"Jonathan Goodish" wrote in message
...


My question: What signs of damage to the saw, bar, or chain should I be
looking for at this point? I suspect that the paint burning off of the
bar is premature wear at this point, but I'm not sure if that is a
indicator of damage. Does it sound like I got lucky this time, or could
something have been damaged that is not yet obvious?


Thanks,
JKG

There probably is very little or no damage to the bar.
How long a saw chain will stay sharp depends on the quality of the chain and
what you are cutting. You may have hit a small stone or nail imbeded in the
wood you are cutting. Dirt, stones, nails, wire, and more can be found in
trees and you could cut into one with out even knowing.
As your experiance grows you will realize when to sharpen, or change saw
chains. Change them often! Do not force the saw to cut, just guide it
throught the cut. If you plan on cutting a fair amount of wood you should
have 5-6 spare chains.
Greg