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Does anyone use the HF chain saw sharpner?

...wear a face shield

A friend of mine has one and he was trying to get it to work and bang there went the blade in 3 pieces... moving pretty fast too.😱


So I would recommend using a face shield or paying the 3 to 5 dollars for someone local to sharpen your blade. I have two chains so I can rotate out if the other is in the shop.😎
 
I have it and do use it, it's cheap and worth it only if you are only doing a few chains a year. If you are thinking of chains a month, or week, or.... look up market

TTFN
Ralph
 
[FONT=&quot]I cannot speak for the HF chainsaw sharpening tool.
I have been using the Dremel cylindrical chainsaw sharpening stones for several years. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and do a good job (as long as you properly control them). The only negative for the Dremel stones is friction induced heat. If you use too much pressure, you can overheat the saw cutters, and de-temper them. Still, I like the way they work, and their cost.
Gil[/FONT]
 
I have one. It is better than a file. It's pluses are that it is inexpensive and nearly preset. It's minuses are that it is made of plastic and you have to mind how consistent you are when using it. The plastic can be easily pushed askew, if you are not careful. Also, you cannot sharpen ripping chains with it. But for fifty bucks it works well. To get a sharpener made from metal will set you back one hunderd to nearly four hundred. At Bailey's they are located under "grinders"

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=ORF+511AX&catID=


Like many things, What are you willing to deal with and how deep are your pockets?

Aaron
 
I have one. I paid $19.95 (it was on sale for $29.95 and I had a $10 coupon from their advertising flyer). It's worth $19.95 to me.

As others have noted, it's cheaply made and requires a fair degree of care in using. But it works. I find it easier to use than hand filing or using a dremel.

Ed
 
I've got one and it's been fine so far. I'm close to replacing the cutting wheel after about three years of use. I have to agree with what the other satisfied owners have a said. It's surely not the best but it does work.
 
I have one and agree with all the posts above. It gets used 3 or 4 times a year to sharpen the 4 blades I have, doing them in batches makes it easy to stay focused on what I am doing and gets the job done fast.

IAN
 
I use an Oregon we got from Baileys, also the Dremel stones and guide for field use. It has been awhile, but carrying a bunch of chains into the field and the Dremel works ok. Use the chains up until dull, change out and then the Dremel option in the filed if needed. the cost of going out to gather wood, a good Stihl saw, a bunch of chains and bars.... a good sharpener is just another check off item, but a luxury if you don't mind using a jig and a file setup.
 
I've looked at the HF sharpener but not jumped on it yet. I've been using the Husqavarna file guide and doing my chains by hand. A lot of my chainsaw work is done in the field and I can sharp the chain faster than I can change to a new one so that's how I learned.
I've looked at the Dremel sharpener. I have 3 dremels but not a battery operated on. Since I most often need to sharpen when I'm out in the woods I haven't tried the dremel.
 
I have used the dremel tool with the stones for many years. The stones work if the chain is not too dull.
I used my saw to cut a lot of old lumber that had dirt and sand it it. It dulled the chain to where I would have used a lot of dremel stones to sharpen it. I know I should not have let it get that dull, but I did.
The sharpening place here in town charges $8.50 to sharpen a chain.
That's why I was curious about the HF sharpener.
Thanks to all who responded.
 
Had One. Not Again

Tom,

I used an HF $24 special for about 6 months. I had to do some modification to the pitch-lock to get it to some semblance of consistency (evenly cut and balanced teeth being critical). Then the switch went bad. Simple micro switch I thought until I found out the switch is integral to a circuit board and to fix this $24 ($19 and $39 in same catalog) tool I had to spend $18 plus $7.95 shipping and wait 2 months for the part. Since giving a saw chain to a lawnmower shop is about guaranteed to ruin that chain, I bought a Tecomec grinder from Madsens for $230. The difference was amazing. I now get 15-18 precise sharpenings out of a chain, the chains are balanced to a 1000th and to cut deadnuts straight, and I can use custom grinds that feed better and last longer. I use 6-7 chains for each of my saws, and don't hesitate to simply switch out a dulled chain in the field.

I belong to a group of 7 guys who work on home projects together, including cutting and splitting each winter's firewood. I sharpen everyone's chains now because of the difference it makes from either filing or dealer grindings.
 
john lucas said:
I just got a Garret Wade catalog and they have a new chain saw sharpener for $65 and a quick feed version for $90. Anyone have this and can comment on it's quality vs the HF. I've always been very happy with anything I bought from Garret Wade
Click to expand...

John,

From the picture it appears that the grinding disk rotates into the chain. That circular motion will produce a slight 2-axis hollow grind on the chain's teeth. Interesting idea. My impression is that it will do a credible job of getting the cutters sharp, but that hollow grind will mean a more fragile edge because there is less metal behind the beak and the top plate's edge.

Can't tell from a photo whether the stop is worthwhile, but it appears from the pic that there is no clamp to precisely lock the cutter in place before and during the grind. In my view this may be a critical deficiency because, unless each cutter is held in precisely the same position relative to the grind wheel, you're likely to get somewhat different angles on the cutters and the chain will wobble, be hard to control, and will increase wear on the bar's rails and channel.

mm
 
I have to admit - I do not have one. I just use a file to sharpen my chains. I can do a 20" chain in about 10 min or so. Know me it would take me that long to set up a sharpener.

I just received a catalog from Harbor Freight - and they had the sharpener on sale for $30. Thought some of you might like to know.
Hugh
 
Tom Lewis said:
I have used the dremel tool with the stones for many years. The stones work if the chain is not too dull.
I used my saw to cut a lot of old lumber that had dirt and sand it it. It dulled the chain to where I would have used a lot of dremel stones to sharpen it. I know I should not have let it get that dull, but I did.
The sharpening place here in town charges $8.50 to sharpen a chain.
That's why I was curious about the HF sharpener.
Thanks to all who responded.
Click to expand...

Tom,
I do not know how long your chains are - but to purchase a new one from Bailey's is about $14 for a 20" loop. I still use a file to sharpen my chains. When the teeth get too small - I toss it. Always have a bunch of sharpened chains around when cutting and change them out on a regular basis. Safer.
Hugh
 
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