How To Chain A Stihl Saw

How to put a chain on a chainsaw correctly: instructions, recommendations, basic methods

The chain is an important design element of a chainsaw. It is she who has the greatest load during work, so high-quality and systemic care is required. When using any model, it is important to know how to put on the chain correctly, to monitor its tension. If it is not secured correctly, there is a risk of stretching and exiting the grooves. Reduced saw performance and increased risk of injury at high power.

Chain tension

To check the tension, you must first release the brake. Then pull off the chain in the middle of the headset, normally the shanks should not protrude more than 2/3 of the height. It is recommended to scroll it manually. do not jam and slip too quickly. If necessary, tighten the nut on the protective cap.

Figure 5. Checking the chain tension

Installing and checking the chain tension on the bar is an important process in the operation of any chainsaw. The work is easy to do yourself. Regular tool maintenance avoids injury and reduced productivity, even when working with dense woods.

How to remove a rivet

To change the elements of the chain or shorten it, you will need to separate the links as follows. Fix the chain element in a vise and grind off the rivets, namely their protruding parts. You can use a file or file for this. Be careful not to grind the side of the link.

It is not recommended to use an angle grinder, since there is a risk of overheating the links, which will lead to a change in the physical properties of the metal.

Using a beard (as it looks like in the photo below), knock out a rivet.

How to Properly Adjust a Chain on a MS250 Stihl Chainsaw

There is another option for separating the links. To do this, you do not need to grind the heads of the rivets. Place the link, namely its rivet, over a hole in the metal or over the slightly parted jaws of the vise. Next, you should put a locksmith barb on the rivet head and hit it several times with a hammer.

Continue knocking out both rivets alternately as they are firmly secured by the opposite side of the link. Gradually, the rivets will begin to come out of the top of the link, and it will come loose.

The advantage of this method is that the rivets can be reused as they do not grind.

How to install a chain on a chainsaw

The chainsaw chain is the element that is subjected to the greatest stress and overheating. From such influences, it can break, fly off the guide rail, or simply become dull from prolonged use. For timely maintenance or replacement with a new one, you need to know how to independently remove the saw chain from the chainsaw and install it back. The step-by-step algorithm of these operations will be shown below.

How to determine the degree of tension

A quick check of the chain tension is very simple: you need to grasp the prong and pull it up. If the chain is tensioned correctly, then the tail will be immersed in the groove of the bar by 1/3 of its height. An excess of this indicator indicates excessive tension, and a decrease in the indicator indicates weak.

Normally, the saw should move freely along the tire, without much effort. If the movement of the element is difficult, this is a sign of excessive tension.

With a strong tension on the cutting element of the chainsaw, the tire begins to heat up and grind, the load on the engine increases, and it wears out quickly. Do not start up the machine with a loose chain, as it may pinch and break when sawing, which poses a danger to the user of the machine. The chain can fly off the tire and injure limbs, and it often breaks itself and damages the tire. Also, work with a weakened chain element leads to one-sided tire wear, after which the device stops making even cuts, and the saw is taken to the side.

How to properly install the chain on a Stihl chainsaw

Circuit voltage

Stretching can be done using two methods: fast and frontal. If stretch is used, then the installation of the chain on the chainsaw is carried out as follows:

• The nuts are unscrewed.
• The tire is held and lifted off the edge.
• There is a special bolt that is used to tension the chain.
• The tire is lifted to eliminate the possibility of sagging of the web.

It is quite simple to perform such work, it requires a small set of tools.

The quick method is to lift the wing nut handle and loosen it, the screw is turned clockwise, then the wing nut is also tightened and the handle is released.

The clockwise chain tension is carried out in the case when there is not a lot of free time. The chain screw is securely fixed to eliminate the possibility of rattling at the time of operation.