# Harbor Freight chain saw blade sharpener ?



## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

Anyone ever use one of these ? I've had one un-boxed in my garage for about 20 years now . Is it even worth trying or does it mess your expensive chains up ?


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## Barncat (Feb 28, 2022)

Out of the box don’t expect great results. Mine had tons of slop in every mechanism. I have heard of some people drilling, reaming, and bushing hinge point to remove the slop, but I opted to throw it away.


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## Cadillac (Feb 28, 2022)

Ive seen electric sharpeners in use and don’t care for them. Have to maintain a radius on the end of the wheel or it doesn’t give you that nice dish in the tooth.  I don’t think they grind the flat that controls tooth depth of cut. 
 I personally love hand sharpening a chain. nothing like a new file like shredding parmesan cheese.


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## Barncat (Feb 28, 2022)

You can get a wider wheel to do the rakers. About $45 for an Oregon brand wheel.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

Thanks guys , exactly what I figured and needed hear . I'll stick to my files .


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## NCjeeper (Feb 28, 2022)

It works okay for what it is.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

NCjeeper said:


> It works okay for what it is.


Which isn't much !   I just took this thing out of the box . Mostly all plastic . I may just try it out on some of the cheap Poulan blades I have hanging around . If it works somewhat , I'll keep it . If not , it'll go out to the trash man .


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## NCjeeper (Feb 28, 2022)

I mounted a piece of angle iron to the bottom of mine and hold it in a bench vise.


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## matthewsx (Feb 28, 2022)

I had one when I started out in the power equipment business 

Hand filing is just as good and faster most times. Also uses up less material on the chain.

We did hundreds of chains every year and didn’t have any complaints.

John


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## projectnut (Feb 28, 2022)

Earlier this year we had an arborist come to remove several trees.  We've used him over the years and have become friends.  I ask him about using an electric sharpener and he had to chuckle.  He replied it's a skill most arborists learn in their apprenticeship years, just like a machinist learns to sharpen drills.

He did say that while they do work it's much easier and faster to sharpen them on the saw with a file.  As I watched he sharpened a blade on a 16" saw in short order.  He said that once you learn the technique it takes between 8 and 12 strokes to sharpen each cutting edge.  He had the chain resharpened and up and cutting wood before I' would have been able to remove it.


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## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

I'll bet I have close to 100 here from the last 40 years or so . Living next to a hardware store it was easier just buying the cheaper ones . The Stihls , Huskies and Oregons are getting pricey these days , so I'm using the files on them . I'm also looking into buying the buying the bulk chain and making blades . Any thoughts on this ? The Huskies go from 20-36 inch bars and get used the most .


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## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

projectnut said:


> He had the chain resharpened and up and cutting wood before I' would have been able to remove it.


If you would've seen me yesterday trying to change out the 36" with cold hands . SOB , what a PITA .


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## homebrewed (Feb 28, 2022)

I bought one of those things but after looking at it some probably won't ever use it.  I learned to sharpen chain saws with a file, back when I worked on a slash crew to make money for college.  It's been a handy thing to know.


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## woodchucker (Feb 28, 2022)

I hand file, but I do have some diamond rounds for a dremel, in the case of a bad cutter. They are nicer than a stone, in that they don't wear. I got them in a machinist lots, and They are good for chains, or if you need a tool with a radius cut.  I know HSS and Diamond = bad.. but they are accurate.


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## RJSakowski (Feb 28, 2022)

I have been hand filing for the last 40+ years. My experience is that the filed edge isn't as keen as the factory edpe on Oregon chains but it does the job.  I am also particular about avoiding hitting dirt when sawing so a single sharpening can last for up to a cord of firewood.

Getting quality files is harder nowadays though.


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## f350ca (Feb 28, 2022)

If your talking about one of these, I think they're great.



I hand sharpened for years, always slipped and cut a knuckle. lol Often would get one side different, sharper or wrong angle and it would cut crooked. I find this brings them back to as new every time. Even after you've touched the ground or found a nail.
Also came with the thicker wheels to match the harvester chain on my firewood processor.
I set up and sharpen several at a time.

Greg


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## Cadillac (Feb 28, 2022)

I about died laughing when I saw I forgot which company had a automatic sharpener that you put on the end of the bar and ran the saw. My brother had ask if he should buy one and I laughed and explained how a chainsaw blade is sharpened. Don’t even know how it’s suppose to work???


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## woodchucker (Feb 28, 2022)

f350ca said:


> If your talking about one of these, I think they're great.
> View attachment 398493
> 
> 
> ...


I think that's a higher end unit that the HF unit.


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## Alcap (Feb 28, 2022)

I don’t cut much wood but through the years hand filed or replaced . Is this the HF sharpener you have ? https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-63803.html.  I bought one to try because I tried filing my son’s Stihl , it seemed harder then I was used too . I practiced on my chains and it seemed to work Ok did his a few times already if I was going to get another I would spend more$$ but try it on some chains . If your not satisfied save those for when your cutting close to the stump or other areas that might damage a new chain .


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## gjmontll (Feb 28, 2022)

As others have already said, it's far from a precision device. But I've tried filing, both freehand and with some guide tool. Very poor results.
If I was an arborist, I'd have mastered it. But as an occasional user of a small saw around our yard, the HF tool has done the job okay for several years. I bolted my sharpener to a short piece of 2x4 so I could clamp it in a vise.


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## Nutfarmer (Feb 28, 2022)

While I still hand file a chain saw chain if I am running the saw,I have given up on my farm help. Now days I just have them change out the chain before they burn up the bar. After a reworking the HF sharpener it does a good job of sharpening the loose chains. The part that holds the chain needed the work. If I was doing it for customers it would up grade to something like the Oregon one. For the twenty or so chains a year I do the reworked Harbor Freight does ok. It's kind of like buying a Harbor Freight horizontal band saw. The are better  units out there,but with some modifications they will work


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## mmcmdl (Feb 28, 2022)

Alcap said:


> Is this the HF sharpener you have ?


It is , and it's an old one that I just opened . I will try it out and see what results I get .


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## John O (Feb 28, 2022)

Same one I have, did some reworking on it and it sharpens good. I did get the oregon wheels for it.


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