Oregon 410-120 Chain Sharpener

[steved]

I was asked to give an impression of this sharpener because others might be interested. I'm working on Tapatalk, so I will be posting pictures in replies.

I was given a cheap bench top Timber Tuff as a gift. It works, it's very clunky, it vibrates, it is hard to setup, and it was falling apart when I got it (new in box). I used it a couple times, but felt I was doing more harm than good...the instructions were really lacking if i remember correctly. I'm going to state this right now, the Timber Tuff is probably a $40 tool and would probably serve a DIY homeowner who sharpens a chain every year well...but, you could also pocket the $ and pay to have it done.

Now the Oregon is probably a base semi-professional grinder. You can look these up, I got mine for $171 shipped from Amazon. It is quiet, it is smooth, everything is marked well...the instructions are ok, but meant for Oregon chain.

Now, it's probably been over five years since I used the Timber Tuff, and that long ago for my Father also...he commented how much nicer this Oregon is to the Timber Tuff, he didn't like the Timber Tuff at all.

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[steved]

Ok so it comes with three wheels (1/8" and 3/16" for cutters, and I believe a 5/16" for the rakers. I also bought a 5/32" for some LP chain I have...probably didn't need it.

It has a dressing stone and radius gauge, I bought a diamond wheel dresser that was easier to hold.

I found the wheel probably needs dressed once per chain, maybe twice if you're cutting a lot of material (e.g., rock damage).

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[steved]

Some various pictures of the adjustments...I made a wood mount for mine, so I just clamp to a bench. I will probably wall mount this somewhere.

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[Philbert]

Thanks for posting this. A lot of people have asked about this grinder.


Philbert

 

[steved]

Now two things I noticed that are cons...

It barely holds .043 chain, this is what my father uses on his 170...it holds .050 chain just fine.

The depth adjustment is under the grinder which makes it hard to fine tune (some of the other Oregons have the knob up and back so it is easier to access).

And unlike the other models that have the window for accessing the wheel retaining bolt, you need to remove two Phillip's screws from the cover...which is plastic. Not a big deal, but I wonder how long until the cover strips from the screws?

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[steved]

Finally, it takes less than five minutes for a newbie to adjust/setup and less than ten minutes to grind a 18" chain...essentially once setup, it is advance to the next cutter on that side, tighten the clamp, grind it, loosen the clamp, and advance...pretty simple. There are four primary adjustments...fairly simple.

I did some research on Utube as I remembered I blued a couple teeth with the Timber Tuff. Turns out you just touch them, almost lightly bump them until you reach the total depth...it's several small grinds and not one large grind. I also ordered some Kool Grind dressing, but it hasn't arrived yet and it doesn't seem necessary...

That's a 3/8" .050 Carlton chain, I took enough off to fix a nail strike, it looks like new (just dirty). I also did that .043 chain for my father, it turned out really well, he was happy...he's been cutting 12 cords a year for 40 years, never had a chain ground before as he hand files everything and his saws cut. His 029 Super will almost out cut my MS391...

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[steved]

And lastly, some pictures of the Timber Tuff...it feels like a toy compared to the Oregon.

The Oregon feels nice when operating, it is smooth, lots of power, quiet, and simple to setup...definitely recommend for someone that does a lot of sawing as a homeowner or small tree business (I'm sure there are better versions around for commercial work).

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[Philbert]

Timber Tuff sells a range of grinders. I don't like that style of grinder (wheel comes at tooth from the front) since it makes it really hard to see. I tried a similar design (different brand) and like the conventional style grinders (like your new one) better.

Philbert

 

[steved]

I sharpened three chains tonight, two 3/8 chisel for my 391 and one 3/8 LP SC for my Homelite.

I think one of the biggest hurdles is determining the angles a chain is already ground. I had to guess at the Homelite (Silver Streak chain).

As previously noted, I pointed out the down stop isn't easy to get at...it also isn't as firm of a stop as I would like it. That is really the only fault I have with it...

One other thing that I found is that the clamp mechanism is stiff because it is dry of lube...a little oil makes a world of difference. The only issue with that is that oil along with the grit from grinding chains will make a wonderful grinding compound that might cause premature wear of those components...I'll never see it with my limited use, but it is worth noting.

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[chipper1]

I sharpened three chains tonight, two 3/8 chisel for my 391 and one 3/8 LP SC for my Homelite.

