Anyone making their own loops of chain?

[tree md]

Just wondering because I am planning to. A friend gave me a chain spinner and as soon as I get through Christmas I am getting me a chain breaker and a reel of chain and going to town.

I'm curious as to how much you estimate that you save a year by making your own loops?

 

[TreeClimber57]

Just wondering because I am planning to. A friend gave me a chain spinner and as soon as I get through Christmas I am getting me a chain breaker and a reel of chain and going to town.

I'm curious as to how much you estimate that you save a year by making your own loops?

It depends on where you buy our raw chain. If I use Stihl chains as an example, and buy bulk chain then savings are maybe 30-40% maximum. Sounds like a good deal.. but our Stihl dealer also offers (as do they all in Canada not sure about U.S.) if you buy 3 you get one free. So compare the bulk to that offer.. and now not nearly as attractive.

If you buy bulk Oregon as an example and compare to Stihl, then you save money. But you could then buy Oregon chains and compare.. likely save some but not sure of exact amount.

Go online to one of suppliers and figure it out.. need to know how many chains you use per year.

We have spinner and breaker but never really got into making a lot of chains, we have fixed the odd one that has broken or resized one in a pinch if we needed one.

We do have Oregon grinder, and that has paid for itself for sure.

I suspect bulk chain also pay, but not sure how much. We always found other things to do with out time than making chains, so ended up not doing it much. Time is also money.. and we figure working on equipment in shop is worth more than making chains. I have a stumper to change teeth on tomorrow as an example, more beneficial than what I would save on a chain.

 

[beowulf343]

I do make my own chain, but don't know how much i save. It's more of a convenience thing for me-during the summer the dealers are usually closed by the time i'm off work and there have been other times i've actually had to wait a couple days after placing an order for a dealer to make a chain for my longer bars. This way i can just go home and whip up what i need that evening.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I've been spinning loops for over 20 years now. It's worth it to have the tools because you can also repair, lengthen and shorten chains.

For breaking chains all you need is a Dremel tool and a punch. Grind off the rivet head and punch out the rivet. Be sure to grind off both rivet heads before trying to punch one out.

Agreed. Anybody in this business should have tools, and know how to do it. Because getting out of an issue in a pinch can more than pay for the tools.. doing in on an ongoing basis when you can plan to have chains on hand pre-made is something else.. may work for some but personally I have too many other things to do.

 

[tree md]

Agreed 100% on grinding your own. I've been doing it myself for 2 years now and the grinder has paid for itself 100 fold.

It would be more of a convenience thing for me too. It's a hassle going to the saw shop because they are usually closed when I get done working as well. The do open early but then I have to go out of my way to buy a chain instead of going straight to my job. And I usually have to wait for them to make me a chain anyway because they don't sell full chisel to the general public which is what I like to run on a lot of my bars. They don't carry it on the shelf. You have to have them make a loop for you in the back.

I figured out that I could change one bar over and use the same reel of chain for all of my saws except for my climbing saws. Which I rarely need chain for anyway as they never see any ground duty.

 

[tomtrees58]

yup over 30 years now its the way to go most last me a week

 

[TreeAce]

I am able to get stihl chains from one store buy 2 get 1 free and another place is buy 3 get 30% off. Needless to say I have a nice stack of chains to get sharpened . Now i need to get that Northern Tool chain grinder off the shelf in my garage and learn how to use it. I didn't have time over summer . I hear it's a decent grinder but takes alittle practice .I try not to buy **** from china but I couldn't resist it ...$89 bucks ...I bought it in the spring.

 

[flushcut]

I can't really say how much I save a year but it brings down the price for chains to a few dollars. I run Oregon FYI. It is just cheaper and more convenient for me instead of dealing with a shop and I know it is done right.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I am able to get stihl chains from one store buy 2 get 1 free and another place is buy 3 get 30% off. Needless to say I have a nice stack of chains to get sharpened . Now i need to get that Northern Tool chain grinder off the shelf in my garage and learn how to use it. I didn't have time over summer . I hear it's a decent grinder but takes alittle practice .I try not to buy **** from china but I couldn't resist it ...$89 bucks ...I bought it in the spring.

I was looking at that one .. but got the one from Oregon as was not sure how good the off brand ones were. So.. got the 511AX from Baileys. Let me know if you like it.

 

[tree md]

I am able to get stihl chains from one store buy 2 get 1 free and another place is buy 3 get 30% off. Needless to say I have a nice stack of chains to get sharpened . Now i need to get that Northern Tool chain grinder off the shelf in my garage and learn how to use it. I didn't have time over summer . I hear it's a decent grinder but takes alittle practice .I try not to buy **** from china but I couldn't resist it ...$89 bucks ...I bought it in the spring.

That's the one I got. Works great! Short learning curve. It helps if you know someone who knows how to grind a chain so you can talk to them on how to set one up and how to grind and get some pointers. Really easy once you get the hang of it. I can grind a 25" chain in about 10 or 15 minutes.

You need to get it down and check it out before it sets for too long. I had some slight damages to the first one they delivered and two of my grinding wheels were broke. I had to RMA the first one and have another one shipped (at Northern tool's expense of course). As I understand it, that is a pretty common issue with that grinder.

