Hot or Not? Electric Chainsaw Sharpener
By Benjamen Johnson
Chicago Electric makes this inexpensive chainsaw sharpener that sells for $35 at Harbor Freight. Sure, the quality of tools purchased from Harbor Freight can be suspect, but how can you screw up a chainsaw sharpener?
The 0.5″ to 0.8″ capacity vice on this sharpener adjusts from 0-35° to the right or left. The 115V, 0.75A ball bearing motor spins the 4-1/4″-diameter by 1/8″-thick grinding wheel at 4,200 RPM. A safety guard covers most of the wheel, exposing only the section that comes into contact with the chain. You can either hold the sharpener in a vise or mount it to your bench or garage wall.
The question before us today: Can buying this cheap chainsaw sharpener be a better deal than doing it the old-fashioned way with a guide and a file? Or does doing it yourself even make sense when you can pay $10 for a professional to do it? Let us know what you think in comments.
Chainsaw Sharpener [Harbor Freight]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
March 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am
Drop it off, come back in a week.
Even with a power tool, it isn’t worth the headache.
I used to work for a place that did this work when I was in high school.
Let a kid get some skills…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Cheap tools are almost never hot, On the other hand, a quality chain grinder is Hot. If your going to be doing any real chainsaw work, they will quickly pay for themselves, When your going through a few chains a day, having the shop do it will quickly eat into your profits.No less the time it saves over hand filing, which is only realistic to do if the chain is not nicked up. Different pitch chains grind better with differing grinding wheels. A small grinder like that would most likely only grind 1/8″ chain. I would fear for it burning out on 1/2″ chains and I would love to see it even do 1 harvester chain.
For a home owner, take it to the shop. for a dedicated hobby woodlot or home wood heater, maybe, for a pro, you already have one, plus the tools to make your own chains.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:44 am
As someone who heated with wood exclusively for eight years, I dulled my share of chains. For a typical homeowner, this is overkill. It takes only a few minutes to sharpen a chain by hand, and if you are out in the woods working, stopping to sharpen the saw is a good way to slow down, take a break, and be safe by not getting overtired.
It IS possible to have too many power tools, and this is one where I would draw the line. Of course, I have been sharpening my drills by hand since an old timer showed me how many years ago. We are losing basic shop skills with all these gadgets.
March 20th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
@Andrew: I have to disagree with you, that we’re “losing” basic shop skills. Technology changes every field of interest, Toolmongering included. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for the “old” ways - there are some things that need a human touch - but we need improvements and new ideas. There’s *always* a way to improve on something or make it easier. Yes, I know newer/easier isn’t always better.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
As a sometimes woodworking hobbyist I can relate to the pleasure and relaxation value of doing (or at least trying) to do things using time-honored hand tool skills. I like my home shop and turn out a few good items from time to time. I am humbled every time I look at quality antique furniture, knowing that the journeyman maker used hand tools to make something that is hard to duplicate today. Knowing that my skill level is nowhere near what’s needed to duplicate one of these pieces doesn’t stop me from continuing woodworking as a hobby.
Now in the businesses that I run – productivity and craftsmanship need to be balanced more – with the aim of making a fair profit while paying skilled workers a fair wage and delivering high quality to our customers. I don’t have much call to have workers sharpening chain – by hand or otherwise – but we do look to machinery solutions everywhere to improve productivity. As a kid, I saw a mechanic cut a keyway with a cape chisel. I remember that it took quite a bit of time to do it. I think we’d opt to use our milling machine – even if someone had the skill to do it with a chisel.
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
We have this exact sharpener and I sharped two chains prety easily and I had never done it before, it worked well
March 31st, 2009 at 8:41 am
[...] Hot or Not? Electric Chainsaw Sharpener [...]
April 10th, 2009 at 7:58 am
I cut more wood than the average homeowner but nowhere near a pro. I purchased this tool and the results it provided were beyond expectaions. To think I wasted my time filing in the past is just crazy. This thing quickly brings your blades into spec and you can sharpen an entire completely trashed chain in less than 5 minutes. Ths entire cost of the tool was less than a replacement blade. The sharpened blades actually cut considerably faster than when new. I’m not sure why but it’s true. For the money you can’t lose. Heck if for some odd reason you didn’t like it simply return it. I’m not going to say the thing is exactly what I call high quality since it is made out of plastic but I will say thanks to them for providing me with a tool that simply does the job. I’ve had it for three years now and not a complaint.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
[...] Hot or Not? Electric Chainsaw Sharpener [...]
May 17th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
I cut an average of 15 cords a year and have always had my chains ground at the local saw shop periodically. I bought this at Harbor Freight and didn’t expect much from a plastic machine. I have 4 favorite saws and a back up. This tool works fine for a touchup or a complete sharpening. I have cleaned up all my blades in no time at all. I still use a hand file in the field, but this crappy little machine paid for itself right off the bat. I’m really happy with the results, even though as a full time tool guy, I would normally look for a professional quality tool.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Dremel’s little chainsaw sharpening head (fits on regular dremel) works for me in the shop. It’s quite a bit cheaper and works with the chain on the bar.
In the field, a 12volt granger is the way to go, but it takes some skill to use. Again, the chain stays on the bar. The granger can also sharpen a rip chain, which uses a different cutting angle, because it’s not a fixed angle sharpener.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
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