How To Sharpen A Chainsaw

With a bit of chainsaw maintenance, you can keep your tool's performance at optimal levels. From using STIHL files and guides to checking that the depth gauge is set correctly, sharpening your STIHL chainsaw regularly ensures ultimate performance, including optimal power and clean cuts.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHAINSAW NEEDS SHARPENING

Even the best saw chains become dull over time. Once this happens, your chainsaw has to work a lot harder, and so do you. If you notice the following signs when working with your saw, it’s time to sharpen your saw chain, or maybe even replace it.

  1. A properly sharpened chain produces large uniform chips. When your saw starts producing finer sawdust, you know it’s time to sharpen your chain.
  2. The saw chain produces fine sawdust instead of coarse chips when cutting or cutting to length, i.e., when cutting vertically through the wood.
  3. Smoke. You’ll see smoke coming from the cut despite chain lubrication and correct chain tensioning.
  4. The chainsaw pulls in one direction and the cut becomes crooked. This happens in particular when the saw chain is dull or has formed unevenly long teeth on one side.
  5. The chainsaw chatters and bounces when cutting, making positioning difficult.

HOW TO SHARPEN A CHAINSAW: STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Materials

Gather materials based on the specific needs of your chainsaw. In general, you will need:

Tip: Your STIHL Dealer can guide you to the exact files and other sharpening products which will work best for your chainsaw.

VIDEO GUIDE: SHARPENING THE SAW CHAIN AND DEPTH GAUGE WITH THE STIHL 2-IN-1 FILE HOLDER

Chapter 6: Sharpening the Chain on Your Chainsaw

Chainsaw Sharpening Tips

  • A properly sharpened chain produces large uniform chips. When your saw starts producing finer sawdust, you know it’s time to sharpen your chain.
  • Inspect your chain and look for the cutter in the worst condition. You’ll want to start with this tooth.
  • Ultimately, you want every tooth on the chain to be sharpened the same and to be the same length.
  • Before beginning the sharpening process, make sure your chain is snug on the bottom of the bar rail and place the bar in a vise.
  • Use the proper filing guide throughout the process for the best results.
  • In a majority of cases, your chain will require the same amount of filing strokes on each cutter. Keep a close eye on the cutters as you sharpen and count the number of strokes as you go. After using equal strokes on cutters that are side by side, measure each of the teeth to ensure that they're close to identical in length. Adjust appropriately if some cutters need additional strokes.
  • After filing your cutters, be sure to use the proper tools to appropriately set your depth gauge.