Rate Stihl's Advice on Chain Tension

[Paul Bunions]

I think I may be tightening my chains too much.

A lady mechanic with a Youtube channel says to tighten your chain until you can only pull three links away from the bar. The big problem here is that a long chain has to be a lot tighter than a short chain to get to that point. On a 24" bar, I have to crank it pretty good.

A Stihl video says to tighten until the chain snaps back against the bottom of the bar when you pull it away. Sound right? I guess they ought to know.

 

[ZeroJunk]

Back in the day when about all were hard nose bars you ran them as loose as they would stay on because they made more power that way.

FWIW

 

[huskihl]

No idea why anyone would give instruction like the first video. I’d have to believe that a12 year old girl doesn’t pull up on the chain quite as hard as a ham fisted 300 pound guy like myself. I bet if she can get 3 drive links out of the rail I can grab it and get 8 to show with the same tension. Just seems stupid.

Adjust the slack out of the chain until it comes up and hits the bar on the bottom. Tighten the nuts up, start it, run it around a few times to get some oil on it, and then recheck. If needed tighten it up again if it’s not touching the bottom rail

 

[drumbum]

I like to tighten until the chain comes up to the bottom of the bar,...and then just a touch more.
I don't like bar wear at the tip.