# is an electric chainsaw sharpener worth buying?



## treeminator (Mar 27, 2006)

something like this? anyone have reviews on these? 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93213


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## SilentElk (Mar 27, 2006)

They work good on chains that are so badly damaged from hitting rocks and steel that you would just throw them away rather than sharpen them by hand. Although the edge they make leaves something to be desired.


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## PTS (Mar 27, 2006)

I think they are worth their weight in gold if you spend the money and get a good one. I know nothing about the one you are looking at, however a few years ago ours was down and we needed chains sharpened right away and hand sharpening was going to take to long. We had someone else do it for us and their sharpener sucked. So my advise is go for it get one you will love it but make sure you invest some money, 4-5 hundred isn't too much. 

As far as the bad edge left goes. That is due to the the tech running it. Ours has a two direction spin. If you run it one way you get a funny edge but spin it the opposite way you get a clean edge that is super sharp and will last longer. Plus an operator can take too much or too little so part of the machines ability isn't due to the machine if you know what I mean.


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## TheTreeSpyder (Mar 27, 2006)

i think if you really wanted to go that route, keeping the tooth cool to not change it's temper is critical. Like stated above this would only be when filing a lot of damaged metal off tooth; but not in a hurry where tooth gets hot.

Intermittent slides instead of constant contact. Going around chain 2x instead of 1x. Zer0 tooth discoloration. Check Bailey's for a wax crayon lubricant perhaps. 

Save some junk chains now to practice on later if ya get it; 
cuz your first few times will not be your best work. 

You will mess up:jawdrop: bro; it's part of it!


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## treeminator (Mar 27, 2006)

yeah i gotta figure out something soon. i timed myself this morning... took me 45 minutes to sharpen 24" inches. my back and legs are hurting from sitting hunched over so long. i have 13 tree removals this week and i'm not enjoying this hand filing thing.


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## Newfie (Mar 27, 2006)

I just use a sharp rock to sharpen my chains. All those grinding wheels are is pulverized rock that they charge lots of money for.


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## woodchux (Mar 27, 2006)

I've got one just like that.
It sharpens a 20"chain in about 9 minutes,
and a 32 " in less than 15.
However it is a POS !
The lever that tightens down the chain broke the second day.
Now I have to hold the chain still with my hand while sharpening.
I would recommend getting this to use until you can afford a better one.
It has saved me many hours of hand filling.


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## okietreedude1 (Mar 27, 2006)

I took a chain into a local shop to have sharpened mainly to get the angle back but also to get the 1/16" 'rock hit edge' off. The tech did a poor job imo. It didnt really cut any better so I took a file to it and made it a good egde. They made it a good start but I still had to finish it by hand.

Ive considered getting a chain grinder, but havent put out the $ yet.


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## clearance (Mar 27, 2006)

treeminator said:


> yeah i gotta figure out something soon. i timed myself this morning... took me 45 minutes to sharpen 24" inches. my back and legs are hurting from sitting hunched over so long. i have 13 tree removals this week and i'm not enjoying this hand filing thing.


Guys this is the tree-tard, he has been trolling here asking and saying stupid sh4t such a Craftsman better than Stihl, look at this sh4t, don't feed the tools. And yes tree-tard, get something electric for your woman instead, you are a useless d---.


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## hobby climber (Mar 28, 2006)

Clearance is right...(did I say that)? Have a look at all the threads Treeminator started in his profile. Someone is sure having a good laugh at our expense! Ya got us dude. But to salvage what we can from this thread regarding the electric chain sharpener that Harbor Freight sells. If anyone was considering buying it...DON'T!!! I was at a Harbor Freight store a couple weeks ago and had a look at this sharpener. It's a piece of junk made of cheap plastic that will likely break the first time you use it!!!!!!!!! DO NOT WAIST YOUR MONEY! And as for Treeminator....... :notrolls2:


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## jmack (Mar 28, 2006)

okietreedude1 said:


> I took a chain into a local shop to have sharpened mainly to get the angle back but also to get the 1/16" 'rock hit edge' off. The tech did a poor job imo. It didnt really cut any better so I took a file to it and made it a good egde. They made it a good start but I still had to finish it by hand.
> 
> Ive considered getting a chain grinder, but havent put out the $ yet.


 what type of grinder? r u thinking of


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## jmack (Mar 28, 2006)

hobby climber said:


> Clearance is right...(did I say that)? Have a look at all the threads Treeminator started in his profile. Someone is sure having a good laugh at our expense! Ya got us dude. But to salvage what we can from this thread regarding the electric chain sharpener that Harbor Freight sells. If anyone was considering buying it...DON'T!!! I was at a Harbor Freight store a couple weeks ago and had a look at this sharpener. It's a piece of junk made of cheap plastic that will likely break the first time you use it!!!!!!!!! DO NOT WAIST YOUR MONEY! And as for Treeminator....... :notrolls2:


whoa ! thanks bros


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## treeminator (Mar 28, 2006)

clearance said:


> Guys this is the tree-tard, he has been trolling here asking and saying stupid sh4t such a Craftsman better than Stihl, look at this sh4t, don't feed the tools. And yes tree-tard, get something electric for your woman instead, you are a useless d---.



you are being rediculous and overly paranoid. there's nothing in this thread that makes it a troll. trying to get opinions before buying an electric sharpener is a pretty legit question. i'm sure many people are interested in this subject since hand filing is such a pain in the [email protected]%#.


