4 Best Chainsaw Sharpeners Australia | 2023 Buying Guide

Why Use a Chainsaw Sharpener?

There are plenty of good reasons to invest in a chainsaw blade sharpener:

• Reduced wear – A dull chainsaw will wear out much faster than one that’s kept sharp, because the motor has to work much harder to cut through wood. Regularly sharpening your chainsaw will help this expensive tool last longer with less maintenance.
  
  
• Reduced fuel consumption – Because the motor of a chainsaw has to work much harder when the chain is blunt, you’ll use much more fuel (whether it’s petrol or electricity) to get the job done.
  
  
• Increased safety – A blunt chain is more likely to cause an injury or property damage, and can slip out of control or break when it encounters very dense materials.

Do Chainsaw Sharpeners Really Work?

Blade sharpeners work very well – but only if you buy a good quality product. They are quick and easy to use, saving you the expense of having to buy a new chainsaw chain when yours gets dull, and it ensures you get a clean cut every time.

How do Chain Sharpeners Work?

The chain of your chainsaw will fit into a horizontal guide on the base of the sharpener. Using a disk-shaped grinding stone (this looks like a circular saw blade with no teeth) on an adjustable head, the chain is guided through the system and filed down at the correct angle. 

(Speaking of circular saws, don't miss our product review and buying guide for the best circular saws available in Australia.) 

You will have to set the correct angles of the grinding head for your specific chain. The process of sharpening the chain takes just a few minutes.

Different Types of Chainsaw Sharpeners

There are two types of chainsaw sharpener, each with their pros and cons:

Manual Chainsaw Sharpeners

Manual chain sharpeners work well and are affordably priced, but they are less powerful. This means that you can’t take off as much with each stroke, so it’s a bit more challenging to get the chain nice and sharp and make it last as long as possible.

Electric Chainsaw Sharpeners

Electric chain sharpeners work very well and are very powerful, restoring your chain to as-new condition with very little effort. However, they are usually more expensive and you do have to be careful not to overdo your sharpening, as you can end up filing the cutters too low.

What to Look for in a Chainsaw Sharpener

• Mounting – They can be mounted to a wall for easy access, which is a great option if you don’t have much space in your workshop. Bench-mounted sharpeners are workable if you have a more spacious setup.
  
  
• Manual or hydraulic assist – Some of the more advanced sharpeners have a hydraulic assist feature that locks the chain in place to prevent it from moving when the grinding wheel makes contact.
  
  It’s not an essential feature but it’s nice to have if you want the process to be faster. Those without it will have a manual assist feature where you tighten a knob to hold the chain in place.
  
  
• Speed – The more powerful the motor, the higher the rotations per minute (RPM) of the grinding stone. A higher RPM means the job will be completed faster, but it also means the tool is more aggressive, so it’s easier to over-file your chain.
  
  A good benchmark is to aim for a sharpener offering around 3400 RPM.
  
  
• Pitch compatibility – Pitch refers to the distance between the cutting links on your chainsaw chain. Your sharpener will have to be able to work with the type of chain you have, and most have settings to accommodate different chain pitches.
  
  You can usually find your chain’s pitch on the saw arm of the tool.
• Automation – Fully mechanical chainsaw sharpeners require you to unlock and feed each chain link after filing, which can be a bit of an annoying process.
  
  Today, you can find sharpeners that fully automate this process – all you have to do is set the adjustments for your chain and let it work.
  
  
• Accessories – Today, many come with additional accessories that can be useful depending on how you use your chainsaw. This includes built-in lighting, additional grinding wheels, grinding stones, dressing stones and wheel gauges.

How to Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain

If you’ve never sharpened a chainsaw before there are a lot of potential mistakes you can make, so we’re going to quickly run through how to use a basic chainsaw sharpener, like the manual chainsaw sharpeners in the reviews here.

Once you’ve mastered manual chainsaw sharpeners, the principles are generally the same for electric chainsaw sharpeners.

To sharpen a chainsaw:

1. Clamp the blade (bar) or your chainsaw onto a solid surface that won’t move.

a. Use a really good quality vice for this, as it’s essential that your chainsaw is completely still for the next step.

b. It’s fine to clamp your chainsaw upside down if it sits easier on the work surface.

