Thread: chainsaw chain and sharpener

No guru here,

biggest saw I have is a 20" Farmboss. Had an electric grinder in the past that got used with a smaller saw and caused all sorts of probs....... mostly wanting to cut in circles.

The trick with hand filing is to do it at least every time the oil tank (in my case with the Stihl) runs out, and to do it from the same cutting side of the chain with the same number of strokes. (It'll be from one side for half, and the other side for the other) Don't let the chain get really blunt before this is done.

Still using a chain that is over 5 yrs old doing it like this and it still cuts straight.

cheers, DL

I use a Tecomec full size bench grinder at work ... every other option is a waste of time imho ... will set you back about 800-900 !

There is a smaller Tecomec bench grinder unit that works as well ... maybe 350-450 depending on wheels required ... have sold a few to the 4wd guys and they are extremly happy with them ... once setup for the type of chain you use you can do a sharpen very quickly ... a hand file sharpen won't get the same result ... and takes way longer.

PM me Inc' if you want some more detail (we sell them).

Kev..

Originally Posted by Fluids

[snip]
... a hand file sharpen won't get the same result ... and takes way longer.

[snip]

Kev..

All the pro's reckon they can get a sharper/faster chain hand filing.
And FWIW all the racers file chain too, not grind, but race chain is a whole new world of time consuming torment from what I can see.

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

[snip]
Rick
the trick seems to set the lower setting to 0deg.File angle 25deg.
works good.
Always tempted to go back to hand sharpening.
Andrew

Bugger you Andrew, I dragged the old girl out today and filed a chain to drop a tree.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but i did have to reset it again side to side to get the cutter lengths and cutter angle (hook) equal (I needed to use it to get all the cutters the same length, it was a well used 84DL chain. took forever though.....)

At least I now know my free hand filing angles are OK

Only have another six chains to freshen up ranging from 72DL's to 98.....

Originally Posted by rick130

Bugger you Andrew, I dragged the old girl out today and filed a chain to drop a tree.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but i did have to reset it again side to side to get the cutter lengths and cutter angle (hook) equal (I needed to use it to get all the cutters the same length, it was a well used 84DL chain. took forever though.....)

At least I now know my free hand filing angles are OK

Only have another six chains to freshen up ranging from 72DL's to 98.....

Can I send you a few 4 foot Husky bars and chains for your loving attention???
Andrew

Originally Posted by rick130

All the pro's reckon they can get a sharper/faster chain hand filing.
And FWIW all the racers file chain too, not grind, but race chain is a whole new world of time consuming torment from what I can see.

That may be so ... but they do it for a living day in day out. They throw the files away after a sharpen

.... consumer & occasional saw user ... not a hope ... and they use the same file time after time after time after time after ...

Every hand filed chain I get to resharpen in the shop has been butchered

Kev..

Originally Posted by LandyAndy

Can I send you a few 4 foot Husky bars and chains for your loving attention???
Andrew

That is just plain cruel Andy!

Kev..

Originally Posted by Fluids

That may be so ... but they do it for a living day in day out. They throw the files away after a sharpen

.... consumer & occasional saw user ... not a hope ... and they use the same file time after time after time after time after ...

Every hand filed chain I get to resharpen in the shop has been butchered

Kev..

I tend to go through a few, I buy em by the box too Kev

Have a few boxes here ATM, including half a box of double bevels, just cause I'm nuts.




And Andy, that's just plain nasty