When it comes time to change the blade on your electric chainsaw, the whole task might seem a bit overwhelming, with all the parts you can’t readily see, but the truth is that the process is really relatively easy.
As a result, you should start by relieving any anxiety over doing this job, because it’s not hard and it will be finished very quickly. All you need is a little patience and just a couple of tools, a wrench and a screwdriver.
First, and most importantly, in the name of safety, make sure that your chainsaw is unplugged before you even think about replacing the chain.
This might seem like it would go without saying, but more than one hundred thousand injuries are seen in emergency rooms every year, so don’t add yourself to the statistics, and make sure your chainsaw is absolutely unable to hurt you.
Now that your chainsaw is unplugged, you are ready to begin replacing the blade.
How To Replace Electric Chainsaw Blade
1. Looking at the part of the blade arm that is next to the engine housing, there should be two nuts and a screw head. The nuts will release the blade arm so that it is loose and will move freely back and forth in the engine housing. The screw head, on the other hand, will allow you to loosen the blade on the arm.
2. First, with the wrench, turn the nuts counter-clockwise. There is no need to remove the nuts, just turn them enough that the blade arm can be moved back and forth inside the engine housing.
3. Next, with your screwdriver, turn the screw head counter-clockwise a turn or two. There is no need to remove the screw head. This only needs to be loosened enough that the blade (chain) comes loose from the chain arm. After this is done, push the chain arm towards the engine housing while pulling on the chain enough that it comes loose from the arm.
4. At this point, if you look down the chain arm into the engine housing, you will see a sprocket that drives the chain when it is on. When you remove the chain from the arm, the chain should be loose enough that it will fall freely from the sprocket inside the engine housing. After it is loose, you can free the chain from the sprocket and remove it from the housing as well as from around the chain arm. Now the chain is free of your saw.
5. Next, to replace the chain, the process will be reversed. First, drop the chain into the engine housing and feed it around the sprocket. You might need a screwdriver to help guide the chain around the sprocket.
6. After the chain is securely around the sprocket, pull the remainder of the chain around the edge of the chain arm until it cover the entire edge of the arm.
7. Next, secure the chain to the arm by using a screwdriver to tighten the chain onto the chain arm.
8. Finally, after the chain is around the chain arm, pull the chain arm away from the engine housing in order to make the chain taught from the sprocket to the edge of the chain arm. Next, using your wrench, turn the nuts clockwise to tighten them and secure the chain arm in place.
9. Before you plug your chainsaw in to your power source, you should check to make sure that all of the points of the chain are securely onto the chain arm and that the chain is securely on the arm. Also make sure that the chain is on the sprocket correctly and that no links are riding on top of the teeth of the sprocket before you turn it on.
Your chainsaw is now sporting a new blade. If you have reassembled the blade and the blade arm correctly, you should have no trouble turning on your chainsaw and putting it into full action on whatever you need to cut.
It is a good idea, however, before you reassemble your chainsaw, use some light lubricant to ensure that your chain will run smoothly. You might even want to use a cloth to clean some of the sawdust that is in the housing and on the arm.
With all of these steps followed, your chainsaw should work like a charm…a much sharper charm.