Note that the depth of cut is a very precise measurement and check your specific chain’s specification. Use a straight edge between two cutting points and a feeler gauge to measure the clearance to the depth gauge. Generally .025” is a rule of thumb. Most of the time unless the chain is very worn you do not need to adjust depth of cut until after several sharpenings and you should remove very little material. Excessive cut depth can cause a dangerous condition.

I’ve watched several videos on the harbor freight sharpener yours is probably the best it’s not too long but it’s extremely accurate and you get up close excellent video

I just ordered the harbor freight one my buddy had one I tryd it loved it lol

Good afternoon Adam, you did a good video with your method that you like. I am glad it works for you. Thanks for sharing with us. Fred.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Fred. Hope you are doing well!

Nicely done!

Good video Adam. 👍

A hand filed saw will last longer. I sell wood and i was using a grinder but the chain after 3 grindings was junk. by hand filing ,my chains lasts much longer and i can sharpen a chain very fast .after every 2nd tank i dress the chain off .I to thought it was hard but after you do it a bunch its second nature .It is a skill to be proud of.

I bought the Harbor Freight one a couple of months ago and got it for $24 using a 20% off coupon. Best $24 I've ever spent! Around here a shop charges about $15 to sharpen my 20" chain, and this sharpener paid for itself on day one when I sharpened my 3 chains. My neighbors used it too and they are going to buy their own from HF. It's a great tool and gets the chain wicked sharp!

Looks like a good tool.

I know what I'm asking for for my birthday... Thanks Adam

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

No problem. Glad you found it helpful

Awesome. I recently fired up a Grip-On sharpener. Can’t believe how easy it is !

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

How’s it work?

@coreyriley7160

4 жыл бұрын

Really good, actually. I was surprised. It’s from Sportsman’s Warehouse. Same price point

That’s a handy little machine. If I didn’t already have a Stihl 2 in 1 hand sharpener, I’d pick one of these up. I was spending a lot of money paying to have my chains sharpened until I saw someone doing a review of the Stihl sharpener. I bought one of those so now I never have to tolerate dull chains. Like you, I have 3 chains at all times so that I can switch while I’m out working.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

How do you like the Stihl 2 in 1. I’ve seen it but just kinda brushed it off as a gimmicky product that would still be annoying to use since you are still manually pushing the file through

@JeremyTVOK

4 жыл бұрын

Hometown Acres I really like it. The way it’s designed, it forces you to sharpen at the proper angle for your specific chain. It also hits the raker teeth at the same time, so it keeps you from hitting it too deep as well. Three or four good licks per tooth and you’re good to go. I can sharpen a chain in about 5 minutes or so. I’ve been very happy with it so far.

I own one from Harbor Freight and it's great!

awesome to the point i like it

Many thanks and very informative

Mine works great, great videos

Adam good job explaining and demonstrating how the sharpener works. I really messed up a chain recently guessing a nail so I took it to a local shop to be ground. This guy needs to watch this video as the chain came back sharp but NO rakers left. I’ll stick with the file for now but something to consider. Take care brother.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

He just took off your rakers all together? That doesn’t make any sense

@OurGreeneAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Hometown Acres I agree let’s just say my saw is a little aggressive lol

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Our Greene Acres yeah. I’m sure you don’t have to apply any extra pressure to the saw. Probably rips right through on its own weight

Good demo. I've had a similar machine for years. I use it to fix up chains that hit rocks because its quicker than filing. I normally I file by hand, after 40+ years of doing it, I can sharpen a chain pretty quick.

@roninomari5741

2 жыл бұрын

I realize Im kind of off topic but do anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online ?

@zyairelian8560

2 жыл бұрын

@Ronin Omari Ehh lately I've been using flixportal. You can find it on google =) -zyaire

@roninomari5741

2 жыл бұрын

@Zyaire Lian Thank you, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) Appreciate it!!

@zyairelian8560

2 жыл бұрын

@Ronin Omari glad I could help xD

Thats a nice set up you have. For 40 years I have always sharpened with a file. And yes, sometimes I get it just right and other times it just don't cut as good. With your method, you'd get it exactly the same every time. If your entering the 2020 Splitter Contest I wish you the best of luck. After seeing your machine in action I'd say you could walk away the winner. Take care buddy and be safe.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Yep. I’ll be there. Video going up Saturday morning. I did mine with the 6 way wedge but I think I’m gonna make a 2nd entry with the box wedge. The 6 way wedge took longer than I originally thought it would. Care to venture a guess at how long it took me to split 1/3rd of a cord with the 6 way wedge?

