How to Draw a Chain on a Stihl 180 Chainsaw

Regardless of the class of the chainsaw, under the influence of intense regular loads, the chain is weakened. This can be determined by the appearance of characteristic gaps in the joints of the links, a change in the sound of work, and an increase in vibration. It is possible to tighten the tension of the saw set yourself using a special mechanism. This avoids serious damage and injuries while working with wood.

Why is chain tension necessary?

The chain performs two functions at once. It directly cuts wood and fixes the tire, preventing its arbitrary movement. The correct position and tension of the chainsaw chain allows you to fully operate the tool, to avoid dangerous injuries during operation. If the saw set is not installed correctly, it flies easily during sawing, harming the operator. Even with a slight weakening, it gradually breaks the groove of the tire, which leads to failure of the teeth of the driven sprocket.

In this case, excessive voltage leads to an increase in the load on the rotor, reducing the resource of the saw. Therefore, it is important to regularly check the tension, if necessary, tighten a special mechanism on the tool body.

Important! Sagging can occur due to wear on parts. Usually this is the wear of the teeth of the sprockets, breakage of the outer edge of the groove of the tire.

How to check the correct stretch?

To ventilate the quality of tension, smoothly pull it in the middle of the tire.

The permissible output level of the tails of the cutting links should be no more than 2/3 of their length.

The need for a tightening can be determined by the following signs:

• The appearance of squeaking and grinding in the area of ​​the main driving sprocket;
• Loosening of the protective mechanism, tire fasteners;
• Seizure during sawing, increased vibration and noise.

A chainsaw decreases productivity and increases operating time. Even when sawing soft types of wood, the chain starts to get stuck in the groove, speed and smoothness are reduced.

Tensioner Mechanisms

Depending on the design features of the instrument, the headset tension mechanism may vary.

In budget models of chainsaws, a classic straight-threaded bolt, which is located on the side of the case, is used to adjust the chain.

In this version, a special key for tightening is included in the package or there is an external groove for a slotted screwdriver.

All professional models are equipped with more convenient adjusting mechanisms. Using them, you can pull the chain with one movement of the lever or by turning a special disk. Their design consists of a built-in tensioner, fixing during rotation is achieved by a lock nut. In some models, the adjustment is carried out by locking the tire in a certain position of the tool cover. Regardless of the method, the circuit voltage needs to be adjusted only when cooled. Tensioning the hot chain leads to sagging during cooling.

How to adjust the chain?

You can install the circuit and adjust its voltage with your own hands, without contacting a service center, regardless of the class of the chainsaw, its age. Before starting work, you should completely check each link, since sagging may be due to wear of the teeth or sprockets. Step-by-step algorithm of the correct tension Stihl 180, Husqvarna, Champion, Partner and other models:

• Place the instrument on the table so that its headset is on top. Unscrew the screw fastenings of the protective cover, dismantle the tire and thoroughly clean each element (it is convenient to use a vacuum cleaner or a cylinder with compressed air);
• Determine the correct chain position. The teeth should be on top, go in the opposite direction from the body;
• Put it directly on the tire. Fix the bolt mechanism, make sure there is a sufficient margin of free play.

Before looking for an answer to the question of how to pull a chain on a chainsaw, you should study what methods exist. Two tension methods are common. Fast and frontal. The first method involves the use of a tightening bolt. It must be twisted clockwise, at the end it is necessary to check the wing nut and lower the handle.

Figure 3. Quick tension method

The front-end method is more complex, the main steps:

• Unscrew the nuts that secure the tire to the chainsaw. Loosen and gently pull up on the edge of the headset;
• Pull the adjusting screw to the desired level, fix the tire back with the nuts;
• Check the chain tension with your fingers; if necessary, tighten the nut again.

Regardless of the characteristics of the tensioner, excessive voltage of the circuit should not be allowed. This is no less dangerous than its weakening. After installing and adjusting the saw mechanism, it is recommended that the tool be idled. Carefully check the smoothness of the chain, the presence of sagging and extraneous whistling sounds.

