It would be a drag if you go to all the effort to buy a new chain, but then you have to spend time sharpening it right away. If you just bought a chainsaw chain you might be wondering if it comes sharpened.
Chainsaw chains come sharpened when purchased from all major manufacturers. As a result, you should not need to spend any time sharpening your chain before it’s first use.
That’s the short answer, but we’re going to dig into more details and nuances below. We’ve got loads of information about chainsaw chains packed into this post.
- Do Chainsaw Chains Come Sharpened?
- How to Tell if Your Chain is Sharp?
- When to Replace Your Chainsaw Chain
- How Often Does a Chainsaw Need Sharpened
- Is it Worth it to Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain
- Conclusion
Do Chainsaw Chains Come Sharpened?
As we mentioned above, chainsaw chains nearly always come sharpened. However, it’s not something that is listed or advertised on chainsaw chains.
The manufacturer doesn’t list whether they’re sharpened or not on the box or on the website.
But, if you’re buying them in person, it’s pretty easy to tell if the chain is sharp. Check out the picture below. This is a chain straight out of a box, those teeth are pretty sharp and shiny.
When you’re looking at a new chain, you want to be looking at the cutters to check for sharpness.
If you’re buying online and you’re not sure if they come sharpened, you can always reach out to the company and ask. But, like I said, I’d be pretty surprised if you got a new chain and it was dull.
With that said, if you’re still not sure, you can always test your chain to see if it is sharp.
How to Tell if Your Chain is Sharp
There are two ways you can tell if your chain is sharp, one is while you’re using it and the other is for when it’s not being used.
While you’re using your saw, you can tell if it’s sharp by looking at the type of sawdust it’s producing. If the dust is nice and chunky, your chain is good. If the dust is very dusty, then it needs to be sharpened.
Another method can be done if you want to check if it’s sharp before you use it.
It might seem a little cliche, but take a piece paper and lightly run it along the surface of the chain. If the chain grabs it and cuts it cleanly then you’re good to go.
Periodically checking to see if your chain is sharp is a great thing to do during continuous use. Running a saw with a dull blade can be hard on the engine. In addition to other issues.
When to Replace a Chainsaw Chain
Sometimes, rather than sharpening your chain, you’ll actually want to replace it instead.
This can happen after use, but if you buy a new chain and then discover that it’s damaged, then you may need to return it and replace it with a new chain. I don’t think this happens very often, but it’s possible.
If there’s any obvious damage to your chainsaw chain, such as cracks, chips, and missing cutters or guides, then you should replace the chain regardless of whether it’s new or used.
In the picture above, one of the guides has snapped off and the cutters are getting very worn down, this chain is ready to be replaced.
Make sure to regularly check your chain for any cracks or breaks, it would also be a good idea to check the chain before using it for the first time. The last thing you want is for a chain to snap while you’re using it.
In addition, you should consider replacing your chainsaw chain if you hit any of these things while you’re using it: hard-packed dirt, rocks, metal, or ice.
Other than the markers I just mentioned, you should also replace your chain when you can’t sharpen it anymore.
This is a little harder to figure out, but don’t worry we’ve got you.
Each cutter on each chain has lines on it showing the point at which it shouldn’t be sharpened anymore.
Once you reach these sharpening marks, you need to replace your chain.
I’m not going to go into too much detail here because we have an entire article dedicated to how many times you can sharpen a chainsaw. So check that out if you need more information. And we’ll also cover how often to sharpen a chainsaw chain here:
How Often Does a Chainsaw Need Sharpened?
You should sharpen your chainsaw before it gets dull. Big surprise there. But what does that mean?
As a general rule of thumb, you should sharpen your chain after every tank of gas (I usually use a file guide to sharpen chains).
This is just a generalization, it can vary depending on what type of wood you’re cutting and how long a tank of gas lasts for your particular chainsaw.
It’s also a good idea to sharpen your chain before you put it away, this will ensure that it’s sharp and ready to go the next time you want to use it. Especially if you need it quickly, as in the case of an emergency.
Is it Worth it to Sharpen a Chain?
If you want to keep using your chainsaw in the most effective way, then it’s absolutely worth it to sharpen a dull chain.
Keeping your chain sharp will not only make cutting easier, but it will also prolong the life of your chainsaw. Sawing with a dull chain can be hard on the engine.
Now you may not know how to sharpen your chain yourself, but don’t worry there are some options.
If you want to start sharpening your chain yourself, we have a step by step guide on how to sharpen a chain with a file guide.
The other option is to take it to a local shop and have them sharpen it for you. If you’re new to chainsaws, this is a great option.
However, if you plan on continuing to use your chainsaw regularly, it’s going to be cheaper to learn how to sharpen it yourself.
Also, having a professional sharpen your saw about four times will cost the same as buying a new chain.
So, again, learning to sharpen your own saw can save you money in the long run.
Conclusion
Chainsaw chains will almost always come sharpened. And frankly, if you buy a chain and discover that it’s not sharpened, you’ve probably bought it from a bad manufacturer, or a good manufacturer that let a mistake slip through their quality control.
So, if you’ve just bought a new chain, you can expect that it has come sharpened. With that said, it’s still a good idea to inspect the chain prior to its first use to make sure there’s no obvious damage, but other than that you should be ready to run the chain.
