Chainsaw Sharpening

[PeterP.]

Is it possible that filing rakers too low will degrade my chain's performance?

I own a Stihl 026 Pro (1999) and have watched tons of videos, and used every hand tool known to man filing my chain. I've even gone out to the woods with
filing tools in hand and practiced, but I'm not satisfied with the results. My current favorite filing tool is the Stihl 2 in 1, a great idea.

I mostly use Stihl's Rapid Micro chains but have used their Rapid Super chains as well.

I just assumed that filing the rakers lower than depth gauge would result in a more aggressive cut. Could I be wrong and it might cause the cutter to
stutter and jump away from the wood? Am I over thinking it? Anything else?

 

[benchguy]

I’ve tinkered with filing for years, and I can tell you it’s easy to overthink. On my 026 Pro, I once filed the rakers too low and the chain started biting too aggressively, almost stuttering out of the cut. Since then, I’ve kept them at proper depth and focused more on sharp cutters. That balance made all the difference in performance and safety.

 

[Apex22]

I ran into the same issue when I first started filing my chains. Dropping the rakers too low made the saw feel jumpy instead of smooth. Once I learned to keep them closer to spec, the cuts got way more consistent.

 

[LogLife]

Back when I was learning on my old Stihl, I thought lower rakers meant faster cutting too. But after a few rough sessions in the woods, I realized it just made the chain grab and chatter. Sticking to the depth gauge gave me cleaner results.

 

[Paul]

There’s that old wheel again
Once again engineers try to create the safest, fastest, most durable saw chain they can.
Too low depth gauges greatly increases the chance of kickback.

 

[Alan]

Great point, safety should always be our top priority. Depth gauges really do play a crucial role, so I appreciate you highlighting that for everyone.

 

[Leon Couper]

Also if you get them to low on smaller saws they will not have enough power to drive the chain in the cut
and they will not cut properly. Bigger saws you will get away with it in soft wood but if you get into hard
wood yes you will run into chain chatter I call it and the risk of kick back is away lot higher.

 

[Apex22]

Absolutely, I get it. Those smaller saws sure make it clear when you’ve overdone it, and that vibration in hardwood can be serious. It’s just not worth the chance of kickback.

 

[Alan]

Also if you get them to low on smaller saws they will not have enough power to drive the chain in the cut
and they will not cut properly. Bigger saws you will get away with it in soft wood but if you get into hard
wood yes you will run into chain chatter I call it and the risk of kick back is away lot higher.

Great point. That’s a vital safety reminder especially for those who are new to this. Appreciate you mentioning the added risk of kickback.