How often do you sharpen your chainsaw

That question gets asked frequently here. Simple answer: when it gets dull.

How do you know when? Experience. Feel. You'll notice smaller chips and dust instead of the larger chips with essentially no dust that you saw when cutting with the sharp chain.

Lots of factors. Cut soft pine or poplar and it will likely cut effectively for multiple tanks of fuel. Cut hard dry oak or gum, then you might need to sharpen it at the end of a tank or sooner. Hit dirt or a nail when you first put it into wood, and you need to sharpen your chain or even get a new one within seconds.

BTW, hand sharpening a chain often can get it sharper than it's original condition when new.

That sounds right. I'm sure you'll pick up more tips.

Another thing to note is that a properly sharpened chain should cut it's own way into the wood, meaning that you shouldn't have to lean on it much at all to cut effectively. If you have to lean on the saw to get it to cut, it's dull.

And sometimes a just sharpened chain won't seem to cut like it should. That means you need to file down the depth gauges/rakers. Well, either that or you put the chain on backwards.

Dmitry said:

Yes ,sir. I was cutting big trunk laying on a ground and it seemed like I needed to push more and more to cut trough it. Can't wait to sharpen it and try it tomorrow . ......yeah..,its 100% chance of snow tomorrow here in CT.

Click to expand...

It seems we'll dodge most of that storm here in western PA. Good luck with that snow.

I tend to sharpen my chain at the beginning of the day. Sometimes earlier, sometimes i go two days. If im cutting hickory, It dulls a lot quicker. If i cut ash, itll cut for quite a while between sharpening.

TreePointer said:

That sounds right. I'm sure you'll pick up more tips.

Another thing to note is that a properly sharpened chain should cut it's own way into the wood, meaning that you shouldn't have to lean on it much at all to cut effectively. If you have to lean on the saw to get it to cut, it's dull.

And sometimes a just sharpened chain won't seem to cut like it should. That means you need to file down the depth gauges/rakers. Well, either that or you put the chain on backwards.

Click to expand...

This is so true. When the chain is sharp, you won't need to help it along, it'll pull itself through the log...you're just there to hold the saw.

Do yourself a favor and use a gauge for taking the rakers down. My father is old school, eyeballs everything, and I still remember trying to use his chainsaw as a kid....what a grabby ornery thing it was once he touched up the chain. I didn't touch a saw for probably 20 years I was scared of them.

Ice , snow, dirt all reek havoc on chains. Get the Stihl chain sharpener ( can't remember the name of it) it's in a frame and I believe I read in another post that it has a built in guide/raker file, they're around $50-60 but worth it. Check your bar also on the cutting side and nose as they need dressed with a file to take the bur from cutting off and flip your bar every other sharpening to try and prevent the bur from getting very bad, also extends the life if your bar

Here's the one I got, works well so far Make sure to get the right size for your chain
http://www.pferd.com/images/Prospekt_Kettensaegeschaerfgeraet_CS_X_2011_150dpi_en.pdf

Over the years , I have been able to collect about 20 chains for my 16" bars and about 25 for my 20" bars. I use a cheap Northern tool chain sharpener and can sharpen about 10 chains in an hour. I bought the chains in lots of 10 through baileys and other logging supply stores for about $10 each . I'll change chains when I start to see dust or small chips this way , the chain never gets too beat up and makes sharpening easier. Any time I accidently touch the ground , dirt etc. I'll change chains . I always have at least 5 or more chains available with me , so it elimin ates any down time.

Sharpening and changing chains is a PIA. I bought a Stihl Rapid Duro carbide chain. Supposed to last 4X longer that a regular chain, but I think it will go even longer than that. I've cut up quite a few trees (hard and soft) at this point and it's still going strong. Also, it is unfazed by old dead wood or the occasional ground touch. Dead trees with any amount of rot will dull your chains very quickly. Got a good deal on the chain on eBay, but you do have to have a special diamond sharpener. I haven't had to sharpen yet, so we'll see how easy it is. If I have to send it into Stihl to get sharpened properly, then its advantages become moot.

I sharpen my saw before every use unless I'm cutting box elder. Box elder is twice a day.

I use a Timberline Professional Manual Sharpener. Works well.

There are times when I can cut for a couple of hours without sharpening, and other times I need to sharpen more often than I need to add gas. In some cases it is easy to tell what dulled the chain (dirty wood, I hit a rock, etc.) but other times I can't figure out why the chain is going dull quickly.

at the beginning of the day and every time I hit a rock there after.

