timberline saw sharpener

PlowGirl · #1 08/21/14, 12:14 PM

Sometime back, Cabin fever posted about this sharpener. Has anyone else bought or used this product. I am considering a purchase and would like to see how it holds up in the long term. Reviews invited.

haypoint · #2 08/21/14, 07:31 PM

I haven't used it. I have sharpened chain saw chains hundreds of times. The kind that bolt onto the bar I could never master. But this one looks simple and accurate. I worry about that special carbide bit/crank handle. Replacing that might be a pain.
I have owned an Oregon electric sharpener, but those are well past #300.
If you have access to electricity, you can't go wrong with a cheap Harbor Freight electric sharpener. I just take three or four sharpened chains with me to the woods and do my sharpening at home.
http://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-68221-8346.html

For under $30, it does a clean job. I like the hand brake for holding it tight while sharpening.

watcher · #3 08/22/14, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

I haven't used it. I have sharpened chain saw chains hundreds of times. The kind that bolt onto the bar I could never master. But this one looks simple and accurate. I worry about that special carbide bit/crank handle. Replacing that might be a pain.
I have owned an Oregon electric sharpener, but those are well past #300.
If you have access to electricity, you can't go wrong with a cheap Harbor Freight electric sharpener. I just take three or four sharpened chains with me to the woods and do my sharpening at home.
For under $30, it does a clean job. I like the hand brake for holding it tight while sharpening.

I've looked at that several times but have always been skiddish due to the very low price. Does it also do the rakers?

haypoint · #4 08/22/14, 11:44 AM

No, not exactly. The $400 Oregon sharpener has an additional adjustment that allows the grinding wheel to be moved to 90 degree vertical. That allows grinding raker teeth. However, the grinding wheel is thin, so it might take two grindings on each tooth to get a precision job.
You can use the Harbor Freight chain clamp to hold the chain in place and hit the raker teeth with a flat file. If you are careful, you can take the rakers down a bit with the grinding wheel on the Harbor freight model, but the wheel comes down at an angle and, like the more costly Oregon, you may have to grind each one twice.
If you have a 4 inch grinder, a vice, good eyesight and a steady hand, you can clamp a grinder into a vice and carefully take down the rakers that way.

PlowGirl · #5 08/22/14, 11:47 AM

I'm really on the fence about it. It seems simple enough that even i could use it but I'm not the sharpest tool when it comes to tools so I rely heavily on other users input. The price is more than reasonable though.

simi-steading · #6 08/22/14, 11:53 AM

If I'm looking at the right TImberline sharpener, I'd add $30-$50 and get one of these.. I have one and love it.. It's all metal, and a very well built motor.. very little shaft play..

http://www.ruralking.com/bac-industr...FcRcMgodKH8Agg

It's not as well made as the Oregon, but it's a very good sharpener for the more than average home wood cutter.. I used to sharpen hundreds of chains every year at work and used the Oregon, but couldn't justify the cost for home use, but I found this one and wouldn't live without it.. I keep a pile of chains, and take the time to sharpen them once they are all almost dull... Only takes a minute or so a chain..

It's much more time saving to keep a lot of chains, and just swap them as they get dull, then have one sharpening session when needed..

haypoint · #7 08/22/14, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simi-steading

If I'm looking at the right TImberline sharpener, I'd add $30-$50 and get one of these.. I have one and love it.. It's all metal, and a very well built motor.. very little shaft play..

http://www.ruralking.com/bac-industr...FcRcMgodKH8Agg

It's not as well made as the Oregon, but it's a very good sharpener for the more than average home wood cutter.. I used to sharpen hundreds of chains every year at work and used the Oregon, but couldn't justify the cost for home use, but I found this one and wouldn't live without it.. I keep a pile of chains, and take the time to sharpen them once they are all almost dull... Only takes a minute or so a chain..

It's much more time saving to keep a lot of chains, and just swap them as they get dull, then have one sharpening session when needed..

I like that yours has the backside adjustment making it possible to do raker teeth. I like that it is cast metal of some sort. However, I really like the bike hand brake style chain clamp of the plastic framed Harbor Freight model. I have used my Harbor Freight sharpener for 5 years. If it died today, I could buy four more for less than one BAC sharpener.

idigbeets · #8 08/22/14, 07:02 PM

I hand file, or lately have been using the Dremel tool w/ the chainsaw blade grinder.. works good and very fast. Gotta have a steady hand so as not to remove too much...

Are you sharpening dozens of chains a day.. maybe that is worth the investment at $400 but otherwise a Dremel is $40 or less now, and hand files cheap cheap.

simi-steading · #9 08/22/14, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

I like that yours has the backside adjustment making it possible to do raker teeth. I like that it is cast metal of some sort. However, I really like the bike hand brake style chain clamp of the plastic framed Harbor Freight model. I have used my Harbor Freight sharpener for 5 years. If it died today, I could buy four more for less than one BAC sharpener.

I was looking at that brake style clamp.. I liked it but then I thought, just one more thing to break.. I like simple. Also, after years of using the style clamp as mine has, you just get real used to it and it's an automatic reflex.

I pull the chain with my right hand, so I'd have to remove it from that brake anyway. I'm so used to just loosening and tightening with my left hand as I advance the chain.

BlackFeather · #10 08/22/14, 10:25 PM

I bought one of the table top kind that tractor supply had on sale for 129.99 last year, that works great, a factory grind. Happiness is a sharp chainsaw. I looked up the timberline and the place I looked said 99 dollars, I think the standard table/ wall mount type might be better for a few dollars more. This is what I bought. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...hain-sharpener

It works great and in my budget, might be on sale this year too keep an eye out for it.

hawgsquatch · #11 08/22/14, 11:36 PM

Silvey 510 for round filed. Sharpened in excess of 80 chains a day.....since 1969. You get exactly what you pay for.