18
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
10. Chain Maintenance
WARNING
• Remove the battery pack before performing any maintenance, failure to heed this warning
could result in serious personal injury.
• Always wear gloves when handling the saw chain – the saw chain is sharp and may contain
burrs.
Use only low-kickback chains on this saw. This fast-cutting chain will provide kickback
reduction when properly maintained.
A properly sharpened saw chain cuts through wood effortlessly, even with very little pressure.
Never use a dull or damaged saw chain. A dull saw chain cutter leads to increased physical
strain, increased vibration load, unsatisfactory cutting results and increased wear.
For smooth and fast cutting, the chain needs to be maintained properly. When the wood chips
are small and powdery, the chain must be forced through the wood during cutting, or the chain
cuts to one side are the indicators that the chain requires sharpening. During maintenance of
your chain, consider the following:
• Improper filing angle of the side plate can increase the risk of a severe kickback.
• Raker (depth gauge) clearance. Too low increases the potential for kickback. Not low
enough decreases cutting ability.
• If cutter teeth have hit hard objects, such as nails and stones, or have been abraded by mud
or sand on the wood, have the chain sharpened by a qualified service technician.
NOTICE:
Inspect the drive sprocket for wear or
damage when replacing the chain. If signs of wear
or damage are present in the areas indicated,
have the drive sprocket replaced by qualified
service technician.
Sharpen the Cutters
Be sure to file all cutters (Fig. 10a) to the specified
angles and to the same length, as fast cutting can
be obtained only when all cutters are uniform.
a. Remove the battery pack. Wear gloves for
protection.
b. Use a 5/32" (4.4 mm) diameter round file and
holder (available separately). Do all of your
filing at the middle position of the guide bar.
c. Keep the file level with the top plate of the
tooth. Do not let the file dip or rock.
d. Keep a correct sharpening angle of 30°
between the file and the saw chain; see Fig.
10b & 10c. Always use a file holder (available
separately) when sharpening saw chains
by hand. File holders have markings for the
sharpening angle (Fig. 10b).
e. Using light but firm pressure, perform a stroke
towards the front corner of the tooth. Lift the
file away from the steel on each return stroke
(Fig. 10c).
10a
Top
Plate
Side
Plate
Depth
Gauge
10b
Filing
Direction
5/32"(4.0mm)
Round File
Cutter Tooth
Sharpening
Angle: 30°
