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How to sharpen a chainsaw

Updated: 22 October 2026

The chain looks shiny, but the saw pushes, throws dust, or drifts after ten minutes. That is usually the wrong file, uneven cutter length, or rakers left high. This page is how to sharpen a chainsaw with the file or guide you already own: match the file, clamp the bar, file forward, then balance the other side. Depth gauges come later. The twelve listings are on the [chainsaw sharpener comparison](/hub/forestry-tools/chainsaw-sharpener). Peter F. used manufacturer UK guidance. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The chain looks shiny, but the saw pushes, throws dust, or drifts after ten minutes. That is usually the wrong file, uneven cutter length, or rakers left high.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon 617067 field kit

Best overall

Oregon Oregon 617067 field kit
9.2/10about £22.09
View offer
Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit

Rank 2

Oregon Oregon 601981 hard-case kit
9.2/10about £26.61
View offer
DTFDDE DTFDDE four-file set

Best value

DTFDDE DTFDDE four-file set
8.8/10about £6.58
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Pick the file before you touch a tooth
  2. 2.Clamp, clean, tension, mark
  3. 3.Forward strokes, one side then the other
  4. 4.When the jig will not match the chain

Pick the file before you touch a tooth

Read the code on the depth gauge. Stihl’s UK article maps 1 to 4.0 mm, 2 to 4.8 mm, 3 to 5.2 mm, 4 to 5.5 mm, 6 to 4.0 mm on 3/8 inch Picco, and 7 to 3.2 mm on 1/4 inch Picco. Some Oregon families run at 25 degree, not 30. The Oregon 617067 pouch has 4.0, 4.8 and 5.5 mm, not 3.2 mm or 5.2 mm. The DTFDDE set has 3.2 mm through 5.5 mm and no guide. A crank jig with one 30 degree hole copies a Stihl default onto the wrong cutter if your family wants 25 degree. The wrong diameter skates or cuts the gullet too deep. Stop before you shorten every tooth.

Clamp, clean, tension, mark

Switch the saw off, put the brake on if the chain stays on the bar, and remove the plug or battery. Stihl warns that cutters cut skin. Clean the groove, tension so the chain does not sag, and do not overtighten a hot bar. Clamp the bar in a vice, the Oregon 601981 stump vice, or a stable log. Mark the shortest cutter. Bring that side down to it before you flip the bar. A longer side makes the saw pull.
Oregon Oregon 617067 field kit

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon 617067 field kit
9.2/10about £22.09
View offer

Forward strokes, one side then the other

File on the forward stroke only, from inside to outside. Hold the file level with the top plate and keep about a quarter of the file diameter above it, as Stihl’s UK steps describe. Rotate the file so one face does not go flat. Use the same stroke count on each cutter until that side matches the shortest tooth, then repeat on the other side. Never drag the file back across the edge. A guide, such as the one in the Oregon pouch, sets the angle. On a bench grinder, Oregon’s UK page describes quick taps so the tooth does not overheat, then unplugging. Blue steel means the temper is gone. When the cutters match, stop. Rakers are the chainsaw depth gauge page.

When the jig will not match the chain

A hand-crank jig pulls the chain past a fixed bit. It is not a round file and not a bench grinder. A three-to-five-second claim is marketing. You still need equal metal off each tooth. If the hole is fixed at 30 degree and your Oregon family lists 25 degree, the jig is the wrong tool even when the clamp fits. ARROMI and APLUMTREE sit under 4.0 stars here, with UK comments about clamps that do not hold. Fall back to a round file and a guide. On-bar bits, such as the EzzDoo kit, follow the same equal-length rule. One UK review calls those bits nearly single use.

Common questions

Which file for a .325 inch chain?
Stihl code 2 maps to .325 inch and a 4.8 mm file on the UK chart. Confirm the digit on your depth-gauge stamp before you buy or file. A 4.0 mm or 5.5 mm file is the wrong face for that code even if it is in the same box.
Do I file both directions?
No. Cut on the forward stroke only, from inside the cutter to the outside. Dragging the file backwards dulls it and rounds the edge unevenly. Count the same number of forward strokes on each tooth on that side of the chain.
Why does the saw pull left after sharpening?
One side’s cutters are longer than the other. Mark the shortest tooth and re-count strokes until that side matches it, then do the other side to the same length. A shiny edge does not cancel an uneven cutter length.
Can I sharpen without taking the chain off?
Yes with a file, a guide, a 2-in-1, or an on-bar electric kit, once the bar is clamped and the saw is unplugged or the battery is out. Bench grinders need the chain in their vice, off the saw.
What if my jig is stuck at 30 degrees?
Verify the chain family first. Many Stihl chains use 30 degree. If the Oregon table for your family lists 25 degree, a fixed 30 degree jig is the wrong tool. Use a file and guide matched to that table instead.
How tight should the chain be while I file?
Snug enough that the tooth does not move under the file. Do not overtighten a hot bar. A sagging chain lets the file chatter. A bar clamped in a vice or a stump vice keeps the nose from bouncing while you file.
When do I stop and look at the rakers?
When the cutters match and the saw still will not bite, or after every few sharpenings. Oregon’s manual suggests a depth-gauge check every three or four sharpenings for many families. Do not lower rakers in the same pass as the cutters.
What if the file skates and does not cut?
The usual causes are the wrong diameter, dirt on the cutters, or a worn file. Clean the chain and match the millimetre size to the depth-gauge code before you press harder. A file that skates is not a cue to change the angle.

Related pages

Chainsaw sharpener buying guide

Chainsaw file or grinder

Chainsaw sharpener

Best chainsaw sharpener: stump, one pitch, or shed

Chainsaw depth gauge setting: when to lower rakers

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Prices in the table are amazon.co.uk shelf prices from 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE INDG317: Chainsaws at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Maintenance of work equipment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Hand-arm vibration in forestry (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Stihl UK: Sharpening a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Stihl UK: When to replace a chainsaw chain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Oregon maintenance manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (retrieved 19 October 2026)