Harbor Freight Chain Sharpener

[Graybeard]

I've had an older model Harbor Freight chain saw sharpener for some time and it's been sort of hard to use. Recently a friend got one and the newer model is a big improvement IMO. The biggest plus is a brake that you squeeze when you sharpen the tooth. It holds the chain firmly in place and there isn't the lifting that I sometimes had with the older one. Seems I was always messing with the tension on it, first tightening it, then loosening it. With the new set up it holds it in place when sharpening and lets you move on to the next tooth smoothly when released.

I got the new one and gave the older one to a young guy that wanted it. Not as nice as an Oregon but for $30 it'll do just fine.

Graybeard

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the review David. I have an older Northern Tool grinder that is a POC. But I still like even though I rarely use it because it forced me to learn how to hand file at a time when I could not afford to spend $600 on a good grinder. I free-hand file now and have been for years. The trick is to not let your teeth get too dull before dressing or changing to a newly filed (or in your case newly ground) chain. I do use my grinder (not trying to nitpick but it is a grinder not a "sharpener" it is too coarse to be considered a filer or sharpener) to convert crosscut chain to milling chain but even then I dress them with a file if I have the time before using them.

You might be surprised how easy it is to learn how to "sharpen" them with hand files. That's not grinding, that is truly filing (sharpening) because the files can reallt take a bunch of alloy off without adding hardly any heat. The grinding wheel adds too much heat and is very "coarse" compared to a file. It's like 80 grit compared to 1000 grit.

When I really ding a chain in the field I use my dremel and a diamond sharpening stone. Some loggers use that every time but I find hand filing quite easy and efficient. Enjoy your grinder, but also explore the joy of hand filing. Your back will want to take you on a date after a day using hand-filed chains compared to ground chains. No BS. They cut that much better and last longer.

 

[JR Custom Calls]

I have one of the newer HF chain grinders. My biggest complaint is the play in the hinge, but for what I paid ($20 or so) it's not bad... I use it every so often to make sure my teeth are all even and on the right angle, as well as grinding down to my milling profile.

I hope to buy a better grinder in the future, but what little I use my saw, I can't justify it at the moment.

 

[woodtickgreg]

I too prefer a hand filed chain and will put my hand filed chain against a machine ground chain any day and out cut it! I use my oregon grinder like jonathan does, after 4 or 5 hand files to set all the angles the same and to knock down the rakers, and like Kevin said for custom angles on ripping chain. On my grinder I use good wheels and a light touch so as not to temper the cutter or god forbid turn it blue.

 

[Graybeard]

When you hand sharpen do you use a jig or just the file?
Graybeard

 

[woodtickgreg]

When you hand sharpen do you use a jig or just the file?
Graybeard

Just the file for me, some folks start out with a jig but it's really not that hard to learn. After you do it a few times it just becomes natural, like riding a bike.

 

[DavidDobbs]

I free hand file also. As kevin said just don't let them get dull.

 

[HomeBody]

I'm just learning hand filing and didn't do too good until I got the jig. Now I can keep my saw with the 18" bar pretty sharp. I still like taking the chains for my Stihl 660 to the shop because it's a 28" bar and it only costs $4 for a chain sharpening. Those thing take forever by hand. Gary

 

[Kevin]

When you hand sharpen do you use a jig or just the file?
Graybeard

I freehand. The jig just gets in the way and slows me down.

 

[justallan]

Before leaving the house I grind a few chains at a time with the dremmel and a diamond stone, then do touch- ups with a file when I need a smoke.
A lot of chains come with a little mark on top of each tooth near the back showing you the angle the chain was originally sold as. I use that mark and free-hand them with either the dremmel or by hand and hit the rakes about every other time. I find doing them either of these ways is at least twice as fast as using a jig.
I fully agree that keeping chains sharp is certainly better on us work wise and will guarantee it's better for the saws.

 

[Kevin]

I grind a few chains at a time with the dremmel and a diamond stone

I use a diamond stone in my dremel if I really mess up a chain too, but Allen please use a dust mask when grinding with the diamond stones because if you've ever used them in the right sunlight, you can see how many hundreds of thousands of extremely fine particles it throws up for every cutter you hit.Millions per chain. Imagine your lungs being coated with all those sharps.

