Complete Guide on How Tight Should a Chainsaw Chain Be?
When it comes to adjusting the exact tightness for your chainsaw where you do not find it too loose or too tight, then you have to make it to the point where it is called the “goldilocks zone.” When you manage to bring your saw chain to this zone, you will find it tightened just perfectly to your requirement.
However, if you have never adjusted the chainsaw chain before, it might be a bit tricky for you to understand the chain tension, which is the only important thing that you need to keep in mind during the whole process.
This is because if you do not understand the chain tension thing, you will either get it too loose or too tight. If the chain is too loose, it will easily jump off your chainsaw and can cause serious injuries to you. But, if you keep the chain too tight, it can easily grind your motor and destroy your chainsaw completely.
If you got terrified by the complexity of things, let us tell you that you don’t need to worry about adjusting the chainsaw chain as the process is quite simple; you just have to be careful while following the steps.
How Tight Should a Chainsaw Chain be?
Before ever moving ahead to know how much exactly tight your chain should be, let us first know the right procedure of adjusting the chain. Here is how you can do it:
Locate the Tension Screw.
First, figure out what’s the make and model of your chainsaw. After you have figured out the details, access to the right tensioning screw for your chainsaw; can be among the three most common locations; side panel, front panel, and integrated tension system.
If you feel you will need any tool for the adjustment, get it. For most chainsaws, you’ll need Scrench or some other tool. However, if your chainsaw comes with a built-in “easy-tension” system, then you won’t need any such tool for the adjustment.
So, we suggest you first figure out what type of chainsaw do you have and then go for the tool search for adjustment.
Tighten the Chainsaw
After examining the tension screw of your chainsaw, take out the correct wrench for it and adjust the chain of your saw. For doing this, you will have to do this simple 2-step process:
- Hold the nose of your guide bard in one hand and, using your other hand turn the tension screw
- Turn the tension screw up to an extent when you feel the drive links of your chain are completely hidden by the guide bar of your chain.
By following these two simple steps, you will easily tighten up the chain of your chainsaw. Now, if you want to figure out how much your chainsaw is tight and how in real terms, it should be, consider testing it by the two methods that we have mentioned below.
How tight Should a Chainsaw Chain Be?
To keep it simple, your chainsaw chain should be “snap-tight.” It means that you should be able to pull it until its links are exposed partially but not released from the guide bar. If you make your chain just like this, it will snap back to its position every time you pull on it.
If you still didn’t get the limit to which your chain should be tightened, consider testing the tension by following two simple tests.
Snap Test
This is an authentic test that lets you examine the exact tightness of your chain. For this test, you have to perform these simple steps:
- Pull the chain of your saw away from the bar gently, up to an extent it can go.
- Release the chain to examine its snapping.
- If it snaps back to its place, then it’s a great sign of perfect tension in the chain.
Note: If you feel the pulling of the chain is too difficult for you, then know that your chain is too tight, and if you pull the chain and it just goes limp, know that your chain is too loose.
Although this test is useful enough in telling you the exact tightness of your chain, if you want greater preciseness, we suggest you consider testing the tightness by applying the 2nd test.
The Pull Test
This test is most helpful in telling you the precise level of tightness of your chain and helps you to determine what you should do if the chain is too tight or loose. Following are the steps that you need to follow:
- Pull the chain away from the bar of your saw gently.
- Pull it as far as you feel comfortable in doing so without losing the grip of the chain through your finger. Make sure that you keep the chain partially lift away from the bar, but the drive links must not lose away from the bar groove.
If the test reveals for you that your chain is too loose or too tight, then you need to adjust it by following the appropriate steps that we have already mentioned above for you.
Wrapping Up
Having a chain that is too tight or too loose is definitely an issue for you, as with this type of chain, your saw wills not able to perform well for any type of cutting or slashing. Nevertheless, you don’t have to worry if you get stuck with such a condition, as there is a simple solution to the problem that we have already mentioned above in our article.
Provided that you follow the steps carefully, you can make your saw working efficiently once again without ever letting it to make serious injuries to you.
