Question: How Often Do You File a Chain?
Get the answers to frequently asked questions about chainsaws. Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask the Forestry Forum.
Answer: Madsen's Shop and Supply says "when the chips it cuts are no longer chips but dust, or when you have to physically push or force it to cut" you need to sharpen. "You should be able to put your saw to the wood and not have to push very hard for it to cut. The harder you have to push, the duller it is getting. Pushing harder on your saw to force it to cut also leads to fatigue, enhancing the risk of injury."
What does the Forestry Board have to say? Here are some quotes from the Forestry Forum...
"Several things, often working together, can make a chainsaw cut crooked. Improper sharpening, or different depth gauge heights will do it. These also wear the bar more on one side, so even if you put a new chain on it may still cut to one side." - TREEMAN2
Here is a great collection of sharpening tips from Madsen's...
Back to the Chainsaw FAQ.
