Like all
fine machinery, however, they can be a little temperamental if you
don't care for them properly. I learned this the hard way, and now go
to great lengths to make sure I'm careful when running it and
maintaining it. Even then, there's so much to learn.
Just
recently I was having problems with the chain overheating. I didn't
know this at the time, but if the oil isn't lubricating the chain
properly, it can lead to some serious issues, and if there's one
thing you don't to have with a chainsaw, it's issues. I can tell when
the problems crop up because the chain seems to lock up when I let up
on the throttle. I can feel the tension is way too high and it looks
dry. When lubed properly, the chain looks greased, and it seems to
flow more smoothly. It turns out that my blade was not properly
lubricating the chain, and not only did it make the blade hot, but it
stretched out the chain.
I took
it in to see what the problem was and they said right off the bat
that the chain was stretched out and was probably done. They checked
the machine and said it seemed to be oiling properly, but that I was
probably using the wrong oil. I buy the eco-friendly stuff that is
basically vegetable oil and they said they've had problems with that
stuff. They recommended going back to the petroleum stuff and sure
enough my chainsaw was back to normal. Whew, I didn't want to have to
buy a new chainsaw or pay for expensive maintenance.
It turns
out that the eco-stuff is mainly used when cutting in or around
water, and that most people use the conventional oil. I will say this
- the conventional stuff is about half the price, so I didn't need
too much prodding. Now that the saw is running better, I can turn my
attention to that log pile and get some blocks cut up for splitting.
I figure I still have a couple of months to split before the snow
comes, and that year 2 pile is only about 10% done, so I've got some
work to do.
Until
then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Dan Funderburgh for the pic.
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