Best Chainsaw Chain Sharpener - Money No Object

Money no object= Silvey Pro Sharp . If needed , have Madsen's rebuild it.
A new Simington 451C is new manufacture and is a great grinder.
Definately not hard to beat a new factory grind once you learn how.

 

Oh I've heard loud & clear & am feeling the peer pressure intensely.

 

So about $300 to get a 30-40% gain in the powerhead.

Go to square for much less moneys and gain(or loose) another 15-20%!

 

I use a Oregon 511AX for round ground chain.
A Simington 451C for square ground chain.
Best of both worlds of chain sharpening.

I also have a Tecomec that I shaped a wheel for to do just the rakers.

 

Right now I like a dremel tool with a chainsaw stone.

 

Silvey 510 for 3/8ths and 404, Oregon 511AX for .325 and redesigned Tecomec with contoured wheel for rakers and Silvey style rails.

 

I have one of those too. Battery operated so that while up in the mountains I can use it right on the saw.

 

This....

These things rock!!!! The Stihl 2 in 1 is the same thing, made by pferd but uses orange and white handles instead of blue, and usually more cost.

Sure, you can do a better job on a bench mounted pro chain grinder, but for ease of use and quickness, you can't beat these 2 in 1 files. They'll easily fit in the gear box you already take in the woods. The biggest deal would be the bat vice, but you can get the type that you pound into a stump, and those are small.

 

Following

 

The properly sized round file, a .025" raker gauge, and a flat file. Filing on the vise on my bench is such a pleasure. In my opinion old school is the way to go.

If you are not a professional and just have a few saws/chains to maintain it's pretty easy. If you had 100 chains you needed sharpened overnight, that's a different story. I usually bring at least one spare chain if I'm bucking away from home. If I know the wood is dirty and/or on the ground I'll bring more. All my chains are sharp and I don't wait to have a pile of 8 chains I need to sharpen. If I dull a chain I'll swap it out during use and then after I'm done part of the cleanup process is to inspect the chain for damage and and if it passes I'll sharpen that dull chain immediately.

It takes me between 5 and 10 minutes to do an 18" chain. I find I am doing less and less strokes as I develop my technique.

I compare it to driving a manual transmission. Old school. When you're out in the field in the middle of it you're not going to have your $1200 sharpening rig. I am not after the fastest sharpening but if time is money and you have money to afford it, go for it.