Electric Chainsaw Sharpeners
As we’ve said, the chainsaws chain blade must be kept sharp in order to cut safely and efficiently. When your chain is sharp, it will easily pull itself through a cut without any resistance. In my last post, I talked about how you can sharpen your chainsaw chain at home, using a round of file with or without a depth gauge. However, if you’re a fan of gadgets. There are other options to sharpen your chainsaw. Electric chainsaw sharpeners come in several forms, including large bench mounted units that hold the chain blade at the right angle as well as bits that can be fitted into a Dremel or electric drill. All of these electric sharpeners are basically small circular grinding stones, which come in different diameters to fit the cutting teeth of your model of chainsaw. Usually an electric chainsaw sharpener will come with a cutting guide that you fit to the chain to sharpen at the correct angle. These should be used carefully – light pressure for a few seconds should be enough to restore an edge to a tooth that has suffered from normal wear. As with any home chainsaw sharpening, if you find that the chainsaw tooth has been damaged more heavily, whether from hitting a rock or just excessive wear, it might be worth having the edge restored by a professional.
When you choosing an electric sharpener, consider where you will be using it. Some of the smaller units come with battery packs, which allow them to be transported and carried around wherever you use the chainsaw. If you only use your chainsaw at home it might be more convenient to have a mains powered model, which won’t consume batteries and will always be ready for use.
Another point to look out for is whether the sharpener can be used to adjust depth gauges. Many electric sharpeners are designed specifically to sharpen the cutting teeth and have guides which hold the file at the right angle for this purpose alone. You may need another tool to adjust the depth gauges, which is a task that should be done regularly.