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chainsaw question

General Tech Talk

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chainsaw question

Post by j-top paj »

just picked up myself a stihl 009 chainsaw, but its my first chainsaw so i dont really know how to look after it.
ive used plenty in the past but not my own so i didnt have to worry about maintaining them.
anything specific i need to look out for? cleaning? etc...?
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Post by v6hilux »

Clean chain and bar regularly. Use plenty of bar oil when cutting. When it get blunt, get it sharpened by shop. Make sure air filter is reasonably clean.

When using it, particularly as you attack something, allow for kick back of the bar if it hits something solid. Imagine what happens if it kicks-back towards you, where will it go? Your head or fresh air?
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Post by wisey »

Get training for the safe use and operation.
I can't stress it enough. Get it serviced by a pro, it's money well spent.
I've got experience and knowledge if you want help

http://www.publish.csiro.au/samples/Chainsaw_sample.pdf
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Post by j-top paj »

v6hilux wrote:Clean chain and bar regularly. Use plenty of bar oil when cutting. When it get blunt, get it sharpened by shop. Make sure air filter is reasonably clean.
yeh i plan to get it done where i bought it, i cbf doing it myself.
a few people have caid just do it with a file, but im too lazy for that :lol:
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Post by j-top paj »

wisey wrote: I've got experience and knowledge if you want help

http://www.publish.csiro.au/samples/Chainsaw_sample.pdf
il have to chat to you at the next meeting ;)
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Post by xm302 »

j-top paj wrote:
v6hilux wrote:Clean chain and bar regularly. Use plenty of bar oil when cutting. When it get blunt, get it sharpened by shop. Make sure air filter is reasonably clean.
yeh i plan to get it done where i bought it, i cbf doing it myself.
a few people have caid just do it with a file, but im too lazy for that :lol:
u can get electric sharpeners, work well as long as you sharpen chain correctly, can be very long job sometimes
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Post by j-top paj »

xm302 wrote:
j-top paj wrote:
v6hilux wrote:Clean chain and bar regularly. Use plenty of bar oil when cutting. When it get blunt, get it sharpened by shop. Make sure air filter is reasonably clean.
yeh i plan to get it done where i bought it, i cbf doing it myself.
a few people have caid just do it with a file, but im too lazy for that :lol:
u can get electric sharpeners, work well as long as you sharpen chain correctly, can be very long job sometimes
was thinking that, but it would probably be better for me to just pay someone to do it.
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Post by mud4b »

if you get the right file it is easy as to sharpen a chain, good ones come with the flat ontop of the file that you run along top of your chain and also show you the angle to hold it, will only take you 2 mins if you keep it decent everytime.

as for servicing i think the main thing is check your chain tension every time, check your emergency stop bar, clean the filter and clean the crap out of the break,
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Post by j-top paj »

mud4b wrote:
as for servicing i think the main thing is check your chain tension every time, check your emergency stop bar, clean the filter and clean the crap out of the break,
already pulled the cover of and cleaned the crap out of it. but there are some parts that are hard to get to.
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Post by j-top paj »

mud4b wrote:if you get the right file it is easy as to sharpen a chain, good ones come with the flat ontop of the file that you run along top of your chain and also show you the angle to hold it, will only take you 2 mins if you keep it decent everytime.
from looking at mine it looks like its flat on top and curved on the side.
how often would you sharpen it? after every cut? or say after 5 cuts or so???
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Post by CHIEF88 »

I tend to use and look after my dad's saw a fair bit.
I like to clean it out before every use. I take the bar and chain cover off clean it all out re oil and put back on, also take the spark plug out and make sure its not clogged and give the air filter a dust off too.
That way you know its well oiled and the chain is at the right tightness before you start cutting.
The local mower shop sharpens chains for 7 dollars each and they usually do a better job than me with a small round file.
And in my experience its pretty easy to feel when the blade is blunt, so we have two chains and just alternate while ones getting sharpened.
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Post by 80's_delirious »

j-top paj wrote:
mud4b wrote:if you get the right file it is easy as to sharpen a chain, good ones come with the flat ontop of the file that you run along top of your chain and also show you the angle to hold it, will only take you 2 mins if you keep it decent everytime.
from looking at mine it looks like its flat on top and curved on the side.
how often would you sharpen it? after every cut? or say after 5 cuts or so???
without being smart, sharpen it when it gets blunt!!

hard to say how often it'll need sharpening coz it will depend on wether you cut old dry hardwood or fresh green timber
it is easy to tell when they are blunt, a sharp chainsaw wont need to be pushed or lent on to cut quickly into timber, if its blunt youll have to rev the ring out of it and push it into the cut, youll hear the motor labouring and bogging down

its easy to touch up a chain with a file and files are cheap and can be used over and over. ussually four or five strokes to each tooth will make a big difference.
if your in the bush and chain gets blunt, a shop aint gunna help sharpen it then.
avoid cutting logs with dirt on them, dirt destroys chains
carry a spare chain in case you break or wreck a chain
check the tension on the chain regularly, a new chain will stretch after a few minutes work so check the tension on a new chain

009 are a pretty tough unit, ive had one for years and used it nearly daily for work for a couple of years so it had a caning.