Important! When buying, you should specify the type of chain tension in a specific model of the tool. Check for a key to tighten the headset, it should always be included.

If the tension does not help

With proper installation of the chain there should be no sagging, when pulling the teeth go out of the grooves no more than 4-6 mm. After work, scroll it along the tire in the direction of rotation, the stroke should be smooth and easy. If the tension correction does not help, the cause of insufficient stress may be due to the following factors:

• Incompatibility of the chain model (tooth pitch, length, size) and the saw set of your chainsaw model;
• Failure of guide sprockets;
• Damage to the tensioner, adjusting screw;
• Lack of lubrication (the problem is solved by the additional use of oil);
• Mechanical damage to the bottom of the teeth, grooves in the headset.

Figure 4. Overstretching

If it is not possible to achieve sufficient chain tension, the tool should never be operated. You should check the compatibility of all components, if possible, contact the service center to fix the breakdown. Using a chainsaw without a quality setting can lead to dangerous consequences.

Possible risks with uneven stretching

Any changes to the saw headset (sagging, broken teeth, overstrain) can lead to problems during operation. Risks of tool operation with sagging:

• Decreased productivity during sawing and felling;
• The chain gets stuck in the groove, flies off the tire during startup;
• Headset breakdown, damage to guide sprockets;
• High load on the rotor, reduced tool life;
• Serious injury during work.

Before starting work, it is important to qualitatively check all moving mechanisms, the tightness of the adjusting bolt. Use special oil to lubricate the teeth, the saw set. Chain adjustment and direct sawing should be carried out in protective clothing, gloves and glasses should be worn to avoid injuries.

A chainsaw headset is an important structural element responsible for productivity and quality of work. Before starting operation, check the tension and make sure that it is installed correctly. The voltage is adjusted using a special bolt or lever on the housing. Sagging or excessive tension can lead to serious consequences. Breakage of the saw, injuries during sawing wood.

The correct chain tension on chainsaws is of great importance. It affects the life of the cutting headset and the entire chainsaw. Over, with a critically improper stretch, working with a gasoline chain saw is simply impossible.

Tensioner device and principle of operation

The chain tension is adjusted by simply moving the tire:

• From the drive sprocket (from the chainsaw) to enhance the tension;
• To the drive sprocket (to the chainsaw) to loosen the tension.

The tire is moved using the simplest gear mechanism, which transfers force from the adjusting screw to the tire.

There is a spike on the adjusting shaft, which must necessarily fall into the hole on the tire when installing it. This engagement makes the tire move when adjusting.

The screw is located under the hole in the cover covering the drive sprocket, side or front, depending on the model of the chainsaw.

How to Draw a Chain on a Stihl 180 Chainsaw

The screw in most models has a slot for a flat screwdriver. Turning it clockwise or counterclockwise moves the tire slowly, in millimeters, per revolution. This makes it possible to simply and accurately achieve the desired stretch.

The tensioner mechanism is simple, therefore reliable enough. Fails for the only reason. If the teeth of the drive gear are made of soft or brittle metal. Some unscrupulous manufacturers use parts made using powder metallurgy. The teeth on such gears quickly “slip together”.

In such cases, you have to change the entire assembly. You can tension the chain manually or with a vise. The tire is neatly, without pressure on the grooves, fixed in a vice, the chainsaw is pulled away from the vice until the desired chain tension is reached. This is a temporary measure. The chain has to be tightened often, and without an adjusting mechanism it is inconvenient to do this.

Adjustment is carried out with the tire with the chain fully installed in place, with a loose tightening of the fastening nuts, which, depending on the model, can be one or two.

Keyless tensioning system

It began to be used relatively recently, it is considered new, if not advanced. Differs from the classic wrench in the following:

• Another tensioner mechanism;
• Lack of an external tightening nut;
• Adjustment without an additional tool.

Instead of a 13-turn-key nut, on the lid there is a wing (swivel cap) with a handle for tightening by hand. It also has a nut, but it is hidden inside. Instead of adjusting the screw for the screwdriver in this system, the tension is made using the tension wheel (adjusting knob).

