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Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
Lots of stuff there MarshallPowerGen, thanks for sharing.

Anyone use one of those bump chainsaw chain sharpeners? The kind the you stick your tip into then push, and supposedly it sharpens pretty nicely? The one linked is less than 5 bucks, which makes me want to try it but I haven't seen anyone talk about it so I assume it can't be great.
I dont have one but i can see it dosent sharpen the chain in they way a chain is normally sharpened. I wouldnt want to use one ever.
If you expect to have more projects that can justify the cost then cordless could be worthwhile. Air die grinders are nice because they are smaller but you still need a decent compressor. I know a few guys that several of the cheap imports, $20-$30. They don't last very long but are cheap to replace. Name brands are much better... if the shop supplies them. I worked in one shop where they wanted you to supply your own grinders. It's pretty rare a welding shop doesn't supply the power tools. Buying a $20 die grinder because the shop is too cheap to get one is one thing but with a grinder you need a name brand if you expect to last more than a week.
I have 2 cordless sawzals . They are ceap ones . Yes they are handy but ones battery is about gone and the saw is old. The other has charger problems. The sawzal and drills are handy and not that high for a cheaper one that will do what i need. I worked at a place that was all messed up when it came to grinders . They had some grinders and some guys had there own . It went back and forth on if you needed to have your own then they finly said and did provide grinders. They never had any die grinders and i needed one . I cant remember the brand but they had a warrenty . I would buy one when it gave out take it back one time then when that one gave out i would buy one and start over.
 

aighead

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
2,541
Location
Dayton, OH
Yeah, the way those bump sharpeners works looks like it misses the important part.

I know there are people that swear by hand filing but I don't cut enough to get good. I used a cheap harbor freight grinder sharpener that I really like. It took a bit of reprofiling the chain teeth but it works very well for my uses.
 

56wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
2,074
Location
alberta
I’ve got one of the bench-mount electric sharpeners that you remove the chain from the saw in order to use. It’s fast and accurate and I do a couple of spare chains and take them with me. I can hand-file but I don’t have the patience for it and it only takes a few minutes to swap a chain out in the bush
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,129
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
What I use is similar to this:
saw sharener.jpg
Mine is an Oregon brand and for what I use the chain saw for seems to work out pretty good. Usually just hit each tooth with 10 or 12 strokes.
 

bam1968

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Messages
529
Location
IA
Occupation
Excavating Contractor
Needed a big saw, but I couldn't justify buying a Stihl or Husqvarna. I've run an old Homelite 540 and a 410 for awhile, but they're getting tired and parts are scarce. I've seen these clone 660s around for a few years and finally ordered one up.

View attachment 258203

Dressed with a 32" Oregon bar, skip tooth, full chisel chain. I put a tank through it today on some large white oak that was bigger than the bar. I don't know how the performance compares to a true 660, but this saw flat ripped through that oak today. I am plenty happy with it so far. Let me get a few tanks through it and I'll report back. Tomorrow it is scheduled to break down 2 more 30" plus white oaks, a 30" locust, 32" walnut, and a 36" sugar maple. The walnut and maple are standing dead, rest are hazard trees that need to go.


A friend of mine has a clone 660 that he has had for about a year. On a tree clearing job a couple weeks ago I had a large cottonwood that I was struggling with trying to get it rolled up out of the hole. I asked him to come and cut the root ball off. He pulled that clone 660 with a 36 inch bar out and made a cut down each side of the trunk in no time at all. It ended up measuring 69 inches across. Pretty good size tree for this neck of the woods. That saw was pretty impressive. Hope you have good luck with yours.
 

stinky64

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2017
Messages
860
Location
java center ny
Occupation
big truck wrench/fixer of things
I too have a garbage freight bench mounted sharpener, think I paid $20 with a super coupon and it suits my needs just fine..One of the neighbors scored one of them fancy blue saws too and he loves it..I've had my finger on the BUY button more than once but I really don't need another saw(said no self respecting redneck ever) also a little heavy to swing around for several hours..Barely escaped the drunk amazon/e-bay forces...:rolleyes:
 

DIYDAVE

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
2,410
Location
MD
Lots of stuff there MarshallPowerGen, thanks for sharing.

