Bought myself an Oregon chain grinder....

Hand filed for years now plus I bought a Timberline clamp on (bar) sharpening jig and stump vise for touching up loops in the field (which I'm gonna give away btw.)

The Oregon saw chain sharpener is tits. Have it mounted on my welding table but is easily removable for storage. Does an excellent job (though you do have to remove the loop from the saw which isn't a big deal) and I always have more than one loop for each saw anyway. Removing the loops isn't a big deal anyway as I always flip the bar anyway.

Got it from Amazon (free shipping) and it was $209.00. Comes complete with 3 wheels so it will sharpen everything from 1/4 low pro chain to 404 chipper and skip tooth 404 (won't sharpen square cut chipper of course) and comes with a wheel just for dressing rakers.

Oregon offers 2 models, the lower priced model (which I bought) has the manual chain vise and a more expensive model that has a hydraulic chain vise. The manual is fine for my needs.

No more hand filing and no more Timberline either. Moved into the 21st century...lol

I'm impressed with it plus it sharpens every tooth exactly the same and holds the correct angle very consistently. Initial setup is a bit involved as every angle is adjustable but once you master the setup, it's easy peasy.

Replacement grinding wheels are available on Amazon or direct from Oregon or your local chainsaw dealer (they all carry Oregon products seems like). The grinder comes with 3 wheels, a dressing stone ( to dress the radius properly) as well as a radius dressing gage and raker gage.

Very impressed with not only the quality of build (aluminum castings are nicely machined and substantial) as well as the adjustability of the grinder. You can remove as little tooth or as much as you want.

Have this feeling I'll be sharpening all my friend's chains as well. Always good to have friends in need....lol

 

What model is it?

 

Remember not to get those teeth too hot! I tried an electric a few years ago and it wasn't for me.

 

It's a 410-120 Oregon.

 

I'm not going to use the Oregon wheels. Going to get a CBN wheel From Diamond Wheels, Inc. They have an aluminum center and don't heat the tooth. They are expensive so I'll just get the 325 wheel as most of my loops are 325 It's said you can run hundreds of chains on one wheel and you never have to dress it, just clean it with the supplied cleaning block. I'll use the supplied wheel for the rakers and the 1/4" wheel for the arborists saw. They even offer a diamond wheel for carbide tooth chains. Gave my Timberline away today to a friend along with the stump vise. Getting tired of replacing worn files. Gave him my Stihl file guide too.

All the Oregon grinders are made by Tecomec or some such.

Very well built, nicely finished aluminum castings and plated steel. Gonna mount it to my welding table with socket head cap screws so I can remove it when not in use.

 

Tap Tap Tap for sure. tooth will turn blue real fast if you dont.

 

In reality, that isn't a issue with a CBN wheel as the CBN wheels don't heat the tooth like a conventional wheel but I will anyway 'tap-tap'....

They are expensive, around 100 bucks a wheel but they are supposed to last 10 times longer than a conventional wheel and never need radius dressing either, just an infrequent cleaning with the supplied with cleaner bar. Kind of a matter of economics as a conventional Oregon wheel costs about 20 bucks but the CBN wheels are just over 100 but 10 times the life more than pays for the wheel (if they last that long as reported).

Conventional wheels load up with gook that is on the loop, bar oil and sawdust that clog the wheel. My plan is to run the chains through the ultrasonic cleaner that has B12 in it to remove all the gook, then rinse in hot water (B12 is water soluble), then sharpen and reoil before using.

Have the same issue with my surface grinders in the shop. You never 'grind' any part that isn't clean and dry as it will load a surface grinding wheel. The exception is of course the water based coolant which won't load a wheel.

 

Your signature picture looks a lot like the chipper I owned back when I owned a tree removal and trimming business in Ohio many years ago. I like that style of chipper (drum style) because the chipper knives are easily removable for replacement or resharpening, versus other chippers. Not that I do that any more but I have a steady diet of dull and abused chipper knives that I resharpen for tree companies. I own a knife sharpening grinder. Only ones I don't sharpen are the cone head chipper knives. Too much hassle getting all the knives the same length.

 

His chipper is used for grinding up his rib bones after lunch at the compound.

 

Congratulations! I hand filed for years too, and finally bought a Tecomec a couple years ago it is definitely a slick little grinder.

I found after I have the initial angles I want on a chain, using the 1/8" wheel exclusively, no matter the chain pitch, is the way to go for me.

I have a CBN wheel, but haven't used it yet.

Happy grinding!

 

Interestingly, Tecomec makes all the Oregon chain grinders as well. The one I bought was made in China but the more expensive ones are made in Italy. The one I bought $209 bucks, I'm pleasantly surprised at the overall quality. All the aluminum castings are nicely done and so are the steel parts and it's all powder coated too. Obviously Tecomec has careful oversight on that production. The Chinese can turn out quality stuff but they need to be monitored constantly or the stuff is junk.

I have the CBN wheel on order, you'll have to post up your results with yours when you mount it. Like I said, I'll use the Oregon wheel to grind the rakers when I do lower them. Everything I read about the CBN wheels says tooth burn is a non issue but I'll still go easy anyway.

 

I have cbn on all 3 grinder's but the dynasaw (red grinder) wheel is far superior.

 

I wasn't sure who was the manufacturer, Oregon, or Tecomec, but I did know that they were made by the same company.

The green wheels that came with my first grinder, are almost used up, so I'm going to mount the CBN after that one is done. I'm cheap like that and have a hard time just tossing the green wheel that came with it.

The second grinder I bought came with the white wheels. Which are supposed to be harder and in between the green and CBN, in terms of hardness and quality.

With the green wheels, I had a heck of a time not overheating the cutters, with the 3/16", regardless of how slow I went. It'd plug up and start heating things up, even if I ultrasonic cleaned my chain.

 

Congratulations on your grinder and good for you on getting a CBN wheel. They do work well and like you said they do not heat up as quick as the conventional stones.

Plus, you never have to dress them, and I have done Hundreds of chains on the CBN wheel with no issues. I bought one for .375 and for .325. It also makes it quicker and easier.

 

Completely agree and that is on my list of items to get......pending my wife's approval of course. I also clean mine with the ultrasonic tank. Best investment I ever made

 

is it faster to use a grinder than hand file? do you have to remove the chain from the saw and than jig it into the grinder? I have never used one but kinda thinking I would like to have one

 

Yes, you have to remove the chain from the saw.

Speed of it depends on the person filing, how long of chain, skip or full comp and all that.

For me, I like the consistency of a grinder and I run long bars. So, that's a lot of cutters to sharpen. I also like being able to change angles, and do so consistently.

I usually run saws a bit and hand filing starts taking a bit of time and a grinder speeds that up.

 

Filing, unless fixing damage is definitely faster although quality of the finished chain is up for debate.
Filing a ground chain for a couple of touch up's in between grindings works pretty well.

 

I hand file unless I have a chain that took it on the chin and really needs a tune up.
Once and a while you manage to find metal and an occasional rock , in that case it goes to the grinder.

 

This was my main purpose for getting my Oregon 520-120 also. The other reasons are that I’m not the greatest at filing. Oh I can file OK between running chains on the grinder but eventually get the angles slightly off. Another is both of my grown sons have chainsaws and it helps them to true up their occasional damaged cutters. I’m not using the grinder as much as I thought I would but still it’s great to be able to “fix” a chain quickly and get it back in the rotation.