Preparing Chain

Before you start sharpening your saw chain, you should make these preparations.

When must the chain be sharpened?

The best chain will wear and dull with time. If any of the following occurs, it is time to sharpen the saw chain:

The chain does not take itself into the wood, it must be forced by pressure on the motor unit for cutting.
Smoke appearing despite intact chain lubrication and proper chain tension.
The section runs in one direction. This points to one side or unevenly blunted.
The chainsaw rattles when cutting.

Preparing Chain

First you should clean the chain thoroughly. Inspect the chain for damage. If damaged or the parts are worn, these must be replaced immediately.

If there are wear marks, the chain should be replaced. Find out in this case with your authorised STIHL dealer.

Tightening Chain

The chain should be tensioned when sharpening tighter than normal. This prevents tilting and helps you in keeping the correct angle. After sharpening, set the correct chain tension again.

Mark this as a guide tooth. According to its length, the length of all the other teeth are aligned on the chain. With filing, return to this tooth and file all of the other teeth on the length of the sharpened tooth.

Tighten the guide rail in accordance with the position of the target tooth in a vise.