The Buffalo Tools ECSS Electric Chainsaw Sharpener is the best electric chainsaw sharpener because of the value it provides.
It can make you sad.
You’ve spent a lot of time, energy, and effort in selecting a small chainsaw for your garden. And it’s been one of the best investments you’ve made.
Pruning small trees and branches in your garden have helped you keep it healthy, beautiful, and thriving.
But there seems to be a problem.
The chain of your chainsaw doesn’t seem sharp any longer. Every time you prune a branch, you seem to need a bit more effort.
Is it time to change the chainsaw chain? Or worse change your beloved chainsaw?
Don’t worry because with the best electric chainsaw sharpener you will get your chainsaw as good as new.
What is a chainsaw sharpener?
If you have a thriving garden, you may have a small chainsaw in your tool shed for pruning small trees and branches.
The chainsaw has a bar and chain that does the heavy-duty cutting work. And like most tools, it does need maintenance. After some use, the chain will start to dull. And it’s dangerous to use a dull chainsaw because it increases the risk of kickback where the chainsaw jumps back at you while cutting.
A chainsaw sharpener can be used to sharpen the chain before use so that it is in top condition while cutting.
Do you need an electric chainsaw sharpener?
If you’re lazy you could get your chainsaw sharpened by a professional but it will cost you some money. You could even replace the chain with a new one if you don’t mind spending the money.
But it’s simple to use an electric chainsaw sharpener and it’s more cost-effective in the long run when you need to sharpen the chainsaw quite often.
There are different types of chainsaw sharpeners available. This could be a handheld round file, a bar mounted guide chain sharpener or an electric chain sharpener.
You could choose any method but with the round file you need to be an expert at chain sharpening or you can mess your chain up.
The mounted chainsaw sharpener is good to sharpen the chain but it does involve a manual process.
The electric chainsaw is the best for you if you want to automate the chain sharpening process and be done with it in a few minutes.
How to choose an electric chainsaw sharpener
There are certain factors you need to consider while choosing an electric sharpener that is the best for you.
Chain size
The size of the chain differs depending on the make and model of your chainsaw. So you need to be careful while choosing an electric chainsaw sharpener and pick one that is suitable for your chainsaw.
The chain usually has a size that falls in the range: 1/4 inch, 0.325 inches, 0.404 inches, 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, and 3/4 inch.
You will get a sharpener that can either sharpen one particular size of chain or be adjustable to sharpen different sizes.
Quality
It’s always good to buy quality because the sharpener lasts longer and does not need as much maintenance.
You can get electric chainsaw sharpeners that are made of plastic, heavy-metal, or aluminum. But it’s always good to go for metal as they have the best quality compared to plastic.
Also, make sure the sharpener does not vibrate a lot when you use it to sharpen the chain. Excessive vibration can make the cutting experience uncomfortable and you risk injuring yourself while cutting.
Power
The electric sharpener will come with power that ranges between 75 to 300 watts. The more power a sharpener has the faster it will sharpen the chain. But the price of the sharpener also increases with power.
Another factor that specifies the cutting efficiency of the electric chainsaw sharpener is the RPM. It’s typical for the sharpener to have around 4200 RPM.
Portability
Your choice of a sharpener should also consider how portable you want them to be.
If you work in a big garden and don’t want to be running inside your workshop to sharpen the chainsaw you need a more portable chain sharpener. You can sharpen the chain if you find it dull and be done with it. Such sharpeners do tend to be slower than the bench mounted ones.
If you don’t mind going to the workshop to sharpen the chain then a mounted sharpener should be your choice. If you want to save a bit of space you can consider a wall-mounted model.
Price
The type of chainsaw you pick is also determined by the price you are willing to pay. If you sharpen your chainsaw just once in a few months you can buy a budget sharpener that gets the job done.
However, if you are a professional who frequently uses the chainsaw you will need a professional level chainsaw sharpener that costs a bit more money.
Precautions before using an electric chainsaw sharpener
When using an electric sharpener you’ll have metal splinters flying around and you don’t want them entering your body.
So make sure you use a good pair of gloves, safety goggles, and a long-sleeved shirt before you start sharpening.
Make sure that you are in a quiet place of your workshop or outdoors where there are no children or pets around.
If you’re outdoors don’t try to use the electric sharpener when the weather is stormy or rainy.
Always use both of your hands and keep your focus while sharpening the chain otherwise, you risk injuring yourself.
Ensure that the sharpener is securely mounted on a bench or wall as required. This will protect you from injuring yourself and give you a stable cutting position.
How to use an electric chainsaw sharpener
It’s easy to sharpen a chainsaw with an electric sharpener once you know how to do it.
Before you begin, make sure to wear a good pair of protective goggles that will protect your eyes from flying metal debris.
Place the chain on the rail that will be used to guide the blade as you sharpen. You can adjust the angle of this rail based on the angle of your blade that varies for different chains.
Mark the starting blade with the help of a marker. This will help you know when you’ve completed sharpening all the blades of the chain.
Grab the handle near the grinding disk and move it down to the rail where it sits in with the clamp. Make sure that the grinding disk is barely grazing the edge of the blade. If it is not you need to adjust the blade stop back and forth till this is done.
You also need to ensure that the grinding disk reaches the blade and not the chain links. You can do this by adjusting the depth of the grinding disk with the knob on the top.
