so i have ZERO chain sharping stuff untill

so i am either going to buy the stuff from stihl or timberline


if i go to timberline all i also need to buy is a depth guage correct ??


Or buy a depth guide/ file and guide and what else ???

for the rakers, you need a raker file ( i.e. flat file, bastard file) and this

http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/accessories/filing-tools/depthgauge/

If the timberline is the nifty little sharpener with the hand crank, then I think that's all you need for sharpening.

so thats all i need is the timberline for the teeth and a flatfile/depth tool and im all set???

or get the stihl file kit and that will include everything i need also

yes

make sure you read up on and learn how to properly sharpen your chain. Lots of good tutorials to get you started over on youtube. Just be certain to NOT take too much off of your rakers, that can really make it both miserable and dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. Be safe, tell us how you make out on your first attempt...

good info on stihl and oregon websites

Even if you buy the Timberline, I'd pick up the Stihl file kit as you still need 2 outta the three items in it. (The depth gauge/raker tool and the flat file.)

Sharpening 101:

yup went throught he stihl site and i figure if i use there file with the guide and be gentle then i can get the hang if it HECK i have 4 chains laying around so i cant do to bad lol after i get the hang if it ill hint for a timberline for xmas or see if they have any type if sales coming up

I think that is the way to go. Around $20 and easy to use.

FYI, The depth gauge is not the way to go. Measure the angle from the top of the tooth to the top of the raker on a sharp chain that cuts quickly. Keep this angle for the life of the chain. The tooth porpoises through the wood and the angle is what makes it cut deeper or shallower. You will find that the chain will cut slower and slower as you sharpen it if you use the raker depth gauge. There is a load of info about this on Arborist site.

They offer a discount for Hearth.com members. Search: "Timberline Group Buy" here on Hearth.com

You're supposed to use the tool to set the height, then file the raker tooth to the proper shape. If you only file down the top of the raker, you're only gettin' it half-done.

The tooth gets further away from the raker as it is sharpened and therefore makes the angle shallower even if you file the raker down with the guide. It needs to be filed more than the gauge will allow as the chain gets filed back.

So long as the height difference between the top of the cutter and the top of the raker is to spec, the angle is irrelevant. .060" is .060 regardless of the angle the cutter sits at relative to the wood.

What I am trying to say is that the angle is what controls how much bite the tooth gets.
You can have a brand new chain with .06 depth and it will cut faster than a chain that has been sharpened to half the tooth length and set at .06 because the angle is steeper on the new chain. There was a lot of curiosity on this topic on another forum a few years back and they found it is the angle between the tooth and raker that controls depth.

I found some of the info. The angle should be somewhere around 6° from the tip of the tooth to the raker.