Chainsaw Sharpening System Options
The ultimate? A self sharpening chainsaw
Some chainsaws such as the OREGON CS1500 Self-Sharpening Electric Chainsaw, have in-built automatic chain sharpening systems.
However, the vast majority of chainsaw owners will not own such a chainsaw.
So the question of how to keep the chainsaw chain sharp becomes an important one.
One can obviously take into your local dealer. However that is probably not ideal for many from a time and cost perspective.
Having said that, if you have 10 thumbs and are hopeless at DIY or have zero interest in the slightly technical aspects of owning a chainsaw then perhaps that is the best option 🙂
For the DIY buffs, there are a range of chainsaw chain sharpening options ranging from purpose built machines to old fashioned files.
The prices range from under $20 for an 8 piece chainsaw sharpener file kit to several hundred dollars for a bench or wall mounted chainsaw chain grinder.
The most popular machines will sharpen a range of chains from various sizes and makes of chainsaw. The more mundane hand sharpeners on the other hand can be used on other tools that need sharpening. They might therefore be seen to be more versatile.
It also depends on where and how often you need to sharpen the chain. If you need to do the job out in the field then a bench mounted machine may be too much hassle. A small battery operated sharpener may then be a better option for you.
Lets take a brief look at some of the more popular options available on Amazon as an indicator of what many people are buying.
Buffalo Tools ECSS Electric Chainsaw Sharpener
This 120v powered sharpener plugs into any wall socket and can be mounted on the wall or a bench
or even secured in a vice. It only weighs 4.1 lbs and is pretty compact at 13.5 x 9.5 x 6.2 inches. It is thus fairly portable provided you can plug it into a power source.
This sharpener is designed to sharpen chains up to a 3/8th inch pitch and has 2 different size grinding wheels.
Opinion on it’s performance are divided. It probably has a lot to do with the skill, knowledge and experience with other methods of sharpening a chainsaw chain.
NB You do have to remove the chain from the chainsaw before you sharpen it!
8 Piece Chainsaw Sharpener File Kit By Katzco
So this is the most basic manual option. However there is a lot to be said for that if you are a roll your sleeves up, practical kind of person 🙂
The “8 piece” is slightly misleading in that there are only 3 actual files. These are a 5/32, 3/16, & 7/32 inch file.
The rest of the package is made up of Wood Handle, Depth Gauge, Filing Guide, & Tool Pouch.
Not everyone was thrilled with the quality of the instructions that come with the kit. So a bit of basic knowledge about how to manually sharpen a saw chain would be helpful.
It’s about the cheapest option out there and is well worth a look if you are not set on a more automated type of solution.
Oregon 410-120 Saw Chain Grinder
This more upmarket chain sharpener is also powered by 120v electricity from a normal power point. It is designed to Sharpen 1/4″, 3/8″ low profile, and 0.325″, full profile 3/8″, and .404″ pitch chains.
It has a few nice to haves like a built in light, wheel wear indicator etc.
The major drawback amazingly seems to be the set up instructions which leave a lot to be desired. For example they apparently fail to tell you that you must loosen the vice and re-mount it 90 degrees from the shipping position.
That is an unfortunate and unnecessary oversight by Oregon. One hopes that they get the message and rectify it.
In Summary
There are obviously a whole lot more options out there. However, these chainsaw chain sharpening options should give you a good idea of which type of chainsaw chain sharpener will best suit your needs and capabilities! 🙂
See more chainsaw information here