When it comes to chainsaw maintenance, one of the most important questions is, “how tight should chainsaw chain be?” Too little tension can cause excessive chain, sprocket, and bar nose wear and an increased risk of injury.
Too much tension can cause the chainsaw to become difficult to operate and can overheat the guide bar, chain, and engine.
Fortunately, it’s easy to tell if your chainsaw chain is too tight or too loose. This can be done quickly and easily by hand with a procedure known as the Snap Test.
For optimal chain tightness, tension your chainsaw chain properly by ensuring it’s snug against the guide bar but still loose enough to be pulled away from the guide bar with two fingers and snap into place when released.
Snap Test
To perform the chainsaw chain Snap Test, place the chainsaw on a stable surface with the engine NOT running. Be sure to wear protective gloves when doing this test.
Use your index finger and thumb to grasp the chain on top of the chainsaw guide bar. After you have a firm grip on the chain, pull it up toward the ceiling. If the chain has the correct tightness, you can pull it slightly away from the guide bar.
Now release your grip on the chain, which should snap back into place on the guide bar. If your chain displays this behavior, it is properly tensioned.
If your chain is over-tightened, you will have difficulty pulling the chain away from the guide bar. If the chain is too loose, it will not fit snuggly against the guide bar and will display a drooped or sagged appearance.
How Do I Know if My Chainsaw Chain Is Tight Enough?
Knowing if your chainsaw chain is tight enough can be tricky if you do not know what to look for. It’s important to ensure the chain is tensioned properly for chain life span, safety, and efficiency.
To check the chainsaw chain tension, the most common way is to perform the Snap Test, which is described above.
However, there is another way as well. I call it the chainsaw Bar Tip Test. To perform the Bar Tip Test, you will need to loosen the guide bar nut on side of the chainsaw. Once the nut is loose, you should be able to lift the guide bar’s tip up and down slightly.
When raising the guide bar up as far as possible, there should be no sag or droop in the chain. If there is, you will need to tighten the chain to remove any slack.
Be sure that the chain is not overly tight and still able to move around the guide bar. Make sure to hold the guide bar end up as far as possible when tightening the bar nut.
Loose Chainsaw Chain Tension Issues
A loose chainsaw chain can damage the drag links on the chainsaw, reduce chainsaw performance and increase the risk of injury.
If your chainsaw chain has too much slack, you will need to adjust the chainsaw chain tension to ensure optimal performance. To do this correctly, loosen the bar nut or nuts on side of the chainsaw.
Once the bar nut or nuts have been loosened, turn the chain tension screw in a clockwise direction to ensure that it’s sufficiently tightened. Afterward, don’t forget to retighten the bar nut or nuts located on the side of your chainsaw.
If a chain has been damaged from being run loosely, it should be replaced with a new chain.
Can You Over-Tighten a Chainsaw Chain?
Yes, it is possible to overtighten a chainsaw chain. An overly tightened chainsaw can lead to excessive early chain wear and risk injury to the chainsaw operator.
Proper chainsaw chain tension can be checked easily and quickly by performing the chain Snap Test, which is described above.
How to Tighten An Electric Chainsaw
Tightening the chain of an electric chainsaw is really no different than tightening the chain of a gasoline chainsaw.
The chain tensioning process is as follows:
- Locate the bar not or wing nut on side of the chainsaw and loosen
- Locate the tensioner adjustment screw or adjustment wheel
- Adjust the tension screw or adjustment wheel clockwise to tighten or counterclockwise to loosen the chain.
- Re-tighten the bar nut or bar wing nut on side of the chainsaw
- Perform the Snap Test on the chain to ensure proper tension
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know if My Chainsaw Chain Is Tight Enough?
A properly tightened chain will fit snuggly all the way around the guide bar. Wiggle the chainsaw chain slightly to check for slack. Also, perform the chainsaw chain Snap Test and Bar Tip Test to ensure correct tension.
What Is the Correct Chain Tension for A Chainsaw Chain?
When you have the correct chainsaw chain tension, it should fit snugly around the bar and have some elasticity when pulled away from it. When released, it should quickly snap back into its spot on the guide bar. This can be checked by performing the Snap Test described above.
Why Is My Chainsaw Chain Tight Then Loose?
At first, if a chain appears to be tight and subsequently loosens, then there may be something wrong with the sprocket of the chainsaw. In this situation, more times than not, the sprocket is worn to the point of needing to be replaced.
How Much Tension Should Chainsaw Chains Have?
