Are these dealer sharpened chains OK?

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wahoowad

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At best I can only do a half-assed job sharpening my own chains so once in a blue moon I treat myself by dropping a few chains off at the local power equipment dealer for (hopefully) a better job. This last batch I took to a place I've never used but was assured their tech has a machine he uses. I picked them up today and was putting one back on a bar when the tooth just didn't look right. All the teeth on 3 chains are like this - mostly squared off, no undercut area underneath the top of the cutter. Is this what I should expect?



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Your pictures are the exact reason you should invest a bit of time and learn how to sharpen your own.
No more relying on others to do a hopeless job and charge you for it and waste your time and money twice as you have to then search to get someone else to do it.

Its not that difficult, just requires a bit of time and investment on your behalf, once you learn how to, you will wonder why you didnt apply yourself sooner.
 
Not sure I would expect it, but I certainly wouldn't accept it.
Swing by with one on the saw and let them see how it cuts, get your money back, that isn't sharp.
And a few free chains. I don't know much on sharpening but I'm thinking the amount of work to get them right again will definitely take some life off them. Here's some of my dealer sharpened chain. 7.50 a loop chain is either. 404 063 or 404 058
 

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They cut like a hot knife thru butter. The guy who sharpens them is in his 80's and uses a sharpener on a pedestal from the early 50's. Any input would be great if they look good or bad please feel free to chime in.

Get the Gullet. Look to Billy Buckin Ray Smith (YoutTube) and his tutorials on sharpening and you'll see the gullet is keeping those cutters from being as they could/should and ought to be. Learning to hand file allows getting at the gullet. A machine alone will leave some gullet behind.
 
At best I can only do a half-assed job sharpening my own chains so once in a blue moon I treat myself by dropping a few chains off at the local power equipment dealer for (hopefully) a better job. This last batch I took to a place I've never used but was assured their tech has a machine he uses. I picked them up today and was putting one back on a bar when the tooth just didn't look right. All the teeth on 3 chains are like this - mostly squared off, no undercut area underneath the top of the cutter. Is this what I should expect?



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AWESOME
 
Get the Gullet. Look to Billy Buckin Ray Smith (YoutTube) and his tutorials on sharpening and you'll see the gullet is keeping those cutters from being as they could/should and ought to be. Learning to hand file allows getting at the gullet. A machine alone will leave some gullet behind.
Thanks, I couldn't imagine them cutting any better than they do now. @chipper1 gave me some sweet hand files just haven't had the time to learn and use them due to unforseen life circumstances at this time.
 
Thanks, I couldn't imagine them cutting any better than they do now. @chipper1 gave me some sweet hand files just haven't had the time to learn and use them due to unforseen life circumstances at this time.

I'm not as big a believer in "Get the Gullet" as I ought to be. There is a video that shows the cutting with and without the gullet, and it is pretty convincing. Yet yours are pretty much the poster boy of "This is what the Gullet looks like". Side plates do cut and the gullet you have is not going to do any cutting.

You can very safely remove the gullet with a small file (5/32" will work fine) and not touch the existing top and side plate sharpness. If you would, do a timed 3 cuts before and after and share here.
 
Yeah that’s completely unacceptable. I’d have them replace the chain. You COULD get it cutting again, but they’ve taken a lot of life off those cutters.

Glory and power be unto the hand filers, but for us mortals, get a 2-1. Husqvarna Sharpforce, Pfred, Sthil 2-1 are all good choices that make an art into something easy and repeatable.
 

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