Best Chainsaw Sharpener under $300

[5030]

Compared to a more costly grinder with metal parts that fit together well, it is a cheap grinder and I seriously doubt that unless you are a neophyte hand filer, your HF grinder can sharpen a chain as good as a factory ground chain.

I had one and returned it because of the crappy way the parts fit together and the inadequate chain vise. I have the slightly more expensive Oregon but rarely use it, I prefer hand filing.

Not saying they won't (grind a chain) because they will, they are just not accurate enough for me at least and I happen to be an HF junkie.

My go to (in the field) is a Timberline and a stump vise to hold the saw and bar steady.

 

[Cougsfan]

I am amazed at how many people accuse the Harbor Freight sharpener as being a piece of junk. My experience is just the opposite. I cut up about 3 cords of firewood a year on average plus use my saw for general trimming of trees. The HF unit is quick, easy to use, and makes my blades cut like new.

I suppose if you cut wood for a living you might be well advised to spend a lot of money for a brand name, high quality, expensive sharpener. But if you are like most of us who don't, you will be well pleased with an inexpensive HF sharpener. I'd have no justification to replace it.

 

[5030]

I never said they were junk. What I said was the parts tolerances on the plastic stuff is nowhere near as good as the more expensive metal ones.

 

[RandyT]

Depends on who is grinding them. You have them ground, you can bet they will remove a lot of tooth for the reasons I stated in post 45.

Not true for all shops. People believe they do it so the shop can sell more chain. The truth is there is very little profit in selling chainsaw chain, and if the shop does one of those buy one and get the second chain at half price they didn't make a dime on the sale. And sharpening chain is actually a money loosing activity.

 

[5030]

You could be correct and I can see where grinding chains is a no profit deal. I happen to grind wood chipper knives and it's pretty much a no profit deal as well. Keeps my machine oiled and that is about it. Not a lot of people who can grind chipper knives out there today. Takes special jigs and a machine.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Better get those chains sharp! It is getting time to start burning instead of cutting…

 

[5030]

Not here yet but just like the sun rises and sets, it's coming. We heat with 2 bio mass stoves roasting field corn and processed wood pellets (mostly field corn) so any wood on this place, I either roast or give away. I have a guy who cuts and splits it and sells it to the local campground's to supplement his retirement.

We have a propane fired high efficiency furnace as a backup for those really cold, windy days but it rarely gets used and I heat the farm shop with corn as well. Nice thing about corn for me is, while I don't grow it, I still get it for free, farmer down the road has a huge seed corn operation and I get all the off grade seed corn that is rejected which he would have to send to a landfill and pay to have them take it.

Just picking my sweet corn and have to dig potatoes and onions yet.

With inflation and the ever increasing cost of all fuels (including NG and electricity), there are gonna be a lot of people who will be very cold this winter, especially in Europe.

 

[John_Mc]

My go to (in the field) is a Timberline and a stump vise to hold the saw and bar steady.

Since the Timberline clamps to the bar to lock the orientation in, I would have thought the stump vise was unnecessary.

 

[arrow]

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

I can tell you what I got when working as a logger. I used a grinder (Oregon, etc.) type sharpener that I mounted on a post 4' off the ground. Mine was made by Bell industries but Oregon makes some good ones in the $250-$300. You don't need the $400-$500 ones.
The trouble with the cheap grinders is slop in the chain grip mechanism and more importantly, their motors spin too fast to make up for the lack of torque. This speed de-tempers the cutter right quick. Get a grind crayon and the pink colored grinding wheels and you and your cohort will be in fine shape.

I would do all of my sharpening at night and would prepare 6 to 8 chains for the next days work which. It was rather grinding.

 

[5030]

Since the Timberline clamps to the bar to lock the orientation in, I would have thought the stump vise was unnecessary.

It is necessary to hold the saw and bar stationary. Has nothing to do with the sharpener at all. I'll use it when hand filing in the field as well. You don't want the saw moving around.

 

[Egon]

C clamp in a vise works well for holding the bar and saw steady.

 

[5030]

C clamp in a vise works well for holding the bar and saw steady.

Works in the shop fine, not so good in the woods, Why I use an Oregon Stump vise.

 

[John_Mc]

It is necessary to hold the saw and bar stationary. Has nothing to do with the sharpener at all. I'll use it when hand filing in the field as well. You don't want the saw moving around.

My point was that when using the Timberline sharpener it is not necessary to hold the saw and bar stationary. You can just set it on a workbench or stump. If the saw moves during use, it will not affect the Timberline’s accuracy.

Having said that, I do agree that a stump vise is a great tool. I use one all the time when filing in the woods. I like it enough that I clamp a scrap 2x4 in an old Stanley Workmate folding workbench and pound my stump vise into that when sharpening at home. (I used to just clamp the bar in the jaws of the bench vise in my shop - the shape of the jaws still allowed the chain to mover. However, I now prefer the portable workbench & stump vise, since I can get around it better.)