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## BoesTreeService (Mar 28, 2006)

I think if it takes you that long to hand file your chains, you are waiting too long to sharpen them. Keep a large number of chains around so you arent afraid to change them at first sign of dulling. Happiness is a sharp chain!


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## treeminator (Mar 28, 2006)

BoesTreeService said:


> I think if it takes you that long to hand file your chains, you are waiting too long to sharpen them. Keep a large number of chains around so you arent afraid to change them at first sign of dulling. Happiness is a sharp chain!



perhaps.
i do tend to procrastinate when sharpening the chains. i hate it with a passion. i usually throw away all my 14" chains. too much hassle for a $13 chain.
but the 24" is worth filing.


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## clearance (Mar 28, 2006)

hobby climber said:


> Clearance is right...(did I say that)? Have a look at all the threads Treeminator started in his profile. Someone is sure having a good laugh at our expense! Ya got us dude. But to salvage what we can from this thread regarding the electric chain sharpener that Harbor Freight sells. If anyone was considering buying it...DON'T!!! I was at a Harbor Freight store a couple weeks ago and had a look at this sharpener. It's a piece of junk made of cheap plastic that will likely break the first time you use it!!!!!!!!! DO NOT WAIST YOUR MONEY! And as for Treeminator....... :notrolls2:


Clearance is right? Did I just say that? OMFG.


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## BigJohn (Mar 29, 2006)

I dont think hand filing is a pain in the ass. I been hand filing saws since I was old enough to wipe my own ass. If had chains that werent on saws then an electric grinder would be nice. But however I dont have one so I would put the dull chain on the saw and sharpen it up by hand and not in 45 minutes, maybe 6 or 7 minutes including the rakers.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 29, 2006)

BoesTreeService said:


> I think if it takes you that long to hand file your chains, you are waiting too long to sharpen them.


Either that or you're sitting hunched over your saw, and if I were to guess, one hand holds the bar and chain steady while the other ONE HAND works the file.



treeminator said:


> yeah i gotta figure out something soon. i timed myself this morning... took me 45 minutes to sharpen 24" inches. my back and legs are hurting from sitting hunched over so long. i have 13 tree removals this week and i'm not enjoying this hand filing thing.


If you're not enjoying it, you're not doing it right... not that sharpening a chain is all pizza and fairy tales, but there's gratification in watching the top plate go straight and your tooth tip come to a wickedly sharp point.

One-handing a file over a wobbly chain saw, I can see, would be enough to make one consider buying an electric grinder. I had a real nice, super accurate Stihl chainsaw grinder with green grinding discs and pink and white ones of differing thicknesses, I had gauges and even a micrometer closeby. After two years and enough use to really get to know the thing, I got rid of it. I found an easier way, that I could do in the field, that didn't heat-treat the teeth and that got the teeth _sharper_ than I could do with the electric grinder. And cheaper. 

Stand upright when you sharpen. Use two hands on the file. The rest is about proper angle and the right size file.


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## treeminator (Mar 29, 2006)

have any of you tried using a dremel to sharpen the chain??? how is it?


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## rbtree (Mar 29, 2006)

treeminator said:


> perhaps.
> i do tend to procrastinate when sharpening the chains. i hate it with a passion. i usually throw away all my 14" chains. too much hassle for a $13 chain.
> but the 24" is worth filing.



dumb dumb dumb. 100 feet of chain for my small saws costs me $220. So a 16 inch chain costs me about $8. and I still file it till the cutters are almost gone.....Chain cuts faster when the cutter is smaller as well. also, cutting with a a dull chain is a sure way to wear out a saw and quick. Of course, those cheap Crapsmans are throw away saws anyhow. Learn not to dull your chains and how to sharpen...it only takes a couple minutes to touch up a chain dulled only by normal use. 

Dremels and hand held grinders suck....learn how to use a file, follow treemachine's advice...and go to Madsen's website for some good tips...and elsewhere.. search this site. There's been lots of good links put up.

I still think you're a troll...


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## Tree Machine (Mar 29, 2006)

treeminator said:


> have any of you tried using a dremel to sharpen the chain??? how is it?


The stones clog within 1-2 teeth and then don't work at all. Save yourself the agony. Use sharp files with a handle, secure your saw.


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## ArborView (Mar 29, 2006)

Mostly all I do now is firewood and some logging, but I still think hand filing is the best. If I get into some real dirty wood and mess up a chain, I'll take it into the shop and have them sharpen it. I find it best to have a few chains on hand and switch them as needed. For me to hand file, I need to put the saw in a vise, use a good file, go slow and really watch my angles. 
I was cutting for my father-in-law this winter and he said he would sharpen my chains with his old chain sharpener. I was hesitant, but let him give it a shot. He claimed it worked well. Tried to cut into a big maple the next morning. It wasn't happening. I'll stick with my hand filing thanks.


