Customer Reviews

Dremel 1453 Chain Saw Sharpening Attachment

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Previous to spending 10 bucks for the Dremel Sharpening attachment, I was taking my chains to a professional to have them sharpened. It pays to follow the directions in setting up the sharpener correctly, but, once you do, you'll get the BEST sharpening job ever. My sharpening job with the sharpener was far superior to any of the sharpenings that I ever got from a professional. Plus, the professional guys ground an 1/8th inch or so off of the teeth each time they sharpened my chains, when, in fact, all they needed to do was to put a sharp edge on the teeth. The Dremel sharpener works magnificently and gives you a phenomenally sharp edge that will last a long time [as long as you keep your chain out of the dirt!] For the price of this product, it simply can't be beat.

When a chainsaw is sharpened, the sharpening tool is always referenced to the top of the cutting tooth (see the sharpening instructions from any saw chain manufacturer).

However, on Dremel attachment 1453, front of box, the picture shows the guide riding on the chain's depth gauge instead. Printed instructions on the back of the box (and supported with pictures) confirm this error for both left and right teeth.

To further confuse matters, the instruction sheet inside the box describes a method where the guide rides on top of the tooth for one side of the chain, but on top of the depth gauge for the other side! This is also incorrect, in addition to contradicting the instructions on the box.

Nonetheless, the device works adequately, especially if the user modifies the procedure to cause the guide to ride on top of the cutters for both sides of the chain.

In my opinion, this would become an excellent attachment if the instructions were rewritten, the pictures on the box replaced by correct ones, and the guide manufactured as a mirror image of the one presently sold. This would allow sharpening both sides from the non-engine side of the saw, thereby allowing two more teeth to be sharpened before chain repositioning. On an 18 inch bar this amounts to five rather than three teeth for left side cutters - a 67 percent improvement.

I have e-mailed Dremel with some of these observations, but received no reply!

I took a chance that this chainsaw sharpening attachment would do the job on my little Poulan electric chainsaw. It works great! Chains grow dull fairly quickly, particularly when you let the chain touch dirt. This little tool sharpens the chain like new and only takes a few minutes to get the sharpening job done. You can't go wrong. Dremel provides three different size sharpening stones that will accomodate most chains.

This works much better than I thought it would. Accuracy is equivalent to a handheld file but it's a lot quicker and easier. I don't believe this fits the battery operated Dremel so you have to use it near a power source. Installation on the Dremel tool is vary easy. It takes maybe 15 seconds longer than changing a regular bit. If you have more than one size chainsaw, consider getting two. They are not expensive and you save having to set it up each time you switch saws.

My rotary tool is a Black & Decker, not a Dremel, but this little gem fits and works perfectly with it. My only challenge was that it was harder to understand the set up instructions than it was to set up the tool. I had never sharpened a chainsaw before and had no idea how the tool would function until I finished the set up. Then it was clear. Advice: Read the set up instructions and follow them carefully. Setting up the tool is easy, once you see what the instructions intend. The job of sharpening the saw then goes quickly and easily. Wear gloves and eye protection.

Based on the other reviews this tool must work well when paired with the correct Dremel tool, but determining which tool it will fit is a challenge. Amazon's website says "From the manufacturer...Fits Dremel Tool Models 400, 398, 395, 300, 285, 275, 800, 780, 770."

Then just below:

"Product Description
Easily sharpen the dullest of chains with rotary tool nos. 275, 285, 395, 398 and 595"

Then on the actual package it says:
"...easily attaches to Dremel models 275, 285, 395, 398 and 780"

I don't know what it will fit, but I can tell you it won't attach to my model 770 as advertised on Amazon's site. So now I have to go out and buy a different model Dremel.... I guess Dremel's bad info is not so stupid after all!

I am adept at sharpening saw chains with a file and a drop gauge, but severe damage due to nicking an embedded piece of barbed wire or a nail meant that the chain had to go to the local sharpening shop for a $9.00 sharpening job.

After dulling a brand new chain on some deeply embedded barbed wire, I started to look into power sharpeners. When I saw the Dremel sharpener for less than the price of one shop sharpening job, I figured it was worth a try.

All I can say is: don't even think of using your finger tip to check the sharpness of a newly sharpened tooth after using the Dremel attachment. You will cut yourself! It does a far better job than the shop I pay to sharpen my chains. You cannot go wrong here....

My brother-in-law had one of these and after he showed me how easy it was to use, I went out and bought a Dremel tool and this attachment. This tool makes it very easy to always have a sharp chain. It only takes about 5 minutes to do a quick touch-up or about 15 to do a more thorough sharpening. The results are at least as good if not better than what I was getting by taking my chain to the dealer for sharpening, and now I don't have to wait a couple days to have it done.

My chainsaw is sharp once again, so I'd say it works without killing me too badly to do it. Pretty quick and easy actually. Ahhh... now the fun part, cutting down trees, loading them, splitting them, stacking them, burning them...

I have my chains sharpened professionally when they begin to cut crooked due to uneven wear. Otherwise, I touch them myself as soon as they fail to cut uniform shavings. This usually occurs after about an hour of cutting hardwoods or two hours of softwoods. If the bar gets into the dirt or you hit a nail you will be sharpening even sooner. You can either carry several chains to get you through the day or be prepared to touch them up on the bar.

I prefer to touch up my own chains because the saw shops usually take off about 2MM of steel when they sharpen. At that rate, a chain does not last very long. If you touch up your own chains when they first begin to dull, you will only take off a few thousandths of an inch.

This tool works well if you gauge the grinder off of the tooth as described in some of the other posts. The problem is powering the grinder while in the field. Cordless grinders don't hold a charge very long so you need to carry extra batteries. Corded grinders need a place to be plugged in. Either solution limits you mobility.

I prefer the "Oregon" brand file and gauge. No electricity required and it easily goes in your thigh pocket or field kit. Only one or two strokes per tooth needed for a touch-up and you are back to work. The gauge make it easy for even a neophyte to maintain proper tooth shape and depth.