Fast-Filer Chain Filing Guide

[Philbert]

Fast-Filer Chain Filing Guide

I received a couple of these to test, after seeing them mentioned in a trade magazine. They appear similar, in some ways, to the Husqvarna roller guides, with a couple of key differences:
- The top of the guide slides forward and back to control how much of the cutter is removed;
- The top then slides forward to protect the cutter when filing the depth gauge.



I am going to give them a try, and post some comments. I will also try to bring them to some GTG's for others to try. Anyone else who has used these, please post your comments in this thread.

The Fast-Filer is marketed by PMD International, in Australia, who also sells Archer brand saw chain, and the JAK Max line of rim sprockets and accessories. ***I do not know if/where they are available in the US yet, or what the MSRP is***. They are shown in a kit with a round file of the recommended size, flat file for depth gauges, and file handles.

http://www.pmdinternational.com.au/

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

These YouTube videos explain the guide best:

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

The body of the file guide appears to be molded out of some type of glass-filled plastic, with threaded steel posts/screws, and a large, alloy nut. Not sure what type of plastic is used for the rollers.



The catalog lists sizes for 3/8 low profile, .325, and full sized 3/8 pitch chains. The size is molded into the body of each guide (might be hard to see in photo), and the rollers are color coded to tell them apart. There are different angles molded into the guide bodies for the 3/8 low profile and .325 samples I received, so it is not just a matter of switching rollers for different pitch chains.



I assume (?) that these angles correspond to the recommended filing angles for Archer brand chain (different than STIHL or Oregon recommendations), so your results may vary if used on other brands of chain:

3/8 low profile - 35°, 60°, 0°, 5/32" file

...............325 - 32.5°, 60°, 0°, 7/32" file

3/8 full sized - 32.5°, 60°, 0°, 5/32" file

There are serrations molded in to keep the top from sliding out of position.



I am putting together a list of questions to ask the manufacturer, and will post that info here as well.

Philbert

 

[Wolverine]

Well, that there looks like a Husky "rip-off" to me. Bet when his "pat pending" status changes Hooskie will be getting a cut.

And for the record, I started watching the 1st vid and promptly stopped when he proceeded to drag the file back making that godawful sound!

 

[Philbert]

Design

File guides, in general, are aids to provide more consistent, or precise, results over free-hand filing. The horizontal rollers on the Fast Filer, like those on the Husqvarna roller guides, fix the height of the file, which sets the top plate cutting bevel. The rollers also set the file 'down angle' (typically 0° or 10° in filing specs).

The Fast Filer also has 2 vertical rollers/posts, which fix the top plate angle (commonly 30° in filing specs) and set a consistent cutter length. These must be 'eyeballed' with the Husqvarna roller guides.

The 'Good News'?: the Fast Filer sets file height, down angle, top plate angle, and cutter length, which should provide consistently filed saw chain cutters.

The 'Bad* News'?: all of the above are fixed, which means you have no choices.

*This is not really 'bad' news if the filer is happy with those angles/settings, and just wants to bring a chain back consistently. But if someone wants something else, they don't have that option. This is somewhat true with most filing guides - they fix one or more setting, and they may fix them differently. In other words, one file guide might set a 10° down angle, and another a 0° down angle, which makes going back and forth, between different guides, a potential issue.



(Interesting manufacturing design, using a threaded hole, tapped into the head of another socket head screw, to secure the horizontal rollers.)

Philbert

 

[exSW]

I dunno. I bought one of those fancy Stihl two file all in one deals. It's set up for 3/8 picco. Got tired of how my grinder guys were using up my PS chains. I'll report back.

 

[Philbert]

I dunno. I bought one of those fancy Stihl two file all in one deals. . . . I'll report back.

First tried one of those a few weeks ago. Works. A lot of people like them. My mantra has been: "Lot of ways to sharpen a chain - folks need to find something that works for them."

I don't sell any of these guides, file, grinders, etc., so I am not invested in what people choose. Somewhat curious in finding out what they like about them, and how the devices work.

Philbert

 

[exSW]

First tried one of those a few weeks ago. Works. A lot of people like them. My mantra has been: "Lot of ways to sharpen a chain - folks need to find something that works for them."

I don't sell any of these guides, file, grinders, etc., so I am not invested in what people choose. Somewhat curious in finding out what they like about them, and how the devices work.

