Ah, the noble chainsaw bar, the unsung hero of the saw that drives the majority of logging endeavors. When we think of this vital piece of outdoor power equipment, we can easily focus on the chain that cuts, or the motor that drives the chain, but we might not spend much time considering the bar that holds it all together. A chainsaw bar in good working order will provide stability, guidance, and efficiency, but a worn chainsaw bar can make your logging and limbing projects a real chore. So, how can we recognize a worn chainsaw bar that needs replacing?
How To Recognize A Worn Chainsaw Bar
As a chainsaw bar wears out, you’ll lose cutting accuracy and efficiency. If the same type of cuts that your saw used to breeze through are now taking twice as long, and you’re sure that your chain is sharp enough, you might look at how worn your bar has become.
Thankfully, there are a few simple ways to check this. The first thing you’ll want to do is, with your chain tensioned, wiggle the chain back and forth laterally. You shouldn’t notice a whole lot of back-and-forth, but a worn chainsaw bar will allow a lot more movement side to side.
There’s a reason for this. Your chain fits into your bar tongue-and-groove style. A new bar’s groove will have a U-shape to it, but as it wears down, that U turns into a V-shape. Obviously, this V-shape will allow more room for a chain to wriggle around.
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