mtgrs737
ArboristSite Operative
I noticed that they are on sale again at my local HF for $29. Are they worth the price or are they just more China junk? I have never seen any other grinders under $200.
Anyone have experiance with the Harbor Freight Chain grinder?
- Thread starter mtgrs737
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ozarkjeep
ArboristSite Operative
I bought one last year, from a member on here.
he said it was too cheap to use.
looked fine to me.
mounted it up, plugged it in, turned it on, and the damn central machinery abrasive wheel fragmented and nearly killed me, and all near by automobiles, glasswares, and other biological beings in the area.
its still sitting in a pile of other debris in my garage floor, waiting for a new wheel.
im afraid to use the gdamned thing.
I went back to hand filing..
he said it was too cheap to use.
looked fine to me.
mounted it up, plugged it in, turned it on, and the damn central machinery abrasive wheel fragmented and nearly killed me, and all near by automobiles, glasswares, and other biological beings in the area.
its still sitting in a pile of other debris in my garage floor, waiting for a new wheel.
im afraid to use the gdamned thing.
I went back to hand filing..
OilHead
ArboristSite Guru
Northern Tools has an oregon knock off for between $ 89.00 - 99 depending if there having a sale . I highly recommend installing an oregon wheel for it after you have had a chance to get use to it.
I got one (Harbor Freight) from a garage sale, and quickly realized it is a junk.
Anyway, I took it apart and now thinking how to make it usable.
I am manually filing my chains, usually one 28" loop and one 20" loop after dinner on a sunny day. I think manual is much better than using that grinder "as is".
Anyway, I took it apart and now thinking how to make it usable.
I am manually filing my chains, usually one 28" loop and one 20" loop after dinner on a sunny day. I think manual is much better than using that grinder "as is".
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Please don't buy that crap. First, it is junk. Second, it is selling our country down the river, or should I say sewer, of short-sightedness. Third, it is dangerous to be near anything HF that has moving parts. Rearrange the order of the items as you see fit.
Justsaws
Addicted to ArboristSite
You could buy an Oregon, Efco, etc. and be selling the country to Italy.
You could buy from Northern or any other house brand and also be selling the country down the river(Asia).
You are going to have spend big huge wallet emptying dollars to grind chains with all USA made grinders if that is even possible now.
Harbor freight is what USA consumers made it, just like Wal Mart.
The H.F. grinder looks like junk in the photo so I would pass.
I was among the first to buy one. Only use it now to even out the teeth after several manual filings. Even for that purpose I have to play with the tooth stop and a micrometer as it doesn't grind the right and left to the same length without changing the stop.
Harry K
Harry K
dsm382
ArboristSite Operative
well, forgive me but i have one for almost 5 yrs now with NO problems. so there..
but after seeing the Northern $99 one Ericjeeper has and it's tilting bed, i will be ordering one of those.
the HF one works just fine for me and the price was right back then, and have had no issues with it, i have 4 chains, sharpen all them up in one episode of MASH.
but I will be calling Northern soon. well after the new chaps are purchased...
if you look close you can see it's been used a whole lot... just follow the file to the hinge part of the grinder.......there is a large chunk of grinder scrap stuck to it.....
would i buy another ??? NO!!! a buddy has one, and it 'works' but it's not the best...his dad has had one for many many many years...
but after seeing the Northern $99 one Ericjeeper has and it's tilting bed, i will be ordering one of those.
the HF one works just fine for me and the price was right back then, and have had no issues with it, i have 4 chains, sharpen all them up in one episode of MASH
.but I will be calling Northern soon. well after the new chaps are purchased...
if you look close you can see it's been used a whole lot... just follow the file to the hinge part of the grinder.......there is a large chunk of grinder scrap stuck to it.....
would i buy another ??? NO!!! a buddy has one, and it 'works' but it's not the best...his dad has had one for many many many years...
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Bushman_269
ArboristSite Operative
I have one and I agree it is not a quality piece of equipment but it does come in handy for touching up chisel chains.
Ole Farmerbuck
Addicted to ArboristSite
I bought one of the $29 grinders a couple of years ago but havent used since i got the 511a knock off. It really did do a pretty good job though. My dealer couldnt believe i was using it when i showed him my chains.
Jredsjeep
ArboristSite Operative
i got the HF tool before i knew any better. it does the job but the plastic construction make for a loose hinge point and frame flexure. its better than nothing but now that i have one and sharpened a dozen or so chains on it i would have saved my pennies for a better one.
KMB
Addicted to ArboristSite
I bought one a while back and rigged up a reversing switch on it (instructions from a helpful AS member). It works, but not to my liking, so it sits idle. I only use it for chains that are really messed up, and then I still hand file them to get it just right. No, I would not buy another one (the HF grinder), but might one day get a better grinder.
