Thanks for the video on the fg2. I came across one and thought id grab it. Pretty straight forward to set up. I came here after searching fg2 setup and also searching for Stihl filing angles , mainly the difference between rs and rm chain. Also happy to learn about the 10 degree tilt. I was amazed at how off the 2 in 1 file was when I put the chains I was using in this set up. Can’t wait to get the saw into some wood and see how I cuts. Btw; where area of vic are you? I’m in west Gippsland.
The same general design for the bar mount variants is used for the granberg and tecomec but an obvious lack of precision both suffer is with the round rod and journal linear bearings that Stihl has given emphasis on smooth finishing. I have thought more about this issue and end users of a tecomec or granberg may be able to smooth the action by lapping the round rod with fine emery or polishing compound. Maybe remove the rod and chuck it in a drill and lap the rod with a fine abrasive polish. That may help put some lipstick on the pig so it works more smoothly as a tool should. I spotted a couple of design quirks on the Stihl that are undesirable issues not found on granberg and tecomec. Most obvious is the top turret that carries the linear bearing journals does not swivel 360 degrees because of the way that hinged fixture is mounted by Stihl. On the granberg and tecomec, the swivel nut can be loosened, and the entire carrier can swing around to set the filing angle for the other side, without any need to remove and remount the file to sharpen the opposite row of cutters.
@@ChainsawUsers Florida panhandle Gulf (of Mexico) Coast, semi-tropical mixed hardwood and conifer, mostly oak and pine. Family were pilgrims mid sixteen hundreds, loggers, sawyers, and millers, and too occasionally infantry. Have cut a few trees using an axe and own a couple of climber saws 50 years old.
@@ChainsawUsers No heating needs in Florida but plenty of storm cleanup and leaners and snags keep me and many other men busy. Likewise for brush cutters and mowers, it is a continuous almost year round routine of chores so I am always accumulating a burn pile for the debris.
Hi mate, my FG2 has done about 8 years of work for me so far and was used when I got it. I have not had any issues with the chain stop wearing. The only part that is going to need to be replaced on mine in the near future is the bushings on the main slide because they have started to wear and have a small amount of movement in them now. The only change I can see between them is the knobs to adjust the angles. Mine are brass and the new ones look to be steel or alloy. I have mine setup on a tall bench so I can sit down and have the chain at my eye level. I find it makes it easier to keep a good eye on what I'm doing. I have not tried a lock nut on the adjuster but now that I have seen it done I'll give it a try. I tend to have the chain stop setup in the grove of the blank tie straps between the cutters rather than against the back of the tooth If you have the chain lock tight enough the tooth doesn't move and it seems to me to be more consistent than placing it up against the slightly angled back of the cutter tooth. I'm not a Facebook user so Im not sure how to share this with you, but I have the original manual for my older FG2 and is shows some different sharpening techniques than the newer Stihl guides. Even the recommended files sizes are different. If your interested to see them let me know and I'll send some pictures of it. Did you buy the triangle file for the depth gauges? I don't normally use it but have tried it with some success. You can't set it with a progressive gauge which is a problem but I still use it with 3/8 chain and use a 404 gauge sometimes.
Thanks for your comments. Any fault that I find is small maybe I am fussy and expect to much lol. I made a new back stop out of hard metal works better than the original one. Email me and I can send a pic. My email address is lankat7@gmail.com
The ergonomics of such tools is something I am studying, and I can see the filing of the right hand cutters and the left hand cutters can be awkward unless the vise is swiveled, pivoted 120 degrees keeping the filing direction the same for muscle memory of a persons arms doing repetitive motions. 30 degree cutter angles, requires 120 degree clockwise rotation of the bar axis, to bring around the cutter angles of the left hand cutters to the same physical orientation for human arms. I looked at the angles for what is the natural movement filing by a person who is right handed, holding the file handle in the right hand and the file end in the left hand, the natural motion is from 5 o'clock to 11 o'clock with the bar tip positioned directly left at 9 o'clock, this lines up naturally for filing the right hand cutters. In a swivel vise, the bar tip pivoted clockwise to the 1 o'clock position brings the left hand cutters to the same angle used first to file the right hand cutters. The direction of force applied to the cutter being filed is opposite for the left and right cutters, but the direction of motion for the hands holding the file will be identical if the vise is pivoted clockwise 120 degrees for filing the alternating cutters. This applies to filing the 30 degree cutter angles when manual filing with a filing guide or filing free hand. A left handed person would be a little different because their natural movement filing would be from 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock and the starting position then would be different, rotated clockwise 60 degrees, but the pivoting vise would otherwise work the same for a leftie.
