Sharpening chainsaws

[Davenj4f]

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 this from Harbor Freight. I can sharpen a chain in 10 minutes, and it's easy and fast.

https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chainsaw-sharpener-63803.html

 

[anomad]

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....

What about getting a bar or two to fit his chains? Handy to have an extra bar around if you have an oopsy and need to rescue the bar and chain you just pinched and/or bent. Surely none of ya'll have ever done that - LOL. And I always do it where you can only walk to.

 

[thankyouTBN]

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.

Thanks for the tip about the 2 in 1 file. I’ve never used one, I was very skeptical about it. I think I’m gonna buy one. thank you.

 

[sixdogs]

Buckin' Billy Ray Smith gives the best instruction I've ever seen. When done with this, you will know how to sharpen a saw and make the chips fly.

 

[lennypoulin]

I use this thing, there is a guide for the angle, and you can't screw the depth it works pretty good for me. As for file I am not sure a file is a file but I think I use Oregon. I simply buy lots, I am not scared to throw it out and grab a new one.

View attachment 5248606

This type of guided file maintains a sharp chain, takes away no more than needed, and also files the rake at the right depth. It works better than the little electric sharpeners, like the one Harbor Freight sells. I do like the electric grinding wheel type of sharpener when salvaging a chain after hitting metal or rock.

 

[Runner]

What about getting a bar or two to fit his chains? Handy to have an extra bar around if you have an oopsy and need to rescue the bar and chain you just pinched and/or bent. Surely none of ya'll have ever done that - LOL. And I always do it where you can only walk to.

My saw won't run a 20" bar, which is what he has. I just keep a wedge handy for pinched bars.

 

[Bud Soda]

Sold firewood for 10 years, still heat with wood. Dremel for me.

 

[jd49]

I didnt like it as well. Tried everything i could get my hands on, the Dremel works fast and makes them look sharp, BUT for some reason in my experience chain dulls really fast
Then i bough Pferd files, now i love sharpening chains and saws are happily throw long big chips and i need to touch up the chain not more often than every 3-4 tanks unless i hit a nail or a rock. And even then Pferd makes it easy task. I dont use any gadget, only a file with wooden handle, Ones in a while i tough up rakers with a flat file.
My wood it read oak 100%.

It’s very easy to overheat the cutting edge with any type of electric grinder. If the edge turns blue, you you have burned it and lost the temper. This is why it dulls quickly. A hand file is a bit slower but won’t overheat the cutters. I get the Oregon files in 10 packs.

 

[gckshea]

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 now swear by the Stihl/Pferd 2-in-1 file holder thingy. It does what it says, takes mere moments in the field, and doesn't eat the chain like saw shop grinders do.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Dremel has a chain sharpener kit. It's an end cap with a guide plate to hold angle and I think 2 different size stones. Well worth the money! I take that and a power inverter when away from the house. Also have a HF chainsaw grinder that I can run fr9m the inverter. Dremel is quicker and use grinder at end of the day to even everything up!

Get the diamond bits. They don't get a smaller diameter as they get used, and they last alot longer too.

 

[AnotherBueller]

I have used the TimberLine system for the last few cords, and I think it's the best sharpener I've ever used. The initial setup on your saw is different, but once it's adjusted right it's like you're the power supply for a milling machine. Three to five cranks of the handle and the carbide cutter give you a perfect tooth and all of your cutters will be the same. No more filling some teeth more than others or having different angles because your hand moved up or down. It takes about as much time as using the Dremmel.
You will still need a flat file & guide for the rakers but since I'm taking so much less off the tooth the chain seems to last longer.
Best of all buying direct from the maker is cheaper than Amazon

Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener | Sharpen your chainsaw the faster, easier way with Timberline Chainsaw's patented sharpener.

timberlinesharpener.com

 

[AnotherBueller]

More hard-earned wisdom:

Red Sta-bil doesn't work, so don't use it. Use Biobor EB, Red Armor, and ethanol-free gas. This kind of gas can gum up just like ethanol gas, but it takes longer.

Running your saw dry will not necessarily prevent it from clogging during storage. Old guys recommend running pure oil through the carb before storage.

If your saw doesn't work, the #1 move is to replace the gas. This has "fixed" many saws.

When you buy a saw, buy the carb rebuild kit that goes with it. Your carb will go bad eventually. In 15-20 minutes, with simple tools, you can replace the diaphragm and anything else that may be shot. Do this before going to a shop, where they will leave your saw on a shelf for a month while they take care of professional customers, and then they will charge you $150 per hour.

Buy a tachometer ($15) and learn how to tune a saw. It's very simple, and when your saw was new, it was tuned badly. You may need to pop off the plastic limiter caps the company put on the saw to prevent amateurs from burning saws up.

Your saw's exhaust is not to be taken seriously as sold. They are all choked up, and this causes heat to accumulate in the saw, as well as reducing the power. Some saws have parts that, wow, just happen to be easily removed in 5 minutes to make them breathe better. It's almost like...the manufacturers expect you to do it. Others can be fixed with a 3/8" drill bit.

