How many of you make your own Chains?

DDM · Aug 30, 2005

Okay it's time to reorder several loops of chain for various bar lengths. I Decided to order a 100' roll Spinner & Breaker from baileys. How many of you make your own chains? I would have to imagine it's alot more convinient.
except for my MS200's and 192T all my other saws run a .375 X .050 chain so that's what i'm going to start with.

begleytree · Aug 30, 2005

You can never go wrong with a spinner & breaker, making your own chains. Besides reducing your per chain cost, its downright handy too. Especially if you run 8 tooth or larger sprokets, as you need an extra DL added to many off the shelf chains, or wait for the shop to spin them up for you.
-Ralph

trimmmed · Aug 30, 2005

Aside from saving money, the convenience is a big plus.

Tree Machine · Aug 30, 2005

I've bought hundred foot reels and have them (Bailey's) bust em up for a dollar apiece. Recently I bought a 25' reel of 3/8 .058 because it was on sale.

Two current situations, one calls for doing your own chain, one calls for not doing your own chain.

For making custom-length chain loops, gotta have the chain making / breaking tools. I like mine, but don't really use it all that much, but it's critical when needed. Makes you more autonymous. The tools don't take up very much room. and they're not all that expensive, pretty easy to learn how to do. Kinda fun, actually.

jamie · Aug 30, 2005

we make our own chains cheaper and handy, out of chain, sw shop closed....no problem.

we run 3/8ths on all saws except the 090, 3120, 020s and the pole pruner (which we make chains for as well).

makin chains is one of those things i like doing, along with shapening chains and coling ropes....call me weird if you will

jamie

DDM · Aug 30, 2005

jamie said:
makin chains is one of those things i like doing, along with shapening chains and coling ropes....call me weird if you will

jamie

Okay your Weird,

But to be honest if i have time i'd rather do it myself to make sure it is done properly. :dizzy:

a_lopa · Aug 30, 2005

i actually buy a roll usually 150' and have it made into loops,mail order.

rahtreelimbs · Aug 30, 2005

I bought a spinner and blew off getting a breaker. I just grind the pre-set on a bench grinder and pop it out with a small holder I made and a center punch.

Dadatwins · Aug 30, 2005

Making your own chain is a lot cheaper than buying loops. A nice tip I learned add a bit of grease or oil to the spinner head and it makes a nice clean round rivet head when spinning. I found the drive link chart from Baileys to be very helpful also. I mounted it on a 1x6 board and set it on the work bench when needed.

RedlineIt · Aug 31, 2005

Making your own chain is a lot cheaper than buying loops.

AND, coils of chain, partials and full, come up for sale on eBay all the time.

RedlineIt

Dan F · Sep 4, 2005

If I did my calculations right based on Sherrills prices, it would only take a little more 25' of chain (3/8) to make it worth while to buy the spinner and the press, versus buying loops by the drive link.

If my calcs were right, per DL comes to $8/foot, while 100' rolls are $2.75/foot. $133 for the combination of breaker and press. $133/$5.25 per foot difference= 25.3333 feet needed to break even....

And I KNOW there are cheaper options! I'm considering making my own loops, though I won't go through them very often. But now that I have a good saw (just bought a used 372 XP in good condition) I probably will go through loops more often.

Just how hard is it to learn the process for someone who has never made loops before? I'm pretty mechanically inclined, just have never done it/seen it done.....

Dan

Dan F · Sep 4, 2005

I didn't figure it was too hard.

Thanks. Now I just have to figure out a way to convince my wife I need to drop $400 on this stuff.

Dan

Ax-man · Sep 4, 2005

Yes, it is easy with the right tools. Just takes practice.

With the breaker and anvil, try to press the rivets out on dead center and cleanly, you don't want to bend the neighboring tie strap and preset or a cutter. Make sure the punch point is sharp, they do wear down and won't work good.

When spinning you want to make sure you have the right spinner anvil, don't try to over do it and have a frozen link, but yet tight enough so there is no sideways slop in the new union. The new preset rivets should have a clean apperance to them when they are spun like the rest of the new chain, use that as a guide as to go by.

I was lucky when I bought my tools to make chain, I got mine from a saw shop that was going out, in the deal was a big box of screwed up pre- made chains and was able to see the mistakes others had made.

Larry

Ax-man · Sep 4, 2005

Dan F said:
I didn't figure it was too hard.

Thanks. Now I just have to figure out a way to convince my wife I need to drop $400 on this stuff.

Dan

Just don't say anything, like I do. Trouble is I get caught later on, she is the bookkeeper and she actually will read the receipts and bring it to my attention.

Too late though

Larry

Jim@turf · Sep 13, 2005

I'd like to use this thread in the Arboristsite.com column in TREE SERVICES Magazine.

Any objections? Please let me know.

DDM · Sep 13, 2005

Dan F said:
I didn't figure it was too hard.

Thanks. Now I just have to figure out a way to convince my wife I need to drop $400 on this stuff.

Dan

I actually took 2 old chains apart to learn the breaker and the spinner. Theres nothing to it. Just make sure your bolt the breaker & spinner down.This is how i justified it. Break/Spinner combo and 100' of chain Shipping included was 314.95 I can make 15 - 105 DL chains from 1 roll of chain which was 219.00 i believe. thats 14.60 Each. there 27.00 at the local dealer.So I saved 186.00 after the first roll of chain and the breaker & spinner are paid for which were 90.00.On the first roll i still saved about 100.00 compared to the local dealers price.Ahhh but i have a roll of chain so if i need 60/72 or 84 link chains I can make them as needed in about 5 minutes.

rbtree · Sep 13, 2005

Bailey's and Madsen's have the best deals on chain, I think. Unfortunately, Madsen's can only sell Stihl chain in Wa. Bummer for the other 49 states folks as I only pay $205 for 3/8 chisel, I think.

Tree Machine · Sep 13, 2005

That's the beauty of tree gear; it often pays for itself and then keeps on giving.

Bolting down is a good idea. I bolted mine to a board, then screwed the board into the benchtop with the spinner extening off the bench a short ways. In this way, the spinner can extend off the edge of the bench allowing the loop of chain to hang freely and not pile on the bench. Then if I need my benchtop, by removing two screws the chain rig can be hung on the wall.

Dan F · Sep 13, 2005

So does anyone have any suggestions on what spinner/breaker to buy?

I've got a feeling that it may be a while before I can swing the expense of a full roll, but I'd like some input on what works well... Will the cheap(er) Vise-grips type do it well enough, or should I get the individual units? I doubt I'll be making a lot of chains, but see the possibility of making loops for my boss and father.....

Dan

Dadatwins · Sep 13, 2005

I used the vise grip spinner type and hammer and punch a few times, but once you use a bench mounted spinner and breaker you will never use the hand tools again. As for the best type I use an Oregon and have good results, Baileys sells a kit that comes with breaker and spinner and chain chart for under $100.00 which looks like a great deal, not sure who makes them though.

How many of you make your own Chains?

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