Sharpening the chain

[Nathan Bruce]

What are your methods? I currently just use a file and get pretty good results but I am interested in knowing how well that 30$ harbor freight grinder works. I have heard that it does great and I have also heard that it is junk, what do you guys think?

 

[Del_]

What are your methods? I currently just use a file and get pretty good results but I am interested in knowing how well that 30$ harbor freight grinder works. I have heard that it does great and I have also heard that it is junk, what do you guys think?

https://www.arboristsite.com/forums/chain-sharpening.74/

 

[irhunter]

I have some experience with HFT tools. And, I see hundreds of 4-star reviews and 90 1-star reviews for the grinder. I call that typical of HFT stuff. Their QC is...umm...variable.

The take away for me is, I sometimes buy HFT, I take it right home and use it right away. And, I am prepared to return the tool.

Back to the grinder. I know many pros who have expensive grinders and never file a chain. Often, they are doing square grinds. I can't imagine a normal 10-cords-a-year person wanting a grinder. But, I guess, some do.

If it feels like you are spending a lot of time filing, or if you are not getting the results you want, it might be that you never properly learned to file. It is easy to say, "Find an experienced cutter and get them to teach you." But, the unfortunate reality is, there are more than a few guys who have run through a lot of wood, and filed a lot of chains, who are really bad at it. There are also people on forums with a ton of posts, who will be happy to tell you how to file, who are also bad at it.

I don't know about learning to sharpen from a video. But, I will say, there are real-deal actual Stihl and Husquvarna vids. I would avoid vids produced by some randon guy, and take a look at the professionally-producedsed ones.

Good luck!



Roy

 

[GenXer]

I have a HF one here in Canada, Princess Auto version, Powerfist, got it last year when I had 20 chord of firewood in the yard to buck up, I already have a few chains that I use, I used to sharpen 2 extra to carry in the bush with me, after using the sharpener on an old chain I was amazed at how much I could cut with a tank. I like it myself, I do my neighbors chains up when needed also. I can go about 6 or 7 tanks between sharpening.

 

[bwalker]

You pay for what you get.

 

[thenne1713]

What are your methods? I currently just use a file and get pretty good results but I am interested in knowing how well that 30$ harbor freight grinder works. I have heard that it does great and I have also heard that it is junk, what do you guys think?

I CS mill, so they get a workout; experience tells me bench grind all at night, get all cutters and depth= same for smoothest; take 3x chains to field, file sharpen x3, then switch chains. I use a stihl 2N1 now recently, jury still out, but first impressions all good= may eliminate several changes?

 

[peteduncan]

What are your methods? I currently just use a file and get pretty good results but I am interested in knowing how well that 30$ harbor freight grinder works. I have heard that it does great and I have also heard that it is junk, what do you guys think?

I have done a bit of freehand sharpening with just a round file, but I tend to get mixed results. Lately I have been using an Oregon Chainsaw Chain File Guide, and it seems to be working much better than my freehand method. I think that the main benefit of the file guide is that it supports the file at the proper height and prevents it from working too far below the cutting edge.

​

I did get one of the Oregon bench-mounted grinder sharpeners, model 410-120, but it is not as good as advertised. It's a little finicky to get it set up properly, and it doesn't do a great job of positioning each tooth at the proper position for grinding. They went a little too cheap on the flimsy parts that position and clamp the chain for sharpening. It's also easy to grind off way too much tooth on the smaller chains, if you're not careful. Given the issues with this "brand name" grinder, I can't imagine how bad the HF sharpener might be.

All things considered, I think that I'll stick with hand filing as much as possible, using the file guide.

 

[thenne1713]

I have done a bit of freehand sharpening with just a round file, but I tend to get mixed results. Lately I have been using an Oregon Chainsaw Chain File Guide, and it seems to be working much better than my freehand method. I think that the main benefit of the file guide is that it supports the file at the proper height and prevents it from working too far below the cutting edge.

​

I did get one of the Oregon bench-mounted grinder sharpeners, model 410-120, but it is not as good as advertised. It's a little finicky to get it set up properly, and it doesn't do a great job of positioning each tooth at the proper position for grinding. They went a little too cheap on the flimsy parts that position and clamp the chain for sharpening. It's also easy to grind off way too much tooth on the smaller chains, if you're not careful. Given the issues with this "brand name" grinder, I can't imagine how bad the HF sharpener might be.

All things considered, I think that I'll stick with hand filing as much as possible, using the file guide.

All good results with ANY power grinder come from LIGHTEST touch possible, and then LOOK at results. ANY tool is ONLY as good as the user? Look at what out ancestors had to use and yet, what they accomplished?