Oiling and cleaning your chainsaw bar will make it operate efficiently as long as all its parts are in line and properly fit. How long the chain of a chainsaw is, is determined by the measurement of the bar of the saw.
It is important to note that a chain that is over- sized will not be ideal for your chainsaw as long as the bar doesn’t fit. It is very beneficial being conversant with how to properly measure the length of your chainsaw bar.
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Besides that, you will also need to take some precautionary measures when trying to get the correct measurements. It is also important to note that getting in correct measurements may lead to your chainsaw not functioning properly and this is not what you want.
Getting the correct measurements of your chainsaw bar can be quite an upheaval task and it is certainly not as easy as getting the biggest and strongest ones in the market. You will need to know exactly what your chainsaw can put up with and also get to understand which chains are ideal for which bars.
The first step you need to take when measuring your chainsaw bar is to understand that you will be measuring the cutting length contrary to what many would assume that you will be measuring the entire length of the chain. You will later on measure the length of the entire chain but to start off, you will only need to know the length of the chain that is used in cutting which is what is known as the cutting length. The importance of this is so as to ensure that the chainsaw operates safely eventually. For accuracy purposes, measuring everything at least two times in every direction is highly recommended.
You will also need to take safety precautions when measuring your chainsaw bar. Ensure that you have removed the spark plug from your chainsaw so as to avoid cases of it starting up as you are working with your chainsaw. It is also important that you wait until your chainsaw has cooled down just in case it was just from use. Also ensure that you wear gloves and any other necessary safety gear.
You will need a tape measure to measure the length of your chainsaw bar. You will then be required to spot where the chain enters the casing when measuring the length of your chainsaw bar. Just in case you are unsure of how far your tape should go, you ought to take note of the fact that the furthest point of the blade from its casing is where the end of the bar length is. Apart from getting the length of the bar of your chainsaw, you should also measure the gauge, the drive links, the pitch of your chain and the gauge as well.
Use your tape measure to get the measurement of the distance from the tip of the bar of the chainsaw to that point where the bar emerges from the casing of the saw. In case the measurement does not come to an even figure, round it off to the nearest even number. The figure you get is the measurement of the bar of your chainsaw. Next, you will need to place the chain on a flat surface and ensure that you have stretched it.
From there, locate the drive links of your chain which are usually protruding from the back side of the chain and their role is to power the chain bb grabbing the drive cog. From there, you will then get the number of the drive links.
Next, locate the pitch of the chain and get the measurements of the distance that is between any 3 rivets whose role is to hold the chain’s complete assembly. The rivets are usually located in the middle of the drive links and the cutters. When you divide the results you get by half, you will be determining the pitch. Chain length happens to be the measurement of the pitch and the number of the drive links.
When measuring the length of your chainsaw bar, you will need to ensure that you are as accurate as possible. Try not doing any guesswork since you may end up being forced to replace it.
In case you do not have a tape measure, you can also use a yard stick or a ruler accompanied by a rope which plays the role of a tape measure. Using a rope means that you will be required to mark the point where the bar starts and where it ends. After you have measured the bar using a rope, now use the yard stick.
It is also important to take note of when it is time to replace your chainsaw bar. You will need to check the rails found on the heel of the bar. Examine the profile in the heel having turned the bar. Worn out bars have narrow tails and this should be one of alarms that it is time to replace your bar.
You can hardly see the inside rails of a brand new chainsaw bar whereas in a worn-out bar you can easily see the inside rails a sign that it is time to replace the bar.
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However, once a chainsaw stops cutting straight, that happens to be the main sign that you will need to replace your chainsaw bar. Replacing the chainsaw bar will also require you to have the accurate measurement of the bar that will properly fit your chainsaw.
In conclusion, it is paramount to learn how to measure your chainsaw bar. This is because replacing your chainsaw bar will be easy.Ensure that you use your chainsaw in the proper manner since this will prevent you from replacing your chainsaw bar often thereby saving you money and time. It is also important to ensure that you get the correct measurement of your chainsaw bar since this will either make your chainsaw to function efficiently or bring you safety issues due to wrong measurements.
