Alternative to sharpening your chain

[Fish]

Naw, never ever had to wear gloves............

 

[Zombiechopper]

Doug you keep mentioning this grinder cost... most of us just use files mang.

Time? It takes less than 5 minutes to touch up a chain with a file. Never let it get really dull.

Another time issue: how much more time does it take for you to cut at the second half of your 3-4 cords when your chain is dull, but you are still using it to get your moneys worth out of it? Plus added wear on a saw.

If your method works for ya then that's great, but it is insane advice to offer others. Folks that run saws should learn to file. If you never start you never learn how. Not wanting to learn something worthwhile because you have money to burn is not something your gonna get a pat on the back for.

I'm gonna go to a performance engine forum and proclaim it's cheaper to pay the dealership to change my oil and see what happens. Should be good for some kicks :cool2:

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Naw, never ever had to wear gloves............

+1 on the gloves. I've cut my finger dang near to the bone on freshly filed chain. Probably because I tighten the chain snug to reduce "chatter" while filing. Keeps the angle quite a bit more consistant.

Fwiw, I don't know how many cords I've cut with it, but I have used the same chain for well over a year. Bought two, still haven't opened the spare. I've cut at least 6 cords of firewood, and done hundreds of yard clean ups mostly smaller green wood. In that time, Ive cut dirty old wood, hit nails even hit a chain link fence or two. Never took more then 10 minutes or so to hand file an 18" Oregon chain. Typical re-fuel touch ups less than 5.

Filing chains would suck if you had a whole pile to do. When it becomes part of a regular maintenance, it just seems natural.

If you cut, load, haul, split and stack firewood, a few minutes to file a bit seems like a nice break. If there isn't a few minutes of break time in gathering three cords, your a harder worker than me.

 

[Fish]

Personally could never get into gloves or any "protection", well........................

 

[Zombiechopper]

yup, I have three scars across my right hand knuckle from filing. Friggin DEEP each time too! Now I stick the file inside a glove in the tool box so I remember to put the thing on LOL

 

[Zombiechopper]

Personally could never get into gloves or any "protection", well........................

so that's why there's so many good for nuthin punk arse kids in the mall. Thanks Fish.

 

[slowp]

Farmer Doug, have I missed something? What kind of wood is this that you cut? Is it placed up off the ground? Do you power wash it before cutting? Debark it?

The wood I cut is usually dirty. I would never have an expectation of cutting a certain amount before filing my chain. There always seems to be a tree that has made a nice dent in the ground, and I sometimes end up in the dirt.

By the way, I've cut wood pulled out of a mudslide and the round file chain did better than I ever expected it to. But I still filed on it when the little backhoe was taking a while to get the tree to our decking area.

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

I need an alternative to reading this thread.....

 

[kmcinms]

Heh, 16 pages...... anyone ever wonder if Doug knows what a cord of wood is? 4 cord per chain????? :msp_lol:
Dude, grab a file that fits your chain and start filing for goodness sake. That's part of the fun of operating this equipment guy. The satisfaction of knowing you are keeping your equipment at peak performance. A fresh filed chain makes me :msp_smile:

 

[Zombiechopper]

I need an alternative to reading this thread.....

I think we've covered this from every angle.

It's winter. Nuthin else to do. Maybe I should finish my 357. Or build up those pile of 200T's and finally put em up for sale....

Nah, I'll start another oil thread. Then we'll turn it into another pizza thread.

 

[edisto]

I'm pretty sure we are getting punked...but I can't help myself.

 

[sparks66]

I'm pretty sure we are getting punked...but I can't help myself.

+1 for sure

 

[RandyMac]

We need a Farmer stickie.
That guy who doesn't need rakers can post there too.

 

[THALL10326]

I'm fine staying a green horn if experience means this!! How do you sleep at night knowing your screwing costumers out of a perfectly good chain and selling them a new one because the profit is higher? It's no wonder why I do my own! Where is your shop BTW?

