Sold my chain grinder

[user 122190]

It was a good purchase and very useful for several years. Fact is I haven't used it all this year, and even rocked chains are quicker to fix with a file. I can't believe all the problems I had in learning to use a file. Files now seems so simple and effective. So long grinder. Enjoy your new home.

New owner, bought my cheap clone (a Grizzly) to replace, or salvage for parts to fix, his Oregon, that he says it is making an awful noise from the motor. He also complained a lot about the Oregons chain clamping method. Bringing the arm down would clamp the chain in place, or is suppose to, but in actual use it rarely did so correctly.

Now I got $65 burning a hole in my pocket. Needs to buy something for the saws. Hmmmmm.....

 

[Huskitoter]

Guess you may need to buy some files

I was playing around with a file and finally found a position where I can keep a semi straight stroke - a high work bench. Otherwise, I meander off angle when pushing the file. I would give it more effort if the Dremel didn't work so well for me.

 

[Huskybill]

The only time I used a grinder “once” was to blend in the replacement teeth when I hit a pipe in a tree. We’re talking once in three decades.

 

[Cliff R]

My first day in a machine shop course WAY back in the late 1970's was how to sharpen a drill bit. They hand you a bit that is so dull you could drill thru a piece of steel quicker with a carrot mounted in the drill press!

They take about an hour explaining all the different angles and such associated with drill bits, and they show you how to correctly grind one. Then you get turned loose and every time you think your drill bit is perfect you take it to an instructor standing by a huge drill press. He attempts to drill thru a big piece of flat plate steel with your bit. If it doesn't pass his visual inspection he hands it back to you. If it doesn't create the type of chips and drill with minimal effort he hands it back to you. After dozens tries or so most were getting them pretty close (some never did get it right and should have chosen another career path...IMHO). Anyhow, to this day I can sharpen a drill bit better than any type of fixture or machine made for that purpose.

It's the SAME deal with chainsaw chain. Once you get thru the learning curve associated with correctly filing a chain you will never have the want, or need for a bench mounted chain grinder. I guess they may have a purpose if you make a habit of cutting sandstone or granite instead of wood, or hit a coke bottle or nail in the middle of a 130 year old tree like I did a couple years ago.

I "touch up" my chains after every tank of fuel or between outings, whichever comes first. I tighten them, blow all the chips and sawdust of the saw, fuel, oil and grease the bar nose. I take no less than 3 saws on any outing, and run them till empty unless I hit something with the chain and they quit cutting well. Been doing this now for decades, and we cut hundreds of cords of wood every year between my brother and our sons. All of us heat with outdoor boilers and still enjoy the outings and time we get to spend working together. I just turned 60 and no plans anytime soon of selling off the saws, moving to town and paying to heat my house........Cliff

 

[user 122190]

I am bidding on a Winchester M70 (Extreme Weather version) this evening. If I don't win (a bargain in needs to be), I will be guilt free to buy a chain breaker/spinner combo (Harbor Freight?).

 

[2broke2ride]

I am bidding on a Winchester M70 (Extreme Weather version) this evening. If I don't win (a bargain in needs to be), I will be guilt free to buy a chain breaker/spinner combo (Harbor Freight?).

I have the harbor freight breaker spinner and it has worked excellent since day 1. I purchased it despite all the negative reviews with the intention of modifying it as required to make it work right. I never needed to modify and I question whether or not the negative reviewers had a clue in the first place.

 

[user 122190]

I have the harbor freight breaker spinner and it has worked excellent since day 1. I purchased it despite all the negative reviews with the intention of modifying it as required to make it work right. I never needed to modify and I question whether or not the negative reviewers had a clue in the first place.

Sometimes you got to return it, or fix it. Welcome to life. I buy a lot of stuff used, and by the time it is right, it is better then new.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I don't use my chain grinder either. If you thought botched filing was bad, should see what I used to do with that grinder!