Favorite Chainsaw Sharpener?

What’s your favorite chainsaw sharpener?

I’ve got a Milwaukee cordless chainsaw.
The bar says:
48-09-3001 A7
16″/40cm
0.043/1.1mm
90-56

I’ve got the little PITA drill powered stones and a few small files. But, I want something easier so I’m looking for ideas.

I’ve seen the Oregon one that you stick the end of the bar into it and run the saw to sharpen it. But, from what I’ve heard you have to have a special bar and chain for that to work.

The Stihl sharpener looks interesting.

I like to hear from guys that actually use a tool.

Those files are good for touch up jobs, but after you run the saw into the dirt you really will have a lot of time invested to restore the chain so it will perform ideally. I have a Bellsaw grinder that does a great job at restoring destroyed chains. By the way cerasote coat posts are the worst thing on a chainsaw.

I like the hand file, cheap and does a good job but not the easiest thing. Not impressed with electric ones with the small bit. I don’t know how good the grinders with a stone are but they are expensive. I picked up one that clamps to your bar and guides the file, not much better than just using the hand file.

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=chainsaw%20chain%20sharpener

Round file, follow the guideline on the teeth for the correct angle. Flat file for taking the rakers down every 3rd sharpen or so.

The old times who rents the shop next to mine has a tree service. He swears by hand sharpening with a file

I cut a lot of wood year round,I have two saws,one has a twenty inch bar the other has a thirty six inch bar.
thats a lot of chain to sharpen and even being good with a file you will never get each tooth the same as the last one filed.
I bought one of these,timberline sharpener,takes very little time to set up and provides a perfect result each time,I refuse to go to the timber without it.

https://www.timberlinesharpener.com/shop

Iowaboy1 wrote:

I bought one of these,timberline sharpener,takes very little time to set up and provides a perfect result each time,I refuse to go to the timber without it.

I don’t cut much wood anymore. When I did, I always used a hand file. Using a chain saw “stump vise” along with a hand file is a huge improvement over a hand file alone. If sharpening in the shop there are chain vices available which also make the job easier and more efficient, again using a hand file.

The Timberline sharpener that Iowaboy uses is a very interesting product. I had not heard of this and checked out the website. Speaking as a retired tool room machinist, the Timberline product looks to be a very well designed product. If you can follow directions to a tee, (not difficult directions in this case) you should get almost perfect results.
If you are a “bull in a china closet” this sharpener may not be for you.

This has been an impressive and quick way to sharpen the chain with consistent grinding of the cutting edge. Takes just a couple minutes once you have it set up.

I use my Dremel tool with the correct size stone. I been doing it so long, I don’t really need a guide, but if your relatively new use a guide. Hand file is always best, but I get them good enough for the work I do.

I hand file and every 4-5 ties I use a bench grinder similar to the Oregon grinder that I bought at Northern tool for $90.00. the trick with any electric bench grinder is take very light strokes, you take too much and the tooth on the chain turns blue and you just removed the temper on that tooth, It won’t hold a edge after that. always look at the packet the chain comes in and make sure your bench grinder has ALL the angles set right for that chain before you start.

tsamp wrote:

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=chainsaw%20chain%20sharpener

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For $30 you can’t go wrong. I bought one last year. I have used it about 30 times sharpening friends and family chains as well as mine. It is not a high quality tool (a lot of plastic) but it works.

I’ve used the EZE Lap chainsaw sharpening tool for years. I use it with a variable speed Dremel tool so I can control the speed which is important.

The tool has an angle guide inscribed into the top to help you set the correct angle on each tooth. using these tools I can sharpen a chain in less than 5 minutes and get it really sharp.

Chainsaw Sharpeners

As a note as with any rotary chainsaw sharpener the stone has to rotate the correct way. The stone has to rotate into the tooth so that it sharpens correctly.

Grouse

Stihl 2n1 really easy and fast,sharpens and.takes the rakers down too.$39 just get the one that fits.your chain

David Blais wrote:

The old times who rents the shop next to mine has a tree service. He swears by hand sharpening with a file

X2.

I pay $5 a chain to get sharpened that’s worth it to me. Don’t use my saw all that much.

I use the Oregon file guide and files. It only takes 10 minutes to sharpen a chain. I have three chains and I sharpen them all at the same time and rotate chains while cutting. If they all get dull then I take a break and sharpen them all again. I usually touch them up on the saw when I need to add more gas or bar oil.