Chainsaw sharpener!

[Sage55]

In the market for a new chainsaw sharpener. Did the silly thing and bought one from Harbor Freight that looks to be made of plastic material that flexed a bit and didn't sharpen the chain all that well.

I'm now looking at this Northern Industrial sharpener. The reviews on the link seem good just wanted to get the opinion of the masses here.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I usually just bring my chains in and have thm professionally sharpened...I don't really use my saw that much, but when I do I always have a sharp chain...

 

[Ft.ValloniaStreaker]

I cut over 50 rick of firewood a year and have even replaced the wheel on my HF sharpener. The most important thing is keeping your chain locked down and the grind angle. If your angle is off your screwed when you get to the woods! I don't have one complaint with mine in over 5 years.

 

[Lightfoot]

i bought a foley belsaw off craigslist a couple years back. no complaints at all.

 

[gungatim]

I've tried several different kinds of sharpeners and IMO, best bang for the buck is the adapter and sharpening stones for a dremel. (assuming you already have a dremel that is...) Buy the $15 kit once and you can replace the bits in little 3pks for $5 whenever you need them. I have several dremels and keep one setup just for chainsaw sharpening.

 

[signcrafter]

How much wood do you cut? I don't cut a lot but I have 4 chains for my saw. I will just switch them until I have two or three dull ones and then sharpen them all at the same time with a hand file. I looked into a sharpener and found that most say the cheaper ones are just that and not worth it. And the expensive ones that are good are just to expensive for me. It doesn't take too long for me to do them by hand when I do 2 or 3 in a row. This coming from a guy that is pretty easy to talk into getting a new tool!

 

[diggerrick]

My neighbor hits his chain with a file everytime he refuels. Takes a couple minutes, but it's faster than changing chains frequently.

 

[lotsoftools]

I've been using the Dremel attachment for years. It only take a couple of minutes to sharpen the whole chain and it doesn't have to be removed from the saw. My dad got the HF sharpener and to me it was more trouble than what it was worth.

 

[finn]

I've got the Northern sharpener.

Works ok, but don't expect it to replace a $500 unit.

I probably do 8-10 chains per year, and it is about 3 or 4 years old, so it has paid for itself, although the guy at the saw shop does a better job than I can. It is a lot quicker to do my own than it is to drive 5 miles to the saw shop to drop of a couple of chains, then go back a day later to pick them up.

I never did master hand filing, although I am getting better.

 

[SteveCh]

I have to pay $8 to $10 per chain sharpening here and drive 35+ miles to drop them off and again to pick up. I finally bought a Maxx grinder [you can find them new for maybe $350 on sale]. It paid for itself in a couple years. I have three saws and use them regularly as we heat with wood. The convenience of having the grinder in my shop, right here at home, is also worth something. Plus, I was tired of taking a chain in to be touched up and having it come back with the teeth ground down a quarter of the way. I am getting ten times the life now doing it myself. Add in the cost of new, good-quality chains and that's another benefit.

I haven't used any of the cheap [HF/Northern/other China knockoffs] versions, but friends who have all tell me, 100% if them, that they wasted their money or spent lots of time and effort "rebuilding" them with better parts and etc. to get them to work well.

I hand-sharpened for 25 yr. and still do some, but I really like the grinder and should have bought one earlier. The Maxx isn't the only decent one out there, and there are some incredible ones if you wanna pay a thousand bucks. The $300 to $400 models are a good compromise for the non-professional wood cutter.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I usually just bring my chains in and have thm professionally sharpened...I don't really use my saw that much, but when I do I always have a sharp chain...

Smart ! VERY SMART !!

My Dad used to heat his house with wood. 6 - 9 face cords per year. He had 3 or 4 chains. When one got dull, he swapped in another. When he got down to the last one, he took all the dull ones to be sharpened. Of course, back then, I think he was only paying about $5 for a 14" chain ! Still, he would make Lincoln cry on how hard he pinched pennies !!


Also, if you are only doing it occasionally, go buy a guide and the proper file. Much harder to ruin a good chain with a hand file than and electric grinder.

 

[holland_patrick]

http://www.timberlinesharpener.com

 

[pepi]

http://www.timberlinesharpener.com

Neat little rig

 

[justanengineer]

It didnt matter if it was on a harvester or a handheld saw, Ive always seen the pro crews use handheld files. I grew up doing it, so maybe Im a bit more efficient than most, but on a badly worn chain its all of 20 mins.

While youre at it, dont forget to check the bar to be sure its straight and square.

 

[LittleFella]

Learn how to handfile and you'll be money ahead. The only time I break out my grinder is when I rock a chain. My usual chain is a 28" loop and I can file one in about 5 minutes on the saw. Check out Arboristsite.com if you have a lot of chainsaw questions, go to the chainsaw forum.

Cheers

 

[Farmall450]

My neighbor hits his chain with a file everytime he refuels. Takes a couple minutes, but it's faster than changing chains frequently.

Probably not a bad idea.

 

[Heavy tech]

Find an old timer that can teach you to hand file. And get lots of practice. Then just give each tooth 1-2 rubs every time you fuel up. After all, if you've just put a whole tank through the saw, you deserve a little break. I've known guys to hand sharpen a brand new chain, but there is defiantly a knack to it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AndyA]

i bought a foley belsaw off craigslist a couple years back. no complaints at all.

+1 I use an old one I got from my Dad. Takes a few minutes to set up for your chain pitch, etc. but it's very fast after that.

 

[Treeman]

Motorized chain sharpeners are very much like torque wrenches. People think that they will automatically give perfect results regardless of the users skill level regarding the process and the tool.

A simple file guide with correct file diameter like the Stihl unit will maintain ALL of the correct angles and depth automatically (but not tooth length)..

A motorized unit can actually be somewhat complicated to get all of the chain tooth angles factory correct. For instance, Stihl chains actually require a slightly different grinding wheel thickness than is supplied with many sharpeners (Oregon, for example). The chains will cut well if not factory perfect. I'm just saying that if you don't take the time to learn about saw chain specifications, the machine will not correct for your user error (just like the torque wrench won't).

The best thing about a motorized sharpener is that it will result in all the teeth being the same length. Maintaining equal tooth length is one of the biggest challenges of hand filing IMO.

Just my 2 cents. Study and learn chain sharpening like you would welding. A 20 minute lesson from an experienced person will give anyone the ability to sharpen chains well. Another option is to hand file most of the time, but take it in to the shop once in a while to have them get the cutters back to equal dimensions (and hope they don't over grind/heat the dickens out of it).

 

[fivespdcat]

My neighbor hits his chain with a file everytime he refuels. Takes a couple minutes, but it's faster than changing chains frequently.

I do this. I haven't really found a need to have mine sharpened unless I hit rocks.

 

[purplezr2]

My neighbor hits his chain with a file everytime he refuels. Takes a couple minutes, but it's faster than changing chains frequently.

This is the way to do it, this is what I was taught my father and grandpa, both heat with wood and cut a lot of firewood. Chains last longer hand sharpening.

 

[cheechi]

I can hand file no problem. I can use the dremel no problem. Even got some nice diamond files instead of the stone ones that dremel sells you. The M12 dremel is usually cheap when any other M12 tool is on sale, and does a good job but put it toward the lower speed.

I have a benchtop HF grinder also, and on a day when I have to replace a chain I take them all and run them through it. I have brought back some that I thought had been used up. If I used it more often I'd have considered a nicer model but its decent especially for the money. Best thing is being able to come in with the grinder you can see the tooth profile better than above using a file.

 

[Ft.ValloniaStreaker]

While we're on the subject, don't forget about the drags. After half a dozen sharpenings take a flat file across the drags 3 or 4 licks and you'll love results.

 

[ZAPPER68]

Years ago I used to work in the 'woodlands' division for a logging/manufacturing company. There were 6 professional falling crews that cut hundreds of trees per week. The fallers would sharpen their chains religiously every time they gassed up....a couple of swipes with the file was all it took.

I remember the chain they used was in a bulk roll...the guys cut to length and riveted the chain accordingly. Every one of the fallers treated their saws with care and respect....which is what you would expect from a professional woodsman.

 

[psychoclaw84]

Yes, this is the one that works.

http://www.timberlinesharpener.com/

 

[devonhubb]

If you are serious about sharpening chains........

 

[ffjosh]

I've been using the Dremel attachment for years. It only take a couple of minutes to sharpen the whole chain and it doesn't have to be removed from the saw. My dad got the HF sharpener and to me it was more trouble than what it was worth.

THIS!!!

Buy some $5 bits
Put them in your dremel
Sharpen it every time you use the saw.

