Best hand file & setup for sharpening.

[DarioMO]

Another newbie question for those who hand file.

What file brand is the best (cuts the fastest and stay sharp long)?

I heard of Vallorbe Grobet, Pferd, etc. Swiss made hand tools are generally good, does it translate to hand files?

Which guide/set up do you recommend?

Thanks!
Dario

 

[Lobo]

Dario, by all means buy quality files if you want good results and files that last a while. I have been filing for years and sometimes feel I am lousy at it and others would say its great, over the years I have found that some days you seem more apt and up to it than others and you do better work on those days.

No one seems to file identically, you develop your own speed and method of hand filing, the more you file the better you get.
I have several guides I use ,Stihl, Laser, Filemate and an Oregon ProFile guide (a few others also). When the teeth look out of wack after 4 - 5 - 6 hand filings and do not cut straight I drop off several loops at a dealer for sharpening and setting on a pro grinder.

Normally use Stihl and Pferd files myself , others I purchased did not last as long, some wore out real fast. Bailey's seem to have good files also.

 

[chipper]

Yeah, I usually use stihl files also. The main thing is practice, practice, practice!

 

[Chainsaw Master]

Like Jimmy Hendrix said " I got blisters on my fingers "

 

[badcars2]

i guess this makes me a sissy but.........

sorry guys, i use a guide when i sharpen. this is probably a naughty word in her . but for those of us who this is second nature this seems the best way to learn.
maybe in a few weeks ill drop my "passy" and file like a real man as my father in law says.
but as of now, his saw wont cut and mine will so.......
take that for what its worth...

 

[clearance]

Dario-This might sound hard but try to hand file with no guide from the start. Keep a new chain to look at and never make your rakers lower than the thickeness of a dime. Use a vice to begin with and alway wear gloves. This is probably the hardest way to learn but I feel it is the best because all you need are two files. I learned (was forced to learn) when I was new, took a long time and many chains, went from bad to o.k. to good, now razor good. When you file by hand you can find people to show you little tricks to sharpen the chain faster when it is damaged, and to make it cut better than new, for example. I think guides can really help people and they are good for some, but I have never seen anyone use a guide when I worked in the bush or working for a tree service.

 

[JimL]

ive been using stihl files, some last longer than others it seems. I occasionally get one that lasts a long time. i buy them several boxes at a time.

 

[TonyM]

I personally like the plate type file guide. It makes hand filing almost a no-brainer. You just need a steady motion and an eye for the right angles which is aided by witness lines on the plate holder. It also helps to clamp the bar in a vice. I have always gotten very good results with a plate type guide.

 

[galde]

All good advice above, obviously based on many years of experience. I might add a couple of tips. Always clean the area of the tooth to be filed in order to avoid clogging the file. I use a length of old starter rope to "floss" each tooth. For best results the file needs to be held against the tooth with enough contact pressure to dig in and not just slide over the tooth. You can feel, see, and even hear when the file is really cutting. Files wear out quicker when they are rubbed lightly over the tooth. I try to do most of the filing in the shop, with the bar held in a solid vise. I use a vise-grip plier equipped with the flat pads to hold the tooth solidly to the bar. I rolled the top edges of the flat pads slightly to grip the side straps at the top edge of the rivets. The plier is under the bar with the jaws pointing upward. This holds the tooth firmly enough to permit positive control while applying adequate pressure. Two or three strokes on each tooth will usually suffice. If a chain is badly blunted, I put it on the grinder. Sometimes in an emergency I will file in the woods, but even with a stump vise the chain is not solid and stable enough for me to really use the file right.
One advantage of the plate guide is that it controls the depth of the gullet, and hence maintains the correct hook angle of the top plate. It is easy to cut too high or too deep using the bare file, which usually necessitates a machine grinding.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Don't not take lightly Galde's advise to have the chain clamped in something and if you have any Scotsman in you clean the chain of gum and oil to drasticaly improve file life. There are chain vises for this purpose, but I simply clamp the bar, saw and all in my 6" vise. After 30 years of hand filing chains I still can't do a nice job on the tailgate of my pickup. Somebody above mentioned using sissy aides for filing. I use Oregon's Std cheapo file guide with Sthl files and aint one bit afraid to admit it. You also need to set the rakers to a guage for best overall performance.

 

[buckwheat]

Like Jimmy Hendrix said " I got blisters on my fingers "

Actually....John Lennon in Helter Skelter.

I've used Pferd and Oregon. Also recommend buying by the dozen to keep the cost down.

 

[chainsawworld]

i have tried a bunch of differant ones. i like the laser brand the best. i just wish they made a 6 sided flat file for square chisel. marty

 

[oldwild]

for a quick touch up in the field, I just eyeball it and do it by hand. More precise, I get my grandberg out and get it done!

 

[lync]

File Guide

Been hand filing for years with no guide. Tried a Husky file guide that drops over the chain and has two clear roller wheels to keep file at correct tooth angle and file depth. I'm hooked. have never had a chain come out so sharp. In sherrills catalog, different one for 3/8, .325, and .404.
Costs 8 bucks try it you will like it. Pferd files.

Corey

 

[Lobo]

Does anyone use the PFERD ChainSharp the dual file systems for cutters and rakers in one stroke.

How do you like it ?

Pros & Cons

Does it work on all brands of chain including Stihl ?

 

[Lobo]

i have tried a bunch of differant ones. i like the laser brand the best. i just wish they made a 6 sided flat file for square chisel. marty

Marty are you talking about this company, Laser Sales.


http://www.lasersales.org/pages/product.html

 

[MacDaddy]

Hey roundchain marty you coming to the next GTG? It's gonna be real close to you. You can compare your round chain againist a square ground or filed chain. Whazzup!

 

[victorytea]

I agree with Corey, I really like the Husky roller file guide and it's almost as fast as using no guide at all- try one. Paul F B

 

[Ekka]

Good idea to clean the file too, I use a steel brush and it makes a big difference, helps remove the clogged filings out of the grooves.

Also there are many file handles that have the 30 and 35 deg angles on them.

 

[DarioMO]

Thanks guys,

I am seeing different sizes being recommended for 3/8" (.375) chain on eBay (3/16", 7/32", etc.). Will all of them work? What is really the best file size to use on 3/8" (.375) chain?

Re: the husky file guide can anyone tell me where to get them? You can send me a PM me if you wish.

Thanks,

Dario