Service Saves - Chainsaw Edition

Here at Atlantic Outdoor we strongly believe in the need to regularly service all of your gas-powered equipment - so much so that all of our wheeled products come with the first years' tune-up completely free of charge. 

With regular maintenance by a certified small engine technician, many problems that you may run into during the life of your equipment can be caught early and treated or corrected, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars down the road.

This series aims to draw back the curtain on what actually goes on when you drop your small engine items off to our technicians and highlight the need for these equipment tune-ups. The first up in this series: Chainsaws.

The Need for Chainsaw Maintenance

Chainsaws are the unsung hero's for many landowners, homeowners and outdoorspeople. For the majority of owners, their chainsaws sit on a shelf, untouched until needed - either after a storm or during vacation days when the yard needs a little tidy. When owners need to use their chainsaw, they generally want to use it right away and having it sit idle for months beforehand creates a perfect storm in the realm of small engine problems. 

To keep a small engine healthy, having it run regularly is key. Like a car that stays idle in your driveway a little too long, chainsaws left to sit on a shelf will undoubtedly run into issues if not maintained properly. 

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A CHAINSAW SERVICE

So you drop your baby off at our counter and wait to hear back. But what happens once our technician puts it on the bench to be serviced?

CHAIN SHARPENING

No chainsaw will cut without a sharp and well-oiled chain! We have a grinder in house that does a lot of the heavy lifting on this chore but our techs still have to run the chain through it, one tooth at a time!

*DID YOU KNOW* You can tell if your chain need sharpening by the kind of debris it spits out when you use it! A fine, dusty sawdust is a sure sign of a dull chain! Sharp chains will spit out thicker chunks and chips.

SPARK PLUG CHANGE

As opposed to 4-stroke engines where a spark plug rarely has too many issues, 2-stroke engines with an oil-gas mix can sometimes cause problems with spark plugs. Rather than checking and re-gapping the spark plug like we do with tractors and push mowers, on chainsaws we change the spark plug out completely just in case. 

AIR FILTER CHECKOVER AND CLEANING

Air filters can be a pain. some years you won't have to replace your air filters, other years you'll go through 2 or 3. A lot has to do with the type of wood you cut, the area you're cutting in and the amount of debris in the air while you cut. 

We always check the air filter and clean it if possible. If it's beyond cleaning and needs replaced we'll call you for authorization.

FUEL FILTER CHANGE

As we've mentioned in previous posts, gas can be a real pain. Changing your fuel filter will ensure that debris that can often come in with bad gas doesn't make it into your machine to cause any damage. 

CARBURETOR RESET

When running your saw the technicians will always be listening for carburetor issues and adjust the carburetor if necessary. Ensuring the proper carburetor settings will save you from having bog-down issues in the field while you're trying to work. 

ADDITIONAL SERVICES WE MAY OFFER

Depending on the shape of your saw there are a few other services that may be needed/recommended to you by our techs. We will always call and ask permission before performing any of these services.

• Air filter replacement
• Carburetor cleaning

YOUR ROLE AS AN OWNER

The best thing you can do as an owner of a piece of small engine equipment is to use the right oil when mixing fuel (or better still, use the pre-mixed fuel we have with stabilizer built in).

When purchasing fuel always use premium fuel with as little ethanol as possible. 

Keeping your chain sharp will ensure less wear and tear on your unit's engine.

A FINAL WORD

We whole heartedly believe in maintaining your small engine equipment to reduce the likelihood of a breakdown and save you time, money and heartache in the future. 

Don't care to have us work on your unit? Not a problem, we carry all the parts and material here for you to do these maintenance tasks yourself. Just pop by with your model number and we can get you everything you need! 

Check out the service page of our website HERE.