Pro tip: don't buy the $60 chainsaw file kit from the box store, it's the same file as the $8 one

Skyler Baker · 2026-10-10T15:00:05.643032+00:00

I picked up one of those fancy chainsaw sharpening kits at the store in Boise for $60 because the guy behind the counter said it would cut my filing time in half, and after two tanks of gas through my 261 the chain was worse than when I started. Turns out the file in the kit is the exact same 7/32 round file you can grab for $8, just with a plastic guide and a fancy case around it, and I ended up going back to my old wooden handle and a bare file like my dad taught me. What's your go to setup for touching up a chain in the field, do you carry a guide or just freehand it?

Librear

Loading…

Pro tip: don't buy the $60 chainsaw file kit from the box store, it's the same file as the $8 one | Arborists - Librear