Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I've heated with wood for the last 25 years, I'm on #4 & #5 saws.
In all that time I never paid to farm out chain sharpening.
I just use hand files & the chips fly.
Now that the kids are out of the house & a little more money is available, I'm considering a power sharpener.

If you have one, is it quick & accurate to set up & use?
What brand & cost?
What was the learning curve?
Would you buy the same one again?

Thanks for your 2 cents.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I have the attachment for my dremel, but the file just falls to hand quicker. When the chain dulls, I just sharpen it right there, takes about 10 minutes. If I had to go inside with a hot saw, wait for it to cool some, set up the Dremel, go tooth my tooth, then put everything away ... Not worth the effort. The file does just as good a job, and I'm eyes on so there's no risk of screwing it up.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Here's mine. I've been using this one for about 10 years had to replace the cutter* twice. I spilled some red paint on it this summer, it'll wear off soon. Takes about ten minutes and uses no electricity, just a little elbow grease.
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...9/MVC-184S.jpg

*File

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

My daddy showed me 40 years ago how to properly use the file.

That is all I use, just like the Prof.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

File.
If it's any indication, the trucks I see that belong to arborists only have files in them. Boxes and boxes. Figure the volume would push them into a grinder, but one fella said time showed it wasn't much of a help. That said, I have an Italian jobbie from Garret Wade....but that's for unscrewing a screwed chain....rocks and all.....(can't avoid them, they get into the bark along with much dirt when I tug the trees to the best cutting spot)
Really, for the money of a grinder you might as well stock up on chain. With the presumed trajectory of the dollar I think it only makes sense. Best place I found for most supplies is Bailey's.
Happy cutting. Stay safe......and hydrated.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

If you want to be frugal use the hand file.

ETA: this is what I was talking about not a handheld electric grinder.
http://www.insidewoodworking.com/sha...sharpener.html
http://www.insidewoodworking.com/ima...rpener-511.jpg
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<o:p></o:p>
Using the power sharpener will set the depth to a certain level to get all of the teeth sharp and they might not all need the same depth cutting. <o:p></o:p>
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IE if you use the motorized version you will tend to wear out the chains faster verses sharpening the chain by hand. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
When you sharpen the chain by hand one tooth at a time you check the sharpness with your finger and only take each tooth to the depth that it needs to be sharp. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I use a large saw with 115 links in the chain. Its a lot to sharpen by hand. I use a cordless dremel. Just match it to the angle scored in the top of the tooth and hit it until you see it reach the top edge of the tooth. See if it grabs your finger nail and move to the next one. I use this saw in an alaskan lumber attachement so I sharpen more than is necessary when bucking.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

i use the dremel as well, no problems. i'm not exactly a logger, though.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I just use a Stihl file guide and hand files. I'm not the best at sharpening chains, but not the worst. Every now and again I take 10 or so of them to my man, who hand-files them to good as new for $6 each. After that, I'm just touching them up as needed.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I use an Oregon power sharpener. It attaches to your battery posts and works great. I've been using saws and heating with wood for over 20 years in northern Michigan. I used to use a hand file for years. Power sharpener is way better. Chain cuts better too. Thing is you can't over do it when sharpening. A little at a time or you will overheat the cutter and destroy the temper.

Sharpening by hand is slow and laborious. Sharpening with a power sharpener is quick and easy and affords a very nice edge. I always have my truck with me anyway when I cut so it is no big deal to pop the hood and access the battery.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I've always used a file. Less expensive, less crap to break.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Long time reader & 1rst time poster "Chiming-In" :15_1_70v:
+1 for "Hand-File"
I find the machine can damage the chains.Nothing beats the time consuming ole' fashioned sharpening (and don't forget to take-down the rakers from time to time).

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I've tried several different ones.....Granberg made a 12v model like a Dremel tool with a small, ceramic bit......used it for a while....abandoned.

Then I got another one ( I think it was a Granberg as well ) that looked like this... ( Stihl has this one )

http://www.stihlusa.com/graphics/accessories-main.jpg

Too slow....

So I returned many years ago to a hand file with a nice file guide like this:

http://www.stihlusa.com/graphics/cha...fileguides.gif

I can touch up a 20" chain in 4-5 minutes, tops.....I usually hit it every other tank of gas....it's a WHOLE LOT easier to KEEP a chain sharp than to get a chain sharp if you let it go to the point it's too dull to cut butter.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

My friend ran over my old Stihl sharpener that clamps to the battery posts. I went to get another and they were $60 after tax. I ended up just buyin a couple packs of grinding bits made by Oregon and just use my Dremel plugged into the inverter. The Dremel doesn't have a angle guide, but the chains have a wear indicator on the tooth that I use as a guide. I have some chain files too, but rarely use them.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I use the Oregon hand file guides.

