Your chainsaw chain is made of cutters.  These are the teeth that cut away at the wood.  These cutters are covered with a thin but strong coat of industrial chrome.  Your cutters would stay sharp forever if they were always used on clean wood.  However, it is rarely possible to only use your saw on clean wood.  Wood is often dirty, or has been knocked to the ground.  If it is on the ground it is difficult to use the saw in a way that avoids dirt and other foreign substances.  As quickly as the chain rotates it doesn’t take much to dull your chain.  To maintain the quality of your chain it is a good idea to try to brush off the wood you are getting ready to cut.  Get it as clear of debrit and dirt as possible.  This can save you a lot of time in the long run.

Here are some signs that tell you it’s time to get out the chain saw sharpener:

• The chain is no longer self feeding. This is the most obvious signal you need to sharpen you chain. A properly sharpened saw chain pulls itself down through the cut. If you find yourself pushing on the saw to make it cut, or using the bucking spikes to apply heavy leverage, it’s time to sharpen the chain.
• A change in the expelled wood. A chain saw that is properly sharpened puts out nice, square wood chips. If your chain saw is producing wood dust instead of chips, it’s time to sharpen.
• When the chain looks shiny. Look at the top plate and side plate. If the chrome plating has worn away, it will expose the steel underneath, and the cutting edge will be shiny. To restore the cutting edge, you must file the steel away until a thin overhang of chrome returns.

It’s important to stop cutting as soon as you identify your chain is dull. Making a dull chain continue to cut places undue ware and tear on all the parts of your saw, not just the chain.  It has been shown that dull or improperly maintained saw chains are the real source of most bar-related failures.

Dull chains also wear out the operators, they cause fatigue, frustration and can impair judgment. This is a huge safety hazard and and the cause of many chain saw accidents. It is best when you realize your chain is dull to stop cutting, and get your saw to a chain saw sharpener.