2. Tighten the chain on your chainsaw, making sure it is as tense as possible while still able to move around the saw when pushed.

a. Test that your chain is tight by pushing it (wearing gloves) while the machine is powered off. If it moves slightly, but with effort, it is perfect for sharpening.

3. Before you start sharpening, mark one tooth with a bright marker (this shows you where to stop later).

a. Some chainsaws have an odd coloured link in the chain. If you don’t want to mark your blade, start from this link.

4. Mount your sharpener so that the filing edge is lined up with the direction of the original chain’s cutting edge.

a. This is usually about 30 degrees, but it will be fairly obvious.

5. Slide the file, or electric sharpener, forwards, then remove it, replace, and slide forwards again. Never slide backwards.

6. File each cutter ten times until it is sharp.

7. Repeat this on every chain until you get back around the saw to the original marked chain.

1. Alloy Bench Mount Electric Chainsaw Sharpener

2. Baumr-AG Pro-Series Chainsaw Sharpener

3. Einhell Cordless Chainsaw Sharpener

4. Dynamic Power GN-FY220B

Chainsaw Sharpener Frequently Asked Questions

Are chainsaw sharpeners worth it?

A chain sharpener is definitely worth it, and can add at least 30 hours of working time to every chain. Never re-sharpen a chainsaw chain more than ten times as it will eventually weaken the chain, but every sharpening will add three hours of constant sharp cutting to your chain.

What is the best sharpener for a chainsaw?

Einhell’s cordless chainsaw sharpener is the best chainsaw sharpener for 2023, with its budget-friendly price tag, compact size, and effective filing plate.

Of every chainsaw sharpener we’ve tried, the Einhell model is the one that shines as the easiest to use too, so for anyone new to chain sharpening, it's a good place to start too.

How long does it take to sharpen a chainsaw?

Sharpening chainsaws is an essential part of their maintenance, so it’s well worth investing in an electric chainsaw sharpener. 

Electric chainsaw sharpeners will save you time in the long run and are well worth the investment. Sharpening chainsaws with an electric chainsaw sharpener will usually take around five to ten minutes. 

Manual chainsaw sharpeners take significantly longer to achieve a good finish, so you can expect to take at least twenty minutes to sharpen chainsaws by hand. Remember that every tooth needs ten forward strokes with a clean file.

How often should you sharpen a chainsaw chain?

Chainsaws should be sharpened after every ten uses as an absolute minimum. Regardless of the type of timber you’re sawing, sap, dust and dirt can build up in the chainsaw chain, and when you’re cutting through really tough materials the teeth will wear down much faster than cutting through softer timbers. 

Good quality chainsaw chains working on typical use will need sharpening after ten uses, but for heavy work through solid timber - particularly for cutting through trunks - you should really look to sharpen your chainsaw after just one use.

It’s essential to do this to maintain free movement from your chainsaw, and prevent accidents as blunt chainsaw chains can easily bite and jump back.

How long should a chainsaw chain last between sharpening?

A good chainsaw chain should remain sharp for about three hours of constant cutting. For a chainsaw chain used less than once a year, sharpening annually is fine. If you regularly use your chainsaw, sharpen the chain every few weeks.

Why does my chainsaw get dull so quickly?

If you have a good quality machine with a good quality cutting chain and are finding that it’s getting dull quickly, this may be due to cutting technique (putting too steep and angle on the cutters), placing you rakers too far down, touching the ground with the tip of the saw, or cutting very tough or dirty wood.

Are electric chainsaw sharpeners good?

As with most tools, taking the time to do things slowly and precisely by hand is almost always the best route to accuracy, but a electric blade sharpener will cut your working time by more than half.

Is it better to sharpen a chainsaw blade or buy a new one?

Sharpening a chainsaw chain is better for the environment than purchasing new chains every time and will save you money too. By sharpening your chainsaw chain, it will work like new for weeks, if not months, afterward.

How do I know what type of chainsaw sharpener I need?

To choose the correct chainsaw sharpener, you need to check the size of your chain pitch. Larger pitches mean taller teeth, and higher teeth will require larger files.

Most chainsaw sharpeners are universal, but it's always worth checking their chain capacity against your chain pitch.

How many times can you sharpen a chainsaw chain?

Generally, you can sharpen a chainsaw chain 10 times before it needs replacing. 

If you think its time for a replacement then check out our in-depth product reviews for the best chainsaw chains for 2023. 

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