Saw Chain care and sharpening tips?

[motownbrowne]

PS, the guys who make racing chains for competition cutting generally use files...

 

[Egon]

Most people do not carry a mechanical chain sharpener out into the woods.

 

[4570Man]

You're on. Send a chain you sharpened on a grinder over here and I'll run it against one I filed. Got any 72dl 3/8 .050 loops?

You might be one of the very few that can hand file a chain. Most people can’t. I’m not going to mail chains, but in person I’d take the bet. I’ll beat more hand filed chains than I loose to.

 

[motownbrowne]

You might be one of the very few that can hand file a chain. Most people can’t. I’m not going to mail chains, but in person I’d take the bet. I’ll beat more hand filed chains than I loose to.

I still have a lot to learn about filing chain. I thought I was pretty good 4 years ago when I started getting into saws. Looking back, I was full of crap. Adding a chain vise (or clamping a saw in a vise), using a bright light, and occasionally busting out a loupe has really upped my game. I know I'll look back at this time period as only the beginning, but I can certainly get good results.

Grinders absolutely have their place too. You can make nice sharp consistent cursed with one. But, there's lots of people who can fail at them as well. I've seen a lot of blued cutters, cutters with no hook or too much hook, chains ground and rakers left untouched, etc.

Either way you go, you have to understand what you're trying to achieve, as well as the multitude of ways you can mess up. Filing and grinding are both great methods for the conscious user.

 

[ArlyA]

This is why we do sharpen chains in the field, but only so much. After filing them a few times, or they are damaged, its a waste of our time, so we take them to a professional sharpener.. With a minor dulled chain, we can get it back into service in just a few minutes using a good file. We also take about 1/2 a dozen files with us.....

I should add we take with us 3 to 5 chains into the woods, per machine. We have different saws that of course, use different chains.

It is the other way around . The mechanical sharpener makes the cutters last the longest. The precision held angles allow for the very minimum of grinding to restore the edge .
I will challenge any hand sharpener to a machine sharpened chain for the best cutting and longest lasting chain.
As previously stated, the factory safety chains do not dig in a cut. An aftermarket pro chain is required.

 

[tomplum]

The muffler mod as previously discussed upped the snot factor nicely. It could crack 15,000 after mod and ended dialed in 14,500 ish. Spark arrester in place. Did only one test cut and it worked quite well. Total of 6 chains sharp. Dressed the rakers on one and marked it do do some later experimentation . The Outdoor Power Equipment forum looks serious in saws. Will check them out.

 

[LD1]

Anybody can hand file with a granberg.

Its still filing, but the device holds the file at the correct angle. All you do is stroke it.

And leave it to the TBN masses. This is the first time I have EVER heard anyone say that sharpening via machine will make a chain last longer. That simply contradicts 99.99% of all the information on the web, 99.99% of the information I have heard first hand, and based on real life experience.

So I guess the hundreds of other people are all wrong and the ONE and ONLY person that says machines make chains last longer must be right.

And lets not get confused about topics. Seems there are two themes going around.
1. What is better/sharper chain.....filed or machine ground
2. What gets the most service life out of a chain.

The answer to #2 about service life is 100% filing. Because each tooth is addressed individually. Some may take two strokes, some may take 7. But you dont remove any more material than is necessary. Where as a machine is typically set up on the worst tooth and all the rest are made to match......IE: wasting material and shortening chain life.

The answer to #1 has way too many variables. Not all hand filing is equal. Jig like a granberg or no jig? amature file job? Angles? Round ground or square? etc etc.

But I can attest that I will put my granberg-filed chains up against any machine that does a round-grind and it will cut equally as well if not better.

 

[4570Man]

Unless you suck at sharpening and remove 1/8 inch of metal each time chain life isn’t a valid argument. Chains are by far the cheapest part of my operation. I’ve cut close to 200 rick this year sharing the use between 3 chains. One is in good shape. I hit the concrete with one and retired it. I rocked one and had to remove quite a bit of metal, but it’s still on my saw. My truck fuel, splitter gas, saw gas, 2 stroke oil, bar oils, and labor are all significantly higher than chain cost.

 

[Deere Dude]

If a new chain is machine ground from new, all the teeth should be the same and all teeth should be ground the same at subsequent grindings.

Hand filing, although I never hand file, will change teeth lengths depending on how much is filed on each tooth. Machine grinding all will be the same if done correctly, supposedly.

I generally just grind a smidgen off a tooth and that is where the rest get ground. If one ends up shorter a little bit my Timberline has enough sideways play where I can just push the motor a little bit and that tooth will be addressed.

I had some chains that I am sure get ground 20 times or so, just a guess but they last a long time machining just a hair off each tooth.

I have seen U-tube videos just grind the teeth red hot and that doesn't seem right to me because it destroys the temper in the chain.

To everyone that can file by hand, congratulations. For me, I like to sit back in the garage with the wood-burner going and grind down half a dozen chains while listening to Hank Sr.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t grind every tooth the same height. I almost always have teeth that are duller than the rest. Grinding them to the same height waste time and I haven’t noticed any negative effects leaving them not the same height. I sharpen with a Timberline. The two biggest downside are the carbides are fragile and if you cheat and turn it with a drill the aluminum guides wear out. The plus side is it’s pretty much impossible to overheat the tooth.