Don't sharpen your chains

[porangi]

Morning all,

 

So background - I broke a cheap metal vice last night tightening it up on a piece of unrelated metal bar. Originally, it had only been purchased to hold my chainsaw bar still whilst I sharpened the chain. Anyway, I was bemoaning this on another social media channel and my uncle pops up and says:

 

"Chris don't sharpen your chains. None of the tree surgeons I know do! You never get anything like the original. ( I'd did for twenty years) You can get a toughened version of Stihl chains on e bay tor 6 quid not 18. They last 3 x as long."

 

This is coming from the near 70yr old who still climbs a tree with a rope around his middle. Now I suspect he is wrong but how wrong and what evidence do we have. If he is not wrong why are we still training people to sharpen chains. I can see milling getting very expensive if I don't sharpen my chains!

 

Over to you.

 

Thanks

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[treequip]

He is wrong, plain and simple.

 

Sharpening is the default option for nearly all professionals. I have known a few that have struggled with it but even those who are pants at it have a go or let someone who can do it

 

The special chain is probably carbide which is all well and good but field sharpening needs power tools.

[Ty Korrigan]

I like sharpening chains by hand but not for those who do not respect the time it takes to do so and so treat each chain as a throwaway item.

I'd pay good money for a toughened chain for lowering stumps before grinding.

Links to good sources and products welcome!

Ty

[R Mac]

Morning all,

 

So background - I broke a cheap metal vice last night tightening it up on a piece of unrelated metal bar. Originally, it had only been purchased to hold my chainsaw bar still whilst I sharpened the chain. Anyway, I was bemoaning this on another social media channel and my uncle pops up and says:

 

"Chris don't sharpen your chains. None of the tree surgeons I know do! You never get anything like the original. ( I'd did for twenty years) You can get a toughened version of Stihl chains on e bay tor 6 quid not 18. They last 3 x as long."

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

I don't doubt that it's possible (for some people) to 'sharpen' a chain and end up with it being worse than it was before sharpening let alone not as sharp as it was when new. I hand sharpen and get get a dull chain back to cutting nicely but I'd hesitate to claim I can get it back to cutting like a brand new chain.

 

As for the hardened chains at £6, looks like he's seen the Rotatech chains and read the description.

 

So nothing at all surprising in what he said, just happens that while it isn't exactly untrue it isn't entirely true either.

[Stubby]

I think a well sharpened chain that is near the end of its life actually cuts faster than a new out of the box chain . Cutters are narrower so not removing so much wood in the curf . If its a carbide chain he is on about then it wont cut as well as a standard chain and when it does get damaged or dull ( as it will ) you can only sharpen it with a " green grit " wheel .

Edited January 6, 2017 by Stubby

[Jonny69]

I don't doubt that it's possible (for some people) to 'sharpen' a chain and end up with it being worse than it was before sharpening let alone not as sharp as it was when new. I hand sharpen and get get a dull chain back to cutting nicely but I'd hesitate to claim I can get it back to cutting like a brand new chain.

 

As for the hardened chains at £6, looks like he's seen the Rotatech chains and read the description.

 

So nothing at all surprising in what he said, just happens that while it isn't exactly untrue it isn't entirely true either.

 

A used chain, sharpened by someone who knows how to sharpen will be faster than a new chain.

[Stubby]

A used chain, sharpened by someone who knows how to sharpen will be faster than a new chain.

 

Thsats 2 of us then ( see obove ) .

[inthewoods]

Thsats 2 of us then ( see obove ) .

 

 

3 now! :-)

[R Mac]

I think a well sharpened chain that is near the end of its life actually cuts faster than a new out of the box chain . Cutters are narrower so not removing so much wood in the curf . If its a carbide chain he is on about then it wont cut as well as a standard chain and when it does get damaged or dull ( as it will ) you can only sharpen it with a " green grit " wheel .

 

A used chain, sharpened by someone who knows how to sharpen will be faster than a new chain.

 

Thsats 2 of us then ( see obove ) .

 

3 now! :-)

 

I get the feeling from the replies that you all think I said sharpening a chain back to as sharp as a new chain wasn't possible? For the record I didn't say or even imply that it wasn't possible.

 

I personally wouldn't claim to be able to do it, not that I've actually tried any back to back tests, and as I said I suspect there are plenty of people who would make it worse.

 

Having said that I wouldn't disagree that a person who is good at sharpening can get a chain as sharp or sharper than a new one but I suspect there may be a few tweaks involved that people have learned from experience, tweaks that are outside of the basic procedure.

[Tommy_B]

He's wrong. Simple as that