This time of year, most of us are stowing our lawnmowers and weed eaters. But, for many of us, it’s time to break out our chainsaws. Whether you use a wood stove to heat your home, want to do some land clearing, or trim a limb before an ice storm, now is the time to make sure your saw is in cutting shape.

How to Know if Your Chainsaw is Dull

It is crucial to know when your chain is cutting efficiently for safety reasons. Your chainsaw is more likely to ‘kick back’ if your chain is dull, and you will also exert yourself more with a dull saw, increasing your risk of injury. To help you assess the condition of your saw, Stihl provides these tips:

1. The chainsaw chain does not pull itself into the wood. If you have to apply pressure to the saw to force it through the wood, the chain is almost certainly not sharp enough.
2. When cross cutting (against the grain of the wood) a dull chainsaw chain creates fine sawdust instead of coarse strands.
3. The saw is producing smoke even when your chain is oiled and the chain tension is correct.
4. The chainsaw produces an uneven cut. This could mean that your chain has dull cutting teeth on one side. Alternatively, your cutting teeth could be uneven in length.

Of course, at M&K Outdoor Products, we’re more than happy to take a look at your chain to help you determine its sharpness. 

Chainsaw Sharpening at M&K Outdoor Products

When it’s time to get your chainsaw sharpened, we’d be happy to put in the work to make your saw is in perfect condition. Feel free to bring your chainsaw into our store or contact us to ask any questions you may have.