Chainsaw Sharpening question

[woodlandfarms]

OK, so I have a little bench mounted sharpener (HF). Works great. Last year the wife got me a sharpener that mounts to the dremel.

I have watched pro chainsaw guys, they seem to run a quck file at lunch and when the wrap up. all by hand, allways just visual. I have no idea if / when they use a machine to sharpen, and if they do that themselves.

This all goes to my questions. This past year on my large bar (36") I have decided to sharpen on the bar, with the dremel. So far so good. I figure at the end of the year I take the chain in and get it "professionally" sharpened. Likewise I am mulling over doing the same on my 14" saw as well.

In the past, I have a wall of chains (at least 4 per machine) and when the blade gets dull I would pull it off, put another on and put it in the "to be sharpened" pile, and then one evening sit in front of my bench mounted sharpener and put on a new edge.

Now i am wondering if I should ever bother taking the chain off, and if it is OK to continue to procede with my sharpening system, or if I should make change.

Guess I am asking what do other people do.

 

[davesl708]

I use a dremel to sharpen my chains on the saw. I keep them in rotation. I use one when it needs sharpened I sharpen on the saw then take it off and put the other chain on. Rotate the bar at that time too. I prefer the hollow ground finish I get with the dremel as opposed to the flat edge from the sharpening machine.

 

[4570Man]

I use a Timberline sharpener. It works great. I think it cost about $90 and if something happened to it I would buy another one. I tried sharpening by hand and my chains always cut crooked. I can do better with the 3/8 full chisel on the big saw, but still not as good as the Timberline. I highly recommend against having the chain professionally sharpened. They will change the profile and next time you sharpen it it will defeat the point of having it professionally sharpened. There aren't any local guys that can do a good job. I'd be cheaper to toss the chain in the trash and buy another one VS paying two way shipping and the sharpening guy. I wouldn't actually toss it, I'd save it for a job likely to ruin a chain.

 

[stan33]

Sharpening with a file in a file holder isn't difficult once someone shows you how. Then you can sharpen on the bar out in the woods, no vise or power needed and you can sharpen every couple of gas fill-up's or so, whilst you are working.
Keep the file horizontal to the bar and at the angle notched on the guide. I do 3 forward strokes per tooth.
Stihl dealer told me it was the best sharpened saw he had seen, but i guess he says that to all the guys.

 

[2458n]

My grandfather sharpen the chain on his 1952 Homelite saw by hand when he was using it. As far as I know it was never sharpened by anyone other then himself. I take mine in to get sharpened, and the guy will do two while I wait. Only get about four trips and it is time for a new loop. Running a bigger full chisel chain and have not found the larger stones needed at a local box store. Have purchased both bars and chain off the internet. One time it shipped from a business 20 miles from my home. We do business in person now.

 

[MossRoad]

OK, so I have a little bench mounted sharpener (HF). Works great. Last year the wife got me a sharpener that mounts to the dremel.

I have watched pro chainsaw guys, they seem to run a quck file at lunch and when the wrap up. all by hand, allways just visual. I have no idea if / when they use a machine to sharpen, and if they do that themselves.

This all goes to my questions. This past year on my large bar (36") I have decided to sharpen on the bar, with the dremel. So far so good. I figure at the end of the year I take the chain in and get it "professionally" sharpened. Likewise I am mulling over doing the same on my 14" saw as well.

In the past, I have a wall of chains (at least 4 per machine) and when the blade gets dull I would pull it off, put another on and put it in the "to be sharpened" pile, and then one evening sit in front of my bench mounted sharpener and put on a new edge.

Now i am wondering if I should ever bother taking the chain off, and if it is OK to continue to procede with my sharpening system, or if I should make change.

Guess I am asking what do other people do.

Like you, I have the cheap harbor freight sharpener and I also have a bag of 4-5 sharp chains. If I'm in a hurry, I'll swap the chains when they get dull and keep on cutting. If I'm not in a hurry, I'll hand file on the saw between fill ups of gas/oil. Anytime I change the chain, I flip the bar, as well.

I guess it depends on how much work you want to get done, how much time you have to do it, and how long it takes you to sharpen on the saw VS swapping chains. Either way, if you cut X amount of wood, you're going to wear out Y amount of chain. Weather you do it by alternating chains or wearing one out, then the other, you're eventually going to use the same amount of chain in the same amount of wood and time, if you keep them equally sharp through the process.

 

[gsganzer]

I'll second the Timberline. It's the slickest and most precise on-the-bar sharpener I've used and worth the money.

 

[cat fever]

I have a dremel type tool made by Stihl that has alligator clips you just hook on to any 12 volt battery. I can sharpen my chain on the saw in 5 minutes. It has a guide line on it so you always maintain the factory angle. My 35 year old one gave up the ghost a couple years ago so I bought a new one. Best 30 bucks ever spent.

