Chainsaw maintenance is essential to operate yours safely, keep your equipment in good condition, and extend its useable lifespan.
The chainsaw bar ensures that the chain always cuts in a straight line, by guiding its rotation. The combination of bar and chain determines your chainsaw’s cutting efficiency. These two elements are jointly responsible for maintaining a clean and sharp cutting action. If your chainsaw bar is worn, it can cause chain slippage, and inefficient cutting, which in turn puts more wear on the chain. It can also be dangerous. A worn or bent bar can cause the chain to bite, producing the dreaded kickback effect that can be so dangerous.
Understanding when to replace a chainsaw bar is part and parcel of ownership, and knowing how to do it yourself will save the labour costs of taking it into a service provider.
When you need to carry out some DIY chainsaw bar replacement, JAK Max stocks a wide range of the highest-quality chainsaw bars from trusted manufacturers. They provide superior precision and durability, and maximum cutting power. Based on our decades of experience, we’ve put together this easy guide to replacing your own chainsaw bar. We’ll also tell you how to dress a chainsaw bar, and answer some common questions, like how tight should a chain be on a chainsaw.
Common Chainsaw Bar Issues
The main causes of chainsaw bar issues are wear and tear, and warping. The combination of heat and pressure can create uneven wear on the rails of the bar, causing the chain to cut at an angle instead in a straight direction. This reduces the accuracy and efficiency of your chainsaw. The uneven pressure on the bar can cause it to warp, which further exacerbates the problem. If you know how to straighten a chainsaw bar you can sometimes fix this yourself, but you’ll generally need to replace it.
A lack of proper maintenance may lead to problems with your chainsaw bar too. Excessive use can cause warping, and so can improper storage. Always make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instruction manual on how to store your saw. This includes making sure that your chain is properly lubricated, using the appropriate oil.
How to know if you need to change your chainsaw bar
If you’re not sure when to replace a chainsaw bar, you’ll start seeing symptoms that indicate this. The first things you’ll probably notice are reduced cutting efficiency or uneven cutting. Other signs included visible wear and tear on the rails of the bar, warping or other damage. This will typically cause the chain to wobble excessively, as it won’t be consistently tight all around the circumference of the bar.
Flipping your chainsaw bar vs changing it
If your chainsaw bar only has very minor signs of where on one side of its rails, you can flip the bar rather than replacing it. It’s a good idea to regularly flip your chainsaw bar in any case. This can really help to extend its lifespan. On the other hand, if your bar shows signs of more serious wear and tear, like deep grooves, warping or visible damage, you’ll need to replace it.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Change Your Chainsaw Bar
You can follow our detailed guide on how to change your chainsaw bar safely and effectively:
Step 1: Loosen everything
First make sure that the chainsaw is completely switched off. If it’s an electric model, disconnect it from the power source. If it runs on petrol, find the spark plug and disconnect that. We’d also recommend wearing protective gloves to avoid cuts from the chain’s teeth.
Then you’ll have to loosen the various parts that will allow you to remove and change the chainsaw bar. You’ll need a screwdriver and a small purpose-made pocket chainsaw wrench. (You can pick up from your nearest JAK Max outlet in our wide dealer network.)
Insert the screwdriver into the hole between the visible bolts on the side of the chainsaw and slot it into the chain tension adjustment screw. Turn it anti-clockwise to loosen the tension of the chain. Then use the wrench to remove the nuts that hold the side plate in place. Remove this plate and you’ll be able to access the bar and the chain assembly.
Step 2: Remove the chain and existing chainsaw bar
Whether you’re flipping your chainsaw bar or replacing it, you’ll obviously need to take out your existing one. Now that you’ve loosened everything you should simply be able to wiggle the bar to work it loose, along with the chain. Lift the chain off the bar sprockets, and then slide the bar out of the body of the chainsaw. If you have difficulty with this, it could be that the chain’s safety lock is still engaged. Disengaging it will allow you to continue.
Step 3: Insert the chainsaw bar
Now you can insert your replacement chainsaw bar, or re-insert your current one if you’re flipping it. Slide the long slot over the two bolts, and insert the pin at the bottom into the hole underneath the slot. This will align it with the chain tensioning pin.
Step 4: Refit the chain
Before you attach the chain, determine the chainsaw direction – in other words, which way the chain’s teeth must face in order to cut. The teeth must be pointing forward along the top of the bar, and in the opposite direction along the bottom.
To fit the chain, hook it over the nose of the bar so that it attaches to the sprockets, and lay it along the bar groove. Then feed the rest of the chain all the way along the top of the bar. Use the tension screw to make the necessary adjustments so that the chain fits snugly over the motor sprocket. You can read more on how to tighten the chain on a chainsaw below.
