Oregon Vanguard chain sharpening

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

My saw came with an Oregon Vanguard chain with the bent-over rakers. Don't love it. I received another identical chain from a well meaning friend, now I have two, so I need to figure out how to file the rakers. They have a witness mark on them, but I don't understand how it relates to how it is supposed to be filed. Any experience with this?

 

[jetsam]

My saw came with an Oregon Vanguard chain with the bent-over rakers. Don't love it. I received another identical chain from a well meaning friend, now I have two, so I need to figure out how to file the rakers. They have a witness mark on them, but I don't understand how it relates to how it is supposed to be filed. Any experience with this?

File it flat 0.025" below the new top of the cutter. If you lower it to the recommended 0.025" it will be a little more aggressive than it was new.

 

[three feathers]

I just put the Vanguards in file 13 or use them for a stumping chain.

 

[TreePointer]

I just put the Vanguards in file 13 or use them for a stumping chain.

Same here. Stump/root chain.

 

[Mike M.]

I use a regular bench grinder to take down the bent over rake guides. Not a huge fan of these chains either.

 

[Fishnuts2]

They can cut well, it's just that you have to have a grinder to get the rakers down to a decent height. I just kept grinding until I got chips instead of dust. The "witness marks" were ground away a long time ago.

Just got a saw on trade with a new Vanguard on it so I'm going to give this one the treatment too rather than throw it out.
I'd never buy one intentionally though.

 

[Jon1270]

If you have a grinder to take down the rakers, they can cut quite nicely. When I only had files to work with, the Vanguard chains just hung idly on the wall.

 

[jetsam]

Those chains have sharpening instructions that call for a 0.025" bite, but they come from the factory with the rakers much higher than that.