Northern Tool Chain versus Oregon Chain Saw Sharpener

[merrickvilleguy]

I just use a dremel to sharpen and regauge my blades. I get 3-4 tanks of gas out of my husqvarna before it needs sharpening, and 2-3 on my poulan. Not much to trim off, just take burrs off and what not. It's a very quick process. I cut about 5 tanks of gas worth a week as part of my land clearing activities.

 

[LD1]

I agree, it depends on the job I'm doing but normally after 3 or 4 tanks of gas I touch up the blade. A SHARP blade saves time and wear & tear on the saw and operator. If the saw is not ejecting large chips its NOT sharp. After using many different sharper over the years I have found that the battery powered Dremel tool with the chainsaw attachment the most useful. The Dremel is set to low speed. It's portable, small, and a great time saver. When in the shop I will use a sharper like Northern Tools. If I could only have one power sharping tool it would be the Dremel tool.


Shop Dremel MultiPro Kit at Lowes.com

Shop Dremel 6-Piece Sharpening Attachment Kit at Lowes.com

I just use a dremel to sharpen and regauge my blades. I get 3-4 tanks of gas out of my husqvarna before it needs sharpening, and 2-3 on my poulan. Not much to trim off, just take burrs off and what not. It's a very quick process. I cut about 5 tanks of gas worth a week as part of my land clearing activities.

Kinda a pet peeve of mine but it absolutly drives me nuts when people refer to them as blades.

Maybe someone can enlighten me, or maybe its a regional thing, but there are no blades on a chainsaw.

There is a bar, and a chain. The chain has cutters or teeth. But the term blade??????????? Where did that come from.

I dont mean to offend anyone, this post is not ill intended. But when I hear "blade" it just tells me that someone is not experienced with saws. Like all the posts on ebay and c-list refering to them as blades. And when I call pawnshops and ask them if they have andy pro grade saws. They say "yea we got one with an 18" blade". I ask what make/model. They say "Poulan pro" or something like that.

Again, no offence to anyone, maybe someone can educate me me on this but saws have chains, KNIVES have the blades.

Am I wrong for this driving me nuts??? or does it annoy anyone other than just me?????

 

[TripleR]

Kinda a pet peeve of mine but it absolutly drives me nuts when people refer to them as blades.

Maybe someone can enlighten me, or maybe its a regional thing, but there are no blades on a chainsaw.

There is a bar, and a chain. The chain has cutters or teeth. But the term blade??????????? Where did that come from.

I dont mean to offend anyone, this post is not ill intended. But when I hear "blade" it just tells me that someone is not experienced with saws. Like all the posts on ebay and c-list refering to them as blades. And when I call pawnshops and ask them if they have andy pro grade saws. They say "yea we got one with an 18" blade". I ask what make/model. They say "Poulan pro" or something like that.

Again, no offence to anyone, maybe someone can educate me me on this but saws have chains, KNIVES have the blades.

Am I wrong for this driving me nuts??? or does it annoy anyone other than just me?????

As long as I know about what someone is talking, it doesn't bother me. I am not a purist on much of anything and have way more important things about which to be annoyed.

 

[merrickvilleguy]

you're right ... I didn't get a degree in "cutting trees down with a chainsaw" ... but seems silly to go and say "don't mean to offend but you are an uneducated hick who has a saw" ...

ranks right around those that say "i'm not trying to be racist, but I can't stand wet backs" ...

reality check here ?

a circular saw has a blade, a knife has a blade, a hack saw has a blade and a bone saw has a blade ... **** even my lawn mower has blades ... what do these have in common ? they use a cutting surface to CUT

a chainsaw, believe it or not ... CUTS ... tada ... I sharpen blades ...

but you're right ... this required you to bring into question my experience or education on the matter ...

