What Chain To Put On A Chainsaw

Household, semi-professional and professional manual chainsaw, regardless of cost and performance, has an identical design. Cutting headset, which includes a tire for a chainsaw, and a saw chain is classified as replaceable equipment.

The decision which tire to put on the chainsaw is made by the owner, taking into account many factors. First of all, it is the compatibility of the seat and the channels for supplying lubricant to the working area, engine power, and the specifics of the work ahead.

Concrete help in independent choice of tires can be provided by recommendations of experienced specialists or information on application instructions.

In particular, a long saw set is preferable for felling and sawing trees of large diameter, a short one. for crowning trees and preparing for the installation of building wood.

General design

In a standard solution, the longitudinal tire for the chainsaw is an elongated oval configuration made of quality steel.

There are holes for threaded fasteners at one end, and a driven sprocket is installed at the other end of the long tires. Such a device of the tire contributes to the smoothness of the chain and reduce load on the engine.

A groove is made along the perimeter of the tire into which the shanks of the saw chain are wound. Through special drilling to cool and lubricate the headset, chain oil is supplied in a metered amount to the working area.

Dimensional characteristics

The guide groove of the chainsaw chains in the household category is 1.1 or 1.3 mm wide. The same indicator for professional models is 1.5-1.6 mm. The mismatch between the thickness of the chain shank and the width of the groove can initiate overheating of the headset and its premature failure. In another embodiment, the chain may exit the groove or break it.

Similar consequences can occur if the pitch of the chain and the crown of the drive mechanism do not match. In many chainsaw models, replacing the drive sprocket involves time-consuming dismantling of the clutch assembly. In some cases, equipment of a service and repair level is required.

The most popular sprocket and chain pitch for saws up to 3 hp. 0.325 inches. For professional chainsaw equipment, a 3/8 inch pitch is characteristic.

The driven tire sprocket is not centrally lubricated. This disadvantage is compensated by the high quality of the bearing, which must be lubricated every 8-10 hours of operation. A complete replacement of the driven tire sprocket is possible only in an equipped workshop.

Tire selection criteria for quality characteristics

The tires unified by the landing sizes are presented in a small assortment. As a rule, each manufacturer uses its own standards, which excludes the possibility of operating a chainsaw with sawing equipment of other brands.

• The selling price of guide tires is determined by the size, quality of the material and brand awareness. The most expensive, most high-quality and durable products from leading manufacturers.
• The high cost of branded tires is fully offset by high wear resistance and a long service life.
• In the average price range. an assortment of tires of a budget level, which are equipped with gasoline and household saws. With proper operation and qualified service, tires of the Standard category produce a resource that is designated by the manufacturer with a large excess.

Less popular are cheap Chinese-made short-lived tires that are installed on chainsaws in the minimum price range. A significant part of such products goes on sale under the trademarks of well-known brands.

Video: What Chain To Put On A Chainsaw

How to eliminate the possible risks of acquiring tire counterfeit?

The information field shows signs by which it is easy to distinguish the original branded chainsaw from the most reliable fake. As for tires, their advantages and disadvantages are manifested directly in the operation.

In the domestic market of household appliances, about 15% of the total sales of chainsaw components is of unknown origin third-rate counterfeit, which produces a standard resource by half at best.

To operate a chainsaw complete with a fake tire and chain is economically disadvantageous and unsafe. A significant part of traumatic situations is created using tire and chain counterfeit.

Consumer demand leaders

In the process of natural selection, the first lines of sales ratings were taken by the products of leading European and Asian manufacturers of chainsaw equipment. The maximum demand for components of the brands Stihl, Husqvarna, Makita, and several others.

In all respects, the Oregon tire, which in various modifications completes the removable equipment for saws of an average and higher price level, has proven itself perfectly.

Design features of domestic and professional tires

The design of modern saw sets is constantly being improved. As a result of a partial modernization, the so-called narrow tire was developed.

Structurally, such models differ in the shape of the tip, which prevents a backstroke when the headset enters the cut. Chainsaw appliances of the household class are mostly equipped with narrow tires. A wide toe is a characteristic feature of a tire designed for cutting work of increased complexity, as well as professional-grade chainsaws.

Choice of bus length according to drive power

The length of the new guide rail is determined by the power and torque coefficient of the power unit.

• Models of small and medium power chainsaws are equipped with tires from 30 to 40 cm long.
• Longer saw sets create excessive loads on the engine and tool kinematics, which negatively affect its traction characteristics and durability.
• The enclosed application manual indicates the recommended guide rail length. This means that the installation of a shorter headset is not ruled out, but there are a number of restrictions on the operation of the tool with an extended tire.

Professional-grade chainsaw equipment is equipped with power units whose power allows you to take advantage of tires up to 75 cm long. Often the tire size in centimeters and inches is applied to its lateral plane.

Recommendations for extending the service life

The approximate service life of a branded tire is equal to the total resource of 3 high-quality saw chains, the drive sprocket changes in state. Experts recommend using a set of several circuits in work.

This method allows to reduce the loss of working time, which is spent on periodic sharpening of chains, as well as to optimize the wear of the saw mechanism as a whole. Accelerated tire wear is a consequence of unskilled maintenance of the chainsaw and its illiterate operation.

The main factors for early failure of the tire:

• excessive tension of the chain, initiating the rapid development of the groove and the shanks, or the mismatch of its pitch to the characteristics of the crown of the drive sprocket;
• the application of significant efforts when sawing hard or frozen wood;
• the tire warms up and wears out intensively due to a lack of lubrication, due to a malfunction or improper adjustment of the standard oil pump;
• saving money on the use of low-quality chain oil or oil surrogates such as mining.

The forced consumption of the saw headset resource occurs when soil or sand gets into it, when a new chain operates on the worn crown of the drive sprocket.

Tire and Chain Installation

Dismantling the tire is done to clean the oil pipe, check the technical condition or replace. The operation sequence is described in the operating instructions. Upon completion of installation, make sure that there is no play and that the threaded fasteners are tight.

With certain skills, it only takes a few minutes to dismantle and install a new or sharpened chain. The technology requires the inclusion of an unauthorized start lock and, in some cases, an emergency stop mechanism.

• Depending on the design of the tensioner, the chain is loosened to the required degree by rotating the adjusting screw or the setting disk until the shanks freely exit the groove of the guide bar.
• After checking the direction of rotation, the shanks of the new chain are inserted into the groove in the guide groove and on the crown of the drive sprocket. The tension is reversed.
• To check the degree of tension, simply pull the chain in the middle of the tire. The output of the link shank in this place should not exceed 2/3 of its height. A properly tensioned chain should move along the tire with little effort.

After installing and adjusting the saw headset, it is advisable to start the engine and maintain the saw at medium speed for several minutes. During this time, the operation of the lubrication system can be checked.

After turning off the power unit, it is necessary to turn on the start lock and check the headset for the absence of local overheating of the tire and a change in the degree of chain tension.

Reasons for uneven cut

In amateur chainsaw, many questions arise related to the care of the cut in one direction or another. Such a malfunction creates significant inconvenience when using a chainsaw in wooden construction technologies.

The reason for this phenomenon is the deformation of the tire that is hardly noticeable to the eye, improper sharpening, or uneven wear of the chain cutting links. If professional refinement of the chain does not give a positive result, the problem is eliminated by replacing the entire kit.