Chain Saw Problem

[DenisM]

I have a 20" Homelite Chain Saw that was a reconditioned unit. The saw does not cut straight. My other saws give a nice square cut; but this Homelite drifts and will not cut square. Any ideas what causes this?

 

[beenthere]

Yes, it is sharpening the chain at different angles on teeth.

That, or the chain is not equally sharp on the two sets of teeth

What is the history of the chain?

 

[rekees4300]

The chain may not have been sharpened correctly. All the teeth need to be the same size and sharpness. Another possibility is that the chain is loose.

 

[skipmarcy]

Besides the chain being at fault, the bar being worn-out can cause this too - they usually wear unevenly and allow the chain to lean to one side or the other - just had the same problem with my 27 AV last year. Not keeping your chain tight often enough will wear a bar like this quicker, as well as a stopped-up oil system.

 

[MMagis]

I'd suggest checking the bar as well. There may be a "lip" around the chain groove. It can be removed with a file.

 

[DenisM]

Chain is a new one; I checked the bar and it does look a little worn. I'll try trueing it up with a fine file.
Thanks for the input.

 

[beenthere]

If you have access to a disk sander, that is a good way to joint the bar, so the two rails are parallel with each other and square with the bar.
Might stop by a chainsaw shop, and ask them to joint the bar for you.
If that is a new chain (and has not hit a rock or metal), then the bar wear may be what is causing the drift. There may be a need for more work on the bar than just jointing the rails (rolling the rails tighter together).
And, if the bar and chain are not the right match for each other (chain smaller than the bar), the loose fit could cause a problem as well.

 

[crazyal]

The last bar on my 357xp I replaced would do the same thing. Even filing the cutting edge to remove the lip on the bar flat wouldn't help. The gap in the bar had worn out enough so instead of a nice square trench it was more of a Vee. Like Beenthere said, you could have the bar repaired or replace it with a new one. The last Homelite I had getting a new bar wasn't desirable since they had been sold to a Chinese company or something and the new bars were a lot thinner and lighter duty.

 

[Nitro-Fish]

Make sure you are using the proper guage chain for the bar; i.e. if you are running a .050 ga. chain with a .058 ga or say a .063 ga bar, nothing you can do will make it cut straight as the chain will be too loose in the groove. Many people will pay attention to the number of drive links and the pitch of the chain, however they will overlook the guage of the chain when purchasing a replacement.

 

[Chilly807]

You should be able to pick up a matched bar and chain from an Oregon dealer for under $40, if the bar is worn enough it's not worth repairing.

Sean

 

[rgold1963]

I was having the same problem. Put a new bar on my saw this morning and what a difference. When the new chain wouldn't cut any better than the old one it replaced, I figured it had to be the bar. I had not measured the gap in the old bar but it was so worn, it was not worth trying to fix. One more thing to remember to check on when sharpening.

Ron

 

[Chilly807]

I was having the same problem. Put a new bar on my saw this morning and what a difference. When the new chain wouldn't cut any better than the old one it replaced, I figured it had to be the bar. I had not measured the gap in the old bar but it was so worn, it was not worth trying to fix. One more thing to remember to check on when sharpening.

Ron

Ron, we had the same problem with a saw at work. New chain, still didn't want to cut well. We filed off the burrs on the side of the bar and she was off to the races again.

Sean