I think one of the biggest hurdles is determining the angles a chain is already ground. I had to guess at the Homelite (Silver Streak chain).

As previously noted, I pointed out the down stop isn't easy to get at...it also isn't as firm of a stop as I would like it. That is really the only fault I have with it...

One other thing that I found is that the clamp mechanism is stiff because it is dry of lube...a little oil makes a world of difference. The only issue with that is that oil along with the grit from grinding chains will make a wonderful grinding compound that might cause premature wear of those components...I'll never see it with my limited use, but it is worth noting.

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Did you change the wheel when you ground the LP. I like a little extra hook on a semichisel chain in any chain size.
Sounds like thats three faults .
Use a dry lube for anything that needs it. I think you will be surprised at how fast you will have build-up on the oiled areas.
Any pictures .

 

[steved]

Did you change the wheel when you ground the LP. I like a little extra hook on a semichisel chain in any chain size.
Sounds like thats three faults .
Use a dry lube for anything that needs it. I think you will be surprised at how fast you will have build-up on the oiled areas.
Any pictures .

Yeah, I dropped to the 1/8" wheel for the LP...even the 5/32" wheel looked to wide.

To get what looked close, I did a 50/30/0 grind, which actually matched pretty well.

I took a video, but it's too big to post...

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[Philbert]

Try some silicone lube. Parts will likely wear in.

Would a different shape knob help? Maybe one that you tighten/ loosen with an improvised 'wrench'?

I use a strap type pipe wrench on my 511A when it gets too tight. Tried to replace it with a 'T'-knob, but it was too specialized to do it easily.

Philbert

 

[steved]

That's the issue, the head comes to a rest on the head of the stop, which is plastic, with a plastic jam nut...it's not in a convenient place to get access and it has just enough "wiggle" that translates to sponginess at the bottom of the stroke.

And in reality, I might be the only one that notices it. It is the only thing I can point at that I don't like, and it's not really a problem.

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[chipper1]

Yeah, I dropped to the 1/8" wheel for the LP...even the 5/32" wheel looked to wide.

To get what looked close, I did a 50/30/0 grind, which actually matched pretty well.

I took a video, but it's too big to post...

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Sounds good.
I upload to YouTube, then copy and paste the url to the post.

 

[Philbert]

I have not seen this grinder in person, so I appreciate your review. I did look (skim) several long (and not very good) YouTube videos on it, as well as the Instruction Manual, based on your comments.

It looks like the knob is designed like that so that the grinder can be mounted flat against a wall. A few ideas:

1. Replace the round, knurled, plastic locking nut (under part #5 in attached illustrations) with a standard, metal, hex nut of the same thread, that you can snug up with a wrench from the side.

2. Replace knob #5 with a hex head bolt (maybe brass?) that you can reach with a socket wrench and extension. Glue a piece of rubber on the head of the bolt (or the grinder head) where they touch.

3. Can this (or a longer bolt with a similar thread) be inserted from the back of the grinder, where it is easier to reach and adjust? Maybe add a rubber bumper on the end where it touches the grinder motor?

Philbert

 

[steved]

I could probably replace that stop with something else...and it is placed there so it can be wall mounted, which I might do at a later time.

I don't use it enough at this point to worry about modifying it (it's something I can live with), these chains will probably last me another three or four seasons since I mostly hand file.

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[GrizG]

Finally, it takes less than five minutes for a newbie to adjust/setup and less than ten minutes to grind a 18" chain...essentially once setup, it is advance to the next cutter on that side, tighten the clamp, grind it, loosen the clamp, and advance...pretty simple. There are four primary adjustments...fairly simple.

I did some research on Utube as I remembered I blued a couple teeth with the Timber Tuff. Turns out you just touch them, almost lightly bump them until you reach the total depth...it's several small grinds and not one large grind. I also ordered some Kool Grind dressing, but it hasn't arrived yet and it doesn't seem necessary...

That's a 3/8" .050 Carlton chain, I took enough off to fix a nail strike, it looks like new (just dirty). I also did that .043 chain for my father, it turned out really well, he was happy...he's been cutting 12 cords a year for 40 years, never had a chain ground before as he hand files everything and his saws cut. His 029 Super will almost out cut my MS391...

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Where can this chart be found? I didn't find one like that in the box with the 410-120...

 

[Philbert]

What do you think, almost 2 years later?

Thanks.

Philbert