CORRECT WAY To Adjust The Chain Tension On Your Chainsaw
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2017
- The correct way to adjust the chain tension on your chainsaw is fairly critical. If its too loose or too tight it can cause damage to the saw or yourself! This video is for ALL chainsaw makes and models, including Stihl, Husqvarva, Echo, Etc....
In this video Steve is going to show you the correct way to adjust the tension of your chainsaw chain. He will show you where to find your adjustments screws, how to move the bar so it is the correct position when tightening the screws and where that chain should be holding itself to the bar when it gets tightened.
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👉Top 5 Reasons A Chainsaw Won't Start ➜ • How To Fix A Chainsaw ...
👉Correct Way To Sharpen A Chainsaw ➜ • CORRECT WAY To SHARPEN...
👉Repair A Chainsaw That Cuts Crooked ➜ • How To Repair A Chains...
👉Fix A ChainSaw If It Won't Oil The Bar And Chain ➜ • How To Fix A ChainSaw ...
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✅Need The proper tool? Check out this chainsaw wrench ➜ amzn.to/2iMUIIf
For more videos like this, check out:
👉Top 5 Reasons A Chainsaw Won't Start ➜ th-cam.com/video/5Qit2CZFw6M/w-d-xo.html
👉Correct Way To Sharpen A Chainsaw ➜ th-cam.com/video/-GIxowey6IQ/w-d-xo.html
👉Repair A Chainsaw That Cuts Crooked ➜ th-cam.com/video/AgCZxee2NPA/w-d-xo.html
👉Fix A ChainSaw If It Won't Oil The Bar And Chain ➜ th-cam.com/video/6zscOSrFQjA/w-d-xo.html
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✋Heads up guys, I did say a quick thing at about 1:55 that is not what I meant! The chain actually is not spinning at 12,000 RPM just because the engine is. But my point is still valid....👍
Carburator already!
we knew what you meant ! ;)
We knew what you meant. Great video. Thx.
12000 revs per minute implies engine speed I think. Anyway we know you basically meant frickin fast.
What is the chains rpm at say 12000
No shitty music, brand new saw or pointless waffle. Here is a guy that knows what he is talking about, concise & informative. Thank you sir, I think I shall sub. 👍
WOW! Thank You...
Get the gullet!
Agreed!
Hey Steve, is it normal to have the tension screw almost maxed out in, to have the correct tension?@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon
he waffles for 6 mins
This was how I was taught to tension a chain when I purchased my first saw thirty five years ago. Thumbs up to you Steve.....
Thank You...
Hey man, I am not sure if you will see this since the video is nearly 6 years old now. However, I recently purchased a STHIL Chainsaw myself. This video helped me, as a first time young homeowner. I appreciate the fact there is no bullshit into, no "before we get into this, here's a thanks to my sponsors", or any other crap. Just straightforward and to the point. When I have a little extra money, I will be purchasing some stickers, coffee cup, and other items from your store as a thank you.
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
I'm a firefighter on a truck company in a major US city and we use Stihl saws for cutting ventilation holes in all types of roofs. Your video was fantastic. I'll definitely be using these tips and advice going forward. As someone who expects his saw to save lives, having your equipment set up properly can be a matter of life and death. Kudos!
Right on Frank! Thank You...
If you’re going through shingles do you tear some shingles off first? Seems like your chain would dull immediately going through them
This is rad, thank you for your service
@@Slippindisc Maybe on a pretty intact roof with little time to play/train/whatever. But if it’s gettin it and you’re going hard offensive to get ahead, occupants trapped… guys inside who’re gettin pressed down…that kind of fire, then it’s the least thing I cared about. I just wanted to safely get off the roof and provide the best environment I could for everyone inside workin in the dark.
Carbide teeth?
Finally, someone who knows how to make an informative video. Perfectly explained for the novice.
Thank You...
