Blade sharpeners on eBay?

[AJ]

Hi all,

Has anyone bought, used, or heard anything, positive or negative, regarding one of the blade sharpeners usually sold on eBay for about $400?  There seems to be two main guys, one in Texas and the other in Alabama (I think).

The item number I'm referring to is 270322848666; I'm not sure how to post a link or if it's allowed.  I don't see any offered at this time by the other guy.

I've been using Woodmizer's resharpening service, but am questioning the economics of sharpening my own blades.  I have no issues with their service, just trying to save money over the long run.  And, with reduced hours at work, I have more time than money at the moment.

If I do order one of of these, I'll order the setter as well.  Total investment would be about $600.

Thanks for any advice or opinions y'all may offer,

Andy

[Tom]

This appears to be a manual sharpener and not something I would want to use if I were going to be serious about sharpening bands.

You would have to manually grind the gullet and back of the tooth without the benefit of a cam to keep shapes and angle accurate.

Woodmizer makes a good sharpener and setter.  You can find them used from time to time and that would be the way I would recommend that you go.  It has a cam, automatic feed, coolant pump and micro switch to turn it off when the band is completed.

They also sell a setter that will do an excellant job.

You will generally find these sold under the title "blade maintenance kit".

The economics of sharpening your own blade may or may not be favorable to you. But, I've found that sharpening my own blades gave me the lattitude to keep a sharp blade handy all of the time, change blade configurations on a whim and, the most beneficial, teach me how a well sharpened blade should cut.  Using another's service is just putting yourself in their hands without knowing anything about the science.  Being able to do it yourself allows you to judge the job that the sharpening service is doing.

[cheyenne]

I'm an ebay junkie but I agree with Tom. You need to deal with someone who will be there when you need them....Cheyenne

[Lud]

The blades I got  run 16 to 20 bucks.  Not much more than the one use blades fo my bandsaw. I'm just a farm sawyer for my own use so I can't justify  big bucks for an automatic sharpener.  $400 for a manual is bogus as Tom said.

I built my own manual out of a $29 chainsaw sharpener mounted to a circular plywood table that lets me pull the blade thru , going around in five to ten minutes.  They work a lot better than dull!  And I'm getting the feel for it...plus it was cheap!  Better than just a Dremel touch up.  Works for me.

[379hammerdown]

I fell for one of these sharpeners and bought one... like a year or so ago. I've used it quite a bit and they do indeed work... though not great. Professionally sharpened ones cut faster. I couldn't get them as sharp as the pro's do on my sharpener. I still use this contraption to sharpen damaged blades... like ones that have hit metal and have a few missing teeth... It takes me 10-12 minutes to sharpen my 19' band on it.

All it basically is is a nice chainsaw sharpener from "northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company" and they also send you a custom home built base to put the top of the sharpener onto.

I don't think it was REALLY worth $400 but... it helped me out of a bind from time to time. I like to have it around... and don't regret having it.... except when I'm sharpening fast and drop the grinding wheel on my piny!! 

[fat olde elf]

There is woodmizer sharpener for sale on the Sawmill Exchange at this moment for $900.. Ths is less than half price for a new one.  I bought a Cooks Cat Claw for $1000 about 19 months ago from the Exchange.  I agree with  Tom on the advantages of doing your own sharpening... I have been sharpening for others in NC and love the income...I can usually turn blades around a lot faster than other services and and basically no freight charges...
I can carry a lot of blades in my 41 MPG Honda Civic........Look for used equipment......   

[york]

HI,

Listen to what Tom is saying..

I will add my two cents...

Ebay,is a toilet..

Bert

[AJ]

Thanks for the responses from everyone.  It seems that this may not be the route I want to take.  What I think I'll do is save up a little more money and try to find a decent used sharpener.  Thanks for the lead on the one on the Exchange, I knew about that site, but didn't think to look there for a sharpener.

Thanks again,

Andy

[Lud]

379 Hammmerdown,
                                       Did you say your blades are NINETEEN feet long??  What are they mounted on and what are you sawing?  Redwood? :D

[cheyenne]

York....... Ebay can be a good thing if you know what your doing and what the market is. But you have to do a lot of side research most people are to lazy. Case in point.... I just bought a Kobelco SKO45 excavator for $ 7,900 With rock hammer & 24" bucket & very low hrs,new paint & decals. I can sell the hammer for $ 4,000. It's sitting in my front yard and two contractors are trying to buy it for 3 times what I payed. But it's not for sale......Cheyenne

[Stephen1]

Thanks for posting AJ I was looking at the sharpener also. The price looked appealing, but I was wondering if it was worth it. I think I will keep my open for  a good used one also.

[easymoney]

i have heard people bad mouth ebay before. as for me i have mostly had good experience with ebay both selling and buying. just buyer beware. as for the blade sharpeners i have built two using a cheap chainsaw sharpener. if you are handy building things you can build one in a few hours that is identical to the ones sold on ebay. just look at his pictures and copy it. it will not do as good as a factory built one. but for a part time sawyer with limited funds it beats nothing.

[Woodwalker]

379 Hammmerdown,
                                       Did you say your blades are NINETEEN feet long??  What are they mounted on and what are you sawing?  Redwood? :D

Like everything else, our mills down here are a little bit bigger.  :D :D
One of those guys isn't very far from me. I've never tried to get in touch with him. I set up something similar. Mounted a cheap chainsaw grinder in the vertical position with the grinding wheel protruding into a notch cut into a wood table top. Marked/scribed the blade angle on the top as to eyeball and freehand the blade into the grinding wheel.   Somebody has posted something somewhere using a bench grinder in this manner.
It works............ somewhat. Build one for $30.00 or $40.00, it will get you out of a bind, but that's about it.
A good re-sharp service is woth the money.

[Stephen1]

I have a question then about sharpening.  can I freehand my dremel with my flat diamond blade on the blades? I know that I might not do the gullet that well, but shouldn,t I least be able to put a new edge on the tips? Will it work for a touch up, and then send the blades out to a resharpen service. I can buy new blades for what they want to charge me to resharpen. New blades 12-15 $ and a resharpen here is $9.50.
Steve

[barbender]

Thanks for the advertisement on the Sawmill Exchange sharpener  :

[woodmills1]

If you are going to get the least bit serious about cutting lumber and saving money then by all means get a sharpener and setter.  Mine are woodmizer circa 1993 and they do a respectable job.  If you do get an older one get the newer clamps for both the tools.

[mike_van]

Just a thought for anyone who's 'on the bubble' about buying a sharpener & setter - If you get a good one, used or new, take good care of it, you can just about get your money back should you decide it's not for you. Nice used are hard to find, the price of new ones goes up all the time.

[379hammerdown]

379 Hammmerdown,
                                       Did you say your blades are NINETEEN feet long??  What are they mounted on and what are you sawing?  Redwood? :D

Hi, Yes I said Nineteen feet long. My sawmill is a Log Master LM2. It just has big band wheels  ;) I don't cut anything special, mainly Cedar, Pine, & Oak.

[mike_van]

I run 16 ft 6 in. on 24" wheels -

[fishpharmer]

Super info about sharpeners.  Anyway we could see some pictures of some sharpeners?

I really wish I found this site before I made my mill.

Mine blades are 21.5 feet long.  The track is 48 inches wide.  really.