Anyone use one of those bump chainsaw chain sharpeners? The kind the you stick your tip into then push, and supposedly it sharpens pretty nicely? The one linked is less than 5 bucks, which makes me want to try it but I haven't seen anyone talk about it so I assume it can't be great.

That looks like the old mcCollugh sharpeners, takes a special chain, and bar, now being hawked to homeowners by oregon (and chinese knock-offs), or like ColsonO4 said, you'll ruin a good chain. At best the McCollugh system was designed by idiots, for idiots!


 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Guilty of Treeson was a great show that seems to have shut down production. Jake the host of the program, was great at show and tell and explanations.
 
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Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
12,260
Location
Canada
The best chainsaw specislists I've ever seen were the guy's from Pioneer Log homes. They were the subject on the TV show Timber Kings. They even taught the forestry service recruits and showed some of the things you can do with a chainsaw. One of builder's said he could do finer, more accurate work with a chainsaw than someone could with a circular saw. Then there's the guys that do the sculptures, unbelievable craftsmanship.
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
I never knew! I recently purchased a manual pipe threader from a Chinesian specialist. I completed a gas line project with Dad's help and he brought his threader. What a game changer! After seeing how handy his was I needed to have one of my own. Wish I knew about these 18 years ago!

PXL_20220426_032654203.jpg PXL_20220426_032658342.jpg
 

DIYDAVE

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
2,410
Location
MD
IMHO, pipe threaders are going the way of the landline phone, but What I have found since buying a nearly new one about 5 years ago, is that pipe threaders are a lot like snowblowers. Buy one and it wards off jobs that you need it for!:D
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
IMHO, pipe threaders are going the way of the landline phone, but What I have found since buying a nearly new one about 5 years ago, is that pipe threaders are a lot like snowblowers. Buy one and it wards off jobs that you need it for!:D

It's not my favorite job so I'm okay not having a need for it anytime soon! :)

I used to have my old fashion hardware store thread all my pipes. It was super convenient, but since I moved I'm stuck trying to get pipe threaded at one of the bigger commercial outfits. It's a painful process that sucks the life out of me every time I enter the store. Hopefully this tool can help me avoid fewer trips like those! o_O
 

56wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
2,074
Location
alberta
I got one of those Chinese threaders and on the first set of 1/2” threads I attempted, it literally crumbled apart. Very poor casting material of the die holder. I managed to get warranty on it but am now wary of using it. I should have bought a Ridgid set but don’t often need them and couldn’t justify the expense. The closest place to get pipe threads made is an hour away:(
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
I got one of those Chinese threaders and on the first set of 1/2” threads I attempted, it literally crumbled apart. Very poor casting material of the die holder. I managed to get warranty on it but am now wary of using it. I should have bought a Ridgid set but don’t often need them and couldn’t justify the expense. The closest place to get pipe threads made is an hour away:(

I agree an American made set is the way to go! I'm just like you and cannot justify several hundreds of dollars on a set that barely, if ever, gets used. Dad has owned his la cheapo for several years ~10 years and performed multiple projects. One of his projects was a complete home rebuild requiring all new gas line. Hopefully mine works for the few times I need to reach into the box.

Dad said his key to success is lots of cutting oil and working the die slowly. I forget how he said it exactly, but he referenced how, 'it's not the best steel and it's best not to overdue it'.

Hopefully your damaged die was just a fluke and the others/replacement work well. :)
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,485
Location
Mo
I have plans to take some tools to a auction most wood working stuff that i have 2 of. The bad part is i think i will be out of town that day. I am going to take a table saw ,wood band saw maybe a shopsmith, air compressor or 2, lawn mower trailer,maybe my claw hammer collection, and who knows what else. This will real help on the shop clean up. Its one of those deals were you dont take any thing that you think is valuable because you never know what it will bring.
 
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