just got my chain back from being sharpened.....

[4570Man]

My buddy had a shop sharpen his chain. What a mess. Rakers had not been touched so if would not cut. I used my Pferd sharpener on it and we were back in business. It may not be the best way to sharpen but is good enough for a hack like me.

I have read what the "experts" say about the HF unit and you guys must be spewing BS if you think it works.....LOL. You need at least a $500 grinder to do it right. BTW, I am planning to get one too....but I don't plan on wearing a face mask for Thanksgiving either.

I’ve got like a $200 Oregon grinder and I can replicate the factory job the first sharpening. The results get worse as the chain wears more but that happens with anything.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My buddy gav me a cheapie grinder. Very underpowered, but it actually did a good job at first. Then for whatever reason, results got lousy.

Then I got like a HF unit on sale (Princess Auto). My small engine repair guy walked me thorugh it and I had him evaluate it. He said he would get one of these before he spent the money again on his Oregon unit.

 

[Skeans1]

I’ve got like a $200 Oregon grinder and I can replicate the factory job the first sharpening. The results get worse as the chain wears more but that happens with anything.

That could be from gullet being left or also make top plate angle a little more aggressive. It also could be from the depth gauges not being dropped down enough as well.

 

[4570Man]

That could be from gullet being left or also make top plate angle a little more aggressive. It also could be from the depth gauges not being dropped down enough as well.

The chain profile wears. It’s full chisel to start with and the corner of the teeth starts to wear down.

 

[ericm979]

Saw racers often grind their race chains so there's just the tiniest bit of tooth left. If that makes the fastest cutting chain then they must be doing something that you are not doing on your worn chains.

Perhaps it's the depth gauges. They need to go a little lower compared to the tooth as the tooth gets shorter. That's called "progressive" filing. Some depth gauge measuring tools will result in progressive filing, some do not. The Oregon type that use the tops of two teeth as a base and then measure the depth gauge from there are not progressive. The Husky kind that measures from the tooth next to the depth gauge is.

Just taking a couple strokes on the depth gauge every 3 filings will wind up with the depth gauges either too high or too low. You need a measuring tool.

The other thing that depth gauges need as they are flled down is to be reprofiled. If you just file a flat on the top to match the measuring tool, the depth gauge will end up a different shape than it originally was. They need to be filed to match the original shape so they work like they're supposed to.

 

[AchingBack]

I had the local Stihl dealer sharpen a chain for me...once. They didn't grind down the depth gauges and the chain wouldn't cut anything. I use the $35 Stihl sharpening guide that has all the files in it and takes the depth gauges down a few thousandths every time I sharpen. Best money I ever spent.

I am thrilled with the Stihl 2 in 1 sharpening guide. It has made a huge difference in my sharpening skill.

 

[dodge man]

I知 not sure how many times I can sharpen my chains, I usually hand sharpen, but I would guess a lot, maybe 50 times or more. I usually have two chains for a saw and have never worn one out but I don稚 cut that much. I use Stihl chains, I don稚 know if they are better or not.

 

[4570Man]

Saw racers often grind their race chains so there's just the tiniest bit of tooth left. If that makes the fastest cutting chain then they must be doing something that you are not doing on your worn chains.

Perhaps it's the depth gauges. They need to go a little lower compared to the tooth as the tooth gets shorter. That's called "progressive" filing. Some depth gauge measuring tools will result in progressive filing, some do not. The Oregon type that use the tops of two teeth as a base and then measure the depth gauge from there are not progressive. The Husky kind that measures from the tooth next to the depth gauge is.

Just taking a couple strokes on the depth gauge every 3 filings will wind up with the depth gauges either too high or too low. You need a measuring tool.

The other thing that depth gauges need as they are flled down is to be reprofiled. If you just file a flat on the top to match the measuring tool, the depth gauge will end up a different shape than it originally was. They need to be filed to match the original shape so they work like they're supposed to.

They’re ground down in one lick for one thing and not worn. I really doubt they do that anyway. A chain with worn teeth and usually damaged teeth just isn’t going to sharpen as good as a new one. I usually hit the rakers with a light tap on the bench grinder when I sharpening them. If they still have visible grinder marks I leave them alone and when they start getting polished I hit them again.

 

[WranglerX]

I am so bad at sharpening these chains, always end up in the chainsaw making curved cuts. My Poulin and Milwaukee chainsaws now cut strait thanks to my dad fixing my mess. I recently bough an electric sharpner from the Tractor Supply Store...I really hope this keeps me from mucking them up going forward.

When I had my own logging skidder back in the 90s I never sharpened them, I always paid someone to do them. I owned 6 chainsaws and always had 3 sharpened while using the other three.

Its cheap...havent used it yet..

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/timber-tuff-bench-top-electric-chainsaw-chain-sharpener

I always attributed the curve cuts to uneven wear on the bar, actual letting teeth run not square to bar.... Spent some to squaring bar and it seems to help, still at a loss to figure out actual problem... Never thought much it to be a actual chain problem...I also flip the bar each time I do a chain ....


Dale

 

[WranglerX]

My buddy had a shop sharpen his chain. What a mess. Rakers had not been touched so if would not cut. I used my Pferd sharpener on it and we were back in business. It may not be the best way to sharpen but is good enough for a hack like me.

I have read what the "experts" say about the HF unit and you guys must be spewing BS if you think it works.....LOL. You need at least a $500 grinder to do it right. BTW, I am planning to get one too....but I don't plan on wearing a face mask for Thanksgiving either.

Ex-spurt, has been drip under pressure....

Guess it's just dumb luck for me to make it happen so I get decent cuts and chain life.... Only issue for me is the "side plate angle" on my chains is supposed to be 75° angle and I believe the HF unit is basically 60° and not adjustable...

But it works for me....

Dale