Once all the adjustments are done, turn the sharpener on and start sharpening every other blade on the chain. This is because the blades alternate in their orientation. Keep sharpening the blades till you reach the starting blade you had marked.
It will take you about 5 minutes to be done sharpening the chain with an electric chainsaw sharpener.
Reviews
Last update on 2024-04-24 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Buffalo Tools electric chainsaw sharpener comes with a 4200 RPM grinding speed that makes it pretty fast for sharpening.
It has an 85-watt power output and plugs in the standard 120 V power supply.
This sharpener is quite flexible that can be mounted to a bench, wall, or vise. It can also be easily adjusted to sharpen chains that are of varying length from 0.05 to 0.08 inch.
This sharpener is rust resistant and inexpensive. So if you’re on a budget and don’t need to sharpen the chain as often you can consider this sharpener.
Don’t try to use the information booklet that comes with this sharpener because it is not helpful. You are much better trying to look up some videos such as this one.
You might find the plastic stop a bit flimsy but you can get it replaced at your local store with a metal one that lasts much longer.
Pros
Cons
Timber Tuff CS-12V 12-Volt Portable Electric Chain Saw Chain Sharpener
The Timber Tuff electric chain sharpener is portable enough to carry it around in your garden.
You just need to connect the 5.6 feet long leads to a 12-volt battery to get it started and any standard 12 volt DC battery should do. The motor is enclosed in a plastic cover and you can turn it on/off with a switch.
Once started you should be able to adjust the chain blade angle as you need and start the sharpening.
The speed setting of this sharpener is not variable so you need to get used to cutting at a pretty high RPM.
The information document that comes with the sharpener is poor and not of much use. You can use online videos to figure out how to use this sharpener.
Also, the grinding stone that comes with the sharpener can wear off pretty fast so it’s always good to get some high-quality replacements.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-24 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Oregon 410-120 saw chain grinder can sharpen chains that are 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, 0.325 inches, and 0.404-inch pitch.
This is done with the help of three grinding wheels that can sharpen the different chain sizes. It comes with a wheel wear indicator that will tell you when it’s time to replace the grinding wheel.
The chain sharpener also comes with a built-in light that will help you sharpen the chain in a low light area of your workshop.
The Oregon 410-120 chain sharpener is pretty expensive but you get the quality that you pay for. This brand is trustworthy, durable and will help you sharpen chains for a long time to come. This is the chain sharpener for you if you are looking for a professional sharpening tool.
This chain sharpener can generate a power of 140 watts with a 3500 RPM that will help you sharpen the chain fast.
You may find the owner manual troublesome to read and use. So you might need to take help from some videos and online information.
Pros
Cons
Last update on 2024-04-24 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
The Oregon 30846 electric chainsaw sharpener is another portable sharpener that works with a 12-volt battery and is very easy to use.
You can plug the leads into most of the available 12 volts battery to get it working. It’s easy to use and comes with a quick-adjust sharpening guide to get uniformly ground cutters.
There are two sharpening stones included that will help keep giving you good cutting power for a long time.
It also comes with a built-in depth gauge and a high-impact motor placed in a plastic housing that can keep it cool. However, the plastic is smooth and does not have any texture which makes the grip a bit slippery.
Like a lot of other chain sharpeners, the instruction manual that comes with it is useless and you’re better off getting the information online and via videos.
The thumb screw clamp can give you some trouble and you may need to use a pair of pliers to tighten.
Pros
Cons
No products found.
The XtremepowerUS electric chainsaw grinder comes with an 85-watt motor and grinding speed of 4200 RPM that should make sharpening a breeze.
It can be adjusted to sharpen chains that have sizes between 0.80 inches to 0.50 inches.
There is a brake handle on the sharpener that can be used to hold the chain in place. This sharpener is bench mounted that should give you a stable base to work from.
This is a pretty inexpensive chainsaw sharpener that can get the job done when you are looking to sharpen a chain every few months.
The chain clamp system could do with a bit of improvement to make it more stable but it does get the job done. It can also be a bit difficult to get the chain in the right place for sharpening.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
Now you can increase the life of your chainsaw by keeping the chain sharpened and ready to use.
All you need to do is pick the right electric chainsaw sharpener and learn how to use it. This will save you a ton of time and money compared to replacing the chain or asking a professional for help.
Your chainsaw will work as good as new once you have sharpened the chain to its optimal level.
If you’re going to be using your chainsaw often you will need to sharpen the chain frequently as well. Then you need to choose a professional chainsaw sharpener like the Buffalo Tools ECSS Electric Chainsaw Sharpener.
If you just use your chainsaw occasionally then you won’t need to sharpen your chain as often. A budget electric chain sharpener should be sufficient for your needs. So you can pick the Timber Tuff CS-12V 12-Volt Portable Electric Chain Saw Chain Sharpener.
Fact Checked, Written, and Published by Kevin Rodrigues
Kevin is the founder of Gardening Mentor, a website that aims to teach people to grow their own food in a limited space. As a self-taught gardener, Kevin has spent several years growing plants and creating gardening content on the website. He is certified in Home Horticulture and Organic Gardening from Oregon State University. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Horticulture and Landscape Gardening from Mumbai University.
Read more