elect. chainsaw sharpeners

[Cut4fun]

You want quality, try a Stihl USG sometime. The word solid is a understatement.

You can find them used for cheaper to same price you are paying for those others in the $200 $300 price range.

You will have to scroll down near the bottom of page to see the pic.   

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/acc_filing.html#usg

[RANGERDALEXP]

northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company is not a company that I consider as an option for anything. >:(  Many of our members, knowing what they have done to one of our sponsors, boycotts the company and tells our friends that they should do the same.

Being somewhat new here i am not sure what you are talking about on this. I was also given a PM and was told that this site has a severe issue with NT and i am not sure what it is and would get a very cool reception on that post, I have had good service with northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company and only wanted to post an unbiased opinion since i have used both of them to compare from side by side. anyway I had no intention to start a problem here and still have no idea why there is a problem, anyway i still stand behind that sharpener and always will unless something changes. It is a good sharpener for the money. Anyway i have seen and used the sthil USG and it is a great tool but i think it is way over priced and i have had some issues with sthil in the past and changed my product line to Husqvarna and Dolmar/makita instead for all my saws. Sorry for posting against the grain here on this......   

[shinnlinger]

I am a hand filer, but recently I have been sticking the file in a cordless drill and doing it.  Thought I might use a clamp on file guide I have with the drill and see what happens... Am I doing something wrong???

[beenthere]

Whatever works for you.

I'd expect you will remove more of the tooth than needed to get it sharp. And I'd be concerned that this method wouldn't get it as sharp, and that I'd jigger up the tooth edge too easily. But will let you report your findings to us. 

Do you make a holding 'jig' at the end of the file to hold it steady?

[Rocky_J]

I think it would render the file useless in short order. Files are cutting tools, and like most cutting tools are designed to cut in a specific direction. Chainsaw files are designed to cut when pushed in a forward motion. Spinning the file will rub the cutting edges sideways and dull the file very quickly. I suspect the file would be garbage before you finished the first chain.

[chucker]

as each row of cutters on a file are twisted away from the cutting edge to keep the file clean probably not a good deal? even at a slow speed with a drill the next row of cutters will burr and dull the next row ahead. thinking this would also set the cutters on the chain to be more surrated then chisle sharpened...

[nmurph]

a bigger issue is the quickly changing diameter of the stone.

[rebocardo]

> the difference between the 30 dollar and the 300 + dollar units

Cheapness of the materials and repeatability of the same angle. After the cheap plastic starts to wear they are no longer accurate, if they were to begin with out of the box.

I have compared my cheap Speedmaster ($150 from Bailey's) and in no way does the <$50 units from Harbor Freight and northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company compare to that. If I had a $99 refurb. Poulan and was looking for a cheap grinder, yea, they might be worth the money.

If I had a chainsaw mill, where getting the angles right is important especially since the cheaper ones only adjust the top plate angle, I would get the more expensive grinder.

Usually when something is 2x-3x cheaper then the market leaders, it does not matter if you are talking grinders, saw chain, cars, trucks, food, etc. there is a reason. You just have to decide if you can live with the reason  ;)

I decided the <$50 were so cheap, it really wasn't worth purchasing to keep in my trailer tool box for on site sharpening.