After a long year of use, most people will store their chainsaws during the cold winter months. In this article we’ll dig into some common questions when it comes to storing chainsaws and answer the question: can chainsaws be stored vertically?
You can store chainsaws vertically. But, to ensure you don’t get fuel or oil leaks you should drain your saw of fluids and/or ‘burp’ the fuel and oil tanks to relieve any pressure that will cause oil and fuel to leak.
This is just one of the many questions you may have about storing your saw for the winter. So, let’s get started on our storage adventure.
- Can Chainsaws Be Stored Vertically?
- Can You Hang Chainsaws for Storage?
- Can Chainsaws Be Stored on the Side?
- Storing Chainsaws With or Without Fuel?
- Should You Store Chainsaws on Concrete?
Can Chainsaws Be Stored Vertically?
You can for sure store your chainsaws vertically. However, I would recommend only using this method if you plan to store them for long periods of time like a couple of months or more.
Let me explain why.
When you store your chiansaws vertically, usually hanging by the handle, there’s a chance that the bar and chain oil and fuel could leak out of the saw and run down the bar.
So, prevent this you can do one of two things. One, you can drain the fuel and bar and chain oil from the saw so there’s no chance of it leaking. This is why I say you may want to only do this when storing for long periods of time.
Or, you can hang it and then come back in a few days and ‘burp’ the fuel and oil tanks. Over time, pressure will build up in these tanks which is what causes the liquid to leak out.
By burping the tank, you will release this pressure and prevent it from leaking out. To do this, all you have to do is twist open the tanks enough to let the gases out.
Because you might drain the fluids before storing, this is why I recommend this for more long term storage.
And voila, you can hang your chainsaws vertically to store them, easy peasy!
Can You Hang Chainsaws for Storage?
Hanging chainsaws is a great way to conserve space in your garage or storage area. There are a couple of different ways you can store them by hanging.
Hanging by Rear Handle
This is a pretty easy way to hang your chainsaws. Just use a wall hook or something similar and place your saw on the hook by the rear handle, the one with the trigger attached.
If you hang your chainsaw in this way, however, you have a chance of the fuel and oil leaking down your chainsaw bar.
To prevent this, either drain the fluids before storage or burp the tanks after they’ve been hanging for a few days.
To burp the tanks, open the fuel tank and bar and chain oil tank to release the built up pressure.
This will help prevent the tanks from linking while stored in this way.
Hanging By the Brake Stop
This is the alternative to hanging your saw vertically by the rear handle.
Hanging your chainsaw from the brake stop, the handle that’s along the top of the saw, won’t leak fluids as easily as hanging it by the rear handle.
However, brake handles aren’t the sturdiest of things on chainsaws. So, I recommend only using this for smaller sized saws. If too much weight is placed on the brake stop there is a possibility it could break or get damaged.
Also, saws that have longer bars will be unbalanced and so they won’t be able to hang by the brake stop and stay relatively level, they’ll tilt forward.
If you have several chainsaws you’re trying to store in a smaller space, then having your larger chainsaws stored on the ground or on a shelf and hanging the smaller ones up on a wall is a great way to organize.
Can Chainsaws Be Stored on the Side?
Here’s the thing about storing chainsaws on their side, they will probably always leak regardless of which side you store them on.
On one side of the chainsaw, you have the opening for the fuel tank and oil tank. On the other side, you have the oil hole that leaks oil onto the bar to lubricate your chain while using it.
Storing it on either of these sides could cause oil or fuel to leak out. And, it’s more likely to leak than if you simply set it on the ground like normal.
If you absolutely have to store your chainsaw on it’s side, drain it of oil (the fuel can stay in) and store it with the bar flat to the ground.
So, my recommendation is to store the saw sitting normally or in one of the other ways we talk about in this post.
Storing Chainsaws With or Without Fuel?
Ah, the age old question of whether you should store your chainsaw with or without fuel.
In my opinion, there is a time and place for both ways.
Storing With Fuel
If you’re only planning to store your saw for a couple of days or weeks, then storing it with fuel is a great idea.
It will be all fueled up and ready to go for the next time you need your chainsaw.
But, if your fuel tank is full when you store it you have the chance that it will leak fuel.
To help with this, release the gasses built up in the fuel tank by burping the tank, opening the tank to release the pressure.
In case it leaks anyways, I recommend storing it on or over cardboard to absorb the liquids or placing it in a long Tupperware (or similar) container.
Storing Without Fuel
Storing your chainsaw without fuel has a couple benefits as well.
Storing them without fuel prevents them from leaking fuel on any of your work surfaces.
Also, it’s pretty easy to refill your saws before you use them. So, it’s good for storing over short periods and longer periods.
If you’re wanting to hang your saw off the ground in any way, draining it of fuel before hanging will prevent any possible leakage.
There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to storing with or without fuel, it really just comes down to personal preference.
Should You Store Chainsaws on Concrete?
There’s a short answer and a long answer to this question.
In short, you shouldn’t store chainsaws directly on concrete for long periods of time. Separating the two with a sheet of cardboard or other material is all you need to store them safely on concrete.
Here’s the long answer and it gets a little sciency.
An ingredient found in most common concretes reacts with the aluminum alloy in many chainsaw components. This is bad for both the chainsaw and the concrete.
It can cause corrosion to any aluminum components on the chainsaw and the concrete could even degrade and crack.
However, this reaction is relatively slow and only happens with direct contact of metal on concrete.
So, setting your chainsaw down on the concrete for a day or two isn’t going to cause any problems. But, if it’s going to sit there for a long time, you just need to put something under it to separate the saw from the concrete.
Laying down cardboard, plastic, hanging your saw, or putting the saw in some kind of container is an easy fix for this problem.
