Sharpening chainsaw
- Thread starter Roy G
- Start date
Check w/Ace Hardware. They used have a service where you could drop off the chain to be sharpened. Pretty sure they didn't do it there, but had someone do them.
These are pretty easy to sharpen if you want to do it yourself. Just get a round file that is the right size.
These are pretty easy to sharpen if you want to do it yourself. Just get a round file that is the right size.
Roy, if you are willing to sharpen it yourself and have a dremmel tool, they make stones specifically for sharpening chain saw chains. They even make a jig to clamp on the bar and tool to get the angle exactly correct. I sharpen mine with the dremmel freehand and get a razor sharp chain in very little time.
There's a little more to it than just grinding the teeth or sliding a file across the teeth but not a lot more.
If you were closer I could give you a 30 minute lesson that would make you never let anyone else touch your saw.
You would know how to tune it to the tasks you need most.
Stihl put out some good directions and maybe a video if you are good at learning that way. I always prefer having someone to answer my questions and watching me to be sure I have it right.
If you were closer I could give you a 30 minute lesson that would make you never let anyone else touch your saw.
You would know how to tune it to the tasks you need most.
Stihl put out some good directions and maybe a video if you are good at learning that way. I always prefer having someone to answer my questions and watching me to be sure I have it right.
Chuck, my husband, does his the same way.
Roy, not sure of the brand or size chain you have, but stihl makes a good sharpener that is easy and foolproof to use. The local ace hardware carries them as well.
No Dremels, no fancy micky-mouse jigs. Just a file and it is quick and easy. Way easier than taking it to someone. The simple angle guides do help when doing it the first time. There are several good You-Tubes on it.
I am a haul up, though closer than Mike, but if you want to come by, I can show you. A hint is a professional may touch up his chain more than once during the day. Every day.
You can also buy multi-packs of Oregon chains from Amazon cheaper than the cost of a "professional" to sharpen.
I am a haul up, though closer than Mike, but if you want to come by, I can show you. A hint is a professional may touch up his chain more than once during the day. Every day.
You can also buy multi-packs of Oregon chains from Amazon cheaper than the cost of a "professional" to sharpen.
Lol! Scott, it costs $7 to have your chain sharpened locally by a dealer, no way you are buying Oregon chains for the same price. And why would you recommend buying and tossing a chain after its dull when it’s so easy to sharpen?
Seems to me I was suggesting how easy it is to sharpen a chain. You must have read only the last sentence in my post.
I was suggesting if someone does not have a local cheap dealer ( It cost more than $7 for one I had done in Maryland before I found out how to do it myself) you can grab a 3-pack and then get dull ones sharpened when you find a dealer. ( $28 for a 3-pack on Amazon, cheaper for clone brands, so actually not much more)
Some powered sharpening jigs used by shops do not give the OEM geometry. A power tool is also likely to remove a lot more metal than a hand file, so using up your chain faster.
I was in Northern and a guy was asking about an electric chain sharpener. He wanted to know how many times it would sharpen a chain. The salesman said he could get 5 or 6 sharpening out of a new chain. I was thinking man that’s crazy. I sharpen a chain 20 or 30 times before it goes to my blacksmith friend.
We have multiple Stihl dealers here in the Cary/Apex area, and I imagine other chainsaw dealers as well, and they all sharpen chains. You can actually wait while they do it, usually doesn’t take more than a few minutes. I’ve used several and they all do a good job.
Oregon is a good brand. I would not recommend the clone knockoffs though. They may be ok if you only use them every now and then, but not for any serious work. That’s not where you want to try and save a few bucks.
I now only file by hand, and find the Stihl sharpener quicker and easier to use than a single file. I usually sharpen a few times a day while cutting, but cut 3-4 cords worth of logs at a time.
Oregon is a good brand. I would not recommend the clone knockoffs though. They may be ok if you only use them every now and then, but not for any serious work. That’s not where you want to try and save a few bucks.
I now only file by hand, and find the Stihl sharpener quicker and easier to use than a single file. I usually sharpen a few times a day while cutting, but cut 3-4 cords worth of logs at a time.
Mike, I agree. Chains last much longer when you sharpen by hand!
gfernandez, I agree with you that if one has a Stihl chainsaw their filing guide and chain sharpener is the way to go. I've tried freehand and Dremel sharpening but this guide produces the best results. It pulls double-duty by sharpening the chain as well as lowering the depth gauges.
Mike, I think he was talking about the "$8 Oregon chains". (Yep, they were $8 ten years ago at Lowes!). With a power sharpener, you may be lucky to get that. Those chains have about 1/2 the meat of a Stihl (or professional Oregon, Husqvarna), and the extra half is 100% able to be sharpened.
Unless its a dirt chain (used for cutting roots, etc) the professional chains are as cheap a buy in the long run if you use the saw much IMHO.
Learn to hand file and you will have a much more pleasant cutting session, because you can touch up your chain when it starts cutting poorly in the amount of time it takes for a coffee break, as well as your chains will have a lot longer life.
Mike's remarks about tuning it to the task at hand is taking it to the next level, but worth learning if you use a chainsaw much.
Buy a Harbor Freight chainsaw sharpener (~$35, Electric Chain Saw Sharpener). I got 7 chainsaws and this cheep, little gizmo is all I have been using for the past ~15 years. I started using it when I cleared land for my house/shop and still use it for cutting firewood for an outdoor boiler and maintenance. It is cheap, works well and saves the trip to get chains sharpened. Heck, with gas cost, the expense will be amortized in a 3 trips to get chains sharpened.
I can dull a sharp chain in a hurry by trying to sharpen by hand, just can't sharpen by hand. My hand-sharpened chains also do not cut straight.
Couple of notes:
-This is not a high-end tool, but it works fine when used properly (the originator tool sells for ~$600 and up)
- Taking light cuts in a smooth motion gives excellent results (heavy cuts will heat and temper the cutting edge in addition to wasting material, stopping while grinding will just burn the edge)
-make sure that you also grind down the dephts limiters as needed.
Hope that helps,
Bernhard
I can dull a sharp chain in a hurry by trying to sharpen by hand, just can't sharpen by hand. My hand-sharpened chains also do not cut straight.
Couple of notes:
-This is not a high-end tool, but it works fine when used properly (the originator tool sells for ~$600 and up)
- Taking light cuts in a smooth motion gives excellent results (heavy cuts will heat and temper the cutting edge in addition to wasting material, stopping while grinding will just burn the edge)
-make sure that you also grind down the dephts limiters as needed.
Hope that helps,
Bernhard
I bought one of these specifically for my small saw (Stihl... 017?? - not sure of the model) I couldn't make it work!!
I wanted it to ensure the top of the (is it raker tooth?) was filed correctly. I heard that if you only file the tooth with a round file that you can have a sharp chain that doesn't cut because the top of that tooth is too high, the Stihl file set has two files in it to correct that mistake...
I originally watched the video, I probably need to go back and watch it again...
Update: I found this video:
I am guessing mine is NOT correct...
I use a locking micrometer 0-1 inch or metric doesn't matter. I don't care about the measurement, I just want to set a locked gage to a pre-determined length. Find shortest tooth, sharpen it, set the mic and lock it, file all teeth to that length. This makes the chain cut in a straight line rather than cutting at an angle or in really bad cases cutting a curve. Most people tend to file harder in one direction than the other. So after three or four sharpening the teeth on one side of the chain get shorter than the other side. Gaging the teeth makes all teeth the same length. I only gage the teeth every 4th-5th time or when I feel it pulling off center.
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