# making you own chain loops



## Barnie (Sep 27, 2010)

I'm not sure if I'm in the right forum to be asking this but you guys who make your own loop's of saw chain, approximately how many 
18'' or 20'' chain loops can you make from a 100' reel. 
I'm thinking about buying a saw chain spinner/breaker set.


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## savageactor7 (Sep 27, 2010)

Barnie I'm sure someone here will or in the chain saw forum will set you straight.

Just say'en...down here it's better to buy your loops by the 10 count than make your own. Might be diff up in Canada...I dunno.

But suppose you get an affordable granberg breaker/spinner you can extend the life a chain until it becomes a stumper.


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## brisawyer (Sep 27, 2010)

I never have made any of my own but Baileys says there is 1640 drivers in a 100"reel. That works out to 22.7 20" chains for a Husky.


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## Patrick62 (Sep 27, 2010)

*setup*

The breaker/spinner is part of the investment.
100 foot rolls of chain come with 25 presets.

You can figure out how many you can make by doing the math.
It is cheaper in the long run to make your own. Bonus is that you can make chain for others at a slight markup.

Warning! This can be a expensive corner of your shop. You start out with 1 roll of 3/8, and then you end up with a roll of .325, and eventually a roll of 3/8LP, then someone comes along and needs a .325 in 63 gauge so you buy a small roll of that. Meanwhile you start playing around with semi or full skip in various sizes...

I currently have in my collection:
3/8 full comp
3/8 semi skip
3/8 full skip

.325 in full comp and I think full skip as well. also in the .063 for the Stihls.

3/8 LP full comp for the little saws.

One thing to think about is getting chain from other sources, ebay for instance. Once in awhile I see a decent deal go thru there.


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## woodman6666 (Sep 28, 2010)

22 loops per 100ft roll not worth making your own usually I have all the equipment and I buy loops last I checked the difference was about a nickel per loop definately not worth the time to make them but maybe you can find different numbers.


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## gwiley (Sep 28, 2010)

The biggest reason that I make my own is that I have a number of different length bars and I don't like the idea of keeping a bunch of loops around - especially for the longer bars that see infrequent use.

If you make your own loops you can make what you need when you need it - so that 100' roll keeps all of my bars (in that pitch) running. Otherwise I would end up buying some longer loops that might not see wood for a year or two just so that I could have spares in case a chain is damaged.

I also make the occasional loop for a friend.

The big win for me is the flexibility that having my own spinner/breaker gives.

Having said that, if I stumble across a great price on a loop of a length I use heavily then I am always willing to buy a few.


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## RAG66 (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm under the same thought of maybe not saving a lot of money. It is something I do to pass the time in the slow periods... To me it is fun to make loops, that's about the extent of it.


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## Spotted Owl (Sep 28, 2010)

Call Madsens. I don't know if they still do or not but, they used to run a two fer one on the loop pricing. Maybe worth a shot.



Owl


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## Cedarkerf (Sep 28, 2010)

woodman6666 said:


> 22 loops per 100ft roll not worth making your own usually I have all the equipment and I buy loops last I checked the difference was about a nickel per loop definately not worth the time to make them but maybe you can find different numbers.



Depends on what you pay per roll. We can get 100 foot rolls of Stihl for$240 or oregon for $199. If your only using a few loops a year the equipment may not pay for its self.


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## bigblackdodge (Nov 30, 2012)

*Enlighten Me Please!*



Cedarkerf said:


> Depends on what you pay per roll. We can get 100 foot rolls of Stihl for$240 or oregon for $199. If your only using a few loops a year the equipment may not pay for its self.



Cedarkerf please tell me where you get your rolls!


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## Freakingstang (Nov 30, 2012)

bigblackdodge said:


> Cedarkerf please tell me where you get your rolls!



NO CRAP! I'll TAKE TWO of each, size, gauge, etc. lol


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## dsell (Nov 30, 2012)

Baileys had a very good deal on loops over Thanksgiving and I think they have a Christmas special. I have a Granberg breaker spinner and I like it. I would love a $100 breaker/spinner set, but I can't justify it. Get a spare bit whichever one you choose. A new bit makes all the difference in the world on the Granberg.


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## Boogieman142 (Dec 2, 2012)

I do make my own as well. Like others have said it can be more expensive. However when you need a chain on a sunday afternoon, or a buddy needs one it can be rewarding.


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## Cedarkerf (Dec 2, 2012)

bigblackdodge said:


> Cedarkerf please tell me where you get your rolls!



That post is a couple years old but back then I paid 233 plus tax at the big famous chainsaw shop in chehalis washington. I gettin ready to buy a new reel im sure the price will be up


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## bigblackdodge (Dec 2, 2012)

Cedarkerf said:


> That post is a couple years old but back then I paid 233 plus tax at the big famous chainsaw shop in chehalis washington. I gettin ready to buy a new reel im sure the price will be up



yeah, I'm positive you're right about the increased price today!


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## bigblackdodge (Dec 2, 2012)

Boogieman142 said:


> I do make my own as well. Like others have said it can be more expensive. However when you need a chain on a sunday afternoon, or a buddy needs one it can be rewarding.



Being able to Fill A Need makes all the difference in the World sometimes.


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