Stihl Benchmount Hand Filing Guide, or Electric Chain Grinder

[Christian]

I cut a lot of firewood; plan on heating my new home and my shop with wood.

I'm in the process of Building a Mill and want to use a chainsaw as the powerplant/cutter.

I purchased a Granberg Filing Guide but am dissatisfied with it. I have spoken to some loggers and they have told me that a file is the best way to put an edge on a chain.

I'm interested in the stihl benchmount filing guide but have yet to see one in any stihl dealerships; so I would like to know if anyone has had any success with them.

I read a post where someone was selling the stihl bench mount filing guide because they were purchasing an electrical sharpener. Another member asked the seller why he was selling the Stihl bench mount guide, but the seller never responded.

I don't know if I would be better off with an electrical sharpener, I've been looking at the Speed Sharp Chain Grinders in Baileys, or the Stihl Bench Mount.

Do I need a special sharpener to sharpen the chains that are used for milling? Would the Electrical and Bench mount sharpen milling chain and regular vertical cutting chain? So many questions!

would appreciate any guidance,

Christian

 

[Stihl #1]

Hey Christian,
Welcome to the site.
Ripping chain is usually ground to a 10 degree angle. You will not want to change a 35 degree chain to a 10 degree chain with a file.
So if that is what you will need to do get a 110 volt grinder.
My opinion is the Stihl USG is the best, and I have used others, but I am a little biased. Most quality electric grinders work well, just stay away from the cheap plastic imports.
I use a file to keep a chain sharp, not sharpen a dull chain. A full chisel chain will get one stroke every time I fill the saw with oil and fuel, or maybe every other time depending on what I am cutting. I keep a 12 volt hand grinder, kind of like a Dremel, in the truck for emergency sharpening in the field.
I have the bench mount file guide and a bar mount guide, and they are very exact, but slow and tedious to use. If I have free-hand filed a chain several times then the bench mount is used to true up the cutters, since it has a stop guide and the angle is set.
I always use a file guide when free-hand filing also. The Stihl one works well and clamps to the file. It keeps the file slightly up so I don't file a deep hook on the cutter.
HTH

 

[Urbicide]

Welcome to ArboristSite

Hi. I was wondering if by any chance that you have priced the Stihl bench mounted filing guide? You can buy the Northern Tool electric grinder for a lot less. Stihl 041S & RaisedByWolves developed a stainless steel washer and shim kit to improve the fit and function of this grinder.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=55317
I use a Granberg FileNJoint for most of my sharpening. It is tedious work and you had better be wearing heavy leather gloves or keep some band-aids nearby. It puts a hell of an edge on a chain. You should not need a different sharpener to do ripping or milling chain. The angles are adjustable on the guides and grinders. You do have to be extra careful with a grinder so as not to burn up the chain by over-heating it. Good luck.

 

[046]

you really should get both. but I'd recommend getting the bar mounted file guide instead of bench mounted.

reason is to teach you correct angles for hand filing. it's also useful to set angles, if you get too many tooth off.

depending upon who you talk to.... files are better than grinders. grinders can overheat tooth and grind off too much material quickly. best to use a light touch.

hand filing is what I do the most. grinder almost never gets used. been a while since bar mounted file guide was put to use too. it was truly helpful learning exact angles to file at.

now I'm in transition of going bulk chain and setting up a simington square grinder.

 

[outdoortype]

Try hand filing first....

I would try to freehand sharpen with a file. That way you can go slow and easy until you get the hang of it. Another way is to use a rotary tool(Dremel or equivalent). This is faster than freehand but mistakes count more because it removes metal in a hurry. Rotary tools are relatively inexpensive and you can always use them for other stuff. Just remember to be patient !!!!

 

[bluequill56]

I've got the Stihl bench mount and absolutely love it. I'm a big fan of a filed edge. I think filing produces a sharper, cleaner edge and you don't take a chance of overheating the cutter and changing the hardning/temper.

