Sharpening your chain

[Aaron Frasher]

If there is a thread that covers this please post the link I have looked and cant find one.
What do you use to sharpen your chains? hand file,chain grinders or,bar mounted?
What brand of file do you use? number of strokes per tooth?
I have a grinder from Harbor Freight that I like alot. I got some save edge files that do a good job.I have a Grangerg bar mount but I dont care for it much. I have a Husqvarna 455 Rancher with a 20" bar .058 chain.

 

[Marshy]

I dont always hand file my chain... but when I do it has to be sunny with 10 miles of visibility and 67*F with a southwester breeze at 2.4 knots with the bar and chain facing 70* due east.

Only thing I use is a round file with a handle... usualy take 2 strokes per tooth, more if I did some dirt hoggin.

 

[blades]

Unless the search function out of wack there is a ton of info in various sections.

 

[dave_dj1]

Round Stihl file, how ever many strokes it takes to make it cut like butter!

 

[haveawoody]

Hand file makes for the longest lasting best sharpened chains.
Every other method might be faster and might even sharpen chains as well but you will pay a price in life of each chain.

IMO get good at hand sharpening chains and leave the gizmos for those that just want sharp chain fast and chain life short.

 

[nathon918]

Pferd files (best there is) and as many strokes as it takes, sometimes more sometimes less...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Hand file makes for the longest lasting best sharpened chains.
Every other method might be faster and might even sharpen chains as well but you will pay a price in life of each chain.

IMO get good at hand sharpening chains and leave the gizmos for those that just want sharp chain fast and chain life short.

So I buy one extra chain, the speed and ease of using my Oregon sharpener is worth it to me. I HATE fileing chain! lol

SR

 

[hdp]

pferd cs-x

 

[shutup-n-cut]

A good file and a gentle stroke is what I do , keep it sharp and a chain will last a long time.

I do have a grinder but hardly ever use it unless my saw decided it was a metal detector.

 

[Shagbark]

Granberg File n Joint, or a buddy who does it with his grinder.

 

[Milkweed Seed]

I dont always hand file my chain... but when I do it has to be sunny with 10 miles of visibility and 67*F with a southwester breeze at 2.4 knots with the bar and chain facing 70* due east.

Only thing I use is a round file with a handle... usualy take 2 strokes per tooth, more if I did some dirt hoggin.

Now that's Funny!
Do you also drink Dos Equis, when you drink beer? Facing the east to file... Some kind of Taliban wood cutter?

 

[ttyR2]

Hand file with metal guide (sheet metal guide that screws down on the file), and a Granberg for when the chain needs to be trued up every third or fourth sharpening.

 

[Butch(OH)]

No need to apologize for asking. When the answer for every question is "do a search" then the site is doomed. There is however lots of information posted in other threads.
Basically there is merit to filing or grinding however either can be screwed up by those who have no time for details or paying attention to what is in front of them or learning from their mistakes.. If so inclined I suggest buying 10-20 chains and taking them to a saw shop for grinding. For a person who desires to learn either method will sharpen chains however filing will both achieve a keener edge and accomplish it with less metal removed. Having cut along side of people who confuse their saws with a Ditchwitch trencher I also understand the need for some to grind . We own a grinder but the only time it gets used is when we hit an object imbedded in the wood or hit a rock. I will stress that you need a means of mounting the saw if your going to learn how to hand file correctly and quickly. Having watched people try to file a saw while rocking back and forth on the ground or on the tailgate of a pick up truck I understand why some would say hand filing is for the birds. So, if your going to hand file you need a vise be it a big bench vise, a home made one just to hold saws, or a stump vise used out in the woods. A person absolutely cannot properly file a chain otherwise and it really makes hand filing the miserable chore that some describe. Beyond that every chain Mfg has lots of good info on hand filing. Once you know what to look for and how to do it on a properly secured saw all you need is a file and a handle. The various "crutches" just get in the way of an experienced filer but they do beat the pants off of indiscriminately filing away at the chain. I have watched many you tube flicks on the subject and be damn careful about what you place in your memory banks if you chose to learn there.

As for equipment we purchase Stihl files by the box lot. 5/32/ 3/16 and 13/64 (which are also used where 7/32 is recommended) a few handles and a big Sarrett bench vise in the shop. Seldom do we file in the field, I take an extra saw or chain instead. We adjust the depth gages when the teeth are about 1/3 gone and again when 2/3 gone and don't see a need for doing it more often. This is one place we always use a jig, usually the Oregon made ones.

 

[olyman]

So I buy one extra chain, the speed and ease of using my Oregon sharpener is worth it to me. I HATE fileing chain! lol

SR

yep!! and I see ZERO diff in chain wear,,as if done right,,only a light touch of the cutter is necessary,,just like a file.......not like the saw shops do, most of the time..

 

[Ralph in MN]

This winter I bought a Oregon sharpener like the Granberg, there is s satisfaction in filing my own chains and watching the chips fly when I'm cutting.

 

[CRESTLINE]

I prefer the electric grinder from Northern. I do know how to file chains and have done it for many years. The problem I see with filing is, as some have already posted, you may have to file some teeth more some less to get a sharp chain. This causes un-even chain teeth. With the electric sharpener, I set it to just contact the tooth lightly, then go all the way around the chain inspecting each tooth as I go. If I notice that some of the teeth did not get sharp then I reset the grinder and go around again. Usually one pass will do as long as you have not hit the ground or something in the wood, but if some take more filing/grinding than others this will help to keep a evenly sharpened chain resulting in a smooth cutting and long lasting chain.

 

[Philbert]

There are dozens of threads on this topic (hint: search Arboristsite using Google).

There are many different ways to sharpen chains, and many more opinions about what is right. You have to find one that works for you.

Here is one thread with my comments: http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/chain-filing-height.252582/

Philbert

 

[CTYank]

Like Shagbark & Ralph, I much prefer Granberg's file guide, for chains that haven't been fiended. Once you figure it out (take your time- it's worth it) you can set it up in less than a minute and make each cutter a razor in 1-2 gentle strokes. Honest. I still use one I got 35+ yrs back. Chipmaster & Oregon files work fine for me, cost about 1/3 what Stihl files cost. Not a file-snob.
For damaged chains, Northern Tool grinder works great, especially with Molemab wheels from Bailey's. You can accomodate minor variations in cutter length by leaning left or right a bit on the handle. That grinder works great on really dull buddies' chains that are off the bar. I just give them all a quick kerosene bath first to degrease/clean them.

 

[Philbert]

(Sleeper7 should be here soon with his HF grinder defense - he lives in a different time zone so it takes him a little longer to jump in . . .)

Philbert

 

[olyman]

(Sleeper7 should be here soon with his HF grinder defense - he lives in a different time zone so it takes him a little longer to jump in . . .)

Philbert

for the price,,the hf grinder aint no slouch...and if you prefer to use a mic,,you can get each side of the chain near perfect...