 

[Gunny]

I just hit each tooth with the hand file between fill ups. Unless I've gotten the chain into something, all it needs is just a light polish to bring back a good edge. As said, unless you're using chisel chain, keep the file level, apply the same pressure and number of strokes to each tooth and it will keep cutting straight. It doesn't take long and you never have to fool with a dull chain. Cutting crooked means you've got teeth on one side of the chain that are longer or sharper than the other side

I also have a bench grinder, but the only time it's used is if I run into some metal buried in the tree , then it's needed to ease out the burrs and then to make sure all the teeth are ground to the same length

This might not suit someone who is in a hurry, but I don't mind spending the time doing it. By the time I've run a full tank through the saw, I don't mind taking a short break and touching up the chain

 

[motownbrowne]

I'll throw my hat in with the hand file on the saw between tanks of gas crowd. Semi-chisel chain is very easy to file and achieve good results. I'd be much more worried about free handing with any type of rotary tool than with a file. I have heard great things about the Timberline, and would love to try one, but the price is a little steep for the amount of use it'd see.

 

[square1]

My grandfather sharpen the chain on his 1952 Homelite saw by hand when he was using it.

I shut my saw down to sharpen
Hand filing is all I have ever done. One stroke per tooth on every tooth when needed, unless as Gunny said, I've hit something other than wood,

 

[RandyT]

My grandfather sharpen the chain on his 1952 Homelite saw by hand when he was using it. As far as I know it was never sharpened by anyone other then himself. I take mine in to get sharpened, and the guy will do two while I wait. Only get about four trips and it is time for a new loop. Running a bigger full chisel chain and have not found the larger stones needed at a local box store. Have purchased both bars and chain off the internet. One time it shipped from a business 20 miles from my home. We do business in person now.

If you are only getting 4 sharpenings out of a chain either they chains are banged up pretty good, or the guy running the sharpener is an idiot. I have customers that I do all their sharpening and have some chains running on 10-12 sharpenings. I have been into other shops and watched the guy remove half the cutter on one sharpening.

 

[Patches]

Count me among the hand sharpeners using the file holder; as stated you're able to point up the chain, on site, without the need for an electrical power source and, IF, you do this religiously every tank or so of fuel, you needn't remove much tooth material keeping the chain sharp

 

[JFoy]

The reason hand sharpening is better is because the metal stays cooler. When metal is heated on a grinder or dremel, the metal gets hot. When metal cools down slowly from high heat, it softens the metal and thus, it is easier to dull it. After every use, I set the saw in the vise and hand sharpen every tooth about 20 strokes. It takes little time and the chain performs flawless as a result of the harder metal. Also, I'm still on the same chain for over three years.

 

[groundcover]

Twenty strokes ! You need better wood or a better file !
I touch mine up every three tanks or so with three or four strokes.

 

[groundcover]

Twenty strokes ! You need better wood or a better file !
I touch mine up every three tanks or so with three or four strokes.

 

[oldballs]

I hand sharpen, but don't do it in the field....just mount a new chain. If the chain needs sharpened, I do it by hand (file holder) in the shop where I put the bar/saw in a vise with a good light on the work.........2-3 strokes each tooth. That Timberline does sound interesting though. 20 strokes = ???.

 

[s219]

I sharpen with a file in the field, usually 1-3 times a day as needed. And up until recently, I sharpened with a file at my workbench too, when doing periodic maintenance (where I'd flip the bar, clean out the clutch cover, etc).

I just got an Oregon grinder and touched up one of my chains that has been filed all this time. Can't say it's any better. I did notice that my hand filing angles were off a little (I seem to file to 25 degrees, whereas Stihl calls for 30 degrees).

Anyway, I really think it's important to file out on the job while you're working, as much as needed. Choose a semi-chisel chain if you find yourself filing too much. There is a right balance where you maximize productivity.

 

[LD1]

I use a file guide. Called the granberg.

I probably get 30 or 40 + sharpening out of a chain. But I dont wait until the saw stops cutting before I sharpen and I keep it out of the dirt.

Usually cut ~3/4 cord or so (what the trailer holds). Then touch it up with 3-4 strokes with the guide. Usually carry 2-3 saws with me when cutting. If I use all 3 about the same amount, I dont always sharpen after each load. Just one of them things you "know" when it is needing done.

Dont like having a machine or a "professional" sharpen mine. SOP for that is to take the worst tooth, and sharpen them all back to that level. Thats a waste of tooth life on ALL the other teeth. I only take what is needed, on a tooth by tooth basis. Adjust the rakers accordingly.

 

[handirifle]

I too, use the file, in the field and at home. I used to take them to the local mower shop and they do a decent job, but at $7 a shot the price of a chain goes up considerably. Since it's 25 miles to town, I could only get them sharpened when I needed something else. That and they NEVER did it same day. That was frustrating, so I got my kit from Stihl and never looked back. They have great videos online and after watching a few, I have saved money and time really.

And like others, all I was getting was about 4 sharpenings per chain.

If I am going on a big cut, I always take extra chains with me. You never know what you might hit. Once helping a brother in law cut up a fallen oak out of his horse coral, I noticed the saw wasn't cutting well at all. Looked all around the log and it had fallen on a fence "T" post. The post had a nice shiny groove in it. Totally ruined that chain. Duh!