Purchasing the proper chain sharpener

[John_Mc]

And I have a few neighbors who swear they are a pro with just a file and their saw is a dog to use. Once after about 3 minutes I handed him his saw back :laughing: I don't use a saw enough to bother with trial and error when I'm trying to complete a task.

So True! As I mentioned in another thread here on TBN, I've met dozens people who claim to be able to free-hand sharpen a chain and get good results. I've met only 2 or 3 who actually can do what they think they can do. I am not one of those 2 or 3.

I could learn to free-hand sharpen well, but why bother? I leave the Oregon guide clipped on my file all the time, so if I have a file, I have the guide as well. As an added bonus, it makes it easier to spot when I forget where I set it down. The results are generally better than new-out-of the-box chain. So when the he-man chainsaw guru laughs and suggests "I take the training wheels off", I just let him yammer on. Maybe I'll ask to try his freshly sharpened saw to see if I should add him to my mental list of the 2 or 3 who actually can do it well. Most of the time, I end up handing the saw back without comment. I figure the fact that I'd rather buck oak rounds with my 60cc 357XP than his 70cc 372XP is comment enough.

 

[CobyRupert]

I guess I was lucky to learn how to sharpen a chain with a file years ago before it became so complicated. :laughing:

:thumbsup:

Low kickback chains are easy to file. I take them off the saw and file them in a drawer. And generally buy new chains from Bailey's.

:laughing: Golden!!

And I have a few neighbors who swear they are a pro with just a file and their saw is a dog to use. Once after about 3 minutes I handed him his saw back :laughing: I don't use a saw enough to bother with trial and error when I'm trying to complete a task.

Are you my neighbor? Maybe not, my saw is not a dog, but it is a Husky! With the chain sharpened and the rakers filed down. Hang on!

Don't get me wrong, many people should use safety chains, they definitely have their place. For me that place is in a drawer too!

Haven't looked closely at one in a while, but on a safety chain do you need to file the rakers and the "safety bar"(?) rakers too?

I hand file, but I cheat and use a clipped on guide. Heck, I don't even use a vise. I just set saw next to me on the same long bench that I sit on to sharpen.
I read these threads and am confounded on how complicated, and extravagant (with whiz bang machines required) the sharpening process is made out to be.
Either I'm missing something or others are. :confused3:
All I know I can usually make a some big chips or "matchsticks" after the 10 minutes it takes, and when I inevitably run the saw through a muddy/gravely log, or into the dirt, I just sharpen it again. If I get more than 2 or 3 tanks of gas through the saw between sharpening's I think that's lucky.

..AND FILE THE RAKERS!!

 

[WranglerX]

Well here comes argument against hand filing ... I use electric sharpener, I can remove chain, sharpen and put back on in about twice the time as hand filing...BUT.... I get about about 5x the cuts with machine sharpened chain over hand file...

The BAD is its one of those HF junk machines that I WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN (I claim ignorance when I stated sharpening chains about 6-7 years ago).... The chains I have for my Stihl are 75° top plate cutting angle and the stupid HF junker grinds a 60° top plate cutting angle....

I think one of the $100 no name grinders the has adjustable top plate cutting angle IS in my future....

And I have some oak wood that is like iron, if you try to split it with wedge it spits the wedge back at you.... Asked Santa for 27 ton splitter, for Christmas but guess he could not get it down chimney....

Dale

 

[4570Man]

So True! As I mentioned in another thread here on TBN, I've met dozens people who claim to be able to free-hand sharpen a chain and get good results. I've met only 2 or 3 who actually can do what they think they can do. I am not one of those 2 or 3.

.

That’s my experience. The chance of the guy that only cuts a little firewood being able to do a good hand file job is very slim. It’s not a trait that’s mastered doing it a dozen times a year. I feel fairly certain the guys that are quick to chime in with some comment “I’m glad I learned how to file a chain without that device” don’t fall into the camp that can.