Buy a bar grease gun, because the spur in the tip of the bar needs lube.

Finally, electric saws are superior to gas saws. The only advantage of a gas saw is that it's easier to deal with when you put in a long day. If you're only going to do short jobs, buy cordless. It will always start, and you won't need ear protection.

People should be paying me for this.

I completely agree with everything said except the part about battery saws. They're light homeowner grade. I used to cut and split 3 - 4 cords each year when we had kids and the weather here was colder and stuck around longer.

 

[AnotherBueller]

To sharpen a knife you need to start coarse to make the edge, then you polish it to make it sharp, I find this comparison off since no one will do that with a saw. yeah your right stone would certainly create smoother edge then a file with a quality bench grinder and stone but the reality is unless you water cool it while grinding their will always be heat. Technique and quality tool certainly minimize that I perhaps never experience that.

Many things can go wrong with both method, they have their pros and cons, lots of emphasis are said for the bench grinder no so much for file sharpening and the reality is you may have perfected the bench grinding method and not your hand filing method, (just saying it as a variable not as absolute truth) because the reality is hand filling is as good has the individual that dose it on that giving time. It is a lot more constant with a bench grinder I agree.

I will admit I am pivoting and have a bias on hand filling, cost, time and practicality are factors.

The problem with bench grinders is that you soon lose the hook that's needed in the cutter teeth and then the saw cuts a little slower and every commercial sharpen shop I've been in use's a bench grinder.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Years ago my wife & I took a small engine repair class at a local community College that a friend was teaching who owns a local sales & repair business of chainsaws, mowers...basically all lawn care products.
He said the depth gauge needs to be cut down a bit each time it's sharpened which makes sense, but said a lot of professionals cut the depth gauge down to the chain. I tried it and it cuts very fast.
Has anyone heard of this?
View attachment 5264838

Yes, I've heard of that trick from an arborist I know, but he recommend it because sometimes it will grab and yank the saw in Hard and then sometimes bad things can happen.

 

[AnotherBueller]

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.

That's why I have come t like the Timberwolf the best of all I've tried over the last 50 odd years. Doesn't matter how skilled you are, once you get it set up (which isn't hard, I look at the instructions every time) you turn into a milling machine.

 

[RandyT]

The problem with bench grinders is that you soon lose the hook that's needed in the cutter teeth and then the saw cuts a little slower and every commercial sharpen shop I've been in use's a bench grinder.

And that is the reason that good shops either are constantly reprofiling their wheels, or using CBN wheels.

 

[Lavender Valley]

I have a Harbor Freight grinder, it does a good job. I do like the idea of the Dremel method though. And I should real try to get proficient at using a file. But I always have at least 2 sharp chains with me so I have never run into a situation where I needed to do it.

Just be careful, some cheap grinders have a plastic chassis and move when sharpening. I have a grinder that is cast alloy and remains accurate, so I use this about every third sharpen, and I have a battery (cigarette lighter) Dremel-type sharpener that I use on site and a gauge and flat file for the rakers. This is easy and keeps them sharp.

 

[gtunney]

A bunch of years ago, I got myself a Granberg G-106B.

(image courtesy of Northern Tool)
Now I have two, one for my Echo CS-400 and one for my CS-600P. They give me a nice, consistent sharpening. A couple years ago, I finally figured out how to hand file free hand, but I still prefer to use the Granberg. Told my dad about what I use after I got my first one and he started using one, too. For the rakers, I just use an Oregon raker gauge and file - quick and simple.

 

[mx842]

Stihl 2 in 1 is amazing, you won't hate sharpening anymore.

I went to try one of these and had planned on buying one. That is until I found out that if you have 3 saws with different sized chains you have to buy 3 of them one for each chain. At $ 45.00 a pop I think I'll just stick to doing it the old-fashioned way.

 

[mx842]

This is a pretty good thread, and I enjoyed reading through it. I've tried pretty much every king of sharpening tool imaginable but still prefer to file my chains the old fashion way. Over the years I have found that if you don't run your chain until it is dull, sharpening is a simple task. I try not to let them get too far out of wack. I will hit my chains with one or two swipes every time I have to gas up. The main thing is to try not change the angle and follow the original form and that can be easily done by touching them up rather that all out sharpening. With a tree stump and a good sharp file, I can get good results and keep making chips all day and it only takes a few minutes each time. Most of the time I'm ready for a break anyway.
I keep a couple old worn-down chains that I use to cut off stumps or when cutting trashy wood that has been dragged through the woods behind the tractor. I don't know how many times I have found ax heads, nails, spikes, concrete or just about anything imaginable buried deep inside big old oak trees. One time I found a 12 lb. solid shot cannon ball in one. When this happens, they are the ones I take back to the shop and sit by the fire drinking a gool cold brew when getting them back into shape.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying not to try other ways to do this chore it's just the way I prefer to do it after 60+ years of cutting in the bush. If I was sharpening chains for a living, of course I would use one of those bench grinders to save time. They do tend to take off a little more than needed sometimes but who cares about that, it's not their chain and they have new ones they want to sell sitting on the shelf.