On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 14:08:43 +0000, LSR wrote:

I got one in Aldi for £30 (double-discounted), probably the same as the
Lidl one (both have an "Oregon" chain I think) and it's been fine for
plenty of relatively light use.

I think I have that one, too.

Get a suitable chain file, and learn how to use it. There will be directions
with the saw. I inherited a chain that had been "professionally sharpened":
freehand with an angle grinder by the looks of it (teeth blue, length
differences of 2mm, ground into the base of the tooth, ...), and the cost was
about what a new chain would have cost off ebay (albeit w/o postage).

Biodegradeable chain oil will gum up in the year it takes for you to use the saw
again. Drain it after use.

There is no star gear thing in the tip of the bar; I add spray motorbike chain
grease there. Still got a touch of blue there... The chain tensioner is
somewhere between fiddly and a nasty cheap POS. The stock chain is a benign one,
for "occasional users" (like me), so low recoil/kick.

Beware that they are dangerous: the whole thing can kick back, the chain can
break, whipping around, the chain can come off, the a single touch of a nail,
dirt, ingrown rock will dull the chain. Get on Ubend and look at a few safety
videos.

All in all, it's a good value for money.


Thomas Prufer