Chain tools from Harbor Freight

[StihlyinEly]

jimdad, your budget and your desire to get going are the conflicts here.

Spend a smallish amount on junky tools so you can hop to it (and fulfill the instant desire to move forward now), or keep the bux you've got, take some time to add to the war chest while you continue to peruse this site for more info, and buy the higher-quality tools when the war chest spills over (a reasoned response).

I want it now = regret later.
I want it good = patience now and satisfaction later.

I've done it both ways. In the end, one way is almost always better than the other. I bet you can guess which way I'm saying is best. As fellow woodworkers, you and I both know what we get when we spend our hard earned cash on POS tools. I'm just sayin'.

 

[nate cutter]

I have both; the grinder is ok I always file the chain after grinding. I only grind for realllllly dull or rocked chain it saves time filing and saves files. On the beaker the chain anvil is junk soft metal bought a Bailey's replacement works great now.

 

[J.W Younger]

I do all right filing by hand, I like to touch up at every fill-up, sometimes after a chain has been free handed so many times it starts to cut off to one side or the other, I was just thinking of getting a bench sharpener for bringing chains like that back. AS for the buying loops, I thought it would be fun and economical to put my own loops together, can you recommend a good spinner/breaker?

Thanks, Jim

I have not heard anything bad about the s/b bailes sells and would like to have one for repairing chains.As for the grinders, I have a good one but still file my chains untill ther're used up unless damaged.Crooked cutting can be caused by other things but the most common is different filing angles or not getting cutters on one side sharp.Small differences in cutter lenght are less likely to cause crooked cuts than incorrect raker heights an poorly filed cutters.
all this is just MY opinion of course and others may disagree.

 

[SawJunkie]

I had one of those lousy HF grinders. Notice I said had, because I gave it a new home at a landfill. I ended up just filing that particular chain after trying that HF Grinder to get it to cut again. My local dealer has a good grinder but he always blues the cutters with it so I have been sticking to filing lately.

 

[procarbine2k1]

I do all right filing by hand, I like to touch up at every fill-up, sometimes after a chain has been free handed so many times it starts to cut off to one side or the other, I was just thinking of getting a bench sharpener for bringing chains like that back. AS for the buying loops, I thought it would be fun and economical to put my own loops together, can you recommend a good spinner/breaker?

Thanks, Jim

Jim, that sharpener is just fine. Go out and buy it... Now this comes from a hand filer, I only use mine to knock the face off of a rocked out chain. No its not a Foley, but I didn't pay for one either. For the money, it can't be beat.
And again, I hand file- and use this when I really rock one out, just to keep from spending all day tearing up my hand files to get the chain back in order. Your uses sound similar to mine, I think you will be happy with it.

 

[Erick]

Jim there's an old saying.... "good tools are not cheap, and cheap tools are not good"
That saying applies as much to this as anything.

With that said the HF units are serviceable (they will get the job done) although there are MUCH better (and more expensive) options out there.

Yes I own and have used both the HF grinder and the breaker/spinner and I also own a full compliment of Silvey grinders and Oregon Dura Max breaker and spinners so I have both ends of the spectrum covered and can speak from experience.

For the money I think you would be much better served by spending/saving a few more pennies and getting the NT grinder and the breaker spinner combo from Baileys. Yes I have also used these units as well and for Joe average/not so average they will serve you well for many years to come.

There’s a lot of snobbery around here as far as equipment goes and the HF units are at the bottom of the list, but like I said they are perfectly serviceable..... I would bet money that I could sharpen two chains, one with the 29.00 HF grinder and one with my 750.00 Silvey 510 and I'd bet 9 out of 10 users couldn't tell you which was which. It all comes down to your attention to detail and the amount of effort you put into it.

Hope this helps.

 

[turnkey4099]

If you are into tools at all and buy that HF pos,,,you will upon seeing it know that you should have bought a case of beer instead..that is NOT a tool,it is a TOY.. sorry if i offended anyone but thats the way it is..

I take no offense. That is what I wanted, was to hear the opinions of people who have used them. Have you used them at all? Not trying to be smart, just would like to know.[/QUOTE]

I have had the HF onee since they first came out. Haven't used it much but when needed it does a 'workable' job. DThat is, the chain will cut alright but does not cut as well as a good grinder job.

I am suffering currently from a couple of chains I had shortened and, as an after thought "sharp and do the rakers". Yep, work hardened and now I can't file them. Using the HF grinder again on just those chains. I prefer the job I get hand filing over the HF results.

Harry K

 

[jimdad07]

Thanks guys, some good points to think on. Stihly is right, just want to get going.

 

[bigredd]

Safety of Harbor Freight Grinder

Something not mentioned in this thread is the safety factor of using a cheap grinder. The grinder wheel on the HF grinder is extremely cheap and not as safe as an Oregon or other quality wheel. Have a cheap wheel come apart in your face and it will become the most expensive tool you ever purchase.

Anyone who uses one of these POS grinders please buy a quality wheel. Keep in mind the cheap wheel that comes with the HF grinder is good only for 0.325 and 3/8" picco chains (not 0.375" chains).

