Chain sharpening

[Tractorman46]

I don't know if the Stihl Pro chain I have seen referred to in this discussion is the same thing in the USA but here in Europe Stihl do a tungsten chain which although you can't sharpen yourself (it needs a dealer who has an expensive diamond equipped sharpener machine) the chain last ages. I got a couple for my 18" and 14" Stihls at the beginning of last year. They are still cutting fine and although I haven't tested it are supposed to be tolerant of touching soil. In fact there is a Stihl YouTube film which compares an ordinary Stihl chain with a tungsten one sawing a log filled with sand. That said, I have yet to find a Stihl dealer round here who can sharpen the things but I may decide just to buy new again when they pack up.

 

[Lem]

They have a lil pack that has a file and a guide to keep you on the right angle and wont let you go deeper than need be. Works good. Sharpen my chain in 3 minutes probably. Like to go deeper than the drag guide lets you file them

 

[aczlan]

I don't know if the Stihl Pro chain I have seen referred to in this discussion is the same thing in the USA but here in Europe Stihl do a tungsten chain which although you can't sharpen yourself (it needs a dealer who has an expensive diamond equipped sharpener machine) the chain last ages. I got a couple for my 18" and 14" Stihls at the beginning of last year. They are still cutting fine and although I haven't tested it are supposed to be tolerant of touching soil. In fact there is a Stihl YouTube film which compares an ordinary Stihl chain with a tungsten one sawing a log filled with sand. That said, I have yet to find a Stihl dealer round here who can sharpen the things but I may decide just to buy new again when they pack up.

They have something similar here that the fire departments use on their chainsaws that they use to cut through roofs and such. Spendy, but when you need it, you need it.

Aaron Z

 

[Appyacres]

For what your using your saw for, I would think 2 or 3 passes with a hand file every tank of gas would suffice in keeping the blade tuned.

For more in-depth sharpening, I use a dremel with carbide bits I bought off amazon. A 5 pk for $4. I don稚 use a guide because I I do this quite often and have developed a feel on field dressing chains.

 

[RandyT]

They have something similar here that the fire departments use on their chainsaws that they use to cut through roofs and such. Spendy, but when you need it, you need it.

Aaron Z

Most of the fire saws that I have seen use Rapco brand carbide insert chain.

 

[arrow]

I've yet to try square ground. The files are insanely expensive and I already know how to file and grind regular chain. If I cut a lot of big wood I'd be more inclined to try it.

Let me help you out with a decision as I learned to use square ground for one type of situation and one situation only and that was for "felling". Nothing cuts faster than square ground and nothing dulls faster as well.
When we were harvesting mill wood, I would for the most part attempt to use square ground as I know I would only be felling and sawing off crowns. On firewood days, I could not substantiate its use as it dulled too quickly in bucking skidded wood. It was just too much of a pain to keep up with including the sharpening so after awhile, I stuck solely to semi-chisel.

 

[DieselBound]

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

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

I'll second this. Actually, I've been through quite a few different sharpeners and this is the only one that I've found is worth using. Not hard to use in the field either. I stay away from powered units because I worry about removing too much material. In general, it's best to be touching things up as you go, much like a professional chef will always be steeling his knives as he works.

I can cut up a LOT of wood before I need to sharpen: not cutting the hardest wood, maple, but not exactly soft either- type of wood make a big difference. I'm running a Husky 562XP (modded) with an 18" chain (Husky chains- got a great deal on a pile of them). Pretty much as long as you keep them out of the dirt they'll cut well for many cuts.

 

[Buggs67]

It appears that the Stihl 2-in-1 is MSRP $37.49.

Is that what they are actually getting?

A search on Amazon shows one called "PFERD" for $44.84! Amazon.com: PFERD 1734Pferd CS-X Chain Sharp Filing Guide - 7/32": Home Improvement

And the Stihl are $54 and up.

 

[Buggs67]

The Best Way to Sharpen a Chainsaw Ever! - YouTube

 

[woodlandfarms]

The Best Way to Sharpen a Chainsaw Ever! - YouTube

$109???? Nope.. I have seen them and they do produce a really nice and acurate sharpness, but they are time consuming. To much futzing. I would consider one to put on my "once a year tune up" but that would take me too long to get my between trees sharpening done.