It’s tempting to push a dull chainsaw chain farther than you should to avoid the time and hassle of sharpening it. But at best, that just makes it harder for you to get through the next log. At worst, it means damage to your saw and even injury to yourself from trying to muscle it through the job.
Here’s how to sharpen a chainsaw chain, how to tell if yours is dull, and when it’s time to call a pro.
When Is It Time to Sharpen a Chainsaw?
A sharp chain produces large, chunky, curl-like wood chips. If it’s instead producing fine sawdust, then it’s time to sharpen the chain. Other signs it’s time to sharpen include:
- If it cuts unevenly, pulling to one side,
- If it takes extra effort to cut through wood, and
- If it smokes while cutting.
“If your chain is oiled and you’ve checked the tension on your chain to ensure it’s not too tight or too loose and it still produces fine powder or smokes, then there’s a good chance that you’re cutting with a dull chain,” says John Allen, product manager at STIHL, Inc.
Methods of Sharpening a Chainsaw
To sharpen a chainsaw chain, you can use either a handheld file or a bench grinder.
Handheld File
The cheapest method is using a hand file to sharpen each tooth on the chain. “It’s also the most challenging and slowest, due to the difficulty of maintaining correct angles, depths and consistently filing each tooth,” says Allen.
To make it a little easier, use a chainsaw 2-in-1 file guide, which simultaneously sharpens the cutters and sets the depth gauge.
Bench Grinder
An electrically powered bench grinder, aka chain grinder, is what most pros use to sharpen a chainsaw chain. “This option is fast, repeatable and precisely sets the angles back to factory settings; however, saw chain grinders can be expensive and are typically only found at dealers,” says Allen.
Safety Precautions
While sharpening a chainsaw chain, always wear safety glasses and cut-resistant gloves. If hand filing, secure the chainsaw to your bench with a stump vise. If using a grinder, be wary of overheating the chain. Beyond that, “Sharpening the chainsaw chain is the safest part of the very dangerous task of running a chainsaw,” says master arborist Lisa Tadewaldt.
When to Call a Pro
Even for those who enjoy DIY, hiring a pro to sharpen a chainsaw is common. That’s because it’s relatively inexpensive, it saves time, and it often delivers a better-quality sharpen than can be achieved with a hand file.
How much does it cost to hire a pro?
Professional chainsaw sharpening usually costs between $10 and $20, or about one-third to one-half the cost of a chain.
“Once you factor in the time it takes to do it, it really doesn’t save you much money to sharpen it yourself,” says Tadewaldt. “People who sharpen their own chains do it for other reasons, like it can be done on-site while working, to keep cutting without needing extra chain.”
