Ryobi 18V Chainsaw Chain Replacement
We’ve had an 18V Ryobi Chainsaw for a good couple of years now, and always taken it with us when you’re allowed to have camp fires. It’s light, easy to use and has cut up a heap of timber for us to enjoy amazing camp fires all over Australia. However, we recently replaced the chain, and the difference is nothing short of staggering.
I’d go as far as to say that its now 3 times better than it was, and that was a real surprise to me.
Why did we replace the Ryobi Chainsaw Chain?
Chainsaws require a bit of maintenance, but the battery powered options are dramatically reduced compared to a petrol version. Still, you need to sharpen the chain, and eventually, it will need replacing.
For us, the chainsaw chain actually stretched so much that it could no longer be tensioned properly, and that meant it was loose, would jump around and even on occasion jump off.
The Ryobi 18V Chainsaw has a very simple adjustment mechanism on the side, which you loosen, tension and then tighten up, and this hit maximum adjustment. Ultimately, the only option then was to replace the chain.
What did we get?
Initially, I went to Bunnings and picked up an aftermarket chain, which I tried to fit in the car park. This was the wrong size (as I’d guessed incorrectly!), and I took it back in, and swapped it over.
I saw that Bunnings were selling a genuine Ryobi Chainsaw Chain, in titanium, and was intrigued. It was only about 12 dollars more, and the lady who was helping us out said it was well and truly worth it, so I grabbed it.
This fitted up perfectly, and after filling the oiler back up again, I was keen to see how it would go.
How does the Ryobi Chainsaw perform now?
Not long after, I hacked into a log that would normally be far too big for the chainsaw. It was about 300mm wide, and the bar on our chainsaw isn’t even that big. It was also insanely heavy red hard wood, that looked like Jarrah (but it wouldn’t be, being in Queensland!).
Either way, I thought I’d chew through a full 5 amp hour battery and maybe get 1.5 cuts through, with a whole heap of struggling, but this thing just flew through it.
For the first time, I was getting covered in wood chips as it flew off, and the chainsaw went through like butter. It did get stuck a couple of times, but that’s nothing compared to what it used to do, and not long after I had 4 big chunks of timber to split up.
I nearly replaced the chainsaw
I’ll be honest, and say I was considering ditching Ryobi all together, and moving to Makita, or a different brand (but the pricing would have probably stopped me!). The Ryobi vacuum cleaner is useless, and the Makita one is great, and that could be handy.
Either way, the chainsaw is now so much better than before, and its actually a dream to use, so we’ll keep plugging along.
How much was the chain?
The Ryobi Titanium chainsaw chain was $52. The aftermarket options in Bunnings were about $42, so not a major price difference. Now, I bet you can get these chains (not the genuine Ryobi ones) elsewhere for cheaper, but Bunnings is king of convenience.
Overall, I’m stoked, and really enjoy using the Ryobi Chainsaw again!
