new stihl 230 easystart not so sure about it

[Compensation]

I took my baby 170 in to have the oil leak fixed and my buddy at the dealership told me about the amazing 230. Since the next size up I have starts with a 390 I went ahead and got the 230 since I am clearing fence rows. No one ever told me about the easy start. So when another friend stopped by we went out back to start knockin trees down. Well went to fire it up and after one pull.. nothing. Split second later VROOOOOM! Wow! Talk about a safety hazard. We spent the next 30mins starting and stopping the saw. Have not even started in the beer yet and couldn't believe the way this thing started. So I think if the saw has a "e" in the description that means easy start. As for the chain being the new non-dulling last forever before it needs sharpened kind, well it cuts great after about 7 trees being cut down and into firewood.

So the point of this post is to say, don't pull the string and hand this saw to your buddy. It might just start up. All in all its a nice little saw

[Al_Smith]

Yeah they are pushing carbide tipped chain .It's not as fast as a well sharpened chisel chain .The selling point is for people who either don't know how to file or who don't really care to .It's an option .

[Compensation]

Well that sounds like me, I am not good at filing at all. I just run the chains thru a grinder. But it still cuts when the chain on the 170 would be smoking. Any advice for using the file? I do no more then 3 swipes per tooth and swipe each tooth the same amount all the way around. Once in a blue moon I get a nice cut afterwards but not usually.

[beenthere]

There are a few threads about chain sharpening. A lot of different methods and techniques, any one of which should get you a good sharp chain if done carefully and with some precision.

A recent thread here may help out. 
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,64609.0.html

I use the inexpensive blue jig in reply #5 for accurate positioning of the file.

[John Mc]

Compensation -

You figure out the file sharpening if you stick with it.  It may be worth getting someone who knows what they are doing to give you pointers. (Of course, you want to make sure the person giving you pointers knows there stuff, as opposed to just THINKING they know their stuff)

The "3 swipes per tooth" method isn't really a good indicator of whether your chain is sharp. If you've got heavy wear or damage from hitting a rock, it will take more. Really, you've got to go until the tooth is sharp. It's not hard to develop an eye for this (one thing to look for is that if the cutting edge is reflecting light, it's probably not sharp).

Counting strokes is just a way of trying to keep all the teeth the same length.  If you use the style of depth gauge on the blue jig that beenthere referred to, then keeping all the teeth identical is less critical.

Here's the sharpening fixture I use:


 
It holds the file at the correct depth for good sharpening. The little blue one beenthere referred to also works well. There are folks out there who can get good results without any file guide, but I'm not one of them.

Here's the gauge I use to set the raker height when sharpening. (It works on the same principle as the little silver plate on the blue file guide beenthere referred to, but that plate is not in use in that photo)
     

My last suggestion:  there are lots of folks who will recommend custom angles, or non-standard file sizes. These may or may not actually cut better than the manufacturer's standard recommendations.  My advice to to learn how to do it "by the book" first. When you are getting reliable results that way, THEN you can play around with other settings and methods if you want. If you go right to someone's custom recommendations and have problems, you don't really know if the problems are from bad advice, or that you just don't quite have the technique down yet (or maybe you are cutting different wood, with a different saw, or with a different style the the person who gave you the recommendations).

[thecfarm]

Compensation,just keep at it.  ;D  I have posted that I just took a tree and kept filing and sawing,filing and sawing until finally I understood what I was doiing wrong. Start and stop at the same place,use a redmarker or something to mark the chain. May take you a while to find the right sharpening aid too for you.

[Compensation]

The hardest thing about getting help learning is finding someone who really knows what they are doing. That's why I never do more then 3 swipes, because I was told that. I do believe in the same amount of swipes per tooth though. It just makes too much sense not to. What's the brand on the blue one Beenthrere?

Has anyone used these easy starts? I would love to buy one for my grandpa but would rather help him out if he needs help.

[beenthere]

Comp
I buy them at the local Husky dealer. They are also marked Pferd.
The one I have has to be filed out a very little bit to fit onto the Stihl chain. Apparently the Stihl chain has a bit thicker link and this jig is notched to slide down over the links behind and ahead of the tooth to be sharpened. I usually put the bar in the vise and get a much more controlled "swipe". I use two hands to grip the file and make a long straight movement (no rocking) by the tooth. 

 

[trapper]

most of my chains have a spot with two cutters on the same side.  I start there to keep track of where I start.