Description
The Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener makes sharpening your chainsaw much easier and more precise. The Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener lets you sharpen your chain on the job. Allowing you to work faster, smarter. The tool comes with everything you need to sharpen your saw. Included is a durable carry case with shoulder strap and belt loop. The carbide cutters used with the Timberline are interchangeable and are purchased separately.
Details
How Does it Work? The key to the tool is a solid platform that won’t bend, flex, or otherwise move during sharpening. This acts as a fixed guide to sharpen each cutting tooth accurately on the chain with little or no deviation.
Each tooth is sharpened individually with the carbide cutter fitted on a hand crank. An adjustable stop or paul pushes the chain forward into the carbide cutter and thus sets the length of each cutting tooth.
Angles are set for the user at a standard 30˚ More experienced and professional users may be interested in the optional 25˚/35˚ angle guides for optimal cutting specific to hard, dense wood or soft, dry wood.
One sharpener is compatible with all five carbide sizes.
The carbide size required is determined by the chain pitch which is usually labeled on the chain saw bar near the motor and sometimes imprinted on the chain itself. This number will be .404, 3/8, .325, 3/8P, or 1/4.
- 3/8″ and .404″ pitch chain = Large 7/32″
- 3/8″ pitch chain = Large 7/32″
- “Stihl” brand 3/8″ pitch chain = Large 13/64″
- .325″ pitch chain = Medium 3/16″
- 3/8″ Low Profile (LP, Picco, micro, mini) = Small 5/32″
- 1/4″ pitch chain = Extra Small 1/8″
Inches = mm
7/32″ = 5.5 mm
13/64″ = 5.1 mm
3/16″ = 4.8 mm
5/32″ = 4.0 mm
1/8″ = 3.2 mm
A Note About the Large 3/8 pitch
This is where people usually get confused. If you have the large 3/8” pitch chain you will need the 7/32” carbide cutter. UNLESS the brand of that large 3/8” pitch chain is Stihl. For whatever reason Stihl makes their large 3/8” pitch chains slightly smaller than the rest of the industry (we are talking slight, as in 1/64”). This is why the manufacture recommends the 13/64” size file.
For all other size pitch’s (Stihl, Oregon etc) it doesn’t matter what brand the chain is. So a .404 pitch chain it will always be 7/32 carbide cutter. The .325 pitch chain will always be a 3/16” carbide cutter. The smaller 3/8”P pitch (Picco or micro or LP =Low Profile) will still be a 5/32. The 1/4 pitch will still be the 1/8 carbide cutter.
- Timberline Chainsaw Sharpener can be used on virtually all chainsaws.
- 3/8″ pitch requires 7/32″ carbide cutter (or 13/64″ if the manufacturer suggests)
- .325″ pitch requires 3/16″ carbide cutter
- 3/8″ Low Profile pitch requires 5/32″ carbide cutter
- Tool Weight: 0.95 lbs. (15.25oz)
Carbide Wear Carbides experience most wear the first time a chain is sharpened. This is due to the carbide not seating properly and binding in the hook of the chain. To avoid this, seat the carbide into the chain by leaving the side knobs loose on the sharpener. Sharpen each tooth of the chain very slightly. You will hear/feel a chatter as the carbide spins which will smooth out as the hook of the chain shapes to the contour of the carbide. This is only necessary the first time a chain is sharpened.
Level Sharpener One of the most common mistakes users make when first using the sharpener is not leveling it correctly on the bar. This will cause the carbide to not fit correctly when sharpening the opposite side teeth. First, as the sharpener rocks on the carbide try to visually level the sharpener flat on the bar and tighten the side screws. Remove carbide, pull chain forward to the next opposite cutting tooth and try to insert carbide in the corresponding guide. If it doesn’t fit, loosen the side screw directly across and move the sharpener up or down as needed to allow the carbide to be fully inserted.
Sharpen One Side At A Time By sharpening every other tooth you don’t have to fully remove the carbide from the guide. This is much faster and allows you to have two free hands to pull the chain forward to the next tooth.
Chain Not Cutting If the chain is sharp, but doesn’t feel like it is cutting then the depth gauges or rakers need to be lowered. This is the “shark fin” shape directly in front of each cutting tooth. It’s purpose is to limit how deep the cutting tooth dives into the wood. As the chain is sharpened not only the length, but also the height is shortened. Eventually these also need to be lowered. Using a flat file, about 2 stokes off the top of each depth gauge is all that is needed. Lowering the depth gauges too much will cause the cutting teeth to take too big of a bite and make the saw jam or worse jump.
Not Cutting Straight Uneven cutting teeth is often the cause. If one side of the chain has longer cutting teeth they will take a bigger bite out of the wood than the shorter teeth. If the chain is cutting to the left that means the right teeth on the chain are longer, and vise versa. To correct, sharpen only the side with the longer teeth. If the bar has worn unevenly it will also cause the chain to not cut straight.
Even Length Cutting Teeth Depending on the size of chainsaw, it may be required to sharpen all teeth on the right side before switching to the left side. This is due to smaller saws having a thinner bar which shifts the path of the carbide and moves the intersection point off center. To adjust for this offset, simply readjust or loosen the rear thumbscrew so that the chain is sharpened evenly. By first working the right side teeth and then switching to the left the rear thumbscrew should only need to be re adjusted once.
A Note From Our Chainsaw Tech "The unit sets up fairly quickly, the only tricky part is getting the front and back arches set so both pass the chain. It took me two tries the first time I used the unit. I set it up on a MS460 with a 28" bar. The chain was well used, and had been filed by an amateur. The angles were all wrong and the teeth were different lengths. I had to make two passes with the machine. The cutter bit only takes a little at a time and because the teeth were so out of whack it took two passes. That part was frustrating, however the finish product is a tooth with a factory edge. Time to sharpen depends on the dullness of your chain. It took me 33 minutes to sharpen the above chain, this being the first time I have ever used this machine. My advice is to sharpen chains which have not been filed by hand. You will be starting with teeth that are all the same size and angle, which will make the process much quicker. The edge put on the tooth is better than that made with a file and has stone grinders beat hands down."