The influence of initial tension on blunting of chain saw blades and cutting efficiency

Abstract The initial tension of the chainsaw is a decisive factor in making the operator’s work more efficient and at the same time it is a parameter that the operator can adjust and thus affect significantly. This article presents the results of research aimed at determining the impact of the initial chain tension on the blunting of the blade and the cutting efficiency. Two tree species, pine and oak, were examined in our research, which enabled us to also compare the effect of the wood hardness on blade blunting. the wood tested in this study was fresh wood. The measurements were carried out with two different degrees of chain tension: tensioned and loose. We found that both, tension and wood hardness, significantly affect the rate of blunting of the saw blades. The dulling occurs more intensively when working with a loose chain and sawing wood with greater hardness. In the case of too small tension on the saw chain, blunting may occur even more than twice as fast compared to working with a properly tensioned saw. The initial tension and tree species also affect the cutting efficiency with too small an initial tension reducing cutting efficiency.