Chain sharpening

I am a frequent weekend cutter only but I am getting sick of taking chains in to get sharpened. I am cutting with a Stihl ms390 and a ms170 for limbing. Can someone recommend a decent grinder or should I learn to file as well?

Thanks in advance for the advice,


Garry

Northern Tool Grinder

Garry:

Like you, I'm a weekend cutter and got sick of taking my chains in to get sharpened.

Some people will say to file sharpen the chains.. and that is great if you have a good instructor to teach you. Personally, I can not sharpen a chain with a file to save my soul. So, I purchased a chain sharpener from Northern Tool.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200327449_200327449 If you do a search on this website, you will find a lot of guys using this grinder with great success.

Good luck with whichever way you decide to go.

Gary

As someone who recently learned to do a acceptable job filing I would say get some good files from Save Edge, (one dozen $26 bucks delievered) and DIY. Get a guide (I bought a Husky for $12), and watch the vids on the Stihl and Husky websites on chain sharpening, that will help a lot. What is really nice is to take the file and guide out with you, so if you need a touch-up to put an edge back on the chain after hitting some dirt or crud. I can file my chain in less than 10 minutes. Its FAR better than continuing to cut with a dull chain. That and carrying a second sharp chain thats a no brainer. Then maybe once every 5-10 sharpenings take them to the shop to get the chains back perfect sharp and at perfect angle. JMO.

It's not bad using a file.
I watched a few Youtube videos and Stihl has some videos online as well.
Only takes about 10 mins or so.
Buy the file with file guide to use the correct angle when filing.

Grinders have a place as well, but I think a chain will last far longer if it is filed rather than ground. It is just too easy to take too much off and even overheat the teeth with a grinder.

I have several different type of file guides and switch around depending on the type of chain I'm sharpening. If the Carlton File-O-Plate will work, that is always the first choice. I also have the Husqvarna guide with the rollers, but find it also only fits a limited number of chain types.

One of my most used guides is the simple V backed guide I got from NPA. With a 7/32" file I can sharpen most .404 and .375 chain regardless of the rest of the design and I have one with a 1/4" file for the 1/2" and 9/16" pitch chains.

A few good ideas for filing:

1) Get the saw/bar/chain at the right height so you are not bent over or have to stand on your tip toes

2) make sure the saw is solid, I like to clamp the bar in the vise

3) get your feet comfortable and properly positioned

4) lock your elbow/forearm against your side/hip to and rock your body back and forth to keep the file straight (thanks to John Glover for that good advice)

With a suitable depth guage there should be no need to take a chain to be ground, unless you are buying a lot of e-bay saws the last guy used it to carve his way through a concrete sidewalk.

Mark

I just bought the Northern Grinder on sale for $89. Very happy with it. Did the mods list here on AS and works great. Just sharpened my first chain and seems to cut very well. The local shop guy uses a dremel and burns more teeth than not. Plus, he cant get a consistent edge. This chain I just sharpened is one he has wacked at a couple of times. The teeth had been ground at anywhere from 25^ to 35^ degrees, I don't think any two were the same!! This new grinder made quick work to fix those.

I've tried hand filing, but never got the hang of it.

Roger

I free hand file while cutting and then I use the Dremel sharpening attachment when I'm in the shed.

It took a little practice but hand filing isn't as bad as it first appear to be. I remember however my first hand sharpenings were pretty bad.......

wfsdno said:

I just bought the Northern Grinder on sale for $89. Very happy with it.
Roger

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+1. An excellent value. It's nearly identical to my Tecomec/Oregon 511.

A good dealer offers more than low prices

I finally found a good chainsaw dealer, and he was kind enough to show me how to file my saw chain--just watching him made the light bulb go off. As others have said, if you can sharpen a knife, you can sharpen a saw chain. Go to your local dealer, tell him you want to buy some files and you want him to show you how to sharpen. If he won't do that, he's not the guy you want to do business with anyhow, so move on to another dealer who will.

olyeller said:

I finally found a good chainsaw dealer, and he was kind enough to show me how to file my saw chain--just watching him made the light bulb go off. As others have said, if you can sharpen a knife, you can sharpen a saw chain. Go to your local dealer, tell him you want to buy some files and you want him to show you how to sharpen. If he won't do that, he's not the guy you want to do business with anyhow, so move on to another dealer who will.

