The 10 Best Chainsaw Sharpeners

Buyers Guide Questions

How do you Sharpen a Chainsaw?

Chainsaws are sometimes intimidating machines – especially when it comes to maintenance of the device. Many people have concerns when it comes to cleaning, repairing, or maintaining their chainsaw chain, but many of these processes are actually fairly simple and straightforward. This is especially true for sharpening saw chains – perhaps the most intimidating maintenance prospect when it comes to taking care of the device. and having a chainsaw sharpener is always handy to have.

Many people make the mistake of buying new blades when their chainsaw becomes dull and stop cutting through wood properly, however, using a sharpener is an easy process and will help you save lots of money in the future! To start, you’re going to need a pair of thick and durable gloves that will be able to protect your hands while you work to sharpen the saw. Next, you’ll need to engage the chain brake so the chain won’t move while you work and clamp the bar nose securely so you can use both hands to work. Click here for our full how to guide.

What you do next will depend on what type of kit you have. If you have a manual kit, you’ll need to place the guide that comes with the kit down on the rivets of the chain. The arrows on the guide should face downwards towards the nose of the bar. Now take the file in the kit and follow the angle that is directed by the guide. It should only take a few strokes until you see a shiny silver gleam on the metal and are ready to move on to the next cutter.

If you’re using a bench sharpener, you’ll need to set the chainsaw up underneath the device and then simply turn the motor on. After the bench sharpener has filed down enough of the cutter, turn the motor off, adjust the chain, and turn the device back on.

You’ll complete this process over and over again until you’ve managed to sharpen all of the cutters on the chain. If you’re working with a handheld electric sharpener, you’ll need to use the guide to get the right angle on the cutters.

Since is is handheld, it is less exact than the bench sharpener and will require a bit more effort to keep the angle consistent – which you’ll need if you want the greatest results from your saw. Once you’ve completed the section you’re working with, you’ll need to set down your tool, disengage the chain brake, move the chain forward, and repeat the process. Once you’ve completed one entire side of the chainsaw, you’ll need to turn the chainsaw around so you are able to sharpen the other side of the cutters.

Now that you’ve completed these steps, you’re almost done with preparing your chainsaw. The next thing you need to do is find a depth gauge. It should come with the kit and you should be able to use it to help readjust the height of your cutters. Hold the depth gauge up to your cutters to make sure they are the correct height.

If any of them are too high above the gauge, you’ll need to use the tool to file them back down to their proper height so you’ll be able to use your chainsaw properly. Not doing this and having cutters that are too high means that the cutters won’t be able to reach the wood and you’ll have an ineffective tool.

That’s it! Your chainsaw should be good to go until the next time you need to refuel it. To make sure that the blades stay sharp for as long as possible, try to avoid getting dirt on the cutters. Doing this will improve the longevity of the cutters and help you save on costs later on.

How does a Chainsaw Sharpener Work?

There are several different types of sharpeners – all of which work very effectively. However, using an electric chainsaw sharpeners has proven to be more useful because they work more accurately and extend the longevity of the blade life on your chain. Manual chain sharpeners work by providing you with a guide that shows you the correct angle to file the cutters with.  You then move the file across the guide and sharpen the cutters in this manner.

Electric chain sharpeners work differently. There are two types of electric chain sharpeners – bench sharpeners and handheld sharpeners. They both work in the ways in which you’d suspect – the bench sharpener is stationary (normally on a work spot like a bench) and the handheld sharpener is operated by holding the device in your hand and moving it to sharpen the cutters on your chainsaw.

However, there are a few other things you should know. Bench sharpeners are more accurate because they allow you to sharpen your cutters while stationary, therefore giving you more control. To work a bench sharpener, simply set up and secure your chainsaw, turn the motor on so the cutters can be filed, turn the motor off, adjust the chain on the chainsaw, and repeat the process.

It’s a fairly easy and straightforward process, but you will need to make sure that you don’t file the cutters down too low – doing this could ruin your chain or make it dangerous to operate. Handheld sharpeners work by using a spinning disc to file down the cutters on your chainsaw and using a guide to help you keep an accurate angle.

However, since this is a handheld device, you’ll need to give this task your full concentration in order to make sure that you’re able to complete your task without using the wrong angle. Filing the cutters down at the wrong angle will mess with the device’s accuracy and capability, so you’ll want to try to avoid this issue.