This problem with the left hand being more strong and filing more than the right hand or visa versa has been solved on the FG2. The FG2 has a tooth backstop and a brass small roller that sits against the file guide a small bar about 6mm square you set the back stop and look at the gap between the bar and the brass roller set a gap say .25mm when the file has removed the set amout of metal, the square bar that is part of the slide bar will sit against the brass roller and prevent any further filing. So that means your left and right cutter ls can be within 20 thousands of a inch from each other. The video will show the brass roller and the square ⬛️ bar.
@@ChainsawUsers I see how the limit roller works. It is like the vertical pair of rollers on an Archer fast filer roller guide. That guide has the most precise and firm grip of chain and bar of any of the roller guides. A problem I see on all those, there is no depth adjustment and the file trends to ride high instead of lower in the gullet giving more hook on the cutter. The slots that slip onto the bar could be a bit deeper and could be tweaked with a file or the edge of a grinder wheel. On this FG2 that limit roller is a smoother stop than a dome of an acorn nut like on the granberg and tecomec. But the turret that pivots to set the horizontal cutter angle on FG2 cant swivel completely around like on the cheaper units, so the design Stihl uses there is not as versatile for the alternate row of cutters. Stihl needs to rethink the pinned pivot so it works the same way as granberg or tecomec.
@@artpatronforever it's funny you mention the turret type angle system. The older FG1 was different much like what you see on the Oregon type file guide. I also checked the angle with a digital angle gauge and found then spot on. I filed 6 chains and did the right side cutters filed from the outside to inside much like a chainsaw grinder does. The burr was nothing to worry about. Remember when we sharpen band chainsaw cutters it's temporary last f8r a few hours at best. So no point spending a huge amount of time to be a perfectionist. The FG2 is over priced for what it is. But that said so was the Stihl USG grinder. You get what you pay for. I mainly use my Tecomec and Oregon grinders for chain sharpening as well as my Stihl USG grinder. The Stihl FG2 is just a file guide to tinker around with when I am bored. But it's not perfect and yes it could be improved. I made a new backstop (rawl) the original one was 3mm wide and not supporting the chain 100° the new one is 4mm wide and works 100% now. You can't go to wide because the file will hit the backstop on chains at end of life. Also backstop had no locknut and this will move with and vibration causing some tooth inconsistent lengths. I have noticed that many things especially chainsaw sharpening equipment has some small problems. My Stihl USG 8s out 2.7° Stihl is aware of this error and fails to fix it. My dealer told me that. So by chatting to each other we can exchange ideas and problems that we have solved that can help others.
@@ChainsawUsers I have a request for Tinker O'Toole that regards that China made toy tecomec. Try polishing and lapping that round rod and see if it can be smoothed out enough not to stutter and grab in the sliding journal bearings which appear to be black nylon. I am thinking this is the issue that Stihl solved and it may salvage the tecomec to tune up that part causing trouble. Another possibility I see is since the tecomec is cheap two of the tecomec guides could be mounted in tandem as a bar mount, with one set up for right hand cutters and the tandem unit set up for the left hand cutters. If the bar is in a swivel vise arrangement, all the right hand cutters could be filed, and then the vise pivoted clockwise 120 degrees and all the left hand cutters filed on the other tandem unit already set for the left hand cutters. The file handle on the guide not being used is pulled back and flipped up out of the way so it doesn't interfere with the guide being used. The two tandem units possibly could be fastened together so the pair work as a team and are set and taken off the bar as one combined unit. A pair of the tecomecs costs less than fifty dollars. So if the issue with the grabby and stuttering slide rod can be eliminated by polishing, then the tandem unit idea definitely seems like a plan. The curved jaw pieces that lightly clamp on the rivets would make it very easy to set the combined tandem units on the bar, with the guides level and straight fore and aft, the alignment and positioning would be repeatable as the fore and aft jaw pairs would land on the rivets, and the thumb screws tightened down to secure. No more fiddling around to get the alternate row of cutters on a tandem setup like I am contemplating. Once the angles are set, the only adjustments would be for the acorn nuts that limit the cutter length and the depth adjustment, the cutter angles would not change.
