Winterize a Gas Chainsaw for Storage

Fall is a time for clearing brush, felling trees and cutting and chopping firewood to stave off the chill of the winter months. Before you hang up your chainsaw for the season, take a few minutes to perform some preventative maintenance to ensure that the chainsaw performs correctly the following spring. You will need a few basic items to winterize your chainsaw and you may already have some of them on hand for the maintenance of your other gas powered lawn tools while some are specific to the chain saw.

The items that you will nee to perform the maintenance for storage are as follows:

• Flat blade screwdriver
• Stiff bristled brush (like an old toothbrush)
• WD-40
• Sta-Bil gasoline stabilizer
• Bar oil
• Air and fuel filter (if applicable)
• Chain sharpening tool
• Socket or wrench for bar and for spark plug

I begin by adding the correct amount of Sta-Bil gas stabilizer to the fuel tank and shaking the chain saw to mix the Sta-Bil with the gasoline in the fuel tank. At this point I also add Sta-Bil to the fuel can that I use to fuel the chainsaw. As a side note, while purchasing all of my gasoline powered yard tools, I made sure that they all had the same fuel to two cycle engine oil mix. I also mark on the fuel can the mix ratio and the yard tools that that can is used for. When I add Sta-Bil to the gas can this is usually at the very end of the year, I will wrap a piece of black electrical tape around the nozzle to signify that the gas can has been treated. With the Sta-Bil added to the gas tank, I will then run the chainsaw for five minutes to ensure that the fuel stabilizer has entered into the carburetor to prevent varnishing and prevent the seals and gaskets from drying out and cracking.

Unlike some of my other yard tools, I generally don't like to wash the chainsaw with a garden hose or pressure washer. Instead, I will remove the bar and chain and spray down the chainsaw with some WD-40. I will then use a brush to remove the dried up wood chip and bar oil gunk that has accumulated over the last season of use. You may need a flat blade screwdriver and a rag to help you clean up the housing as well as the bar oiler, bar mounting bolts and controls.

Once the engine and housing have been completely cleaned I move the equipment to my work bench where I inspect the gas bulb and fuel line to ensure that they are pliable and functional. If they are brittle or cracked, I will replace them. I will also use this opportunity to inspect the controls and adjust or replace the parts if there is excessive play or wear.

Remove and clean or replace the spark plug and visually inspect the spark plug wire to ensure that it is not broken or excessively warn. I like to add a squirt of WD-40 to the combustion chamber as well as the threads of the spark plug well. Replace the spark plug and wipe off any excess WD-40 from the entire engine.

Next, inspect the bar of the chainsaw for excessive wear or discoloration (bluing) of the metal which may indicate a worn bar, worn chain or malfunctioning chain oiler. Clean the bar with WD-40 and wipe off the excess WD-40 and then replace the bar on the chainsaw.

I like to soak down the chain in WD-40 in a plastic tub (such as a Cool-whip tub) for a few minutes and then remove and wipe down the chain. I then inspect the chain to ensure that there are no broken teeth, cutters or links. I replace the chain and then following manufacturer's instructions, sharpen the chain using chain saw sharpening files. I will then loosen the chain and leave approximately ¼ inch of extra play in the chain for storage. Only after the chain is sharpened will I top off the bar oil reservoir and then the chainsaw is ready for a long winter's nap. (Note, be sure to adjust the chainsaw chain for the proper tension and play before you start the engine the following year. A few months worth of cold temperatures can play havoc on the chain and chain tensioning device).

Take a few minutes at the end of this season to properly winterize your gasoline powered lawn and garden tools to ensure a safe and properly functioning tool at the onset of your next gardening season. I can usually winterize my full assortment of yard tools in about 4 or 5 hours at the end of each season.