I've often wondered if it's worth sharpening a chain. Would you be better off just getting a new chain everytime youj need one. If you buy a spool of chain and make your own you have around $11 in a 16" chain. If I don't hit anything I can easily cut 3-4 cords with a chain before it gets to dull. I have thought about just cutting until a chain is dull then swappiong a new one. Once you have 5 dull ones sell them on e-bay. I bet they would average $7-8 a piece. If that is the case it only costs you about $1 a cord to have a new chain everytime you cut. Now if you rock one it will cost you a couple dollars more. Has anyone else thought about doing this?
Scott
A brand new chain doesn't last that long for me. I cut Oak, Hickory, Locust, and some Ash. Even in perfectly clean wood with a brand new chain, after the 3rd tank, it really needs touched up, and after a 4th tank, it's just plain dull. If you're cutting 3 cords with out sharpening, you're cutting some pretty soft wood, AND you are working at it a lot more than you need to.
Personally, I don't have any need for a grinder. The Granberg jig allows me to file a rocked out chain back into shape. Sure, it takes me 20 min or so to file a really messed up chain, but compaired to the price of a decent grinder, and considering that I only do it to each chain once a year, the idea of a grinder just seems like a complete waste of my $$. At that point, I'd rather either pay to have them sharpened once a year, or toss the chain and replace it.
As far as the rakers go, I check them about once a year and they rarely need anything done to them.
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