If its really dall it will take up to 10 passes with the dremel

Now that I use it every time I use the saw it takes 1 . (down and back)
Of course theres those times you hit the dirt

 

[cheechi]

Now that I use it every time I use the saw it takes 1 . (down and back)
Of course theres those times you hit the dirt

Don't do it down and back. Do it in one direction, so if it needs 2 passes go down, reset, go down again.

 

[BFBOB]

I've got the Harbor Freight sharpener too- on a superduper sale I think it was $20 and I couldn't resist. Yup, flimsy plastic, grinding wheel with a really suboptimal shape. But, if you use a delicate touch so it doesn't flex much, and take a really light cut, it does pretty well. I can do better with a file and fixture, but it takes three times as long.
Lots of rocks here, and I have this mania for getting stumps as short as possible.

 

[Bigplum]

Are you familiar with the use of a chainsaw ? Excellent tools but they need respect , there's no such thing as a minor injury from a chainsaw, ( unless you are very lucky)
An experienced user will show you how to file the chain and also the correct stance whilst cutting wood (hands in the right place so the chain brake will operate if the saw kicks etc)

 

[sasquatch12]

I been burning wood for over 40 years, and always sharpened my own chains.
As posted, every fill up, touch up the chain, takes very little time.
Best way to learn is put a new chain beside you and when filing check the angles, it doesn't take long to learn the right way.

 

[whyNick?]

I bought the HF sharpener on a whim last summer, if I recall it was on sale for under $20. I'd resisted for a long time but HF is really good at wearing you down with their sales . Yes it's a cheap plastic tool but it really works pretty well if you're careful. I found that the chain clamp allows the chain to ride up a bit when the grinding wheel hits it which causes the wheel to hit the chain at a weird angle. Now I keep a screwdriver handy and hold the link down as I grind. It's not a miracle machine but the results are decent and its much quicker than a file.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

I'm in the one or two swipes with a file after every tank club. Most people don't realize that tree bark usually has some sand in it so you are dulling you chain even if you never hit the ground. I would recommend the filling kit Stihl sells as it has a good file guide and comes with a flat file and gauge for taking down the rakers. One last thing a stump vice is very nice tool to have also to aid in holding the saw while sharpening.

 

[kelpaso1]

ello everyone.. im looking for a chain saw sharpener, dont know what a good one or a bad one is.. Im sick of payin $6.50 to have a company sharpen a chain.. whats a good place to get one? probably a website, and brand name.. any input would be helpful, thanks

LOL, I would gladly pay someone 6.50 if done right instead of doing it myself.

 

[sparky 1971]

ello everyone.. im looking for a chain saw sharpener, dont know what a good one or a bad one is.. Im sick of payin $6.50 to have a company sharpen a chain.. whats a good place to get one? probably a website, and brand name.. any input would be helpful, thanks

If I could pay someone $6.50 per chain to be sharpened, I would in a heartbeat. I can't find anyone that cheap so I use the Dremel chain saw guide and stone. It works good enough for my uses but I'm sure it's short of what a real chain sharpener could do.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I usually just bring my chains in and have thm professionally sharpened...I don't really use my saw that much, but when I do I always have a sharp chain...

SMART !

Chain sharpening is somewhat of an "art". If you don't do it regularly, you can ruin a chain. With power tool, you will do it faster.

 

[B_Bimmer]

I bought the good oregon branded itialian one, it's great and has made my chains go a lot farther. I see on amazon and ebay now there are chinese knockoffs that look very similar for little money. I do a lot of fence line cleanup and down trees, the ground around here has it's share of rock hiding in the dirt so a hand file is generally not the best use of my time.

 

[Nutria]

File for me. I'm no expert, but mine stay pretty sharp, and the filing is probably faster than setting up a machine. Plus, the file can go with you into the boonies. As with any kind of sharpening, lots of quick touch-ups are better than one big job after lots of wear and lack of attention.

 

[RivennHewn]

Save a buck, learn a skill.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010JJNOUE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[toyotadriver]

I use the correct size stones in a Dremel tool. I don’t have the fancy guide….I just eyeball it. Comes out great and so much faster than a hand file. I did just get some diamond chain files so we’ll see if they last longer than the stones. I can get maybe 3-4 sharpenings on a 18 inch bar chain before the stone is too worn. Maybe the diamond stones will last longer but I haven’t used them yet