@deanbarr5740

4 жыл бұрын

Good. I'm guessing it took you less than an hour.

Great video, excellent explanation of chains! Only complaint I've seen on these type of sharpeners is they take off more material than hand files do. I'm looking to buy one for my common chain sharpening, but I will still hand file those "hard to find" chains to prolong life. Great video man stay safe!

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah you won’t be able to sharpen a chain as many times with this as you would hand filing. Probably 10-15 sharpening a with this. Hand filing you can probably get triple that. But who wants to hand sharpen a chain 45 times? Lol not me

thanks good explanations

Awesome, I didn't know they were so cheap.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

There are more expensive models but these ones work just fine for me. I’m not sure what the more expensive ones have that these dont

@general5104

3 жыл бұрын

As little as a decade ago, they WERE $300.00 each! Harbor Freight put one out for $95.00, and the prices started to match it. They got to a regular price of $45.00 each and they had a sale, one day, for $29.95 each, and I bought one and 6 stones. That wasn't what I was in there for, but I figured, that cheap, I couldn't go wrong. So far, the quality of the sharpness doesn't hold a candle to what I can do with the proper sized file, my PPE, and a leather knuckle apron guard...

@ToreDL87

3 жыл бұрын

@@general5104 ....Did you try dressing the stones or at least adjust the pitch angle to where you get a good result?

@general5104

3 жыл бұрын

@@ToreDL87 Tye head doesnt have the option to go up into the gullets...just square down the face of the tooth.

Bought a old Mac saw 1-52 they guy I bought it from used a hand grinder on the teeth it’s a 3/8 chain getting one of these to try and save it still lots of life left in it 31 inch bar that’s dated 1958 hoping to save all of it

When you use any machine to sharpen a chain. You need to take a bar of soap and touch it to the grinder stone while it running about every third tooth and it will coat and lubricate the stone. This will not heat up the tooth which takes the temper out of it. 🤔

Adam, try to get a CBN grinding wheel for that grinder. They are a bit more expensive to buy but it will last you years and won't ned dressing for month on end. It also makes for a sharper grind and puts lees heat in the tooth and you don't have everything near the grinder covered in aluminum oxide. I use a cheap knock off of the Oregon grinder with a CBN disk and never looked back.

THANKS FOR POSTING !!! ❤ I have been eyeballing my rake teeth and using a 3/4" flat bastard file to cut them with. Your use of the "set angle to zero and the depth of the cut," makes the MOST since. I shall do my rakes like that, from now on! Thank you. Now, I have to figure out how to change the angle of the cutter, itself; so it will go into the bite of the cutter tooth. Mine is coming straight down the face of the tooth! Any ideas? Thanks again!

@ToreDL87

3 жыл бұрын

Adjust pitch angle of the chain fixture, if your grinder doesnt have that, make something that works! That way you can get the gullets in the teeth as well as good cutting surface ^^

@general5104

3 жыл бұрын

@@ToreDL87 My machine doesnt have the head angle adjustor on the back. It's a Harbor Freight el-cheap-o. I've sharpened by round file all my life and always wanted one of the electric shapreners, but couldn't justify $250.00 for one. I was cruising isles, grazing in Harbor Freight, and saw this one for $29.95 ! I figured, at that price, I couldn't go wrong. I found out that I could !

I was taught the hand file method at a young age.. one because you can do it in the field, two because once you use grinder...it's harden now and hand file is impossible.

An electric sharpener has its place when used alongside hand filing. A decent hand filer can sharpen a chain 10+ times before an electric sharpening is needed. It is also very quick in the field 3-5 minutes. Hand filing done correctly will give a sharper chain and your chain will last about three times as long. Both have their place.

Thanks for the video!

If you have a few chains to do at once these electric sharpeners are great. Have you tried the Pferd hand held sharpeners? They do the rakers and sharpen teeth at the same time. They are honestly amazing and i would be surprised if it's not faster to just use one of them to sharpen one chain at a time.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

I have not. I’ll have to check it out

@liftyzig

4 жыл бұрын

@@HometownAcres www.amazon.com/Pferd-17304Pferd-Chain-Sharp-Filing/dp/B0046VN5Z6 I can use one of there with my saw in a vise and get a laser sharp chain that cuts like crazy in no time at all. It's a little aggressive on the rakers in my opinion but it's really really good...

@FromSteelToWood

4 жыл бұрын

Right! I have a similar model, made by Stihl. Last fall, I had to remove a stump. We have a lot of rocks in our soil. I needed to use the saw for many cuts, so I took an old chain, willing to scrap it. Obviously, I got every tooth either dull or bent. I used this combined file and within 5-10 minutes, I had the chain tested through large maple logs, cutting good, straight kerf...

