[PonchoV8]

Good enough? I can't stand to sharpen them by hand, and I'm not that good at it anyway.
http://www.harborfreight.com/electri...ner-68221.html

[67cruiser]

My self personally, never seen anything good from this company, Its your money spend it wisely.

[PonchoV8]

I bought an IR thermometer for $10 that's been extremely useful. They're about $20 on sale this year.

[67drake]

I JUST bought one of those last night at HF. I have not even brought it in from the truck yet. Mine was on sale for $26,maybe a different model.
I'm the same way,I hate sharpening by hand,and the local shop wants $15 a chain to sharpen. HF is pretty much junk,but for that price if it works even so so it's worth it to me.

[PonchoV8]

After watching half a dozen hand sharpening videos I broke down and tried my hand at file sharpening again. I probably ruined the blade.

[Cliff R]

I've never owned one, but have heard that the Harbor Freight and other cheap off shore chain grinders are poorly constructed and need modified to do a good job. There are a few threads running on them over on the Arborist Site.

If you cut a lot of wood, it's manditory to learn to sharpen by hand. Might want to start out with a sharpener/file guide that clamps to the bar to get the angles correct.

I cut a lot of wood here, and use it to heat the house and the shop. I can sharpen a chain better than any machine, in less time than it took to type this. In the field I "touch-up" the chain at fill-ups or any time they start to cut poorly. It's easier on the saw, the bar, the operator, and you get a lot more work done.

It's a lot like learning to sharpen a drill bit on a grinder, takes a few tries to perfect the technique, but will serve you your entire adult life and save a lot of time and money......Cliff

[Simple Man]

I have a chain sharpening adapter for my Dremel. Does a good job, once you get the hang of it.

[Cliff R]

Cutting wood is kind of a hobby for me, and keeps me in good shape. Saves money at the same time.

Some pics of my helpers and a little Oak tree that went down on my property in a storm......Cliff

[Ollie]

2X Cliff R
Get a hand file sharping guide.

[PonchoV8]

I installed a new blade last year because I stretched the old one. I didn't know you were supposed to hold the oiler down the entire time you're cutting--heat = stretching. I was just holding it down now and then. I also didn't realize you should sharpen your blade so often either. The new one was way out of shape already. I was whittling on an old stumps that are just high enough that I keep hitting with the mower decks and I struck Earth several times I'm sure. After it was dull, I went after some Poison Ivy on a huge Oak stump that's also a nuisance. I cut some off the stump to facilitate it rotting. It's been there 10 yrs now. There was a rock I hit and a lot of decaying wood in the stump (like soil) so the chain was nearly useless after that.

Once it's out of shape so badly, it's a chore to get it straightened back out. I hit each tooth with the file 10 times, then 10 more, then 6. Then I still had some out of shape. I'm sure I abused several in the process and lost my angle on a couple. I'm sure I was using too much pressure on the file, looking back.

[PonchoV8]

Just found out I was using a 5/32" file when the chain calls for the larger 3/16".
I'm going to go dull the blade (cut wood) later today to see how if it does what it normally does when I sharpen. It cuts sideways on larger logs.

[PonchoV8]

It cuts pretty good actually. Not like new, but good. I think I'll buy the sharpening guide to use every now and then and just stay with the hand filing for now--also to make sure the depth gauges are correct. I'll touch it up more often than I have been. Thanks, all.

[GT182]

Keep it out of the dirt Doug. That's the best way to ruin the chain and blade. No amount of oiling will protect it.

[John Eiseman]

Originally Posted by GT182

Keep it out of the dirt Doug. That's the best way to ruin the chain and blade. No amount of oiling will protect it.

Stay clear of the HF grinder. I looked @ one a while back and its junk. I hand file everything.

[lust4speed]

Once again I'm the odd man out. I've had my HF sharpener for about 5 years and it has worked excellent. I hated hand filing, and was paying to have my chains done - but the local shop destroyed a couple of chains by grinding the crap out of them. That's when I went down and purchased the sharpener. I just put two bolts down through the base and clamp my vice to the bolts when I need to use it.

[Cliff R]

Another reason to get good at hand filing, is that you can "touch-up" chains in the field without taking them off the saw.

Any chain grinder, no matter who makes it, or who uses it, takes a LOT of material off the cutting teeth in comparison to touching them up with a hand file.

The chain has to come off the saw as well......Cliff

[PB]

How often do you have to sharpen your blade on a tree the size you pictured cliff? I hand sharpen mine too, but have yet to master it.

[GoatDr]

You can buy on the saw blade sharpeners now. Like this from Oregon: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6618_200446618.

[PonchoV8]

Interesting.

I had a Redbud tree break in a storm and went to cut it down and up.
It turned out to be an insect infestation tree. Carpenter Ants had eaten it internally. the moisture content is very high in this tree and cutting felt dull the farther I got into the moist trunk. Feeling the blade, it still feels sharp. Is that just a function of very wet wood? I've cut a lot of trees but never anything this wet.

[Cliff R]

I "touch-up" the chains when the saw is getting refueled, check the chain tension, etc. There is seldom any need to sharpen between tanks unless you stick the chain in the dirt or hit a stone or nail lodged in the bark.

On big trees like the Oak in the picture, that are way up in the woods, it's usually pretty clean. Anything in a fence row or yard usually has some metal in it, from old fence or someone hanging a sign or clothes line on it at one time or another.

Any wood that's been "skidded" will have dirt in the bark, and frequent sharpening will be required.

With a little practice one can get pretty good with a hand file. Sharp chains are easier on the bar, and the saw. When they get dull, and you start "pushing" them to cut better, they tend to lay sideways in the bar and wear out the groove.

I have bars on some of the saws in the pics above that are 1980 vintage, original to the saw, and they are in perfect shape after decades of heavy use......Cliff