New memeber and new saw

[Vermonster]

Howdy fellow fellers,

Just purchased a new MS 361 and boy oh boy am I ever happy with it. It makes my old husky 350 seem obsolete, but I will keep it for freeing up the stihl if need be and for bush cutting and such.

But anyway...my question for today is about keeping a good edge on my saw chains. I've been cutting firewood for a number of years but have yet to become proficient with a round file. Any tips would be appreciated.
Also, I've been searching for a decent sharpening tool that lands somewhere in price between a commercial grinder and the simple round file that I've been using.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hugenpoet]

Congrats on what everyone says is one of the best saws ever made.

This is a link to a sharpening forum:

http://www.arboristsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=74

Good luck and welcome-it is always good to have another New Englander on board.

Hugenpoet

 

[Burvol]

Howdy fellow fellers,

Just purchased a new MS 361 and boy oh boy am I ever happy with it. It makes my old husky 350 seem obsolete, but I will keep it for freeing up the stihl if need be and for bush cutting and such.

But anyway...my question for today is about keeping a good edge on my saw chains. I've been cutting firewood for a number of years but have yet to become proficient with a round file. Any tips would be appreciated.
Also, I've been searching for a decent sharpening tool that lands somewhere in price between a commercial grinder and the simple round file that I've been using.

Thanks in advance.

Keep your tip out of the dirt :newbie: Welcome to AS!

 

[splittah]

Welcome,

That saw is a fine one for sure. There is alot of interesting things here, seems everytime I check the threads I learn something new. A wealth of information.

Dave

 

[hornett22]

Stihl has a small pocket booklet on chain maintenance.

your dealer should have them.if not let me know.i'll mail you one.

 

[Former Saw Builder]

Welcome to AS. The saw you've chosen is probably the best all around saw money can buy... As for a good grinder you might want to check with Tony at Amick's he is a site sponsor and has some real good deals on chain sharpening tools and accessories.

Here is Tony's info.

amickssuperstore.com
1611 N. Fayetteville Street Asheboro, NC 27203
336-672-1196

 

[wdchuck]

Good saw, read the threads on hand filing, lots of great pics, having a plate guide really does help in the beginning until you get the feel for it. Welcome to AS.

 

[Stihl here]

Hi there!! The 361 is a great saw as you know!! I am just a backyard woodcutter but I get good results holding a round file buy hand following the scribed line angle on stihl chains, I try to hold the file level and push up and in on the tooth, the trick I find is you want to really get under the tooth rather than just push the file sideways into it. Like I said I am not an expert but that works well for me. Good luck!!!

 

[Log Splitter]

Congrats on the 361, and welcome to AS! It sounds like you've been lurking for a while.

 

[GASoline71]

Congrats on the saw dood...


Hand filin' is not as hard as it looks or sounds. Some guys here need an engineering degree to file their chains...

For starters, all you need is the correct size round files, a flat file, and a guide of some sort... like the Filemate or File-o-plate. Pictured below...

Once you get the hang of it using these simple tools... you can "eyeball" it later.

You will just get a good feel for the file on the chain after a while... EZ-PZ mang!

Gary

 

[bluequill56]

Welcome! And enjoy all the reading on chain sharpening. I didn't know squat about it until I started reading on here. Now I can put out hand filed chains that really throw chips. And I mean that out of pride, not arrogance. A grinder may be faster, but I think hand filing gives a better edge.

Once you get round filing figured out, do a search on square filing. Now that's a chain!

Have a ball dude!

Shane.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I am new at filing also - and I bought the kit in the orange bag from Stihl. Using the plate that holds the file has really helped me to get started. It also helped to make the files last much longer once I found out that the file should only be pushed through the chain and not pulled back while in contact with the chain.

My previous method was to just cut until the chain stopped making chips and started to work harder when cutting - then put on the spare and take the dull chain to get ground. With occasional filing my chains stay sharp much longer and make chips much better.

I have read posts where people claim they file every other tank of fuel - I only file when I feel that the tooth is losing a very sharp edge. It depends on the kind of wood I am cutting when I need to file again.

 

[bore_pig]

Start with a file guide! It will help you get the feel of the file. Just push it through. Very little pressure is needed. And remember to file from the inside of the tooth to the outside. Hopefully that makes sense! Good luck!