Best Chainsaw Sharpener under $300

[shooterdon]

Looking to sharpen 5-6 chains at a time off the saw.

What would you recommend?

 

[RalphVa]

Dremel and Oregon stones.

 

[xyz123]

Good files $16 a dozen if that is all your doing. Unless super long chains.


Yes I own grinder too. Stihl USG. But because I do chains for locals that was wearing me out with their crap chains.

Dad has a Tecomec grinder good priced well built grinder.

Guy north of me has a mail order business for just doing chains. He has 5 Frazen machines.
His website if you get to that point. HOME | razzorsharp

 

[5030]

Off the saw means a stand alone chain grinder. Many available, from a cheaop HF grinder to an expensive Stihl grinder and everything in between.

Myself, I sharpen my chains on the saw using a Timberline sharpener with a Tungsten Carbide cutter or hand file them (and cut the rakers) using the Stihl guide tool. Only exception to that is the skip tooth square cutter chain on my 075 Stihl. That has to be hand filed all the time.

All depends on the depth of your wallet and what you want to achieve.

 

[RandyT]

Off the saw means a stand alone chain grinder. Many available, from a cheaop HF grinder to an expensive Stihl grinder and everything in between.

Myself, I sharpen my chains on the saw using a Timberline sharpener with a Tungsten Carbide cutter or hand file them (and cut the rakers) using the Stihl guide tool. Only exception to that is the skip tooth square cutter chain on my 075 Stihl. That has to be hand filed all the time.

All depends on the depth of your wallet and what you want to achieve.

That skip link square ground chain is fun to play with. And I am not too bad at hand filing it either. definitely not for everybody. people that can't hand file with a round file shouldn't even touch this stuff. And unless you are doing large volume of cutting not worth the $1900 for the electric sharpener.

 

[newbury]

Back in the day when I was dulling chains frequently doing Chainsaw Milling (CSM) on hardwoods I'd got through chains fairly quickly.
I developed the habit of hand filing (basically touching it up holding a file in my glove)) a chain 3 times. It would then go for filing it with a Granberg File-N-Joint Precision Filing Guide . repeat.
Once it got through 3 sets of hand-filing/granberg I'd take it to my $100 Northern tools bench grinder, a knock-off of an Oregon grinder.
But over the years my touch ups got better and I've stopped using the Granberg.

What would you recommend?

So I'd recommend investing in a good hand filing system (PFERD, Stihl) and then an oregon bench mount grinder.

 

[caver]

Pferd handheld is my go-to but I bought a Timber Tuff grinder years ago.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I sharpen with an Oregon grinder; it does a great job; I kicked my POS HF grinder under my bench long ago! If needed I'd buy the Oregon grinder again.

Did I mention that the HF grinder is a POS?

DSR

 

[ArlyA]

Silly question. How many of you guys have a grinder chain sharpener tool and still do them by hand??

 

[IndyIan]

Have you tried sharpening on the saw? Round file with a clip on the file guide. I just do that on my 20" bar, probably is a bit slower than swapping chains but I'm a 1 or 2 tanks and done cutter anyways...(372xp) A flat file and a depth gauge guide for the rakers may every 4-5 cutter sharpenings? Even for minor rock strikes a round file gets it cutting decent again. I do usually bring another bar and chain if I get seriously pinched or rocked. I find the cutters don't have to be identical to cut well, just sharp!

 

[i7win7]

thinking about one of these for on saw sharpening

Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener | Sharpen your chainsaw the faster, easier way with Timberline Chainsaw's patented sharpener.

timberlinesharpener.com

 

[xyz123]

Silly question. How many of you guys have a grinder chain sharpener tool and still do them by hand??

I do my chain by hand if short like 24" under. I only use my grinder for my stuff if longer and bunch of chains to do.

Did I mention I hate doing chains. So boring and repetitious.

