Best Chainsaw Sharpener In 2021

Our Take

With over 100 fantastic reviews and the portability of this chainsaw sharpener, it has jumped straight to the top of our list for 2021. It comes with three sharpening stones to help with a wide range of chain pitches. Plus a helpful sharpening guide to make sure you are using it correctly for your chainsaw.

The powerful 55 watt motor has an RPM of 25000 which attaches to any 12V car battery. This is the best tool to have with you when you need to share your chainsaw at remote locations. Which let’s face it there aren’t often power sockets in the forest!

Being a handheld design makes it much faster to use for beginners and for different tools. You will have sharpened your chainsaw chain in no time!

Our Take

With their wealth of experience in forestry equipment, Oregon also tailor products to the commercial and demanding customer. The 410-120 Bench or Wall Chain Saw Grinder is one such product, and has been designed to give buyers professional performance in a package they can use at home.

This is a larger bench top grinder – designed for use in the garage rather than out in the field. Unlike the smaller portable devices, you’ll need to remove the chain from the chainsaw to use this sharpener – but that does allow you to get a much more accurate result. Once removed, you’ll line it up in the chain dressing brick, and grind each blade in turn. The great advantage of this approach is that the chain and the sharpener are both secured firmly, allowing you to achieve a perfect grinding angle every time.

Oregon have take great care with the ergonomics of this machine – with a handy little work light integrated to help you see what you are doing. This attention to detail is also evident in the quality of the handles, clamping mechanism and dressing plate. With the calibrations easily set out, the machine is not hard to set up for a variety of different types of chain.

If you use your chainsaw regularly, we highly recommend taking a look at a more accurate chainsaw sharpener like the 410-120. Not only will it save you time when out working, but it’ll also ensure your chains last longer and thus save you money in the long run.

Our Take

If you’re shopping for a more affordable option, then a simple manual file kit is the way to go. Even this type of chainsaw sharpener can vary in price wildly – and the options from Stihl and Husqvarna later in this review are an example of that. When it comes to affordable value however, Woodsman Tough have a great offering in their Chainsaw Sharpener File Kit.

One of the main advantages to such a simple setup like this is you don’t have to remove the chain from the chainsaw in order to sharpen it. That’s also hugely helpful for quickly sharpening your chain while you’re out in the field, as you don’t need to fumble around with tools. Obviously, a file kit like this is extremely lightweight, and easy to bring with you whether in your pocket, wheelbarrow, or pickup truck.

Unlike cheaper file systems, this setup uses twist clips to secure the guide in place and keep you cutting at the correct angle. By comparison, other options use flimsy metal clips which are prone to breaking. The markings on the guide are nice and easy to read, and with various different file sizes included, you can happily sharpen a variety of chainsaw chain types.

While it might not be as quick as using an electric chainsaw sharpener, many experts still swear by the manual approach. What’s more, when it comes to affordability, this is easily the cheapest option there is. So, for buyers looking for a chainsaw sharpener for occasional use, the Woodsman Tough File Kit is a great choice.

Our Take

In the early 1900s, Andreas Stihl became one of the first people to invent and sell chainsaws, setting up the Stihl company shortly afterward. Regarded by many as the finest manufacturer of chainsaws in the world, Stihl is still the market leader when it comes to forestry products.

Interestingly, Stihl only manufactures this manual sharpener, which is perhaps a sign as to how effective they believe it is. Unlike other chainsaw sharpeners in this review, this only fits one chain size, so you need to purchase the correct pitch version for your chain.

The compact design keeps the file and guards safe and protected while you transport it with your other equipment – so you don’t need to worry about breaking your files. When it comes to sharpening, the case then doubles as both the guide and the handle for the file.

This sharpener really is a pleasure to use, and the two-handed motion allows you to sharpen the saw quickly and effectively – almost as fast as with an electric sharpener. The guides are also particularly effective at keeping you cutting accurately.

Although it’s not as cheap as some of the other file kits out there, Stihl’s 2 in 1 File Chainsaw Sharpener is an excellent bit of kit, and rivals many electric sharpeners. The tool is very cleverly designed and is a great option for mobile sharpening out in the field. This also makes it well suited to homeowners and folks who aren’t heavy chainsaw users.

Our Take

For buyers who are looking for an entry-level electric sharpener for garage use, the Buffalo Tools ECSS Chainsaw Sharpener is a great choice. Less complex and much more affordable than the alternatives from Oregon, this little machine works well for occasional homeowner use.

