chain tension

[maveric944]

dumb question to you guys , but how tight is too tight or how tight isn't tight enough? i just put a new chain on and folowed the advice on the oregon web site for chain tensioning a sprocket nosed bar. lift nose adjust till bottom chain makes solid contact with rail and then another 1/4 turn. when this is done the chain feels a little ratchety when pulled round the rail by hand. am i doing it too tight , and how tight is tight? told you it was a dumb question.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Bar length has allot to do with tension.

The general rule is after you get your bar tightened up, if you can pull 3 drivers clear of the rail then thats about right.

 

[alderman]

Good to go

I pretty much follow what you have done and I haven't had a problem yet. Your new chain will stretch quite a bit for awhile so retighten it as needed and don't get fooled into going too tight. It is normal to get some stretch with a new chain.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Taught

For my bars, from 14-20", I usually tighten them until I can pull one of the links out of the bar approximately 3/4 of the way. Then I make sure that the chain still slides loosely around the bar and that it is not sagging at the bottom. As long as it isn't sagging at the bottom of the bar and flows easily around the length, your good to go. When you start your saw and rev it a little, put the tip near a board or log and make sure you see some oil spots appear to make sure it's oiling correctly also. Just a tidbit of useless info for ya... Good luck and chop'em down bro...

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Best I've heard it put was, "no sag, no drag." Don't let it hang off the bar, but if you can hear/feel it dragging around the bar, it's too tight. There's some guidelines, but after a while, you'll start go just know. If you listen, and know what to listen for, you can hear it whine as it goes around the bar out of the cut if it's too tight.

Not a dumb question.

 

[B_Turner]

I have cut with an old logger I know who would run his chain so loose it would sag down well over an inch when running. Scared me to even be around it. He was very skilled with the saw, but that is the way he was taught and he wasn't changing.

When I am cutting on site with arborist friends they generally really get after me to run a pretty snug chain. If I can't pull it by hand, then it's too tight though. And I loosen it after I'm done cutting.

 

[ciscoguy01]

Loose chain

I have cut with an old logger I know who would run his chain so loose it would sag down well over an inch when running. Scared me to even be around it. He was very skilled with the saw, but that is the way he was taught and he wasn't changing.

When I am cutting on site with arborist friends they generally really get after me to run a pretty snug chain. If I can't pull it by hand, then it's too tight though. And I loosen it after I'm done cutting.

The main thing I can see wrong with running a chain to loose is it slipping off the clutch and when your felling trees. It also will make your saw run left or right in the cut on bigger logs. FYI. I believe this is why tension is so important when tightening chains.

 

[B_Turner]

Too loose a chain is much more likely to come off when trying to start certain cuts while blocking wood as the surface is not necessarily flat.

And there is usually increased bar groove wear toward the sprocket end of the bar as the loose chain doesn't always meet up with the bar groove as controlled.

 

[Sprig]

Too loose a chain is much more likely to come off when trying to start certain cuts while blocking wood as the surface is not necessarily flat.

And there is usually increased bar groove wear toward the sprocket end of the bar as the loose chain doesn't always meet up with the bar groove as controlled.

Too loose it'll wear your top front of the bar (chain slap?) out eventually if it doesn't get snagged or break (with a variety of interesting outcomes, none good), as stated by those above proper tensioning is very important and I concur with cisco, should be able to pull the chain up to just about the bottom of the driver and be able to spin the chain fairly easily.

 

[Chainsaw Master]

Too loose it'll wear your top front of the bar (chain slap?) out eventually if it doesn't get snagged or break (with a variety of interesting outcomes, none good), as stated by those above proper tensioning is very important and I concur with cisco, should be able to pull the chain up to just about the bottom of the driver and be able to spin the chain fairly easily.

Yup all that, and more. Cutting with too loose a chain, when your cutter hits the wood it will pop a wheelie, so to speak, and wear on the back of the link, and not cut a propper chip, as the cutter cuts the wood at the wrong angle.

