USA Saw Chain Beat Italian Grinder

[Mal Paso]

I am finally getting to processing the piles of trees killed by the fire almost 2 years ago. The wood is dirty and I'm down to my last new semi chisel 24" chain. I'd have to take 1/16" off each cutter to clean them up and that won't happen with a file. I used to have an Oregon (Italian) Chain Grinder but they are $400-$500 now.

Bailey's has a 10 loop special on USA made Woodland Pro Saw Chain going now and 3/8x84 links was $160 for 10. 20 inch and under are all 10 for $100. For Very Good Chain!

It goes entirely against the grain but I'm not going to be sharpening saw chain again. In a few minutes I'm going to try to throw a chain I used for only 2 days In The Trash. We'll see how that goes.

[jonp]

A couple of minutes with a Dremel Chainsaw Sharpening adapter will work wonders on a chainsaw. I highly recommend one.

[Mal Paso]

A couple of minutes with a Dremel Chainsaw Sharpening adapter will work wonders on a chainsaw. I highly recommend one.

42 cutters? That took a lot of time on a real grinder, can't imagine on something smaller. And you won't find anyone to grind it for $16. Besides I could be casting or shooting.

I had the reversible motor grinder that put out a wicked sharp edge but you can't go fast. If you "blue" the cutter you've taken the temper out and the edge won't last. The wood I was cutting had granite dust and 2 days of cutting is really good. We have awesome steel now compared to when I was a kid. But 1/16" on 42 cutters plus the rakers? I'm going to buy Really Good Chain On Sale and forget the sharpening hardware.

[john.k]

I ve bought a couple of chainsaw sharpeners for around $30-$40......made in China ,of course,but although they aint no precision machine,they work well........maybe you have carbide tipped chain?

[Mal Paso]

I ve bought a couple of chainsaw sharpeners for around $30-$40......made in China ,of course,but although they aint no precision machine,they work well........maybe you have carbide tipped chain?

No carbide chain, just good steel. Grinders are the way to go with modern steel but you need to be able to leave the burr on the outside of both left and right cutters whatever level of grinder you get. Both sides have to be even for long cuts.

I'm 66 years old and 10 SCs may be a lifetime supply in addition to the RCs I have for the Stihl 44. Depends how much big wood falls into my life.

Semi Chisel and Round file Chisel (faster in clean wood)

Anyway Baileysonline has a good deal on chain. No connection, I've just been a customer for years.

[rancher1913]

can't find if they fit a sthil, guess I will have to check the chain boxs I got and see if I can cross match. I know husky and sthil have different sprockets. tried a husky once and spent more on repairs than the saw was worth, currently have a fleet of sthils so cheep chain if it fits would be good.

[HangFireW8]

Do what you want, but I'd suggest saving the dull chains as trading fodder, somebody will want them. Maybe you can give 3 and get one back sharpened, if you find the right guy.

[Bazoo]

Are you saying, it costs over 16.00 to have a chain sharpened where you live?

Round these parts... It cost 5 dollars to have a chain sharpened. The local Ace does it, and several small engine repair places do it, all the same cost for 24" chain.

I run a husky 371xp with a 24" bar 375 pitch, .050 gauge round chisel chain. I would like to get some semi chisel chains for dirty work, but aint got any yet.

I touch my chain up with a file between sharpenings with a file. I bought a granburg chain grinder for cheap at a thrift store. It doest have a guide system, and wouldnt do to grind down the depth gauges. I havent used it.

I'd like to have a sharpening system that would give me professional results, but I really aint sure whats out there. I have a baileys catalog, but aint looked through it in a while.

Id be glad to pay shipping for a few of your dull chains if you're going to throw them away to up my stock... I only have 2 chains at present, and its a pain sometimes.

