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Chainsaw depth gauge

Updated: 22 October 2026

The cutters gleam, yet the saw still dusts unless you lean on the bar. That often means the depth gauges, the rakers, are too high. Set them too low and Stihl’s UK text warns that kickback tendency rises. This page says when to lower rakers, how to use a flat file, and when a wear mark means a new chain. Kits with a gauge tool or a flat disc are on the [chainsaw sharpener comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/chainsaw-sharpener). Peter F. used Stihl UK and the Oregon manual. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The cutters gleam, yet the saw still dusts unless you lean on the bar. That often means the depth gauges, the rakers, are too high. Set them too low and Stihl’s UK text warns that kickback tendency rises.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit

Best overall

Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit
9.2/10about £26.61
View offer
Oregon Oregon 410-230

Rank 2

Oregon Oregon 410-230
9.0/10about £210.14
View offer
PAKJCKERM PAKJCKERM 2-in-1, .325 inch

Rank 3

PAKJCKERM PAKJCKERM 2-in-1, .325 inch
8.6/10about £11.60
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.High rakers and low rakers are different faults
  2. 2.Check after the cutters, not instead of them
  3. 3.The mark means replace, not another pass
  4. 4.Which sharpener actually touches the raker

High rakers and low rakers are different faults

High rakers limit bite: the cutter meets wood, but the gauge stops it entering, so you get dust and slow progress. Low rakers let the tooth dive. Stihl links that to higher kickback tendency. Check for high rakers only after the cutters are equal and sharp. Suspect low rakers if the saw grabs after aggressive raker filing. Use a flat file, horizontal, when the gauge shows metal proud of the slot. A round file is the wrong tool on the raker.

Check after the cutters, not instead of them

Finish the cutters first: equal forward strokes, both sides the same length. That order is on the how to sharpen a chainsaw page. Then set the depth-gauge tool for your pitch on the tooth. If the raker stands proud, file it flush with a flat file held horizontal. Oregon’s manual suggests a check every three or four sharpenings for many families, and about 0.025 inch (0.64 mm) on common setups. Use your chain’s manual, not a forum millimetre. Do not file bumper drive links. Oil the chain afterwards. Jumping to rakers first hides uneven cutter length.
Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit
9.2/10about £26.61
View offer

The mark means replace, not another pass

Stihl’s UK replacement article puts wear marks on cutters and on depth gauges. When filing reaches the mark, replace the chain. Past the mark, a tooth is more likely to break off. A mark on the underside can mean the chain ran dry or too tight. The PAKJCKERM 2-in-1 files cutters and rakers together for .325 inch only. It does not override a wear mark. If the gauges are already too low, more cutter filing is not the fix. Stihl’s gauge has hardwood and softwood positions. That tool is not one of these twelve ASINs, and one millimetre is not every species. HSE’s forestry vibration page still expects a sharp, correctly tensioned chain. Raker height is part of that.

Which sharpener actually touches the raker

The Oregon 601981 hard case names a depth-gauge tool, files and a stump vice, at £26.61, with 4.6 from 654 ratings. The 617067 pouch has a flat file and does not name a gauge tool, so you still need your chain’s setting. The Oregon 410-230 lists a 6.0 mm flat disc. The 310-230 and POSENPRO do not. The PAKJCKERM 2-in-1 at £11.60 claims cutter and raker dressing for .325 inch and a 4.8 mm file, and a UK review says the raker moves in the same pass. Stihl’s EasyFile is not an ASIN here. Bare files or a crank jig with no flat file need a gauge tool before high rakers stall the cut.

Common questions

How often do I lower the rakers?
Oregon’s manual suggests every three or four sharpenings for many chains. Stihl expects a gauge check after cutter filing. Fine dust from a chain you have just sharpened is the practical trigger. Do not lower rakers on every tooth after every light touch-up.
What if I have no depth-gauge tool?
Use a flat file with the filing gauge for your chain, held horizontal, and only take metal that stands proud of the slot. Or buy a kit that names a gauge tool, such as the Oregon 601981 hard case. A round file is the wrong shape for the raker face.
Can I use the round file on the raker?
No. Use a flat file on the raker, held horizontal to the guide, when the gauge shows excess height. A round file rounds the raker and does not set a flat height against the slot. Leave bumper drive links alone.
Why does a sharp chain still produce dust?
Often the rakers are still high, so the cutter cannot enter the wood. Re-check the gauges after the cutters are equal length. Filing the cutters shorter again, while the rakers stay proud, polishes edges that never reach the wood.
What happens if the rakers are too low?
Kickback tendency can rise, which is Stihl’s warning on the UK sharpening page. The saw may grab. Do not guess a lower setting to make a lazy filing session cut. Replace the chain, or ask someone trained, if the gauges are already below the tool.
When do I throw the chain away?
Replace it at the wear mark on the cutters or the depth gauges, on cracked cutters, or when the underside shows the dry-running mark Stihl describes. Filing past the mark raises the chance of a tooth breaking off. It is not a saving.
Does a 2-in-1 set every chain’s rakers?
Only for the pitch it is sold for. The PAKJCKERM listing is .325 inch with a 4.8 mm file and a 30 degree preset. It does not set rakers on 3/8 inch, Picco, or an Oregon family that wants 25 degree filing.
Which grinder in this batch can dress the gauges?
The Oregon 410-230, with the 6.0 mm flat profile disc, at £210.14. The Oregon 310-230 and the POSENPRO bench units in this batch do not include that disc. Two UK reviews of the 410-230 report a Euro plug.

Related pages

Chainsaw sharpener buying guide

Best chainsaw sharpener

Chainsaw sharpener

Chainsaw file or grinder: file, jig or bench wheel

How to sharpen a chainsaw: match file, then stroke

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Prices in the table are amazon.co.uk shelf prices from 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE INDG317: Chainsaws at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Maintenance of work equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Hand-arm vibration in forestry (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Stihl UK: Sharpening a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Stihl UK: When to replace a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Oregon maintenance manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 19 October 2026)