Granberg Chainsaw Sharpener, G106B, File-N-Joint Bar Mounted Guide System

I created a YouTube video for the Granberg 106B: ""Granberg106B Chainsaw Chain Filing Jig, Advanced Use" and a web page www.treefalling.com. Please address any comments to [email protected] With this jig you can sharpen all chain used on hand held chainsaws. Jig-filing can achieve the sharpest possible chain--equal to that of a good grinder--and much longer chain life than can generally be achieved with a grinder. You can work in the field with a stump vice or free-hand with one hand holding the bar, filing with the other hand, and steadying the power head with your feet. Main topics: 1) Flat-filed, chisel chain is universally recognized by experts as the fastest cutting chain. I will show you how to sharpen this type of chain on the Granberg jig as well as the other types of chain. 2) How to file in a comfortable sitting position so you can file during little breaks. 3) Simple changes to the jig to improve accuracy and speed. 4) Setting the depth gauges with the Granberg jig. Why the Granberg jig? --------------------- In contrast to the Oregon jig which is very flimsy because of a plastic filing frame, thin wall construction, and difficult to read black-on-black dials and a red-on-red dial; the Granberg jig is very solidly built with all-metal construction, thick sidewalls, and easy to read dials. I started off with the Oregon jig, but then gave the Granberg jig a try, was delighted, and never used the Oregon jig again. The Granberg jig provides a complete solution for all chain used on hand held saws. The ATOP file guide is a specialized tool for flat-filed chisel chain. Too expensive at about $200 and not as good as the Granberg jig for flat-filing. The place to start with the Granberg jig is the Granberg File-N-Joint instruction manual. I will try to name parts in accord with the Granberg parts list. Warning to the reader --------------------- Unorthodox methods will be used in this review: 1) Working from the front of the bar looking backward to see the cutter working surfaces. 2) Attaching the jig to the bar for better stability. 3) Recommending square ground chain over the more common round-filed chain. See "Square tooth, square grind" on the right side of Fig. 1. For example Oregon CL or CJ chain or Stihl RSLFK chain. For the beginner: ----------------- 1) Start learning with a new, unused chain. 2) Do not worry about speed. Instead eliminate unnecessary motions and speed will follow. Do not worry that much about cutter length control at first. Just concentrate on clean cutting edges. 3) It is easiest to sit in front of the bar with the bar tilted up toward you so that you can see the cutting faces easily. See section "Setup for easy and accurate work". 4) Place the jig parallel to the bar using the middle cut-away in the jig frame as a visual reference. See Fig. 5. 5) The chain clamps should hang on the tops of the rivets (not on top of the links). 6) You will not be counting strokes as with a file guide. Use the tooth depth gauge (Part 17), as described in the Granberg instruction sheet, to limit the file depth. When the depth gauge is set properly, the round head screw will stop the file frame bar (Part 4). This will result in cutters being filed closely to the same length just in the process of sharpening--no extra step is required for cutter length control. 7) With standard sequence (not skip) chain, it can be hard to get the jig off and on the bar because the internal support pads hang up on the cutters. See Fig. 14. To avoid this problem, position one of the right cutters over the chain clamps, then the internal support pads will not hang up on the cutters when going on or off. 8) Set up the file angles. For round-filed chisel chain (having square corners), the tilt angle (part 20) is going to be 10 degrees. The swivel angle (part 1) will usually be 25 or 30 degrees depending on the manufacturer. For flat-filed full chisel chain I recommend: 25 degrees tilt, 35 degrees swivel, and 8 degrees up (toward the power head) for the bottom of the three-corner file. See Fig. 8. For hard wood perhaps 4 degrees up for the bottom of the file. You can also test by painting the cutter face with a big red Marks-a-Lot. When you think you have the alignment correct, give a light kissing stroke of the file on the cutter. Observe the scrape pattern in the painted face to determine any misalignment. 