Instead of a gear shaft there are an asterisk and a tension washer.

This system also has disadvantages:

• The mechanism itself is more complicated than a traditional wrench;
• Installing a cutting headset causes additional problems, as complicates the process of pairing all the parts in the right order;
• The adjustment course is shorter, a slightly stretched chain will still serve with the traditional tensioning system, here it will sag and become unusable.

When to pull the chain

Working with a strongly sagging chain is strictly unacceptable.

The chain “jumping” during sawing can break the groove of the tire, damage the teeth of the driven sprocket.

A chain that has slipped off can damage the parts of the mechanism. But the most dangerous thing is operator injuries. Despite the brake and the catcher, a broken chain can whip along an unpredictable path, and this is extremely dangerous.

The tension must be checked before starting work. During operation, critical attenuation can be determined by two signs:

• Chainsaw starts to jump and twitch in the hands;
• The sound of work changes, a metallic ringing, a knock appears.

In this case, turn off the engine and check the tension.

Why does the chain weaken on the chainsaw

The chain tension on any chainsaw weakens constantly. There are several physical and mechanical reasons for this.

1. A chain is connected from a plurality of links that are held together by bushings through holes. Even with the most accurate factory fit between the bushings and holes, there is play, otherwise the chain will not fold into an ellipse. During operation, all backlashes are pulled together in one direction, which leads to an increase in length. Even a micron play of 52 or more links in total leads to tangible values.
2. Under loads, especially strong, lamellar elements of the entire chain can stretch.
3. Gradual sagging of chains occurs when parts wear. The teeth of the driving and driven sprockets are erased, the outer edge of the groove of the tire. Asterisks are reduced in diameter, the tire is getting shorter.
4. When heated, the metal not only expands, but also lengthens. During operation, the heated chain becomes a little longer and sags.

Chainsaw chain tensioning algorithm

1. A chainsaw is placed in a comfortable position on a table or workbench.
2. Release the tire tightening, but not too much so that it does not dangle. On the contrary, with insufficient tempering the tire remains clamped, and this can lead to the breakdown of the adjusting screw or mechanism.
3. The lower chain slack is clearly visible. When turning the adjusting screw (or wheel for keyless systems), the sag is tightened.
4. The tension is checked. Correctness is determined manually. Around the middle of the tire, the chain is pulled with fingers with a little effort. It should come out of the groove by 3-5 mm. Guide chain segments that slide inside the groove of the tire during operation should never come out to the end. Their lower part should remain in the guide groove.
5. The nut or lamb fastening is tightened.
6. The ease of movement of the chain along the groove is checked. She must walk, both forward and backward. If with a little effort. This is acceptable. In operation, the stretch will quickly loosen.
7. If the chain does not move by hand, the operation is repeated. The fastening nut is released and the tension is loosened.

A good example of how chain tension on a chainsaw occurs is presented in the following:

Expert Advice

New chains in the first hours of operation stretch more than the old ones. Therefore, the stretch must be checked after the first 12-20 minutes. Work.

The constriction is fraught with excessive load on the engine with loss of power and accelerated wear of the cutting headset and parts of the chainsaw, especially the drive and clutch sprockets.

After 3-4 chains wear, replace the tire with a new one.

After wear of 6-8 chains and 2 tires, you need to evaluate the condition of the drive sprocket. On different models, they wear out after different service lives. The worn teeth of the sprocket have a non-standard size. Even if the chain does not slip along them, its service life is reduced.

After each tension adjustment, it is recommended to lubricate the driven sprocket at the end of the tire. For this, there are special holes near it. Oil from the pump gets there according to the residual principle, and sometimes it does not get at all. Therefore, along with a key and a screwdriver for tensioning, you need to have a nipple on hand. 3-4 drops are sufficient for lubrication.

Inadequate lubrication speeds up wear on the cutting headset and chain stretching. The planned oil consumption for different chainsaws is different. On some models, 1 tank of oil is consumed almost simultaneously with 1 tank of gasoline. For others, 1 tank of oil is enough for 2 gas stations. A sign of good lubrication is the oil shine of the chain and its smooth running along the groove.