What is the Angle for Sharpening a Stihl Chainsaw?

If you’re sharpening a Stihl chainsaw, you’re going to need to be precise and accurate with your technique. To properly sharpen a Stihl chainsaw blade, hold the file at a perfect right angle (90 degrees) and guide the file across the cutters at a 30 degree angle. This is parallel to the Stihl service mark on their brand of cutters and will give you the best results.

What is the Best Professional Chainsaw Sharpener?

There are a lot of great professional chainsaw sharpening models on the market, but in our opinion, the best would have to be the Timberline model. The design is small, light, compact, and easy to transport when you’re doing work in remote locations. Additionally, it makes it very simple to sharpen your chainsaw cutters regardless of how much experience you have with operating a chainsaw. With the quick turn of a handle, the cutter blades on your tool will be returned to perfect sharpness and ready to get back to work in a matter of minutes!

How Tight Should a Chainsaw Chain Be?

Chainsaws naturally loosen as you use them throughout a workday. However, although it’s a normal occurrence, you still need to be aware of its happening and take measures to adjust your chainsaw chain whenever it gets too loose. Not doing this could lead the chain to fall off the bar nose and create a dangerous situation for you.

Checking to see if a chainsaw has the proper tension is a fairly easy and straightforward process. Simply pull at the chain to test how it reacts. If the chain is loose enough to be pulled up but tight enough that the drive links remain engaged in the bar nose, you’ve got perfect chain tension! However, if you go to pull the chain and it’s too tight to move or when it moves it disengages the drive links, you’ll need to readjust the tension to make sure you’re being safe when you operate the machine (safe chainsaw chaps can help).

How do you Tighten the Chain on a Chainsaw?

If when you tested the chain your saw and found that the tension needed to be readjusted you’re taking a step in the right direction. Now it’s time to learn how to adjust your chainsaw so that you’ll be able to get back to work. You’ll need to start by loosening the nut on the guide bar side panel. If you’re working with a chainsaw that has the brake attached to the side panel you’ll need to unlock it before you’re able to do this.

Once you’ve accomplished that, find the tensioning screws. They should be located to the side of the guide bars on your chainsaw. Once you find them, you can make the necessary adjustments to the saw tension. If the chain tension was too loose, adjust the settings by turning the screws to the right. This will tighten the chain.

If the chain tension was too tight, turn the screws to the left to loosen the tension. Once you’ve made your adjustments check the tension again. If you’ve corrected the tension you can work on tightening the nut on the side panel again – if not work to adjust the screws until the problem is fixed.

You’ll also want to be careful when tightening the side panel nut. It is imperative that you lift the nose of your chainsaw while you tighten the side panel nut. Failing to do this could be damaging to your machine and make for dangerous operation of the device.

Top Pick

The Timberline is a great buy for anyone who wants to be able to sharpen their chainsaw in the field or on the go. The device only weighs about a pound and is very easy to transport with the rest of the work tools you take with you. You’ll easily be able to sharpen the cutters on your chain by fixing the Timberline device to the nose bar of your saw and lining up the file with the rivets in the chain. Then, all you have to do is turn the handle and file down the blades to your desired sharpness. The process is fast, easy, and won’t take more than a few minutes!

Premium Choice

The Oregon 520-120 Bench Saw Chain Grinder is an excellent tool to use if you want to be able to have access to a sharpener that can handle more than one blade pitch size. Click here to find out which size you need. This Oregon model happens to be able to sharpen three different sizes quickly, accurately, and efficiently. You’ll be able to get your tool maintenance done quickly so you can spend more time on the job at hand and save countless dollars by being able to accurately sharpen your cutter blades in a way that will help them to last longer than manual files can. It’s quick and easy to use and you’ll be able to complete the sharpening even faster than you could by doing the job manually.

Great Value

The Granberg Bar-Mount model is a great choice if you’re needing to invest in a high quality tool without straying off too far from your set budget. It allows you to get your job done quickly with its proven design and even work to fit multiple chain pitch sizes. The design can fit any standard chain pitch size which helps you if you have more than one chainsaw to work with. The tool is also very lightweight and easy to transport, making it a great investment and one that will pay for itself quickly. We also have a review on track saws here.