chain saw sharpener

It adjusts in all angles.

I use my first one for about 23 years (including about 4 years of cutting wood for a "living") it finally broke and I bought a new one at Lowes.

The saw needs to be mounted in a vise (which is really essential for any hand sharpening) but it works great.

Also make sure you get a narrow flat file for filing down the rakes (limits depth of cut) occassional - as suggested, after every 8-10 sharpening should be often enought.

KEH

Another handy cheap tool that I like is a little vise that you take to the woods with you. It has a couple of spikes on the bottom, and you tap it into a stump or log, and then you clamp the saw bar in it to hold it steady while you touch it up with a file. It's made by Oregon, and only cost about 10 bucks - but I've had it 30 years so it might be more now. . . The big boys probably don't use one, but it helps me do a better job.

PJ

A good sharpener has all the angle and pitch adjustments, whereas the cheaper ones do not. For many chains, especially full chisel - those extra adjustments are necessary.

Somebody who is skilled at both hand sharpening and machine sharpening can do a better and faster job with the machine. Many of our logger customers sharpen by hand in the woods, but put the chains on the machine every once in awhile to get the angles perfect again.

For chains that are just dulled a bit, hand sharpening is fine. But for chains - especially full chisel - that hit fence-wire, sap spiles, pebbles, etc. - a machine does a much better job.

Properly machine-sharpened chains can make a saw last a lot longer than one used with not-so-sharp chains getting lugged.

Conditions must vary - but in my area, cutting mostly huge hard maples, ash, and red oaks, chains often hit bits of fence wire, old sap spiles, small pebbles, etc. and often, hand-sharpening is not feasable all the time.

Chuck