Everyone that owns a chain saw knows that you need to sharpen the chain from time to time with a chain saw sharpener. Good maintenance is required for almost every power tool, including hydraulic presses, but especially a chain saw which is quite often used in rugged conditions.

You need to make sure that you keep the teeth on your chain saw sharp at all times to maintain cutting performance, reduce wear and tear on the bar, as well as yourself. Most people don’t carry a chain saw sharpener with them, but even the backyard handyman should keep one handy whenever they’re cutting wood.

It’s not as hard as you might think to sharpen your saw – as long as you have a good chain saw sharpener. Besides, a dull chain saw is a dangerous chain saw.

If you use your chain saw a lot obviously you will have to sharpen it more often. It’s surprising how much easier the work will be if you keep your saw sharpened. Many home users think that just because they use their saw occasionally they don’t need to worry about sharpening. On the contrary, many home users are rougher on their chainsaws than professional operators, because they’re more likely to hit the occasional rock or nail, or even the ground.

If you’re cutting wood that has been sitting on the ground for a period of time there will be a lot of dirt, sand, and possibly rocks embedded in the wood and bark. This will dull your saw very quickly. Quite often you will be cutting wood that has been laying on the ground, whereas the professional logger will usually be cutting clean, standing wood.

If you’re not comfortable sharpening your own saw, then you can always take it in to a sharpening shop that uses a professional chain sharpener. It usually costs between $5 and $10 to get your chain saw sharpened at a shop that has professional jigs which will ensure consistent sharpening of all of the teeth. And if they’re good at what they do, they will also recommend greasing the bar and front sprocket every time you get your chain sharpened.