Saw chain sharpening

[Jan]

Recently I purchased an electric chain saw and would like to ask you if you have some recommendations concerning chain sharpening.

For the time being I have Oregon sharpener file kit, but I have read that there exists Granberg Bar-Mount Chain Saw Sharpener made in California. Amazon delivers it to Europe, shipping’s and import fees are some 20 USD, so the total price for me would be some 55 USD.

Company Stihl offers similar device, but the price is several times higher.

Jan

Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/Granberg-Bar-Moun...QC672JJQSJ

[grepper]

A chain saw fits my ability to do "woodworking".

Considering that you purchased an electric chainsaw, I suspect your need is pretty minimal and you probably won't need to do much sharpening as long as the blade is kept out of the dirt and you don't find any old wire fence some tree has grown around.  So mostly just touch up to keep the saw operating at peak efficiency.  

That said, that manual sharpener should do the job.  I watched a video on it and it seems to work well.

If you have to do much sharpening an electric is the way to go.  All those cutters and depth gauges get pretty tedious if done often.  Depending on the chain, the depth gauges may need to be filed after the cutters get shorter.  But for infrequent use manual ones work OK.

https://www.garrettwade.com/chainsaw-sharpeners-gp.html

Around here Oregon is probably the most common and easiest to find parts for.

Please let us know what you end up with and what you think of it.

[SteveG]

If/when I buy a new one, I’m planning on getting the Stihl, despite the price. But I’m an infrequent user (even though I have 3 chainsaws), so I either use a dremel or a regular round chainsaw file with a cheapy guide (or no guide), and the results are ok. Like grepper said, don’t saw any dirt, or you’ll be a frequent saw sharpener. IMO, if you know how to sharpen a knife, then a chainsaw is pretty darn easy.

[grepper]

FWIW, a little chainsaw story.

I used to do a lot of chainsaw work, sometimes 8 hours a day.  But those days have faded like a ship sailing into the mist and now it’s only once or twice a year, mostly just trimming branches.  So I picked a light weight little Stihl MS180C-BE.  https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-.../ms180cbe/

It seemed kind of puny and had no bumper teeth for levering through logs, but I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked.  I wouldn’t want to buck logs all day or cut down fairly large trees with it, but for most tasks it works very well for being the light weight little thing it is.  It came with a strange skinny little bar and some really skinny non-aggressive thing called a “safety chain”.   Oddly that skinny little bar and chain worked like thin blade knife and just melted through logs.  

I got a little lazy one day and was running a loose chain.  The puny little chain popped off the skinny little bar and wadded itself into a tight little ball against the body of the saw.  I’ve thrown chains before and it’s not been a problem, but not this time.  That wimpy little chain wadded itself so tightly I could barely get it straightened, and when I did it was bent to uselessness.  Enough of this I thought and spent $50 and put a “normal” sized bar and chain on it.  It’s been a little trooper ever since.

I no longer cut oak or ironwood all day, keep the blade out of dirt and rocks and don’t clear old fence rows.  Chains stay sharp for a long time so I’ve become very lazy.  My local lawn mower store sharpens chains for $5.00 generally while I wait.  I just keep a spare sharp chain on-hand and when one gets dull use the excuse to browse the latest let’s mow the lawn equipment.  I’d almost pay $5.00 just to ogle the latest Scag Z mowers and Stihl equipment.

[Jan]

Mr. Grepper and Mr. SteveG thanks for sharing your experience!

I bought an electric chain saw Makita 16" because it is not as noisy as the petrol machines. I plan to cut fire wood for my wood stove somewhere in the yard. Sources of wood, mainly old fruit trees, are my two gardens, both connected to the mains.

My current sharpening equipment is Oregon sharpener file kit
   
Oregon maintenance manual helped me to understand how a chain cutter works and how it should be sharpened.
       

Jan