In field chain sharpening question

While cutting today I ran into a couple situations where there was a lot of stuck on dirt near the base of some trees, I ran the saw through it. After a bit of that the chain needed some attention. I brought along my battery powered dremel tool and did some quick grinding. Is the file better?

 

If you don't overheat the cutters with it and get a sharp edge it's fine.

 

That's what the battery powered dremel sharpener is for.
Portability.

Good to touch up when needed, easier on the saw & ends up being faster in the long run.

 

I would just use a file with my Oregon guide but I usually have an extra chain sharp and ready to go.

 

I take extra saws & several chains with me. I will normally grab another saw until lunch or break time then do chain swaps/sharpening while I am resting. If real bad the chain will wait until I get home to grind on it.

As I get older, I have to keep going or it is hard to get started back up. (Me, not the saws)

 

I guess I'll stick with it. It only takes a few minutes

 

I'm a file guy. With a file, I can do anything from a touch-up to rock damage. Just how I was raised.....
But, for honing I bet the dremel works great.

 

The dremel does work good, IMO. However, sometimes stone damage would probably be better with a file because the dremel sharpening stone wears down easily if I put extra work into individual cutters.

 

I usually hand file. 2-3 firm strokes per cutter and its back off to the races. After 2-3 hand filings I'll hit it with the grinder to get everything true'd up.

 

I have always used a file for touch ups between tanks or every other. 2-4 strokes per tooth. It doesn't take very long and keeps the chain sharp.

 

I brought one extra chain with me on this trip, the swap out was easy and convenient compared to a resharpening. But a lot of the logs had been drug through the earth and it took a toll on both chains. I ended up taking the dremel tool to each of them 2x during the day.
I'm halfway through my project but now that we had 24" of snow last night I'm not sure when I'll get back in there.

 

Hand file as well, 3-4 strokes... Trouble with the dremel in my eyes,,,, how much did you just take off if free handing it? With a file you count the strokes , that to me keeps your cutter lengths a lot more even.. If I hit any stones, I immediately flile the tip of the blunted cutter at 90 degrees a few strokes, get rid of that nasty point, then swing the file to the proper angle and continue sharpening... Seems like if you go to sharpen a cutter by hand at the proper angle that has a rock or metal damaged point,,,, you fight that dulled point the whole time... So I get rid of it with a few strokes first. Now your back to filing a clean cutter... Something I discovered after 30 years of cutting

 

I didn't have a situation where one stone struck a cutter or two, it was more like the dirty wood over a short period of time continued to wear away at the chain. I treat the filing with the dremel the same way, I run the stone up and back each cutter the same amount to each cutter until I come full circle. The results were good the bad part was the chains life on this project only lasted an hour or two at best.

 

I hate cutting dirty wood.

 

I agree but in my situation I'd rather cut all the tree length logs at one spot and load from there versus cutting where they landed and moving it all again. So they were all skidded to a drop near the trail to exit the lot. DIRTY!

 

Agreed, sometimes it's easier to deal with the dirt.

 

If an option, a log arch would greatly decrease the amount of dirt your logs collect, even if you only pick up the front end of the log.

An other option for those who use a pickup to drag logs. A small boom with a winch to lift the end of the logs. It could be fixed or work like a big bale spike.

As many have said, "I hate cutting dirty wood!!!"

I am so thankful for my tractor with a loader & grapple on front and the skidding boom with winch on the back.