How to Sharpen a Chain Saw

If you have ever owned a chain saw, chances are you have paid someone your hard earned money to resharpen the blade. Want to know how to do it yourself? Read on.

Cutting down trees can sometimes be a great way to keep your lawn looking at its best. But is your chain saw sharp? The easiest way to tell if a chain saw is still sharp is to see if it still cuts. However, if you are cutting mostly small wood, it will still cut even if it is dull. The surefire way to check is to look at the chips as you are cutting. If it is spitting out fairly large chunks of wood, as opposed to smaller, finer powder like chips, then it is sharp.

The first thing you need to figure out is what size chain saw file to use. This information can be found out in the owner's manual of your chain saw, or on your manufacturers website. If unsure, ask someone at your local hardware store and they can tell you the specific size required for your application. Once bought, this can be easily lost, so keep it in your tool box where it can be easily found.

Finally, as shown in the picture, be sure to hold the file at the correct angle to fit the file in the grooves on the blade. Slowly, but firmly, glie the file back and forth to file away the metal until the tooth on the blade begins to shine again. Once this occurs, you will be cutting through trees like they are butter.