I'm willing to bet your Husky came with a homeowner chain (low kick-back) like my 455 Rancher did. That chain will never cut nearly as fast as an aggressive chain can, nor it is sharpening friendly as the size of the rakers are obnoxious. Once you replace it with a real chain you'll be amazed at the difference. I've sharpened my chain maybe 20-30 times and am still trying to perfect it. As someone else mentioned, my chain is sharper after I'm done using the file on it than it was brand new. It takes practice, and patience.

I run yellow chains on my Stihl MS 390- 16 inch bar. I cut about 99% oak of various kinds and an occasional pignut hickory. I hand sharpen with every other gas fill. I need a break by then and chain is probably throwing some dust by that time. I also TRY to sharpen before I put the saw away for the day but don't always do that because sometimes I'm so beat it's all I can do to drag myself back to the house. In which case, I'll sharpen it first thing before I head back to the woods. And I definitely end the season by given the saw a thorough cleaning and sharpening.

I sharpen after every two tanks of gas. Even if it only needs a touch-up. Rakers get filed probably every third or fourth sharpening.

Depends on what is being cut. Generally, every couple tanks is good - even if it isn't "dull" yet, it benefits from a touch-up by that point.

I have a Northern Tool bench sharpener - clone to an Oregon one. http://www.oregonproducts.com/pro/products/accessories/510A-BenchChainGrinder.htm. I use hand files most of the time and use the bench grinder to align better or if I hit metal and need to take a lot off.

I usually run the file on the chain after every tank or two depending on how it cuts. I use full round chisel chains which get dull faster, especially if I am in dirty wood.

It is an art to sharpening, but once you learn the technique, and raker depths, it makes cutting much more enjoyable. Look on youtube for videos on sharpening and hopefully you learn faster than I did when starting. If you don't do much cutting you could get a few chains and take them in to your shop for sharpening.

I normally sharpen or swap chains when the chips being thrown get small. You can feel it. When the saw doesn't self feed as it should. No reason to have to really lean on my saws too hard under most circumstances.

My sharpening method of choice is a Granberg. I used to grind, but my chains last 3 times as long and get sharper with the Granberg. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but anything worth doing... as they say.

Cheers

Hey guys, I am looking for advice on the quickest, easiest, but most effective way to sharpen my own saw.

I purchased a home with a stove a year ago, and have only done a little bit of cutting, but plan to get into it a lot more this fall. So far I've been taking it to a local small engine repair guy who has been sharpening it for me, but I figure since I'm going to be doing a lot of sawing over the next few years I should really learn how to do it myself. What kind of tool do you use and what's the best place to get it?

Please keep in mind that I am only 1 year into my wood harvesting career, so I'm relatively new to all of this.

Thanks for any advice!

First of all, get a spare chain. Buy a sharpening tool and some round files. Be sure to get the exact files that fit your chain.
The tool has a handle and flat guide that allows you to hold the file level. The guide will have the correct angle with which you will lightly push the file across the chain. Just push. Don't push and pull back and forth. Usually three or four strokes per link is all you need for a touch up. All my wood is good, clean oak. I usually sharpen the chain at every other gas fill up. It forces me to take a little break.
Lots of videos on You tube. I hope you didn't wait til this fall to cut for this winter's burn. Most wood needs at least a full year of seasoning before it's fit to burn.

teekal said:

Hey guys, I am looking for advice on the quickest, easiest, but most effective way to sharpen my own saw....

Click to expand...

Basic option is a round file & guide appropriate for the chain pitch. Flat/bastard file is basic for dressing the rakers. Clamp bar (w/powerhead attached) in bench vise and have at it! Note that most file guides are compatible with multiple chain brands, but there are exceptions, so it's best to use a Stihl file guide on Stihl chain, Oregon/Husqvarna on Oregon/Husqvarna chain, etc.

Me? I file by hand in the aforementioned manner. I take multiple chains into the field with me and swap in the sharp one when needed. I do carry a stump vise in my field bag, but I prefer sharpening at home on my workbench.

Kenster said:

I hope you didn't wait til this fall to cut for this winter's burn. Most wood needs at least a full year of seasoning before it's fit to burn.

Click to expand...

Nope, I harvested a lot last winter which I'll be burning this fall/winter. And throughout the summer I've been finding a lot of already fallen/dead ash near the river that I've been drying and is all below 20% already. Right now I'm trying to get ahead for the next year or two.

Thanks for the advice, guys!