Chain sharpening

[mbergeon]

For occasional use and a low learning curve I' suggest this:

2 in 1 Filing Guide & Saw Chain Sharpener | STIHL USA

 

[newbury]

I just have a basic big box store chainsaw. Ryobi 16 in. 37cc - nothing fancy and probably a toy compared to 'real' one. But for all I need one for, it's acceptable. I mostly use it for dealing with downed pine trees or getting low hanging branches clipped to mow under easier.

With a sharp blade it cuts really well for its size/power. But it seems the blade doesn't stay sharp for very long. Limbing and cutting two medium-sized pine into logs seems to be enough that by the end I notice it isn't cutting nearly as well. No idea if that's normal or how long a chain should feel like it's cutting best. I don't run it into the dirt or anything 'bad'. I try to let the saw do the work and not force it into the cut. The chain oil spitter seems like it's right and working - the oil tank empties about the same time as gas tank. But into tree #2 I really noticed it taking a lot longer to make a cut and by the end felt like it was taking twice as long to get through the same diameter of tree.

Anyway, how is the HF electric chainsaw sharpener? Looks like that would be a lot faster/easier than a file. But before messing with it figured I'd see if it's worthwhile or a waste of time & $$$. Also, just using the chain that came with it. Would a different brand stay sharper longer or are they all pretty much the same?

Many discussions on sharpening chains here.
For a little 16" loop GOOD hand sharpening should only take a few minutes. The difficulty is going from poor inexperienced hand sharpening to GOOD.

You need to learn your angles. Probably a good mix for your usage, if you have a Dremel, would be a Dremel attachment and some hand files.

Presently one of the best "bang for the buck" is something like the Timberline it holds the angles well, but costs $110.

I've an assortment of files, a Granberg File-N-Joint and a clone of a high end Oregon chain sharpener, but then I've also 6 saws.

The HF sharpener generally needs "tuning". With any motorized sharpener you can wreck a chain.

The Stihl sharpener mentioned above has gotten goo reviews bu I have not tried it yet.

Also Stihl chains generally last longer, but are harder to file.

 

[fishheadbob]

I'm thinking it's a bargain basement chain made with soft steel. Soft steel in a pocket knife will sharpen quickly and get dull even faster while hard steel takes longer to sharpen and stays sharp much longer.. Don't know what type of chain is on this saw, probably not Oregon.

 

[ericm979]

I've been impressed with the house brand WoodlandPRO chain sold by Baileys. It's signficantly cheaper than Stihl chain from the dealer and nearly as good. They don't have low kickback chain though. I like low kickback chain for brush cutting and limbing as it doesn't snag on brush as easily. (but right now my favorite brush cutting saw has regular chain on it as I'm trying out a narrow kerf chain and bar).

I do 90% of my sharpening freehand with a file. I've tried a lot of file jigs and find them more difficult to use. But I spent a couple years on a thinning crew to help put myself through college and hand filed a lot of chain. I wouldn't say that I can hand file better than a good bench sharpener but it's close enough and quicker to do.
I started doing a lot of chainsaw work last year and bought an Oregon bench sharpener. I use it on chains that have been hand filed many times, to get the teeth even and the angles just right. Even with Stihl chain I go at most two tanks before sharpening. By then the saw needs cleaning anyhow so I just drop it on the bench to clean and sharpen that evening. That way the saw's ready to go next time. When I'm cutting a lot and go through more than two tanks in a day on the same saw I put on a fresh chain.

 

[Phillip w]

My farm and home store has a small engine man working there. He charges 5 dollars to sharpen a chain. For 5 dollars, it isn't worth fooling with. I got like 5 chains and just rotate them in and out of the farm and home store.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Maybe your rakers are to high. That could make the chain seem to dull quickly. If you have sharpened that chain many times you will need to file the rakers down a little. There are some good YouTubes on chain sharpening.

I sharpen mine before it really needs it. I can do a better and quicker job with a light touch of the file often vs waiting until I really need to remove some metal to get a proper shaped tooth.

gg

 

[4570Man]

I don’t have any scientific proof but I believe the chain on a bigger saw will cut more before it gets dull. The logic behind it is that it dulls the tooth the same amount to pull a thick chip vs a thin chip. Running the same chains on my 50 and 70 cc saw support the claim.

 

[/pine]

Keeping a chain out of the dirt (rocks) is paramount for keeping a chain cutting well...but one thing that can't be prevented in most cases is cutting through bark...bark tends to trap dirt and sand etc. where it gets embedded...the courser the bark the more grit it can hold...hard on chains...
...For those not in tropical zones be glad you do not have to deal with palm trees...many types of palms have very large veins that run from the roots to the fronds that are capable of carrying fine sand granules the entire length of the trunks...they are heck on chains...

 

[motownbrowne]

Are you sure youæ±*e not cutting something besides wood? I put a gallon of gas through my saw before I sharpen it and if I only cut wood itç—´ still pretty sharp.

I don't know what size saw you're running, but the op has a 37cc saw. I could probably put a gallon of fuel through my ported 660 without stopping to file, but a little saw with a small chain that runs much longer on a gallon of fuel absolutely needs to be sharpened sooner.

Personally, I freehand file 95% of the time. I've heard great things about the timberline and the Stihl 2 in 1 though.

 

[Budweiser John]

I致e got an Oregon chain grinder, not the top of the line edition, but compared to the Horr Freight grinder my neighbor bought (and no longer uses) it does a fine job.
While the grind vs hand file debate rages on, I prefer to keep my saw chains in top shape by grinding carefully.
A wood cutting adventure includes two or more spare sharp chains as, in my opinion, swapping out a dull chain in freezing cold is less hassle that filing.
B. John