I've got myself a shot of the neighboring farmer's chainsaw (actually he has several) to cut a couple of my trees down. However I've volunteered to sharpen them in future to save him the routine cost of the guy he's always used up till now. Ebay has a bunch of saw sharpening tools but every saw seems to be a different tooth size. 4mm, 5mm etc.
Is a universal tool a better idea than a set of diamond rasps for each size? What's my best option?
A chain will require one size of rounded file to sharpen that chain. This will vary between chains. I have been using a chain saw for about 25 years and never come across the universal tool.
I am surprised your farmer doesn't sharpen his own, it's not that hard to do, and you will need to sharpen the chain or change it if you are using it all day.
Jonathan
I've never heard of a universal tool, although you could probably manage most with a 5/32" or 3/8" file. The guide that the file fits in will also do for most, with the angle of cut - 10deg, 30deg, etc - marked off. It really isn't too difficult.
You have to do the spur as well, eventually.
Bill
If you are regularly using a chain saw, a file should be part of the kit that you pack with it, along with the nifty clamp / vice thing you whack into a stump to hold the bar. I'm afraid I cheat as filing in the field can be a pain. I have an electric gizmo that has a suitably shaped stone, and can sharpen a 50 link chain in about 3 minutes or less including setting up on the bench. I carry several sharpened chains as well as a spare chainsaw for that emergency when the bar has been pinched in a bough. I tend to accumulate blunted chains then sharpen them as a batch. However note that sharpening with the electric gizmo inevitably removes more material than you would with a file so you get less sharpenings per chain life.
AWEM
How about this one?
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