Chainsaw Sharpening...timberline. Ever heard of it?

[steve terplak]

Hey all,
ACG's post about skidding logs got me thinking...

I have tried a few different methods of sharpening my saws over the years...
Hand file - I struggled to get it real sharp...never quite got the technique right.
Dremel - lacked consistency tooth to tooth.
Cheap electric - got it nice and sharp but angles were never super accurate and I burned through chain faster than I should have...

Wife got me the Timberline sharpener for my birthday two years ago.
I love it.

It is a hand powered, bar mount rotational file...easy to use...can do a chain in 15 minutes...does an excellent job of keeping the angle and profile of the tooth....gets them razor sharp and no chain removal...

During wood season, I keep two chains sharp for each saw, and that can get me through 3-4 half days of work.

I burn 15ish cord and think this sharpening system has been worth the price for me.

Didn't know if anyone else had seen it or used it?
Untitled URL Link

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I have a belsaw sharpner, but I like dremmel with diamond burr. Only takes seconds per tooth. The proof is in the chips it makes. Chain lasts longer using dremmel.

 

[Bret4207]

Your wife got you a nice tool. Better make sure she gets some flowers 3-4 times a year!

I looked at the Timberline pretty hard a couple years back. I couldn't justify it for myself, not that there's anything wrong with it. I stick with the old tried and true Husqvarna type roller file guide. Works good for me and has since the early 80's.

http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=1396

 

[AlinArk]

Steve i have one best investment ever
it only removes a couple thousand each use chains last longer
chain cuts much better and faster
and unlike motor powered sharpeners, it does not make the teeth softer by heating them up.
i have had all the others and this is best by far

 

[gtractorfan]

I had a Timber Tough electric sharpener given to me. I hesitated to use it thinking I'd do more damage than good but I was pleasantly surprised, easy to control and does a good job. By not pushing it, it doesn't heat up the teeth. I try to be very careful not to cut into foreign material (ground for sure) and so far have been lucky. The only problem I have with skidding logs is that soil gets embedded in the bark. When I have to saw dirty logs I use a hatchet and chip away where I'm going to cut.

 

[Mark-Mi]

It is a copy of one made at least 40 years ago. They work great.

 

[stonerock]

I sharpen by hand, tighten chain, file chain both sides, file rakers and done in 5 mins.get good chain [not china], dont let it get dull keep it sharp.last a long time

 

[Russ from MN]

I have a grinder/sharpener from HF, $30, works good for me.

 

[Zachary Hoyt]

I do mine by hand, 5 minutes and I'm done. It's a knack but not too hard to pick up, but if you have a machine that you like that's great.
Zach

 

[kopeck]

I literally just finished using mine 10 minutes ago.

I love it. The only draw back is it's slow. What I do is hand file a few times then use the Timberline to true things back up. I'm pretty decent with a file but the Timberline trues things up nicely.

It's also pretty good a fixing up a chain after you hit a rock...which is what I did.

K

 

[steve terplak]

Glad to see a couple others use this.
I tried with the hand file but could never get it. Never got the technique right. Same with dremel. This has dummy-proofed hand sharpening for me.
The biggest positive for me is that it barely takes any tooth off each time...I was going through a couple chains a year.
Very pleased...works for me.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Well it looks nice, and probably does a good job, but it is real pricy in my opinion. I have been sharpening saw chains in the bush with just a plain saw file by eye for decades. I don't even bother with a handle for the file. It's always worked for me and I am lazy, and expect the saw to do the cutting, not me prying the bar through logs.
Loren

 

[steve terplak]

I hear you ACG.
My first few years heating with wood I had a poulan wildthing and a handfile. Turns out I had no idea what I was doing.
A good saw and a good sharp chain are the only way to do things. I have learned a lot but can not master the hand file. I still try every so often...

It definitely was pricey but with the elec sharpener I was going through chains too quickly and hand file I never got sharp. So this was worth it to me.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I have filed saws for years with what I thought was good results. Till I tried my brothers guide for the file. IT works so much better and is only about 10-12 dollars for it. It rides on the top of the tooth so it holds the file up against the underside of the tooth top. Also has a mark for the angle to match up as you file it. I go through about a chain a year cutting wood. Cut many cords of wood during the winter. We use forks to lift the wood so it stays clean.

 

[Case Nutty 1660]

I never have gotten the hang of sharpening one,, no more than I cut a year I just replace the chain,, for me its much easier for under 10 bucks to do that,, I would gladly hand you the old ones my buddy tells me are brand new lol
cnt

 

[Bret4207]

The biggest problem most folks have with hand filing is letting the file ride too deep into the gullet. A simple plate guide or roller guide holds the file at the proper depth. Angle is pretty easy to hold as is hook. But people have to use whatever works for them.

 

[cannonball]

chains have mark on the top of cutter for the angle they need to be filed

 

[Bret4207]

(quoted from post at 11:34:19 02/05/17) chains have mark on the top of cutter for the angle they need to be filed

Some chains have that mark, others don't.

 

[Jimmydog]

For my Poulan I just chuck the appropriate size file in my cordless reversing drill motor. Have it rotate so it's moving metal towards the edge and make a filing motion three or four times while pulling trigger on drill motor. Be consistent with all the teeth and try to keep the angle the same as much as possible. About every third sharpening I take a flat file to the rakers before doing the teeth. I get very good results and it doesn't take much time at all. The wife got me one of those HF cheapies one year. I get okay results with it, but it's nothing to write home about, and it takes three times as long and there's all that fussing around to get it just right. The file and drill motor trick is the way to go.

Now on my Husqvarna it has larger teeth/chain so I do it a bit differently. While I do have some files that would fit, I find it easier to just grab a couple brews and wander on over to my neighbor's. He owns a tree service and has one of those industrial strength sharpeners. He can have that thing done quicker than I can down a beer. Which if you knew how much I like beer you'd realize what a true feat that is. JD

 

[Restlessness]

(quoted from post at 15:53:36 02/04/17) I sharpen by hand, tighten chain, file chain both sides, file rakers and done in 5 mins.get good chain [not china], dont let it get dull keep it sharp.last a long time

My chain is not removed from any of my saws until they are worn out. I sharpen with a file freehand everytime I use a saw, it only takes a couple of minutes. Its important to use a sharp file, they are CHEAP if you buy them by the dozen-replace them often. Once in a rare while I'll use a dremel with a diamond cutter, typically when I've been cutting out privet or chinese honeysuckle for my wife and hit a rock. Even if one has a grinder well set-up, you'll grind away quite a bit of steel. Most saw shops grind away a lot from what I've seen.

I hit the rakers once in a while with a three sided file-again very sharp/fresh.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Ever seen one of these? It's called a Stihl 2 in 1 Easy File chainsaw sharpener. Not only does it file the teeth, but it sets the raker height all in one pass. It's got guides so you get the correct angle, don't shove the file too far into the gullet...