How to Sharpen a Chainsaw

Chainsaws are cheaper and easier to operate than ever before. In fact, it's cheaper to buy a new small saw than have any major repairs done to the old one. But no matter what kind of saw you own the chain will need sharpening sooner or later. Having to take your saw to a dealer or repairman is expensive as well as time consuming. Whose to say you won't saw into a nail embedded in a tree right after you've had it sharpened. By learning this simple procedure you will save time and money, as well as being able to do something that a lot of people shy away from.

Recognizing when a chainsaw is dull is self evident. When the saw is sharp large, slightly curled chips will fall to the ground. The saw moves through the wood smoothly and you can feel the teeth actually shaving it's way through. A dull saw will work you three or four times as hard and use up more fuel in the process. Instead of large chips falling what appears to be sawdust sprays out instead. This tells you it's time to get out the file.

Although 12 volt electric sharpeners are available and do a great job, I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner. So this procedure is for using a round file. Determining what size file to use is the first step. Because of different makes, models, and sizes of chainsaws there are different sizes of files used for your particular saw. If you bought the saw new then a file might have been included with the accessory kit. If not, there are several ways to determine the size needed.

The owner's manual will usually have the size of the file listed. Other options are going on line to the manufacture or calling a repair shop. The easiest way is to look on the chain itself. The size of the chain may be seen on the side of the tooth, or on the section of tooth that slides in the groove on the saw bar itself. Take these numbers to a local or major hardware store to find the file you need. A file handle works great but is optional.