Two of them. And two files.

One rod file, and an 8" flat file

One for the cutting teeth, and the other to set the

Depth of the rippers.

http://www.oregonchain.com/faq.htm

Stick 'em in the back pocket of your jeans, and

You are good to go when out in the woods

Cutting to the ground.

Bought them about 20 years ago, and still running strong.

Nothing against power sharpeners, just don't use them.


And, to lean on the poetic side, there is nothing like

Sitting down in the woods, and tuning up the chain.

It is a nice meditative practice.


scyth

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I love to sit on my tailgate and drink a cold beer after the wood is cut and loaded. Very satisfying. When I used to sharpen my saw by hand I would twist the file as I pushed it through the chain, counterclockwise. Slow and easy. The files don't last long though and are expensive. I save money using the power sharpener. Nothing worse than trying to sharpen a chain with a dull file.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

A stump vice is a very handy tool for this - fell a tree, then use it's stump as a bench to sharpen up before you fell it's friend. If you get them close enough, you can even have a stump to sit on while you do it...:wink:

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I use one fo these and I keep a few files as well but with this thing i can sharpen a chain on the bar in about 5 minutes I have the 12vdc one so I can just hook it up to my truck and go.

It is also great for taking down part of the anti kickback teeth so the cutting teeth get a better bite. I shave off about a 1/16th off of them depending on the saws power. If you take off to much your saw will not have enough power to run turn with the improved bite.
With a better bite you need to use less muscle per cut and it cuts faster but the saw can dance more so you should not do this if you are a rookie.

I have the one made by oregon they cost about $35 bucks.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...1L._SS400_.jpg

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I bought one from harbor freight a long time ago, it cost me about 30 bucks then, I bought one for my brother about two years ago and it was above 100 then.
I seem to have good luck with it, I sharpen all of my chains at one time and just use the file to dress them up from time to time as I use them so they keep cutting good.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I use the power chain grinder after 5 or 6 hand sharpenings with a dremel because eventually the chain starts cutting sideways or crooked.

The grinder will true everything up again but like StrawMan stated the chain grinder will use up the chains faster verses sharpening by hand
so you only want to use it to true up the chains once in a while.

My grinder is from a saw shop that closed,
it has a diamond wheel so it can sharpen carbide chains.
The thing next to it is an Oregon chain breaker used to cut chain from a spool which will save you a lot of $ if you cut a lot of wood.

I read about a Harbor Freight (I think) chain grinder that was very low cost
but the guy's LOVED it,
there is a thread about it at the Arborist website that shows how to improve the tool.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

i'm also posting a pic (cause I'm proud of it):bear_tongue:
of what the chain grinder is sitting on

it's a treadle powered wood lathe that dates to the mid 1800's
I have been working on the lathe and the 1886 foot powered table saw
in the second pic this week. ultimate SHTF tools!:ok:
(I restore and sell things for a living, paintings, furniture, antiques etc.)

Another cool thing you can see in my messy barn wood shop is a goat or dog
powered treadmill (it's the slanted thing behind the saw) It still need a lot of restoration.:bear_cry:

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

I leave near a forest but I don't own it, so I get tri-axle truckloads delivered to my house. So the garage is never far off. I use the dremel because I don't want to fiddly f'ck around with a file. My apologies to the purists.

http://goldismoney.info/forums/pictu...pictureid=1455

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Grasshopper -

Handfile is good.

scyth

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Why Make it anymore difficult than it needs to be. The hand file is the way to go, easy storage..just toss in your tool box, or even carry in your back pocket. No plug in need. And ready to go at a moment notice. I subscribe to the "KISS" theory for such matters.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Zilver,
I imagine more than a few of us are envious after seeing photos of your shop!

Your comments about using the grinder to "true up" the chain adresses one of my issues. I 'm always guilty of trying to flush off a stump & catch a stone which dulls the right side of the chain.

If I then sharpen the chain, it cuts fine on smaller trees, but If I really need the full 20" of the bar, it cuts badly to the left.

Does the grinder have a "stop" so that the depth of the grind into the cutter can be made equally on both sides of the chain?

Thanks.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

glockngold, yes they all have a depth stop so you will not grind to deep.
The depth adjustment will allow you to adjust the depth so that it just barely hits the bottom of the tooth when you bring the arm down to sharpen.