ALWAYS mix the fuel to the correct ratio. I always use stihl two stroke oil and stihl chain and bar lube, if you cant get stihl oils use another quality brand. Definitely need good bar lube, DONT buy cheap crap from servo, I find if you do chain will overheat and gum up with sap and "stick" in cuts

If you mix the fuel right and clean the filter occasionally should be trouble free. Ive rarely touched mine, changed the plug and tuned it maybe three times in its life. mine starts with about three pulls when its cold and first pull once warm



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Post by CHIEF88 »

Also when your tightening chain, they get pretty loose when they get hot so I tend to over tighten a bit before I start. Although not too tight. If that makes sense lol.
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Post by j-top paj »

80's_delirious wrote:



its easy to touch up a chain with a file and files are cheap and can be used over and over. ussually four or five strokes to each tooth will make a big difference.
if your in the bush and chain gets blunt, a shop aint gunna help sharpen it then.
il get a file next time i go past the shop ;) if its as easy as that then i might as well
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Post by j-top paj »

80's_delirious wrote:

avoid cutting logs with dirt on them, dirt destroys chains
didnt think about that, good bit of info ;)
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Post by j-top paj »

80's_delirious wrote: ALWAYS mix the fuel to the correct ratio. I always use stihl two stroke oil and stihl chain and bar lube, if you cant get stihl oils use another quality brand. Definitely need good bar lube, DONT buy cheap crap from servo, I find if you do chain will overheat and gum up with sap and "stick" in cuts

If you mix the fuel right and clean the filter occasionally should be trouble free. Ive rarely touched mine, changed the plug and tuned it maybe three times in its life. mine starts with about three pulls when its cold and first pull once warm
i got the stihl oild with it for $10 each so i might as well continue using stihl. its cheap enough.
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Post by Adam GQ »

i paid 70 bucks for mine and its a 009L kicks ass
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Post by Patroler »

Theyre pretty easy to sharpen if you keep them in fairly good nick, not a bad way to do it is get the shop to show you how to touch it up with a file, and then every 5 sharpens or so take it back to the shop for them to sharpen and if youve taken too much off here or there they will make all the cutters equal length and angle.
You can see if its blunt when it stops throwing small wood chips out and starts making dust instead.
Main things are to keep the airfilter clean and maintain good chain tension.
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Post by 80's_delirious »

j-top paj wrote:
80's_delirious wrote:



its easy to touch up a chain with a file and files are cheap and can be used over and over. ussually four or five strokes to each tooth will make a big difference.
if your in the bush and chain gets blunt, a shop aint gunna help sharpen it then.
il get a file next time i go past the shop ;) if its as easy as that then i might as well
it is easy, just keep the angle on the teeth the same. buy a flat metal guide that clamps onto the file, they have angles for the teeth marked on them.
I have a quick look at all the teeth and pick the bluntest looking one. whatever number of file strokes it takes to touch up the worst tooth, do the same number on all other teeth to keep them wearing evenly.

if you look at the shape of the teeth from the end of the bar they look a bit like this 7 push file this way >>>>>>7 so the burr is away from cutting edge. do every 2nd tooth then turn the saw around and do the rest from the other side of the bar
cant fark it too much, even if you dont get it spot on should still make an improvement
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Post by tritontray »

A chain is getting DULL when it starts to throw out more of a dusty matter when cutting rather than chips which is what is should be doing when it is sharp. If a chain actually goes blunt, it is not good enough to try and do it with a hand file and must be reground. The chain is one of the most important safety items on a chainsaw and is designed to help mitigate what is known as kick back. It wont stop it, but help to avoid it.

Get some advice on using one from a proffessional or do a small/short course on cross cutting. Untill you do, you have no idea about how dangerous you have been in the past, or how dangerous other people are.

Chainsaws need to be given respect, and not treated like a light saber and swung around like a sword.

There are to many things that need to be discussed/shown and then maintained all at once, otherwise errors in the machinery get compounded. Drive sprockets need to be checked, chains only tensioned when cold otherwise you can bend the drive sprocket. Is the chain the right guage for the bar you have. Is the chain catcher in its place and working, do you need to grease you nose sproket on the bar, if it doesn't have a nose sproket it needs to be run at a different tension than a bar with a sprocket. I could go on.

Chainsaws are a sore (pardon the pun) point with me as I have seen two people put them into there legs, and I have been called in to search for a guys head, who had bad posture and technique.

Your Stihl technician normally has been to a chainsaw course and should be versed in full operation and servicing. Read the manual as well as it does have some good info and see if you can get yourself a copy of the state forest chainsaw manual which goes through 101 pages of safe chainsaw operation.

These are one of the most handy tools ever, when used safely and competently by a good operator. Good luck. And sorry about the tone of this emai, but your chainsaw skills and maint cannot be learnt on a forum.
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Post by Shadow »

definantly sharpen it yourself

sharpen and clean after every time you use it. Dad just gives each tooth 2 swipes with a file after every use and its good as gold for the next time you need the saw.


