I have just fitted a new chain, but I am getting a very poor cut, would I have fitted the chain the wrong way?

I gave up trying to grind my own chains. I take the chain off the saw and take it to a saw shop. They do a better job than I could. If you grind it wrong it will cut poorly or not at all. If you mess up bad enough like I did you end up purchasing a new chain.

I do not mean this as an insult but since I have seen it before I have to ask if you put the chain on backwards?

Other then that I know that if you hit dirt, even with a new chain, it will dull it quicker then anything else.

Check that the chain brake is in disengaged position by
moving the front hand guard towards the front handle.
Remove the bar nuts and remove the clutch cover (chain
brake). Take off the transportation ring.
Fit the bar over the bar bolts. Place the bar in its rearmost
position. Place the chain over the drive sprocket locate it in
the groove on the bar. Begin on the top edge of the bar.

Make sure that the edges of the cutting links are facing
forward on the top edge of the bar.
Fit the clutch cover (chain brake) and locate the chain
adjuster pin in the cut-out in the bar. Check that the drive
links of the chain fit correctly on the drive sprocket and that
the chain is in the groove on the bar. Tighten the bar nuts
finger-tight.
Tension the chain by turning the chain tensioning screw
clockwise using the combination spanner. The chain
should be tensioned until it does not sag from the
underside of the bar.
The chain is correctly tensioned when it does not sag from
the underside of the bar, but can still be turned easily by
hand. Hold up the bar tip and tighten the bar nuts with the
combination spanner.
When fitting a new chain, the chain tension has to be
checked frequently until the chain is run-in. Check the
chain tension regularly. A correctly tensioned chain
ensures good cutting performance and long life.

Does the chain stay tight. If not it will fall off. Make sure the bar is fitting snugly against the body of the saw and that the chain is fitting in the drive sprocket properly. There should be a tensioner screw to help tighten the chain. Make sure that is secure. Otherwise take it back for refund or replacement.

With chainsaws once you refit teh chain to the sprocket (it runs one way only) and the guides are sitting in the groove in the bar. The bar needs to be pushed so there is very little flex in the chain and then the nuts that hold the bar on should be tightened. If the chain is loose it will not get driven properly and it will jump off the bar. Also if oil is not lubricating the chain it will heat up quickly, stretch and jump off the bar. If in doubt - take it to your local chainsaw mechanic for checking and a demonstration.

Release the chain brake. Remove the nuts/bolts that hold the right hand cover over the drive end of the bar. With the cover off, the bar will slide back toward the engine and allow the chain to be removed. Note the direction of the cutting teeth! Clean the side of the engine where the bar fits to, and the small oil passages in the bar drive end that run from the large holes out to the chain groove on each edge. Also clean the entire chain groove. Fit the new chain to the sprocket, then insert the bar and work the chain onto it. Pull out on the bar until the chain fits fairly tight, then fit the cleaned cover over the drive. You may have to change the position of the chain adjustment screw a few turns to allow the adjustment 'tang' to drop into one of the large holes in the bar. Make sure the cover is fully seated, then run the fasteners down finger tight. Turn the chain adjuster screw CW until the chain pulls up to the bottom edge of the bar, but not so tight that you can't turn the chain by hand. Tighten the fasteners fully and recheck chain tension. Start the engine and run the tip of the bar near some cardboard at speed for a moment or two--proper oiling is indicated by a thin line of oil thrown onto the cardboard. Be sure to keep the chain teeth sharp and properly adjust chain tension--don't allow it to droop when cutting. Hope this helps!

The large axle bolt holds the wheel in place. The adjusters are only used for setting the position of the wheel , mainly for chain and sprocket alignment. First remove the cotter pin and loosen the large nut on the axle bolt. Now you can loosen the adjuster bolts and slide the wheel forward. If you have the correct length chain for the sprockets every thing should fit perfectly. When you unhook the old master link do not remove the chain. Hook the new chain to the old chain using the old master link ( do not lock it on) just use it to pull the chain around the front sprocket. This will save you having to take off the front sprocket cover. I usually find it helpful to count the links on the old chain and lay the chains side by side to make sure the new chain does not get cut too short. If the chain is too short , you may have to get another master link and add some chain back in to get the correct length. Hope this helps.

White smoke is usually associated with burning antifreeze in an automobile engine, but in this case, trying to cut wet wood might be suspect. The chain must be properly sharpened and the teeth cut toward you on the bottom run of chain. When the chain is properly adjusted, it should not droop from the lower edge of the bar, but no so tight that you can't turn it by hand. Forcing a poor cutting chain into the kerf will overheat the chain and cause it to become loose quickly. Hope this helps!

A saw wont cut straight if the cutting plates are of different lengths or blunt, due to improper sharpening. Take it to a repair shop or a hire centre and they might put it right. You might be better with a new chain. Stephen.

If it's brand new and faulty then may I respectfully suggest that you avail yourself of your customer rights and return the machine for exchange or refund? Clearly the machine has a manufacturing fault and it could be wrongly assembled, poorly calibrated or simply fitted with a faulty thermostat.

Any attempt to fix this yourself will definitely invalidate any warranties.