Chainsaw chain sharpening.......

[Oldpath05]

Time to update this thread title...........Wondering on how far do people file their chainsaw chain rakers down, most likely if one has a big saw the rakers or clearer's or what ever you call them, can be a little more. Last week on my Echo I notice it wasn't cutting very good after sharpening so I check the rakers with flat file, lay it from tooth-tooth and couldn't even get a piece of paper in between that and the raker.

So I looked for the feeler gauge and couldn't find that, so then I looked for a red-neck feeler gauge, found it and cut a piece aluminum flashing, I went by one thickness-ish, one piece slides easy, two slides hard, I might have to go by two sliding easy, I know I would on my 550xp but my Echo 501p I'll have to try it first before I take the rakers down more. This should get me by til I find or buy a feeler gauge.

 

[PILOON]

I simply eyeball and lower them from time to time.
I do so generally when the chips become more like sawdust.
In soft woods I find I can have them quite low but pay the price when I cut maple or other hard woods.
Also your saw's power is a factor, more power the lower the rakers cab be.
One caution to beware of is that a very low raker can help introduce kickback especially if undercutting.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve never checked them with an actual measurement. I just hit them a quick touch on the bench grinder. How far do you guys sharpen a chain down? I’ve heard people say that the the last little bit of the chain tooth is the best but my experience has been the opposite. I find that past half used they don’t sharpen as good anymore. They just don’t take as good of an edge IMO, but on top of that the cutters wear and turn full chisel chains into semi chisel.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I sharpen them till the grinder will no longer will cut without hitting a drive link.
The rakers get lowered more, the smaller the tooth. That steel costs money

 

[YLee Kioti]

I bought the Sthil sharpener, one for the CS490 and one for the pole/limber trimmer/pruner....
Carry a Rigid container with collapsible handle on the front bucket. The container has everything I can think of for field work. hatchet, Sthil sharpeners, wedges, bar oil wrenches, gloves etc.
Cut a few tress, drink water sharpen chain, more water cut again until too whooped to continue....
Often wonder when does the chain get replaced though.
The Sthil tool sharpens and file the rake so it all wears pretty even.
Got bout 120 hackberry tree on the original chain and being cheap, if it still cuts then it gets used till there's no metal to sharpen....?
Hmmm you more seasoned guys tell me....
How's that for a polite way of saying one you ol farts chime in here....

 

[Molalla1]

I bought the Sthil sharpener, one for the CS490 and one for the pole/limber trimmer/pruner....
Carry a Rigid container with collapsible handle on the front bucket. The container has everything I can think of for field work. hatchet, Sthil sharpeners, wedges, bar oil wrenches, gloves etc.
Cut a few tress, drink water sharpen chain, more water cut again until too whooped to continue....
Often wonder when does the chain get replaced though.
The Sthil tool sharpens and file the rake so it all wears pretty even.
Got bout 120 hackberry tree on the original chain and being cheap, if it still cuts then it gets used till there's no metal to sharpen....?
Hmmm you more seasoned guys tell me....
How's that for a polite way of saying one you ol farts chime in here....

:laughing: . . . old fart here . . . I just buy a new chain from my Stihl dealer and he sharpens the old chain for me . . . (kind of for free) I buy all my Stihl equipment from him, I have quite a bit of it . . .

 

[4570Man]

I sharpen them till the grinder will no longer will cut without hitting a drive link.
The rakers get lowered more, the smaller the tooth. That steel costs money

Burning more gas and wasting more time to do the same job isn’t free either.

 

[Oldpath05]

I took 2 swipes with a flat chainsaw file, regular flat files can file on the side so if one used that might end up hitting the just sharpen tooth.

 

[jaxs]

More than one woodcutter has told me they buy chain by the foot and replace rather than sharpen. Claim they loose money spending time sharpening that could be spent cutting. I can't argue since I can't cut enough wood to make a living either way.

 

[goeduck]

More than one woodcutter has told me they buy chain by the foot and replace rather than sharpen. Claim they loose money spending time sharpening that could be spent cutting. I can't argue since I can't cut enough wood to make a living either way.

Probably told to you by woodcutters that can not sharpen a sawchain if they had to. For those of us who watch our money, it would be foolish to toss a brand new chain when it was simply dull. Would they buy a new chainsaw when it runs out if fuel? A sawchain can be sharpened many times over.

 

[terryknight]

i have one of these....

https://www.amazon.com/Depth-Gauge-Chainsaw-Groove-Cleaner/dp/B076KMH8GS

take them down to .030 - .035 ish. hit the rakes every couple times i sharpen

 

[Motorboatin]

I bought one of these a few weeks ago. I was skeptical but thought it would be good for touching up the chain in the woods. It works great and takes only a few minutes so I bought another one for my 3/8 chains

 

[CobyRupert]

More than one woodcutter has told me they buy chain by the foot and replace rather than sharpen. Claim they loose money spending time sharpening that could be spent cutting. I can't argue since I can't cut enough wood to make a living either way.