 

[striperswaper]

have you done the math to see how many loops you would have to make to pay for a cheap spinner? no to mention a good one!
as has been said learn to file and buy your loops from Bailey's
you will be way ahead $$ wise, do you really want to have $100's tied up reels of chain sitting on the shelf?
I don't know about you but I would rather put the $ into project saws and parts...JMHO

 

[ms310]

hf

I have never bought anything from hf that was worth anything, so I wont buy there anymore

 

[Grateful11]

I have never bought anything from hf that was worth anything, so I wont buy there anymore

OT: I've been using my 2 1/2 ton floor jack for 15 yrs from HF and it's always
worked fine, maybe I got a fluke. My 24" long 1/2" Breaker Bar hasn't failed
me yet nor has any of Obstruction wrenches.

 

[striperswaper]

if you need 24 or more chains to cut 40 face cords
maybe a good start would be to keep your chains out of the dirt and away from rocks

 

[rayIN]

I have never bought anything from hf that was worth anything, so I wont buy there anymore

Yabut many items they sell for cheap are rebadged and sold for more elsewhere.

Some of their stuff is good enough not questinos (plum bobs for example)
other stuff is good like certain small tools that get lost all the time
But yeah some stuff you don't want even for free.

 

[jimdad07]

if you need 24 or more chains to cut 40 face cords
maybe a good start would be to keep your chains out of the dirt and away from rocks

I have been cutting since I was a kid, I know perfectly well how to keep a chain out of the dirt. I have always sharpened my loops by hand, and thought it would be nice to have a grinder that I could afford to learn on. I am starting to get into this as a hobby now and for milling to make woodworking affordable. I like the idea of making my own loops for the fun of it, I don't give a sh!t if I have some on the shelf. Not to mention there is five families in my family on the same road who cut as much as I do and use the same chains.

 

[Philbert]

there is five families in my family on the same road who cut as much as I do and use the same chains.

If you have several family members nearby who will also use it, then I would really recommend that you get a good grinder (Oregon, Jolly Star, etc.). Not only will you divide the cost over several people, it will hold up much better when used by several different people - which is always harder on stuff.

It's your call.

Philbert

 

[jimdad07]

If you have several family members nearby who will also use it, then I would really recommend that you get a good grinder (Oregon, Jolly Star, etc.). Not only will you divide the cost over several people, it will hold up much better when used by several different people - which is always harder on stuff.

It's your call.

Philbert

Good call, we have been talking about it, pretty sure that is what we will do. What should I be looking to spend on a good sharpener plus brake/spinner?

 

[deezlfan]

I have a HF grinder that I would give you except I couldn't ethically do that to someone that is interested enough in chainsaws to want to learn to maintain their chains correctly. Fact is, the plastic body of the grinder that forms the hinge is SO sloppy there is absolutely no way this thing could grind consistent angles. The chain vice on it can not hold the chain tight enough to keep the teeth from rocking when the cutting wheel come down. The angle indicator is off by at least two degrees in one direction. The one thing it can do with consistency is produce chains that will cut curves when you want to cut straight. Do not waste your money on the HF grinder.

The HF chain breaker is decent enough for home use if you want to buy a reel of chain for yourself. It will do chain repairs as intended, although the breaker block is very soft and easy to damage. The tips on the breaker are holding up well on mine. I would recommend grinding the end of the rivets you are going to punch beforehand just to take some stress off the tool, but I rarely take my own advice when it comes to that. Too impatient for my own good.

 

[jimdad07]

I have a HF grinder that I would give you except I couldn't ethically do that to someone that is interested enough in chainsaws to want to learn to maintain their chains correctly. Fact is, the plastic body of the grinder that forms the hinge is SO sloppy there is absolutely no way this thing could grind consistent angles. The chain vice on it can not hold the chain tight enough to keep the teeth from rocking when the cutting wheel come down. The angle indicator is off by at least two degrees in one direction. The one thing it can do with consistency is produce chains that will cut curves when you want to cut straight. Do not waste your money on the HF grinder.

The HF chain breaker is decent enough for home use if you want to buy a reel of chain for yourself. It will do chain repairs as intended, although the breaker block is very soft and easy to damage. The tips on the breaker are holding up well on mine. I would recommend grinding the end of the rivets you are going to punch beforehand just to take some stress off the tool, but I rarely take my own advice when it comes to that. Too impatient for my own good.

Thank you, that is exactly what I was looking for. I decided to go against buying the grinder, may still pick up the breaker/spinner because I have to compromise on price somewhere. Thanks for the information.

 

[ronT2]

I picked my HF grinder up for 30 bucks also. Yeh it’s a POS and the wheel on it was so far out of balance and/or not true that I had to get one of these from Bailey’s, that helped out the vibration problem a lot. I hand file 98-percent of the time. So like others that have them I use it to straighten out the occasional rocked chain and haven't had a problem grinding standard .375 chain. If you’re going to use it once a month it will probably serve you well, if I needed a grinder that I was going to use once a day I’d save my money and get a real tool.