Echo-man
ArboristSite Lurker
I have the HF one. If nothing else, its a good rest to use with a file. If you use a light touch like mentioned previously, it will do an OK job.
Bench mount chain sharpener
- Thread starter gtstang462002
- Start date
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I bought a Silvey. Happier than hell with it but I live in a tent now because I had to sell the house to pay for it.
Hummer
I've got wood!
I like quality tools and usually pop the extra to buy them. The Stihl had an Oregon bench grinder for ~$265, but I didn't want to go there, can't afford to now. I've always filed with an Oregon bar file jig. I keep buying new chains but many of my chains are old, uneven, worn thin and beyond restoration with a file. Right now I'm running four saws and sharpening 8-10 chains a day. Last week I was tempted and bought the HF chain grinder for $29.99. It is returnable for 30 days.
In the past three days I've used the HF grinder to repair, reuse and completely wear out four old chains. That's a savings of about 140 hours of "free" chain use. The POS HF grinder (and it is a cheap POS) already paid for itself bigtime. $$!
Do a search here on the mods for this grinder. I shimmed the chain stop with a couple of washers to make it work right but that's probably all I'll bother with. With care the HF grinder can repair and extend the life of old worn and damaged chains. IMHO, the grinder is not for routine chain maintenance. I will continue using a file for daily sharpening of good chains.
No doubt a better made tool would pay better returns over the long term.
I will sharpen another 25 or 30 old chains with this grinder then decide whether to return it. :greenchainsaw:
Hummer
In the past three days I've used the HF grinder to repair, reuse and completely wear out four old chains. That's a savings of about 140 hours of "free" chain use. The POS HF grinder (and it is a cheap POS) already paid for itself bigtime. $$!
Do a search here on the mods for this grinder. I shimmed the chain stop with a couple of washers to make it work right but that's probably all I'll bother with. With care the HF grinder can repair and extend the life of old worn and damaged chains. IMHO, the grinder is not for routine chain maintenance. I will continue using a file for daily sharpening of good chains.
No doubt a better made tool would pay better returns over the long term.
I will sharpen another 25 or 30 old chains with this grinder then decide whether to return it. :greenchainsaw:
Hummer
hornett224
ArboristSite Guru
you get what you pay for.
i'd look for a Maxx grinder ,Jolly,or Oregon.
if you have the money,Stihl or Silvey.look on Ebay.there are always used quality grinders for resonable on there.
i sharpen a lot of chains and my dealer cannot sharpen a chain to save their life at $7 a chain.i bought the stihl grinder from him and it paid for itself in 3 months easily.10 chains at a pop at $7 adds up quick around here with all the maples full of metal and rocks.i blew out over 20 chains yesterday in no time.
i'd look for a Maxx grinder ,Jolly,or Oregon.
if you have the money,Stihl or Silvey.look on Ebay.there are always used quality grinders for resonable on there.
i sharpen a lot of chains and my dealer cannot sharpen a chain to save their life at $7 a chain.i bought the stihl grinder from him and it paid for itself in 3 months easily.10 chains at a pop at $7 adds up quick around here with all the maples full of metal and rocks.i blew out over 20 chains yesterday in no time.
Hugenpoet
Addicted to ArboristSite
20 chains in one day, are you kidding? I thought I was bad going dulling up 2-3 chains a day if I was cuttin' maple that I dragged through the mud with the tractor for 1000 ft.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
+1 I got the best jolly I could four years ago and its like new
never have regretted it accept forking out 300. to buy it!
I will sharpen ten chains and the second one starts getting
dull swap out I have a ben on my bucket for the dull ones!
hornett224
ArboristSite Guru
well swamp maples in Hartford are full of metal.
i told the guy it would be extra if i trashed the chains on the stalk and stump.i could see about 20 old clothes line pulleys in it before i ever started on it.there was at least 6' of T bar in the stump as well. it was behind a 3 story apartment building in the north end of Hartford.he paid the extra and i salvaged all but two chains so far.they need a couple teeth replaced,matched up on the grinder and i'm golden.
there is usually all kinds of metal around here in maples.i hit a peice of granite 6 feet up on a hickory last year that was next to an old stone wall.it must have picked it up years ago but i found it right away.
