The life of a chainsaw bar bears a lot of heat and friction as the chain keeps on spinning around it. A chain is supported by a chainsaw bar that zings around it more than 50miles/hour. Due to excess working, a point comes when the chainsaw’s bar cannot work properly. It is not easy to know about the bar’s replacement time because the bars are made with very strong material.
You cannot tell at a glance that whether the chainsaw bar is worn-out or is good to go. Thus you need to know some signs to indicate that you need to replace the chainsaw bar. This article will let you know those signs, so read on!
Sign 1: Damaged Or Bent Bar
It is a first step that tells whether a bar needs to be replaced or not. After thoroughly checking the bar and inspecting properly, take the bar out and remove the chains. A damaged bar loses the efficiency and cutting power of the chainsaw and is also dangerous to use.
A bar can get damaged for many reasons, but a loose chain is the main reason. If any chunk of the bar is missing, then it is a clear sign that the time has come to replace a bar. The broken rail edge also indicates the replacement of the bar.
Sign 2: Irregular Movement of Chain The Bar
We are not talking about the regular moving chain here; rather, the chain’s unusual left-to-right movement is likely to cause damage. A chain can move from left to right even when it is loose. If the chain is jerking, then it will be very difficult to get a clean cut. If the chain doesn’t stay at one point, it is difficult to achieve a straight cut.
There is a test that tells whether a bar is jerking or not. Check if the chain is loose because a loose chain can move from left to right. Sometimes the chain shows irregular movements even if it is tightly bound. It is because a chain might be worn-out between the grooves. Move the chain from left to right to check if the jerks are occurring or not.
Sign 3: Edges of Blade Are Tilted
It is another sign which shows that now you must replace the chainsaw bar. When the chain’s blades are not on point and are tilted at an angle, it shows that they are not working properly. The bars’ grooves must have been worn out from either one or both sides.
To check if the chain is tilting or not, you need to take a ruler and then place it on the side of the bar. The ruler is pressed against the chain’s bar and sides to check the gap between the ruler and a surface. This process is done to check whether there is a gap between the ruler and bar or not. If there is a gap between the ruler and the bar, it means that the chain is not tilting and the grooves are also not worn. But if the ruler lays straight with no gap, it means bars’ rails and blades are tilting to one side.
Sign 4: Jammed Bar’s Nose Sprocket
A gear that is located in front of the chainsaw bar is known as a nose sprocket. The nose sprocket allows the chain to move between its teeth in a fixed place. The bar oil reservoir, which is located near the chainsaw motor, provides oil to the bar’s nose sprocket.
The filled oil reservoir keeps the sprocket safe from rust by greasing it timely. It increases its life and prevents it from jamming. If the oil is not efficiently provided, then the nose sprocket can be jammed or damaged. As a result, you need to replace the chainsaw bar.
Sign 5: The Chainsaw Blades Are Not Sharp Enough
The main benefit of the chainsaw bar is that it is very efficient to cut substances like wood. It is great as it requires less effort. However, if you find it difficult to pull the chainsaw into the wood or it requires a manual force for its functioning, it means the chainsaw bar cannot use further. It is this case, a new chain is necessary.
Sign 6: Smoke Production
When the chainsaw is producing smoke even after good lubrication, then it cannot work properly. Even knowledgeable and skilled chainsaw users cannot work properly when this happens. It happens due to very bad chainsaw maintenance. You urgently need to replace a chainsaw bar in this case as the smoke can cause health issues.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you must be fully aware of when to replace a chainsaw bar. If you observe the signs mentioned above then immediately replace your old chainsaw bar with a new one.