Does the Qinux Klampero work on older chains or just new ones?

Used mine on chains that were already uneven and honestly it did a decent job leveling them out. Not going to pretend it turned them into brand new chains, but it made them usable again for a while longer. If the teeth are completely shot or damaged, no hand tool is going to fix that.

I actually had the opposite experience. Picked one up mainly for an older chain that was pretty beat and it did nothing useful on it. The cutter edges were too inconsistent for the guide to grab onto properly. Works fine on my newer chains, but I would not count on it to rescue the rough ones.

Older chains just need more passes, that’s really all it comes down to.

If a chain is already damaged or has broken teeth, no sharpener is going to fix that. But for chains that are just dull from regular use, even if they are older, it should do the job. I would just check the cutting edges for any real damage first before bothering with it.

I think a lot of people expect it to fix chains that are already way past saving, and that’s just not what any sharpener is for. If your chain has busted teeth or deep chips, nothing’s going to bring it back. But if by “old” you just mean a chain that’s been used a bunch and hasn’t seen a file in a while, I don’t see why it wouldn’t handle it. Mine had some pretty uneven wear and it took a few extra passes on the bad spots, but it cut fine afterwards. The trick is not expecting one run to make it perfect. You gotta check your work and go over it again if needed. I’d say grab it and try it on your worst chain first. If it can make that one cut straight again, you’re good. If it can’t, then that chain was probably done anyway.

I think the condition matters more than the age. I’ve got one chain that’s maybe 5 years old but I’ve always kept it clean and it sharpens up real quick. Another one that’s only a year old but got dragged through some dirt and it takes noticeably longer. As long as the teeth aren’t bent or chipped, you should be fine, just expect to spend a bit more time on the rough ones.

Old chain versus new chain isn’t really the question. The real issue is whether the chain is still round and uniform. If it’s got a ton of hours on it and the teeth are uneven, a guided sharpener can’t fix that because it’s working off whatever shape is already there. It’ll just sharpen them unevenly again.

I’ve seen guys bring in chains that are basically stretched out and the cutters are all different lengths. No tool is going to make that cut straight again. If your old chains are just dull but still have decent shape, it’ll bring them back fine. But if they’ve been abused or you’ve hit dirt one too many times, you’re wasting your time.

My advice is to check the teeth first. If they look consistent and just lack an edge, you’re good. If they look like a row of mismatched teeth, buy new chains and use the Klampero to keep those in shape.

I’ve used mine on a chain that was pretty rough from hitting dirt and it did bring it back to where it was usable again. Took a bit more effort and a couple of passes per tooth, but I didn’t make it worse or anything. If the chain isn’t damaged or stretched out, I’d say give it a shot.

I think people get too caught up in how old a chain is. If the chain has been treated badly, like run into dirt or rocks repeatedly, no sharpener is going to fix that damage. The tool just sharpens what is there. It won’t fix a chain that’s already beyond saving.