Who Sharpens their chainsaw chains?

I read the Echo thread.

I have a cheaper chain saw, that's worked fine, starts right up, using the ethanol/regular and added oil to it.

If you hit the ground/dirt with the chain while using- tends to dull it. Thus I try to always avoid that.

But reading up on it, the size of the wood chippings made is a good sign if the chain is dull of not. And of course it not cutting well anymore too.

I bought a cheap, chain saw sharpening tool, has a guide for the angle, and the round file/rasp to sharpen with.

I watched a YouTube on it, and off I went.

Sure cuts better when the chain is sharp.

That's all I got

 

Dremel...

 

So I guess it works well too?
I like the the guide on the file gives me the angle I want to file at, etc.
Takes about 10-15 minutes to do the chain, you have to do both directions as every other one is the other direction.

I also have bought a new chain too.

 

I do. I carry files, chains, oil(s), wrenches and whatnot in a bucket.

My dad grew up logging with my grandpa down in the KY mountains and is really handy with a chainsaw. The one tip he taught me a long him a ago, was to always top off the bar oil, before adding fuel.

"They'll run without bar oil, but they won't run without fuel."

Forgetting bar oil is another great way to ruin a chain as well. If we're cutting all day, when they run out of fuel, they get oil, fuel and a bit of filing.

 

No more than I use it, this works pretty well. It will also sharpen bandsaw blades.
https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-63803.html

 

Where I work, they buy new chains instead of sharpening. Most guys in my trade don't even know how to sharpen one even though we use them almost daily.

A chain sharpened by someone who knows what they are doing is better than one brand new out of the box.

 

When you buy a new saw or chain, you get the “here's a nice and safe cut so we don't get sued” profile. When doing your own sharpening, unless you have the knowledge and skill to alter your chain's original profile, you'll always have the “safe” profile. Fuck that, I always have a serious amount of cutting to do when I get serious about cutting and I ain't spendin' any time on the chain other than adjusting it or swapping it out.

Local shop has a $10K sharpening machine. It profiles every tooth exactly the same and the resulting cut can be modified. I have them do the “Imma rip the shit outta some wood” profile. All my chains get this treatment multiple times until they're too stretched to fit properly.
IIRC, the price to have them sharpened was ~$5. Well worth the time and expense to drop a few off for a day.

 

Always carry extra chains and do a quick touch up when refueling. Don't forget to hit the Rakers/Depth gauge when sharpening.

 

Who doesn't? The guy with the 7 year-old pocketknife that is "as sharp as it was the day I bought it"?

You need the right size files* and the right guide or knowledge of angle and check the depth with a gague to do it right by hand. If you live in an area with a good pro-support shop, they will have a auto-feed power sharpener. Home use power sharpeners require some skill. Much like power knife sharpeners, you can basically wreck a chain pretty fast with errant work.

*ever cut with a square chain? Wicked pissa.

 

a sharp chain makes all the difference in the world. you could cut down a tree with a sharp chain just by hand-cranking the gears... you couldn't cut through a log with a dull chain if you hooked it up to a V8

 

A file is the way to go. 2 or 3 strokes is all you need. Ask any old timer... The electric ones heat the tooth, which probably softens it.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

I sharpen with files. Best advice about sharpening with file I can give, is STOP when the chain starts getting dull or you hit the ground or rock it. It's much easier to touch up a chain that's been lightly dulled than one you just keep trying to lean on to finish that one cut while just throwing powder. Don't forget to lower your rakers too.

If I'm doing a bunch of cutting I'll just swap out to a new chain and save the sharpening till the end of the day. It's quicker to swap out and keep going than to stop and break momentum. If I stop for 5 minutes I stop for 30....lol.

 

Also, the file I bought and the guide that hooks on to it- FOR my size chain, is round. Right?

 

I do mine by hand, touch up at camp on the picnic table, better job in the vice in the shop. When mine get to the end I put them on a old bar and use them to cut stumps off at ground level in the sand.

 

I use this one
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200641887_200641887

I usually have 5 chains on hand when I'm cutting wood

 

Did you buy that or just get use of it?

 

Bought it

 

WTH? You coulda bought another saw or 40 chains or 80 sharpening jobs!
What am I missing, tool fetish or pro-level massacre-er?

 

I keep a spare chain and take the dull one to a pro to be sharpened.

 

Another tip for those who cut a lot of wood....there's 2 types of chains. Safety ones for the homeowner and chains for production. I only buy the kind that don't have the kick back feature. Be sure to have a good grasp on the saw, especially if using the tip.