Harbor Freight sharpener

[LittleLebowski]

Do we have a thread on this?

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I think Philbert had one....

 

[Mr. TBE]

Is it any good? (The sharpener; not the thread)

 

[LittleLebowski]

I will let you know after I run my saws today. So far, I think it's a bargain and simple to setup. It was $24 with a coupon at HF.

I will caution that I am not a chain nor sharpening guru, nor do I make a living with a saw. I just like chainsaws and using them

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I have a Harbor Freight sharpener that I actually use. Many people called them junk and that's for a good reason. They are flimsy cheap and out of the box mine was almost unusable. After I modified the handle break to actually grab the chain and tacked a small piece of Steel onto the clamp it grabs the chain well and will actually work for sharpening. With that covered because it is so flimsy I actually put the chop saw part down and push it over into the chain to clean the gullet and hit the tooth. It is not a good sharpener but it has work for me to clean up very rocked Chains. Another modification that I made is to throw away the factory wheel and use a Franzen course wheel that is worn out for the actual Franzen machine. That is the sharpener that my local shop uses so wheels are fairly available for cheap or free. Those Wheels have a 1-inch bore and the bore on the Harbor Freight machine is 7/8. This was easily fixed with a piece of 12 gauge copper wire bent into an Arbor spacer. After all that, I still file to make them sharp. All in all, not ideal. But it's cheap just like me.

 

[LittleLebowski]

I would appreciate seeing pictures of your modifications.

 

[AVB]

It is not a good sharpener but it has work for me to clean up very rocked Chains.

Agree there about that. I would add the only reason I brought one was to cleanup a chain that someone else had screwed up using one these grinders incorrectly and hardened the cutters of a chain so much that I couldn't hand sharpen a chain even with brand new files.

Be very careful setting your depth stop as I have seen many chains where the tie straps are severely cut. One chain I had to replace several tie straps recently because they half cut through making a very unsafe chain.

I also prefer hand sharpening probably because I have done it all my life

 

[SOS Ridgerider]

I have one of these too. There was so much play in the pivot on the body that it was hard to do anything with it. I ended up drilling out the housing and putting sealed bearings on it. Feels pretty damn solid now. I hand file all my chains square, so it sees very little use. I use it for the same thing as @Wagnerwerks, rocked chains.

 

[jakethesnake]

Yep I gots one them there things. Honestly. It'll sharpen a saw chain. Pretty damn decently. I sorta kinda know how to file well enough. I don't own a nice grinder. If you know how to sharpen a chain the little *f-worder will get the job done

 

[Dub11]

Here's one I started with the Phil AS link in it. http://opeforum.com/threads/hf-chain-grinder.4672/

I used mine for 3/8lpor rocked chains. And now us those Pferd 2n1 things. which work great for me.

 

[LittleLebowski]

Well, spoke too soon. I cannot figure out why it sharpened one side good and the other at this very bad angle. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

 

[Dub11]

I think the chains going the wrong way. Mine has the chain going across that table from left to right.

 

[LittleLebowski]

I think the chains going the wrong way. Mine has the chain going across that table from left to right.

You are very smart, I am very dumb.

 

[Dub11]

You are very smart, I am very dumb.

And I have been told not to trust the built in angle finder they can be off. I've never checked mine.

 

[jakethesnake]

Marked mine w a sharpie

 

[CR888]

Are these copied Oregon 511's we're talking about?

 

[LittleLebowski]

Are these copied Oregon 511's we're talking about?

Not sure, all I know is that it's the sub $30 Harbor Freight sharpener.

 

[Dub11]

Are these copied Oregon 511's we're talking about?

No they are not

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Are these copied Oregon 511's we're talking about?

No they are not

https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-61613.html

 

[CR888]

Not sure, all I know is that it's the sub $30 Harbor Freight sharpener.

Cool. The Oregon knockoffs usually get a better review from folks. I think they are more like $70-100 but far cheaper than the original at $300+. If you want a decent grinder the Oregon copies are well worth a look. They are a proper full size grinder with a decent size motor that will grind chains all day. I have 4 grinders but if I could recommend a grinder for someone who don't want to spend hundreds.....it would be the Oregon copy.