Correct chain tension should be tight enough to fit snugly around the guide bar and have elasticity when pulled away from the bar. If a chain is overly tight, there will be no elasticity.
If this is the situation, you will need to loosen the bar nuts on the guide bar side panel and turn the tensioning screw counterclockwise to loosen the chain. You should now feel elasticity returning to the chain. Now re-tighten the nuts. Check your work by performing the Snap Test described above.
How Do You Adjust the Tension on A Chainsaw?
To loosen or tighten a chainsaw chain, make sure your chainsaw is turned off and cool to the touch. A hot chain is a marker for incorrect chain tension and can easily burn skin. Also, tightening a chain that is hot can lead to an overly tight chain once the metal has cooled and contracted.
Now that your chain is cool to the touch loosen the guide bar panel nuts and turn the adjustment screw to set the tension. Turning the screw clockwise tightens the chain while turning it counter-clockwise loosens the chain. Once the correct tension is achieved, retighten the nuts.
Why Does My Chainsaw Chain Keep Going Slack?
A slack chain can be attributed, in most cases, to an improperly tensioned chain or a worn sprocket on the chainsaw. If the tension is improperly set, loosen the bar nuts and re-tighten the chain.
If you do this and the chain becomes loose again, the chainsaw sprocket will be the problem. To correct this issue, you will need to replace the sprocket on the chainsaw, not the sprocket on the bar nose.
Bar nose sprockets are not as prone to wear as the main sprocket on the chainsaw.
How Tight Should Chainsaw Chain Be?
If you are trying to determine how tight should a chainsaw chain be, you need to perform the chain Snap Test.
A chain, also called a chainsaw blade, should fit snugly around the guide bar and be elastic when pulled away from it. When released, the chain should quickly snap back into its spot on the guide bar.
This indicates proper chain tension. If there is no elasticity and it can’t be pulled away from the bar, then it needs to be loosened.
What Is the Proper Tension for A Chainsaw Chain?
The proper chain tension should be tight enough to fit snugly around the guide bar and have some elasticity when pulled away from it. When released, the chainsaw chains should quickly snap back into its spot on the guide bar.
This can be checked by performing the chain Snap Test.
Can You Over-Tighten Chainsaw Chains?
Yes, a chain can be overtightened on a chainsaw. Tightening a chain too tightly risks damage to the chainsaw, guide bar, chain, and sprocket. You can check proper chain tension by performing the Chain Snap Test.
How Do I Know if My Chainsaw Chain Is on Correctly?
The direction of the chain on a chainsaw should be with the cutter teeth facing forward along the top of the guide bar. This is easy to determine simply by looking at the chain.
Remember that the sharp side of the cutter teeth needs to make contact with the wood. If you look at the top of the guide bar, the sharp cutters should be facing forward.
If your chain is on backward, you will immediately know it due to the chainsaw’s lack of cutting. A backward chain will skip across wood instead of biting.
How Tight Should the Chain Be on A Stihl Chainsaw?
A Stihl chainsaw is no different than most chainsaws regarding chain tensioning. The chain should fit snugly around the guide bar and be elastic when pulled away from it.
When released, the chain should quickly snap back into its spot on the guide bar. This can be checked by performing the chain Snap Test.
How Do You Tighten Chain Tension?
Tightening a chain is done by loosening the bar nuts on the side of the chainsaw and turning the tensioning screw clockwise to tighten and counter-clockwise to loosen a chain.
Once the right tension is attained, re-tighten the nuts that hold the guide bar in place.
Now, perform the Snap Test to ensure your chain tension is correct.
What Happens if Your Chainsaw Chain Is Loose?
If a chain is run loose on a chainsaw, it can damage the chain, guide bar, and chainsaw sprocket. Also, running a loose chain can be dangerous to the chainsaw operator and cause the chainsaw to have poor performance.
Why Won’t My Chainsaw Chain Tighten?
If your chain does not tighten up properly on your chainsaw, the problem, in most cases, is a stretched, worn chain or a broken chain tensioner.
Wrapping Up
Chainsaw chains need to be properly tensioned to work correctly and safely. The snap test is a great way to determine if your chain needs tightening or loosening, as it should fit snugly around the guide bar and have some elasticity when pulled away from it.
If you are having trouble getting the right tension on your chainsaw chain, make sure that you check for a worn sprocket or stretched chain.
With these tips in mind, you can ensure that your chainsaw remains safe and effective while using it. Remember, proper chainsaw chain tension is key to an efficient and safe cutting experience.
Be safe out there, and happy cutting.
Steven R