6y7789pooo090o0ppiu9ii99oi78iioooppooikuiuju77ujjii9kjijjiiioioouuuii888888iiiiiiip00009990 is0guo000ppokoojjkkkpuii89oiooiu777uu879999ooliii99i00ppoopppp0p0p99yy80990000000uipllpu733221111qqqqqqa9ooooii0oooo09i900ii
@@fransrichter7698 b
And no shitty music in the background. Also like to say that your chainsaw seem a lot.
Yeah, it’s why I subbed the moment I found this channel. For once, somebody who doesn’t waste time with lots of unimportant information and also presents things clearly, and in a rational order.
I learn more from these videos than I do from hours of others.
So, what you're saying is, "Hold your tip up when you tighten you nuts?" Makes perfect sense to me! Great vid. Thanks for posting!
Brilliant.
Albert Head Nice. Would have added “while checking your oil” but well played sir
🤔😂😂🤣🤣🤣👨🏾🔧🇯🇲🇨🇦🤙🏾👏🏾🙏🏿
Mostly I like holding the nuts up while you know who is playing with the tip.
Go to your room.
Nobody in my entire tiny career operating saws ever helped me out like that concerning chain tension. Huge thank you.
You're Welcome...
Am new to this site. Yet, having studied 3 of Steve's SE Saloon videos, I must conclude Steve's guidance is ☆☆☆☆☆Excellent.
Wow, thank you!
Thanks brother. I was a dealer and have been cutting wood for fifty years. I wouldn't sell a saw without training the customer. Here is what I taught: The bar and chain must be cold. Loosen the bar nuts. Hold the tip of the bar up while adjusting the tensioning screw. Increase the chain tension until the chain just kisses the bottom of the bar. Tighten the bar nuts. Manually pull the chain around making sure the chain continues to maintain contact with the bottom of the bar. Repeat the process if necessary. Shalom/gw
First guy I’ve seen who actually knows how to correctly set the chain tension. I’ve done it this way for 45 years.Great video!
Right on Dave! Thank You...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon I'd say that's a tad tight ! I'd be looking for a tiny bit of slack - no more than 1mm (I don't know what that is in imperial even though I'm imperial ! 1/16" ??
@@millomweb It would be 1/25, as one inch is 25,4 mm.
@@Staale69 That's logical :)
Dave said what I was thinking . I was taught to hold the tip up thirty years ago.
Great tip thanks. I'm a British immigrant to Canada and been a Canadian citizen for over 40 years.
Now that I have a chain saw I finally feel like a real Canadian!!
Thanks ! 🙏
Right on
all u really need is a hockey stick..lol
It is important to remember that the chain will stretch a bit as it heats up with use. So check it again once you have cut some wood. Like wise ,if the chain is warm and adjusted accordingly it will shrink when it cools down especially when stored during winter months. I like to detention the chain for storage to decrease the stress on the equipment.
I agree. I always slightly overtighten mine when using a brand new chain for this reason.
Especially if it’s a brand new chain.
If you tighten it while it’s hot, you need to loosen it before it cools again because you can damage the bearings etc. This is stated in the manual. If I need to adjust mine hot, I don’t suck it all the way up, I leave 1/8th in. Often the chain sagging is time to clean out the bar and cover, and likely sharpen it too. If it smokes, I clean it and sharpen it. There’s a lot of heat involved when the bar cover is plugged up and there’s wood in the bar channel.
That is very smart. Reducing. Tightness. In WINTER.
I've had my chains also get tighter while bucking logs. I still don't understand that, but it happens. I check my chain constantly because I've thrown chains, and fried bars.
Always take the tension off when you're done cutting.
25 year arborist here. He’s absolutely right about holding the tip up. I always tell people to adjust the chain until you can just pull the drivers, which are the part opposite the cutting teeth, out of the bar at the middle of the bar without having to pull real hard. They should snap back into place with no sag at the bottom. Remember, a little loose is better than too tight. Also, I always flip the bar over every time I change the chain to minimize warp, but make sure you don’t put your chain on backwards!
