Which Way Does a Chainsaw Chain Go?

Installing a chainsaw chain in the wrong direction is a common mistake, particularly after the first chain replacement. A backwards chain does not cut at all: the saw runs, the chain moves, but nothing happens to the wood. Identifying the correct direction before installation takes thirty seconds and avoids the frustration of a non-cutting saw.

The Rule: Cutters Face Forward on the Top

The cutting teeth on a chainsaw chain are angled. When the chain is installed correctly and the saw is running, the top surface of the bar carries the chain from the rear toward the nose. The cutting teeth on the top of the bar must face forward, toward the nose of the bar, so that as the chain moves forward they dig into the wood.

Looking at the chain on the top of the bar from the operator’s perspective: the angled cutting teeth should have their sharp cutting edge pointing toward the nose (the front) of the bar, away from the engine. If the teeth are pointing backward toward the engine body, the chain is installed backwards.

How to Check Before Installation

Lay the chain flat on a surface. Identify the cutting teeth: each one is an angled chrome-colored tooth with a flat top plate and a depth gauge in front of it. The sharp edge of the cutting tooth is on the leading edge of the tooth in the direction of chain travel.

On the top of the bar, chain travel goes from rear to front (nose-ward). So the sharp cutting edge of each tooth must face forward relative to the chain’s travel direction on the top. When you loop the chain over the bar, if the sharp edges of the teeth on the top surface point toward the engine rather than the nose, flip the chain.

Drive links confirm correct orientation. The drive links sit in the bar groove. Their direction of travel follows the same logic: on the top of the bar they move from back to front. If the chain loops correctly onto the sprocket and into the groove with the cutters facing forward on top, the installation is correct.

After Installing the Chain

Check chain tension before the first cut. A properly tensioned chain hangs slightly below the bar rail on the underside of the bar but can be pulled flush against the rail by hand. A loose chain derails; an overtightened chain burns the bar and accelerates bearing wear.

Check that the chain brake disengages before starting. Attempting to start or run a saw with the chain brake engaged stalls the engine or strains the brake mechanism.

For new chain installation after purchase or sharpening, the how to sharpen a chainsaw chain guide covers the full chain maintenance process including tension adjustment.