Sharpen the chain as soon as you notice it's taking more effort to push through the wood or it's producing fine dust instead of chips. For regular firewood cutting, you might need to touch it up every couple of hours of actual cutting time.
Here's the full maintenance routine for the cutting attachment:
- Every time you refuel: Check chain tension and sharpness.
- Every time you sharpen or replace the chain: Turn the guide bar over to prevent one-sided wear, especially at the nose.
- Regularly: Clean the bar's oil inlet hole, oilway, and bar groove. Deburr the bar if needed.
If you're cutting dirty or sandy wood, you'll need to sharpen much more frequently. Dull chains are dangerous, as they increase the risk of kickback.
Under normal conditions, check and sharpen the saw chain as part of your daily checks. If you use it only occasionally, you can extend the intervals, but always do a visual inspection before starting.