Good point! Thank You...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon Happy to help! Great video, thanks for making it! I get asked this question all the time and I’m always hearing homeowners with their chains making a loud whirring sound cuz they’ve got too much tension.
yer you're onto it, been doing that since i bin cutting firewood started around 1980, one tip....shove a block or piece of wood under the tip, or in the field rest the tip on a small branch on the ground so the chainsaw is resting on the back of the handle and the tip. this ensures the bar is pushed up hard and you can concentrate on tensioning the chain and tightening the nuts. i have my bar oil cranked up to the max, you can have the chain with some tension on it because in operation when a large amount of heat is generated the chain will lengthen and the xtra tension will back off very quickly to ideal, also never tension a hot bar and leave it cool down, when the chain shrinks it can over stress the crankshaft, try to always set your tension just before you start cutting. my sthil was an 042 for 25yrs, bought an ms 361 back round 07. having said all that your vids are good steve, practical knowledge with no bullshit. regards...
Great way... I cut 8 cords a yr in Montana
Thanks for that tip. Makes sense from what Steve explained too.
I’ve had 4 dudes on my chainsaws and not one of my machines are fully functional anymore.... except the Husqvarna now that I took it in to Sthil repair place and they had to replace bar, chain and secure the handle for me! They gave me a small tutorial as well. No more dudes on my equipment because of people like you and Steve and a lot of “but why?”, instead of sticking my head in the sand after my late husband’s fatal accident, I tcb myself.
@@nevada8462 _"I’ve had 4 dudes on my chainsaws and not one of my machines are fully functional anymore..."_
Reminds me of all the different 'professionals' that cleaned my boiler. All of them improperly adjusted the igniter electrode. I would always hear fuel spraying before it finally ignited then 'woomp!'
I watched them a few times then read the owners manual and bought a vernier caliper and adjusted the electrode gap myself.
Ignition was instant.
Was gonna say the same thing. Why hold it up when you have all this wood around you to do it for you and give you two free hands?
Agree
Thanks. Great video showing why and how to get this equipment adjusted properly. Clear. Understandable. I don't have much experience using chainsaws. This is big help.
You are welcome!
I'm a 3rd generation chain saw user. This is good basic info.
Thank You...
Hi from Australia Steve,
Have been selling chainsaws for 24 years. A tip I learned early on was to lift the handle so the nose touched the bench top while tensioning the chain and tightening the bar nuts.
Saves needing three hands and you spill less beer. (Carlton Draught here buddy)
Thanks for your great videos,
Regards,
Mark.
Right on Mark...
maybe im mising something, its the same two hands either way. just a different end of the saw. lol
Maybe I'm just weird but I just turn my saw upside down, loosen the bolts, adjust the tension and then tighten it back up. After that, flip the saw back upright and go cut wood. If needed, turn it on its side to add gas and oil.
Another weird thing I do. I fill the oil to the top, as much as I can get in there without over flowing it. Then I leave a little space with the gas, half to maybe 3/4". That way I will run out of gas first even if the oil is flowing faster than it should be for some reason. I'd much rather run out of gas than oil anyway.
I'm still learning about saws, even tho I've ran one when I was much younger, but I've learned some weird ways over the years. ;-) I have a Stihl 028 av wood boss currently with a 20" bar. I am trying to find a good long lasting bar and chain tho. I cut oak and hickory which is tough on chains.
Kyabram Motors spilling less beer is always a good enough reason for me!!!
I use a scrap of wood sometimes if it's handy
I like to tighten the chain where it just starts to smoke the bar, then throw the saw in the shed and go fishing.
if it performs how you want it to, you're doing it right.
@@kenbrown2808 it performs great when the fish are bitin.
lmao
Well that's smart in a way.
I adjust the bar after every 20 be-headings.
Great, GREAT video. I’ve been wondering about the correct way to do that for 22 yrs.🤪. Finally someone taught us correctly . God Bless You 🙏🏼
I appreciate you explaining the physics of the forces on the bar!
Thank You...
