Stihl chain tension explained

[@elpolaco7654]

“Cold” chain should always fit snugly against the bar on the bar with the sprocket. What Stihl writes about in the manual applies to the case when there is a need to correct the chain tension in the middle of the work. They leave a little slack (1-2 mm) so that the shrinking chain won't cause damage when it cools down.

[@ChainsawUsers]

It's a simple idea 1 - 2 mm can't make any mistakes

[@SawChainTheories]

I think you’re correct about the reason for the change. If you ask 10 people to tension a chain you will see 10 different ways of doing it, this takes away some of the vagueness in their original advice. This advice also works for shorter hard nose bars, 20 inches and under, so that makes the advice a bit more universal as well as being more repeatable. Given they are shipping some of the new smaller saws (162) with 12” hard nose bars in some countries, it probably makes more sense for them to offer this advice now

[@duck-n-cover477]

As the chain goes round the sprockets when run along by hand to check tension, the sag on the chain will slap up under the bar and then sag as it rotated. It's sometimes guess-work to know exactly where to position the chain in ita rotation, to tension it just right.

[@ChainsawUsers]

Thinks that's why Stihl now say 1 to 2mm sagg no mistakes