All About Chainsaw Smoking (Fixes Explained)

Heavy equipment is used by the majority of industries so that their work can be done with more ease. A chainsaw is one such equipment which is used mainly for tree felling, bucking, pruning, etc. almost everything that has to do with cutting down trees. Trees that have been around for years don’t easily cut down for their trunks are rather stronger than younger trees. By using a chainsaw, it can be done quickly and with ease too.

When we talk about a chainsaw, there’s no doubt that its chain is the main part. It constantly works for as long as the chainsaw is on and therefore the chances of it sparking and catching fire are quite more than we would like to believe. However, you don’t have to worry. In this article, we’ll discuss all chainsaw smoking and what you can do to avoid it.

First problems first, why is it smoking?

The way to solve a problem is to get to its root first. Here are a few of the reasons as to why a chainsaw might catch fire:

1. The chain is too hot

Due to the constant metal-on-metal friction, there should be no surprises if the chain gets hot after being in use or a certain amount of time, its only natural. However, sometimes it can overheat to a great extent due to being used extensively which may be one of the reasons for it catching smoke due to sparks erupting out of it.

What causes the overheating?

The overheating is caused because of less or absence of bar oil, tightness of the chain, or the chain being too dull. No lubrication in the chain can easily cause it to heat and lead to smoking.

What can be done?

• In case there’s less or no bar oil, always ensure that your chain bar is filled with oil so that when in use, there’s always a decent amount present to not cause overheating. Before you start working, check once whether there’s enough oil or not and only then go ahead.

• In case there’s tightness in the chain, loosen it a bit so that the friction too strong to cause sparks and smoke. It shouldn’t be too lose to not work efficiently though.

• If the chain is dull, check whether it needs sharpening. It can be done by you yourself or you can have it done at a repair shop.

2. Fuel issue

Since the chainsaw runs on an engine, chances are that there might be some issues with the fuel. It makes use of gasoline and oil whose ratio usually varies depending upon the chainsaw you are using. A mix and wrong match of any kind can cause severe issues and lead to smoke.

What causes issues with the fuel?

There are three main reasons:

• A wrong mixture of gasoline and oil.
• Water contamination in the fuel.
• Contamination with other substances.

             What can be done?                                 

• If you’re experiencing any kind of issues with the fuel, the best way to deal with is to dispose of it. It has been already contaminated or wrongly mixed so continuing with it won’t be of any help. Once you’ve poured the fuel out, clean out your tank in case there are any kinds of tiny particles left.
• Once clean, according to the ratio mentioned in your user manual, pour the fuel into your chainsaw’s tank clear of all kinds of impurities.

Conclusion:

While we can’t predict what will happen in the future, we can definitely take preventive measures to ensure that our chainsaw doesn’t cause issues. For this, there are a few preventive measures that you can take:

1. Keep the chainsaw in regular use to avoid it from rusting.
2. Always check the bar to ensure there’s enough oil for the work you’re going to do.
3. Mix the gas and oil properly. It is extremely important that you do so.