Puttering
A Tuneup
A few damaged drive links, one small file, and a favorite tool ready to trim another day.
When the Chain Came Off
Earlier this year, our neighbor’s giant roofing van knocked around the cherry tree in the Devil’s strip and broke a fairly substantial branch. The one upside was that it gave me an opportunity to use one of my favorite tools - the electric chainsaw on a stick! But, about halfway through cleaning up the tree, the chain came off and I noticed that some of the teeth had gotten damaged so it wasn't riding through the bar properly. Then a week or two ago we had a rainy weekend so...time to fix it up. Let's get into it.
The Reaper's Scythe
Back in 2018 we realized the hemlock tree in the back yard was getting too big. We always knew the day would come that we'd have to chop 'er down and alas, the dreaded day had come. And, with not just a little sorrow...the chore was undertaken, the chainsaw on a stick swung like the Grim Reaper's scythe - claiming all whose time had come.
This was the first time the chainsaw on a stick was used for more than just trimming, and I hated every moment of it, even Linus looked a bit sad...
But it got the job done very efficiently, if not poignantly.
Boogered Up : Why the Chain Kept Jumping the Bar
As I mentioned, while we were cleaning up the cherry-tree damage early that spring, the chain came off the chainsaw on a stick.
When I took it apart in the workshop, it became clear why the chain kept hopping the bar... a bunch of the drive links were boogered up.
The drive links (#3 above) are what got messed up, probably because I hadn't properly adjusted the chain tension.
That was the real lesson in this little repair. Filing the burrs off the drive links was easy enough, but they probably never would have been damaged if I had stopped and checked the chain tension before using the saw.
Like so many tools, the chainsaw on a stick will forgive a certain amount of neglect, right up until it doesn’t. From now on, checking the tension will be part of getting it ready, rather than something I remember after the chain is lying on the ground.
A drive link is a tooth on the bottom of a chainsaw chain that fits into the groove of the chainsaw's guide bar and runs around the sprocket. The problem is that if the drive links are messed up they won't run around the sprocket smoothly and will just keep jumping off the bar.
Anyway, I think somewhere between ten and twelve drive links had gotten a little mangled along their upper edges.
Filing the Damaged Drive Links
So I took a file to the affected drive links and carefully dressed the burrs back down flat. That took maybe ten minutes.
I am no prophet - and here's no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid. - TS Eliot
Cleaning It While I Was There
While I had the chainsaw taken apart, I gave it a good cleaning. It only made sense. Why open something up and then close it again without at least knocking out the accumulated sawdust and grime?
Once it was reasonably clean, and no, I didn’t go nuts, I put everything back together. Otherwise, it would have remained a pile of parts instead of regaining its rightful status as a chainsaw on a stick.
I think that's one of the best nicknames for a tool ever. Think about it a chainsaw....on....a...stick - marvelous!
Back Together and Ready to Work
So that's that. Just a quick story about a little bit of a tuneup on the old chainsaw. Now it's time to do a little more tree trimming! Hey, thanks for stopping by - see ya' next time!
I have a complicated relationship with powered yard tools. I want them to start, cut what needs cutting, and then disappear quietly into the shed until the next time. I have no desire to rebuild an engine, study sprocket geometry, or develop an emotional attachment to a chain-oiling system.
That is why I enjoyed this post.
You didn't turn a ten-minute repair into an engineering dissertation. You noticed why the chain was jumping, filed the damaged drive links, cleaned out the accumulated mess, and put the thing back together. That is exactly the amount of mechanical ambition many of us possess.
The name “chainsaw on a stick” also deserves to survive. “Electric pole saw” may be technically correct, but it has no poetry. A chainsaw on a stick sounds like something created by a man who looked at an ordinary chainsaw and decided it was not nearly dangerous or convenient enough. - The Yard-Tool Minimalist
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a pole saw chain keep coming off the guide bar?
A chain may jump the bar if it is too loose, improperly installed, badly worn, or unable to move smoothly through the bar groove. Damaged or burred drive links can catch in the groove or sprocket and prevent the chain from traveling properly.
What are the drive links on a chainsaw chain?
Drive links are the pointed metal tabs along the underside of the chain. They fit into the groove in the guide bar and engage the drive sprocket. They are different from the sharpened cutters that remove wood.
Can damaged drive links be filed smooth?
Minor burrs may sometimes be carefully dressed with a file so the chain can move freely again. A chain with bent, cracked, heavily worn, or significantly damaged links should be replaced rather than repaired. The chain should move smoothly by hand, with the tool unplugged and while wearing gloves, before the saw is returned to service.
How tight should a pole saw chain be?
The chain should sit snugly in the guide-bar groove without sagging, but it must still move freely around the bar. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions because the correct adjustment method varies by model. Recheck tension after brief use, since a chain can loosen as it warms.
Why clean a pole saw while the chain and cover are removed?
Sawdust, oil, and debris tend to collect around the drive sprocket, bar groove, and chain cover. Removing that buildup allows the chain to move more freely and makes it easier to inspect the bar, sprocket, and oiling areas for wear or damage.
When should a damaged pole saw chain be replaced?
Replace it when links are bent, cracked, excessively worn, difficult to move through the bar, or damaged beyond light filing. A replacement chain is a small expense compared with the risk of a chain failure while the saw is running.
Keywords
electric pole saw repair, chainsaw on a stick, pole saw chain came off, damaged drive links, chainsaw chain tension, guide bar cleaning, pole saw maintenance, electric chainsaw tune-up, tree trimming tools, House 173