Quick Guide to Chainsaws. 20
Maintenance of cutting equipment.
Wear work gloves when you inspect the chainsaw’s cutting equipment.
Check cutting equipment regularly.
Chain tension.
Make sure the chain tension is correctly tensioned. A slack chain may jump off the
guide bar, injure you and damage the chainsaw. An overly tight chain tension can
cause premature wear of the guide bar. A properly tensioned chain should not hang
under the guide bar. The chain tension is correct when the chain is in contact with
the underside of the guide bar, and you still can pull it around easily by hand. See
picture Above.
A sharp chain.
The chain must always be sharp to ensure cutting that is safe, effective and has
good precision. An easy way to keep the chain sharp is to use a chainsaw filling kit
which includes a round file, flat file, and filling gauge. There are other more com-
plex sharpening tools. You can also have chains sharpened at local chainsaw dealer.
Quick Guide to Chainsaws. 5