8) We are just going to start filing without searching for the shortest cutter. We will find the shortest cutter in due course. With tilt, swivel, and height set correctly, screw the depth gauge out until it just pushes the file away from the cutter and the file has no bite. Now screw the depth gauge back in a bit so the file bites and sharpen the first cutter. Begin your count and proceed to the next cutter. Reset your count each time you reach a shorter cutter and have to screw in the tooth length gauge. You can file either outside-to-inside (down-filing) or inside-to-outside (up-filing). I see no detectable difference, but one can use a dull file a bit longer with down-filing because the dull file bites in a bit better when pushed into the edge. 9) Switching sides. With up-filing of both sides, the handle crosses the back of the bar (power head side) to change sides. With down-filing of both sides, the handle crosses the nose end of the bar. If you are not using the lock nut as described in Fig. 13, you can still prevent jostling the tooth length gauge as follows. Let the file frame rest on the back of both hands, pinch the round head screw against the frame using your thumb on the head of the screw and second and third fingers of the same hand behind the frame. Using the index fingers of both hands, pick the thumb nut loose. Change the up-down tilt angle by rocking the frame over with the back of your hands. Pick the thumb nut back into tight position with your index fingers. A strange procedure, but with practice it can be done in a few seconds and helps to keep the left and right cutters to the same length without readjusting the stop screw, so it saves a fair amount of time. This was the method used in the youtube video. Replacing the spring with a lock nut makes switching side easier and a little faster. A slide show for real chisel chain ---------------------------------- Among the customer supplied images, you will find fourteen pictures discussing flat-filed chain and some customization of the jig for better performance. Each image has a page number. Fig. 1, Flat-filed, chisel chain ------------------------ Fig. 1, in the customer-supplied images, shows a drawing of the three types of chainsaw cutters. This illustration is from a white paper by Madsen's Shop & Supply Inc., "Understanding Cutter Teeth On Pro Saw Chain"--an excellent discussion of chain sharpening. The drawing on the right side of Fig. 1 shows flat-filed, chisel chain. The cutting surface is a true chisel shape, so in the rest of this review I will just call it chisel chain or real chisel chain. This cutter design is by far the fastest and gets dull slower than the round-filed, chisel cutter shown in the middle figure. I believe real chisel chain has this advantage because the whole cutter edge is used efficiently. The cutter is actually a small chisel. Round-filed chisel chain depends too much on the point for cutting. Real chisel chain is tunable for soft or hard wood by making the chisel angle of attack shallower or steeper by controlling the file roll angle with the Granberg jig. See Fig. 8. Chisel chain is readily available from logging supply stores. Chisel chain and three-corner files are also available from mail order houses such as Baileys. For flat-filing, we will need a special hexagonal file universally called three-corner file. It has three wide surfaces and three narrow ones. I show pictures of one of these files in Fig. 7, 8, and 9. Once I learned to file real chisel chain with the Granberg jig, I never used any other type of chain. Chisel chain requires that three angles be controlled. I will mostly use the names from the Granberg instruction manual and sometimes the part numbers: 1. Tilt: the off-horizontal angle across the bar. (Parts 20 and 16). In avionics this would be "roll". Tilt is set to zero for round corner chain, and usually 10 degrees for round-filed, chisel chain. For real chisel chain, the tilt angle sets the balance between the top plate and side plate. To avoid hitting the links or chain clamps, the maximum tilt angle for chisel chain (also the best angle) is about 25 degrees. 2. Swivel: rotation forward and back toward the bar nose (Part 1, swivel guide). For other types of chain this is called the top plate angle, but all angles interact to some degree with real chisel chain. In avionics this is "yaw". For real chisel chain, this angle primarily sets the chisel angle for the side plate, so the side plate is pretty good at cutting. The choice that best matches the factory grind for both Stihl and Oregon chain was 35 degrees. 3. File roll. Obviously file roll does not apply to round files. For the three-corner files this is the roll of the file in the v-shaped mount. The roll angle is very important as it primarily determines the angle of attack of the chisel cutter. Use shallower chisel angles for soft wood and steeper chisel angles for hard wood. The "hook" used with round-filing, chisel chain serves a similar purpose, but file roll is more directly effective for chisel chain. Although not an official feature of the Granberg jig, we can set and hold this angle accurately and reliably on the Granberg jig as I will describe. We will set the chisel angle indirectly by setting the bottom of the three-corner file relative to the swivel head joint. The tilt angle and swivel angle are set with the dials provided by Granberg. The most convenient way to specify the