Stihl EZ file

[Rob D]

As this is more a sponsored forum I'll be posting vids of products regularly. Some of these vids may seem condescending and some may think "he's talking downright rubbish....."

 

Either way if you can pull a couple of bits of useful info from them there's no harm been done!

 

First is the Stihl EZ file which takes depth guages down the same time as you file the chain. It works pretty well although still not an ideal solution....

 

IMO there still needs to be a tool for doing the most tedious job of sharpening which is accurately reducing depth guages on a chain.

 

They can be found on CSB site here Products for the category: EZ file

 

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[/ame] Edited December 4, 2011 by Rob D
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[Tom2020]

Nice video rob. How much you says its compered to A normal hand file and flat file. Dose it sharpen better and dose it take less time in total. Im looking to get after watching the video but the price is still steep just to chuck away on a file when my old ones are still good nick

[Rob D]

Nice video rob. How much you says its compered to A normal hand file and flat file. Dose it sharpen better and dose it take less time in total. Im looking to get after watching the video but the price is still steep just to chuck away on a file when my old ones are still good nick

 

 

I'd say it's ok and does a good job but not revolutionary .... The hassal is you have to buy a whole new EZ file for different chain sizes so better off with just one for the main size chain you sharpen.

 

But it does def save time and once you get the hang of it the depth guages are always set as you're sharpening.

 

It's the sort of thing some people will love and never look back and others will hate IMO

 

 

[easy-lift guy]

Rob, Thanks for sharing. Was wondering how this product compares with Oregon Power sharp?, via cost and practical use.

easy-lift guy

[Nick B]

Very informative Video Rob and Well explained wondered how that worked, now I know.

[Rob D]

Rob, Thanks for sharing. Was wondering how this product compares with Oregon Power sharp?, via cost and practical use.

easy-lift guy

 

I think they're 2 pretty different things as Powersharp is good but never really cuts as well as normal chain - I've done a vid for Powersharp which I'll put up in a sec.

 

The EZ file with normal chain will prove cheaper by far in the long run if you know how to sharpen a chain. Powersharp is really for the home owner who bins a chain after it goes blunt the first time!

 

 

[Rob D]

Very informative Video Rob and Well explained wondered how that worked, now I know.

 

 

Cheers Nick

[Nick B]

In your view Rob what is the best sharpening system on the market

I use the Stihl file guide kits and flat file.

[Rob D]

I dunno really. All files stihl, oregon and vallorbe are all the same and are all made by vallorbe. They just have a different name on them that's the only difference (or so my sources tell me).

 

The filing guides are good - Products for the category: Filing guides for getting the chain teeth the same length but if you're out and about or in a hurry you'll hate them! Notice the oregon and stihl ones are identical apart from the colour and price!

 

I tend to still use round files but use the granberg12 volt sharpeners when in the field for speed.... Products for the category: 12 volt sharpeners

 

.... there's nothing out there that stands out head and shoulders above the rest - more horses for courses!! I use a range of stuff and they all work.

 

 

[Tom D]

I find that so long as your teeth are of a reasonably even length then you only need to use a depth gauge on the rakers once on the first one, count the number of strokes required and then repeat that for the rest without the guide. Its fairly quick then.

 

I let Big J do some of the teeth on my 385 with his electric sharpener, TBH I wasn't impressed, they were no where near as sharp as you can get with a file.

 

This tool looks ok, but until you have had a go with one its hard to say.

I watched your bar dressing video, and thought it was good, I have recently bought the oregon bar dressing file and am very pleased with it, makes a really nice job and sooo much quicker than a flat file. In fact previously I used to put the bard on the bench grinder to save time, no need for that now.