I sleep great and no I'm not screwing anyone. If I refuse to sharpen a chain, which is my choice, and they refuse to but a new one, which is their choice, so be it. There is no arm twisting, nobody is getting screwed. If they buy a new chain, they got what they bought. If they want the old chain back fine by me, if not I pitch it.

Profits ya say, yup I make more on a new chain than sharpening one. Once again there is no arm twisting, don't wanna to buy it then don't. Sharpen my old chain, I just told ya I'm not sharpening it. So whatcha gonna do, buy a new one, take the old chain somewhere else, choice is yours. Sharpening is my choice. You do your own chains, thats good. I sharpened 27 chains this morning, all were in good shape, they have to be or I don't fool with em. As for me personally, I don't sharpen my chains, I go new.

I'm down here in Northern Virginia. Come on by sometime, I'll buy ya pepsi and maybe sell ya a new chain,:msp_sneaky::msp_sneaky:

 

[spacemule]

I sleep great and no I'm not screwing anyone. If I refuse to sharpen a chain, which is my choice, and they refuse to but a new one, which is their choice, so be it. There is no arm twisting, nobody is getting screwed. If they buy a new chain, they got what they bought. If they want the old chain back fine by me, if not I pitch it.

Profits ya say, yup I make more on a new chain than sharpening one. Once again there is no arm twisting, don't wanna to buy it then don't. Sharpen my old chain, I just told ya I'm not sharpening it. So whatcha gonna do, buy a new one, take the old chain somewhere else, choice is yours. Sharpening is my choice. You do your own chains, thats good. I sharpened 27 chains this morning, all were in good shape, they have to be or I don't fool with em. As for me personally, I don't sharpen my chains, I go new.

I'm down here in Northern Virginia. Come on by sometime, I'll buy ya pepsi and maybe sell ya a new chain,:msp_sneaky::msp_sneaky:

Go easy now tom. I might have to send a few hundred chains down there for you to sharpen.

 

[Joe Kidd]

Maybe I should finish my 357.

Ruger? S&W? or Husky?

 

[edisto]

I'm down here in Northern Virginia. Come on by sometime, I'll buy ya pepsi and maybe sell ya a new chain,:msp_sneaky::msp_sneaky:

Why is it that when it comes down to 2 brands, you always pick the worst one?


You drive a Chevy, don't you...


P.S. Virginia is UP...

 

[THALL10326]

Let me tell ya Tommy ole boy, I do touch em up right outta them boxes and I drop them rakeroos a smidge too. And dang it, they sure as heck do cut faster after I have hand filed em several times. Part way through the life of a chain they get faster than a new york car salesman on meth. I tells ya what ole feller, I seen some magnifying glasses at walmart for ya to help you with yer sharpnin, and I think you need a tall glass of something that burns real nice to steady them hands. That'll straighten ya right out.

Let me tell you another thing young feller, the best cuttin chain sure as poop ain't a new one, it's an almost worn out one. If you sell em all new ones they'll never know what a good chain really is. I feel sorry for them I truly do.

Well ole Zombie thats awesome you can do that. However it still doesn't change the fact I have never had anyone come in the shop and tell me to put a new chain on and sharpen it. If I had to sharpen a new chain out the box one thing is for certain, its the last dayumm time I would buy that brand. I agree a half worn out chain thats really sharp does seem to pick up some steam, my curiousty is how much. I myself am not wasting any precious metal to pick up a second in the cut, them chains cost money man, I know, I sell em, hehe

Now ya sound pretty pumped up there so surely your dying to show me you in action pulling a new chain out the box and sharpening it, awesome, I'm dying to see it, get that camera fired up and show me these new chains getting blown away by new chains thats been sharpened out the box. Seriously, I'm curious to see how much of a differance there is, gettter done, cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[THALL10326]

Why is it that when it comes down to 2 brands, you always pick the worst one?


You drive a Chevy, don't you...


P.S. Virginia is UP...

Wellllllllllll yeahhhhhhh but there's a reason, I like my Chevy, you don't, good, walk,LOLOLOL

 

[edisto]

Wellllllllllll yeahhhhhhh but there's a reason, I like my Chevy, you don't, good, walk,LOLOLOL

I knew it!