So lately I have picked up a couple of saws. These are running saws except for one thing, the bar plates are missing. So am I missing something is this a part of the saw that some people feel that is not needed? It has been my understanding that the reason they are there is to help keep chips and saw dust from getting into the crevices of the saw. So has anyone else run into this and is it something I should not worry about replacing? I would think that they are a needed item and should be there.