Cranky,
Had to chuckle on your post as I too used to order chain by the 100 ft spool. Zip Penn, if I recall, was the name of the outfit I bought from. Damn good files too.
I agree with cranky - sharpen your blade yourself. There are you tube videos on this and most are excellent. I know about them as I just taught my middle son how to sharpen a saw blade.
It is simple to put the bar (engine attached) in a vise so that you can move the chain by hand, but it is otherwise stable. The round files only work one way as has been noted.
I wear leather gloves and can sharpen a blade in 20-30 minutes. The test is cutting and seeing good large chips coming out.
At every gas change I would do a quick sharpen and always if I hit a stone or other chain destroying stuff (the ground for example).
If you see sawdust coming out, then stop. A saw should go through the wood with just you guiding it. If you are pushing - then you need to resharpen.
Yes, you can buy cutters that are automatic, but I still prefer to sharpen by hand and by eye.
Hope this helps!
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consulting on geothermal heating/cooling & rational energy use since 1990
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