The engine start. You pull the cord and the day’s work begin, but then you spot a drip coming out of nose of your Craftsman chainsaw. It falls onto your work bench, your boots or the lawn.
You believe it’s the end of the world and immediately conclude that the seal must be shot, or the pump broken. More times than not, this is the incorrect thinking; a dripping bar actualy indicates the saw are doing what it’s supposed to do. The design of these oiling system makes them difficult to understand.
Understanding Why Your Chainsaw Drips Bar Oil
Why Chainsaws Drip Oil by Design
However, knowing they is simply mechanical devices allows us to change our perspective on the mess. The key is that these devices depend on movement, not electronics, to dispense lube. First off, the thick, sticky nature of chainsaw bar and chain oil make volume the number one cause of the drip.
Because the oil must adhere to the metal under load, the oil pump force more into the system than the bar and chain will accept at any given moment. So where does it go? It go down the sides of the bar.
Since this is by design, the overspill provide a constant reserve of lubrication available to the chain even when it’s slowed or stopped. Gravity also play a part. The oil collect in the groove in the bar and as the chain move through it, it also starts coating the chain.
Then when you put the saw down, that collected oil go to the lowest point, typically the end of the bar. So you have a long drip even after the engine shut off. It’s still leftover oil making its way out.
It does this on all big name brands, Echo, Stihl, Husqvarna, etc. It’s what thick fluids do in an open channel. But the first place you should of look is at your adjustment screw. Most Craftsman models features a little dial on the body that regulate the flow of oil.
Adjusting the Oil Flow Screw
If you cut a lot of wet timber or hard wood, it’s easy to crank up this flow when you need extra power in tough conditions but forget to turn it back down. Too much flow mean high waste. If oil is dripping on the ground while the saw are sitting idle, your setting is probably too aggressive for storing it on a bench.
Checking Seals and Sprockets
Also check out the bar sprocket and its seal, as well as the one on the chain tensioner. These guy get their share of abuse too and UV and heat will degrades rubber eventually. If you have any noticeable loss of power, or see smoke coming from your air filter along with the drip, it could be that your oil are leaking into your engine, which is something else entirely, more of a mechanical failure issue different than just a cosmetic drip from the bar itself.
Proper Chainsaw Storage Techniques
Storage matter. Storing a chainsaw with the bar down is a sure way to find yourself cleaning a puddle. If stored that way, the weight of the saw will bend the tip downward, where it force the pooled oil outward.
It’s better stored either hanging from the handle or resting on top of it. This keep the bar level so oil stays in the system instead of running out onto your floor. It also prevent corrosion and rust on the chain itself.
Finally is that drip indicative of a problem? It is most likely not, but rather because of how thick oil interact with gravity. If your engine sound good and your chain are lubricated while it’s on the go, let the drip be.
The price is a slick cut, but grab yourself a rag next time you sit it back down.