Best brand of file?

sawkiller · Oct 29, 2010

I know this will be about as subjective as the opinions being expressed right now with election day coming but. What brand of chain saw files do you guys prefer? I have used stihl and I would not take another one if given to me it is the wrong size for 3/8 chain IMHO and cuts way to slow IMHO. I have also tried a save edge and while better than a stihl by leaps and bounds it still seems to cut slow. I also have an old oregon that I have been using for years because I did not know until recently that you should change them often and the oregon still seems to out cut the other two brand new files.

Is oregon the best file? I really expected more from save edge did I get 2 bad files? Is there even better out there?

biggenius29 · Oct 29, 2010

Save Edge for me, then a far second is Stihl.

redoakneck · Oct 30, 2010

I wonder if they all get their own steel or if there is one major supplier and the companies like save-edge, prefered, diamond, mustad, vallorbe, heller etc all use the same steel alloys??

A good place to get info on this is the farrier or blacksmith blogs. Those dudes use a lot of rasps and wear them out on dirt, rocks and sand.

I have found more variation from file to file than brand to brand and I don't know why. I use stihl, save edge, prefered and oregon--when they get dull I get a new one. Save egde will recondition them for cheap but you need a bunch.

Saw-killer- you are close to me in Cincy--maybe when we get a couple hundred dull files we can ship them together to Xenia.

sawkiller · Oct 30, 2010

You can buy new ones from save edge for about the same or less then resharpening at least regular round files. Now all the other files I have laying around that is a different story if memory serves about $2 a file to resharpen is a deal. I plan to get a box together from what I have at the house and I know we have a bunch of dull ones at the farm so I will be sending them a box soon. If memory serves once again I think you only have to have a total of 12 files all together.

Back on topic I used the save edge again today and it really came to life and began cutting real well? Maybe it just had to be used a few times but it cut better than any I ever tried today? Maybe there was a hard spot in the chain or something.

super3 · Oct 30, 2010

Save Edge uses blanks from Sweden,at least for the double bevel.What they do to them after may be all together different than others do.

StihltheOne · Jan 1, 2011

Save Edge

I have been usiging save edge files for a while, or should I say save edge file, I can not seem to dull the dang thing, I bet I have 25 chains on the same file and going strong!

troutfisher · Jan 1, 2011

Save Edge is the best by far.

HELSEL · Jan 1, 2011

Save Edge is a great file. But if you can find the old Obergs they are the best we have found. We use Save Edge a lot also.

Slamm · Jan 2, 2011

Save Edge and Stihl are both liked and used by us. Oregon files are softer than the teeth on a Stihl Chain, LOL, they are junk.

Sam

dumbarky · Jan 2, 2011

The best files used to come from a little mom and pop grocery store in a local town here. Don't remember the name but I think it was pverd or something close to that. Usually try to buy sandvik files if I can find them. Funny think about the old mom and pop stores, nobody thought alot of them until they were all gone.

millbilly · Feb 26, 2011

Then I woke up

I've heard about the save an edge file for years, read all the post, called the company to find a dealer near me, hinted send me a demo, I didn't want to buy a whole box and be dissapointed.

Walked into my arborist supply store the other day, and there they were,"SAVE EDGE" files. Still I wanted to buy a single , but they only sold boxs. $14.50 per box i went for it, and ended up buying a 2 boxs. Couldn't waite to get back to the shop. Ive been waiting years to try these files!

I got out a saw that hit something, not really hammered, but wasn't razor either. Clamped the saw in the vice, adjusted the light, knowing I was going to experience a different sharpening.

The first stroke and the dream was over. Not to say they are a bad file, but IMO the file isn't even in the top three with oregon still the king of files, followed by stihl and close behind is husquvarna.

Maybe because it was a new chain and it hasn't taken the shape of the file. I will post follow ups but i think those files will sit in their boxs till they rust, and I have a dry garage.

flushcut · Feb 26, 2011

IMO Save Edge cut the quickest but Pfered leave the best finish and the sharpest edge.

Bret4207 · Mar 21, 2011

We used to sell Pferd back in the 80's and they were just the best. IIRC they made a double ended file too and those were even better than the regular shanked files. The last Pferd I bought were good but not as good as the old stock ones I still have. The only other file I've personally seen that cut with Pferd was Simonds and those are really hard to find.

