What size file do I need to sharpen my chainsaw chain?
Most chains take a 5/32" or a 7/32" round file, and your chain pitch tells you which one.
Nearly every chain you'll come across takes one of two file sizes. A 3/8" low-profile chain, which is what most small saws run, takes a 5/32" file. A full 3/8" pitch chain, the sort that's on a bigger firewood saw, takes a 7/32". So if your saw is one of the smaller ones you bought for tidying up around the place, the 5/32" is almost always the one.
Archer Australia A221-L 5/32" Deluxe Pro Sharpener.
How do I work out my chain pitch?
Pitch is basically the spacing of the rivets on your chain, measured in a slightly odd way. Pick any 3 rivets in a row, measure from the centre of the first to the centre of the third, then halve that number. About 9.5mm and you've got a 3/8" chain. Closer to 8.25mm and you've got a .325, which is a different beast again.
The quicker way is to look at the drive links, which are the little tabs that sit down inside the bar groove. Most chains have a number stamped on them and that number tells us exactly what you're running. Your saw manual and the sticker on the bar normally carry it too, and honestly that's where I'd look before I went hunting for a tape measure.
Is my chain low profile or full 3/8"?
This is the bit that catches people out, because a 3/8" low-profile chain and a full 3/8" chain have the same rivet spacing but they don't take the same file. Low profile has a smaller, shallower cutter and it's what most battery saws and small petrol saws come with from the factory. The full 3/8" cutters are noticeably chunkier and they turn up on the bigger farm and firewood saws.
If you're staring at the chain and you still can't call it, take a photo of the cutter and the drive link and send it through to us. It takes 2 minutes and it saves you buying a file that's no good to you.
If yours is the bigger saw, this is the one.
Archer Australia 7/32" Deluxe Pro Sharpener.
Which file or stone suits which chain?
| Product | Size | Listed as suiting |
|---|---|---|
| Archer Australia A221-L Deluxe Pro Sharpener | 5/32" | 3/8" low-profile chains, smaller saws used for pruning and light cutting |
| Archer Australia Deluxe Pro Sharpener | 7/32" | 3/8" pitch chains, larger saws used for heavy-duty work |
| Jak Max Grinding Stone 5pk (JM257) | 5/32" | 3/8" low-profile pitch, threaded for Archer 12V chainsaw grinders |
| Jak Max Grinding Stone 5pk (JM259) | 7/32" | 3/8" pitch chains, threaded for Archer 12V chainsaw grinders |
What if I sharpen with a grinder instead of a file?
Plenty of people run a 12V grinder or a rotary tool rather than a hand file, and the stones follow the same sizing as the files do. These 5/32" stones are threaded for the Archer 12V grinders and they're made for 3/8" low-profile chains.
Jak Max Grinding Stone 5/32" - 5pk
The 7/32" pack is the same thing again for a full 3/8" pitch chain.
Jak Max Grinding Stone 7/32" - 5pk
If it's not the file size
Two things it usually turns out to be. The first is that you've got a .325 chain rather than a 3/8", which is what that 8.25mm measurement is telling you. A .325 usually takes a 3/16" file, or a 3/16" stone if you run a grinder, so send us the chain details and we'll check it rather than you guessing.
Jak Max Grinding Stone 3/16" - 5pk
The second is that the file size was right all along and the chain still won't bite, and that's normally the depth gauges. They're the little humps sitting just in front of each cutter and they control how big a bite the tooth takes, so after a few sharpens they end up too high and the chain skates over the timber instead of cutting into it. That's a flat file and a gauge job, not a round file.
If in doubt, bring the chain in and we'll Hardware CSI it. We'll read what's stamped on it, check the pitch and put the right file next to it. Too far to pop in? Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 or send us a message with your saw model and whatever's stamped on the chain, and we'll work it out from there.
Cheers,
Candeece