file roll angle is by the angle of the bottom of the file relative to the swivel joint. See the discussion of Fig. 8. In addition to setting the three angles, the file height must be set very accurately so that the corner of the cutter has the proper shape. An accuracy of about 0.005" in height gives effectively perfect corners. This is easily done by aligning the ridge angles of the file and the cutter as shown in Fig. 9. I find best results by placing the file just a bit below ridge alignment. The chain clamps tend to settle down during filing and I must raise the jig a few times during work on each side. Round-filed, chisel chain ------------------------- Round-filed, chisel chain (middle of Fig. 1) requires control of only two angles. Granberg provides dials to make this easy. File height determines the hook in the cutter shape. File height must also be controlled, although the tolerance is looser at about 0.010". Because of the 10 degree tilt angle, this type of chain cannot be sharpened with one of the simple pressed metal file guides. Sharpening requires a jig or grinder. Round corner chain ------------------ Round corner chain (shown on the left in Fig. 1) only requires controlling the top plate angle. This chain can be filed with a pressed metal filing guide. However it is much slower than the other cutter styles. Once I learned to sharpen round-filed, chisel chain; I never again used round corner chain. Once I learned to file real chisel chain, I never again used round-filed, chisel chain. With the Granberg File-N-Jig 106B you can achieve effectively perfect chainsaw chain. By "effectively" I mean no further improvement would have a noticeable effect on cutting speed. Factory chain as a standard --------------------------- Fig. 2 shows a cutter from brand new chain. Note the top edge and corner are not completely sharpened. This is the worst cutter on this particular chain. Even with some defects of this type this chain was serviceable right out of the box but was significantly improved by filing. The chain was Oregon 75CG105H, 3/8" pitch, .063" gauge. Mediocre factory grinds are common on other brands as well and new chain will almost always be improved by good filing. Flat-filing with a special grinder ------------------------------------------ Fig. 3 shows a chisel cutter from the Madsen paper. I believe the grinder used was Silvey Rasur II. I own this model of chisel chain grinder. Note the top, side, and corner of the cutting surface are filed completely; so they have achieved a very good cutter. I have drawn a green line showing the approximate width peeled off to form the chip. Below that the chip is peeling away past the gullet. Note that the bottom of the abrasive wheel has created a shelf (or ledge) down near the links. We need to file out the shelf from time-to-time by hand filing with a round file to form the gullet of the cutter. The gullet allows the chips to exit the cutting area. Note the small marks on the link. The link is not significantly weakened by these marks, but they do establish that the grinder is working at about the maximum tilt angle allowed by the cutter design--about 25 degrees of tilt angle. A chisel cutter sharpened with the Granberg jig ----------------------------------------------- Fig. 4 shows a cutter I sharpened with the Granberg jig. The top, side, and corner are completely sharpened. All the cutters look like this. (Please ignore small specks of dirt including one on the corner.) Working free hand, I used a round file to create a smooth, undercut gullet. The deep, smooth gullet provides a clear path for chips to fly out of the cut. Because of the undercut, the bottom of the file never touches the cutter and leaves no shelf. We do not want the bottom of the file hanging up on anything: a shelf, the link, or the top of the chain clamp. When setting the file height, it is necessary to check that the file has free motion even when dropped slightly below the desired height. If the bottom of the file does bump on something it will kick up with the filing motion and cause a curve in the top plate. The jig-filed cutter of Fig. 4 will perform as well as the ground cutter in Fig. 3. The jig costs $30 and may be used in the field, and I can leave the chain on the saw. My Silvey grinder cost $850, occupies space in my garage, and I have to invest time to swap the chain off and back on the saw. If you count swapping time, it will take me less time on the jig for a touch up. But if there is substantial dirt damage to the chain, then the grinder will have the advantage. I do not hit dirt very often, but if I do, I usually just take the necessary extra time to get the chain back into serviceable condition in the field by some extra filing. When file sharpening, I take advantage of the fact that in normal use the chain is being filed back about 0.002" per hour (your results may be vary). When a dirt-damaged chain is brought into at