# sharpening carbide chain



## murphy4trees (Apr 30, 2004)

I bought 4 or 5 carbide chains for flush cutting uprooted stumps before grinding in Va. after Isabel...

They were OK... mostly I dug under the stump and used the customers water hose to wash the dirt off before cutting..

Anyhow I think they all need to be sharpenned.. I bought them from the local Stihl dealer and he probably hit me up on price...
I was running them on a 20" bar on new stihl 440... 

I heard you have to send them away for sharpening... any suggestions...


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## mboln52000 (Apr 30, 2004)

Daniel,
I can not offer any advice on sharpening. But, I have wondered about these chains for a while. What do you think of them? Did they hold up pretty well in your opinion? What have you ran into with them, fence and such?

Sorry to ask questions instead of give an answer, but your the first person i have seen who used that type of chain.

Thanks,

Matt


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## mlk (Apr 30, 2004)

A diamond wheel has to be used to sharpen carbide cutters. Stihl sells a diamond wheel for the USG grinder, and diamond wheels are available for other grinders. Unless you use carbide chain a lot, it is cheaper to send them away to have them sharpened. I think it cost me about $25.00 to have mine sharpened. The wheels are over $150.00.


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## Crofter (Apr 30, 2004)

Murphy4trees; If you have the type with the carbide inserts the previous posts are correct. There is another type which is ordinary looking chain with a carbide impregnated surface which can be sharpened with a round file and extra elbow grease. If its the carbide inserts, get friendly with a fireman and he may be able to get them sharpened for you. They use them on the rescue saws.

Frank


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## mlk (Apr 30, 2004)

In answer to mboln52000 - The Stihl carbide chains will not cut as fast as other types of chain. They should never be used for felling in my opinion because they are too slow. But when you are bucking trees that are coated with mud and rocks or gravel, they will stay sharp much longer than a regular chain. I use carbide chains quite often, but unless you need the stay sharp quality of carbide, regular chain is much faster.


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## Lawn Masters (Apr 30, 2004)

Thats a great point, I never have used carbide chains, just the crappy oregon chains that arent worth a thing to me. then I can get rid of a junk chain and get paid too. not a bad tradeoff when you think about it.


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## scottr (Apr 30, 2004)

*Sharpening*

Daniel, your mail box is full. If your chains need touching up then why don't you get the correct diameter diamond rod and give it a try ?


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## jokers (Apr 30, 2004)

*Re: Sharpening*



> _Originally posted by scottr _
> *.... If your chains need touching up then why don't you get the correct diameter diamond rod and give it a try ? *



Good point Scott, nothing ventured, nothing gained. E-Z Lap I believe is one product with a diamond coated rod for chain sharpening. Not too expensive.

Belsaw had some Borazon wheels that would fit the Maxx and Oregon 511A style grinders on their site for $99 awhile ago.

Russ


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## WoodTick007 (Apr 30, 2004)

Russ,
Can you post a link to the grinding wheels at Belsaw? I could not find them.
Thanks


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## jokers (Apr 30, 2004)

Belsaw wheels 

Scroll all the way down. 

Russ


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## scottr (Apr 30, 2004)

*Sharpening*

Daniel , try www.eze-lap.com/


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## murphy4trees (May 1, 2004)

Thanks everybody for your input... 
I did put these chains to good use and they served me well...
I was grinding stumps after Isabel and I woujld use the carbide to cut the stems off the rootballs before grinding.. 
At the time I was using a 50hp Rayco rg 50... I since have bought a super 50, 66hpwith 4x4.. Makes much quicker work of the big stumnps... so I would probably have ground more and cut less if I had the bigger machine earlier..

Anyhow I needed to keep moving.. working 7 days all day... No time to play with saws that wouldn't cut right and I was working with some unexperienced co-workers... I would use the 28" bar on a bigger saw to make the main cut then finish in the dirt or mud with the carbide... Sometimes we dug and hosed down the dirt and other times it was just easier to cut with the carbide..

When time is money and I was dealing with 15 customers a day, the carbide was worth the money.. Slow cutting though... I asked my dealer if they made a skip tooth carbide... he thought it was a good idea.. Less to sharpen, less to weight drag through the wood. 

In general I wouldn't recommend carbide... though it isa nice option to have available for certain cuts and situations...

I don't sharpen my own chain, except by hand... so I'd like to get contact info for a mail in service...

ANYBODY????

Thanks again


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## chainsaw1 (Nov 13, 2006)

murphy4trees said:


> Thanks everybody for your input...
> I did put these chains to good use and they served me well...
> I was grinding stumps after Isabel and I woujld use the carbide to cut the stems off the rootballs before grinding..
> At the time I was using a 50hp Rayco rg 50... I since have bought a super 50, 66hpwith 4x4.. Makes much quicker work of the big stumnps... so I would probably have ground more and cut less if I had the bigger machine earlier..
> ...


Hi looks like an old post but i thought i would let you know that i sharpen carbide chain for $15 for 20in chain. If interisted i sharpen reg. saw chain for a good price and a fast turn around 1 day flat rate box USPS priorty mail are a beautiful thing for $8.10 you can put alot of chains in one of those. $4 up to 21in--21 to 28in $5---28in to 36 $8----above 36 $10 my name is Kirk Cell 231-578-5427 or pm me i use all diamond wheels so i will not over heat you chains and i only take off what i have to to get a good edge


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## DOLMARatOs (Nov 13, 2006)

Remember to wear your respirator when sharpening carbid chains, tools, etc. It isn't good to breathe. If I'm sharpening more than one or 2 chains in a row, I'll throw on a breather to keep the dust out of my lungs.