I always try to be upwind but I still wear a mask when I use my dremel. I use Anytime Tools diamond coated bits what brand do you use? These last longer than any others I've tried. beats the H E Double Ell out of those cheap dremel stones don't they.

 

[justallan]

The pack I have right now are Granberg and are pretty darned durable. As for most all stones of any size for a dremmel, what you do is hold onto them and when someone starts eyeballing them and saying how much they like them, give 'em to them like you did something great. They won't be picking through your dremmel box no more.

 

[DKMD]

...Allen please use a dust mask when grinding with the diamond stones...

Maybe you missed this part:

....then do touch- ups with a file when I need a smoke....

He's breathing through a filter the entire time.

 

[justallan]

OH HECK NO! I roll em one handed in the rain at a dead run on a half broke menstruating bronc missing a shoe!
Okay, it's fair to say I smoke filters.

 

[sprucegum]

Couple years back I had a pile of dirty firewood logs given to me, the price was rite but they were hell on chains. I purchased a little battery operated grinder that uses a stone made to fit the chain. It is similar to using a dremel tool. It will not make them cut like a good file job but it is fast once you get the hang of it and because it runs off battery power from the tractor or pickup it made a good rig for the job. It does eat grinding stones pretty fast but they don't cost much. I still hand file most of the time but it is a handy tool to have in the tool kit for stone and iron strikes on the job.

 

[justallan]

I bought one of those a few years back, @sprucegum and they work good. My problem was the one I bought is about the size of a soda can and is just to awkward to hold.

 

[Mr. Peet]

Mr. David Graybeard,
If you are an occasional user of the chainsaw, your new sharpener may be the best method. Yes, a dust mask and eye & ear protection might also be a good idea. The most important thing with those grinders is, take a very little with each pass. Heavy passes can heat the chisel and ruin the temper. You might need to take circulate the chain 2 or 3 times to get to the level you want, depending how dull or damaged things are. Then you need to do the same on the other side, remembering to have the chisels the same length and mirrored cutting angles. Follow your owner's manual on when is best to cut/file the rakers.

If you intend to file by hand, Get a File Guide.

I use the sharpener to balance the chain 3-5 times in the chains life. I always make 2 passes with the file after the sharpener to eliminate burrs and smooth the edge. Might only get 10-15 cords per chain, but that's fine with me.

 

[Kevin]

Mr. David Graybeard,
If you are an occasional user of the chainsaw, your new sharpener may be the best method. Yes, a dust mask and eye & ear protection might also be a good idea. The most important thing with those grinders is, take a very little with each pass. Heavy passes can heat the chisel and ruin the temper. You might need to take circulate the chain 2 or 3 times to get to the level you want, depending how dull or damaged things are. Then you need to do the same on the other side, remembering to have the chisels the same length and mirrored cutting angles. Follow your owner's manual on when is best to cut/file the rakers.

If you intend to file by hand, Get a File Guide.

I use the sharpener to balance the chain 3-5 times in the chains life. I always make 2 passes with the file after the sharpener to eliminate burrs and smooth the edge. Might only get 10-15 cords per chain, but that's fine with me.

You obviously haven't read the thread.

 

[Mr. Peet]

What did I miss Kevin? I read 16 responses and replied to fill in the little pointers not mentioned. Since no specific model of sharpener was given, I could only merely agree in the use of the implement, and give a few pointers in conjunction with such..

 

[JR Custom Calls]

I just wanted to mention that I finally found a less expensive alternative to the oregon wheels that fit this grinder. The oregon wheels are about $20 or so, I stumbled on to these recently when making an order - http://www.baileysonline.com/Chains...meter/Molemab-Grinding-Wheel-4-1-8-x-3-16.axd

My biggest complaint about harbor freight (concerning this particular tool) is that they don't offer a grinding wheel for 3/8 and .404 chain… and I'd guess that the majority of saws are running 3/8 chain. The wheel that comes with it works fine for .325 and 3/8 low pro though.

I'm still trying to find a way to keep the pivot point from wobbling. Perhaps wobble isn't the right word, but i'd like to tighten it up to keep it a little tighter. Since I only use mine to make sure I'm at the same length on all my cutters, I just hold pressure on it the same way for each tooth (like you would a sled on a TS with a little play in it).