Harbor Freight chain sharpener

[foggysail]

I think it was yesterday that I read a post here in the forum where a member displayed his sharpened chain using a Harbor Freight sharpener.

Well today I purchased one but the main reason for this post is THEY ARE ON SALE for something like $29!!!!! That is a steal if anybody has interest in owning one. It did take a few minutes to set up. It appears to do a good job but they could have done a better job with their mechanical design for bench mounting. I held mine down with a C clamp. Other than that, I am
happy to own it.

Foggy

 

[mattinky]

Most here will tell you it's junk but I have one and it served me well until I could get a better grinder. I got mine several years ago for $22 on sale

 

[cmarti]

I bought one 4 or 5 years ago, when I began cutting more wood for heat, and now I pretty much sharpen by hand filing. I still use it to save a rocked chain try, or to save a stump chain. I just do better by hand.....and it took some time to get better using a files. It has always worked, but seemed to be some play in mine.. They may have worked out the kinks, and you may be more precise than I was/am. Maybe I should spend more time mastering it:dunno:

 

[Nate66n1]

One was given to me as a gift from a friend of mine. For being a cheap grinder I can't say nothin bad about it. It serves the purpose for what I do.

 

[67L36Driver]

One was given to me as a gift from a friend of mine. For being a cheap grinder I can't say nothin bad about it. It serves the purpose for what I do.

Ditto.................................................................................................................

All I need now is some efficient way to take down the 'rakers'. Gave up on the file. Now use my Dremel.

 

[homelitejim]

got mine around 20 or so with a coupin years ago, it has paid for itself many times over. I probably will save up and get a better one when this one is done, just don't know when that will happen.

 

[Cannon51]

I've been trying to learn to use one for about a year now. I have an Organ chain that I hit a nail with and am using it to practice on but I have never got it to cut worth a flip. I just sharpened it again and tried to take a picture (harder than I thought) of the tooth. Any View attachment 290633obvious thing I'm doing wrong?
Cannon

 

[*ryan]

got one at work
works "ok" i do find there is play in the wheel when you go to sharpen a tooth it tends to slide over a bit, even if you hold the chain tight, the wheel actually bumps itself over to the side, so you dont get a real good grind

 

[67L36Driver]

I forget what that chain is called but it is almost as worthless as the homeowner stuff with the bumper links.

What few loops of that I have that needed sharpening, I took it down well below .025" to get it to bite.

 

[qbilder]

I have one & like it ok. It has some play/flex but it's a cheap rig. I hand file most of the time & not great at it but I do get the teeth sharp. After a few times hand sharpening, the teeth will have become inconsistent in angle & size, and the saw will start cutting rough or curvy. I use the grinder to true everything up again. For the twenty something bucks I paid, I'm happy.

 

[leeave96]

I bought one of these last year and it does a pretty good job - for me. My routine is to hand sharpen with a file, but somehow my chains visit a rock from time to time and the HF sharpener is a quick way to grind the chain back into shape. One thing you can't do is rough handle it - there is a lot of flex and play in the set-up, but if you have the time and patience, it does a good job.

Sometime last fall I did a full chisel chain for my PP330 (16 inch bar) and in a hurry this spring, I grabbed that chain and put it on. I've never been able to file a saw chain (keep in mind I'm a hack saw operator) to where it was when new - close, but never like it cuts out of the box. That chain I sharpened with the HF sharpener cut great. I got multiple loads of dead oak in my 5 x 10 trailer and aside from nicking a rock, it's still cutting great. I could help to notice it cut as good or better than a new chain.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[7sleeper]

I've bought two sofar. One I bought for my BIL along with his Birthday present makita electric chainsaw. I have been so happy with them that this year I bought the obviously "new model" where the bottom part is out of aluminum. Much stiffer now. I use them for rocked teeth or when friends need a sharpening. Goes much faster than with a file on rocked teeth or "run dull chains".
I have been thinking of going real cheap and mounting two wheels next to each other so that I can use them to file the rakers!

7

 

[milkman]

I've been trying to learn to use one for about a year now. I have an Organ chain that I hit a nail with and am using it to practice on but I have never got it to cut worth a flip. I just sharpened it again and tried to take a picture (harder than I thought) of the tooth. Any View attachment 290633obvious thing I'm doing wrong?
Cannon

Use macro and focus, focus, focus.:msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin: