Hit a nail or something with new chain

[wahoowad]

I hit a nail or something while bucking a log through a knot. I guess the knot developed due to a nail or wire in the tree. My chain didn't look damaged to the eye but it clearly felt about 50% less productive as I finished up bucking other logs.

Tonight I borrowed the ol' lady's reading glasses (probably get my own pair tomorrow ) and I can see a slight imperfection on some (not all) of the cutting corners. I am marginally proficient enough to hand sharpen my own chains but do not know if a hand sharpening is sufficient to correct the damage of hitting the nail. Hitting it with my usual 3 to 4 touch-up strokes won't cut it (I think???).

Should I just take it in for a real sharpening or hit it with the hand file repeatedly until the imperfection is no longer seen on the cutting corner? It is a Stihl 26 RM3 68 (green/safety) chain if that matters.

 

[BrotherBart]

The one time that happened to me I hand filed it out. I had owned that new chain exactly one hour.

Probably best to get it ground at a shop but I wouldn't until I tried and failed with hand filing.

 

[Fifelaker]

File it out. I file new chains before I use them the first time, because you can get them sharper with a file than you can with a grinder. It may take longer but it can be done.

 

[blades]

Try your hand sharpening first, if unsatisfied then maybe a shop grinder, But only if you know the shop does good work. Seen some pretty awful grinder work over the years. Or maybe get your own just for these situations

 

[lindnova]

I would recommend getting it ground. I have done that 2 times in the last year with a new chain. Stinkin nails and barbed wire can take halve the life out of a chain in a second. I use my bench grinder on them. You would have to file all the cutters to the same depth even if they weren't damaged. When the cutters get to different depths weird things happen. I file for the most part, but for damage or to realign after a few filings, my bench grinder is used.

 

[smokedragon]

I agree with brother bart, I would try by hand first. Either way, you want all the ugly off those teeth to get that chain back to max performance.

 

[smokinj]

Hard to tell without a picture up close. Price of files vs having it ground. Unless you really know what's up filing its a no-brainer have it ground.