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Excellent post.

Before I bought my USG

Running a small saw shop back in the early 80's I did a lot of chain sharpening, with a file, never a complaint and a lot of word-of-mouth referral.

Pay attention feel and look with a magnifying glass if you have to, maintain proper DG's and anyone can take a new chain down to nothing by filing alone.

ggosling said:

I am a frequent weekend cutter only but I am getting sick of taking chains in to get sharpened. I am cutting with a Stihl ms390 and a ms170 for limbing. Can someone recommend a decent grinder or should I learn to file as well?

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Both. File for touch ups or final edges. Grinder for heavy sharpening.

You didn't buy cheap saws; I would recommend getting good quality files and a good quality grinder (Oregon 511A / Tecomec / etc.). Less fussing to 'mod'/fix it, parts available, better re-sale value, etc. Lots of posts on grinders in A.S. if you search for them.

Sharpening might be monotonous, but should not be tedious. Use good stuff to give yourself an 'edge'.

Philbert

Sort of depends on how much time and effort you wanna put into learning to file or grind either one. Many of us here either like doing it for ourselves or at worst just don't mind. Add to that the hassle of taking it to a shop and retrieving it later, in my case, and that's more encouragement to do it at home. Takes a bit of practice, but it does not require a genius. Someone who knows how and will show you can save a lot of time. I didn't have anyone and stumbled my way through and do fine. Number of people I know simply don't wanna bother and save up a few chains and take them in to pay someone else to do it. I have both hand-filing stuff and a grinder and use both all the time.

Files are very inexpensive, package of three will be less than a couple gallons of gas. Half the cost of a gallon of bar oil. Grinders it depends on your budget. You can get by on one for a hundred bucks. A pretty decent one will be three or four hundred. Lotsa guys use some really cheap ones and do fine. Do the math, though: even a $300 grinder will pay for itself by the time you sharpen thirty times or so, not even counting the gas, time, and hassle of driving them to a shop. Plus, you can use freshly sharpened chains all the time, if you choose, and it'll only cost you ten minutes per chain.

Buy some files and expect to F*** up a chain or 2 before you learn. Files are much cheaper than a grinder tho.

I am just your average home wood cutter like you. I use to file my chains by hand. I just got a northern tool chain grinder from the recommendations on this site.
I really like the results I get with the grinder. The chain seems to cut much better and stay sharper longer. Most of the time I only barely touch the chain with the grinder wheel and it puts a perfect edge on each tooth. I just have a few spare chains and change out chains as needed. Then I sharpen them all at the end of the day. I have a hand file for emergency but I recommend the northern tool grinder just for home use. You will be very happy. Good luck.

well theres nothing wrong with getting a grinder BUT since you dont know how to file by hand i strongly recomend learning how to do that you may go through a couple chains but its a skill you will cherish. and anyone who considers themselves a "cutter" should be able to hand file. always learn to hand file before using a grinder.

BarkBuster20 said:

well theres nothing wrong with getting a grinder BUT since you dont know how to file by hand i strongly recomend learning how to do that you may go through a couple chains but its a skill you will cherish. and anyone who considers themselves a "cutter" should be able to hand file. always learn to hand file before using a grinder.

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I agree. Sharpening a round file chain isn't that hard. I taught myself just by looking at a new chain and trying to get my old one to look the same. A new file will make a big difference too. I have a Northern grinder, witch i bought mainly for when i "rock" chains. For just doing touch-ups i use a hand file. Sharpening a chain with a hand file should be right up there with knowing how to mix gas and start your saw.

BarkBuster20 said:

well theres nothing wrong with getting a grinder BUT since you dont know how to file by hand i strongly recomend learning how to do that you may go through a couple chains but its a skill you will cherish. and anyone who considers themselves a "cutter" should be able to hand file. always learn to hand file before using a grinder.

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:agree2:

My dad was a chainsaw engineer but after a couple weekends up in Canada with the loggers he found out what they liked/did not like about the Pioneer chainsaws they used and he helped make, AND he came back learning how to file a chain. Those guys would whip out a file and touch up a chain in 5 minutes then keep working all day long. No time for grinders and shops there/then.

Once you learn to file you can sharpen a chain faster than you can swap one out. I only carry a spare in case of breakage.