???
Other than being extremely wasteful and pricey, don't they sharpen (or replace) chain every couple tank refills? So wouldn't that be a few times a day?

I'm pretty sure that I can sharpen a chain faster than taking the cover off, removing old chain, correctly counting out the right length of new chain (double checking, so counting multiple times), then breaking it on the reel, reassembling it as a loop (rivet?) and putting new loop back on saw.

As far as the rakers, they are something that need to be check and taken down a few times over the chains life. Probably more often, but I use the same philosophy as trimming the hedges or bushes, or getting a haircut : Infrequently, but drastically!

..but hang on next time you use the saw! It'll kick like a mule! Or pull like an ox.

It's funny when guys argue about the cutting power of one saw versus another, or the effect of this sharpener, or chain versus another; with no mention of the rakers.
With the rakers lowered, it's night versus day on how much a chain can cut. Where the saw dust (chips) is like matchsticks, to the point where the saw really pulls or can run out of power if you let it bite to much.

Don't most chains have a wear bar at the back of the tooth that gives good indication that you might be getting to the end of its life?

 

[CobyRupert]

I bought one of these a few weeks ago. I was skeptical but thought it would be good for touching up the chain in the woods. It works great and takes only a few minutes so I bought another one for my 3/8 chains

View attachment 608500

That's all I've ever used (well, the older, more basic versions of round file guides).

I've recently splurged on the stump vice also shown in the picture, instead of resting saw on a work bench or truck tailgate. Very handy in getting a consistent file angle.

 

[ericm979]

On the saws I use for felling and wood cutting I file the rakers progressively. The depth gets greater as the tooth is filed away, which keeps the tooth at the same angle so it's cutting the same amount of wood. If you do a constant .025 or whatever, the effective depth will be less when the tooth has been filed short.

Husky's roller filling tool has a progressive depth gauge. They also make a standalone progressive gauge.

I think some guys file the rakers down to make an "aggressive" chain when the real problem is the teeth aren't all that sharp.

 

[4570Man]

???
Other than being extremely wasteful and pricey, don't they sharpen (or replace) chain every couple tank refills? So wouldn't that be a few times a day?

I'm pretty sure that I can sharpen a chain faster than taking the cover off, removing old chain, correctly counting out the right length of new chain (double checking, so counting multiple times), then breaking it on the reel, reassembling it as a loop (rivet?) and putting new loop back on saw.

As far as the rakers, they are something that need to be check and taken down a few times over the chains life. Probably more often, but I use the same philosophy as trimming the hedges or bushes, or getting a haircut : Infrequently, but drastically!

..but hang on next time you use the saw! It'll kick like a mule! Or pull like an ox.

It's funny when guys argue about the cutting power of one saw versus another, or the effect of this sharpener, or chain versus another; with no mention of the rakers.
With the rakers lowered, it's night versus day on how much a chain can cut. Where the saw dust (chips) is like matchsticks, to the point where the saw really pulls or can run out of power if you let it bite to much.

Don't most chains have a wear bar at the back of the tooth that gives good indication that you might be getting to the end of its life?

It doesn’t much matter how you cut your hair but the rakers need trimmed frequently to maintain maximum efficiency.

 

[kco]

Like YLee Kioti in post #5 I have the Stihl sharpening guide/holder that sharpens the rakers and teeth. I later found the Pferd sells what looks like the same holder much cheaper. Both are available on Amazon. I carry a simpler file holder guide for touch-up in the bush if I happen to dull the chain on a rock or dirt. I touch up the chain with the saw in a vise after every tank or two of gas. Keeping the chain sharp greatly reduces the work, and it just takes at most 10 minutes.

I keep a chain until it is right down to the minimum marks on the teeth before retiring it. I keep an old chain or two as a "stump chain" that is then discarded after one use. Another thing I have found is to clean the files regularly and retire them when they get worn. Sharpening is easy and takes much less effort with good files. Files are cheaper if you buy a pack of 12 (at least they were when I bought my last pack 2 or 3 years ago).

 

[MH8675309]

Knock the rakers down with a consistent number of strokes for each raker BEFORE you sharpen the chain.

 

[Bud Soda]

I sell and burn a lot of red oak. Sharpen all mine with a dremel tool. Takes just a few minuets per chain.

 

[goeduck]

Knock the rakers down with a consistent number of strokes for each raker BEFORE you sharpen the chain.

Why before? Not questioning you, more asking.