The tire and the chain are the elements of the saw, the main function of which is to cut wood. On the condition and serviceability of the saw headset of a garden tool, its effectiveness in the area largely depends on the ability to cut dry trees or carefully saw logs. In order to maintain high performance of the saw, its operator must monitor the condition of the tire and chain, regularly introduce new oil for their lubrication, and also change the sawing organs as they wear.
How to sharpen a saw chain with your own hands?
To evenly sharpen the saw body of an electric garden saw, its owner has 3 options. The first way is manual. It consists in the use of two files. round and flat, as well as the holder required for fastening the round tool. The round file should be selected taking into account the step of the chain. the larger it is, the larger the diameter of the file used should be. A flat file is necessary for processing the limiter, so it can be of any size.
The procedure for sharpening the chain with files is as follows:
- First, the holder with the round file previously fixed in it must be installed on the saw chain. Arrows are drawn on the bar, which should be parallel to the guide rail;
- Next, check the sharpening angle. After making sure that the upper blade of the cutting tooth of the chain is located at an angle of 25-30⁰, you can proceed to sharpening;
- Operator movements should be uniform and directed forward only. Each of the cutting teeth of the chain must be treated the same number of times.
The second way to sharpen the cutting organs of the saw is to use a set of files and a special template. The necessary parameters are already applied on the template: tilt angles and tooth processing. In addition, sharpening the saw chain using a template allows you to evenly process the tooth limiter.
During restoration of the cutting teeth, the template is alternately applied to each of them. It is equipped with moving rollers, on which the file slides while working with the chain. In this case, the grinding angle is not violated, which makes the restoration of each tooth even.
The only drawback of this method is the need to use a separate template for each specific type of cutting organ, taking into account the chain pitch, the width of its shank, drive link and other parameters.
The third sharpening method is the use of an electric machine. This option is considered the easiest, fastest and most convenient. Most machines come with metric and graduated scales, which allow you to restore almost any chain, regardless of its pitch and number of links.
Using an electric machine is suitable for people engaged in regular felling and sawing logs. In other cases, it is not advisable to buy specialized equipment.
Video: How to Wear a Chain on a Saw
How to put a chain on a saw?
To install a new cutting headset, a garden saw user will need a screwdriver, thick fabric gloves, and a wrench.
To install the chain on the saw, you must adhere to the following procedure:
- First, it is necessary to unscrew the fastening nuts of the guide rail using a wrench. Before doing this, it is important to ensure that the inertia brake is in the off position. Otherwise, the operator runs the risk of breaking the tension cable of the inertial mechanism;
- Then you need to carefully move the brake pad to the side;
- Next, it is necessary to shift the guide bar, while trying to hook the drive sprocket of the saw. This is necessary in order to remove the part of the tire mounted on the star. The rest of the guide. its shank, is mounted in special holes;
- After that, you need to put the chain on the saw and adjust the tension of the cutting body using a separate plastic tensioner;
- Then you need to install the protective cover and unscrew the bolts of its fastening to the end.
At each installation of the cutting body, one must pay attention to the level of its tension and the force that must be applied for its manual rotation on the tire. If necessary, the screws must be loosened or tightened, otherwise the cutting body will wedge or constantly fly off the guide.
How is the saw chain lubricated?
To lubricate the saw organs in the design of any household saw a separate system is provided, the basis of which is a pump. During operation, it creates the pressure necessary to pump oil from the reservoir into the grooves provided in the guide. From there, the oil enters into individual grooves or holes located in the cutting teeth of the chain.
To prevent the saw’s cutting organs from working “dry”, you need to constantly monitor the amount of oil in the tank. If necessary, the operator must top up the amount of fluid consumed.
Damage to the pump causes typical malfunctions. The most common of these is a situation in which the chain on the saw is not lubricated. In this case, the owner of the saw must immediately replace the pump, having cleaned before this the place of its installation in the device of garden tools.
Saw chain lubrication should only be carried out using specialized oil. Manufacturers of gardening equipment prohibit the filling of transmission compositions and waste fluids. They quickly clog the pump of the lubrication system, which leads to overheating and breakage.
It is best to use specialized oils from Stihl, Husqvarna, Ravenol, Liqui Moly and Motul to lubricate the cutting headset. They are distinguished by high adhesion, biodegradability, and the ability to protect cutting organs from wear and corrosion. Oils of these brands work well in wide temperature ranges and are not afraid of high humidity.
How to choose the right chain for the saw?
When buying a cutting tool for a household saw, its owner needs to pay attention to the following criteria:
- compatibility with a garden tool. the operator must select a chain for a saw of the same manufacturer that produces the garden tool available on the farm. In this case, the risk of making a mistake will be minimized;
- purpose of the chain. saw bodies with a 3/8 ″ increment are distinguished by relatively high productivity. They are suitable for solving the most complex tasks on the site. If the saw is not used often, then it can be equipped with chains in increments of 0.325 ″;
- chain sharpening angle. this parameter must be taken into account for further restoration of the cutting body. Saw parts with a 3/8 ″ pitch are sharpened at an angle of 30 °. Chains of this type easily carry high loads and intense heat. If the saw is often used to work with raw or frozen wood, then it is best to install chains with a sharpening angle of 10⁰ on it;
- chain length. according to this parameter, the saw element must correspond to the saw guide. Otherwise, the user will not be able to mount the part on the bus. To determine the length of the saw bar, the operator just needs to study its marking. In it, the size of the guide is indicated in inches or centimeters.
Another important parameter is the brand manufacturer of the element. It is best to trust the cutting bodies of trusted brands, which include Stihl, Husqvarna, Oregon and Makita.