Chain sharpening tools. Are they all gimmicks?

[cookies]

your chain could be sheeeot... it would not be the first time one got through that is not heat treated properly or is soft steel plated chisels so they do not retain a edge. im another fan of the pferd 2 in one file, it uses any brand of replacement rat tail file and is very simple to use giving excellent results even in the field but a stump vise makes it even better... i like to clamp 7-8 inches out from the power head to give a large area held steady to file but if your bar rails or groove is worn your results will suffer. using those 2 tools i have successfully used my first chain up until the chisels were gone, hand filing I would get 3-4 sharpening's per chain before taking it off and throwing it in anger. 30 bucks for the file, 20 for the vise but getting 20+ tanks out of a single chain vs 3 is a huge money saver, replacing the files costs about 2-4 bucks. that file saved me 300+ bucks on chains this past fall/winter/spring just by hitting the chain with 2 strokes per tooth at every gas refill and before starting the saw for the day.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

I just got good with a grinder, you can get many grinds out of a chain if you are good at it and dont cut rocks. I like the consistency...every cutter the same.

That said, in the wrong hands, a grinder is no better than hand filing blindfolded wearing oven mitts..

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[FlyingDutchman]

The best advice I got for sharpening was to look at what a new chain looks like and try for that.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I haven’t found a guide that gives me the results that a basic knowledge of freehand filing will give.

 

[user 122190]

I haven’t found a guide that gives me the results that a basic knowledge of freehand filing will give.

Adjustments can be made on the fly (angle, pressure, etc) with better visibility when using a file. My big break through in hand filing was in wearing a headlamp and reading glasses. You gots to knows what the results looks like, and more importantly being able to actually see the results. It ain't all just about "Strokin'", to the north, strokin to the south, strokin to the east, to the west, or what you love best, or (in @HarleyT's case) strokin hisself, strokin'...

 

[lone wolf]

I've tried pretty much every guide available. Also had a grinder for a while but got rid of it because it would never sharpen as well as files will (not for me anyway). After I finally got good at filing freehand, I got a Two-in-one file tool and I use it all the time. Stihl or Pferd sell them, about $40 each. It's 2-in-1 because a flat file takes down your rakers while you round file the tooth. Make sure you get the right size for your chain. Anyone can sharpen very well with that thing.

You need a seasoned person to teach you how .

 

[OM617YOTA]

I don't know if guides or whatnot are gimmicks, but I can say that I've had great service from just studying angles, driving a file into a piece of wood for a handle, and getting after it. Never had a need for more than that.

I will say that you need to be intentional about it, be paying attention to angles and be diligent about what you're doing for every single stroke. Not just set the file in the groove and go to town.

 

[old CB]

One other remote possibility that could hamper your sharpening results is there might be something in the saw that your sharp chain is encountering that dulls the teeth.

Years ago I had a McCulloch 610 that began to give me trouble. I would sharpen chain, and immediately on cutting the thing would go dull and begin cutting to one side. I putzed with that thing endlessly, then took it to my local shop where they could find nothing wrong. Finally I examined closely and found that the backing plate between the bar and the body of the saw (underneath the clutch) had gotten out of place so that the side of the left cutter teeth rubbed on it just enough to dull those cutters. Put that backing plate back in place and went back to proper operation. (One of two instances where a shop could not diagnose a problem that I finally did.)

 

[SteveSr]

Resharpened again, same deal. Cut for a log length, then dull up. It then curves BAD. Its almost a "J". I then sharpened only one side to see if that did anything with the curve, not really. The saw is almost sideways by the time I get through it.

Does the gauge on the chain match the gauge on the bar? i.e. are you trying to run an .050" or .058" gauge chain in an .063 gauge bar? That would sure make it do this!

 

[Westwood]

Does the gauge on the chain match the gauge on the bar? i.e. are you trying to run an .050" gauge chain in an .063 gauge bar?

I'd have to check. Is it printed on the chain? The packaging is long gone. .050 chain and 3/16 file is what I always reached for. /shrug I guess perhaps I could have pulled a wrong package the was misplaced on the rack? Even then though, I'm sure I'd check it before install.

Chain could just be due too. I can't recall the last time I've replaced it.

 

[SteveSr]

I'd have to check. Is it printed on the chain? The packaging is long gone. .050 chain and 3/16 file is what I always reached for. /shrug I guess perhaps I could have pulled a wrong package the was misplaced on the rack? Even then though, I'm sure I'd check it before install.

Chain could just be due too. I can't recall the last time I've replaced it.

If you have .050 chain take some feeler gauges and measure the thickness of the bar groove at various place on the bar. A new bar should measure about .004" larger than nominal. By the time you get to .008" you will start to have problems cutting straight, especially when the chain starts to get dull. The drive links can also be measure with a caliper. Bottom line... the chain shouldn't "wobble" very much at all in the bar groove (this is AFTER you just cleaned it). No fair measuring oil soaked sawdust!

 

[sb47]

I have never gotten more then 3 tanks of fuel without needing to resharpen. The idea is to keep'er sharp as possible at all times so yes it's a constant maintenance issue that can't be avoided. The more you do it the better you will get at it but you will still have to stay on top of it all the time. Your not actually cutting the wood but a chainsaw is like a bunch of tiny little plains, plaining off little chips at a time.

 

[thomasinvancouver]

I just use a round file with the flat guide and the standard Oregon depth gauge. I’ll occasionally use a pair of calipers to make sure the cutters are close to the same length.