least serviceable condition, I go back to work knowing that the chain will continue to improve in the next few sharpenings with the typical march backward of cutter length of 0.002" per hour. Burs ---- There are no burs in this picture, but burs do appear from time. They blow off in the first few seconds of cutting and do not degrade performance. Setup for easy and accurate work. --------------------------------- It is important to have a clear view of the working face of the cutters as indicated in Fig. 5. This is best done by placing the bar at an angle. Here a shop vise is used. In the field, I do not use a vise. I sit on a stump, rock, or log. I leave the power head on the ground and brace it with my feet. I hold the bar with one hand and file with the other. I file during little rest breaks, so file time does not increase my down time. In Fig. 5, note that the chain clamps (actually chain guides) are riding on the tops of the rivets and that the jig is parallel with the bar. By riding on the tops of the rivets, the chain clamps prevent the cutters from rolling or lifting up during filing. Some grinders have hydraulic chain clamps to control the greater forces, but the forces typically exerted by filing are much lower and normally light downward pressure is sufficient. With heavy dirt damage, you may want to really lean into your work. You can work in a standing position and set the saw on its bottom for solid support. Apply your pressure both back and somewhat down and into the bar so the net direction is just below the body screw as shown in Fig. 5. This will keep the upper carriage from lifting up and breaking your rhythm and perhaps ruining your alignment. The chain shown is 32", 3/8" pitch, 0.063 gauge, Oregon 75CG105H. The bar is only 20" but serves nicely for sharpening longer chain in a home setup. The upward angle of the bar allows a good view into the face of the cutters. Also, the chain moves smoothly without hanging up at the back where the sprocket is normally located. Some alteration to the bar. --------------------------- Granberg gives a design that relies on a body screw for a friction hold and requires not alteration of the bar. With the bar is coated with bar oil and with energetic filing, the body screw tends to slip running your adjustments. Over tightening the body screw distorts the frame leading to problems maintaining left and right cutters the same length. With a slight modification of the bar that will not degrade performance or safety, we can have a kinematic design that is very stable and does not distort the frame. To stabilize the body screw I file the end of the screw round (a ball end) and put a conical dimple in the bar. Fig. 6, shows a dimple made with a 3/16" Rigid, cobal, metal-cutting bit. The ball end of the screw seats accurately and reliable in the conical dimple. It is now easy to keep the jig level and at the proper height. I can take the jig off and put it back on and have exactly the same alignment. The jig will not slip down even with the bar coated with oil. The chain clamps (actually chain guides) not only keep the jig at the proper height but prevent the chain from rolling or lifting up. To allow for the 25 degree file angle with square ground chain, I file down the tops of the chain clamps a bit at about 30 degrees but left the underside untouched. I also and flattened the face of the clamps where they press against the chain and smoothed them a bit. I like consistent, light downward pressure to pull the chain clamps down on the chain links. Gravity is not enough. This requires some sort of tension spring. With a ¼" hole, I can use a Staples #64 rubber band looped through the hole and hanging on the chain clamp screws. To increase tension, take an extra turn around the chain clamp screws. I adjust the chain clamp spacing to achieve a height for the clamps giving smooth forward and backward movement of the chain. If you make holes or dimples, make sure to choose your position carefully to avoid rivets and joints in the bar and the raceway for the links. Holding the three-corner file at a constant roll angle ------------------------------------------------------ Fig. 7 shows a three-corner file clamped into the filing frame at a slight angle. The two upper edges are both in contact with the v-shaped mounting surface. The mounting screws (Part 7) are 10-24, ½" thumb screws. I rounded the screw off as shown in Fig. 7, in similar manner to the rounding of the body screw. The v-shaped mount in the filing frame readily holds the three corner file over the angles necessary for flat filing. Note that the filing frame will vary in angle as the cutters wear back. My preferences are the 1) the Vallorbe three-corner file because its shorter small sides gives good clearance between the bottom of the file and the chain clamps and it is relative smooth to give good cutter sharpness, and 2) Pferd 17081 Pferd 3-Corner Chisel Files (Each) three-corner file because it gives good surface smoothness and has the short sides at an appropriate width. The Swiss-made Vallorbe files are often found on ebay. The Save Edge three-corner file produces a rougher surface than the Pferd and the shorter face is too long and the bottom of the file does not have sufficient clearance above the chain clamps. For an expert discussion of the importance of edge smoothness, see Leonard Lee, Complete Guide to Sharpening . Setting the file roll angle of the file --------------------------------------- In Fig. 8, I use a General Tools 18 round head protractor General Tools & Instruments 18 Round Head Protractor to set the roll angle of the file. This a rugged stainless steel tool with a swing arm and a clamping nut to hold the arm angle. This protractor is sturdy enough to be used in the field. Although it is the upper and side surfaces of the file that are sharpening the cutter, it is more convenient to hold the protractor with the flat edge at the bottom of the file. I have preset the swing arm to 98 degrees. I set the protractor to have its flat side on the bottom of the file with the protractor in a plane perpendicular to the file. I then position the swing arm to be perpendicular to the swivel head joint. I ignore the position of the file frame which will change as the cutters are filed back over the life of the chain. Because the file frame angle changes with cutter wear and carries the file with it. When clamped properly, both upper corners of the file should be in contact with the v-mount as shown in Fig. 7. If I first tighten the front screw, as shown in Fig. 8, the file roll angle is set. It is possible to lock the back screw askew, so the file runs out of alignment sideways. When setting the back screw, I then make sure to wiggle the file sideways to be sure the file has both corners in contact with the v-mount. As shown in Fig. 8, the file is set up for up-filing of the left cutters. Up-filing has file motion from inside to outside the cutter. If we up-file the left cutters and down-file the right cutters, we can keep the same file roll angle when going from one side to the other and we do not have to reset the file roll angle each time. In this arrangement, when switching sides from left to right, the file handle will stay on the right side of the bar and move from low, backward position for the left cutters to to high, forward position for the right cutters. You can roll the file 120 degrees three times with the handle on the right and then rotate the swivel head (part 1) 180 degrees to put the file handle on the left. You can now repeat your three 120 degree roll positions working with the handle on the right. In the end, all six corners of the three-corner file are used and one has best use of the full surface of the three-corner file. The file frame moves back toward the power head with cutter wear. For 3/8" chain you may get 0.3" of cutter wear, leaving only 0.1" at the end of life. The amounts to about 9 degrees of rotation of the file frame. The file sits in the frame but we want it to remain constant with respect to the swivel joint. Because of this it is necessary to reset the file roll angle for every day or two of use. If you are using the Granberg jig to set the depth gauge heights, you will need to reset this angle anyway after this task. For hard wood, you may wish to try a shallower angle such as 4 degrees to increase the angle of attack of the chisel. For grinding, both left and right sides should be ground downward (outside to inside). For filing, the performance of the cutter is the same for up-filing as down-filing and I find it impossible to distinguish the cutter method with a 10x loupe or by wear patterns after use. However, a dull file tends to skid with up-filing more than down-filing so I have to replace the file a bit sooner. For me the time saved in not resetting the file roll angle with each change of side is the deciding factor in using this combination of up-filing and down-filing. Setting the file height ----------------------- Fig. 9 shows how the file height is judged. The ridge angle of the file should intersect the ridge angle of the cutter. When the height is correct you will see a perfect corner. Fig. 4 shows no evidence of the file being either high or low and therefore the file is set to the correct height. Madsen's paper discusses "beaks" and similar defects due to wrong file height. It is best to check that the file does not vary in height during the stroke. If correction is needed, identify the low side, flip the frame up and use the three-corner file to work this end of the mount down a bit. The ridge angle of the three-corner file is 120 degrees. The angle of the v-mount is about 125 degrees, a bit larger than the file. On the three-corner file, you have one long side and one narrow side, so flip the file from side to side to alternate long and narrow sides to properly