Regular chain pulling serves your safety and also reduces wear and damage to the chain.
Most STIHL chainsaws have an easy-to-maintain side chain tensioner. With it, you pull the chain with one motion of the hand. This is done as follows:
Release sprocket cover manually with wing nut. When the adjustment wheel located above is rotated to the left, the chain tension decreases; when the adjustment wheel is rotated to the right, the chain is pulled. When the chain sprocket cover is tightened, the guide bar locks automatically.
When you want to replace the chain, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the groove of the guide bar in advance. In the event of heavy deposits of dirt in the groove, the chain otherwise could easily slip off the tire. In addition, there is a danger that the adhesive chain oil will soak up the dirt ahead of time and will not fall onto the especially loaded underside of the tire. Strong heating and wear on the chain and tire may be the consequences of this. You can clean using, for example, a thin screwdriver or other sharp object. The new chain must be run in for a few seconds before approaching the wood.
1. With the motor turned off, you must first loosen the fastening screws of the chain cover with the universal key. To tension the saw chain, it is enough to just loosen the fixing screws slightly. Then rotate the tension screw with a universal key screwdriver.
Video: How to Wear a Chain on Stihl
2. Now check that the chain is free on the guide. Please use work gloves for this. If the chain sags at the bottom, then it is too loose, and you need to tighten the chain again with the tension screw.
3. If the chain on the underside of the tire does not sag, but it can still be easily pulled, then it is tensioned optimally. It should also be possible to pull it up a little. To avoid the risk of personal injury from contact with a sharp chain, you should always have work gloves.
You can conveniently and without tools tension the chain with the STIHL quick chain tensioner. many STIHL chainsaws are already equipped with this technique. You need to act like this:
Release sprocket cover manually with wing nut. When the adjustment wheel located above is rotated to the left, the chain tension decreases; when the adjustment wheel is rotated to the right, the chain is pulled. When the chain sprocket cover is tightened, the guide bar locks automatically.
When you want to replace the chain, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the groove of the guide bar in advance. In the event of heavy deposits of dirt in the groove, the chain otherwise could easily slip off the tire. In addition, there is a danger that the adhesive chain oil absorbs into the dirt ahead of time and does not fall on the especially loaded underside of the tire. Strong heating and wear on the chain and tire may be the consequences of this. You can clean using, for example, a thin screwdriver or other sharp object. The new chain must be run in for a few seconds before approaching the wood.
ATTENTION: since the chain shrinks again a little after cooling, the chain should never be pulled up or replaced while hot. Otherwise, it can cause severe damage to the guide rail or engine crankshaft. After completing work, it is recommended that the chain tension be relieved a bit again. This is important primarily in frosty weather.