Best Chainsaw Sharpener under $300

[John_Mc]

Skip tooth square chisel chain is not for weinie saws. Takes some horses to pull it. I have it on my 075 Stihl on a 36" bar.

I've used a friend's Jonsered 2152 (50cc saw - twin sister to a Husky 353) running .325 pitch square ground chain. It pulled it just fine - in fact, better than my own 2152 pulled a .325 pitch full-chisel round-ground chain. You can't get away with taking the rakers way down as you might with a larger saw, but it runs fine. The friend with that chain made his own, just our of curiousity. He eventually went back to .325 round-ground just because it was readily available and easier to sharpen.

The 2152 is lower powered than today's pro-level 50 cc saws, so I have to wonder if the problem with needing a bigger saw is more someone trying to run a 3/8" square ground chain on a smaller saw than the fact that they are running square vs round ground.

 

[ArlyA]

I bought the Oregon Professional 620 bench grinder a few years ago. Granted, it was over $400 at the time. Not sure what it is now.

I only have the one saw, Stihl MS391. I have several chains for it. I abuse the crap out of my saw. I got tired of digging out stumps with my backhoe, and on many occasions, simply dug down and cut the stumps off several inches below the surface. I might get through a stump on one chain depending the size.

I sharpened my chains by hand for years. Got quite good at it, but it takes time and skill. Buying this grinder has defiantly changed the way I sharpen a chainsaw. For a while, when I needed to sharpen the chain, I'd simply remove it from the bar and add a new one. The old, dull one would go into a coffee can on the bench. After I collected a few chains in the can, I'd sit down with my grinder and sharpen them up. Now, having a collection of sharp chains hanging from a hook in the shop, when the saw gets dull, I just swap out chains.

I have also made it a money maker of sorts. My neighbor has a side business cutting firewood. He goes through chains. Before I got my grinder, he would collect up his dull chains, same as me, and take them into the local hardware store to be sharpened. They charged between $6-10 per chain depending on length. Since I got my grinder, and since I live so close, and since I'm good at it, he swings by my shop every once in a while with a case of beer and a bucket of chains. I spend a few hours BSing and grinding. When I'm done, he hands me a wad of cash and I hand him a bucket with sharp chains. He saves money, and I make a little. But more importantly, I'm a value to my neighbor and others for this service.

I love my grinder.

gee, that is a spendy unit.

 

[jjeff]

That kit is gives you an assortment of file sizes, but only one of the clip on guide plates. Those guides are specific to a file size, so for whatever files you wish to use other than the one that matches the included guide plate, you will need to buy the appropriate guide plate (or learn to free-hand file).

I'm learning to freehand without guide. I like the fact it gives you a small portable vise Ive grown a little dependent using vise's for a lot of stuff unfortunately.

 

[jjeff]

I bought the Oregon Professional 620 bench grinder a few years ago. Granted, it was over $400 at the time. Not sure what it is now.

I only have the one saw, Stihl MS391. I have several chains for it. I abuse the crap out of my saw. I got tired of digging out stumps with my backhoe, and on many occasions, simply dug down and cut the stumps off several inches below the surface. I might get through a stump on one chain depending the size.

I sharpened my chains by hand for years. Got quite good at it, but it takes time and skill. Buying this grinder has defiantly changed the way I sharpen a chainsaw. For a while, when I needed to sharpen the chain, I'd simply remove it from the bar and add a new one. The old, dull one would go into a coffee can on the bench. After I collected a few chains in the can, I'd sit down with my grinder and sharpen them up. Now, having a collection of sharp chains hanging from a hook in the shop, when the saw gets dull, I just swap out chains.

I have also made it a money maker of sorts. My neighbor has a side business cutting firewood. He goes through chains. Before I got my grinder, he would collect up his dull chains, same as me, and take them into the local hardware store to be sharpened. They charged between $6-10 per chain depending on length. Since I got my grinder, and since I live so close, and since I'm good at it, he swings by my shop every once in a while with a case of beer and a bucket of chains. I spend a few hours BSing and grinding. When I'm done, he hands me a wad of cash and I hand him a bucket with sharp chains. He saves money, and I make a little. But more importantly, I'm a value to my neighbor and others for this service.

I love my grinder.

When removing stumps or cutting them at or below ground level, I've found a cordless sawzall and demo blade works wonders in my experiences.

 

[5030]

I've used a friend's Jonsered 2152 (50cc saw - twin sister to a Husky 353) running .325 pitch square ground chain. It pulled it just fine - in fact, better than my own 2152 pulled a .325 pitch full-chisel round-ground chain. You can't get away with taking the rakers way down as you might with a larger saw, but it runs fine. The friend with that chain made his own, just our of curiousity. He eventually went back to .325 round-ground just because it was readily available and easier to sharpen.

The 2152 is lower powered than today's pro-level 50 cc saws, so I have to wonder if the problem with needing a bigger saw is more someone trying to run a 3/8" square ground chain on a smaller saw than the fact that they are running square vs round ground.

325 is wimpy. My square tooth skip chains are 404. In reality it's only good for bucking large rounds on the ground.

 

[Avenger]

gee, that is a spendy unit.

It is for sure! But it's fast! The hydraulic clamp really speeds up my time while sharpening.

 

[5030]

When removing stumps or cutting them at or below ground level, I've found a cordless sawzall and demo blade works wonders in my experiences.

In as much as I grind chipper knives for a number of local tree outfits, all I do is call one and have them bring out a Vermeer stump grinder and it don't cost me squat either.

 

[Avenger]

When removing stumps or cutting them at or below ground level, I've found a cordless sawzall and demo blade works wonders in my experiences.

My stumps would be a bit much for a sawzall blade I think. Most are over 36" down at the root flare

 

[John_Mc]

I'm learning to freehand without guide. I like the fact it gives you a small portable vise Ive grown a little dependent using vise's for a lot of stuff unfortunately.

That is called a stump vise. You can buy them separately. Yes, they are handy. I keep one in my ammo box full of chainsaw tools and parts.

 

[John_Mc]

325 is wimpy. My square tooth skip chains are 404. In reality it's only good for bucking large rounds on the ground.

Of course it is. It's made for smaller saws. However, it is a good match for a 50cc saw. (I like it better than 3/8" low profile.) Not all of my cutting is large hardwoods. No point in carrying a monster saw around if I'm not cutting something that needs it. It's rare to find anyone around here bothering with 404 pitch chain, unless it's on a mechanized harvester of some sort.