Best Chainsaw file
- Thread starter johninct
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SD_40
Well-known member
I usually use pferd files. Don’t know if they’re the greatest thing out there but I certainly don’t have anything bad to say about them.
I bought Stihl files from the dealer.
bob15
Well-known member
Pferd works good for me (though I use an Oregon grinder for 99% of my sharpening)
AmericanMechanic
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- Dec 30, 2014
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For $2-3 each (depending on dealer), i think the stihl are a great bargain. Cut well, in my experience.
B_Bimmer
Well-known member
Stihl
Firstly 'Stihl' files are swiss made by Vallorbe, and yes they are good decent files. What I have found buying saws files is that all brands have their good & bad batches. Its the hardening process which dictates to a great degree how long they last (providing your technique is good & your not destroying them prematurely). Some good brands are Oberg, Vallorbe, Pferd, Save Edge, Oregon (not sure who makes them) Carlton, Sanvick Bahco, Nicolson,. Pferd have a very complete range & offer both a coarse cut & a smooth cut in their round files. I've even had GREAT results with a few dozen Taiwan made depth gauge files. All I'm saying is be mindful as ALL brands IME have good days where the files treated last long and have poor days where there not so good. And you have no way other then to uses the file to know this. The best thing you can do is have good technique as poor practice will severely limit a files cutting life. How you store them, how you clean them (file card, toothbrush etc) makes a difference too. I also take with a grain of salt opinions on file life, as to do so you have to presume the human variables are the same, which they are not. Helpful??...
Same. They sell a great complete kit...file guide, depth gauge, round file, flat file and handles in a nice heavy duty pouch. I have two of them.....one back at the shop and one that I carry along when I'm out in the woods.
I gave up on hand filing chains. It seems like the chains are harder steel then most files. If I were to buy a file it would be Stihl since Stihl seems to have the hardest chain teeth.
I bought the HF electric chain sharpener. It's not exactly high end but once it's set up properly it sharpens chains quickly and more consistently then hand filing. (and <$30). I wouldn't recommend it for professional arborists but for a homeowner it sure beats hand files.
I bought the HF electric chain sharpener. It's not exactly high end but once it's set up properly it sharpens chains quickly and more consistently then hand filing. (and <$30). I wouldn't recommend it for professional arborists but for a homeowner it sure beats hand files.
2manytools
Well-known member
Crazy, I was looking into sharpening today. My brother had the HF sharpener that I thought I was getting the hang of. I thought I was missing something, but after the first and second sharpen, I was cutting like close to new again. After the 3rd sharpen, I thought I must have messed something up, as I was not getting the same results. Figured out today, I need that depth guage for the rake. I knew there was more than just sharpening.
I know it is wood dependent, length of chain, etc that determines a chains life, but what are some people's lifespan on a chain?
Am I going to get much longer life out of a chain if I try to touch up with hand file, rather than always using the more repeatable results sharpener?
I know it is wood dependent, length of chain, etc that determines a chains life, but what are some people's lifespan on a chain?
Am I going to get much longer life out of a chain if I try to touch up with hand file, rather than always using the more repeatable results sharpener?
Dad was a tree surgeon, grew up w/ saws.
Just like a haircut, a light frequent touchup, the chain will last many seasons for a homeowner. As important as frequent two or three stroke hand sharpning are the correct file, the angle, good sticky chain/bar oil so as not to overheat and not cutting wood that has dirt or sand in its bark. Dont neglect filing the rakers when cutting tooth gets lower than the raker.
Bought a Husky, Forrester 4 yrs ago. Noticed each tooth has a line on its top indicating correct sharpening angle, great feature.
Watch your chips and you’ll know when its sharpened correctly.
346ci
Banned
Stihl, as mentioned made by Vallorbe but easier to get at your dealer.
Better yet a diamond wheel on a grinder.
Better yet a diamond wheel on a grinder.
I only use my files at the woods in between fill ups. A quick touch up and it's good to go again. I also spray my files down with some light oil. I have a small can of Dollar General penetrating oil (think WD-40/Liquid Wrench) that fits in my chain saw tool box.
It helps carry the filings away and the file from rusting when not in use. Spray the file down with a heavy dose and washes the file clean most of the time.
It helps carry the filings away and the file from rusting when not in use. Spray the file down with a heavy dose and washes the file clean most of the time.
bushmechanic
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- Mar 17, 2014
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- 4,820
This will always be the best chainsaw file.
That's a big part of how long a chain lasts, how dirty the wood is. If you're cutting blow down the dirt in the roots gets thrown all along the length of the tree for 20' when it rips out of the ground and falls over. You need to take out your axe and debark all the dirty wood where you cut. Same for trees along a trail. The machine that cut the trail plows dirt into the trunk so you need to axe it down to clean wood where you cut. Again same goes for wood that's been skidded. If there is lots of run off from snow melt that washes along the trunks you can bet they are full of sand. You got to axe down to clean wood. Logs that were floating in a lake or the ocean will be full of sand which goes into all the checks, deep into the wood. You just have to cut though that kind of contamination but a boring cut into the center and out the bottom, then bring the tip of the bar up letting your saw cut up from the far side so the dirt gets thrown out instead of dragged through. As soon as your saw gets dull you need to file because you'll only heat up the chain and make it really dull so you have to file even more meat off to get back in good form again.
Oh, did I mention hitting the ground? If you ever hit the ground with a moving chain you're gong to have to file.
I use and highly recommend the Stihl Easy file, it makes chain sharpening pretty idiot proof, so good for me.
It's made by Pferd who sell it as the CSX if you prefer blue to orange.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=2ahUKEwjwgsyRzLziAhXYTxUIHf6JBxsQwqsBMAB6BAgJEAU&usg=AOvVaw0VTJzWxrN8ZFOD4xbU2nov
It's made by Pferd who sell it as the CSX if you prefer blue to orange.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=2ahUKEwjwgsyRzLziAhXYTxUIHf6JBxsQwqsBMAB6BAgJEAU&usg=AOvVaw0VTJzWxrN8ZFOD4xbU2nov
'Maybe' when you tried filing a cutter that was really hard it had been previously 'cooked' by a heavy handed grinder operator. If a cutter is heated up too much which is easy to do with a grinder it will be near impossible too file by hand. In that instance you need to grind back some of that cutter back too softer steel. Dressing ones grinder wheel exposing fresh un-clogged abrasive minimises this too. Either tool whether its a file or grinder is only as good as its operator.
seber
Well-known member
If I thought it was possible to harden steel just by heating it and letting it cool I'd not only do it to every tooth on my chainsaw chains but patent the process for tool steel of all kinds. In fact, heating steel to blue and allowing it to cool will anneal it making it softer, not harder.