lower the 125 degree v-mount with the 120 degree file. This should preserve the capability to hold round files. Clearance for the bottom of the file ------------------------------------ In Fig. 10, it is shown that the bottom of the file is clearing the link and the top of the chain clamp. To avoid the file kicking up, keep the bottom of the file from hitting anything. A deep, concave gullet prevents the bottom of the file from hitting the side plate and forming a shelf which would also cause the file to kick up. When adjusting the height, make sure that the file can, in fact, be dropped below the desired point. If your file cannot be lowered, look for a shelf in the gullet and file the gullet back if necessary. Usually a 7/32" file is used by sometimes 3/16" is helpful to get a bit more curve in the gullet. For gullet cleaning do not file down into the links but somewhat upward to clear the gullet to achieve the desired sideplate height. Higher cutter length accuracy ----------------------------- If you push on the file directly it is easy to bend the file frame (even with the all-metal construction) leading to slightly reduced control of length. For best accuracy push the file frame bar (Part 4) against the tooth length gauge (the screw, Part 17), as shown in Fig. 11. With this method the frame is not bent. I made a test with four cutters, measuring each of the four cutters three times with a digital caliper: 1) pushing on the file directly: .343", .338", .347", .343", avg .3428", root mean square = .0032" 2) pushing the file frame bar into the tooth length gauge: .330", .333", .329", .334, avg .3323", root mean square = .0021" Of course, either way, the error is small. A better tooth length gauge --------------------------- Fig. 12 shows the tooth length gauge--the file stop. As built by Granberg, the round head screw is too loose. It flops around, especially in the extended position used for chisel chain. Also, when the wing nut is loosened to change the tilt, the round head screw tends to rotate with the wing nut because of the spring connecting them. We lose our reference point creating problems in keeping the left and right cutters the same length. I can use my thumb and two fingers to pinch the round head screw while changing the tilt, but this is somewhat awkward. Fig 13 shows an improved mechanism. The screw has been removed and replaced with a 10-32 hex nut as a lock nut. The tooth length gauge is now supported quite solidly and loosening the wing nut does not disturb the length adjustment as the spring is gone. Make sure to save the spring in case it is needed later. I have to work without gloves to adjust the lock nut. Usually I work without gloves as my hands have learned to avoid the front of the cutters. I just pinch the sides or push the back. Rotation of one face of the lock nut gives about 0.010" of file movement, so we have a nice measure of the file position for face-to-face rotation. Using both faces and points on the hex nut, we get a precision of 0.005" in file movement. I use the lock nut as the primary control of depth. I move the nut counting faces or perhaps faces and points. I then twist the round head screw down onto the lock nut, so really the tooth length gauge is the lock nut. Centering the bar between the chain clamps ------------------------------------------ We should have the pivot point of the swivel head in the middle of the bar. If the bar is significantly decentered, the left and right cutters will be filed to differently lengths and the chain will be less efficient in cutting because every other cutter is low and the cut will tend to curve. Generally, I can judge centering by just looking for even spacing between the chain clamps. The jig seems to be designed for the greater thickness of longer bars. For my home work station, the 20" bar is noticeably thinner than my 32" bar and I wanted to have a correction capability for the jig that so I could use the same jig on both thin and thick bars. Fig. 14 shows the inside of the bottom of the jig and the method of centering the bar. I filed down both pads a good bit and drilled and tapped four 10-32 set screws. Two screws into the top and bottom of each of the the two pads.I can now control bar centering, jig tilt, and keep the jig parallel to the bar. Preventing body screw jittering around -------------------------------------- Note in Fig. 14, a spring placed on the 1/4-20 body screw will prevent it from rotating because of the vibration and banging associated with filing. I found a spring of the proper size in a box of miscellaneous springs purchased at HD for $5. Filing Time ----------- There is a video I uploaded to youtube: "Granberg 106b jig, Filing a 28" chain in 3 minutes with a stump vise." This time included mounting the jig on the bar and the time to switch sides. There were 30 cutters on this chain,

A little tough to figure out the first time, but seems to work well.

