elect. chainsaw sharpeners

[Banjo picker]

How about who's using what and what they do or do not like about it.  I tried the search and it ain't workin. :(  Tim

[pineywoods]

Have one of them cheap harbor freight jobs. ($29.95 special) mostly plastic and does have some limitations, but it works just fine for me. Use it 5 times and it's paid for. I don't run a chain until it's so dull it takes a lot of grinding to get it sharp.

[beenthere]

I only use an electric if damage from nails, rocks, or wire, etc.
Hand file is my preference, and takes no more time than setting up the electric. Again, just my preference.
A good sharp file takes one to two strokes per tooth.

[Dan_Shade]

i had an oregon model, I gave it to a tree service guy.

I find that a file is the way to go (much faster)...

[sawmilllawyer]

Mostly hand file until the teeth need a grinding. Then I have the Harbor Frieght special like Pineywoods. Not the best set up but my chains are sharp and they cut well. The electric sharpener  really shines on chains that have rock, wire, dirt or metal damage. Couple times around with a light to medium grind does the job. Set up is kinda picky on the sharpener but once it is dialed in seems to do good work.

[Ed]

Handfile and jig....unless the chain gets rocked real bad.
A friend has a Stihl SG, he'll straighten 'em out for me.

Ed

[sablatnic]

Handfile and jig. (Jig from Oregon). Only grind, if the teeth has become hard because of grinding somewhere else. I repair chainsaws for a living. And sharpen "other people's chains" too. Has been doing that for about 25 years.

[beenthere]

sablatnic
Where abouts are you located? Nothing in your bio for a clue.

thanks

[Cut4fun]

I like the edge of hand filed best.
But I got tired of everyones rocked out chains and bought a stihl USG. Love it, wouldn't want anything different besides a Silvey Pro sharp for square and even get some pretty fast machine sharpened round chains off the USG.

[sablatnic]

Hi Beenthere

I live in Denmark. And yes. We do have trees here. ;-)

[beenthere]

I thought you would have them there.
What is the history of the trees there?
Mostly plantation grown since the WWII era? or natural growth?

Are there trees over 70 years old that may have shrapnel from the war buried deep inside them?
I have heard that such buried artifacts were a problem in the Belgium and French forests, where many years of high quality wood grew over the buried metal from the fighting, causing sawing problems when trying to recover that wood.

Just interested in what you find in your forests now.

Glad to have you part of the forum here. 

Do you have a sawmill or do logging?

[mike_van]

Tim, I've got the Efco grinder - Over 10 years now, not a problem with it.

[ladylake]

 Oregon 511a here, you'ld have to be realy fast hand filing to beat it for speed.   Steve

[Devon]

I use a Simington 451B swingarm grinder.  Sharpens full chisel and round, grinds gullets and I have a raker depth attachment for it as well.  Nice machine.  I highly recommend it.

[sablatnic]

Hi beenthere

About our trees:
No. We have no problems with WWII shrapnel, since we didn't have much fighting. The nazis just took over all of the country one morning. April 9. 1945.
We see a bit of slugs from hunting, but not enough to be a problem, but you are right about France and Belgium having problems, and that is from WWI too. The Morgan car factory has had quite som problems because of that, I know.
Our trees now are mostly planted, but with some "semi naturel growth"too. (We harrow to cover the acorns and beechnuts, and weed the unwanted plants). We started planting about 200 years ago, when we had only 3% of forrest. We had 11% in 2000 and are working on 20% by 2100.
This is very brief, I know, and just the result of googling for about an hour.
No. No logging, and no sawmill. I just sell and repair saws. And brushcutters and lawnmowers. Been at it for the last 25 years. Don't know why, but maybe I like the people. Or the money?  :-D

Going to bed now. It is late night / early morning. 01:45.

[Jeff]

Search services have been restored.

[Corley5]

I've got a Maxx grinder.  Haven't hand filed a chain since I've had it  ;D

[Banjo picker]

Thanks for all the replys, i thank you all for answering.  I hand file, and have gotten pretty good at it, but when i have someone helping, its nice to have several chains around to be able to just change out when they get one in the dirt or rocks, and i have a heck of a time taking the time to put a dull chain back on the saw to sharpen it.   ;)    Thanks again   Tim

[PineNut]

I have a sharpener from Harbor Freight. Not great but it gets the job done if I have do a serious job. But most of the time I would rather not have to pull the chain so it doesn't get used too much.

[Heywood]

This must be a good topic to ask a curiosity question?
I sharpen exclusively with a file and I don't use a jig or guide of any kind.  I use the chain until it gets down to about half the original cutter size, then I retire it with the thought that should I ever get a sharpener, or find a service that I trust to do a good joy, I might have that chain done.
Trouble is I never throw things away and my collection of chains is getting rather large.
How far do you guys take the cutters down?  ???

Heywood

[LeeB]

Till there ain't no more. Most of the chains I buy have a line scribed across the top. I take it to that line.

[Rocky_J]

I usually take them almost to the scribe mark. Some brands of chain don't have scribe marks, so in that case just keep sharpening them until they won't cut any more or you run out of tooth.  :D

[Dan_Shade]

I go to the line too...  if you file the rakers down, about the time a chain is wore out is when it's cutting really good....

it also lets you see how well you file, all the teeth should hit the line about the same time.

I give each tooth 3 strokes when gassing up.

[Banjo picker]

I file almost down to the line, or to where it would be if the chain had one.  But when you get down that small the chance of a tooth breaking off goes up, so a need to be a little extra careful with the PPE.  Tim

[Cut4fun]

While you guys are on the topic of electric grinders still.

I am looking for a Stihl USG Square grinder attachment to put back.