[Boolit_Head]

I was clearing some land for 2 homesites for quite a while on the weekends. One of the driveways to a site was a mile long. I was cutting a lot of oak and cedar. I had a 16 inch saw and would go through at least 4 sharp chains every weekend. I'd drop them off at the local hardware store to be sharpened and pick up the 4 or so I used the weekend before. Once or twice a month I'd get a new bar and a fresh chain to throw in the rotation. I had a crew of 4 stacking as I cut so that poor little saw didn't shut down much. I'd walk up to a 150 foot oak and about 15 or 20 minutes later it would be sitting in a pile. Some of the logs required cutting in from both sides because they were wider than the 16 inch bar. Whan a chain started getting dull it got swapped out, didn't have time to mess with a slow cutting chain.

[JimB..]

The first couple sharpenings are quick and easy with a file, I’d do those touch ups right on the saw.

Never have gotten two days from a chain.

[Omega]

I have three or four different ways to sharpen a chain, but the fastest is the harbor freight one, and rather cheap at $30, less with the 20% off coupon. I thought the one from Granberg was faster, only because you don't have to take the chain off, and it runs on 12v DC instead of 120v AC, but I needed to sharpen a chain once and harbor freight was closer than my house so decided to get one from HF. I tested it and it ran from the AC converter plug in my truck, and it was much faster (and cheaper), even though I had to take the chain off.

HF Chainsaw Chain Sharpener
221941

Granberg Chainsaw Chain Sharpener
221942

At $5~$10 a chain to sharpen one, these things pay for themselves pretty fast.

[akajun]

the HF saw sharpener actually works really well.
BTW a friend of mine is a tree cutter, Before every day and with every tank of gas her uses a hand file on his chains to touch them up, and he says when they start cutting slow due to wear he has them professionally re ground.
his statement is 5-10 mins with a file saves you more than that of cut time. BTW his sawdust is actually little ribbons, which he says is a sign of sharp chain.

[jonp]

No carbide chain, just good steel. Grinders are the way to go with modern steel but you need to be able to leave the burr on the outside of both left and right cutters whatever level of grinder you get. Both sides have to be even for long cuts.

I'm 66 years old and 10 SCs may be a lifetime supply in addition to the RCs I have for the Stihl 44. Depends how much big wood falls into my life.

Semi Chisel and Round file Chisel (faster in clean wood)

Anyway Baileysonline has a good deal on chain. No connection, I've just been a customer for years.

I've been a Bailey's customer for years, too. A round file and a chain guide like the Oregon https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/File-Guide-with-File%2C-5-32%22/p/37534 have always worked well for me. I bought the Dremel attachment to sharpen chainsaws because I have a Dremel and couldn't resist all of the nifty gadgets and it doe's work great but the guide for it is 30 Degrees only.

[Mal Paso]

can't find if they fit a sthil, guess I will have to check the chain boxs I got and see if I can cross match. I know husky and sthil have different sprockets. tried a husky once and spent more on repairs than the saw was worth, currently have a fleet of sthils so cheep chain if it fits would be good.

They just added a chain finder at Baileys, top of the page, main window, there are tabs under the window if it doesn't cycle.

So I got a message from UPS, the chain is arriving tomorrow. And the UPS was under $10.

The nice thing about having a grinder is you can set the rakers and cover your boots with big fat chips. I'll have a look at that HF grinder next time I'm there. I really spent the money on a Pro Melt and Star Sizer and I can live with that. LOL

[Mal Paso]

Bailey's Shipping is so fast they don't have a name for it. Chains are here!

No More Reversing Chain Grinders! OSHA Doesn't Like Them!

OSHA found out most paper cuts come from the edges of paper so now all the edges Must Be Trimmed Off.

[HangFireW8]

I set my rakers with a hand file. It's not hard.

I won't brag on my hand file sharpening skills, as there are many that can do better. It's not hard to beat the factory sharpening, though.

Chain comes into its own after a couple of sharpenings and it is broken in and finished the initial stretch.

[jonp]

I've got a small rake file guide. Works great.

