What snaps back at you Chip, that you sharpen the chains but it doesnt hold water.
Might be true, but if the cutters wear evenly, it is a distinction that makes no difference. I have found that when I sharpen with the Pferd system, my cutting speed is faster than a brand-new chain out of the box. I use Stihl RS exclusively now, after having tried a few others (and after the excellent Project Farm test videos). My only problem is that I seem to favor one side over the other, so I sometimes get a curving cut after 5-10 hand sharpenings. When that happens, I take it to a shop to have it trued up. My Ace Hardware store charges $8.
LOL, so you say it makes no difference, but you'r chains cut crooked
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The video I am talking about was on this forum. And if I file a bit unevenly because of my handedness, that is not a flaw with the toll, it is a flaw with me. Like anything else, technique still matters. And I doubt that the unevenness affects the raker height materially.LOL, so you say it makes no difference, but you'r chains cut crooked
Maybe you should just try what I'm saying.
I'd watch the video you're talking about if you care to post it.
You guess wrong on both assumptions. We do not even have soft wood growing here in Ohio naturally. Mostly I cut various species of oak and hickory, and the occasional walnut, cherry, beech and locust. And it is not clean either. For my own safety, I drag most of my timber into a field where I have better footing and less chance of tripping on something when I cut or lift the rounds. That means at least one side of the log gets muddy. I try to cut from the clean side when possible, so most of the mud gets thrown off with the bark or outer layer of wood. I usually sharpen every 2nd or 3rd tank of fuel, which means close to a cord between sharpenings. I find that 3-5 strokes with the Pferd system per tooth gets me to a sharper edge and faster cutting than a brand-new chain. What I need to learn to do better is file a couple more strokes on my weaker direction to keep cutting straight. Still, it cuts pretty straight for 5-10 hand sharpenings. I can live with that. Typical cutting time is under 5 seconds through 12 inch seasoned white oak and about 10 seconds for 18" seasoned red oak. The saw is a Stihl MS 500i.
Oh, that one lol. I've posted thousands of videos on this forum, I have no idea which one you are referring too.
Missed this post.
I have to say, you kind of missed the point. As long as you file evenly on both sides, it will provide equal raker height. Yes, I tend to put more pressure on one side than the other. I am sure I would end up doing the same freehand filing. That is where I need some practice, or I need a couple more strokes on the awkward side. Congratulations to you on your skill if you always end up cutting straight. But, frankly, I don't think it is cost effective to spend 15-30 minutes sharpening a chain, when you could use that time to be cutting. I spend less than 10 minutes sharpening per cord cut into firewood. As I say, it takes me 5 minutes to sharpen, and I sharpen every 2nd or 3rd tankful, depending on the condition of the chain. It takes me 2-3 tanks to cut a cord, at 35 minutes per tankful, depending on the size and species of the wood. (Small limbs take longer per cord, as it takes more cuts.) And I only spend the 8 bucks after a number of sharpenings. I wait until I have several chains in need of truing so I don't waste time on multiple trips. BTW, the word you are looking for is "affect", not "effect". Completely different meanings.
Well, if I hit a rock or a wire fence, I need much more than 3-5 strokes.
But, at least with a fresh file, I get a sharp edge in 3-5 strokes normally. Any more than that just removes usable tooth metal. How do I judge sharpness? Ideally, if you drag the back of a fingernail across the tooth, it should easily slice a visible sliver off. Hard pressure is not advised.
No, you missed the point, if you use a progressive raker gauge it won't matter if you file them perfectly or not, it has nothing to do with skill, just the ability to listen to those who've been willing to share info that I didn't know.
As far as one handedness just turn the damn thing around and you can use the same hand with no I’ll effects
Me? LOL.
Yeah my bad sorry. Most of know how to sharpen our saws to suit ourselves. I use a Dremel now because of arthritis in my hands. I use diamond burrs with very light pressure to not burn em.
Forgiven.
I don't really see how a progressive gauge keeps the saw cutting straight. Yes, it keeps the same cutting angle, but if all the left-hand cutters are a different length from the right hand cutters, the saw will cut curved. I understand that the idea of a progressive gauge is to increase the cutting depth so the cutting angle is the same as the tooth gets shorter, and supposedly that increases cutting speed. I will concede that it is probably true. But I have noticed that my cutting speed increases as the chain wears anyway, probably because the kerf is narrower, allowing a higher chain speed. In any case, my cutting speed is fast enough for me, and I prefer to spend less time sharpening and more time cutting.
. Stihl has some too, but they are a bit different and are not available in our market(I had mine shipped from Europe), and they are quite a bit more aggressive even using the hardwood setting.
Not quite sure I understand. Are you saying use the above tool and the Pferd 2 in one together? I am having a hard time visualizing how that would work. BTW, no Husky dealers here, except TSC and maybe Lowe's. Not sure if they have one. They don't sell any pro-grade saws. But, to answer your question on how the Pferd system can still result in a curved cut, the answer is simple. I tend to do a better job of applying pressure on the right hand cutters than the left. That would be a problem with any hand filing system that does not have an adjustable file stop, such as the Granberg file-n-joint does. I used the Granberg before and it does a great job, but it took maybe 15-20 minutes to set it up and get the job done. Freehand filing was faster but I had to still file the rakers separately. That made it about a 10 minute job. I have it down to 5 or less with the Pferd system. But proper use of the Pferd system, just as any other hand filing method, requires some skill, and I am endeavoring to improve mine.If the raker is adjusted to the corresponding cutter then the chain will run true, It's not just about making the chain cut faster, it will also be smoother. Maybe you should try it, rather than arguing about it when you have no experience on a topic. You actually sound like a smart individual, but sometimes that can be a downfall. I've been humbled many times trying something I didn't think was going to work that was told to me by someone with less experience than me on the topic, sometimes people with no/little experience are not caught up in the "how things are supposed to work or be" of it all. That being said, other times someone else has tried our way and knows what works best so they offer up a little tip and we have the opportunity to learn.
Let it be know, I think the perferd/stihl 2 in 1 is a great tool, but as you've said after a bit the chain still needs to be trued up. Why is that, if it's working so well? Rather than taking it in next time, spend your money on a progressive raker guide and give it a try. They are not too much at the dealer, that is if you're not afraid to walk into a husky dealer
Here's the one I like for 3/8 chain. You get the same settings as the one on the roller guide, but since you have the 2-1 it will hold your file up on the cutter nicely and there is really no need for the roller guide in that case.
https://sherrilltree.com/husqvarna-depth-gauge-file-guide-3-8in/
View attachment 959869
What Bret is saying, is that you can file the left cutters down to nothing and leave the right cutters new and as long as each raker is set with a progressive guide, it will cut straight
