How to Use a Chain Saw to Trim the Hedge

A versatile tool, a chain saw offers many uses to its owner. Trimming hedges, bushes and shrubs with a chain saw can save time and energy. Chain saws, however, carry a number of risks and dangers, such as too much power, which some may find unsuitable for a light job such as hedge trimming. Smaller chain saws, with smaller guide bars, are ideal for hedge trimming, but you can achieve similar results with any size chain saw under 40 inches.

Ear plugs

Leather work gloves

Tight-fitting clothes

Safety glasses

Leather-soled boots

Approved fuel container

Two-cycle engine oil

Regular unleaded gasoline

Operator’s manual (if necessary)

Bar oil

Properly sized round file

Wrench

Screwdriver

Put on all of your proper protective safety equipment: tight-fitting work clothes, leather-soled boots, safety glasses, ear plugs and leather work gloves. Chain saws carry an inherent risk of injury and death, so take all necessary precautions and wear the equipment however hot or uncomfortable it makes you. Set the chain saw on level ground in a well-ventilated area.

Open the approved fuel container. Mix in the required amount of two-cycle engine oil. Pour it into the bottom of the container, followed by the regular unleaded gasoline. Fill the container with the required amount of gasoline. See your operator’s manual for specific gas-to-oil ratios, as they will differ for every make and model, and this mixture needs to be exact for your chain saw motor to work.

Close the canister and shake the oil and fuel for 30 seconds. Open the rear vent on the canister to let any gases escape. Open the fuel cap on your chain saw. Pour in the gasoline until the tank is full. Open the oil cap and pour in bar oil until the tank is filled. Close both fuel caps and move the chain saw away from your fueling area before starting it.

Check the cutting teeth on your chain saw. Make sure each tooth is properly filed and contains no burrs, rough edges or dents. Sharpen every tooth with the round file even if only one or two are damaged. Move the file at a 30- to 40-degree angle, parallel to the ground, along the hook of every cutting tooth. File every tooth as evenly as possible.

Adjust the tension on your chain. For brushing and looser materials, keep the chain a little looser than for bucking and felling operations. Loosen the two bar nuts with the wrench until they are finger-tight. Loosen the bar tensioner screw, located somewhere at the base of the bar, by turning it counterclockwise with the screwdriver. Loosen it about a 1/4 turn from the normal setting. Tighten the bar nuts with the wrench.

Start the chain saw and let it idle for several minutes to warm up. Press the throttle in fully to cut the branches on the hedge. Work with the tip and about half of the bar. Keep the chain saw fully throttled for every cut; don’t cut branches at half speed, which is dangerous.

Trim the hedge any shape or design you desire. Keep your arms extended and the chain away from your body. Never take both hands off the chain saw while the chain is still spinning. Engage the safety brake by pushing the front handle forward whenever you stop cutting or move to the next bush. Don’t trim hedges that require you to lift the chain saw above your chest. Follow all other cutting safety procedures.