A couple additional comments: re-tighten after warmed up, as the warm chain will sag a bit after heating/expanding, especially if it's a new chain. Also, loosen and store loose if you're going to store it a bit long-term. Pull the chain back and forth (with chain brake off and be careful not to cut yourself). It should move freely and smoothly. If there's a pretty good amount of resistance, you're too tight. Finally, there are certain areas of the bar that are tell-tale signs of a too-tight or too-loose chain. See other videos on the subject and you'll learn about them. Overall, this video does a very good job though. Thanks, Steve.
Also, if you do this, dont forget to remove tension after use because as the chain cools it will contract causing huge stress on it and all connected components.
Thanks Steve. This helped me a bunch in understanding how to adjust the tension on my chain!
I'm a new homeowner. Just moved in from years of living in an apartment in the city. Needless to say we don't use many small engine tools.
So I'm an enthusiastic learner with no complexes.
And you are by far one of the clearest and most enjoyable teachers I've watched.
Thanks a bunch.
Thank you for the awesome comment, my friend....
I was taught this way:!1. chain can not sug under, 2. while pulling down you can not use force as you did and higher part should not come out rail.
I comment on 2nd minute so I will watch Your way.
I was also explained that after chain get temperature, matel also expands and chain after minute become longer and looser..
I am 50 and so far always was good.
Now I keep watching...😄
Great video, and advice. I watched this a couple years ago after purchasing a new saw, and since then this information has served me well. It’s kept me safe, and definitely helped in regard to the extending the service life of the bar, and the chain.
In regard to servicing in the field, I started carrying an awl, (or a thin flathead screwdriver), along with the standard nut/flathead tool.
After servicing now, I’ve found that placing the awl through that single hole in the forward part of the bar allows you to keep constant upward tension on the bar while tightening the nuts. This also eliminates having your glove contacting the chain (or the bar), in the front sprocket area, which can sometimes be quite hot. But this method also allows you to pull the chain around a few times while the bar is fully upward, in order to detect any tight spots in the chain that might otherwise throw off proper tensioning.
Before using this method, I had many an instance of “properly” tensioning the chain without moving it at all, only to find it overly loose again once throwing the brake on, and checking it after the first few cuts.
Hope this helps someone, and thanks again for the video. 👍
This is exactly how I adjusted my chain when I worked as a logger in the late 70s and early 80s. Normally I would rest the very tip of the bar on a log or stump and then lean forward a little on the top handle and that keep enough pressure under the bar to allow proper tensioning and tightening of the bar nuts.
Perfect!
Finally, someone who can make a point clearly !
Thank You...
The guy is pretty gifted. Easy to understand.
I wasn't interested in maiming myself so I was trying to find the right tension. And you're right, there's a different answer depending on who you ask lol.
But lifting the bar while adjusting is key info I didn't see yet.
I wish this information came in the saw's instruction manual. Thank you so much for taking your time to pass this on.
Glad it was helpful!
Dad was smart and taught me a ton BUT HE MISSED the trick about holding the bar up...makes sense,,,well presented...THANK YOU!!! (He, like me, would have held the bar in the middle forgetting it WOULD ride to the top!!)
One thing I learned ... the hard way... watch the wear on your drive sprocket. If you start to see a groove wearing into the sprocket... get it changed. You'll think the chain is properly adjusted but the chain will slip back into those grooves, and it's automatically too loose again. Great instruction on this critical bit of chainsaw maintenance.
Good tip, something I can watch out for tomorrow
Man it's a good thing I found this video before I destroyed something. Been doing it all wrong until now. Thanks for the great video.
You're Welcome...
Best chainsaw tension video quick and to the point…
Thank You...
Great video, thanks. I'm 58 and was laid off last year due to Covid. Been a "desk jockey" my whole life. Been looking for a suitable job the last 10 months and getting lots of scams and "you are overqualified."