Tip: If you find kinks in your chain, here’s how to unkink a chainsaw chain before reattaching it. Lay it on a flat surface and gently pull it to locate the kink. Don’t pull too hard, as this can tighten the kink and make it more difficult to straighten out. Grip the kinked section with a pair of needle nose pliers, and slowly move it in the opposite direction of the kink. This will straighten it out for you.
Step 5: Close the side panel
Now that your bar has been securely inserted and the chain is fitted snugly around it, you can put the side panel back. Line up the bolts with the holes and loosely put in all the nuts. Give the chain tension screw a little twist so that the chain is reasonably tight, with a little give. Then tighten the bolts to secure the panel.
Chain Tensioning and Adjustment
Once that’s done, the next part is how to tighten the chain on a chainsaw so that it’s ready to use again. You can adjust the tension of the chain by once again turning the chain tension screw counter-clockwise with your screwdriver.
Your chain tension needs to strike a balance between being too loose, which can cause derailment, and being too loose, which causes engine strain. Given that, and especially if you haven’t done it before, it’s natural to ask how tight should the chain be on a chainsaw. Thankfully it’s not difficult to get this right.
All you need to do is make sure that the chain fits snugly around the bar and doesn’t sag anywhere. Then check if you can pull the chain a few millimetres off the bar, without the chain links disengaging. If you can’t move the chain, it’s a little too tight. If the chain moves out of its groove, then it’s not tight enough. As a final test, you should be able to smoothly move the chain along the bar by hand.
Can you put on a chainsaw chain backwards? Well, yes and no. It’s very easy to place the chainsaw chain backwards if you don’t check it properly. In this case the teeth will face in the wrong direction, and won’t cut well. The cutting edges of the chain should always face forward.
Tip: Your chain will expand and lengthen a bit every time you use it, due to the heat that’s generated. In this case you might need to stop and tighten it. However, if you do so, it’s critically important that you loosen it again once you’ve finished. If you leave the chain hot and too tight, it will constrict again as it cools. If it does this too much, this can damage your chainsaw.
Greasing and Oiling the Chainsaw Bar
When you change your chainsaw bar, make sure that everything is properly lubricated before you use it again. Check that the motor’s oil reservoir is at the right level, and make sure there aren’t any blockages in the hole.
You’ll need grease for your chainsaw bar sprocket tip too. Most models have a hole there so you can squirt the grease inside. This keeps the sprocket turning freely, while reducing drag on the motor and helping to prevent it from straining to turn the chain. This also helps to stop overheating, which can damage your chainsaw’s engine.
JAK Max can advise you on the best lubrication. We stock a carefully curated selection of chainsaw bar grease and oils, to help ensure smooth operation and extend the life of your saw. A well-oiled chainsaw will also perform more effectively.
FAQs and Tips
How tight should a chain be on a chainsaw?
To get the balance right, attach the chain tightly enough so that it doesn’t sag anywhere. Then give it a gentle pull with your hand. If it’s properly fitted it will move slightly in response. If it doesn’t move, then you’ve attached it too tightly. The ideal balance maximises cutting efficiency while putting minimal strain on the engine.
Can you fit a chainsaw chain backwards?
It’s physically possible, but we don’t recommend that you put a chainsaw chain on backwards. The cutting edges of the teeth need to face forwards in order to operate effectively, so it doesn’t make sense to do this. The chainsaw simply won’t cut effectively.
How to unkink a chainsaw chain
To get rid of a kink in your chain, lay it on a flat surface and gently tug to locate the kink. Then use needle nose pliers to gently pull it out in the opposite direction. Don’t pull too hard, lest you make the kink even tighter.
How do you know when to replace your chainsaw bar?
Among the indicators that you need to replace your chainsaw bar are noticeable damage or a warp, as well as grooves caused by wear and tear. You’ll notice that your chainsaw either doesn’t cut as effectively, or cuts at the wrong angle.
What is the best grease for a chainsaw bar?
The best grease to use is a high-quality bar and chain oil, that both protects the bar and reduces wear on the chain. You can choose a different viscosity depending on the conditions in which you’re working. Use a thinner oil in winter, and a thicker one when it’s hot. Otherwise standard all-season oil is also available.
Troubleshooting Common Chainsaw Issues
Here are a few tips on dealing with some common issues with chainsaws…
My chainsaw isn’t cutting straight
The most likely reason for wear and tear on your chainsaw bar. It may even be damaged or warped. This is a good indication that you need to replace it.
The chain is falling off or not rotating
If your chain is falling off, the tension is too loose. If it’s not rotating, it’s too tight. To fix either issue, use a screwdriver to adjust the chain tension screw.
My chainsaw tension is wrong
You can increase or decrease the chain tension by turning the chain tension screw using a screwdriver.
The chain is installed backwards
If your chain is installed backwards, it won’t cut properly. Simply remove it and turn it around, following the instructions above.
Have a look at the JAK Max dealer network for a convenient place to pick up a new chainsaw bar.