Most Common Types of Chainsaw Sharpening Tools

Even though heavy-duty tools are typically very low-maintenance and durable, you’ll still have to replace some parts that wear down over time, and you’ll need to perform some maintenance on them every once in a while. Chainsaws are no exception to this, and having them sharpened by a company can be rather costly. And if you’ve ever tried using a dull chainsaw, you probably know it can make even the easiest job difficult and dangerous. Dull blades require more force, which increases the severity and risk of kickbacks.

In this article, I’ll talk about the chainsaw sharpening tool(s), and how to pick the best one. There are a couple of different types of sharpeners, and they all have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. The most common type of chainsaw sharpening tool is probably the electric one.

The electric sharpener is one of the more advanced models and it may be slightly more difficult to use properly. However, once you get the hang of it, the longevity of your chainsaw’s blades will greatly be increased. You can mount it to a work bench and plug it to a standard outlet. The blade on the tool rotates with over 4000 RPM (rotation per minute), so you want to be really gentle when using it.

It features a guide which is mounted to the chain, and this allows you to adjust the angle of sharpening to get a precise result. You save a lot of time using this method over other methods, but you have to take out the chain out of the chainsaw. Electric chainsaw sharpeners are affordable, and can save you a lot of money in the long run by keeping your saw’s blade sharp and in great shape.

The most popular alternative to the electric chainsaw is the dremel attachment sharpening kit. This kit includes a stone grinder which is attached to a dremel tool, thus transforming it into a sharpening tool. You can also use the tip of the grinder to sharpen other tools like a garden shear, shovel or hoe. Unless the dremel you have is battery-powered, they aren’t the most portable option.

Another alternative is a basic filing kit. These aren’t as fancy as the aforementioned two, so you’ll have to make sure it fits your chainsaw properly. This is by far the most affordable option and is extremely compact. Moreover, this kit also lets you keep the chain on the bar. It may take you a while to perfect the technique necessary to use this tool to sharpen, but once you got it, it will all be worth it at the end.