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| How to use a chain saw in cold weather
Q: I heat with wood, and I always have problems with my chain saw during the coldest months, when I do most of my cutting. The saw gets cranky and doesn’t cut well, and the nose sprocket gets loaded with frozen wood chips and doesn’t turn. I bought a new saw a couple of years ago, and it’s just as bad as the old one. What do you suggest?
A: Cold-weather woodcutting is a challenge. Well before the cutting season, you should give the saw a thorough once-over. Clean it, removing the gunk that builds up around the chain sprocket and on the bottom of the sprocket cover. Inspect the chain groove, and clean it if necessary. Give the saw a fresh spark plug, clean the air filter and, if the saw has a shutter for the carburetor, switch it to its winter setting. (Bing: Sharpen your chain saw)
Next, drain the bar and chain oil and switch over to a thinner, winter-grade lubricant. You may be able to thin your bar and chain oil with a little kerosene or diesel fuel. The mix should be about 5% to 10% kerosene or diesel and the remainder bar oil. Check the owner’s manual or ask a dealer before you run this home-brewed blend, though. Then make the most out of the lubricant by cycling the chain without cutting wood. This will flush ice and frozen wood particles from the bar and nose sprocket.
Frozen wood is hard to cut, so start the season with a freshly sharpened chain, and keep at least a couple of spares on hand. "When you sharpen a chain for winter woodcutting, decrease the top-plate filing angle by about five degrees," advises Randy Scully, the national service manager for Stihl, the outdoor power equipment company. The slightly less aggressive cutting angle will help the edge handle frozen wood while reducing vibration-induced wear and tear on the saw.
If temperatures hover in the single digits or lower, consider a carbide-tip saw chain (but not the kind meant for firefighters; that requires training to use safely). This chain stands up better to frozen wood.
Lastly, make every effort to reduce the condensation that forms in your chain-saw fuel. "Try as best you can to keep the fuel mix at a constant temperature," Scully says. "If you can, avoid bringing the fuel container into a warm shop and then back outside into the cold, which will cause the moisture to condense in it." To ensure that the fuel you’re using stays fresh, Scully suggests mixing as small a batch as is practical. Use that up and then mix some more two-stroke fuel when you need it.
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