My friend is a landscaper and she's been getting newer, more wealthy clients in an adjacent town so I agreed to take on some of her smaller clients to make ends meet. Just bought my first chainsaw (Poulan 18") and watching maintenance and safety videos. I wanted to start cutting some oak logs today but decided to wait a day until I can get chaps and a helmet/guard/ear protection. I don't wanna cut my body up in a stupid oversight of basic chainsaw operation.
I'm excited. I did a big weed whack/pruning job the other day and my body survived. I live in the mountains of Southern California and most houses are on steep hillsides. I was able to complete the job and it felt great. Aside from assessing the property I was free to think about whatever I wanted, music, comedy, whatever. It felt so good to be outdoors and not handcuffed to a desk thinking about programming and number crunching. A year from now I'm going to have enough clients to start contracting out help, then buy a better truck and trailer, then eventually manage my little landscaping business.
You, kind sir, have played a big role in this dream and for that I thank you.
PS Based on everything I've watched my new Poulan came to me basically perfectly set up. I fired her up no problem, messed with the kickback guard, and gave the chain a few revolutions. No issues.
How's business?
I appreciate people who can go in depth technically but keep their teaching engaging and interesting. From a self-described expert in the tree industry, I still watch or listen all the way through. You never know when someone is going to be able to challenge your mastery. The only time it might be acceptable to stop learning is after death, but I can't guarantee that either.
Right on Jesse! Thank You...
Thanks for 'splainin' Steve! Makes perfect sense that even I can follow.
Again I learned something I didn’t know but should. Thank you Steve.
Glad to help
This is the best advice I have found on youtube. Even with my short attention span, the directness and detail had me locked in. Wish you did a sharpening AND tensioning video in one video and we’d all be done searchin!!
Thanks Steve! Lost my dad 5 years ago and he was always there to help and teach. He never taught me about chainsaws ( we never needed one) Now I do and your videos help. Almost like having my dad here with me. Thanks!
Glad to help
Same Bryan my Dad who passed in 2021 built the family home 50 years ago and did pretty much anything a real blue collar guy. Started out on the docks at age 14, then a painter, janitor, then Coast Guard in 40C engine room or on barges in -20C hauling in buoys. A chainsaw wasn't something we owned. Good to get some tips and even better the why of why it's done from Steve.
Great information. I look to you more often than not. Reason, I have Stihl power equipment. Chainsaw, Weed Trimmer and Blower/Vac. I want to keep them for a long time. Appreciate this information Steve. Joe from Indiana.
Keep coming back to Steve’s well of knowledge. Thank you, sir. (MS 261)
More to come!
Good job explaining chain tightening! Thanks Steve. A review of fundamentals is never a waste of time! Strange how one can develop bad habits from thin air! Couple of minor points a) Clean out behind the cover plate to free up the sprocket and chain before adjusting chain. All that rotten wood fiber and oil that inevitably gets packed in there! Otherwise your chain adjustments will not be accurate. But we all keep our saws clean anyway, right? b) After adjusting and before locking down the nuts, roll the chain with gloved hand a full rotation and recheck the tension. While holding up the tip with hand of course. And again after tightening the nuts c) New factory chains can change after first hour or so of work. Usually getting longer and looser. I've thrown chains because I failed to check a factory new chain...
Bought a few "chain catchers" that got sheared in half due to this :^(
I ran across your video by chance as I was strolling through my TH-cam videos. I said to my self "OK, let's see what kind of BS this guy is spreading" I am a certified Sthil and Husky tech, and you sir are 100% correct. No BS at all...................... RESPECT to you Steve.
WOW! Thank you Danny...
Underrated video. So much information.
I appreciate that!
Thanks Steve, it’s good to improve my beginers level knowledge. 👍
Happy to help
As a more or less happy homeowner for 45 years in 24 acres of woods, I had figured this out over a number of years and chainsaws. Wish I had this video in the back then days. Thanks for passing on the word in your usual excellent style.
Thanks for sharing!
In all the Trades and products the Manufacturers Recommendations are the rule. For the chain, the bar and this guy mentions this early. BRAVO EXCELLENT video!
Thank You...