 

[5030]

The issue with the timberline on a smaller bar is, when you crank the burr handle, the saw moves about. Why I use a stump vise and in the shop, copper soft jaws in my vise so as not to damage the guide bar. I'm kind of **** about chipping the paint on guide bars. I cut rubber discs so the stump vise don't clamp on the bar directly as well.

 

[5030]

Last time I looked the Timberline was selling for under 200 bucks with your choice of carbide burs (1) included and extra burrs (for different pitch chains were about 20 bucks each). The timberline is really a modern copy of the old Ganim sharpener. Even look the same actually.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

My issue with ALL chain grinders is. they remove too much of the tooth which is ok if the tooth is really dull or chipped but for touching up a chain that isn't buggered up, filing is the only way to go.

Being inherently cheap, I don't need to grind away excessive amounts of tooth if not needed. Besides, learning how to file a chain properly is a good skill to learn. Kind of similar to off hand sharpening twist drills or TIG welding.

I just barely touch with the grinding wheel. I don't see where that is any different than filing to just enough to be sharp.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Fair statement but still easier to hand file and with any 'grinder' you still have to hand file the rakers, something that a lot of owners overlook. Don't care for them simply because it's easier and quicker to dress a chain on the bar versus removing it and grinding., not that, that is all bad because it gives you a chance to inspect the rails for galling and clean the oil groove and flip the bar if necessary. My rule of thumb is I flip the bar every time I renew the loop and I inspect the drive sprocket at the same time.

Been using chainsaws forever. Still own and use a Stihl 028WB I bought in the early 60's Stihl only made the saw for 2 years. It's an RPM saw and it's loud. Has the heated stirrup on it and no chain brake either. Back then, Stihl had not succumbed to the 'noise police' like today and the saw is all alloy except for the top shroud instead of the plastic of today (like my MS saw). I own an 075 from that era as well but hardly ever use it. Has a 5 foot bar on it with 404 square tooth skip tooth chain. No grinding on that chain, hand setting only and you better use the CR or you'll leave your fingers on the recoil. Tend to run Carleton roller nose bars with replaceable noses and greaseable bearings too. I'm decidedly old school because I AM OLD.

I just set my grinder at 90° and leave the chain loose in the clamp, quickly take care of those rakes. I like one handed self feed cutting. If I take the rakes down, I can't push down on the saw because it will choke down. I just lay it on the wood and let gravity do the rest.

 

[John_Mc]

I just barely touch with the grinding wheel. I don't see where that is any different than filing to just enough to be sharp.

In the hands of a skilled operator, a grinder does a good job, and is not necessarily wasteful of chain life. In the hands of someone without much experience, or who just does not care (i.e. the typical hardware store flunky who probably had all of 15 minutes of training), it's a great way of doing a lot of damage quickly and either eating up chain life or overheating the cutters.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

In the hands of a skilled operator, a grinder does a good job, and is not necessarily wasteful of chain life. In the hands of someone without much experience, or who just does not care (i.e. the typical hardware store flunky who probably had all of 15 minutes of training), it's a great way of doing a lot of damage quickly and either eating up chain life or overheating the cutters.

I remember the first time I saw a chain sharpener. My brother and I ran a couple of pulpwood trucks with cable loaders back then. We was at the saw shop and they'd just got one and was sharpening chains. When we got back to the woods, realized his help had just sharpened only one side. So, I know what you're saying.

 

[bgr]

I do a lot of brushing along stone walls for my customers. Have to cut close to the wall and hit a rock pretty often. Used to carry a bucket of sharpened chains from the saw shop, and usually ran out half way through the day and cut slowly because chain was dull. Very slow to keep taking dull chains off.

Then I saw a Pferd 2 in 1 sharpener and tried it. Now I use a short 16 inch bar on a small Stihl. Only 40 teeth to sharpen. Sharpen on the saw every time chain starts to dull, sometimes every 15 minutes. Always count strokes and do same number on each tooth to keep chain cut balanced side to side. Chains cut very well, too. I usually get 16 sharpenings on a chain before teeth are worn too short. Each new chain lasts about 6 hours of work. Just carry 1 new chain and put it on when other one is done, not a bucket of chains. Also carry new round files and replace files in sharpener as soon as they don't cut well. That saves time, too.

I get about twice as much cutting done compared to what I used to do. Thank goodness for the Pferd/Stihl 2 in 1 sharpeners. They are expensive but worth it. I notice there are now Chinese copies out for $20. instead of $50. That makes getting a 2 in 1 a lot less painful if the Chinese did a good job copying. But you will save enough sharpening costs to get a new Stihl sharpener with every chain.

Sorry I don't know the best off the saw sharpener, but the 2 in 1 is a great way to sharpen chains on the bar. The built in guides make sure you get the angles right and the chains cut almost like new.