It is the greatest evolutionary leap in the history of instruments to turn from an ax to a chainsaw. The process of cutting wood change from extremely arduous and it has become an incredibly rapid and quick overnight process.

Today, both professionals and DIY enthusiasts are now using a chainsaw to cut and prune trees.

Although a chainsaw is a powerful power to tackle various wood materials but it will be ineffective if its chain is dull or not sharp.

So, it is essential to have and ensure the chain of your chainsaw is not dull. You can sharpen your chainsaw within a few minutes, unlike most other power tools. Kindly check our article on How to sharpen a chainsaw.

chainsaw rental at lowes

Chainsaws are a strong power tool, but for their flexibility and stability, they need regular maintenance.

This will help you stop needless wear and tear and prolong your tool life for years through regular clearing accumulations of grease, dirt, sawdust, and tree sap. You can do this maintenance yourself, with a little and simple equipment, and keep the chainsaw working like a new one.

 Read Next: https://homenewtools.com/best-miter-saw-for-beginners/

Steps How To Clean A Chainsaw

First Step: Prepare the tool for cleaning Maintenance

Disconnect the chainsaw from the power source. Make sure your machine is not connected to an electric outlet until you’re done with the cleansing of its various parts.

Ensure the battery is removed prior to the cleansing of the chainsaw if it is a battery-powered chainsaw.

Before washing, remove the spark plug connector from the connector and drain all fluids (gasoline and rod oil).

The entire system is ready for cleaning after all the above processes.

Second Step: Cleaning the bar

Take out the chain after withdrawal of the bar and chain from the head. Your method of cleaning relies on how dirty the saw is.

You can only clean the saw with soap and water if the saw is fairly dirty. However, if the saw is very dirty, you will need to remove the dirt by using a degreaser.

With a putty knife or a specifically made slot cleaning tool, you can clean the chain saw slot. You need to rotate the tool between the guides around the notch until it is clean.

You can then clean the holes with a hook or thin screwdriver to lubricate the bar and chain at the bottom of the bar to remove debris from the holes.

You can also clean a dirty chainsaw bar using compressed air and high-pressure steam.

Third Step: Cleaning the chain

It is time to clean the chainsaw chain after bar cleaning. You may use ammonia and mix it with water to clean the chain, and then soak the chain for 15-20 minutes in this solution.

Wear thick gloves and eye protection before removing the chain from the solution to avoid the mixer from coming into contact with the face. You may remove the chain after verifying its protection. But it’s best not to touch your hand on the soaked chain, even though you’re wearing gloves. Then clean the chain with a soft toothbrush.

Rinse it with water when the chain is clean, after all the ammonia solution has left the chain. Then dry the chain and make sure the moisture is not on it.

The chain is totally soaked in oil for hours after drying. Flush the leaking oil out of the chain before adding it to the chainsaw. The compressed air can be used to fasten the operation.

Fourth Step: Cleaning The Powerhead

Wipe the exterior of the powerhead with a dry cloth to clean it. It is possible to find dirty couplings and connecting bar pins in the crankcase that should be perfectly clean.

With a soft brush, clean these areas and scrape dense dirt with a thin screwdriver or dust. The air compressed is useful for powerhead cleaning.

Fifth Step: Cleaning the carburetor

You need to clean the carburetor if you want to work with a chainsaw without any problems. You must first remove the needle valves, the diagram, and the cover to clean the carburetor.

Soak these parts in ammonia solution for 20 minutes after extracting them and clean them with a stiff brush. Then, with lukewarm water, rinse them well and dry them well.

Sixth Step: Clean the air filter

There’s just an air filter on the gas chainsaw. The first step would be to remove the air filter after removing the top cover from the chainsaw.

It can be washed with hot soapy water and a brush, but since compressed air can damage it permanently, it can not be cleaned with compressed air. Inspect it before removing the air filter to make sure that the air filter is fully dry.

You should replace it with a new one if it is too dirty to use and you can’t clean it fully.

Final Step: Couple All The parts together

It is of no doubt that you have finished cleaning the chainsaw after following all the above steps. Then, after confirming the dryness of the saw, couple the engine cover, starter cable cover, and return the chain to the lever. In a right way, the chain must be placed. It is then appropriate to position the saw bar on the spindles.

Tightening the set screw, attaching the coupling guard, and tightening the nuts is the next step. The screw should not be overtightened, otherwise, it wouldn’t move freely. The cleaning process for the chainsaw is complete now. You can start working with your chainsaw after feeling the saw with gasoline and oil.

You should periodically clean the chainsaw in the right way if you want to use your chainsaw for a long time. Doing so will make your sawdust prolong its life. You should note that, cleaning of the saw must be in a right order. Otherwise, pieces or parts of the saw will be harmed and the saw will tip.

Thus, when cleaning the chainsaw, caution should be taken.

Material Need For Efficient Chainsaw Cleaning?

To clean the chainsaw effortlessly, use the following materials:

A basin, Water, ammonia, WD-40 Degreaser, Cloth, Smooth and soft tooth Brush, WD-40 multipurpose commodity.

How Often Should The Chain Guard Be Cleaned?

Cleaning the chain guard is not a measure to be carried out after each use, it is enough on average four times a year: