Who has used an electric chainsaw sharpener?

[Bill Douglas]

I'm thinking of buying this thing ToolShed Electric Chainsaw Sharpener - The Tool Shed as I do a really bad job of sharpening chainsaws by hand. Do you have an opinons on it?

[mreid]

Just buy a new chain.

[Bill Douglas]

Chains get sharpened about 20 or 30 times in the lifespan of a chain.

[Baz]

Bill, those things are great. I have a similar unit manufactured by Oregon. I have also used a Dremel with the chainsaw sharpener attachment...

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Baz

Bill, those things are great. I have a similar unit manufactured by Oregon. I have also used a Dremel with the chainsaw sharpener attachment...

Baz. By Oregon. That would be good. I only use Oregon brand chains and these guys know their stuff. When I'm sharpening by hand and using a guage I still take too much off one side - just not right when I do it.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Baz. By Oregon. That would be good. I only use Oregon brand chains and these guys know their stuff. When I'm sharpening by hand and using a guage I still take too much off one side - just not right when I do it.

I agree, Bill.

The advantage of using the Dremel method is you can leave the chain on the saw while sharpening. Time saver.

I have both but find myself using the Dremel more just because it's faster. It works pretty good too.

[Outback Porsche]

Best money I ever spent. Cutting mulga, I need to touch the chain between each fill of the tank or I'm buying more than just a new chain. That 5hit will dull a chain in no time which will lead to the bar over heating and burring over. A bar will only dress so often. I cut about four tonne of mulga every winter.

[rusnak]

Bill, I have one. It works great.

[Bill Douglas]

So it works something like Baz's dremel and has gauges etc?

[wdfifteen]

That type (first photo) is great. I've sharpened dozens of chains with one, though I've never used on with the bike brake handle - I guess it clamps the chain in place? You just need to keep the stone in shape and set up the depth correctly. Does it have a flat faced or concave stone for grinding the drags?

[fred cook]

Originally Posted by Baz

I agree, Bill.

The advantage of using the Dremel method is you can leave the chain on the saw while sharpening. Time saver.

I have both but find myself using the Dremel more just because it's faster. It works pretty good too.

I use a Dremel chain sharpener also. Works great w/chain on the saw!

[Drisump]

The rig on the original post looks kind of cool but I don't think you'd likely take the chain off the chainsaw and run it through the rig at the appropriate intervals. So I'm thinking that a guy would likely run it until it was burning through the wood, as opposed to cutting it. Guys that use chainsaws all the time, and I do very often, give the chain just a couple of strokes of the file every fill up. In the process, they count filing strokes to maintain an even tooth over the whole chain. My concern about using the Dremel all the time is, although you end up with sharp teeth, you could potentially end up with a chain that has a wide variety of tooth sizes. When the chain has some teeth that are smaller than others, you can't cut a straight line. I think most occasional users run the saw until it can't cut butter and then start filing like a maniac to get some cutting action. Also when a chain gets to a certain point you need to file down the "raker" part of the chain to allow the chain to take a bigger bite. I've used a Dremel tool to take down the rakers and sometimes to get a little more life out of a thrashed chain, but typically if you file it lightly every fill up, it won't get out of hand. Cheers

[vash]

i just use a hand file and eyeball it. the file really can only fit one way, one direction.

but i dont chainsaw very often. you firewood burners are really commited to the cause

[Scott R]

You guys have a lot of free time, I dropped mine off on Thursday and it was done Friday for $7.

[Don Ro]

Like others, I use the Dremel with the correct size stone.
Be mindful to not get the cutters too hot.
You can use a file gauge to cut down on the rakers...I just rub them a bit w/the spinning Dremel stone.
Works for me.

[rusnak]

The idea behind the sharpening device in the OP is that you get more accurate, uniform, sharpening action. And it's really quick to use.

[LakeCleElum]

My neighbor has one of those.....I cut circles around him....I have my truck full while he's screwing around trying to sharpen after cutting 4 or 5 rounds....

I keep 5 chains I have sharpened for $6 each at a shop...One chain can last me all season thru 4 or 5 cords...

[wdfifteen]

As drysump said, you hit the cutters with a file every fill-up, and every now and then take it in to someone with a rig like that in the op (more likely a professional version of the same thing) to get the cutters back to even and cut down the drags. You KEEP the chain sharp, you don't run it until it's smoking and then try to sharpen it.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

My neighbor has one of those.....I cut circles around him....I have my truck full while he's screwing around trying to sharpen after cutting 4 or 5 rounds....

I keep 5 chains I have sharpened for $6 each at a shop...One chain can last me all season thru 4 or 5 cords...

5 chains? I think you need to buy a sharpener like your neighbor's. Do the math - you're buying a new chain at least every month.

One of the things that I do is own and run a Christmas tree lot every Nov-Dec. Its part of our larger operation. We sell around 1,400 to 1,500 trees each year, and run one saw. I have three to four chainsaws on site, but we really use just one saw. One chain lasts all season. We just sharpen the chain and don't run it in the dirt or run it too tight or dry.

[schamp]

I use a 12 volt sharpener. Works great. Ablut 19.00.