Do These Actually Work...

[dieselcrawler]

I'm another one on the 'hand file it myself' bandwagon.

I grew up watching my dad change out dull chains, took them to the hardware store in town who sharpened them for a few bucks each... he had 3 chains, took in 2 at a time. Never saw him use a file. Also never cut fire wood, chain saw use was limited to storm damaged trees that blocked our mile long driveway or edges of hay fields, maybe clearing some brush. Thought everybody took chains to the hardware store to get sharpened.

"You're allowed to do that yourself?!?! No way!"

Later, as an adult, worked with a friend who burned 18 full cords a year heating his business. Guy that ran the saw kept a file in his pocket, no guide, just a knob type handle, touching up his chain 4-5 times a day... between that guy and my father in law, who logged for a living in his younger days, I learned to hand file a chain.

It's not rocket science... I have 2 identical saws... I rarely take the chain off untill it's so far gone the teeth start breaking off. About every time I run out of gas, I'll touch up the chain.

Only mistake I've really made is filing down the raker teeth too far, but I'll chock that up to education expenses.

As to the gizmo in the OP... nope, never tried one. If you do, let us know what you think. Not gonna say I'll never use one, but files are cheap and quick... *grin*

 

[cqaigy2]

I've always hand filed. Round file for cutters and flat file for depth gauges. Have three chains. I only cut for firewood and sometime clearing out the driveway or road after blowdown. Cut for awhile, take a break and round file on the chain, then start cutting again. I'm pretty good at not tipping the chain into the dirt so that helps.

I did get one of those HF inexpensive chain sharpeners, not too bad actually. Worked well to get the chain back into fairly normal shape.

 

[5030]

The issue with chain grinders and you local hardware store is, most people remove way too much tooth.

 

[LD1]

The issue with chain grinders and you local hardware store is, most people remove way too much tooth.

Bingo...

Not only is sharpening with a hand file easy and quick, you dont need to replace the chain after 5 sharpenings or less at the hardware store

 

[5030]

Bingo...

Not only is sharpening with a hand file easy and quick, you dont need to replace the chain after 5 sharpenings or less at the hardware store

They do that on purpose so you buy new loops. Planned obsolence....lol

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

They do that on purpose so you buy new loops. Planned obsolence....lol

that was one of the marketing bullets to sell the grinder / sharpener. You will sell more chains!
Sharpening with a hand file takes less time, I never take the chain off a saw except to replace it.

 

[5030]

that was one of the marketing bullets to sell the grinder / sharpener. You will sell more chains!
Sharpening with a hand file takes less time, I never take the chain off a saw except to replace it.

I do. I remove the loops regularly and take my rake gage and remove the sawdust from the bar channel and I flip the bar as well.

 

[hube2]

I have looked at these, but like others I just use a file, I did recenlty splurge on a file with an angle guide. Seems like it would take longer to set this up for each tooth than the time I'd spend with just a file on each tooth. My experience is it only takes 2 or 3 lite passes with a file to sharpen up each tooth. But I also take the chain off after every use to clean it out otherwise it gets really gummed up.

 

[WranglerX]

Looking at the concept of tool in original post, about the only thing I see is it would recontour the gullet and sharpening angle of tooth after many hand filings and maybe deformation, was kinda interested in it as a correction tool after many hand filing .... Have used hand filing, rotary grinding burr in Dremel and my HF "sharpener/grinder", have had really decent success with all three but was more curious than anything else...

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I do. I remove the loops regularly and take my rake gage and remove the sawdust from the bar channel and I flip the bar as well.

I stand corrected, I do clean the the bar and also flip at times.