chainsaw suggestion

[dickm]

I've not tried those Oregon ones though was browsing them today after this thread. Like I mention above, (and I've timed this) it takes me 12 minutes to whip off my bar and sharpen the chain with the silverline cheapie bench grinder. I use a Stihl MS251 which only has a single locknut to get the cover off so its very easy to access the chain.

Do you rate the little Oregon 12 v ones?

Apart from the cost of the stones, it's brilliant. Especially as it cost 20p from a car boot! The guide by the blade keeps the angle right, and it's a matter of a minute to do a 20" chain. But of course, it doesn't do the limiters at the same time.
(And its red colour probably means it's embarrassed 'cos it usually gets connected to the battery on an effete Golf, not to a huge 4X4 pickup with a name like "Barbarian" )

Must say, though, that reading all the positives about the bench type model does cause temptation.

 

[bellringer]

When i last had some chain saw milling done the guy used it on his 36" bar it was done in mins he says he can do his 6 foot bar in about 2 mins well worth having

 

[Sheptonphil]

That sounds like a good way to go about things Phil, very organised and efficient !

Didn't appreciate that the grinder does the depth gauges too at the same time.

Cheers, Paul

I don't know about organised, but it really lessens the urge to keep using a chain that is really not sharp enough to be safe. Two minutes and a nice fresh edge to work with. If I get through three chains when I'm logging a small tree then there's too much rubbish embedded to bother with the wood anyway.

Phil

 

[Robbo3]

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for posing the question & for all the helpful answers.

I have a brand new unused 14" petrol chainsaw still in its box because of all the horror stories I've read & because I don't have any suitable protective equipment - not even a hard hat.

Because of the size of timber that I'm now being given, I had to bite the bullet & borrow & electric chainsaw. With as much bracing & wedging as I could muster, body out of the line of kickback & arms locked rigid, rather like a novice turner, I hesitantly took my first cut & was pleasantly surprised at how relatively easy it was. Thankfully I had but the sawhorse on a large tarpaulin which made clearing up the garden afterwards, so much easier.

Edit: should be 16" not 14" & 'put the sawhorse' not 'but the sawhorse'.

 

[Woodmonkey]

That's a good point Robbo, as a professional user I wouldn't think about using a saw without ear & eye protection, chainsaw trousers and chainsaw boots minimum, makes me cringe sometimes seeing domestic users with little or no ppe at all.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Also a user of the Silverline sharpener, but I have six chains with one on the saw, two in the saw's carry case and the rest in the shed as spares. When I have three blunt ones I do a sharpening session and do all three in half an hour. The advantage of course is it also grinds the guide at the same time as the tooth. Usually get at least six or seven sharpening so from each chain and they are stored in a thin oil in the shed and in a plastic bag in the carry case.

Phil

And I thought I was being clever by having two chains...one on and one off, sharpened
Quick question re the silverline Phil. I must be doing something wrong when you say it does the guides at the same time?? Can you just expand on that a little please? Thanks.

 

[Sheptonphil]

With the correct tilt angle set, when you swing the grind wheel over, it trims the depth gauge/stop between the teeth just before the tooth is ground. It 'glances' across the stop on the way in. When filing by hand you have to do the depth stop manually as a separate exercise. My sharpener is mounted on a T piece of 2x1 so it can be mounted in a bench vice.

Well worth the money.

Phil

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Right...thanks for that. I deliberately set my rake angle to just miss the depth gauge assuming it couldn't/shouldn't be done in the same operation. I'll adjust it and try it your way. It all comes of not reading the instructions! But even without that its an amazing piece of kit given its stupidly low price.

 

[paulm]

Sounds like a very worthwhile bit of kit.

Do you need different abrasive discs for different gauges of chain ?

I'm thinking possibly not, but not entirely sure having not been hands on with one.

Having five :shock: different chainsaws of various chain types, a one size fits all solution would be a big plus !

Not as bad a chainsaw habit as it sounds, honestly :roll: a large huskie for the alaskan mill and bigger jobs, a smaller husky for most of the usual work, electric makita for use in the workshop/shed, stihl polesaw that's worth it's weight in gold for pruning the apple trees and tall hazel and laurel hedges, and a small 12v cordless makita for all sorts of surprising jobs in the workshop and garden. So all totally justifiable, and not an out of control acquisition disorder at all [-( :lol:

Cheers, Paul

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I'd get the hell down the new Basingstoke Axy Paul and see if they have any chainsaws in stock....sounds to me like you need another

 

[duncanh]

If you do use hand files for sharpening (like I do) don't forget to change them every now and again as they wear out. We recently replaced ours and it was a huge improvement.