addjunkie
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I agree, you use far more chains with the grinder too.
How did you sharpen the harvester chains?
- Thread starter JOEPRO
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How did you sharpen the harvester chains?
not done it yet
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I don’t do much chain sawing. But my brother does. He ‘touches up’ the chain at regular intervals between careful resharpening sessions. He would never accept sawing with a chain that made sawdust.
Islander71
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I've been sharpening saw chains on my saws for nearly 50 years using the classic Oregon file holder, but recently tries one of these file holder jigs that files the teeth plus the depth rakers at the same time, and been very impressed!
Migmac
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Mainly by hand but if i had a few to do I some times used the sharpening machine.
not done it yet
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There is quite a degree of skill to sharpen blades or saw teeth by hand. Machines only need setting up properly if they use high quality sharpening cutters.
My Dad always made a fine job of filing reciprocating mowing machine sections. My elder brother’s attempts were far inferior. The trick (or skill) is to maintain the correct angle and to file absolutely straight. ‘Rounded’ is no good.
I have the cheap chinese clone jobbie. Not yet used it but it will be used with better cutters than supplied, if I ever get round to trying it.
My Dad always made a fine job of filing reciprocating mowing machine sections. My elder brother’s attempts were far inferior. The trick (or skill) is to maintain the correct angle and to file absolutely straight. ‘Rounded’ is no good.
I have the cheap chinese clone jobbie. Not yet used it but it will be used with better cutters than supplied, if I ever get round to trying it.
henry Kadzielski
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My two cents worth. Yes you can sharpen a saw with a file and if you can get good quality files they can do several sharpenings. The rotary stone sharpeners out on site can also do a good job. Both of which I take with me out on jobs, however, the best option I found is take several chains with you which match your saws and swap them out. When you return, sharpen all the used chains so they are ready for the next job. My electric sharpener, now that I have used it several times produces a much more consistent, sharper and better cutting edge that with either a file or rotary grinder. Even including setup I can sharpen a chain faster and better using my electric sharpener, not to mention having two three or even four chains to sharpen. If there is no alternative a file will do, but on my return all chains are ground for consistancy. If you sharpen using a grinder and the chain is not sharp, you are doing something wrong, or there is a problem with the grinder.
Kram
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I have a box of cheap chinese chains, most cost only 70p each (fit the 020T) some £2.50 each (372XP). They are good enough that I have only swapped out a few which are yet to be sharpened. Get weeks or months out of them. At that price its almost not worth the bother. they are sharp and cut well enough, but not as sharp as they could be.
They are not as good as a branded full chisel chain but why waste my good £20 each chains on work?
The next job might ask me to cut a very low stump or go at some roots, a cheap chain is no problem. If I have a good chain on their the option is to refuse, spend time swapping a cheapy, or ask for extra to pay for a new chain (usually stops the request)
Anyway on domestic work you dont have time to sit around sharpening, its much quicker and better for the saw and bar to give it a quick clean up, clean, grease and rotate the bar, swap a spare chain.
They are not as good as a branded full chisel chain but why waste my good £20 each chains on work?
The next job might ask me to cut a very low stump or go at some roots, a cheap chain is no problem. If I have a good chain on their the option is to refuse, spend time swapping a cheapy, or ask for extra to pay for a new chain (usually stops the request)
Anyway on domestic work you dont have time to sit around sharpening, its much quicker and better for the saw and bar to give it a quick clean up, clean, grease and rotate the bar, swap a spare chain.
jo1010
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Always hand sharpen on the bar. Clamp whole bar and saw in a bench vice (staying clear of the bar grooves where the chain runs) and go to it with oem or Oregon files. Good then for several days of cutting. I always use Stihl or Oregon chains - unbranded are not worth the hassle
8ob
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I agree, the little 12v rotary Dremmel type grinders that run off a car/motorcyle battery are as good as it gets in the field, never ceases to amaze me how long they last with very careful light use of the whole stone, when worn the larger stones get used on the smaller chains. You dont need the fancy angle gadgets, I always eyeball off the wear limit line on the teeth. The bench grinders no matter how cheap are good for resurrecting the longer chains after a chain has touched down on crap
Bob
If you want durability, get a carbide tipped chain.
My brother has been running them for a couple years now, and is only onto his second one, as he's not found anyone locally who can sharpen the first one.
Took over 18 months being used 2 or 3 days a week to blunt the first one, so by the time you factor in the labour cost of sharpening a normal chain, and how many chains you'd normally go through in that time, carbide probably works out cheaper in the long term.
My brother has been running them for a couple years now, and is only onto his second one, as he's not found anyone locally who can sharpen the first one.
Took over 18 months being used 2 or 3 days a week to blunt the first one, so by the time you factor in the labour cost of sharpening a normal chain, and how many chains you'd normally go through in that time, carbide probably works out cheaper in the long term.
Where do you buy your chains from?
George A2Y
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I've tried watching some of his reviews but man it is hard going it's like trying to listen to someone who's taken dieretic suppositories orally. If he could do an entire review without drawing breath he would.
JOEPRO
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Project farm provides the best reviews around. I think he does a great job.
8ob
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I cant watch these you tube channels, had hundreds of cutters/climbers/groundies working for us over the years and can count on one hand the amount of them that used any of these gadgets. Its only ever a file on a its own (no guide) or a die grinder. Normally bought as a good idea and then relegated to a drawer.
Bob
pedrobedro
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I could do a decent job of sharpening with a file but if I'm at home in the shed it's the Lidl sharpener in the vice, just quicker and easier and it works perfectly well for the Rotatech chains I use. Files wear out too quick for me to use them all the time but for touch ups on the job they are handy. I have half a dozen chains on the go at once so plenty of spare to go at if I hit a nail or a stone in a piece of wood which does happen occasionally. I've had the sharpener years and haven't worn a disc out yet.
Kram
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The cheap ones, Amazon and Ebay. Cant see anything worth while right now but they pop up occasionally.