J.W Younger · Mar 26, 2011

sawkiller said:
I know this will be about as subjective as the opinions being expressed right now with election day coming but. What brand of chain saw files do you guys prefer? I have used stihl and I would not take another one if given to me it is the wrong size for 3/8 chain IMHO and cuts way to slow IMHO. I have also tried a save edge and while better than a stihl by leaps and bounds it still seems to cut slow. I also have an old oregon that I have been using for years because I did not know until recently that you should change them often and the oregon still seems to out cut the other two brand new files.

Is oregon the best file? I really expected more from save edge did I get 2 bad files? Is there even better out there?

I don't know who makes oregon files and chances are it may be more than one supplier, but in my experience they are a waste of money.
When it comes to removeing a lot of material fast save edge is the ticket.Touching up between fill-ups the woodsman pro files give an excellent finish but don't work as well for a damaged cutter/rocked chain etc.

Oldtimer · Aug 7, 2011

dumbarky said:
The best files used to come from a little mom and pop grocery store in a local town here. Don't remember the name but I think it was pverd or something close to that. Usually try to buy sandvik files if I can find them. Funny think about the old mom and pop stores, nobody thought alot of them until they were all gone.

PFERD is the best I have ever used. Been logging quite a long time.

The Save Edge I have never heard of before. But dollars to donuts they are simply an average steel file that has been cryogenically frozen to -385*F. (Google getfrostbite.net) My local saw shop does this to all the saws, bars, and files. They do last a very long time. But the PFERD cuts better.....I'd rather have a PFERD over a less cutting but longer lasting file. I prefer to be able to fix a rocked chain as quickly as possible on the landing.

millbilly · Aug 7, 2011

Oldtimer said:
PFERD is the best I have ever used. Been logging quite a long time.

The Save Edge I have never heard of before. But dollars to donuts they are simply an average steel file that has been cryogenically frozen to -385*F. (Google getfrostbite.net) My local saw shop does this to all the saws, bars, and files. They do last a very long time. But the PFERD cuts better.....I'd rather have a PFERD over a less cutting but longer lasting file. I prefer to be able to fix a rocked chain as quickly as possible on the landing.

Wow never heard of cryogenically frozen tool stock. Have you ever tried it? For $35.00 I might send them some chains and files and see what happens.
As for the file I mentioned earlier they still are not being used.

What I did hear about the save an edge company was that a prominent file company sold out in in Switzerland and the previous owner didn't like how the company was being run so he came to the US and brought his knowledge and formed a partnership with save an edge

Oldtimer · Aug 7, 2011

millbilly said:
Wow never heard of cryogenically frozen tool stock. Have you ever tried it? For $35.00 I might send them some chains and files and see what happens.
As for the file I mentioned earlier they still are not being used.

What I did hear about the save an edge company was that a prominent file company sold out in in Switzerland and the previous owner didn't like how the company was being run so he came to the US and brought his knowledge and formed a partnership with save an edge

All my saws, bars, and now files- since they stopped selling Pferd. It works. If you put a new hydraulic pump through the process, it will last 4-5 times longer too. Was thinking about re-building my snowmobile engine and then having it frozen too.

DO NOT send saw cahin- you'll never be able to file it!! If you use a grinder then maybe.

You can just order from them, they have all you could want in stock and ready to go.

craig71 · Nov 21, 2011

Echo brand files are very good quality, I don't know who makes them for echo but they are excellent quality.

marcomjl · Dec 22, 2011

Oldtimer said:
All my saws, bars, and now files- since they stopped selling Pferd. It works. If you put a new hydraulic pump through the process, it will last 4-5 times longer too. Was thinking about re-building my snowmobile engine and then having it frozen too.

DO NOT send saw cahin- you'll never be able to file it!! If you use a grinder then maybe.

You can just order from them, they have all you could want in stock and ready to go.

I second the cryo freeze. Its done in Drag cars, race cars, brake rotors, etc. Its done mainly to transmissions in drag cars. Before the tranny usually had to be replaced after one run, but after cryo treatment the last several if not a dozen runs before blowing. What happens is the metal molecules are brought closer together and are stronger to wear.

millbilly · Dec 22, 2011

marcomjl said:
I second the cryo freeze. Its done in Drag cars, race cars, brake rotors, etc. Its done mainly to transmissions in drag cars. Before the tranny usually had to be replaced after one run, but after cryo treatment the last several if not a dozen runs before blowing. What happens is the metal molecules are brought closer together and are stronger to wear.[/QUOTE

shouldn't you freeze the stock, that the part is machined from first, then make the part? It seem to me if you freeze the part it it would change the actual sizing, when we are measuring in thousands.

Best brand of file?

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