Sharpen Your Chainsaw With A Compact And Portable Amazon Find That Saves Maintenance Time

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Whether you're sawing firewood for winter or you need to cut down trees in your yard, it's important that your chainsaw is sharp. A blunt chain not only makes the job harder than it should be, it also increases the risk of injury because you're inclined to lean into the cut more and could easily slip. There are lots of ways to get the job done, but the OMCCHK Chainsaw Sharpener (available from Amazon for $16.99) is a compact, portable solution for use at home or in the field.

The sharpener is part of a fairly comprehensive kit that includes four sharpening stones, a cleaning brush, and a pair of gloves. The latter are a key part of using a chainsaw safely, so it's nice to see them included. The principle is straightforward: mount the sharpener on the end of the chainsaw, position the non-slip base on a stable surface, start the chainsaw, and apply pressure so the chain runs against the sharpening stone for a few seconds to restore the cutting edges.

There's not a great deal of customer feedback on Amazon, but the majority like it, and several say it's easy to use. However, one person who wasn't happy pointed out that it only works on the tops of the teeth, rather than the gullets (the curved portion below), so it doesn't sharpen the whole tooth.

The fact it doesn't sharpen the entire cutting edge does reduce its effectiveness, but that job can only really be done with a chainsaw file, working on each tooth in turn. It's quite laborious, so the OMCCHK Chainsaw Sharpener is still useful as a quick fix when you want to carry on with what you're doing with as little delay as possible. You can do a complete sharpening job when you finish for the day.

Also, this sharpener works on chainsaw bars (the bit the chain runs around) from 12 to 22 inches. That covers most of the right chainsaws for firewood, yard work, and gardening, but pro tools can be 24 inches or more. It also needs a two-hole pattern at the end of the bar for the sharpener to fit properly, though one of the pins is adjustable. Hole patterns vary from none to as many as five, so it's important to check.

For under $20, the OMCCHK Chainsaw Sharpener does a reasonable job of refreshing the blade in a pinch. It's worth thinking about if you only use a chainsaw occasionally. On the other hand, a simple chainsaw file does a more complete job and is just as portable. The downside is the extra time and effort involved.