Philbert

Guy I cut with had one. Said this thing works slick. Right after that one came up for sale on here set up for PS so I jumped.

 

[Philbert]

Fit Test

Just like shoes, or jeans, you have to try them on to see if they really fit. I have a few chains laying around, so I did some informal fit tests (sorry, no photos).

3/8 low profile

I tried a variety of Oregon, McCulloch, Carlton, Sabre, and STIHL loops, all 0.050" gauge.

My concern was that the 'tie strap-to-tie strap' width might vary, and not fit the slots in the file guide. Every chain I tried fit, ***except those with low kickback tie strap bumpers***. The low kick back tie straps prevented the Fast Filer from seating on the chain, holding it up a significant amount. The file guide appeared to seat well on chains with low kickback drive link bumpers, and on chains without any low kick back bumpers.

.325 Pitch

Again, I tried mounting the file guide on a variety of Oregon, STIHL, and Carlton loops, in 0.050 and 0.063 gauges.

Again, it fit most chains, ***except those with low kickback tie strap bumpers***. It was also too loose to use on .325 narrow kerf chain (e.g. Oregon 95, Husqvarna H30).

Since the Archer catalog does not list any .325 narrow kerf chains, or any chains with tie strap bumpers, it makes sense that these guides would fit most of their chains in the size ranges offered.

Caveats

Of course, I did not try these guides on every chain made. In some cases, the thickness of the guide bar on which the chain is mounted may also be an issue.

Seating the guide fully down on the chain is important. On one chain, I ended up with a reverse bevel because the Fast Filer was not fully seated (fixed when I realized this). It might be because the Fast Filer is new and tight, or it might have been the file guide / chain combination. But it did not always seat as easily as in the videos.

Simply fitting on the chain does not guarantee that you will get the angles expected - it is possible that different manufacturers have different cutter profiles/shapes, and, since the guide positions the file from below, it is possible that a fully seated guide may still place the file in a higher or lower position than expected resulting in different bevel angles, etc. But it is a good start!


Philbert

 

[Philbert]

First Use / Impressions

As noted, the file guide has to fit the chain and be firmly seated. While not complicated, it takes a few tries to get everything positioned correctly, and to work as quickly, and as smoothly as the guy in the videos.

The serrations between the sliding top and the main body of the Fast Filer mean that the cutter length is actually adjusted in discrete increments (approximately 0.1 mm), as well as preventing slippage.

It appeared that there is enough travel to file a cutter down to an 'end-of-life' length on the chains I looked at; not sure if any chains have extended length cutters that would exceed that. While it might be possible to elongate the hole in the top of the guide for a little extra travel, that would take the file off of the horizontal rollers, and defeat the purpose.

I liked the way that the file stopped cutting when I reached the vertical rollers, indicating I had reached the specified cutter length. I got smooth, sharp, filed cutters.

I was filing on spare guide bars, clamped in a bench vise. While this worked for newer chains with tighter links, links on older, worn, 'stretched' chains moved about quite a bit between the mounting slots on the bottom of the Fast Filer. This would probably not be a problem if the chains were tensioned on a guide bar mounted on a saw.

I am still working to fully understand the depth gauge portion of the rollers. On older, used chains, with shorter length cutters, I can slide the top of the file guide forward to protect the cutting edges, and rest the flat file on the larger diameter portion of the horizontal rollers, just like in the videos. On newer chains, that clearance does not exist between the depth gauges and the cutting edges, so the flat file has to rest on the molded shelf portion of the file gauge, not the rollers, and I am not sure that I am getting the correct (0.025") offset.

This gauge also does not let me take additional file passes off of the depth gauges, if desired, but in fairness, few depth gauge tools do.



There appears to be a surprising amount of wear on the rollers, from the very limited number of test strokes that I made. I was mostly testing fit against a few cutters on a loop, rather than filing whole chains, and was focused on pressing against the cutter, not on the rollers, but there are clear indentations from the file, along with fine, embedded chips. Again, I am not sure what type of plastic is used to make these rollers, but a higher grade Delrin, nylon, or HDPE roller might wear better. I have also asked the manufacturer if these rollers are available as replacement / wear parts.

Overall, I am still optimistic for these being a good choice for some folks. The true test will be filing some full chains and cutting with them! That might take me a while to get to, but I am hoping that some forum members outside of the US may have also tried these and have some experiences to share.