He had one of the files with the big flat guide thing attached to it, but once you get the hang of it, you can throw that thing in the bin and just use the file. If your keeping it touched up, you will just be following the angle thats already on the tooth, rather than trying to regrind the angle in to it if you dont keep them sharp, if you know what i mean.
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Post by Patroler »

Ask at the stihl dealer if you can get a copy of the new stihl operators DVD, i got given a copy by a mate who buys chainsaws for the council, its really pretty basic (to me) but does go into some stuff on maintenance and use that you may not know - depending on your experience. Also chains are cheap (for a small bar) so its a good idea to get a spare and keep it with your tools for if you go camping and dull a chain, its often better to put the new one on (you may be clearing a track in the dark or rain!) then you can sharpen them when conditions are ideal.
If you need any info or have an interest in saws have a look here:
http://www.arboristsite.com/forumdispla ... e12f19&f=9

Heres a manual, sometimes have some usefull info

http://cgi.ebay.com/STIHL-INSTRUCTION-O ... dZViewItem

don't let the chain touch dirt and be carefull of the bar tip when cutting - kickback can be harder to control on top handle saws - less leverage over the bar.
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Post by cruiser60series »

make sure you don't tighten the chain too much when it's hot. As when it cools down and contracts you can snap the chain.

Check the bar for wear along the bottom groove. When this wears out, should be a few years or so depending on how much you use it. you should swap the bar around upside down.

Don't crush the bar. Either when in the vice for sharpening or when cutting down a tree and the weight of the tree is coming down. As it actually has small bearings and stuff in it and is fairly fragile.

You should use about half as much chain/bar lube as you are using fuel, so check them both every time you fill either of them up.

Air filters can get dirty quickly from the sawdust, so check them regularly.

When cutting logs on the ground avoid dirt at all cost. I usually cut the logs almost all the way through to avoid the ground and then stomp on them later to break them. But it's easiest to raise them up onto a stump or something.
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Post by Leighroy1984 »

For shaperning of your chain buy one of these they are great. Had one for about 2 years now and it was thes best investment I have ever made.( Except for the Chainsaw). Perfect everytime and doing it yourself means more time in the shed so more time for the beer.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Chainsaw-CHAIN-S ... dZViewItem
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Post by bazzle »

Be "VERY" careful when pulling the chain around to the next tooth. I saw a chap using bare hands cut his fingers thru to the bone on the razor sharp teeth.
Always use gloves and due care.

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Post by Sandy Rut »

Best advice would be to do a course - there you will learn all the maintenace you need but most of all safe operation of the saw.

Also its good practise to give your saw a quick touch-up with a file as you go. Or if you have money to burn, get a few chains and just change them as needed and take them to the shop to sharpen.

Better advice would be to get the Mrs to do a chainsaw course then she can cut wood for you :D :D
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Post by Shadow »

bazzle wrote:Be "VERY" careful when pulling the chain around to the next tooth. I saw a chap using bare hands cut his fingers thru to the bone on the razor sharp teeth.
Always use gloves and due care.

Bazzle
ive always use bare hands and have never cut myself

youd have to be an idiot to grab the chain where it will cut you.
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Post by RN »

I have a Stihl 076 Electronique...it is an old workhorse and weighs a tonne, and the kick back when starting is a bitch... It cuts like a hot knife through butter, with a nice sharp chain....

Seriously I am thinking of getting a helmet with a grid iron front guard to protect the face from getting hit. Also heavy duty leg guards should be a pre requisite. I have heard of gruesome stories of injuries caused by these buggers , and usually the victims are in the bush away from help. You can bleed out in a matter of minutes...

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Post by wisey »

PPE, Personal Protective Equipment.

Get it ALL and use it ALWAYS, gloves, good eye protection- sawdust, sticks and oil spraying out, ear muffs and a proper helmet.
Most cutting takes place near your legs and feet so wear proper boots and a pair of chainsaw chaps are another peice of PPE that SHOULD NOT be overlooked.

When cutting, always have the cutting bar in a position that if it kicks back it will kickback over your shoulder and NOT over your head. DO NOT look along the bar (parrallell) when cutting because that puts your head right in line for a KICKBACK to the head, most times it is deadly.
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Post by Guy »

where ever possible cut with the bottom of the bar, avoid plunge cuts (using the tip of the saw to make a hole into the wood) as this is a great way to end up with a saw in a place you dont want it to be.
the stats from memory are that most running saws can make it through about 6cm of flesh and bone per second.
So in less that a second one could easily remove a hand.

Keep the chain sharp, and after every few you do with the file I take mine to be sharpened at a shop as they also reset the chain depth guides (the bits ahead of the teeth that keep the chain from trying to bite to deep into the wood per stroke).

Use good oil for both the bar and the 2 stroke . It is cheap compared to a new piston\bore. Normally I will rev the saw with the tip a few CM from a a bit of wood before each cut to see if there is some oil being flung off the chain and onto the timber .. great way to stuff a chain and bar.

A drive sprocket will normally last about the life of 3 chains.
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