The Stihl guide is very easy to use and it's pretty fast. Maybe not as fast as a grinder, but not too far behind. Once you get the file height and angles set (very easy) you really don't have to watch closely or think about what you are doing. Position the cutter against the adjustable stop, clamp in the driver with the cam lever, lower file/holder, make a few passes, unclamp, repeat. As long as the chain hasn't been badly damaged, I can get around a 25" loop in about 10-15 minutes. Plus, if you have several chains to do, you don't have to mount each one of them on the saw seperately like with the bar mounts. Handy for me, because I enjoy cutting with really sharp chains and change them often, so I usually have a few to do at one time.

The unit is made to mount straight to the bench, but it really got in my way when I wasn't using it. So I mounted it to a short piece of 2 x 4 and when it's time to sharpen I just clamp the board in my bench vise. My only complaint is the rail that the chain runs in isn't quite long enough to put the depth gage on and set the raker height without stuff getting in the way. So I just keep an old bar by the bench and set rakers as a seperate operation.

In addition to being a cool way to get chains that absolutely rip, it's a great trainer. After using it a few times, you'll be able to eyeball your angles and be able to get exceptional results filing without the guide. Great for touch-ups in the field.

But, it's one of those things where you gotta like your toys more than you like your money....... :jawdrop: But...its well worth it, IMO.

 

[West Texas]

Stop and think about it??? If you are going to be cutting that much wood, then you don't want to waste your time or money on cheap solutions. I recommend a quality electric grinder ($300 bucks or so), I personally have a MAXX and am happy with it, it allows me to grind the teeth 'outside in' on both the left and right side cutters, eliminating burrs on the tooth. It has adjustable features, that most cheaper grinders do not. This allows you to 'fit the grinder wheel to the chain'. There are other good brands, just stay away from those that are cheapies, you'll never regret the investment.

However, I think you also need to know how to hand file, in order to touch up a chain on your saw; in between using the grinder. I've tried all the file guides and with a little practice, you can soon free hand it better and quicker than messing with those things, in my humble opinion. Do a search on this web site and you will find a lot of good advice on how to file a chain.

I only file in my shop; in the field, I just take extra chains and replace one when I hit a rock or something. At the end of the day, if the chain just needs touching up, I put the saw in the vice on my shop table, just clamp the bar into the vice, then free hand file the teeth on one side, turn it around and free hand touch up the other side. You will be amazed at how good you will become with just a little practice, using advice you will find on this web site.

 

[gregz]

Here ya go
Stihl bench chain sharpener.
http://cgi.ebay.com/stihl-chainsaw-...ryZ85915QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Poley4]

I'm happy with my Northern grinder once I replaced the wheels. Probably have about $130 total investment. I'm not sure if spending another $150 to $200 would gain you anything.

 

[Christian]

Thanks for the Information

I cut a lot of firewood; plan on heating my new home and my shop with wood.

I'm in the process of Building a Mill and want to use a chainsaw as the powerplant/cutter.

I purchased a Granberg Filing Guide but am dissatisfied with it. I have spoken to some loggers and they have told me that a file is the best way to put an edge on a chain.

I'm interested in the stihl benchmount filing guide but have yet to see one in any stihl dealerships; so I would like to know if anyone has had any success with them.

I read a post where someone was selling the stihl bench mount filing guide because they were purchasing an electrical sharpener. Another member asked the seller why he was selling the Stihl bench mount guide, but the seller never responded.

I don't know if I would be better off with an electrical sharpener, I've been looking at the Speed Sharp Chain Grinders in Baileys, or the Stihl Bench Mount.

Do I need a special sharpener to sharpen the chains that are used for milling? Would the Electrical and Bench mount sharpen milling chain and regular vertical cutting chain? So many questions!

would appreciate any guidance,

Christian

Thanks for the information guys.