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## PWB (Mar 29, 2006)

Tree Machine said:


> Either that or you're sitting hunched over your saw, and if I were to guess, one hand holds the bar and chain steady while the other ONE HAND works the file.
> 
> If you're not enjoying it, you're not doing it right... not that sharpening a chain is all pizza and fairy tales, but there's gratification in watching the top plate go straight and your tooth tip come to a wickedly sharp point.
> 
> ...



YES!!!!!!!!! What HE said!!!! In addition, build a vice mount for the back of your truck at the right hieght to be comfortable, and put the saw in it often, maybe every tank of fuel if you're in dirty stuff. Only time the chains come off the saw to sharpen at home or at work is when they've hit something major and knocked the tips off the cutters. We've got the tecomec grinder at work, and I've got one at home too. I hand file 30" and 36" full house, works a lot better than the machines! If you're having a hard time, buy some new files. Throw them away when they don't work, don't just put them in the toolbox.


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## Tree Machine (Mar 30, 2006)

I make it a habit to snap old files in two so I don't re-use that one and experience the same agony.

I'm like RB Tree, I file those suckers back and squeak out every last bit of use from a chain- not because I'm a cheap-o, but for the exact reason that RB states; the chain seems to cut better when the teeth get smaller. I've never shared that on a forum site, but since RB brought it up..... about a third of the way through the life of a chain, you should switch to the next size smaller file since the cutter tooth is getting smaller, both length-wise and height-wise. Also, this is the time to give the rakers a little reduction. I look forward to this time in the life of a chain, where it absolutely sizzles.

Pdubb gives great advice to build a vise stand and use it. If you find sharpening a chain a major PITA, then you're probably not sharpening it when it needs sharpening. This means you're over-wearing your bar, your saw, using more fuel and oil and getting less work done in the time you're doing it. There is no joy in this. Mount a vise, use both hands on the file and then enjoy a chain so sharp that it sinks into wood with great ease. It is not hard to become a good hand filer, in fact , it's rearkably simple. It just starts with your saw not flopping around.

Here's another picture of a way to secure your saw. I have a vise mounted on the chipper and this thing mounted on my truck. It works marvelously well and is VERY inexpensive, though you have to modify it to work outside it's normal intended purpose, which is you pound it into a stump and it's there to secure your saw while you sharpen it. I don't often have a stump around, so the modification lets you,.... 'diversify'.


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## Sirpouralot (Apr 3, 2006)

treeminator said:


> perhaps.
> i do tend to procrastinate when sharpening the chains. i hate it with a passion. i usually throw away all my 14" chains. too much hassle for a $13 chain.
> but the 24" is worth filing.


No don't throw away your chains. The shorter ones are easier to file. It only takes about 5 min for a climber to sharpen his climbing saw. It is the saw with a 28 inch bar or longer that makes you think of buying a sharpener. I rarely ever pull my 091 Stihl off the truck just because it is such a pain to sharpen. I use a powerful midrange saw(stihl 046super) with a 20 inch bar for most things, and only pull the 066 out when falling large trees. The problem with dulling a large saw, is that it takes awhile to sharpen the chain. We go through all our saws once a week on maintence day. One guy is assigned to that job, and I know he would like us to buy a grinder. I would too, but never learned how to use one. I always just used a file.:monkey:


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## murphy4trees (Apr 3, 2006)

*this is why*

The reason the old chains with the little tiny bits of teeth that are razor sharp cut so fast is cause they are sooooooooooo much lighter than a new chain...


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## Tree Machine (Apr 3, 2006)

And aerodynamical!


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## stumpy66 (Apr 4, 2006)

my head is spinning, ther eis some bolloskd out here..hand sharpening is not a chore.......feed the saw into a trunk when you have done it right and what a joy.....never lose the fact that its an art, a skill.....and we should aim to keep and aclaim the skills....


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## Tree Machine (Apr 4, 2006)

.....Embrace the mother buggers.


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## lookingtoplant (Apr 6, 2006)

woodchux said:


> I've got one just like that.
> It sharpens a 20"chain in about 9 minutes,
> and a 32 " in less than 15.
> However it is a POS !
> ...


Does it give a good edge without wearing the edge down that much?


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## woodchux (Apr 6, 2006)

lookingtoplant said:


> Does it give a good edge without wearing the edge down that much?




Yeah-  Its gets em' like factory new.
The first time that you use it you might not get the chain real sharp.
After a couple times you will be a sharpening fool ! 
This piece of junk has easily sharpened my 20 " chains at least 150 times so far, and still going daily.
The trick is to look at what you are doing to the tooth and not take off too much.
Lightly tapping the tooth a few times each, and the key is the last tap or two on each tooth, very smoothly apply a little pressure sideways...
Gets em' razor sharp,
and  it actually can take off less tooth than hand filing because of the exact same angle on every pass !

That reminds me ...I need to go sharpen a couple for tomorrow
My .02


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