Do not use low-quality chains. They quickly stretch, disable the nodes in contact with them and require a more frequent tightening.

Why clamps a chain on a chainsaw

There may be several reasons for this:

• The chain is too tight;
• The groove of the tire is clogged with a mixture of sawdust and oil, the space around the sprocket under the tire mount cover, the clutch mechanism;
• The tire is completely incorrectly installed (the pin of the tensioning mechanism does not fall into the hole, the skew);
• One or more chain links jammed4
• The chain is deformed, the guide segments are bent;
• Tire groove is damaged.

Adjusting the chain tension takes only a few minutes without experience, and with experience less than a minute. It’s easy to follow the right stretch, and not follow. It’s more expensive for yourself.

How pull the chain on a chainsaw

The first thing a freshly baked chainsaw owner has to learn after researching the safety procedures for working with massive equipment is its setup. The next thing that is done after reading the annotation is testing the work, and if the saw does not work correctly, then the possible reason for this is incorrect chain tension. Therefore, the question immediately arises. How to pull chain on a chainsaw?

Typically, manufacturers indicate in the annotation to the chainsaw how to do this, but if for some reason it was lost, or the device went without it, for example, by inheritance, then the text below will help you find the right answer.

How pull the chain on a Stihl chainsaw

If you fell into the hands of a Stihl saw (Stihl) Do not be scared and nervous, because I got one of the most reliable and high-quality options assembled from components created by one manufacturer at our own facilities.

Before pulling chain on a chainsaw Stihl or check the quality of the tension must wear protective gloves or gloves. This will not only protect your hands from cuts on sharp teeth, but also keep them clean, since engine oil is difficult to wash and wash.

The first step is to check the Stihl chain tension. If chain sagging (visible part of the internal teeth), it is necessary to tighten it. When relaxed, it will damage the tire blade and render the saw unusable. If with the brake released chain motionless, it means it is overtightened, respectively, it needs to be weakened.

How pull the chain chainsaws Stihl MS 180

New on how to make a more convenient tensioning system: Thank you.

Tension chainsaw chains. Chainsaw maintenance. Part 5

Find out how to chain the chainsaw, as well as the consequences of its improper tension. A sign.

Company Stihl suggests two possible tension options chainsaw chains. Fast and frontal. Both are used for improvement in the process. It is worth noting that pulling overheated chain prohibited. According to the laws of physics, it will shrink after cooling, and may burst from overtension or damage the tire.

With the frontal version, it is necessary to unscrew the nuts and lift the tire of the chainsaw, on which it is installed, by the edge chain. The bolt on the right must be turned with a screwdriver until the desired tension is obtained. Then the tire must be raised even higher and the nuts tightened.Quick stretch option chainsaw chains Stihl assumes the following: the tension wheel located on top must be turned all the way to the right, after lifting the wing nut handle and loosening it. After the operation, the nut is tightened again and the handle lowers. This ends the procedure. Stihl chainsaw models have some differences in the chain tension rules, it is advisable to find instructions for a custom model.

How pull the chain Husqvarna chainsaw

All safety rules described for the model above are similar for Husqvarna saws (Husqvarna). Do not tighten the chain while the saw motor is on. Start work is allowed only after a complete stop and cooling.

Before as pull the chain on a Husqvarna chainsaw, check whether additional tension is required. It is worth considering that new saw chains require more frequent tension. From time to time, it is stretched during the work, therefore it is necessary to carry out this operation before each use, if necessary. Otherwise, not only chain replacement will be required, but also saw drive mechanisms.

First of all, it is necessary to loosen the fixing nuts located on the clutch cover. The next step is to turn the adjusting screw 45 degrees. If chain Husqvarna chainsaw is tightened, you need to turn left (counterclockwise). Otherwise, the screw rotates to the right. If a single tightening is not enough, the operation must be repeated. At the end of the procedure, tighten the nuts on the protective cover with the combination wrench. He can also check the tension chainsaw chains, hooking it on the outer tooth and pulling it chain along the guide in the tire.