Chain Grinders

[blsnelling]

I'm trying to help out a very large firewood outfit to fine tune their operation. A group of 7-8 guys are running a full time operation, processing firewood 8 hours/day, 6 days/week. They are felling the trees and processing them. They're running saws from 346/550s up to a 395. They're currently paying to have their chains sharpened and bought a junk little $40 unit from HF. I toured their operation Saturday and offered to help them out. They're open to spending money, but are cost conscious.

With that in mind, what grinder would you recommend? I know that Oregon is top notch, but am thinking they might get more for their money from somewhere else. I'm considering brands like Oregon, Tecomec, Maxx, Jolly, and even Northern Tool. Where's the best value? Durability and ease of use are critical.

Other things to consider. There are many different Oregon models and the differences not real clear. Is the 511 really a better grinder than 510, or even lower models? Hydraulic or not?

I plan to order them a CBN wheel from Diamond Wheel Inc.

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[sunfish]

I bought a Maxx grinder a couple months ago.

The auto chain clamp works great!

Very good grinder and I like it a lot better than Oregon or the clones.

 

[Warped5]

Brad, I'll not join in the grinder debate (kinda like an oil thread, IMHO). I'll only say that I love my Oregon 511AX. I do have a diamond wheel on it and love that as well.

You will find that there are a lot of models from the brands you listed that a very similar.

Tell the guys to keep the cheapo grinder for doing rakers.

I do suggest they get some aluminum oxide sticks for cleaning that diamond wheel, though.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Get a 511 till they can get a Silvey. The regular grind, not square.
8" wheels. With CBN they stay clean and cool.
With that many guys there are gonna be a lot of toasted chains.
My $.02

 

[beaglebriar]

What's wrong with a file?

 

[Stihl 041S]

Brad, I'll not join in the grinder debate (kinda like an oil thread, IMHO). I'll only say that I love my Oregon 511AX. I do have a diamond wheel on it and love that as well.

You will find that there are a lot of models from the brands you listed that a very similar.

Tell the guys to keep the cheapo grinder for doing rakers.

I do suggest they get some aluminum oxide sticks for cleaning that diamond wheel, though.

FINALLY!!!
Someone else that dresses wheels!!!!
Brad. Tell them the wheel should NEVER feel smooth and should have a dull look to it.
Any shineyness is steel loading the wheel.
That means it is loaded and will make a lot of heat and not grind well. And soon ruin the wheel.

With most folks CBN wheels are like a new homeowner with their first chainsaw:

Chain must still be sharp.......stuff still coming out.

With a grinder:

Wheel must be fine......it's still cutting.

Takes just a minute to dress and cuts SO much better.

Ted.....the dressing sticks now say to wet them first. I haven't seen that before.

 

[Stihl 041S]

What's wrong with a file?

Probably not all of the cutters are good at it.
They are paying to get chains ground.
Just a guess.
You are right though. They should teach them how so they could touch them up in the field.
In our machine shop few sharpen drills anymore.
Just get another and throw them in the box to be sharpened.
I use bigger ones so no choice. And have always sharpened drills.

 

[Del_]

Whoever ends up on that grinder is going to be one sorry fellow trying to keep up with 7 or 8 guys that don't know what they are doing.

I say don't know what they are doing because if none of them know how to sharpen their chains........then they don't know what they are doing.

 

[Stihl 041S]

Whoever ends up on that grinder is going to be one sorry fellow trying to keep up with 7 or 8 guys that don't know what they are doing.

I say don't know what they are doing because if none of them know how to sharpen their chains........then they don't know what they are doing.

Well put.
And a great sig line. Friends of mine knew him. Interesting guy.
Said you should have a great disrespect for authority.
You should always be able to question.

 

[blsnelling]

BTW, they're not all running saws all the time. Some are operation heavy equipment moving logs. Others are hauling. Others are running a firewood processor, which includes a cutting bar. These guys also have a huge Wood Miser bandsaw mill they're just getting into using. They certainly have some nice equipment!