 

[Gensetsteve]

I set mine as everyone says above. Also bear in mind if its a touch tight when cold it will slacken very slightly when it gets hot.

 

[Wes]

Too loose on the chain tension, and you'll hear BANG!! and be wearing a new full chisel necklace...

 

[CrazyCarl]

Tension

I agree with the 3 link method. also I loosen the chain as soon as I'm done cutting. The chain is hot and when it cools down it will shrink. Ya know what's next!!!!

 

[ciscoguy01]

One thing

Only thing I gotta throw in here is how long do ya'll keep a chain for? When I cut everyday of the week I'll go through a chain a week easy, sometimes 2. Figure you get around 20-30 hours of cutting on it, and that's because there's alot of dirty wood where I'm cutting. I think it's highly doubtful that a chain is going to go bad in a week or two. I guess if I stored my saws for weeks on end I'd loosen them up, but just overnight for the next day, what's the sense eh?

 

[jomoco]

It's interesting you say that Ben

I have cut with an old logger I know who would run his chain so loose it would sag down well over an inch when running. Scared me to even be around it. He was very skilled with the saw, but that is the way he was taught and he wasn't changing.

When I am cutting on site with arborist friends they generally really get after me to run a pretty snug chain. If I can't pull it by hand, then it's too tight though. And I loosen it after I'm done cutting.

One of the best loggers I've ever met "third generation" ran his chain on an 066 the same way, but when he went to sharpen his chain, he'd pull a wedge out of his pouch and stick it between his bar and chain to tighten the chain, then take his 3 sided flat file from the pouch and touch up his full skip square ground chisel chain on his 36 inch bar. The way he did it so cool and casual, precluded any dumb questions on my part.

I run my chains quite a bit tighter than him, but always felt that an expert logger like him must have had a good reason for running his chain so loose, perhaps it was to save wear and tear on both bar and chain in soft woods like conifer. I never built up the nerve to ask him about it.

jomoco

 

[oldsaw]

dumb question to you guys , but how tight is too tight or how tight isn't tight enough? i just put a new chain on and folowed the advice on the oregon web site for chain tensioning a sprocket nosed bar. lift nose adjust till bottom chain makes solid contact with rail and then another 1/4 turn. when this is done the chain feels a little ratchety when pulled round the rail by hand. am i doing it too tight , and how tight is tight? told you it was a dumb question.

Ratchety is too tight. Should be pretty smooth. As Casey mentioned, its different on a longer bar, but the "feel" is the same. You will get to know that "feel" when you've done it a few times.

That 1/4 turn thing may work on a longer bar than what you have, but I'd go to 1/8 and try the Casey way. If it's still not running freely, go to 1/16 turn. I kind of feel for any saw manufacturer here since there is no way that they can tell you to do it where they can "win". The true answer is "it depends", but they can't put that in an owner's manual...I used to write them.

Mark

 

[maveric944]

cheers guys i have been playing with the tension of the chain today and with your help i think i have finally got it, tight but smooth, now all i need is to find a woman that matches that same description and i got a perfect world, lol

thanks again mav

 

[scottr]

Ratchety

Maveric944 , a worn drive sprocket can contribute to a ratchety feel in the chain . What does the sprocket look like ?

 

[maveric944]

the sprocket looks ok, with no noticable wear on the teeth. after i have adjusted the chain today to the pull 3 links method it feels 100% better and the chain runs quite smooth now, also it is quiter when running not under load. i didn't realise there is more to owning and running a saw safely than just putting juice and oil in the tanks, without this site i would have been b**ggered by now. only downside to this site is ,,,, its so addictive, i'm spending more time on here than in my workshop,:biggrinbounce2:


mav

 

[maveric944]

Maveric944 , a worn drive sprocket can contribute to a ratchety feel in the chain . What does the sprocket look like ?

i was wrong, there is a small amount of play on the roller bearing and a little run out on the sprocket, i will be ordering a new set in the morning,, many many thanks scottr

mav