a saw, it does come with a few elevated safety…
It has happened to all of us: We go to cut a log and our chain starts throwing sparks like a musket. If it is happening to you, don’t worry. There are a few common reasons why the chainsaw may be sparking, and the majority of them are quick fixes. In most cases, it is…