Nice to hear someone speak from experience and not just reading from a pamphlet written by engineers. Just saying. 👍🏻
Thank You...
I have been told before that is HOW you do it, without an explanation as to WHY you do it. Thanks for TEACHING me the reason why it should be done that way. Great informative video. I subscribed!
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
As a homeowner and builder who occasionally helps clearing some of the lots that I build on, this video is helpful to me. Not pulling up on the end of the bar while adjusting the chain explains all my problems of often ending up with too tight of a chain soon after I begin cutting.
Right on
Why are you putting so much weight into cutting ? Just let the saw and gravity work together !
A great must-do tip. My first job was at 15 yrs old in a saw shop. Your tip was one of the main things I leaned, only the method was different. Instead of holding the bar up, just turn the saw over and the bar sag will be in the up position without holding.
Finally, .......... someone who knows what he is talking about. Greetings from Europe.
Thank You...
Used to be a Husqvarna dealer. I've used that method for 50 years. Shalom/gw
Now this is completely right! It will be helpful for starters! Some other youtubers don't know a thing about that and pretend to be a pro...
Thank You...
Thanks never knew why got tighter when I tightened the chain,thanks Steve
A first rate demonstration and explanation.
Glad you think so!
The best chain tension explanation and adjustment instructions ever. Kudos and subscribed.
WOW! Thank You...
I’ve been quietly watching your videos for a few years now. I’m a small engine repair tech at a large home improvement chain. I have to train others, most with no experience, in how to run all sorts of small engine equipment. Your videos have been invaluable to help me know how to train the new young folks how to use these machines. Thanks so much
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
Thank you so much!!!! It's been a while since I've had mine out for action... so I'm so thankful for the best explanation I have heard on how to do this safely , effectively and properly... ❤❤
Glad it helped!
Thanks Steve been Chainsawing for over 20yrs never new that technique, many thanks Cheers Mate Herron Western Australia 🇦🇺 👍
Happy to help
Good information for those who don't have their chainsaw manual or couldn't be bothered to read it.
Right on
It also pays to pull the chain through once tightened up and just check the tension in a few places. Got me stuffed why, but there always seems to be a slack spot in it. If I find one, I take up half the difference and re-tighten.
Perfect, thanks! I just dashed in from the garden here in Kent, UK for exactly these tips as I'm cleaning, sharpening & adjusting a pruning chainsaw. It's only little but it's a handy device.
You reminded me to get my hard hat, face guard & gloves out too!
Cheers mate!
I’ve been tensioning my chain like this for about 5 years now; I think I learned it from Steve. I watched it tonight just to have a beer with him, as this is one of the rare videos he doesn’t drink his beer!
Did not know there was a screw tighten on a chain saw now it will feel safe thank you
You're Welcome...
Awesome, sharpened my first chain today ( I’m 54) shows you’re never to old to learn something new. Thanks. Excellent teacher…
Thank You...
I did that for years, and always found my bars would wear crooked faster..... also noticed when you give the beans to warm the engine, the chain is hanging off the bottom a good deal. Now, I tighten till it still has some decent spring tension, but still easy to move the chain by hand. Once it starts spinning, the hot, relaxed chain just barely hangs off the bar, keeping itself sucked up, barely loose/relaxed, and not really under tension.... but not saggy and rocking the teeth In either.... best part: no more worn bars.
As a 66 yr old female homesteader who has tree limbs falling on my fence I have a huge thank you for this valuable video!!! No other video shows the "why's" doing this or that. You Sir not only explained everything on how to do it, but why to do it. That is a lost art these days. Best video ever on this topic!
Right on! Thank You...
Thanks Steve. Really helpful. Clear, simple to understand. You da man!
You're Welcome...
Great Video. Been adjusting my chain this way for many years. The other factor to consider is, that as the chain heats up it will become looser. I had the chain derail when I was a rookie and was lucky it only slapped me on the hand and wrist good. The little aluminum angle shaped safety damper is still on my saw although it is bent from that rookie mistake many years ago. It likely saved my hand and wrist from serious injury. That slap on the wrist always reminds me to monitor my chain tension often..
