Chainsaw Sharpeners

[nickg]

Has anybody had experience with the 'electric grinder 'type blade sharpeners? This is the type that many hardware stores, and saw shops use to sharpen chains, link by link. I have been using files/guides and have gotten reasonable results, but it's a bit slow. Will be moving to a very rural area where it will be inconvenient to drop off/pick up blades. Plan to be cutting a lot of firewood. Was at a Northern Tool store yesterday, and they had two open boxes (probably returns?) Northern brand (~$90), and a low end Oregon model for about double that. Both looked to made primarily of plastic that did not look particularly sturdy. Sales guy at a local Stihl dealer said Stihl makes one, but he thought it retails for $600 or something which is more than I want to spend - of course

[crokett]

My dad has one that runs off of 12V DC. In the field he hooks it up to his truck battery. He likes it. It takes practice though. I prefer to just drop a chain off and get it sharpened or use a hand file. I am not as good as he is and did more harm than good when I tried his.

If you will be cutting a lot and haven't done so, go to a dealer (not an Ace or big box) and get the more aggressive chains. The saws nowadays are sold with anti-kickback chains. They work by limiting the depth the teeth can bite which means they cut a lot slower.

[JimD]

I use a round file with a little metal guide on it that has lines for angle. It takes a few minutes but less time than replacing a chain. I consistently get shavings instead of dust when I am done. My other test is if I do not have to lift up on the bar to keep from stalling the saw the chain is dull and I stop and sharpen. I think with practice you will get faster. I keep the file in the case for the saw so I do not have to go get it. Hooking up an electric sharpener would take a significant amount of the time I spend to sharpen.

Jim

[mater]

Back when I used a chain saw a lot I would sharpen it with a file. It didn't take that long and I usually needed a break anyway. Don't let it hit the dirt while cutting and it will stay sharp longer.

[cork58]

I do alot of timber harvest and if you are looking for the right tool it is a SUPER JOLLY. I do all of my own chains for the falling saw and the mill saw. I do my own lumber as well on my mill. Don't waste your money on the mini jolly, it will not be what you want. If you want the best sharpner on the market it is the Super Jolly. I bought mine on e-bay for $250.00 brand new. I did have to keep looking for a few weeks till the seller got hungry but saved allot of money. They retail for about $600.00 and at that price they are worth it because the people you cut with will want you to do their chains as well and will be happy to spend the $12.50 to do theirs. You will want to mark the stones in and out so you know what side you are using. If you get one let me know and I will set you up with the tricks and tips I have learned.

Cork

[eezlock]

chainsaw sharpeners

I would never, under any circumstances, ever use a chainsaw grinder on my chainsaw blade! All those things are good for, is ruining a good chainsaw
blade and turning it into a worthless pile of scrap metal in a short period of time. I have two Stihl saws that are several years old and still using the same blade that has been on them since they were new. These blades
have always been hand filed with the proper sized file for that blade, that keeps them cutting like new all the time!

If you are serious about cutting wood, the right way, the best and safe
way, learn how to properly sharpen your chainsaw blade by hand you will be glad you did in the long run. eezlock

[Andrew Benedetto]

Dremel, and the guide kit for the chain and a flat file with a depth guide for the top of the cutters, very fast, conservative and the LiIon dremel works great on site. I have a Husqyvarna 350.

[Tom Slick]

you really should practice to make your hand filing produce better results. file often, maybe every few tank fulls as chain maintenance, just a couple swipes on each tooth. if the chain touches the ground/dirt while cutting you need to stop and file. grinding is really for dull chains that need to be corrected back to proper angles and depth. sort of like always sharpening a chisel with a grinder when all it needs is a touch up with a stone.

I have a dremel sharpener attachment and it works ok for a touch up back at the shop. If you have a saw shop locally you really are better off just buying extra chains and taking them in for sharpening when they are too dull to hand file. you can buy quite a few chains and send them out for sharpening quite a few times for the price of a decent grinder.
If you don't have a saw shop locally then I could see buying something like that super jolly, but that isn't something you are going to carry in the field and it certainly isn't a tool for just a light touch up.

[sparkeyjames]

Get the Dremel guide and bits. Works like a charm. It is even portable if you get the battery powered Dremel. Takes only about 10 or less minutes to sharpen the chain on a 14 inch chainsaw and you don't have to remove the chain from the saw.

[mrojec]

The Dremel attachment has worked fine for me. I keep a spare sharp blade handy to change out for a dulled blade since I don't like to stop cutting once I've started.

[cork58]

I guess if you want to get an ok chain then do whatever they are telling you. If you want the best then read my post. I do this alot so listen to your weakend guys if you want, but you ask for the best and I told you how to do it.

Cork.

[Tom Slick]

cork58, do you use the super jolly only or do you touch up with a file in between?

[fbrend123]

I have both the Dremel, and the HF sharpener, which I bought on sale for $40 (less than what I paid for the Dremel setup). Most of my chainsaw use is right around the house (5 acres of woods). I found the Dremel to be a pain to use, simply because the stones wore out quickly. Only advantage is that you can sharpen the chain on the saw. With four chains in reserve, the HF works out better, because I can spend an hour in the evening sharpening, and have three in reserve when I need them. Only problem with the HF is that you have to be careful in the setup because, as one poster stated, if you are too agressive in your approach, you can shorten the useful life of your chain very quickly. At $40, the HF paid for itself within the first cycle of sharpening.

[Andrew Benedetto]

I use the dremel and it has been really good. I have a Husquvarna file /guide for the top of the cutter. The stones are in the chain saw section at HD and Lowes, I do not buy the dremel ones. I have had no issues ,maybe you are pushing too hard or using the wrong speed with the stones. I do sharpen when the chain first is dull and do not have to remove much metal. I want the chain to always be sharp, it is safer and better on the equiptment. The stone diameter is critical to the chain type.

[fbrend123]

Andrew, you're probably right on pushing too hard. I could only get about 3 or four sharpenings out of a stone (on a 16-inch saw), before it started deteriorating so badly that I could no longer use it. I always attributed that to its small diameter. If I had just one chain, the Dremel would be ideal, I guess. I'll have to check for stones other than Dremel.

However, with the HF, once I set the angle and depth, it's consistent tooth to tooth, and works better for me, since I usually sharpen all four chains at the same time. I just have to be very careful on the setup for each chain so I don't grind too deeply. As with the Dremel, it does require a light touch.

Having to eyeball the guide on the Dremel and a hand file doesn't seem to lend itself to accuracy and consistency. Maybe it's not that critical, but my saw does seem to go where I want it to when it's cutting (at least within my own confidence level). Having said all that, for sharpening with the chain on the saw, the Dremel sure beats a hand file, if you have power available.