Philbert

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Those rollers don't look like they will stand up to much use. Otherwise I like the concept... a step forward from the Husqy roller guides.

One question: is there room to move the file away from the tooth on the backstroke?

 

[jake wells]

looks cheaply made.

 

[Motorhead]

I've had the same Granberg for 8 years,Still works great,I don't think that gizmo will last a year.

 

[Philbert]

I've had the same Granberg for 8 years,Still works great, . . .

There have been many brands and versions of the Granberg-style file guides over the years - started a whole thread on those on another site:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/granberg-file-n-joint-revisited.193630/

Positive aspects of that type of clamp-on file guide: work with almost any size/brand/style/type/sequence of chain; let the user dial in almost any angles; work with standard files.
Negative aspects include: some people find them too complex or confusing; take longer to set up; larger to carry along in the field; some newer models feel more cheaply made.

Some people sharpen on the bar, mounted on the saw; some sharpen in batches, 'back at the shop'; etc. Lots of different needs and preferences. This is just one more to consider.

I don't think that gizmo will last a year.

The durability of the rollers is a concern - asked the manufacturer if they are replaceable, and waiting for a response. The rest of the unit looks / feels well made. Not sure of the retail price either. Lasting a year might be a good deal, depending on cost, and amount of use.

These are just my initial impressions. Still hoping to hear from folks on this site who may have used them for a while.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Got some feedback from the distributor, which I will try to summarize. I also invited him to join this thread to participate and answer questions directly.

• The file guide is designed to rest on the cutters in front, and in back, of the cutter being filed - this is how the guide adjusts for cutter height / slope and depth gauge height.

• The flat, depth gauge file may rest on the flat shelf near the front of the file, and not necessarily on the large part of the rollers. (*Note: This is slightly different than he it is described in the third YouTube video).

• The fixed angles are those recommended for Archer chains:
3/8 low profile - 35°, 60°, 0°
.... ...........325 - 32.5°, 60°, 0°
3/8 full sized - 32.5°, 60°, 0°

• They say it should work on all brands of chain*.

• Replacement rollers 'can' be available.

• MSRP (US) is $19.95. I am trying to find out where it can be ordered in the US.

*Note, based on my experimentation it will not work with narrow kerf chain (e.g. Oregon type 90 or type 95, etc.), or chains with bumper tie straps (e.g. Oregon VG type chains). Because it rests on cutters in front, and in back, of the cutter being filed, it probably will also not work with skip tooth chains. See photos below: green rollers = 3/8 low profile chain; yellow rollers = .325 pitch.




Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

For what it's worth:

3/8" - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Chainsa...237344?hash=item58df39eca0:g:OHYAAOSwP0RXh-fk

3/8" Low Profile - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Chainsa...241777?hash=item58df39fdf1:g:~ToAAOSwyKxXh-fE

.325" - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-chainsa...232697?hash=item58df39da79:g:m3YAAOSwYSlXh-gB

If I see this correctly, it is free shipping within the US.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I like the idea. Subscribing to the thread to see if anyone else uses it and likes it.

 

[Philbert]

Received a full sized 3/8 pitch Fast-Filer, in the kit with the files, from the distributor, and will try to bring them to the MN/WI/IA GTG this weekend, if anyone is interested in trying it.

Availability in the US appears to only be through eBay right now, via seller 'archer plus'.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

Took 'Em to A GTG Today

Set it up like a science fair project:


Left them out for folks to try:






I will let folks post their own opinions on ease of use and effectiveness.

Philbert

 

[CTYank]

I've had the same Granberg for 8 years,Still works great,I don't think that gizmo will last a year.

Ditto, but for more like 40 yrs, checking out new toys as they emerge. Got another recently- the earlier version wouldn't grab the 10" 3/8"LP NK bar on my polesaw; current one does. Haven't found better yet, for precise filing of any chain I have a "round" file to fit. No "kludgy" bits (to lose) needed. Lots to be said for KISS. "Sharpie" marker handy to ID first cutter done.

I've shown folks how to set up and go with one, in minutes. Takes a wee bit of conscious thought. Trivial to tote in basic tool bag out in the woods, for routine quick touch-ups. Stump vise not really necessary. Folks introduced to one, now use one, except for chains used for rototilling.

IMO critical rqmt for chain maintenance is KEEPING chain sharp. With any smarts and practice, this guide makes that trivial. Plenty of other areas of concern.