@@artpatronforever The red China file.guide is from Johno and Johno Ballarat Victoria. That I will almost throw in the rubbish bin. It's just heap garbage really I should not of brought it. Talking about Tecomec I brought a Jolly Evo Grinder and really hard ti fault it. Only the lowering the head down was a bad design the nut is in the back plate very awkward. Apart from that all angles are spot on .5° accuracy. Bar rail clamping system is excellent as it closes both sides at once. Large back scale 90° to 45° in 5° segments. The only other thing I found was the vice has to much side play giving a error of .5° This was poor quality control. Back stop system is old style. The Stihl USG is superior the way it clicks in and out for left or right cutters. I highly recommend the Tecomec Jolly Evo Grinder The grinders I won't touch are thos ones that use hydraulic assist clamping system to hold the cutters, many are subject to leaking. The most popular grinder was the Oregon 511A simple. The other Oregon gringer is the 520 that has the red handle. I may purchase one soon. I don't need it just want one for my collection.
Yes me also but with many chains I will use my Stihl USG grinder for speed. The FG2 is good to get your chains back on spec you can drift of angle when freehand filing this is great to get you chains back to specific
I have filed about 700ft of chain in my life so far. I can hand file pretty well but I cannot match a FG2. I would say the chains off the guide give 100% performance and every free hand file I give the chain reduces performance by one or two percent. They still cut great and most people would be happy with them but those small, little inconsistencies that we all have start to add up every time you sharpen the chain. I will file them 4 or 5 times throughout the day then put them on the guide before finishing for the day. You notice all the small changes you have made throughout the day. It might only be a degree off here and there but it all adds up. I know there are a lot of influential people telling you that it doesn't matter, and if you're a casual user it probably doesn't, but if you're cutting a lot or making a living using a saw, it really does pay to keep the chain consistent. Those small differences add up using a bit more fuel every day, the chain not lasting as long as it should and buying an extra bar or 2 this year. That's all money that's better in your pocket than someone else's.
Thanks for the video on the fg2. I came across one and thought id grab it. Pretty straight forward to set up.
I came here after searching fg2 setup and also searching for Stihl filing angles , mainly the difference between rs and rm chain. Also happy to learn about the 10 degree tilt.
I was amazed at how off the 2 in 1 file was when I put the chains I was using in this set up. Can’t wait to get the saw into some wood and see how I cuts.
Btw; where area of vic are you? I’m in west Gippsland.
I am in Central Victoria. Yes the file unit works well
The same general design for the bar mount variants is used for the granberg
and tecomec but an obvious lack of precision both suffer is with the round rod
and journal linear bearings that Stihl has given emphasis on smooth finishing.
I have thought more about this issue and end users of a tecomec or granberg
may be able to smooth the action by lapping the round rod with fine emery or
polishing compound. Maybe remove the rod and chuck it in a drill and lap the
rod with a fine abrasive polish. That may help put some lipstick on the pig so
it works more smoothly as a tool should. I spotted a couple of design quirks
on the Stihl that are undesirable issues not found on granberg and tecomec.
Most obvious is the top turret that carries the linear bearing journals does not
swivel 360 degrees because of the way that hinged fixture is mounted by Stihl.
On the granberg and tecomec, the swivel nut can be loosened, and the entire
carrier can swing around to set the filing angle for the other side, without any
need to remove and remount the file to sharpen the opposite row of cutters.
I use full chisel only as we have hardwood. Where do you live ?
@@ChainsawUsers Florida panhandle Gulf (of Mexico) Coast,
semi-tropical mixed hardwood and conifer, mostly oak and pine.
Family were pilgrims mid sixteen hundreds, loggers, sawyers,
and millers, and too occasionally infantry. Have cut a few trees
using an axe and own a couple of climber saws 50 years old.
@@artpatronforever I am 67 retired and cut wood for heating so chainsaws are a hobby for me now
@@ChainsawUsers No heating needs in Florida but plenty of
storm cleanup and leaners and snags keep me and many
other men busy. Likewise for brush cutters and mowers,
it is a continuous almost year round routine of chores
so I am always accumulating a burn pile for the debris.
Fantastic video with your new toy Spanner Man,, very informative thanks again👏👏👍
Hi mate, my FG2 has done about 8 years of work for me so far and was used when I got it. I have not had any issues with the chain stop wearing. The only part that is going to need to be replaced on mine in the near future is the bushings on the main slide because they have started to wear and have a small amount of movement in them now.
