IMO....if you hand file..the husqvarna jig is the easiest way to sharpen a chain..it has rollers on it and keeps the correct angle every time..it takes a little practice but you can have razor sharp chains very quickly...it will keep whatever factory angle...stihl is 30 degrees..
I have one and agree that it works great! I'm finding that my chains won't stay too sharp very long while cutting blown down oaks. For some reason the chain doesn't like the debris all the critters and weather have deposited throughout the bark.
I like using them as well.I was sharpening using the 3/8 the other day and wore a hole through the raker filing plate which damaged a tooth. The raker plate is made of soft metal but really operator failure
I sharpen the teeth with the Husqvarna jig and like the job I can do in the field. I use the raker plate to do an eye-ball estimate on the rakers. Once I have a guess of how many file strokes I need I free-hand and then check with the raker plate. When I tried to use the raker plate with a file I quickly damaged the plate. KaptJaq
Wow, looks like you have it figured out. What size file are you using in the Husky jig and Stihl chain? Some use the 13/64" recommended by Stihl, some stick with the 7/32" that comes with the kit. I use a combination of things to sharpen chains. For re-profiling, fixing rocked chains, and straightening bad angles, I use the 511ax. I have started using the Husqvarna filing jig lately instead of the oregon/Stihl type file holders. I never had really good luck with the Stihl file holder, seemed to hold the file too high IMO and the chains didn't self feed worth a damm. I don't use the Husky jig for rakers, instead I use Carlton File-O-Plates. These seem to give me the best results on the rakers.
debris I understand, sugar taps do not dull chain but do destroy them! dirt stone and barbed wire are my nemesis
For any round-filing of chain & setting depth gauges, I've found nothing better, and quicker than Granberg's guide. There's always one in my basic tool bag. Except for damaged chain, a stroke or two per tooth does the job. Absolute minimum metal removal, a BIG PLUS. Been using the same one since the late '70s. Files last a loooong time with one, too. Except for the depth gauges on "Vanguard" chain, they almost never need attention, as they wear at a rate to match the filing-down of the cutters.
