I posted this in the general category because a lot of us use chainsaws.
I decided to pull the trigger on Sthil’s relatively new chain sharpener.
The advantage is supposed to be is that it sharpens the chain,as well as grinding down the depth gauge on the chain.
I’ve only used this sharpener once, but my evaluation so far is that this thing does much more.
To back up a bit, most people who sharpen their own chains don’t understand the top of the chain is what does the cutting. When most people take a file to sharpen their chain, they file the teeth below the top, which does nothing for cutting performance.
The beauty of this tool is that it provides a depth gauge for where the file rides on the Z axis. So it provides an almost foolproof guide to sharpen the top of the tooth, which is really hard to sharpen with a traditional file via freehand.
I just sharpened a chain with this tool and it cut as good as a brand new factory sharpened chain.
If you are paying a professional sharpener to sharpen your chains, or throwing out dull chains, or putting up with low productivity with dull chains, you need this tool.
The only thing you have to worry about with this sharpener, or any file is to make sure you’re perfectly, perpendicular on the Z axis, to the bar when filing. Otherwise your saw will drift on big logs, and not do straight cuts. But it’s easy to keep the tool perpendicular.
Also, make dang sure you get the right tool for your chain. It can be confusing, so do your research. Sthil makes this tool for several different chain sizes, which can be confusing. For example there is a tool for 3/8" chains and 3/8" picco chains.
