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

 

[sd455dan]

my 2 cents I just hand file mine. Also buy new files almost every year, I think some people think the files last virtually forever .. They don't - if the file has lost it's bite it isn't much good.

Big on taking the rakers down when needed

Will do a test cut and then check the "shavings" don't like sawdust:laughing:

Oh and i am trying to cut more off the ground dirt is rough on chains.

 

[Topzide]

I've got the HF unit and does very well for me. I've also had the experience of using an Oregon grinder when I work at small engine shop years back. For the average individual, the HF unit will do just as good of a job. Setup is very important! Learn the machine and you chains. After a few sharpened chains, the grinder is paid for and you don't have to run around dropping off and picking up your chains!

 

[Jstpssng]

I buy about 3 chains per year, run a file across the teeth at least every time that I fuel, and use a file guide as needed to tune them back up. I buy files by the box and have no idea how many times I use them; a file in each pickup and another in the tractor. (Gas line makes a great file holder/protector.) Generally cutting in curves is from not taking the rakers down evenly; about every third time I sharpen I run a flat file across them, counting so that I take the same amount off every tooth. A raker guide is also helpful. I would no more ask a shop to sharpen my chain than to claen the air filter or tune the carburetor... it's just handy to know some of those things.

 

[Rustyiron]

Thanks for all your replies. I'll ask before I have them sharpen again, "just a little off the top"

Or take a picture of it next to a coin or ruler for scale. :thumbsup:

 

[FTG-05]

I have an Oregon 505 electric chain sharpener with a diaomond wheel. I bought it used from the local Stihl dealer years ago. I no longer use it.

I use this instead:

About $40 from Bailey's: Pferd CS-X Chain Sharp Filing Guides

Easy to use, very effective and no driving +20 miles to have a chain sharpened.

 

[JimRB]

A group of us were clearing a trail. One guy was making sawdust. I grabbed my Pferd CS-X filing guide and in a few minutes without a vice he was making chips again and was going to see if he could get the guide at the local Ace. Local Ace/Stihl store would have the Stihl branded guide which is more expensive than the Pferd. Anyhow if the Pferd works with your chain then it is a great tool. One of my saws has I think it is called a skip tooth chain. I guess you need full batch of teeth to use the Pferd tool. I have never had a chain sharpened with a power sharpener. That said I just use my saws to clear trails. 3 storms in less than two months. Getting tired of clearing trails of oak, poplar and pine blow overs.

 

[JimRB]

I forgot to mention that I also sometimes use the Timberline sharpener which if you get the hang of can give you consistent tooth lengths and sharp with minimal waste of teeth. You still need to adjust the depth gauge for height and profile. The Timberline has a few different cutter sizes. Timberline Chainsaw Chain Sharpening Guide (5/32") Assembly

 

[stephenh]

A few years ago, I took in a chain for its first-since-new sharpening. I usually hand-filed, don't remember why I didn't that time. This was at a long-time dealer/shop I'd used a number of times with satisfaction. When I picked up the chain, it was ground back to about its final point, I could get one more use out of it. I showed this to the owner, and he just shrugged and said, well, he'd decided to break in a new guy who'd never sharpened and, hey, guy's gotta learn doesn't he? I never went back, and I got into a spell where I was sharpening a half-dozen chains a week during a very busy cutting spell after a big 110 mph wind storm. I saw a Maxx grinder on sale at Bailey's, bought it and never looked back. I used to take my chains in once a year to be "professionally" sharpened, did it by hand the rest of the year. The Maxx paid for itself in two years. Now, i tend to use the Maxx to lightly hit each chain every couple days of use.

The nearest shop is about 40 miles from here [each way]. I would have to drop off the chains, go back a week later, so 80 miles driving plus my time. A grinder at home is wonderful.

 

[crazyal]

I guess I'm lucky. I rarely touch a raker. All of my sharpening is done with a dremel with the chain on the saw. I do have a HF sharpener but I found the wheel too course. Even with light cuts it left a rough finish so I went back to the dremel. As long as I produce nice chips I'm happy.

 

[John_Mc]

Is OP sure he got his chain back?

I was under the impression that you don稚 have to file all the teeth to match the shortest one. All teeth don稚 have to be equal length (or height) you just want them to be 澱iting an equal amount.
To get this, the consistency that痴 important is a consistent angle the teeth are sharpened at, and a consistent raker height to tooth height gap.
True or false?

Actually, this is true, IF you use a progressive depth gauge tool to set the raker depth. What is important is that each tooth take the same amount of "bite". One way of achieving this is to keep all teeth the same length, and to routinely take the same amount of each raker (or use one of the non-progressive gauge tools which span two or more teeth with a cut-out to indicate the proper depth). Because the height of the tooth changes as you sharpen it back toward the rear of the tooth, keeping the teeth all the same length keeps them all the same height. Taking all the rakers down the same amount (either by hand or by lying a straightedge across two or more teeth and measuring down from there - which is basically what the non-progressive depth gauge tools do) gives acceptable results because all of the teeth are the same. This method does not work when the teeth are of differing lengths, since their heights differ. When the teeth differ, the raker needs to be customized specifically to its associated tooth. Laying a straightedge across a couple of teeth of differing heights will not accomplish this: some rakers will be too high and some too low compared to their associated tooth. If you damaged all of your left side teeth on a rock, and filed everything back just enough to remove the damage and no further, you'd find that the teeth on one side cut deeper than those on the other, causing the saw to cut on a curve.

A progressive depth gauge tool is much more accepting of varying tooth length/heights, since each raker is customized to the tooth immediately following it. Using one of these depth gauge tools, I file each cutter enough to get a sharp tooth, if each raker is set to the associated tooth, the saw still cuts straight, even with a noticeable difference in tooth length. (I don't let them get totally out of whack, but neither do I spend much time worrying about whether they are all the same length.)