 

[Rx7man]

With the size of the operation I'd advise them to get the best they can to start with... They evidently have a decent customer base and a reputation already... You wouldn't recommend them to start cutting with Poulan clamshell saws at this point, so why recommend a inferior grinder? I don't have a grinder so I can't say anything about which one is best though.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Brad, a "best buy" inexpensive grinder is the one I bought a few months ago that's an Oregon 511a Chinese knockoff: Laser by Intertek. This grinder has the same motor and tilting vise as the Oregon but cuts corners here and there to keep the cost down. I've been using it now for a few months and have had good luck. It's ten times better than the HF toy and rather well made, using the same wheels as the Oregon. For about $112 or so, you really can't go wrong.

I have a trouble-shooting, tune-up post on one of Philbert's threads and probably should have started a thread on it alone. Found my post:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/hf-chain-grinder-thread.268303/page-10#post-5477824

 

[blsnelling]

It's the hydraulic assisted vise much of an advantage?

 

[Wood Doctor]

It's the hydraulic assisted vise much of an advantage?

Yes, but you will pay a price for it. Also, the vise I have on a Speed Sharp with hydraulic assist slides forward and back but does not tilt. I still have not figured out if that produces the same result as a tilting vise.

 

[Trx250r180]

I really like my stihl usg ,it does a nicer edge on the cutters than my oregon did ,the stone does not plug up as fast ,and does not overheat the cutter near what the pink wheels do .

 

[Jimmy in NC]

I'll dive in here. I have a 510 and a 511a. I find with a grinder, like a saw, operator has a lot to do with it as does the cutting attachment. For firewood blocking, I wouldn't mess with vise tilt. I'd get a 510 and a good stone. Then teach teach teach. If they are running .325 and 3/8, get them two. Set them up with both sizes of wheel and train them. I bet the processor cutter is .404 so make sure they understand chain sizes and sharpening.

Hydraulic vise would be nice if you are doing bunches of chains a day. I'm betting once they get going, only doing 5-6 a day tops.

Also if they are running semi chisel, no need for vise tilt and IMHO I'd run semi with a firewood operation. Also easier to sharpen I think.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[blsnelling]

I'll dive in here. I have a 510 and a 511a. I find with a grinder, like a saw, operator has a lot to do with it as does the cutting attachment. For firewood blocking, I wouldn't mess with vise tilt. I'd get a 510 and a good stone. Then teach teach teach. If they are running .325 and 3/8, get them two. Set them up with both sizes of wheel and train them. I bet the processor cutter is .404 so make sure they understand chain sizes and sharpening.

Hydraulic vise would be nice if you are doing bunches of chains a day. I'm betting once they get going, only doing 5-6 a day tops.

Also if they are running semi chisel, no need for vise tilt and IMHO I'd run semi with a firewood operation. Also easier to sharpen I think.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Is that to imply that the tilt feature is the main difference between the 510 and 511? My Tecomec has the tilt and I never use it.

 

[Stihl 041S]

I'll dive in here. I have a 510 and a 511a. I find with a grinder, like a saw, operator has a lot to do with it as does the cutting attachment. For firewood blocking, I wouldn't mess with vise tilt. I'd get a 510 and a good stone. Then teach teach teach. If they are running .325 and 3/8, get them two. Set them up with both sizes of wheel and train them. I bet the processor cutter is .404 so make sure they understand chain sizes and sharpening.

Hydraulic vise would be nice if you are doing bunches of chains a day. I'm betting once they get going, only doing 5-6 a day tops.

Also if they are running semi chisel, no need for vise tilt and IMHO I'd run semi with a firewood operation. Also easier to sharpen I think.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

You say use semi but I bet you like it square........Ya noob.

 

[Onan18]

I run a 510A and love it, very well made unit and didn't break the bank.

Joe

 

[procarbine2k1]

Silvey 510. If unavailable or want current production, a Stihl USG.

How long have they been in business? Doing that amount of work, they have to be spending a ton of cash on sharpening. It won't take long to pay themselves back. Ya they could get by with a cheaper grinder, but why? It's such a small cost in the grand scheme of things, especially when it will save them ten fold in the long run.