There is also a tab that rests against the back of the tooth which
sets and maintains the length of the grind of each tooth so when you are done
every tooth is cut to exactly the same length.
When adjusting the length find the shortest tooth and grind them all to that length. When setting up that tooth you want the grinding wheel to just "kiss the edge of the tooth".
If you grind one half of the teeth longer than the other half of the teeth, the saw will cut curved instead of cutting straight so it is important to grind all the teeth to the same length.
If you saw is cutting crooked also check the edges of the bar to make sure it is still square, if not file it so that it is square to the sides.

The less expensive Harbor Freight model does not have an adjustment
for the angle at which you approach the cutting edge of the cutter OR downward cutting angle but is set up to grind the typical angle that most chains use. ......there is a thread online where the guys show some simple mods to the swiveling base will make the HF machine preform better.

This Harbor Freight sharpener is currently on sale for $49.99
You cant go wrong at that price, the reports I read online are very good for this machine.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93213

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...3299/93213.gif

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

File, pair of gloves, cold beer.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Awesome shop Zilver! I never heard of carbide chains, can you tell us anything about them?

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Used for cutting really dirty logs and frozen ones.

More common on "buck saws" that are hydraulic motor operated ones on a knuckleboom loader. Loggers fall timber and de-limb at the fall, then skid the whole tree down to a landing where the KB operator bucks into log lengths then loads on truck.

Buck saw in photo is the yellow device on the ground.....loader lays a log in it, bumped to measurement points on the frame, and makes the best cut length of the whole tree buy pressing a button in the loader cab. Chain bar comes out of that upright section, cuts the log, and returns to ready position....all hydraulic operated.

http://www.tristate-auction.com/mcki...rko%20160b.jpg

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Carbide chains are also used in Fire Protection service.


http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS460Rescue.html

http://www.stihlusa.com/graphics/cha...S460Rescue.gif

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

As Andy stated the carbide chains are used for cutting dirty wood, treated wood, roots , hardwoods and by fire departments because they can take nails. A lot of the loggers in my area are using them for everything they cut, they will stay sharp for a long time.
Carbide chains are expensive, I think a 20" would cost about $175 at a saw shop but you can probably score one on Ebay for about $75.00.

Here is the Stihl demo vid for them:
http://stihldealer.net/videolibrary/...=33&vb=2&id=33

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Chainsaws can also be used to trim trees for health.

Smokey's got him an 14" Echo 330T arborist saw which he uses to get rid of energy and nutrient-robbing suckers, water sprouts and critter-crammed branches on the many mesquites, cat's claw acacias and palo verdes that grow abundantly here in southern Arizona. It's a great saw for the money and can easily be used with one hand when the other is occupied holding on for dear life.

Sweet-smelling mesquite firewood is a byproduct.

Here's smokey's tried-and-true method of always having a sharp cutting chain to get him through the day:

Do's:

Always have at least two extra sharp chains in the truck � more if you need'm.

When one gets dull, change it out with a sharp one and brush out the debris from the sprocket area, oil inlet, and bar groove while the cover is off. It only takes ten minutes..... err, unless you lose the nuts.

To make sure there's always extra cutting chains sharpen them thusly:

• Using a bench vise in the comfort of your workshop, clamp the sprocket teeth after marking the first link with white automotive touch-up paint.
• Grab the correct depth gauge file and add a few drops of cutting oil to the surface. It helps the file to last longer.
• Drawing angle lines on the top of the vise with a marker makes the going quicker.
  
• File, in forward direction only, four passes with a good bite, five with a lesser bite unless you've been burning wood instead of cutting it. Then finger feel it for sharpness.
  
• Eyeball the ripper depth and file carefully if necessary with a fine flat file.
• Work around to the white link then repeat with the next chain.

Don'ts:

Don't cut anything but wood �- no rocks, no dirt, no bones. Learn how to ease up just before it cuts what it ain't supposed to cut.

Don't lay the saw in the dirt or rocks unless the bar is propped up.

Don't sharpen the chain on the saw unless you like sharpening it on the saw or you forget to load enough extra chains. You ain't gonna get as good an edge as you can clamped into your favorite bench vise in the comfort of your own workshop with your coozy stuffed with a brew and your ears full of Merle's Workin Man.

That's smokey's tried-and-true point of view on chainsaw don't and do.



0.

Re: Who has a chain Saw Sharpener Do you like it?
 

Pretty quick way to ensure you won't be a survivalist at all.