Kevin
Kevin
mtgrs737
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks for all your replies guys, I have looked at them in the store and was pretty sure that they would be hard to grind consistantly on. Pretty flimsy feeling to me. I will pass on this one, thanks again for your comments and experiances you all probably saved me some time, money and maybe some injury.
511a Knockoff
How close to the Oregon is this Northern Tools knockoff??? Is it worth the money? I'm having a hard time deciding between the 511a and the Stihl bench mount file guide. If the Northern was as good as the Oregon, that would make up my mind!
Thanks
How close to the Oregon is this Northern Tools knockoff??? Is it worth the money? I'm having a hard time deciding between the 511a and the Stihl bench mount file guide. If the Northern was as good as the Oregon, that would make up my mind!
Thanks
Harbor Freight...
I have seldom (if ever) had a good experience with H.F.
JQ
I have seldom (if ever) had a good experience with H.F.
JQ
mtngun
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have one of the plastic chinese grinders (not HF, but same thing) and it does a decent job once you learn how to deal with it's quirks.
It is quite flexible, but that can be used to advantage. Adjust it so that the wheel just barely grazes the tooth. Then to sharpen the chain, you first bring the wheel down, and then push it sideways against the tooth. That touches up the tooth without taking off too much metal.
It often has to be readjusted when you cut the teeth on the opposite side. It's annoying, but not a big deal.
At the time I bought it, I wasn't very good at filing chains by hand. I kept buying new chains because my old hand-filed chains wouldn't cut worth a crap. The plastic grinder, despite all its faults, produced a chain that cut as well as a new chain. I used the grinder exclusively for about a year, and it paid for itself several times over.
Now I am drifting back to hand filing. Both the speed and quality of my hand filing have improved. I no longer feel the need to use the grinder, unless I hit a rock. I have "outgrown" the plastic grinder.
But for the average firewood cutter, who isn't that great at hand filing, the plastic grinder is a cost effective alternative to buying new chains or to having chains sharpened by the saw shop.
It is quite flexible, but that can be used to advantage. Adjust it so that the wheel just barely grazes the tooth. Then to sharpen the chain, you first bring the wheel down, and then push it sideways against the tooth. That touches up the tooth without taking off too much metal.
It often has to be readjusted when you cut the teeth on the opposite side. It's annoying, but not a big deal.
At the time I bought it, I wasn't very good at filing chains by hand. I kept buying new chains because my old hand-filed chains wouldn't cut worth a crap. The plastic grinder, despite all its faults, produced a chain that cut as well as a new chain. I used the grinder exclusively for about a year, and it paid for itself several times over.
Now I am drifting back to hand filing. Both the speed and quality of my hand filing have improved. I no longer feel the need to use the grinder, unless I hit a rock. I have "outgrown" the plastic grinder.
But for the average firewood cutter, who isn't that great at hand filing, the plastic grinder is a cost effective alternative to buying new chains or to having chains sharpened by the saw shop.
Me too! I've been working on my filing for the past year and now I can get a chain just as sharp by hand or grinder. It's a good skill to learn, no grinders out in the forest.
I started out with the Harbor Freight grinder but sent back when I saw how much flex the plastic chassis had. I bought the Northern grinder and have been very happy with it.
I mostly hand file my chains now. If a chain gets rocked or otherwise damaged I'll use the grinder. At the end of firewood season I run all the chains through the grinder to even up the cutters and get ready for next year.
Dok
MtnHermit
ArboristSite Operative
Harbor Freight - 2 Different Chain Sharpeners
I'm still ramping up on my hand filing skills. Have a badly butchered chain that I thought the repeatability of a grinder would help. I'm already done cutting firewood for 2012, will not start again until November, so lots of time. Don't cut enough to justify a high dollar tool.
Is there any difference in these other than color? The chain vise appears different. Click the titles for product pages.
Red Chicago Electric
Orange Chicago Electric
I'm still ramping up on my hand filing skills. Have a badly butchered chain that I thought the repeatability of a grinder would help. I'm already done cutting firewood for 2012, will not start again until November, so lots of time. Don't cut enough to justify a high dollar tool.
Is there any difference in these other than color? The chain vise appears different. Click the titles for product pages.
Red Chicago Electric
Orange Chicago Electric
homelitejim
Full of Scrap
I don't remember when I got my HF grinder but I have been through a handful grinding wheels and have sharpened hundreds of chains. No it is not a fancy $500 grinder but for $30 I feel it has paid for itself many time over and it turns on every time I flip the switch. It does flex and the vice is not the best but you do get what you pay for.
