What took me so long....sharpening chainsaws...

[KFC911]

I've always sharpened chainsaws by hand...dad would occasionally take his to have 'em ground...poorly (I might add....wrong angle, too much ground, or uneven L vs R side)....no mas!

Picked up an Oregon chain grinder at Northern Tool recently....why didn't I do this 30 years ago

Best $180 I've spent lately...

[T77911S]

i just buy a new chain. don't use it enough anyway.

I did use my saw to cut railroad ties. might be worth it then. sharpen after each cut

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by T77911S

i just buy a new chain. don't use it enough anyway.

I did use my saw to cut railroad ties. might be worth it then. sharpen after each cut

I have 5 saws now....last chain I bought was like 23 bucks....just made sense for me. Key is to keep 'em sharp and never let them get dull...yep, RR ties would put a hurt on one...

[DerkPerk]

At $20-$60 per chain, sounds like a good investment. I’ve got a Northern gift card from Christmas yet, I’ll look into it! Thanks KC.

Have you tried the WorkSharp knife sharpener yet?!?! Amazing tool there as well.


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[LakeCleElum]

I have 5 chains......I can cut a few cords each before dull enough to change.......Then I take them all to my saw shop about every 5 years and pay $4 each for a professional sharp............Works for me......

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

I have 5 chains......I can cut a few cords each before dull enough to change.......Then I take them all to my saw shop about every 5 years and pay $4 each for a professional sharp............Works for me......

You have a better guy than dad had .

That's what he did too....but it was up to 8$/chain, and the guy sucked....I think he was either intentionally mucking up the chains or just clueless The last time one of my dad's Stihls had an issue starting (coil), a few years ago, he chastised us for being picky about only using non-ethanol and said 93 octane burned to hot and would destroy the motors...I never let my dad go back....I vote for clueless .

[recycled sixtie]

I don't use my chain saw very often. I wear leather gloves and use a rat tail file on it for about ten minutes. Every two years or so I take my chain saw in and get a new chain put on for about $30 cdn. No charge for labor. Easy peasy.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

I don't use my chain saw very often. I wear leather gloves and use a rat tail file on it for about ten minutes. Every two years or so I take my chain saw in and get a new chain put on for about $30 cdn. No charge for labor. Easy peasy.

I just can't do that....I don't have $30 cdn

Life's hard down here in the south.....

[vash]

i pay $5. i also have the files, but i suck at it.

anyone ever use a carbide tipped chain? i watched a man plunge his saw into the earth..it was unnerving to to watch.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I have one of the cheap HF electric sharpeners. It takes me (it seems like an eternity) 15 minutes or more to get a chain sharpened. It feels like 30 min. I dunno.

Then I found a guy who will sharpen them for $7 a chain.
Done deal- let me put this one in "a thing where you got your money's worth" thread.

[wdfifteen]

You need to touch them up with a saw file when the chips start getting small and the cutting is slow. Don’t wait too long. Every few hours of use take it to someone who knows what he’s doing with a sharpening machine to sharpen the teeth, even them out, and lower the drags. You have to REALY be good to do that by hand.

[Bill Douglas]

I do just one stroke of the chain file every time I fuel up. The machines seem to take too much off. The angles are easy, Oregon chains have the angle marked on them and hold the file on a 15 degree angle downwards each side.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I do just one stroke of the chain file every time I fuel up. The machines seem to take too much off. The angles are easy, Oregon chains have the angle marked on them and hold the file on a 15 degree angle downwards each side.

Yep, I always hit the chain a stroke or two every tank....got to. I'd never been a fan of the grinders...just as you state....but no mas

It's under my control now...with finesse however...way more precise and consistent....hard to do by hand, particularly L vs R side....one side is always heavy handed over time it seems.

[VincentVega]

I dont use my saws that much but like most tools, when needed they better work. I was fighting a dull chain the other day and its just so frustrating. Went from big chips to almost powder in less than a tank. I dont think its too tough to manually sharpen but it takes some time. Does the 'lectric version do a better job or is just faster? Or maybe its up to the operator? I'm interested but for now I like the pferd 'magic' tool.

[ckelly78z]

I bought a Harbor Freight chain sharpener to deal with my 5 chains, for my 20" Stihl MS310. I got really tired of $6-$7 per sharpening per chain from the local small engine mechanic.

This units works kind of like a chop say that grinds the angle you want when you pull it down. It has a brake to hold the chain in place, and multiple adjustments for depth, and angle.

The SE mechanic was grinding the chains too far (probably in an effort to warrant me buying new chains) so I started doing them myself. I find it almost theraputic to sit on my shop stool, and watch each link get sharpened for next to nothing $$. I suppose at some time, I will need to replace the thin grinding wheel, but I haven't ran out of adjustment yet.

Too much angle will get you an absolute chip throwing beast, but will dull quickly, and risk being chipped easily.
Too little angle will get you a chain that stays relatively sharp for a longer period, but may take more effort to make long cuts.

[cabmandone]

My dad has had one of the electric chain sharpeners for several years. I have about 5 or 6 chains that I sharpen, rotate and then sharpen when I'm on the last sharp chain. Oh man are those things nice!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

I bought a Harbor Freight chain sharpener ....

My uncle has one of those he picked up really cheap....maybe half off for $25...sounds just like yours....he too has an arsenal of saws with multiple chains each...like I do. It's the proverbial, you get what you pay for imo. The entry level Oregon is a nice step up...we will both use mine from now on...

[LEAKYSEALS951]

well - let me ask a question.

I only have experience with the 2 flea power HF sharpener. I have never seen an experienced chain sharpener do their thing. I also recognized the HF tool is probably a POS and not so hot.

That being said- the HF took (to me) seemed underpowered. The plastic body also seemed flexy and cheap...

However, I liked the flexible aspect in the sense I could just grab the motor/saw assembly and kant it like I preferred against the chain.

so.... How is the better sharpener better? Faster? easier alignment? As a HF customer, I am sure there is only one way to go from the bottom- up. But how is a good tool better?

(ps..I'm still going to send off my chains for $7 sharpenings my chain sharpener guy hate me- I drop off about 10-15 chains at a time).

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

Does the 'lectric version do a better job or is just faster? Or maybe its up to the operator? I'm interested but for now I like the pferd 'magic' tool.

The electric ones are better IF they are the kind that hold the cutter in a jig and vise and cut each one to the same size and angle. Filing by hand is imprecise and eventually the right and left cutters end up different angles and sizes. Plus it’s very time consuming to try to file all the drags to exactly the same height. Touch up the cutting edge frequently with the right file and have the cutters and drags reshaped occasionally by machine. When you’re using a machine it’s important to keep the right profile on the grinding wheel. As it wears the profile goes off.

[willtel]

I used to struggle with this too until I discovered this thing.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/filing-tools/2in1file/

It is simply amazing and was way cheaper than $180. I use my saw all the time and I'm always cutting dirty wood that is tough on chains. I've had the same chain for three years now and my saw stays razor sharp.

It is a little hungry in this video because I filed the rakers low but I like it that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4zIPvjHq0