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## chainsaw1 (Nov 13, 2006)

Yes for sure I also have a exhaust fan behind my grinder going outside to help.


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## Just Mow (Nov 13, 2006)

murphy4trees said:


> Thanks everybody for your input...
> I did put these chains to good use and they served me well...
> I was grinding stumps after Isabel and I woujld use the carbide to cut the stems off the rootballs before grinding..
> At the time I was using a 50hp Rayco rg 50... I since have bought a super 50, 66hpwith 4x4.. Makes much quicker work of the big stumnps... so I would probably have ground more and cut less if I had the bigger machine earlier..
> ...


If you cannot find anybody locally check with the Stihl dealer in your area. I know of someone that has his mailed to the Stihl Distributor and they sharpen it for him.


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## JUDGE1162 (Nov 14, 2006)

check your local shops first sometime they hae the dimond wheels, or there are a few companies that do it mail order, you can try by hand with a dimond rod but it takes a long time and like you said time is money it is worth the shipping to get someone with a dimond wheel, if you have 6 loops it might be worth buyig the wheel yourself, by time you pay $15 - $20 a loop to have them sharpened you are half way to just buying the wheel so basically 2 sharpenings of your chains and you could buy the dimond wheel


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## Lakeside53 (Nov 14, 2006)

The real diamond wheel are expensive. Most of the $150 or so wheels are NOT diamond, but Borazon and not rated for Carbide. My box has a big slicker on it specifically stating not for use on carbide (but I did once..).

Check out Rapco Industries in Vancouver WA. They manufacture carbide chain for Stihl and many others at that plant, and sharpen/repair Carbide chains very economically.

http://www.rapcoindustries.com/


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## MS-310 (Nov 14, 2006)

chainsaw1 said:


> Hi looks like an old post but i thought i would let you know that i sharpen carbide chain for $15 for 20in chain. If interisted i sharpen reg. saw chain for a good price and a fast turn around 1 day flat rate box USPS priorty mail are a beautiful thing for $8.10 you can put alot of chains in one of those. $4 up to 21in--21 to 28in $5---28in to 36 $8----above 36 $10 my name is Kirk Cell 231-578-5427 or pm me i use all diamond wheels so i will not over heat you chains and i only take off what i have to to get a good edge



I have a really freaked up chain from my department, (fire dep.) it is off an echo of some sorts but one side of the carbide is gone. Is it cheaper to replace the hole chain or can it be fixed. (its been replaced at 189.00)
it mite be about an 18 to 20 inch bar, it s a down cut saw.
thanks


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## chainsaw1 (Nov 14, 2006)

I do have a true diamond wheel for carbide and can sharpen them. Or i can also just buy the teeth and fix the chain.


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## K5krawler (Jun 6, 2011)

*Old Thread...New Questions*

Looking for someone who can offer repair and sharpen on a carbide chain? We have one broken cutter and the rest just need a sharpening. 
Local saw shops around here in Pittsburgh could probably sharpen but not repair. Any thoughts would be appreciated, it's for the Fire Dept. 

-K5


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## Tom Hoffman (Aug 11, 2018)

I have had to use once before. I had a customer that had about six decent sized oaks that had been sitting in his yard for the better part of a year. I had the customer pay for the chain. It was a slow cutter but it didnt mind playing in the dirt. I couldn't find anyone local who would sharpen them and I wasn't about to spring the coin for a wheel I would use maybe once in a blue moon... Now the chain is lost somewhere in my junk shed....


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## Tom Hoffman (Aug 11, 2018)

K5krawler said:


> *Old Thread...New Questions*
> 
> Looking for someone who can offer repair and sharpen on a carbide chain? We have one broken cutter and the rest just need a sharpening.
> Local saw shops around here in Pittsburgh could probably sharpen but not repair. Any thoughts would be appreciated, it's for the Fire Dept.
> ...




I know in eastern PA we have a store called "Cramer's", its like a family run home depot sort of joint. If you have them out there by you they might be able to take care of it. I know they break and spin chains there. They have replaced links in some of mine and they also have custom cut me some loops for my bow guide bar as well.


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## Stihl 041S (Aug 12, 2018)

I’m going to set up to grind them in a few months. 3/8&404 anyway.

Carbide and the Micro 1/4” on the 150 Stihl are the last two grinders to finish.
Need them in hurricane clean up. Grinders that is.
I like to keep chains sharp and I abuse the kwap out of them. Glad there isn’t a law....


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## Stihl 041S (Aug 24, 2018)

K5krawler said:


> *Old Thread...New Questions*
> 
> Looking for someone who can offer repair and sharpen on a carbide chain? We have one broken cutter and the rest just need a sharpening.
> Local saw shops around here in Pittsburgh could probably sharpen but not repair. Any thoughts would be appreciated, it's for the Fire Dept.
> ...


Found a Diamond Wheel!!!
Hope it fits on my lil Silvey. 
If not.....one or the other will get modified.


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