 

[grsthegreat]

i use an oregon grinder also. works great, easy to learn.

when i made my gun range backstop from old RR ties, id get about 2-3 cuts per sharpening due to rocks in old RR ties. the grinder sharpened them right up. used 1 chain for entire thing. then tossed chain.

 

[shooterdon]

The reason my post said ”off the saw” is due to my buddy and I looking at purchasing or building a firewood processor. At 1/2 to 1 cord an hour, I expect we will be going through a number of chains a day.

I have manual sharpeners for my Shindawa and Hsqvarna saws

 

[5030]

Only if you hit metal in the saw logs. Get yourself a carbide tipped chain. Not cheap but metal won't dull them.

 

[5030]

thinking about one of these for on saw sharpening

Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener | Sharpen your chainsaw the faster, easier way with Timberline Chainsaw's patented sharpener.

timberlinesharpener.com

What I have. I prefer hand filing but if the chain gets buggered up from hitting something, out comes the Timberline.

If you want to sharpen the chain on the saw in the field, I suggest buying an Oregon Stump vise as well. Drive the vise into the cut side of a larger log and clamp the bar in the vise and clamp the Timberline on the bar. That way things don't move around.

They work real well on a buggered chain.

 

[AnotherBueller]

I use the Ez-Lap diamond sharpener $11.90 at their website or $15.90 at Amazon Lets me sharpen on the bar in the field.

Eze-Lap Chainsaw Sharpeners « Eze-Lap Diamond Products

Eze-Lap Diamond Products Chainsaw Sharpeners

eze-lap.com

Amazon.com: EZE-LAP CSG 7/32 2 Chainsaw Sharpener with Super Accurate Guide, 2-Pack : Home & Kitchen

Buy EZE-LAP CSG 7/32 2 Chainsaw Sharpener with Super Accurate Guide, 2-Pack: Knife Sharpeners - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I've used their 12V chainsaw sharpening kit for more than 30 years.
With a stone the diameter gets smaller with every tooth you sharpen. with the diamond file I get 20 - 30 34" chains sharpened before I replace the rotary file. Diamond seems to be much faster too.
Kit with 12V motor that runs off car battery $39.95 at ezlap. Couldn't find the kit at Amazon.

12-Volt Chainsaw Sharpening Kit​

 

[Monster5601]

Silly question. How many of you guys have a grinder chain sharpener tool and still do them by hand??

Me.

I'm using the STIHL 2 in 1 sharpeners, all my saws are Stihl except for my little but very useful Milwaukee Hatchet which uses the same chain size as my Stihl Kombi pruner attachment. It doesn't take long to touch up a chain by hand if you keep up with them.

I have the "cheap" HF bench sharpener, I've had success with it albeit I don't use it that much unless I really damage the cutting edges of a chain. I also am not afraid to toss a well-used chain and break out a new one, they are simply not that expensive.

 

[shooterdon]

Think I will go with the Tecomec. More than I wanted to pay but great reviews. Buy once, cry once.

https://www.amazon.com/Tecomec-Super-Mounted-Grinder-Hydraulic/dp/B00BWSWXQ8/ref=asc_df_B00BWSWXQ8?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80470587765562&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070142286347&psc=1

Sir, you are one of the few who understood my needs to sharpen off the saw.

Good files $16 a dozen if that is all your doing. Unless super long chains.


Yes I own grinder too. Stihl USG. But because I do chains for locals that was wearing me out with their crap chains.

Dad has a Tecomec grinder good priced well built grinder.

Guy north of me has a mail order business for just doing chains. He has 5 Frazen machines.
His website if you get to that point. HOME | razzorsharp


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[newbury]

The reason my post said ”off the saw” is due to my buddy and I looking at purchasing or building a firewood processor. At 1/2 to 1 cord an hour, I expect we will be going through a number of chains a day.

I have manual sharpeners for my Shindawa and Hsqvarna saws

Should have mentioned that at the start, puts an entirely different spin on things.