Dremel Chainsaw Sharpener Kit A679-02 A679-03 Review

Recently, I was on line ordering files to sharpen my chainsaw when I ran across this kit. The A679-02 Dremel chainsaw sharpener kit piqued my interest so I decided to buy one and give it a shot. Read on to see how to put it together and what the results were after I assembled the chainsaw sharpening kit and put it to the test. They also have a new model, A-679-03 which appears to be identical to the 02 model.

Package and Contents

First, let me say that this is packed in an adult proof, heat sealed, indestructible plastic. I had to cut the entire thing open to get to the contents. That in itself is somewhat annoying. Once you cut that package open enough to get to the contents, you no longer have anywhere to store the tool!

Contents of the Dremel Chainsaw Sharpener A679-02 kit

The contents consist of three attachments. Two of them are for sharpening lawnmower blades and garden tools such as shears. The second is for chainsaw sharpener. The chainsaw attachment comes with a bag that has the guide, shims and screws to assemble it. There are also four sharpening stones and a small tool that lets you adjust the attachment.

The large orange stone is for the lawnmower and garden tool jigs. The other four stones are for chainsaws and are color coded by size. Blue is 5/32″, Orange is 3/16″ and pink is 7/32″. Which one you use (as well as how you assemble the jig) is dependent on the pitch of the chain you want to sharpen.

Determining the File or Stone Size for your Chainsaw

Finding the pitch of your chain. Finding the pitch is easily done. if you lift the chain of off the bar, there should be a number stamped on the guide that rides inside the slot in the bar. In my case, the chain was stamped with a 20. This translates into a 3/16 file or stone. So I’ll use the thin orange stone to sharpen my chain. Here’s a link to a good resource on determining what size file or stone you will need. File Size Guide

Assembling the Dremel Chainsaw Sharpener

The chainsaw sharpening attachment needs to be assembled. This is done by attaching the guide to the attachment. Depending on the size of the stone you will be using, you will need to add a certain number of shims (or none) between the guide and the attachment. Below is a guide on how many shims you will need:

  • If using the 7/32″ diameter (pink) grinding stone, assemble both shims between the guide and the clamp.
  • when using the 3/16″ diameter (orange) grinding stone, assemble with only one shim between the guide and the clamp.
  • If using the 5/32″ diameter (blue) grinding stone, no spacers are needed.
Adjusting the Chainsaw Sharpener Guide

Once you have the shim(s) and guide in place, loosely tighten the screws. You’ll use the small tool to adjust the guide relative to the stone. You want check the chart on the instructions to determine which side of the gauge to use. Place the gauge so that the shallow area is resting on the guide the lower portion should be resting on the stone. The gauge should rest on the guide with no gaps. You can maneuver the guide carefully to get it to align correctly and tighten the screws to lock it in place.

Chainsaw sharpener adjustment gauge
Correctly adjusted Guide
tightening adjustment gauge
Tightening Adjustment Guide

Using the Chainsaw Sharpener

Using it is really quite simple. It’s basically the same as using a file. The exception being that you have a visual guide to the correct angle to use when sharpening. Personally, I use the leading edge of the cutting tooth as a visual guide.

I typically start with the motor to my right and locate the two teeth that are oriented i n the same direction. This gives me a reference point on the chain. I set the Dremel chainsaw sharpener to 15,000 rpm and lightly stroked forward on the first tooth. I gave each tooth two forward strokes. After that, I advanced the chain, sharpening each tooth with the correct orientation until I reached my starting point.

I then reversed the chainsaw (I had it in a vise) and using the same reference point, sharpened the teeth with the opposing orientation. Once I had completed all of the teeth I inspected the chain to see if it needed another pass.

Notes on Actually Using the Sharpening Kit

One thing I immediately noticed was that the stone did not sit all the way into the notch in the cutting tooth. You had to angle the Dremel chainsaw sharpener slightly so that the guide was not resting on the top of the tooth. I checked the instructions to make sure I had the right number of spacers and had adjusted it correctly. I found nothing amiss.

Another slight problem I found was that they mentioned the depth gauge. The instructions talk about measuring it and what the depth should be (according to your chainsaws manufacturer) but there is no guide or jig to help you insure the depth gauges are at the correct height.

Testing the Saw

After using the Dremel chainsaw sharpener, I took the saw to the back yard. We had an old White Oak that had been recently cut down. The Arborist took it down for us and then disappeared. So we had to take on the task of cutting it up. This tree was between 22-24″ at it’s widest so needed a good sharpened chainsaw to cut.

I sawed about 3/4 of the way through one of the thickest sections and have to say that the saw went through that oak smoothly and quickly. After that, I checked the quality of the chips that were being cut. I have to say that the sharpened chain did extremely well. The chips were uniform and of a decent size. Overall the kit did a decent job of sharpening the Chain.

My Conclusion about the A679-02 Dremel Chainsaw Sharpener Kit

Although the kit did a great job of sharpening the saw, I do have reservations. First, I think the kit is incomplete without a method or adapter to help with the depth gauge. Second, the guide does not seem to allow the sharpening stone to set all the way into the tooth to sharpen it.

What I found is that if you remove the adapter. You can use the stone as if it were a file. Sharpening the saw this way with just the stone is far quicker than using a file and it leaves the tooth with a brand new looking edge.

Overall, I would not recommend this kit to anyone looking to buy it. I would however recommend the sharpening stone on it’s own. You can buy these independently and they run about $5 for two of them.

Here’s a link to the video version of this Article: Dremel Chainsaw Sharpener Kit A679-02 – Review and Demo
Below are affiliate links to products in this article, I’ve also included a value pack of 3/16″ bits