[KCSO]

You may need a carbide chain, spendy but sometimes the only answer.

[Mal Paso]

I just looked as things change but carbide chain is chips of carbide brazed to a standard chain and ground to shape. The cutting edge is about 75 degrees so cutting is very slow. One loop for my saw is $165. vs $16 for standard chain. Diamond is the only thing that will sharpen carbide but most diamond wheels available are for standard chain. I'm sure something world work but you would have to pioneer your own trail.

I spent $32 on Semi Chisel chain to buck a pile of wood that was sitting next to the road for a year. I flipped the logs first to get rid of most of the dirt and kept up a decent cutting speed. I need stretch the money as far as it will go. This is just cleanup, I switched to propane in the new house. With all the insulation and double pane windows I couldn't justify the space for a wood stove. I'm just trying to make the wood attractive enough that the neighbors will haul it off. Fire got the logsplitter too or I'd sell it. LOL

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

Bailey's has a 10 loop special on USA made Woodland Pro Saw Chain going now and 3/8x84 links was $160 for 10. 20 inch and under are all 10 for $100. For Very Good Chain!
When Stihl brand chains got expensive about 10 years ago, I found Baileys.
My close friend and I have a matching set of Stihl saws...one each of 16" and 20".

After I bought a couple woodland chains to tryout, I started ordering them by the 10 pak when on sale, I bet I've ordered 60 chains from them over the years for my friend and myself. Woodland chains cut and hold an edge every bit as good as Stihl chains, IMHO. But I should mention...not that it matters, but all my Woodland chains came in boxes that say Made in Canada.

[Grmps]

I used to have a fancy Dremel type chain sharpener that clipped onto your truck 12v battery. It worked surprisingly well for what it was and was borrowed often until it didn't come back.

What little I do with a chainsaw now the HF sharpener suffices.

[Mal Paso]

When Stihl brand chains got expensive about 10 years ago, I found Baileys.
My close friend and I have a matching set of Stihl saws...one each of 16" and 20".

After I bought a couple woodland chains to tryout, I started ordering them by the 10 pak when on sale, I bet I've ordered 60 chains from them over the years for my friend and myself. Woodland chains cut and hold an edge every bit as good as Stihl chains, IMHO. But I should mention...not that it matters, but all my Woodland chains came in boxes that say Made in Canada.

I bought a Stihl 038 Magnum. 4.4 cu in assembled in Brazil from German parts 22 years ago and it's been a great saw. Bigger fuel/oil tanks than the 044, 2mm bigger piston. It came with a rim drive, and is a 12,000 rpm saw. So how come Stihls are named in cubic inches?

Canada huh? I just checked and Woodland Int. is on all the boxes, it just gives Woodland Ca as an address. Their website looks a lot like Baileys except you need to log in as a dealer. Each sealed bag of chain I have says Portland Oregon, same on 4 different lots. Bailey's is likely having the chain made to order and may have more than one supplier or branches. They do a good job.

[Lloyd Smale]

im kind of lucky. My next door neighbor has a set up to sharpen chains for the loggers on there saws and processors and does it kind of as a side job. All I have to do is drop them off and walk across the road and pick them up when there done.

[Clark]

It goes entirely against the grain but I'm not going to be sharpening saw chain again. .
As the result of buying a 20 Volt battery powered chain saw in 2018 and cutting roots of trees, I now have a cardboard box full of dull chains.
I should throw them out, but I am hoping to give them to someone who still sharpens chainsaw chains.

Back in the 1960s we all sharpened our saws.

[Mal Paso]

As the result of buying a 20 Volt battery powered chain saw in 2018 and cutting roots of trees, I now have a cardboard box full of dull chains.
I should throw them out, but I am hoping to give them to someone who still sharpens chainsaw chains.

Back in the 1960s we all sharpened our saws.

Post in Helping Hands or elsewhere. As a result of Posts and PMs I am saving the chain and will give it away when there is enough to justify postage.