Like most benchtop chainsaw sharpeners, this device is primarily aimed at workshop use rather than use out in the field. All chainsaw sharpeners of this type require removing the chain from the chainsaw, so it’s not really easy to do in the forest environment, even if you could find somewhere to mount the unit.

That said, the benefits of the benchtop approach are clear in this device, which includes a dressing brick and powerful electric sharpener. Mostly manufactured from plastic, this isn’t a unit that is aimed at the most demanding buyers, and although sturdy enough for occasional use, it may suffer when used heavily.

Sadly, there isn’t a work light on the Buffalo Tools machine, which is a bit of a shame. That said, in most well-lit environments you should be able to use it just fine. We noted a few buyers complain that the on/off switch also wasn’t in the most optimal position, however on balance these complaints seem to be relatively few in number.

All in all, if you are in the market for an affordable bench mounted chainsaw sharpener, then the Buffalo Tools ECSS is a great entry level buy.

Our Take

For commercial buyers, or other owners who find themselves sharpening chains very often, the Mophorn chainsaw sharpener is a great buy. It’s made of high-quality material, with an aluminum structure providing improved strength and performance.

This machine has a mounted working light on the sharpener, making it easier to see what you’re sharpening. This also makes it safer to use. The slide-resistant handle also helps with safety, keeping the machine held tightly for maximum protection and control. 

The 3000 rpm motor is decently powerful. It’s a commercial product for professionals, and that really shows in the performance capabilities. Moreover, the tilting vise on this chainsaw sharpener is suitable for semi-chisel and chisel style cutters. The 5.5-inch large grinding wheels allow for efficient sharpening. It has wide applications, adjustable for a range of different needs. For example, it can be used on chains of 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 0.404 inch pitch. This is great for a resonable range of uses. 

Although a little pricey, this machine will fully automate your chain sharpening process. For heavy users who want accurate sharpening on a regular basis, this is an incredible option.

Our Take

Designed for use with Husqvarna’s Pixel chains, this is a manual file-type sharpener from one of the largest brands in the forestry industry. Like Stihl, Husqvarna are one of the most established brands out there, and are generally highly regarded for their quality.

This blade file kit is designed to be a very simple portable sharpening kit, which you can use in the field with the chain still on the saw. Some owners prefer the simplicity of this approach, while others swear by electric bench top sharpeners for a more thorough job.

This kit includes a selection of files, along with a handle and a guide to help you cut at the correct angle. The guide isn’t quite as easy to use as the Stihl variety, and some buyers pointed out that novice buyers will find this tool harder to use.

All in all though, the quality is high, and if you own a .325” pixel chain, this is a very affordable solution to your sharpening needs.

Our Take

It’s not often that we feature generic products in our reviews, but with a number of happy buyers online, we felt we could make an exception for this chainsaw bench sharpener. Obviously, you are taking a degree of risk by stepping out from the renowned brands, but occasionally this can help you save some money.

Taking a look at the device, this is a bench mounted electric chainsaw sharpener, strikingly similar in design to the Buffalo Tools device. Both are largely made from plastic and offer adjustability for a wide range of common chain sizes.

Construction is fair, although for heavy users we might recommend stepping up to a higher quality product. For occasional and light users, something like this could make sense and will come in slightly cheaper than the branded options.

Our Take

Another option in the portable electric category, the Timber Tuff CS-12V electric chainsaw sharpener will help you give you chain a quick tune up out in the field. Timber Tuff are a MN-based company specializing in forestry accessories – and while they don’t yet have the brand recognition of other firms, they continue to produce innovative tools.

The CS-12V is fairly standard as portable electric chainsaw sharpeners go – featuring a replaceable grinding stone to enable you to accommodate various chain sizes. The guide is also a fairly standard design, helping you line up the bar to find the correct cutting angle.

With 12V portable power, you can run this sharpener in the garage or out on the road, and the compact lightweight design will lend itself well to use on logging excursions. Although not our top choice in this category, this is nonetheless a decent product that should help you get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Our Take

Bluemax are a reasonably well known producer of more affordable yard equipment, so it’s nice to see them throw their hat into the ring with this chainsaw sharpener. As you can see, this is an electric bench top variation, which is better suited to static use in the workshop rather than in the forest.

This unit offers a decent range of adjustability, with the grinder unit swinging for right and left cuts, and accommodating grinding angles of up to 35 degrees. Construction is reasonably sturdy for a plastic unit, and probably one of the better options compared with other generic type bench grinders. Cutting discs are reasonably easy to replace, to allow you to take on different types of chainsaw chain.

In summary, this is a decent affordable electric offering. While not the cheapest product in the category, it nonetheless sits at the low end and could be a good choice for an occasional home user.