I do like this tool, but it is tricky to understand how to set it up for proper usage. You really have to go online and see video reviews, figure out the right file size to use, and the correct technique for how you want to pull or push the file.

Shortly after receiving this product I watched several videos online about its proper use. When I got it, I installed it on my bar and got to work making all the proper settings. Very quickly, the screw that adjusts the height of the file kept popping out as if it was stripped. I was very disappointed as this was a brand new purchase. I expected more from an American made product. I contacted the company (the contact number was easy to find on the included instructions). Someone who spoke fluent English with an accent typical of a person from northern California answered the phone and addressed my issue. He told me there had been a bad batch sent to Amazon with an improperly tapped thread on the part I was having trouble with. With no further questions, he got my information and said they would send out an entire upper assembly replacement at no charge. Great customer service! Painless! I'm still waiting for the part to arrive but I wouldn't expect it to be here quite yet. When it arrives and works as it should I'll certainly bump up my rating another star. The sharpener is very easy to use and a bargain at it's price. I expect to be very happy with it once I get this all sorted out. Update: Received the part promptly through the mail. The piece fit right on and the screw in question was obviously working as it should. Now this thing is smooth like butter. I sharpened a couple chains with it and the one I used so far was cutting like a brand new chain. This sharpener is easy to use and does a great job! The box came with a return shipping label to send the defective part back, which I've done. Thank you for the fantastic customer service!

In short, this tool is worth every bit of the 33 bucks. The key for me was not fretting too much about the less relevant details. I put it on the bar, get it about to the right height, crank down the thumb screw, hand tighten the two blade guides, eyeball the height, make sure the angle is right, and go. From start to finish, it takes 5 minutes. The resulting chain is scary sharp. With my Stihl MS361 on an 18 bar, I will blow through a 12" red maple round in about 1-1.5 seconds. It's like pressing a butter knife through mildly-firm butter. Not instant, but there is almost the feeling that the blade is slowly falling through the wood, rather than cutting through it. The question becomes, how much time do you want to spend modifying the bar/tool, reviewing multi-page guides, and measuring the length of each tooth? Seriously, I cut about 6-10 cords a year. I don't need to save the last 1% in gas and get the extra 3 minutes a day that a machinist-sharp blade would give me. Measure each cutter length? I could literally get 1/2 the sharpening job done in that time, and I don't worry about cutter length - typically they stay close enough to not worry about. Final tips - put the tapered end of the file into the handle portion of the tool. Push from the handle end for 1/2 the cutters, and pull from the non-handle end for the other half. For each side of the cutters, keep an eye on the depth of the file - the knobbed wheel has a tendency to wander. Eyeball the height, then note the number on the wheel. Every couple of cutters eyeball the wheel and make sure the number is the same. When you reverse to do the other side of cutters, you'll probably need to reset the height, thereby getting a new number. Hand file the height guides - no tool needed for that, just don't over do it and make the chain too aggressive. I've used this technique many times, and my results are always the same - blow through wood, pile of chips you'd be happy putting in a hamster cage, and not a ton of time setting up, measuring, and so on. More power to you if you have time for that.

