I used a Grandberg bar mounted sharpener for twenty plus years with good results. I found if not attached snuggly the nose of the sharpener would drift slightly downward, changing the depth of the file on the tooth, and therefor the vertical cutting angle. Adjusting the side plates properly against the tooth, snug but with room to advance the chain, is important. Last week I over tightened the main mounting screw, stripping it. At twenty years old it was beginning to show wear and needed replacing anyway. Very happy with this sharpener and would highly recommend it.
So I went out to buy another. Three shops later, I found a Country Line bar mounted sharpener at TSC. TSC sku# 1044221. Same basic design with some important differences. The main pivot pin was sloppy, the one at the rear of the mounting bracket and head piece which lifts, to allow the chain to advance to the next tooth. In other wards, two of the three planes of the file are sloppy. Consistent file pressure might compensate this. However, the adjustment indexes are difficult to see for left/right, and the adjustment nob is tiny and hard to use. Further more, because the main pin is so sloppy, the chain index for forward/back did not index when filing the left hand cutters. It had to be aligned manually by pushing it sideways to catch the back of each tooth on that side of the chain. In short, I used this $28.00 guide one time. I removed my file and placed the TSC guide where it be it belongs, in my shops garbage can.
My new mail ordered Grandberg G106B arrived yesterday. I have yet to use it, but the packaging says "The original is still the best!" I'm upping the cordage I do. Next review on this jig, in about ten years...
So I went out to buy another. Three shops later, I found a Country Line bar mounted sharpener at TSC. TSC sku# 1044221. Same basic design with some important differences. The main pivot pin was sloppy, the one at the rear of the mounting bracket and head piece which lifts, to allow the chain to advance to the next tooth. In other wards, two of the three planes of the file are sloppy. Consistent file pressure might compensate this. However, the adjustment indexes are difficult to see for left/right, and the adjustment nob is tiny and hard to use. Further more, because the main pin is so sloppy, the chain index for forward/back did not index when filing the left hand cutters. It had to be aligned manually by pushing it sideways to catch the back of each tooth on that side of the chain. In short, I used this $28.00 guide one time. I removed my file and placed the TSC guide where it be it belongs, in my shops garbage can.
My new mail ordered Grandberg G106B arrived yesterday. I have yet to use it, but the packaging says "The original is still the best!" I'm upping the cordage I do. Next review on this jig, in about ten years...
