When to Replace a Chainsaw Chain, Sprocket or Guide Bar

How do you know when to replace your chainsaw chain, sprocket or guide bar? Here, we've highlighted some key points to consider when deciding whether your chainsaw components are to be scrapped.

Each tooth of the chain has many wear marks, sharpening teeth and filing depth gauges wear away the steel and chrome plating, gradually reducing the size of the teeth. Once the wear mark is reached, the chainsaw chain must be replaced. Filing past the wear marks greatly reduces the chain's cutting performance and increases the risk of broken teeth.

Ideally, you should reach the tooth and depth gauge marks at about the same time. If this is not the case, you may have inadvertently sharpened the chain incorrectly, which could change the depth gauge setting and cause increased vibration or reduced cutting performance.

Wear marks are also present on the underside of the teeth, above the "toes" and "heels". If the chain runs without rod oil or is over-tightened for a long time, the extra friction will cause premature wear on the bottom of the teeth. If you find that this wear mark has been met, the chain should be replaced immediately.

Hitting an accidental nail or stone can cause serious damage to the chainsaw chain. It is important that all teeth on the chain are the same length to prevent increased vibration and the chain "snatching" the middle cut. If the damage has shortened significantly or damaged many teeth, it may not be practical to grind all the teeth to a uniform length, so a new chainsaw chain will be required.

The sprocket, hidden behind the sprocket cover, is the driving force behind the chain. As you would expect, sprockets are subject to normal wear, so we recommend checking their condition regularly with a control gauge. This can be used for rims and positive sprockets on any gas or cordless chainsaw or pole trimmer, so it's definitely worth keeping in your back pocket!

If the depth of the wear marks reaches about 0.5mm, which is the wear limit, the sprocket must be replaced. A badly worn sprocket will cause the chainsaw chain and guide bar to wear faster, as well as reduce cutting performance, so be careful.

Over time, the rails of the rails wear down, reducing the groove depth (or in other words, the amount of space left for the drive link). If the groove depth is too small, the tips of the drive links will scrape along the bottom and seriously affect how smoothly the chain moves around the guide bars. Turning the guide bar over can also help both sides wear evenly, further extending the life of the guide bar.

The above describes some key points for when to replace a chainsaw chain, sprocket, or guide bar, if you have questions or want to purchase accessories for your chainsaw, please contact us.

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