All awesome stuff 🙂! I was blessed by being taught all the tips and tricks from a father who used to make a living felling trees by hand. He fell some of the last of the old growth trees here in Washington state. He used big saws with massive bars. He taught me to keep the chain tight enough to stay on but not tight enough to cause binding. The chain should always move freely when pulled by hand. The sound your chain makes will always indicate whether or not your running it to tightly. I have learned from experience to watch and listen to my saw and chain. They can tell you many things if you know what to look for. I have as you say slapped myself on more than one occasion after a long day of tree thining or brush clearing and my chain has stretched and slacked off. On a side note always make sure you have your wrench securely on the nuts when tightening, I forget once and sliced the side of my hand open on the new chain I had just installed. My wrench slipped of at full down force. I like to make sure my nuts a nice and tight. I lost a few in the woods once when they backed off.
This was a nice refresher and very important for the longevity of your saw. 😊 Thanks 👍.
From one Steve to another Steve, thank you so much!
Our pleasure!
I learned a few things from this video, thank you.
Glad to hear it!
This is exactly the video I needed and now I know what I was doing wrong. You're the man
Thank You...
Another great video. My family owned and operated a tree service for 30+ years and maintained our saws ourselves. You described the process perfectly, even the need to lift the tip of the bar as you re-tightened the nuts holding the bar on.
Right on
Another good talk. All of yours are. When a marginally skilled person (me) never has any coworkers or cohorts, doing the same tasks, to talk to, it’s a little or a lot dangerous. No on-going learning takes place other than one’s own accidents or near misses. So this lone eagle develops bad habits or just plain underperforms. I’ve seen this a number of times while coming in contact with firms who decide to have one person do a task that nobody else in the whole company does. That worker has nobody to say “oh man, I had a close call today don’t do what I did” or “hey, Bub, let me show you something”. I find some show hosts, such as you, fill this sort of gap where I’m an amateur. So, thx a bunch being here with me.
Superb Instrauction "
Superb Instructor "
Superb Video "
Thank You Friend !"
Thank you! Cheers!
I logged for twenty 20 yrs..the older guy tuff as nails, logged all his life would run his chain almost dragging the ground lol ive seen it loop beat chain catch off.. 😆..great video..good to see someone who knows saws, sharpening ect..well done!👍🏻 sawdust in my blood..
Right on Eddy!
I remember having a conversation with someone I worked with about this a few years ago. He argued with me that doing it this way didn't make sense - he said that making undercuts on tree limbs would end up pushing the bar down, so it didn't matter how you had the bar positioned when tightening the chain. I argued that based on the number of undercuts one makes versus normal use that it made sense to do it this way; plus if just strictly cutting firewood one typically pushes downward, thus no need for undercutting. My argument fell pretty much on deaf ears... I still do it the same way as you did in your video to this day, no matter. 😁
Right on
This video and the 1 on how to sharpens chains properly where a huge help and very detailed thanks
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6 years later and this video is still serving a great purpose....Thank you.....
Glad it was helpful!
Dear Steve,
Your tutorials are so well done; everything from the photography, sound of your voice, and clear easy to understand instructions. You are truly a blessing to us students in you tube land. Please keep your health and vitality because we need and love you.
Bruce the swimmer New Rochelle N.Y.
Thanks brother....
Straight to the point, very informative, and super helpful. Thank you!!
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Haven’t seen anyone else mention that tip. Brilliant! Thank you
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Great video! These are the kind of skills that we should be teaching to kids in high school.
We agree!
Big Steve chill out my man....
It takes a brave man to U-Tube.....
I learned I was doing right all theses years...thanks.
Right on...
Steve, for the sheer volume and great variety of explanations and techical details offered on video, you may be the very best of all instructors regarding Small Engine Repair and Equipment Maintenance. I like all of the instructors, but you have a particular knack for making complex things very simple for us ordinary "joes" and that is a unique gift.
