Sharpening chainsaws

[manzer7]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

I have an Electric Chainsaw sharpener from Harbor Freight ! Under $40.00 - bought some 10 years ago. Works great for me. I have a spare sharpening disk that I bought at the same time that is still new. I have no problem sharpening - IT JUST WORKS GREAT !! I have a 59 acre woodlot that I take care of some downed trees. I used to cut a lot of my wood - but now I have a pellet stove and a Mini Heat Pump! Going on 78 this year - still use that sharpener when I'm not careful and touch a rock with the tip, Ha, Ha !!

 

[smaxwell]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

I don't enjoy sharpening saw chains either, at least I never used to. For about 20 years or so I've been using an Oregon sharpener – the kind that looks like a little chopsaw. Results are super-fast, super-precise and a chain fresh off this sharpener even cuts a bit better than a brand new chain. You can see my setup in the video here: Chainsaw Sharpener: Get detailed video lesson for free - Baileylineroad

 

[BnRidge]

I think you just called @Fuddyduddy1952 a liar? After all, he says he has already done this!

I'm just trying to reason out how it worked, while you're saying it won't.

It would be interesting to actually see it to believe it. My experience is that the teeth catch and everything stops if too aggressive.

 

[Rob REECE]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

Myself I bought the Oregon bench grinder. It sharpens the chain perfectly everytime.

 

[WinterDeere]

It would be interesting to actually see it to believe it. My experience is that the teeth catch and everything stops if too aggressive.

I'll admit, I never tried it myself. I know they get pretty grabby at .036" down, which is as far as I've ever tried.

I usually figure out how many swipes of the flat file it takes to hit .032'ish, and then just repeat that number of swipes on each depth gauge. They always end up somewhere in the .030 - .036 range, when I bother to check a few at the end of the job.

 

[bugmeist]

Check out the Stihl/ Pferd 2 in 1 files, makes quick work of filing and is pretty easy to do. As for carbide chains, if you dont enjoy sharpening you will really hate carbide.

And the best file is a new file...barring a new file each time, wire brush the file after use.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I have an Electric Chainsaw sharpener from Harbor Freight ! Under $40.00 - bought some 10 years ago. Works great for me. I have a spare sharpening disk that I bought at the same time that is still new. I have no problem sharpening - IT JUST WORKS GREAT !! I have a 59 acre woodlot that I take care of some downed trees. I used to cut a lot of my wood - but now I have a pellet stove and a Mini Heat Pump! Going on 78 this year - still use that sharpener when I'm not careful and touch a rock with the tip, Ha, Ha !!

My dad did wood cutting and selling as a hobby when he retired from farming. He is now too old and weak to do it, but he swore by his HF chain sharpener, and it's still bolted to his homemade work bench in his basement.

 

[90cummins]

The rollers make the filing stroke smooth, and they tend to help you hold the angle.

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This is my prefered guide also!
Using light pressure and a sharp file takes only a couple strokes to put the edge back on.
90cummins

 

[DGF]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

I got board sharpening all of my chains so a while back I bought a benchtop grinder type sharpener to do it with. Since, I've sharpened hundereds of chains over the years and its been a joy. It takes a couple of minutes to do a chain. There are differenent wheels availble to match your chains and switching only takes a few minutes. Now I sharpen them in batches and when cutting keep a few chains with me and just swap them out rather than sharpen them on site. If you shop around you can find this type of sharpener at several price points and styles to pick from. Here is an example of one - Oregon Professional Compact 120-Volt Bench Grinder, Universal Saw Chain Sharpener. These are a more expensive option but it saves a ton of time and takes the monotony out of it.

 

[BlueKnife]

Actually, the average guy, not a professional, needs to know what will work best for him. If you aren't a pro, it doesn't matter if a hand file is better, in the hands of a pro. What matters is what you can personally utilize best.

It matters if a hand file is better, regardless of the experience level of the user. A good file makes it easier to get good results, especially after it's been used a few times. No one can "personally utilize" a cheap Chinese file better than a good quality file.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It would be interesting to actually see it to believe it. My experience is that the teeth catch and everything stops if too aggressive.

Sharpening anything is an art.
I was just repeating what my friend said who has a business, sales/service. What he was saying I'm sure is true is cutting raker teeth down a bit with each sharpening.
I tried a chain with rakers cut all the way and as my friend said it's pretty dangerous, it was aggressive and bogs the motor.
I've seen woodcutters here just occasionally file by hand just a little bit.
I forgot to mention he also said "full chisel" or 90° sharpen. Like this short video:

 

[willidav]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

I use the carbide chain on my Milwaukee electric chainsaw. It lasts forever (almost) but is not as fast cutting as a regular blade. I use my Stihl MS290 for larger trees and large branches, and the electric of smaller jobs. The other drawback is the carbide chain saw chain is expensive.

 

[xyz123]

Living in the PNW, chainsaws are plentiful. Here is a link to a dealer in town with a pretty good tip page.

Chainsaw Tips & Tricks | Madsen's Shop

Madsen's specializes in serving professional chain saw users. If you make your living with a chain saw -- or just want the kind of tools or garments used by some of the hardest working people on the planet, Madsen's is for you.

www.madsens1.com

I would love to visit that place just once.

I used to buy all my chain and different type files etc from them.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Sixty second video:

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It would be interesting to actually see it to believe it. My experience is that the teeth catch and everything stops if too aggressive.

No rakers+90° cutter+more h.p.!
It actually gets very dangerous!

 

[BlueKnife]

I know a guy who throws away chains when they get dull and buys new ones. Funny thing is, in other ways, he's the most frugal person you would ever know... won't buy new cars or tractors, buys clothes at Wally World, etc.

Wow, that's crazy. You should tell him you want his old chains. How many does he go through in a year?

 

[sockmonkey]

I don't really enjoy sharpening chainsaw chains. Does anyone have tips on sharpening as well as a good file? Also does anyone use carbide tipped chainsaw chains. Were they worth your money? Thanks!

I like Granberg chains and their 12v Sharpener.

 

[Runner]

Wow, that's crazy. You should tell him you want his old chains. How many does he go through in a year?

No idea how many he goes through, but he does heat with wood. I don't have any saws that the chains would fit, I guess could break them and re-fit to my size....

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Jigs_n_fixtures: You're from Idaho.... are you the man behind timberline?

It was a Timberline I had... just wasn't for me.

No, association with TimberLine. I've seen younger Sawyers on fire crews use them, and swear by them. And they seem to work well for them with the shortest learning curve. The older C-fellers just carry files, with no guides. But those folks have quite a lot of experience sharpening saws, and their agency typically provides the chains, so they will carry three chains and sharpen when they get a break and are off the line.

 

[JOATMON3]

I've never been very good at sharpening chains with a file. My results were always mediocre.

However, I discovered using a battery powered Dremel tool with diamond embedded bits. Correctly sized to the chain, I can get very sharp chains with very little effort. It's almost fool proof. Just go slow, as the bits can be aggressive when new/ fresh. This practice has been a game changer for me. And it's fast.

View attachment 5248609

Good luck

YESSIR! It took me a little bit of trial and error but the rotary tools are so fast you can keep trying until you figure it out. Go too deep and the cutter point dulls out quickly.