 

[TripleR]

Every year during "Safety Training" we were given a class on firearms and had to pass a test on "Nomenclature" of the semi-autos and revolvers we carried. Our "testing" was somewhat lax and everyone passed. When we hit the range, an Officer who would describe the pawl as that thingy that turns the thingy that holds the bullets would out shoot many of us who used all the right terms and could recite ballistic tables and explain the development of revolvers from the Rollin White Patent and before.

I try to use the proper nomenclature for everything, but that doesn't mean I know more than anyone else and certainly not that I can operate anything better.

 

[LD1]

you're right ... I didn't get a degree in "cutting trees down with a chainsaw" ... but seems silly to go and say "don't mean to offend but you are an uneducated hick who has a saw" ...

ranks right around those that say "i'm not trying to be racist, but I can't stand wet backs" ...

reality check here ?

a circular saw has a blade, a knife has a blade, a hack saw has a blade and a bone saw has a blade ... **** even my lawn mower has blades ... what do these have in common ? they use a cutting surface to CUT

a chainsaw, believe it or not ... CUTS ... tada ... I sharpen blades ...

but you're right ... this required you to bring into question my experience or education on the matter ...

I knew this post would ruffle a few feathers. But I am mearly asking the question as to why people call them blades?

"Uneducated hick" .....and "not experienced" are two totally different things. If I was trying to insult you, I would have called you an uneducated hick. But I wasnt, I was trying to come up with the most polite way to ask my question and my point across.

Circular saws, hacksaws, mowers, etc. all have blades. If you were going to buy them online, you would search for blades.

When you but a replacement bar and or chain for your chainsaw, do you search for "chainsaw blades"?????

If you go into a saw shop, do you hear the pros call them blades???

If not, then I am wondering where you picked up the term blade and started using it??

Who knows, maybe I am the uneducated one and maybe they are called blades in other states or countries, that is why I am asking.

But around here, no one calls them blades except the people who ARE uneducated and don't know a thing about saws like pawn shops, etc.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I dont sharpen a chain when it gets dull - I sharpen it before it gets dull.
Touch up with a file each tank of gas. If I saw a rock or some dirt I change the chain right then. File it in a vise in the shop. I like the Husqvarna roller file guide pretty well - never used a electric rig.

 

[jonyyuma]

Chain-saw chains here....usually by model...I stroke mine with 5/32 file in the magnesium jig that fits on the Bar.. Blades or teeth? JY.

 

[RobertN]

I have the Oregon clamp on manual file setup, similar to the Granberg. It is quick and simple. I like the edge you get with a good file.

Also, I never let my chains get dull. A quick touchup here and there keeps them in shape.

I read a few years back, that in parts of Russia they only mill the outsides of older tress in some area's. Apparently, they had issues with the mill saws getting in to old WWII shrapnel. So they would leave the heartwood, because it dated back to the war. I can't remember now where I saw that. Seemed plausible though. Be sawing or milling, and see sparks. Shrapnel from a tank, bullet ect.

 

[nebraskasparks]

Thanks for the input fellas...yeah I've called the chain a "blade" and vice versa. Depends how tired I am at the time on which term I use... which means I put the chainsaw away and sit in the shop with a bottle of fresh well water or a soda.

Arborsite.com has a lot of good info on the chainsaws and people that are experts in that area as TBN has experts with tractors. Got an education in chainsaws over on that site and reprimanded for using the term blade...
I did purchase what the fellas at Arborsite.com call the Oregon 511 Chinese knock off that was on sale at farm and fleet for $99.99. Came with the stones etc but not the bolts to anchor to my bench. Still plan to hand sharpen but I'll be a monkey's uncle before I start paying 8 bucks plus a pop to have someone sharpen my blade.

Our neighbors are all starting to barter and trade with the great depression II under way. I've still got a job so if I can buy a tool and help sharpen a neighbors blade (or chain), dig a post hole with the new tractor, grapple some brush in exchange for horse apples for the garden...that's what we're doing in a town that is flat on its back side and getting worse.

Great input from everyone. Thanks again. If you have any excess rain we could use some in northern Illinois right now.