The only change I can see between them is the knobs to adjust the angles. Mine are brass and the new ones look to be steel or alloy.
I have mine setup on a tall bench so I can sit down and have the chain at my eye level. I find it makes it easier to keep a good eye on what I'm doing.
I have not tried a lock nut on the adjuster but now that I have seen it done I'll give it a try.
I tend to have the chain stop setup in the grove of the blank tie straps between the cutters rather than against the back of the tooth If you have the chain lock tight enough the tooth doesn't move and it seems to me to be more consistent than placing it up against the slightly angled back of the cutter tooth.
I'm not a Facebook user so Im not sure how to share this with you, but I have the original manual for my older FG2 and is shows some different sharpening techniques than the newer Stihl guides. Even the recommended files sizes are different. If your interested to see them let me know and I'll send some pictures of it.
Did you buy the triangle file for the depth gauges? I don't normally use it but have tried it with some success. You can't set it with a progressive gauge which is a problem but I still use it with 3/8 chain and use a 404 gauge sometimes.
Thanks for your comments. Any fault that I find is small maybe I am fussy and expect to much lol. I made a new back stop out of hard metal works better than the original one. Email me and I can send a pic. My email address is lankat7@gmail.com
The ergonomics of such tools is something I am studying, and I can
see the filing of the right hand cutters and the left hand cutters can
be awkward unless the vise is swiveled, pivoted 120 degrees keeping
the filing direction the same for muscle memory of a persons arms
doing repetitive motions. 30 degree cutter angles, requires 120 degree
clockwise rotation of the bar axis, to bring around the cutter angles of
the left hand cutters to the same physical orientation for human arms.
I looked at the angles for what is the natural movement filing by a
person who is right handed, holding the file handle in the right hand
and the file end in the left hand, the natural motion is from 5 o'clock
to 11 o'clock with the bar tip positioned directly left at 9 o'clock, this
lines up naturally for filing the right hand cutters. In a swivel vise,
the bar tip pivoted clockwise to the 1 o'clock position brings the
left hand cutters to the same angle used first to file the right hand
cutters. The direction of force applied to the cutter being filed is
opposite for the left and right cutters, but the direction of motion
for the hands holding the file will be identical if the vise is pivoted
clockwise 120 degrees for filing the alternating cutters. This applies
to filing the 30 degree cutter angles when manual filing with a
filing guide or filing free hand. A left handed person would be
a little different because their natural movement filing would
be from 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock and the starting position then
would be different, rotated clockwise 60 degrees, but the
pivoting vise would otherwise work the same for a leftie.
This problem with the left hand being more strong and filing more than the right hand or visa versa has been solved on the FG2. The FG2 has a tooth backstop and a brass small roller that sits against the file guide a small bar about 6mm square you set the back stop and look at the gap between the bar and the brass roller set a gap say .25mm when the file has removed the set amout of metal, the square bar that is part of the slide bar will sit against the brass roller and prevent any further filing. So that means your left and right cutter ls can be within 20 thousands of a inch from each other. The video will show the brass roller and the square ⬛️ bar.
@@ChainsawUsers I see how the limit roller works. It is like
the vertical pair of rollers on an Archer fast filer roller guide.
That guide has the most precise and firm grip of chain and
bar of any of the roller guides. A problem I see on all those,
there is no depth adjustment and the file trends to ride high
instead of lower in the gullet giving more hook on the cutter.
The slots that slip onto the bar could be a bit deeper and
could be tweaked with a file or the edge of a grinder wheel.
On this FG2 that limit roller is a smoother stop than a dome
of an acorn nut like on the granberg and tecomec. But the
turret that pivots to set the horizontal cutter angle on FG2
cant swivel completely around like on the cheaper units,
so the design Stihl uses there is not as versatile for the
alternate row of cutters. Stihl needs to rethink the pinned
pivot so it works the same way as granberg or tecomec.
@@artpatronforever it's funny you mention the turret type angle system. The older FG1 was different much like what you see on the Oregon type file guide. I also checked the angle with a digital angle gauge and found then spot on.
I filed 6 chains and did the right side cutters filed from the outside to inside much like a chainsaw grinder does. The burr was nothing to worry about. Remember when we sharpen band chainsaw cutters it's temporary last f8r a few hours at best. So no point spending a huge amount of time to be a perfectionist.
The FG2 is over priced for what it is.
But that said so was the Stihl USG grinder. You get what you pay for.
