Chainsaw Sharpeners

[Red Horse]

Any opinions out there:

Northern Model 193020-2206 current catalog price 129.99

Oregon Model 108181 current Northern catalog price 199.99 (cheaper on Amazon)

read the respective reviews on Northern website and you wonder if these guys have the same machines as one guyb says.."best thing since canned beer" and another guy says..."Junk"

 

[SDiver40]

I been using the 193020 for 3 years. Does a great job the money. IT's NOT a $600.00 sharpener but well worth it in my book.
By the way, Northern tool website shows it on sale for $119.00 right now

 

[Scooby074]

Ive been using one of the Timber Tuff sharpeners for a while and I love it. Its the same as the Northern 193020-2206 just green instead of burgundy.
My initial review can be found here : http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/chainsaws/256986-timber-tuff-chainsaw-sharpener-review.html

 

[Red Horse]

Thx -guys- I should have added-anyone with experience with a Carlton or Tecomec? These are made in Italy and are supposedly same as the Oregon 511-which is over 300 bucks. The Carlton/Tecomecs are on Ebay for around 209. And SDiver-correct-online Northern price is 119.

My issue, 119 for a China knock off vs. 90 bucks more for a Euro product. I use nothing but CMT router bits (Italy) and they are topshelf. I'd buy USA within reason but given the choice I'll take Euro goods anyday over Chinese. Again, any opinions? And by the way, the Northern does get a lot of good marks on their "buyer comments"

 

[burnieman]

Any opinions out there:

Northern Model 193020-2206 current catalog price 129.99

Oregon Model 108181 current Northern catalog price 199.99 (cheaper on Amazon)

read the respective reviews on Northern website and you wonder if these guys have the same machines as one guyb says.."best thing since canned beer" and another guy says..."Junk"

I use the Oregon 108181 and it works excellent. It's not difficult to use or set up. I have 17 chains and they are all sharp. Don't buy junk from harbor freight. Chinese crap.

 

[PhilY]

I've got the Northern saw chain sharpener, and think it's well worth the money. I've sharpened a ton of chains with it and am happy with the performance. I can sharpen a chain with it in about 5-7 minutes on average. There's one thing that you have to take with a grain of salt though like the fact that whoever placed the scales on it for the various angles you can adjust must have also invented the concept behind throwing horse shoes and hand grenades. Close is good enough. With that said it is very repeatable. For example, when I adjust the angle for the teeth on the left and right, I set it at 36deg on one side and 31deg on the other. No big deal since no chain I have says what angle it should be at so you just line up the wheel with the tooth. You say, how do you know if you picked the right angle to begin with...well if the saw goes straight through the log you are cutting, you're good to go. If it curves to one side, your angle was a little too aggressive on that side and the bar through the log accordingly. So, maybe you have a couple of concerns now about this one because the scales aren't perfect, well honestly when I looked out there, they all looked identical minus the paint job, which means they were all built in the same factory by the same guys who invented horse shoes, so buy the cheaper one and you won't have to worry about spending a lot of money for the same accuracy.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Bailey's - MAXX Chain Grinder
This is the one I use and really like it. I sharpen a whole bunch of different size chains though and wanted something that will last me a long time.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I know this has been brought up before but I'm curious as to why folks don't just buy the $10 Dremel attachment from Home Depot to sharpen chains. I've been doing it this way for 25 years, only takes 5 minutes to sharpen a blade (on the saw). My chains go thru logs like butter. Seems like spending $120 or more results in a diminished return. Dremel stones are also what the professional tree trimmers use on their battery powered Dremels when I hire them to remove branches above the house.

 

[NHmitch]

I know this has been brought up before but I'm curious as to why folks don't just buy the $10 Dremel attachment from Home Depot to sharpen chains. I've been doing it this way for 25 years, only takes 5 minutes to sharpen a blade (on the saw). My chains go thru logs like butter. Seems like spending $120 or more results in a diminished return. Dremel stones are also what the professional tree trimmers use on their battery powered Dremels when I hire them to remove branches above the house.

I've started using these this last tear after I got tired of hand sharpening my chains, and the work incredible. The stones last a long time, and the sharpen very fast. I use a black and decker rtv because it was on sale, and it works great, and all of the Dremel attachments are interchangeable. I would highly recommend this method to sharpen, and if you don't have a Dremel, you can get the whole set up to sharpen your saws including a new Dremel for around $40.

 

[schweizer]

Here's what I use: Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener |Sharpen Your Chainsaw

I bought it last spring and only used it for the first time today. It worked *great*. Quick and easy. Each tooth sharpened exactly the same. I don't like the Dremel or electric drill bits because you never get the angle just right. And it's difficult to use an electric sharpener out in the field.

 

[turnkey4099]

Here's what I use: Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener |Sharpen Your Chainsaw

I bought it last spring and only used it for the first time today. It worked *great*. Quick and easy. Each tooth sharpened exactly the same. I don't like the Dremel or electric drill bits because you never get the angle just right. And it's difficult to use an electric sharpener out in the field.

From just the pictures it looks clumsy and time consuming. On dial-up and have called up the video. I will be a hard sell though. I use one of the clamp on jigs that sets all the angles for the file. Takes about 10 minutes per 20" loop counting the set up time. Results in every tooth identical and no need to payi any attention at all except to advance the chain.

I don't like electric grinders - too easy to both overheat a tooth and/or grind too much.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Here's what I use: Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener |Sharpen Your Chainsaw

I bought it last spring and only used it for the first time today. It worked *great*. Quick and easy. Each tooth sharpened exactly the same. I don't like the Dremel or electric drill bits because you never get the angle just right. And it's difficult to use an electric sharpener out in the field.

From just the pictures it looks clumsy and time consuming. On dial-up and have called up the video. I will be a hard sell though. I use one of the clamp on jigs that sets all the angles for the file. Takes about 10 minutes per 20" loop counting the set up time. Results in every tooth identical and no need to payi any attention at all except to advance the chain.

I don't like electric grinders - too easy to both overheat a tooth and/or grind too much.

Harry K

 

[schweizer]

I use one of the clamp on jigs that sets all the angles for the file. Takes about 10 minutes per 20" loop counting the set up time.

That's basically what this is. The burr is tapered at the tip and the angles are set. The device clamps on to the bar and it's made of a solid piece of aluminum. Took me about 10 minutes to get a sharp chain, so about the same as what you're using. (Also 20" bar)

 

[troutsqueezer]

You say, how do you know if you picked the right angle to begin with...well if the saw goes straight through the log you are cutting, you're good to go. If it curves to one side, your angle was a little too aggressive on that side and the bar through the log accordingly.

My log splitter doesn't care if the cut was perfectly straight. All the logs burn the same no matter what the ends look like. :stirthepot:

BTW, the $10 Dremel kit has an angle gauge. Maybe you won't get exactly the same angle every time but you certainly get the angles to within a few degrees and you get it to where the blade cuts like new. I get it though, many guys just like to have top-of-the-line tools. Me, I prefer to spend that extra money on something that gives a better ROI.

 

[PhilY]

Very true...it all burns the same. Main thing to remember with chainsaws...mind the gap...don't get pinched!

 

[ccreece]

I really like the dremel tool also plus the diamond rotary files from e-bay. Its about all I have been using for the last ten years or so