The overall idea or concept is good, but the build is cheap die cast aluminum, the wing screws are too small and the general quality lacks quite a bit. Starting with the clamping mechanism, a single screw just acts like a pivot and you can mount the device as parallel to the bar as you want - as suggested in the instructions - after the second link, it will have tilted one way or the other. The adjustable guide clamps will either wobble or lock the chain, they way they are done is Fisher Price for chainsaws. For 5 cents added cost, the main clamp could have a counter bar to hold the entire device in its place for consistency and the side guide clamps could be tapered at both ends to avoid locking the chain. It's working but for $50,- I would expect something more than a $5.- overall worth given the cheap materials and execution

For content and tips, simply refer to the previous review by George N. Lawrence. Everything you want to know is there. The aim of this review is simply to add my voice to those already saying that this investment is worth its weight in chains(although it doesn't weigh that much). It looks overly complicated, but it's really not. Setting up for the first use took me roughly 10 minutes as I figured out what went where, and what did what. The next setup took about 2 minutes(for a different chain). Sharpening my first chain took me about 45 minutes(on a very worn chain previously butchered by yours truly), again as I learned how the gadget likes to be handled(plus the time it took to find the short tooth and setup the stop accordingly). Sharpening the next(touchup of a newer chain) took roughly 20 minutes. One minor-ly odd note(RESOLVED, see UPDATE below)...perhaps it's just my technique, but the tooth length stop does not, in practice, appear to be %100 symmetrical. By that I mean that once it's set to cut a particular length of tooth, when reversing the direction to cut the teeth on the opposite side, I find I need to adjust the stop once again to achieve the same length of tooth on the second side. It's very easy to reset(takes a minute or two to dial it back in), but it is an opportunity for error that could result in the opposing sides to have teeth of different length and a curved cut if you're not careful when switching sides. I would deduct a star for this if I hadn't achieved amazing results on my first attempt at sharpening with this device(after years of disappointing results freehand). I was tempted to replace the wingnuts with the knurled knobs that Mr. Lawrence suggested, but honestly the wingnuts are not as annoying as I expected so I doubt I will bother. I haven't yet tried this in the field, but I'm not sure that's really what it's for. I now own 2 chains that can get me through a day's session, after which I can touch up both at the workbench using this sharpener and my vice. Great results and seems to be built well enough to last a good while(no plastic). UPDATE: well, I re-read George N. Lawrence's review now that I've had this thing through its paces(why didn't I do that FIRST? :)) and, of course, he covers the issue I mentioned above. It appears that taking the time to center the chain in the jig will ensure symmetry when changing sides. I will be trying this on my next usage. Thanks again George!

Could be nice but poor pot metal breaks easily its either getting loose and moving around or it fails . If it could stay tight on bar it would be great how can you get consistent sharpening with this thing sliding around. Try using billet aluminum and i bet it never breaks

The best sharpener I have used.

Good but needs a manual. Also does not accommodate different bar thicknesses. I will have to drill and add three extra screws opposite the main mounting screw to be able to center the jig on my bar. Until then I must set the amount of cut and depth of gullet on each side independently from each other from scratch and also measure to choose two starting cutters of equal length because the pivot point and round black file-stop screw are not centered for my particular bar thickness (Stihl bar for 0.325 chain). I can't just flip the jig around to do the second side on the settings for the first side. That said, the jig does a fantastic sharpening job on each side. My chains are so sharp they do not need sharpening again for at least two tankfuls of gas (cutting softwood) and although the cutters on opposite sides of the chain are sharpened independently from differently measured starting settings, the chains seem to be cutting straight.

El afilador Granberg cumple muy bien con su función: deja la cadena lista y el resultado es efectivo. Eso sí, la maniobra puede ser algo tediosa al principio, requiere paciencia y práctica para agarrarle el modo. El metal es de buena calidad y transmite confianza al usarlo. En general, es una herramienta que funciona y vale la pena si buscas un afilado preciso.

Excellent bit of kit. A bit fiddly at first, but once set up , great and reliable to use 👍👍👍

Works as it should