Anyone still hand sharpening with a file or did everyone switch to grinders?

I used to file every saw chain by hand, took me 20 minutes a chain and my arms would be toast after a big job. Switched to a bench grinder about 8 months ago after a buddy in Asheville convinced me, now I get it done in 5 minutes but I worry about overheating the cutters. Do you think the speed is worth losing that feel for the steel, or is hand filing just nostalgia at this point?

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the_kevin10d ago

and honestly that 5 minute grind is costing you more than you think, because every time you hit the wheel you're cooking the temper right out of that steel. Hand filing might take forever but it lets you feel exactly where the tooth is grabbing and you can match each cutter to its neighbor instead of trusting a spinning stone. yeah it's slower, but a chain that cuts straight and holds an edge all day beats saving 15 minutes then having to stop and swap chains twice as often.