Whats the easiest to learn chain sharpener

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A bit hard on the trees.
Most woods can spare a 5" diameter low grade tree. Oh...and he's logging the woods. Some of those are going to get smashed by a falling tree anyhow. I haven't asked, but he's pretty good about taking care of the woods, so he probably picks trees that are coming out anyhow.

But yeah, I wouldn't do that in a residential yard to a tree being maintained! :laugh:
 
Most woods can spare a 5" diameter low grade tree. Oh...and he's logging the woods. Some of those are going to get smashed by a falling tree anyhow. I haven't asked, but he's pretty good about taking care of the woods, so he probably picks trees that are coming out anyhow.

But yeah, I wouldn't do that in a residential yard to a tree being maintained! :laugh:
Understand he is thoughtful about using the technique. Just wanted to mention for all the others reading to make sure they consider it.
 
Philbert I am sure sure you could set up a 12 volt chain grinder but do not know how big that market would be. Why now design a system where as the chain could still be on the saw but get sharpened. Just thought. Thanks
Tecomec and Oregon used to sell a 4” diameter, 12V chain grinder that clamped onto the guide bar, similar to how a Granberg file guide does. I think it was popular with guys that do chainsaw milling, because they don’t like to take their rig apart to sharpen.

There was one on a local CraigLlist ad about a year ago, that I almost bought just for my “collection“.

Philbert
 
One of the loggers I work with finds a smaller diameter tree and plunges the saw in (ripping cut/upright/parallel to the trunk - not like he's cutting it down) at about stomach height and uses that to hold his saw while he sharpens. He's pretty efficient at it!

A bit hard on the trees.
I mentioned something similar above. I sometimes bore cut into a stump, or into a large round, to hold the saw by the guide bar when filing.

If the tree is going to be cut for firewood anyways, it’s not a big deal. Just plan ahead, and cut that tree last!

Philbert
 
Tecomec and Oregon used to sell a 4” diameter, 12V chain grinder that clamped onto the guide bar, similar to how a Granberg file guide does. I think it was popular with guys that do chainsaw milling, because they don’t like to take their rig apart to sharpen.

There was one on a local CraigLlist ad about a year ago, that I almost bought just for my “collection“.

Philbert
I would say for those who want to get their chains sharp in the field that would be win win. A reality for me is when I am cutting for more than a casual afternoon there is not a chance for any house hold current. Thanks
 
Your hands do the filing, not the vice.
Agreed. I learned to sharpen without a vice, and now its awkward to work with a vice where my arms usually sit on the tailgate of the truck. Everybody has their right way to sharpen. I prefer a freehand file, and that has come from a lot of buggered up chains and learning the hard way.
 
None of them are dummy proof. Some are better than others, but it still comes down to understanding how the tooth cuts and how the file removes material and shapes the tooth. I have seen guys butcher chains with bare files, file guides, file plates, clamp on jigs, dremels, and expensive grinders. I usually take a few chains and swap them out and then grind when I get home. I used to file exclusively, but after hitting so many pieces of steel, concrete, and rocks in trees, there was a need for a grinder. Now I don't do so much tree removal so I should go back to filing. We'll see.
 
file out under the tooth first, take out the gullet, and the file the cutting edge from underneath. Down, back, and up.
The gullet helps hold the file at the proper height to set the side plate angle/the hook. If you remove the gullet first on a newer chin then you will have to constantly hold the file up against the top plate.
That being said, you do need to remove a very small portion of the back of the gullet, but not as low as I clean them up when done filing the cutter unless you are further into the life of s chain.

I’m a dummy and the Husky roller guides work best for me.
This chain has cut 68 cords (real cords) of blocks so far. My goal is to hit 75 before I retire it.
Hand filed with the Husky roller guide every one or two tanks fuel and once on the grinder to even out the teeth. (I tend to shorten left teeth more than rights)

Still cuts straight and fast.

Seriously, as long as the file is aligned and rolled straight without wobbling, even a dummy like me can’t mess it up.
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I like them a lot, and I use them on chains that I get that someone thought getting the gullet hogged out was going to make their saw cut faster, it holds the file up onto the cutter nicely.
I've never had a chain last that long, I filed one this week down from 80% to 10%(if you stop at the witness marks), but I had to flush cut a bunch of stumps. Only touched it up once while cutting the trees down and limbing them, cottonwood and couple pine so it was softer wood.
The best mentor that helped me, sharpened tooling for a living. Some of what he showed me of saw chain sharpening would start a war if I typed it here due to going against internet sawing protocol.
That's great you had someone to stand beside and learn.
Waiting to here about he shared :innocent:.
Some folks don't seem to care much for the raker filing feature.
It's funny when you watch a video on how to use the roller guide and then when it comes time to do the rakers they set it aside :laugh:. What they don't realize is how well they work for setting them to the proper height. The stand alone version is a much easier tool to hold and they last much longer though.
 