“so easy, a caveman could do it” (Geico Insurance commercial cir., 2010’s).? Great video, Thank you sir.

IMPORTANT !!! chain sharpening requires low rpm. if they are too high as in your case you will not sharpen the chain but you will burn it. Mr. Sthil

@ToreDL87

3 жыл бұрын

RPM has got absolutely nothing to do with it. Most cutter teeth are ground by maybe .03-.05 of an inch (1.2mm'ish) at a time, which is not enough burn it. A lot of people don't have mechanical sympathy or the patience for it, they're the ones burning chains. If you have to grind off more than usual, step the cutting depth back a notch, even if you're not catching the whole tooth, go all the way around, then increase depth, work your way in slowly. If you're still destroying the chain, use windshield washer fluid on a spray bottle to keep temps down, do SOMETHING to get temperatures down. A lot of people clean their chains BEFORE they grind them, which is kind of a no-no. What you're seeing when grinding chains coming right off the bar isnt burned cutter teeth, it's grinding dust contaminating the thin layer of chainsaw oil left on the teeth. The residue oil actually protects the chain. Hence: Cleaning the chain is something you do AFTER you've sharpened it, regardless if you're grinding or filing it. Because debris from the process will work its way into the chain drivers, rivets, tie straps & bar (and sprocket and clutch as well), prematurely wearing out the whole thing.

Do you like the bench grinder or the hand held Dremel for sharping chains

Hi. Quite used to gas / petrol saws. But recent bought electric one. Do you have to take the chain off to sharpen it? Or is there a quicker way, I am used to gas / pterol saw where you can move chain on bar and sharpen that way.

I’ve never run one like that ,How does it clamp the chain on each cut ? Maybe you could show people how to dress the stone ,Thanks For Your Videos !!!

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

The little hand brake on the handle clamps down on the chain when you squeeze it. Holds it nice and tight while sharpening

Great video. The only problem with this method, is that you have to take the chain of the bar. With a file you can leave it on the saw.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Very true. However I have a good number of chains and try to sharpen them all at once. I’d rather spend 1 day sharpening for an hour or 2 then sharpen for 20 minutes 4 or 5 different days

@Comiefornia

4 жыл бұрын

Hometown Acres great point. Definitely for around $30 it’s a great deal. Love the channel.

Good idea to use it on the rakers but you didn't explain how to set it up to take the right amount off

I like my Blue Max pretty good, but I find theres a lot of slop in the head. When you hold the handle and flex it, you can make it grind nothing or a lot. Also, my chains dont slide nearly as well through it as yours does

Where can I get just the grinding disk?

I have seen the Harbor Freight sharpener in action. It did a good job. However, I have also seen an electric sharpener overheat a chain. I just use a file. Good video.

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah you definitely don’t want to leave it in contact with the chain for too long

I hand file mine untill they start getting a little rounded on end then I put them on my electric sharpener

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

I used to take the hand file back in the woods with me to touch chains up out in the field but now I just always bring a spare fresh chain with me so if I get one in the dirt I just swap it out and then sharpen when I get back to the house with the electric sharpener

@gusm5128

3 жыл бұрын

That’s exactly what I do too mate

But I also carry the dummies proof hand filer in woods just in case

Big shout out to >> kzread.info YEAH!!

❤👍 Serbia

I have the harbor freight one. The only bad thing i see is the gullet goes bad after sharpening 2 times with the electric one. But it does save time for the first 2 sharpening. I did the raker filing like that but it’s to easy to take off to much metal and the chain bites hard. Just use and resharpen but skip rakers and it’s all better. Nothing like a fresh chain to start the day cutting!

@HometownAcres

4 жыл бұрын

I like takin the rakers down a good bit so the chain is hungry for wood. Then you don’t have to apply any pressure to the saw to get through logs. The weight of the saw is enough to chew down through. But I agree. You definitely don’t want to over do it on the rakers

Here in Newfoundland we have a LOT of rock...so easy to damage teeth. I bought a similar sharpener from Princess Auto but it isn't as good as yours. Mine has a bolt I need to turn to squeeze the chain where yours has a handle and cable. Also, where the hanging chain comes up and enters the horizontal groove, the plastic knob at the end of an adjustment bolt interferes with the chain...a constant frustration.

www.harborfreight.com

It seems to me it’ll take longer than with a hand file, since you have to remove the chain and then put it back on. With a file you keep the chain on the saw. Never took me more than 5 minutes.