I’ve always used a file to sharpen my saws. Looking for a bench grinder….any suggestions?

I've got a timber tuff from farm and fleet and love it.my chains last alot longer then when I took them somewhere to get them sharpened as they always went to deep and took off more then it needed.

Patience Grasshopper....hand file is still the best...and the depth gauges even more important. Good hand files are the key...and good quality is impotent.

Stihl makes a jig to assist in maintaining the correct depth and angle

I have one of the cheaper Oregon sharpeners. It works well. But, with the amount of plastic on it I am always cautious to be gentle when using it.

You can bench mount or wall mount the unit. I went with attaching it to a wall.

https://americanforestry.com/products/standard-bench-grinder-120v

Files are best for maintaining a chain. With each tank of gas hit the chain with a couple swipes of the file.

the bench grinder takes the same amount off every tooth and it does it very fast.

be ready to get 1/3 or less the number of sharpening's you get with a file.

is it faster , it can be it takes it off a lot faster.

Oregon would be the grinder to get they are not cheap

if your falling 8 hours a day they make sense daylight is money if you run a tree service and you are trying to get max jobs in a day they can make sense

if your cutting firewood , really not worth it

remember to dress your bar also

I have tried hand filing and also a bench grinder and the results were never anything close to a new chain. I know that I should be able to get a good result with a file, but it just never happens. The last couple of years I have been using a Dremel tool with the proper sized chain saw sharpening bit and it has given me the best results and is quick and easy. I use a Husqvarna depth gauge and file to keep the cut depth right.

Just a thought.

Pferd® makes a file holder that works exceptionally well, It gets the rakers at the same time as teeth. Not as mechanized as a grinder, but a lot more efficent than just a file.

I run Stihl saws, so may not work for anyone else, but Stihl makes a sharpening kit for each chain size. Flat file, round file and guide. Used to be chain had to be sharpened with two bevel angles........fore and aft, up and down. Stihl chain is filed level. So only have to get the fore and aft angle right and the guide does that for you. A couple strokes on each tooth and in a few minutes can get them sharp enough to get chips the size of fingernails. Get that right and you can actually feel the press of chips against your pant leg as they are coming off.

I use the stones and a dermal tool to sharpen my chains quick and easy.

Hand sharpening with a file is one of those skills where "You either have it, or you don't"

And most don't!....A good electric grinder like the Oregon 410 -120 would be a very helpful tool to have in the saw arsenal.

I "have it" but this sharpener has intrigued me. I may get one.

That looks like a nice jig Posco, the price is right, and looks precise!

I tried multiple jigs, they’re all in the bottom of the junk drawer. Found I can touch em up way easier and faster by hand. The Stihl one with the flat/round file combo built in gets some use though.

I have used that same jig for several years now. Once you get on to mounting it on your bar it works great. It takes the guess work out of sharpening now.

Thats what I do too. Mine is 12volt and has marking for 25,30, 35 degrees, I use 30 degrees and its pretty much free hand . I use the diamond bits. I always have something in the woods that has a 12v battery on it.

I just use a file .

Hand filing is great, in the field. I have a small 12 V hand grinder, that's a life saver, But I think a chain needs to be machine ground every so often to keep the cutters the same length. Just remember to follow the recommended angles for your chain and saw, and only use a "fuzz" cut to help the chain life last.
Check out the Harbor Freight grinder.
I bought a used one from a local hardware store that went bust, worth every penny.

I paid around 90.00 for mine when I bought it several years ago.it has paid for itself many times over by me not having to buy more chains because the guys I used to have sharpen them would take to much off each time they would sharpen them.but they also sold chains,so the more they took off the sooner they could sell you a new one.if you can't get your chain to cut like it was new after sharpening it your not doing some thing right.i usually sharpen mine at a 35 degree angle and check the rakers to make sure there the right heighth.