4 & 4 over the 2in1 ....
What I mean is keep 4 brand new or even brand new plus a bench grinder razor sharp touched up set of 4 new chains at your local saw shop, and the other new 4 chains with you.
Once you get down to one last new chain in the field go to town and trade the 3 dull ones for the 4 new ones at the shop.
In the mean time learn to hand file just because hand filing is a great skill to have.

I mostly hand file / touch up in the field with a stump vise, but I also have my "rocked" chains at the local pro saw shop chains ready and waiting for me.
Hope this was helpful
 
4 & 4 over the 2in1 ....
What I mean is keep 4 brand new or even brand new plus a bench grinder razor sharp touched up set of 4 new chains at your local saw shop, and the other new 4 chains with you.
Once you get down to one last new chain in the field go to town and trade the 3 dull ones for the 4 new ones at the shop.
In the mean time learn to hand file just because hand filing is a great skill to have.

I mostly hand file / touch up in the field with a stump vise, but I also have my "rocked" chains at the local pro saw shop chains ready and waiting for me.
Hope this was helpful
What is a "rocked" chain, exactally?
 
I prefer the little eleven dollar Oregon guide accessory when sharpening by hand ( Go to AMAZON and search for Oregon Chainsaw Sharpening Guide )
and I dont think you can beat it if you are only cutting wood and hit the ground
every now and then. If you are hitting rocks and steel and concrete I think you
need a grinder as trying to recover from that kind of damage is too difficult
to do with round files by hand. The Oregon accessory assures that you are cutting
the edge of the tooth and not just grinding deep into the chain and missing the tooth
edge. My favorite workshop accessory is the tailgate of my pickup truck. Perfect platform to sharpen your saw in about five minutes without having to remove the
chain. One thing that does help a bit is to tighten the chain a little more than needed
so the chain is held steady while you file. Also, this could be controversial.... Every now and then I take a loose chain that I have removed from the saw and use a bench
grinder to grind down the rakes between the teeth. This of course takes away ALL
of the "LOW KICKBACK" features (be careful) of the saw but boy does the saw really grab when you want it too. Improves dramatically the plunge cutting if you ever need to do it. BTW. The great thing about the OREGON chain saw guide is you take it with you into the woods and use it right beside the tree you are cutting. Just takes a few minutes for a quick touch up while kneeling on the ground.
 
Any chain massively dulled by striking a hard object, generally a rock. If you hand file, it is a major effort to overcome the damage, so you send it out to someone with a grinder.
Yeah, wanted to see if Steve defined it that way. I'm going to suggest if you are needing to carry 4 chains to get through the day you should look at your cutting techniques...
 
Yeah, wanted to see if Steve defined it that way. I'm going to suggest if you are needing to carry 4 chains to get through the day you should look at your cutting techniques...
Maybe, when I cut hazard trees in yards with targets I usually have two saws, the one I'm running and another with a sharp chain and ready to go in case I hit something. There have been many times when cutting in general that I've damaged two new chains in the same wood(different locations not the same cut) as all I had was new chains :cry:. But the show must go on and filing a chain that hits metal isn't much fun, and I enjoy filing.
 
I'm going to suggest if you are needing to carry 4 chains to get through the day you should look at your cutting techniques...
Depends on what you are cutting. I do disaster clean up, and tree debris is mixed with EVERYTHING.

Also watched a local tree service find multiple concrete ’plugs’ doing an urban removal.

That stuff does not buff out with a few swipes of a file. Some guys carry multiple saws. Some carry extra chains that can be repaired at home / back at a shop.

Philbert
 
Depends on what you are cutting. I do disaster clean up, and tree debris is mixed with EVERYTHING.

Also watched a local tree service find multiple concrete ’plugs’ doing an urban removal.

That stuff does not buff out with a few swipes of a file. Some guys carry multiple saws. Some carry extra chains that can be repaired at home / back at a shop.

Philbert
True, but I have worked with a lot of guys that consider hitting dirt "inevitable", and that just isn't so. So many times just poor technique and laziness.
I took over a crew that was the worst about that one time, and solved it within a week. Files were brought out at lunch, and the end of the day. Everyone was assigned a saw, and once you started spitting sawdust you were on brush dragging duty. The improvement in skills was fast.
 

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