 

[goeduck]

I use an Oregon bench grinder and have about 6 loops per saw. I am in no big hurry when I change sawchains, I take the time to go over the saw, check the sprocket, clean out under the bar nut cover, check the air filter, etc. etc. I usually make sure I have at least 3 sharp chains at any time when I am cutting wood. The sharpening itself only takes a minute, I spend more time on the saw.

 

[hslogger]

Low kick back chain can be a real nuisance. It can also be a real arm and leg saver to the inexperienced casual user, and a pro.
In all of our small climbing saws we used a small Oregon chain with low kick back links and bought it by the roll. Great chain for that use and then doing ground work, sniping stumps and bucking little crap. SAFETY. The Oregon chain is soft, easy to ding, and easy to file with a round file or two, and a stroke or two on the rakers now and then.

Long bar chain to a pro user takes a time or three to get right, but pretty easy to do with round chain and round file. When you get to semi skip and full skip, you get into the department of a real dangerous piece of equipment to the unexperienced and casual user. Square chain requires a goofy file, flat file, or best yet a grinder..... Especially if you are running Sthil chain that is hard as a can be.

 

[ericm979]

That’s my experience. The chance of the guy that only cuts a little firewood being able to do a good hand file job is very slim. It’s not a trait that’s mastered doing it a dozen times a year. I feel fairly certain the guys that are quick to chime in with some comment “I’m glad I learned how to file a chain without that device” don’t fall into the camp that can.

I learned hand filing when I was running a saw all day every day on a thinning crew. No one showed me how so I had to work with some dull chains when I did it wrong. But a constant cycle of sharpen and feedback was a quick teacher. I use just a file. I've tried just about all of the filing jigs and don't like any of them.

Sharpening a chain only a dozen times a year instead of every day, it'd take many more cycles to learn how to do it. OTOH there's tutorials on the internet now.

I treated myself to an Oregon bench grinder last year. I use it about 5% of the time but on a chain that got into a rock or found a nail embedded in a tree it takes a lot less time than filing.

I don't find safety chain significantly more difficult to sharpen. Maybe on some filing jigs it would be. I use it mostly for cutting brush as it seems to be less grabby on small stuff. Sharpened well it cuts just as well as non safety chain. I've tried Oregon chain and it is soft. I prefer Bailey's house brand (made by Carlton) or Stihl.

 

[WranglerX]

I use an Oregon bench grinder and have about 6 loops per saw. I am in no big hurry when I change sawchains, I take the time to go over the saw, check the sprocket, clean out under the bar nut cover, check the air filter, etc. etc. I usually make sure I have at least 3 sharp chains at any time when I am cutting wood. The sharpening itself only takes a minute, I spend more time on the saw.

I keep a brand new still in factor box chain in my "field box" (tools and parts) just in case of a "emergency".... Usually struggle with adequate home sharpened chains for my daily cutting needs, I put saw up on bench at the evening, put some good Jazz on music box and cup of coffee (or tea) and sharpen chains and fiddle with "saw" as needed...

Also with my $%^&** HF grinder I do not grind chain with its vertical motion as one commonly would, I set chain position stop a little shy of tooth/grinding wheel contact, and bring wheel down and then apply a little side thrust to contact tooth, removes a lot less tooth material and I usually get a really sharp chain... It all about feel and feedback for grinder/chain more than using mechanical stops and adjustments other then vertical motion stop of grinder...

Dale

 

[John_Mc]

I prefer Bailey's house brand (made by Carlton) or Stihl.

I tried several loops of chain made by Carlton some years ago: close to half of them had problems with heat treating: several teeth and/or depth gauges on each loop were hard - so hard that a file won't touch it, and I'd ruin a file trying. (And no, I had never sharpened these on a grinder, which can cause a similar problem if done improperly. These had the problem right out of the box.) I may have just gotten a bad batch, but I never went back to Bailey's/Carlton after that. I suppose I should give them another try one of these days.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve got a Carlton bar on my little saw that sees 1-10 the use as my other saw and shows similar wear. I have a few Carlton chains that show significant wear in the links after only a couple of uses.