WOW! Thank You...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon A friend to a friend.
Definitely explains it to the average guy.... Who is also probably drinking a Lucky Lager while he works on his saw in the shed lol
Exactly what I needed to know! I had a feeling I was doing this incorrectly. Thks!
Glad I could help!
I was cutting into a huge piece of fatwood today and it was the usual slow going. Took a look at my chain and it was about ready to come off. Not the first time this has happened either. This fatwood is like petrified wood. My chainsaw is working overtime on it. Takes forever to handsaw it and my wrists are not interested, so I use my Husqvarna. This the second huge piece I've gone to war with this month. And don't get me started on the embedded dirt and rocks. Even after a thorough cleaning. We're talking decade plus old fatwood. Thanks for your video
I have been over tightening my bar for years. As always, Steve's advice makes perfect sense.
Thanks again Steve, So many folks have given me different instructions and I did it my way anyway. Your example is simple and makes sense to me.
Excellent!
Thanks for the info. Thats the only way that worked for me for decades.
Good to hear
Old school Steve - before I found your site. Cheers mate, always love your lessons.
Rock on!
There are a lot of guys from Ork that make chainsaw videos. Many of them I want to ask WHY?
This is the BEST explanation of chain tightening I have ever seen on the Web.
Tip: a little piece if 2x4 can be used to hold that tip up, so you can use both hands to adjust chain tension and tighten the nuts.
If you have a stump vice, that makes a good bi-pod for the tip of the bar... like on a rifle.
Notice his terminology. It is all correct. (There is NO "blade" on a chainsaw, for example.)
READ your saw manual. It's there to help you.
Right on...
Actually there is a "blade" if you're in the British isles.
Burt Hulbert Who in the British Isles makes chainsaws?
Burt Hulbert and a boot is a trunk and a bonnet is a hood.
@@DiscoFang who in America makes chainsaws?
Finally Steve, I as one, have just seen somebody (you) tighten up a chainsaw chain the correct way. Myself I just place a block of wood under the end of the bar that holds the bar up the right amount. Keep up the good work, and the right information. Also I've been a logger and worked in wood mills of one sort or another, my father told me to put that chainsaw on the ground when you go to start it!!! Period. Even the little ones. Even a dull chain can cut the HELL out of you quicker than you can blink your eyes. Especially the little ones. MICHAEL said that bye for now my friend.
Oh my gosh…once again thanks for showing me this!
Concise and clear explanation. Thank you.
Glad you liked it
This guy is the MAN! It’s like explaining to the brain dead, so I can understand lol
Thank You...
@Steve's Small Engine Saloon Yeah, same here. I've ruined chains, bars and even one saw altogether by doing this wrong. It is all so straightforward as Steve explains it. The saw I ruined was from wearing out the sprocket by having it too tight. And once I wore out the sprocket, I could never tension the chain consistently because the chain would sometimes climb up the sprocket to be like its normal position, and at other times the chain would slip down into the deeper grooves I had ground into the sprocket. I could have replaced the sprocket, but it was a 40-year old saw and the new part cost more than the saw was worth. The only thing I would add to Steve's excellent discussion is that at all times, the chain should easily move on the bar. That is to say, after tensioning it and making a cut or two, turn the engine off and with a GLOVED hand, move the chain back and forth. It should move very easily, not binding at all. It is not a bad idea to do that quick check right before you start the saw EVERY time. Sometimes you will have some wood chips in the groove and by manually moving the chain both directions, you may clean out the groove a little. AND you will catch an over-tensioning situation before you damage your saw or yourself. It literally takes only 3 extra seconds each time.
I noticed the chain tightening after adjustment. I assumed it was due to the bar heating up and expanding. Holding the tip of the bar up while adjusting tension is important. Good information.
Always feels good to have a seasoned vet like yourself make sense of what I've been doing for the past couple years. Love your videos man, keep on keepin on!
Right on Danny! Thank You...
Your videos are always superb. Thank you many times over.
Thank You...and You're Welcome...