The Importance of Proper Chainsaw Storage: A Quick Guide to Saving Time and Money

As we head into the off-season, it's essential to think about how to properly store our chainsaws for an extended period. In this quick tips video, I'll share two main things that can help ensure your chainsaw is in top condition when you need it again, saving you time and money on potential repair bills.

The First Thing: Draining the Fuel

If you've been using your chainsaw all season without any issues, there's a good chance that the fuel has started to degrade over time. Gasoline fuel is only at its best for up to six weeks old, and if not properly drained, it can lead to engine problems when you need it most. This is especially true if you've used a fuel stabilizer, which can prevent degradation but may not be enough to guarantee proper performance.

To avoid this issue, I recommend draining the fuel from your chainsaw's tank, pipes, and carburetor before storing it for an extended period. The best way to do this is by running the engine until it stops, allowing as much of the fuel as possible to burn off from the fuel pipes and carburetor. This simple step can help prevent stale fuel from causing engine problems when you need your chainsaw again.

The Second Thing: Lubricating the Chain

Another crucial aspect of proper chainsaw storage is lubricating the chain before storing it for an extended period. A well-lubricated chain will help prevent rust and corrosion, ensuring that your chainsaw is ready to go when you need it next season. However, if you've stored your chainsaw for several months without properly lubricating the chain, you may find that it's rusty and in need of replacement.

To avoid this issue, I recommend running your chainsaw with plenty of bar oil before storing it for an extended period. This will coat the chain and help prevent rust and corrosion, making it easier to use when you come back to it next season. By following these two simple steps, you can help ensure that your chainsaw is in top condition when you need it again, saving you time and money on potential repair bills.

Additional Tips for Proper Chainsaw Storage

While the two steps I mentioned above are essential, there are other things you can do to prepare your chainsaw for storage. Having a full service or deep thorough clean can help extend the life of your chainsaw, but it's not necessary if you follow the two main steps I've outlined above.

If you're interested in learning more about how to properly store and maintain your chainsaw, I have another step-by-step video on my YouTube channel that covers this topic in detail. Additionally, you can download a printable checklist by clicking on the link provided in the description below this video. This checklist will help you stay organized and ensure that you're following best practices for storing and maintaining your chainsaw.

Conclusion

Proper chainsaw storage is essential for extending the life of your machine and ensuring it's ready to go when you need it next season. By draining the fuel from your tank, pipes, and carburetor, and lubricating the chain before storing it, you can help prevent engine problems and rust. While there are other steps you can take to prepare your chainsaw for storage, these two main things will give you the best chance of success. Thank you for watching this video, and I'll be back soon with more tips and tricks for maintaining your equipment.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhello welcome in this very very quick tips video i'm going to go through the two main things that i would do if i was to store a chainsaw for any length of time maybe a matter of months and so you'll find that i've kept this video very quick and to the point and the two main things i'm going to show you will undoubtedly save you some time and money when you come to use the chainsaw again because the likelihood is it will be more reliable when you come to need it and reduce the chance of expensive repair bills so if there's no underlying issues with the chainsaw and it's been working fine all season then in order for me to find it after a few months of storage in as good a order as i left it then the first thing i would do is make sure i drained the fuel in fact i completely empty the tank and then i start the chainsaw and then run it until it stops at that point as much of the fuel as possible has been used out of the fuel pipes and the carburetor in my opinion doing this is of utmost importance because arguably gasoline fuel is only at its best up to six weeks old a fuel stabilizer can be used to prevent this degradation but personally i prefer to empty the fuel tank the fuel pipes and the carburetor and stale fuel is undoubtedly one of the top causes of an engine not running or starting after a long period of storage and so the next thing i would tend to is the chain i would want to make sure that before i stored the chainsaw that there was minimal water droplets on the chain and that it was well lubricated something i really wouldn't want after a few months of storage is to pick up the chainsaw to use it and the chain is really rusty and if the chain's rusty the chances are that the area of the bar that contacts it is also rusty and so is the drive sprocket and this of course isn't best practice or usage of a chainsaw at any time so what i do to prevent this again is to run the chainsaw with plenty of bar oil in it so that it coats the chain way before it goes in for storage i know these two things i've mentioned here may not seem like much it may not seem like rocket science but if you were to store the chainsaw and you did face these problems when you come to use it again and then took the chainsaw down to a dealership a repair center to have the carburetor removed and cleaned and then maybe the possibility of a new chain or a chain sharpen and a clean or a service by the dealership believe me it's much easier and better and cheaper to do what i've said to do to drain the fuel run the machine until the fuel pipes and carburetor are dry of fuel whilst making sure that the chain and the groove of the bar that the chain runs down and the sprocket are well lubricated and free from damp or moisture so they're my two most important of course there are many things you could do with the chainsaw before it goes into storage you could have a full service a really deep thorough clean down and do all sorts of things what i wanted to mention here is just two main important things if they were the only two things i could do then they are the two things i would do that would help ensure as much as possible that my chainsaw would run and operate well when i come to use it after several months of storage but if you do want to give your chainsaw a full clean before you put it away then i do have another step-by-step video on how i do this here on youtube so please do check that out and also get your free download by clicking in the link on that video it's printable so you can take it in the workshop with you and should your chainsaw not run after you've stored it for so many months or whenever then please do check out my other video my checklist video of the things to do if you have this problem and again if you click on the link you'll get a free download which you can print off and take into the workshop with you and so at that i want to thank you so much for watching this video and i'll be back soon thank you for watching you\n"