i also should admit,i sharpen chains for a couple of buddies i work with also so they weren't all my chains.
i told the guy it would be extra if i trashed the chains on the stalk and stump.i could see about 20 old clothes line pulleys in it before i ever started on it.there was at least 6' of T bar in the stump as well. it was behind a 3 story apartment building in the north end of Hartford.he paid the extra and i salvaged all but two chains so far.they need a couple teeth replaced,matched up on the grinder and i'm golden.
there is usually all kinds of metal around here in maples.i hit a peice of granite 6 feet up on a hickory last year that was next to an old stone wall.it must have picked it up years ago but i found it right away.
i also should admit,i sharpen chains for a couple of buddies i work with also so they weren't all my chains.
hornett224
ArboristSite Guru
i wouldn't sweat the $300 too much.
i dropped over $500 on the Stihl HOS grinder and then watched a used one on ebay go for almost $100 more than i paid for mine new.
the Stihl grinder is a great unit though.i can't get over how quiet it is.i sharpen at night in the garage with no worries.
i dropped over $500 on the Stihl HOS grinder and then watched a used one on ebay go for almost $100 more than i paid for mine new.
the Stihl grinder is a great unit though.i can't get over how quiet it is.i sharpen at night in the garage with no worries.
Somebody else in another thread about the NT grinder wrote about the same thing happening to them. Apparently the wheels shipped with the unit can be hit or miss. My wheels have done about 5 chains so far. They are not straight and true as they should be but at least they have held together. When I purchased the unit, I also ordered a set of Oregon wheels. I have not put them on but they seem better made than the stock wheels.
retired redneck
ArboristSite Guru
I have two org 511a in my shop boath have ran perfect for 4yrs,do not over tighten wheels or they will shatter ,just snug them up good. i use northern chi-com copy of 511a for takeing guides down..........
mryb
Resident Creep
Dad & me each bought a MAXX grinder. Couldn't be happier. Turns out very nice chains...Rick
uglydukwling
ArboristSite Member
The consensus seems to be that the HF chain sharpener works, but not well enough to bother with. I was in one of their stores yesterday and noticed that they also have a circular saw sharpener for $70. They didn't have one on display and I didn't have time to open a box and unpack one, but I wonder if it's also a flexible plastic piece of junk. Anybody have any experience with it?
Hugenpoet
Addicted to ArboristSite
i told the guy it would be extra if i trashed the chains on the stalk and stump.i could see about 20 old clothes line pulleys in it before i ever started on it.there was at least 6' of T bar in the stump as well. it was behind a 3 story apartment building in the north end of Hartford.he paid the extra and i salvaged all but two chains so far.they need a couple teeth replaced,matched up on the grinder and i'm golden.
there is usually all kinds of metal around here in maples.i hit a peice of granite 6 feet up on a hickory last year that was next to an old stone wall.it must have picked it up years ago but i found it right away.
i also should admit,i sharpen chains for a couple of buddies i work with also so they weren't all my chains.
That makes much more sense to me now as you are obviously working in extremely difficult conditions. Essentially you are cuttin' a mixture or wood and scrap metal. I don't envy you having to work in those conditions. Best of luck with your cuttin'-and, if you aren't already using PPE, IMHO eye protection at a minimum would be well advised.
Hummer
I've got wood!
HF has one on display here, it is all metal, maybe a little light duty but might work ok. It will only do blades up to 15". I have an 18" buzz saw blade that costs me $20 for every sharpening. I'd sure like to find a cheaper alternative. There was a retired guy who did it for $10 but he died last year.
Anybody know when Northern Tool has their sale on the bench grinders? This one will cost me $109.61 delivered. http://www2.northerntool.com/product/200327449.htm
hornett224
ArboristSite Guru
i wear ear muffs and normal everyday corrective glasses.
gloves sometimes.something about maples around here.they always have surprises in them.i have learned to prepare for the worst.and bring plenty of extra chains.i save a lot of my old crap bars and chains for them.
gloves sometimes.something about maples around here.they always have surprises in them.i have learned to prepare for the worst.and bring plenty of extra chains.i save a lot of my old crap bars and chains for them.
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