square chain grinder

[814hammer]

I'm looking to start sharpening my chains with a square grinder what is the best for the money to buy I'm hoping to find good deal on a used one but if my luck is like any other time I will just end up buying one please help out a good cheaper square grinder would be ?

 

[mdavlee]

A swing arm will be cheapest. The SDM 4 and pro sharp are the Cadillacs of silvey. Simington is the only choice for a new one now.

 

[814hammer]

A swing arm will be cheapest. The SDM 4 and pro sharp are the Cadillacs of silvey. Simington is the only choice for a new one now.

Thanks also do the square grinds stay sharper longer in dirtier wood I dressed my wheel on my harbor freight regular grinder flat instead of rounded and I seem to think that cuts a little faster and stays sharp longer it's kind but a lot different then square but does the square stay sharp longer in dirty hard wood

 

[w8ye]

http://simingtonchaingrinder.com/

 

[SierraWoodsman]

Here's a used Simington. Doesn't look like the original motor, But that's not necessarily a deal breaker though.
Good Luck.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/tls/4409751957.html

 

[DavdH]

Square ground chain will dull faster in dirty wood, best for clean wood. Not much good for landing saws and fire wood cutting, best for felling and bucking.

 

[SierraWoodsman]

If you have to be in Dirty wood you'd be better of with Simi-Chisel or even chipper chain.
To me Square holds up just as well as round in relatively clean cutting conditions, and will give
you a performance advantage.

 

[814hammer]

I have this cheep harbor freight grinder and figured if I'm going to buy a good round grinder I figured I go with a good deal square what's your opinion good round or square but not cheap harbor freight junk lol

 

[Knobby57]

I have a stihl usg and the quality it top notch . Throw In the cbn wheels and you have a great set up . Round ground chain is the bread and butter . Square grind is fast cutting but it's on a full chisel cutter and they will dull very very fast in dirty , frozen, and even wood that is a bit rotted. Semi chisel chain is best for dirty wood. Also profiling a flat edge on a wheel will not do much more than give you goofy looking gullets . Keep your cutters the same length and don't neglect the rakers . I was given a hf grinder I threw it in the trash . Any quality grinder should make you very happy .


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[Philbert]

'm going to buy a good round grinder . . . what's your opinion good round or square

Oregon 511ax is the 'standard' for round grinders. Will do any pitch or type of chain except square ground.

Used by many shops. Parts are available. Keeps its value.

STIHL grinders cost almost twice as much.

Square ground is more of a specialty chain than for all around cutting.

Philbert

 

[SierraWoodsman]

I doubt that you're getting true square grind geometry on the H.F. grinder, If you are, I know quite a few people that would be interested...Can you post a cutter pic?
I've decided to make the switch over to square, but then I am cutting in clean conditions for the most part.
I felt like it offered a substantial enough performance advantage to make the investment in a square grinder.
I'd still keep a couple of chipper and simi-chisel chains handy when you know you're going to be in dirtier conditions
I tried Square filing, but never really mastered it before I got the Silvey.
Keep in mind that properly sharpened round will outperform poorly sharpened square every time. You might
consider buying a loop of square chisel and buy a $10 square file to maintain it before diving in headfirst.
You will will have to make the decision if it's worth the extra trouble. Plenty of good info / people on here
that can be a big help.

 

[Knobby57]

I paid 525 out the door for my usg . My 511ax was about 125$ less . Don't get me wrong the 511 is a great grinder and will do a great job on a chain. But little things on the 511ax bother me....it's hard to see the degree scale for the top plate angle because the handle to lock down the chain is in the way and my scale was slightly inaccurate from the factory . .also found 008 runout at the edge of a cbn wheel tested on 2 wheels on the 511ax .002 runout on the usg . No light on the usg but a light is built into the 511ax . But I find the light to be slightly better than worthless . A cheap clamp on work light works great . All said and done they both do a super job sharpening a chain and I couldn't tell what grinder did a chain by looking at it


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[nstueve]

Just stay with round its more versatile.

 

[Philbert]

I paid 525 out the door for my usg . My 511ax was about 125$ less .

Great deal on your USG ! What is list? I have heard good things about it.

511ax is available as low as $320 shipped off of the Internet, and the similar Speed Sharp is periodically on sale for less than $300 from Bailey's.

Question is how good is good enough for you and how much do you want to spend? Lotta guys here are satisfied with the HF grinders or the NT knock-offs.

Philbert

 

[SierraWoodsman]

I have a stihl usg and the quality it top notch .
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Won't the Stihl USG do Square as well with the right attachment??
It would be an advantage to do both geometry's with one grinder..

 

[Knobby57]

Won't the Stihl USG do Square as well with the right attachment??
It would be an advantage to do both geometry's with one grinder..

There used to be a attachment available to do square but no longer available . Could not tell you how well it works . The usg will also do hedge trimmer and circular blades with the proper vice attachment . The usg also does not have a tilt vice. The entire vice slides forward and back off center of the grinding wheel for you have a much more vast range of adjustment to play with .
I do a lot of clearing and firewood. Love standing dry oak. This stuff eats full chisel chain fast . Semi takes it well. I can tell you if I did mostly felling live trees I would have already purchased a new simington square grinder . Square grind just isn't practical for 90% or what most use a chainsaw for. For that matter full chisel I think is used a lot more on dirty or dead would than it should. I do chains for a buddy that has a tree service and all he uses is FC chain . He sais it's faster and if they didn't use crappy metal they would stay sharp longer . He gives me 15-20 chains a week so who am I to educate him his groundies also love to cut into the dirt and none of them can hand file for crap. I usually just throw away at least 2 of his chains because they are so f.... Up.


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[Philbert]

There used to be a attachment available to do square but no longer available . . .

Instruction sheet attached - maybe it's helpful. I'm told that this is attachment is rare/hard to find (sounds like an eBay ad!).

. . . I usually just throw away at least 2 of his chains because they are so f.... Up.

Send me a couple for the 'Challenge Chain' tread!

Philbert

 

[Knobby57]

Instruction sheet attached - maybe it's helpful. I'm told that this is attachment is rare/hard to find (sounds like an eBay ad!).



Send me a couple for the 'Challenge Chain' tread!

Philbert

If you really want them usually missing several cutters and a few more bent every what way . Like they tried to cut through rocks. Or the cutters on one side will be damaged all the way to the back of the cutter so you can't grind past the damaged edge . I have not seen his saws but I'll bet the bars have the paint melted rite off them


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[Philbert]

If you really want them usually missing several cutters and a few more bent every what way .

That sounds like more of challenge than I am looking for!

Thanks!

Philbert

 

[Knobby57]

That sounds like more of challenge than I am looking for!

Thanks!

Philbert

Yah me too lol



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