I do need to learn how to sharpen with a file. So I think I should buy both, an electrical grinder and a quality file guide.

What are your thoughts on the best quality chain?

Does anyone buy from Bailey's? I have been buying all of my chainsaw related supplies from them; the woodsman pro chain, oregon bars, files, tools, etc.
There prices are much better than any local dealers in my area.

Christian

 

[CaseyForrest]

I had the Stihl bench mount guide. It does a decent job but you will find your consistency from cutter to cutter varies to a noticeable degree. There is enough play throughtout the moving parts to not get a consistant angle esepcially when switching sides.

IMO..if youve only got 1 or 2 chains to sharpen, its great. You mentioned milling....with the frequency you will be sharpening chains a grinder would be a much better investment.

The Bench guide has its place, its a great tool. So does a grinder.

I think that seller was me and I responded in a PM. I traded up to a grinder for the specific reasons of not getting consistant agnles on my ripping chain. Also the time investment. Its much faster to sharpen a 28" or 36" loop on a grinder and keep your angles consistant than it was with the file guide.

 

[Christian]

Grinder

What kind of Grinder did you buy? Are you happy with it?

thanks for the reply.

This is a great forum, lots of knowledge to spread.

Christian

 

[Urbicide]

The 3 top names in chain are Stihl, Carlton (woodsman Pro), and Oregon.
Stihl is pretty well regarded as the best chain you can buy. It has more chrome plating than Carlton or Oregon so it holds its edge longer. Having a higher chrome component makes it more difficult to hand file than the other 2. Since it is a Stihl product it is the most expensive of the bunch. The Carlton chain sits in the middle of the pack. It has more chrome than does Oregon but less than Stihl. Carlton manufactures most of Bailey's chain for them. Oregon has the least amount of chrome. The lower chrome content makes it the easiest chain to file. If you are using a grinder then it does not matter as a grinder will digest any chain.

I myself use a lot of the Woodsman Pro chain from Bailey's. I cut a lot of dead and dirty wood so I end up running semi chisel chain 95% percent of the time. It boils down as to wood type, moisture content, and abrasiveness of your cutting conditions. I would use Stihl chain if I could buy it at Bailey's prices. Oregon for me did not hold up in my cutting environment as well as I would have liked. I get more satisfaction out of cutting than I do sharpening!

 

[scotclayshooter]

The 3 top names in chain are Stihl, Carlton (woodsman Pro), and Oregon.
Stihl is pretty well regarded as the best chain you can buy. It has more chrome plating than Carlton or Oregon so it holds its edge longer. Having a higher chrome component makes it more difficult to hand file than the other 2. Since it is a Stihl product it is the most expensive of the bunch. The Carlton chain sits in the middle of the pack. It has more chrome than does Oregon but less than Stihl. Carlton manufactures most of Bailey's chain for them. Oregon has the least amount of chrome. The lower chrome content makes it the easiest chain to file. If you are using a grinder then it does not matter as a grinder will digest any chain.

My mate borrowed my 455 with the intention of buying it, He wrecked the brand new carlton chain that was on it Grr and went to his nearest dealer for a new chain, the dealer told him he was lucky that the cheap junk carlton chain didnt snap and take his arm off lol i nearly wet myself through laughing when he told me that.
So i gained a oregon chain and fixed the carlton back up, Result! shame he didnt buy the saw though
+1 on Stihl chains being the best

 

[CaseyForrest]

What kind of Grinder did you buy? Are you happy with it?

thanks for the reply.

This is a great forum, lots of knowledge to spread.

Christian

I bought the MAXX grinder off Ebay for I think it was $269. For what youve said you do a $300 or less grinder will put a smile on your face compared to the results youll get from the bench filer.

 

[sako75hunter]

hey guy just looking for advice bout the stihl usg. i bought one recently and havn't used it that much and even thaught bout selling it.

Does anybody know where i can get info to help set up the sharpener for chipper and chiesel chains?