I mainly use my Tecomec and Oregon grinders for chain sharpening as well as my Stihl USG grinder. The Stihl FG2 is just a file guide to tinker around with when I am bored. But it's not perfect and yes it could be improved. I made a new backstop (rawl) the original one was 3mm wide and not supporting the chain 100° the new one is 4mm wide and works 100% now. You can't go to wide because the file will hit the backstop on chains at end of life. Also backstop had no locknut and this will move with and vibration causing some tooth inconsistent lengths. I have noticed that many things especially chainsaw sharpening equipment has some small problems. My Stihl USG 8s out 2.7° Stihl is aware of this error and fails to fix it. My dealer told me that. So by chatting to each other we can exchange ideas and problems that we have solved that can help others.
@@ChainsawUsers I have a request for Tinker O'Toole that
regards that China made toy tecomec. Try polishing and lapping
that round rod and see if it can be smoothed out enough not to
stutter and grab in the sliding journal bearings which appear to
be black nylon. I am thinking this is the issue that Stihl solved
and it may salvage the tecomec to tune up that part causing
trouble. Another possibility I see is since the tecomec is cheap
two of the tecomec guides could be mounted in tandem as
a bar mount, with one set up for right hand cutters and the
tandem unit set up for the left hand cutters. If the bar is in
a swivel vise arrangement, all the right hand cutters could
be filed, and then the vise pivoted clockwise 120 degrees
and all the left hand cutters filed on the other tandem unit
already set for the left hand cutters. The file handle on the
guide not being used is pulled back and flipped up out of
the way so it doesn't interfere with the guide being used.
The two tandem units possibly could be fastened together
so the pair work as a team and are set and taken off the
bar as one combined unit. A pair of the tecomecs costs
less than fifty dollars. So if the issue with the grabby and
stuttering slide rod can be eliminated by polishing, then
the tandem unit idea definitely seems like a plan. The
curved jaw pieces that lightly clamp on the rivets would
make it very easy to set the combined tandem units on
the bar, with the guides level and straight fore and aft,
the alignment and positioning would be repeatable
as the fore and aft jaw pairs would land on the rivets,
and the thumb screws tightened down to secure. No
more fiddling around to get the alternate row of cutters
on a tandem setup like I am contemplating. Once the
angles are set, the only adjustments would be for the
acorn nuts that limit the cutter length and the depth
adjustment, the cutter angles would not change.
@@artpatronforever The red China file.guide is from Johno and Johno Ballarat Victoria. That I will almost throw in the rubbish bin. It's just heap garbage really I should not of brought it. Talking about Tecomec I brought a Jolly Evo Grinder and really hard ti fault it. Only the lowering the head down was a bad design the nut is in the back plate very awkward. Apart from that all angles are spot on .5° accuracy. Bar rail clamping system is excellent as it closes both sides at once. Large back scale 90° to 45° in 5° segments.
The only other thing I found was the vice has to much side play giving a error of .5° This was poor quality control. Back stop system is old style. The Stihl USG is superior the way it clicks in and out for left or right cutters. I highly recommend the Tecomec Jolly Evo Grinder
The grinders I won't touch are thos ones that use hydraulic assist clamping system to hold the cutters, many are subject to leaking. The most popular grinder was the Oregon 511A simple.
The other Oregon gringer is the 520 that has the red handle. I may purchase one soon. I don't need it just want one for my collection.
I say practice a lot at hand filing.
Yes me also but with many chains I will use my Stihl USG grinder for speed. The FG2 is good to get your chains back on spec you can drift of angle when freehand filing this is great to get you chains back to specific
I have filed about 700ft of chain in my life so far. I can hand file pretty well but I cannot match a FG2.
I would say the chains off the guide give 100% performance and every free hand file I give the chain reduces performance by one or two percent. They still cut great and most people would be happy with them but those small, little inconsistencies that we all have start to add up every time you sharpen the chain. I will file them 4 or 5 times throughout the day then put them on the guide before finishing for the day.
You notice all the small changes you have made throughout the day. It might only be a degree off here and there but it all adds up.
I know there are a lot of influential people telling you that it doesn't matter, and if you're a casual user it probably doesn't, but if you're cutting a lot or making a living using a saw, it really does pay to keep the chain consistent. Those small differences add up using a bit more fuel every day, the chain not lasting as long as it should and buying an extra bar or 2 this year. That's all money that's better in your pocket than someone else's.