# Chainsaw tension adjuster at end of range



## cfabe (Feb 27, 2005)

The tension adjuster on my chainsaw is at the end of its range but the chain is still a little loose. Does this mean the chain has stretched too much? Does it need to be replaced, or a link taken out? Stihl 361 saw and the original Stihl chain. The teeth are only 1/3 used up from sharpening, I hate to replace it if not necessary.


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

get a new chain. it's a better use of your $$$.


----------



## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

If the tensioner is working properly, your chain is stretched, and a link can be removed. I'd remove the side cover first, and make sure that the tensoiner is engaging first though. My Stihl is really old, so the design may be different in yours, but at least on mine, it's possible for things to get askew so even though you're turning the screw, it's not doing anything...,chain's most likely just stretched, though.

Meloc may well be right, though. If the origional chain is one of their so-called "safety chains", I'd definitely replace it with a yellow-label chain.


----------



## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i goofed once and bought a chain that was too big, but small enough to where it tightened up enough to use until it stretched out. maybe you need a chain that is a bit smaller.


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Is your oiler working? Sounds like excessive wear on either the chain, the tip of the bar or both.
Get a new chain and see where the pin is with a new chain. Check bar tip wear.


----------



## bigmoose (Apr 1, 2010)

You need to go to your stihl dealer and get you chain shortened.Chainsaw chain streches with use.Some conditions cause this more rapidly than others.Proper oliling and keeping the right amount of tension on it while in use are the best two things to prevent overstreching.If you buy a new chain put it on the saw,tension it properly and run it for five minutes at about half throttle to break it in.The new saws dont oil as well as some of the older ones.There are a few things you can do to the 361 oiler to increase the output but wait until you waranty is out.If you have plenty of tooth left on your chain just have it shortened.


----------



## cfabe (Feb 27, 2005)

The tensioner is engaged properly, it's just at the end of its adjustment. I guess I need to replace the chain or shorten it. I've cut about 20 cords of firewood on this chain so far. The saw has never really seemed like it has oiled as much as my older saws, but it uses 2/3 of a tank of oil each tank of gas so I figured that's about what they want it to be using.


----------



## raymilosh (Jan 12, 2005)

If you've cut 20 cords of wood with a single chain and still have 2/3 of the teeth left, I'm thinking your problem is that you're really good with a chainsaw.
There's prolly a lot of age and use on the chain, but it hasn't been dulled or sharpened much.

So, yah, get a tooth taken out.

To fix the problem, hit the dirt a few times a day so you have to resharpen the chain. That way the chains won't last long enough to stretch that much.


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

In Michigan, it is common to refer to a cord as a stack eight feet long, four feet tall and the length of a piece of firewodd deep, often 16 inches. Some times it is called a face cord.
In other areas and commercially and in the dictionary a cord is 8x8x4.
I'd like to sharpen my chain after each face cord or three times for every full cord. Seldom gets done that often, but perhaps you are letting your teeth get too dull between sharpenings. That'll heat up a chain and bar, causing a lot of slack.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i like to cut in deep snow that way i can cut and cut and cut and never hit the ground sharpenings last much longer that way i might cut 2-3 gas/oil fill ups on a single sharpening then i dont need much more than a stroke or two on each cutter with the file i am over a year on a single chain and have a fair bit left to the cutters i would say 10 cord with half the chain left to go , probably would have more if i didn't have some summer cutting on that chain also in the summer i find i need to touch it up most every gas up or aproximatly 40 minutes of cutting but even at that a good fileing can be done to a chain 20-30 times before it's used up easily 

my cords are 4' deep 4' high 8' wide and i use about 5 a year to heat my house 

i have a electric chain grinder if any one wants it i will trade it for a 3 pack of new stihl 
.375 files


----------



## cfabe (Feb 27, 2005)

When I say cords I mean full cords. In fact I almost wrote it like that but on this board it seems like folks know what a cord is. I agree in Michigan it's common to hear cord = face cord, drives me nuts since I'm not from here originally. 

At any rate I think i'm just going to shorten the chain.

Can a chain get so stretched out that the length between links changes enough so it won't work properly with the sprocket on the saw? Just wondering.


----------



## Sawmill Jim (Dec 5, 2008)

I run full skip chains about 14.00 bucks from Baileys on line store . May can turn the oiler up it is a screw on the bottom of the saw . I tried hard no never run my saws out of gas .

Staying at the mill most of the time now but chains didn't last me long .


----------

