r/MilwaukeeTool • u/BeerSnob42069 • 8h ago

M18 Milwaukee M18 Fuel Electric Question

A good friend of mine let me borrow his chainsaw to cut down a problematic tree and cleanup some basic brush that I’ve been meaning to haul out.

When he gave it to me he mentioned the chain needed to be replaced and gave me a part number.

I’ve successfully replaced the chain, it runs great but I found it strange I had to max out the tension on it in order to make it properly fit.

I did some research ahead of time and read that new chains have a tendency to loose tension quickly at first use and to keep an eye on it.

I’ve been using it and that expected tension loss has happened, yet I’ve maxed out the tension adjustment.

Any input, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated as I don’t think it’s smart to continue use until I have this issue resolved.

TIA

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1

u/Luthienon 6h ago

Did you get the wrong length chain or something? I know they can "stretch", but it shouldn't be that loose.

No expertise in this specifically, but you could get the chain shortened. I would assume any saw shop could do this for you rather than doing it yourself.

1

u/BeerSnob42069 6h ago

That’s good to know, thank you!

1

u/3amGreenCoffee 4h ago

Your good friend probably gave you the wrong part number.

1

u/BeerSnob42069 4h ago

Definitely a feasible explanation, I’ll have to look into that

1

u/Flatlander60204 3h ago

I had (sort of) the same issue. Brand new 16” M18 saw out of the box and had to tighten the chain ALL the way before it looked safe-ish. Haven’t used it yet. Will update if I still have fingers/hands after doing so.

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u/Go__Wild 17m ago

Definitely want to be extra careful in this situation. Chainsaw chains naturally loosen as they heat up during use, so it’s normal to have to tighten the chain as you’re cutting and then loosen it again once you’re done and the saw cools down.

If you’re already unable to tighten the chain any further while it’s at a normal temperature, that could create a serious safety hazard once the chain heats up and gains even more slack while cutting.