 

[TreeAce]

Ya I actually remember reading about that grinder on this site before I actually started logging in like I do now . I think I had googled "chain grinders" and ended up here . Anyway..I remembered reading about busted wheels and as soon as I got it I opened it up to see. All good ! Everything was in one piece and all there . I then but it all back in box and put it in the garage till I would have a chance to study on it alittle and mount it properly. So....I guess "have the time" is ..well..pretty darn soon.Callin for wind chills in the single digits in morn . I have no plans of cuttin trees for a few days . IDK...I will start messn with it in next few weeks.....I will post up how it goes...prolly be lookin for advice also!!

 

[tree md]

Yeah, I did the same. I figured it out in the Winter when I was slow. Had lots of old chains to practice on.

The shop where I used to take my chains started charging $10 a chain to grind them. I took a brand new chain in for a first grind as it had been rocked. The new kid they had in the shop blued every tooth and hit every raker making the chain worthless. $32 bucks down the drain. I went straight home and ordered the grinder.

 

[pdqdl]

As others before me have said: been making my own for a long time.

It's not all about saving money over the cost for loops from a dealer. It's more about the time and money you save. I have a small army of chainsaws, each with it's own length & type of chain. All I need to do is keep about 5 rolls of chain in inventory, and I am never disappointed about a chain being out of inventory. I save so much on downtime & driving/standing in line time, that I would make my own, even if it cost more per chain for the materials just to make my own.

Except it doesn't !

BTW, rolls I keep in inventory, all of them in "pro-version", without anti-kickback features:

3/8ths, low profile
.325, chisel tooth, .050
3/8ths, .050, chisel tooth
3/8ths, .058, chisel tooth
3/8ths, .063, chisel tooth
.404, .063, chisel tooth, standard tooth count
.404, .063, chisel tooth with skip

I also have an ancient little strip of 1/4" chain that I have never sold.

 

[TreeAce]

At the local saw shop I like to use I have dropped off chains to be sharpened but had mixed results . One things for sure...somebody that works there is an EXPERT at sharpen chains and atleast one person there is just OK at it . It's crazy . The good sharpen job..I kid u not..cuts ATLEAST as good as new and I would swear BETTER than new ! But the other sharpen job is just so so. Over the summer I tried to get them to "have the guy initial the tag" because i wanna know who is who so I could request who I want to do my chains . If I knew ahead of time who it would be I may just want to buy new chains...ya know what I mean? But anyway , they wouldn't play ball...nobody knows nothin....all the same they said. MMaaannnn, whatever...

 

[pdqdl]

By the way, for all you guys that sharpen your own with a chain grinder:

The extra money you pay for the high dollar "CBN" wheels is well worth the investment. The wheel ALWAYS has the correct shape to give you the correct grind, these wheels slice through the steel teeth without burning them up, they are much faster, and they last almost forever.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=AB6 18

With a little shopping, you can find an exact match for any normal chain grinding wheel.

I bought my last one for about 4 years ago, and it still cuts like new. The slotted variety seems to last longer and run cooler than the solid disk variety. I have several wheels that are more than 10 years old, but they are worn enough now that they will overheat a tooth if you are not careful.

 

[tree md]

Believe me, once you get the hang of grinding them everyone of the chains you grind will cut like new. There are little tricks you can use to make them cut better than factory. The chain I had on my 260 was like a racing chain. It was sharpened like little hooks...

I knew I should have took that chain off and saved it for myself, someone rocked it and knocked 7 teeth off of it. Really pissed me off. I know who did it but everyone on my crew was using it so I can't prove it. I had to just give a general ass chewing to everyone about rocking chains.

I let no one use my 361. I sharpened it where it screams through wood but I'm afraid it will kickback on someone who is not really experienced at running saws. My main guy is dam good on a saw but I don't want to turn anyone loose with one that I put a "special" grind on if you know what I mean..

 

[tree md]

By the way, for all you guys that sharpen your own with a chain grinder:

The extra money you pay for the high dollar "CBN" wheels is well worth the investment. The wheel ALWAYS has the correct shape to give you the correct grind, these wheels slice through the steel teeth without burning them up, they are much faster, and they last almost forever.

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=AB6 18

With a little shopping, you can find an exact match for any normal chain grinding wheel.

I bought my last one for about 4 years ago, and it still cuts like new. The slotted variety seems to last longer and run cooler than the solid disk variety. I have several wheels that are more than 10 years old, but they are worn enough now that they will overheat a tooth if you are not careful.

I found a pretty cool trick to help keep from overheating the teeth. Actually a friend (046) told me this tip. When you set it up to grind set the depth gauge to where it is not touching the tooth or just barely touching. That way you have to kind of give it a little extra umph to make the grind. It seems to work really well when I do that. No blue teeth and all of my chains throw snow.

 

[pdqdl]

With a conventional stone, all you have to do to avoid burning a chain is to take your time, perhaps bounce the stone on the tooth, rather than grinding it until it glows.

The ABN (or CBN) wheels do more than just cut without burning, they cut much faster, so you can fly through the sharpening process. Especially useful with a rocked chain!

Furthermore, if you set a big bar magnet behind the wheel, it catches all the grindings. You see, a regular wheel abrades the steel, generating heat and setting the filings on fire when they fly through the air. The CBN wheels cut the steel filings off, and they don't burn up in the air. They are steel filings, and they stick to the magnet.

Did I forget to mention that the steel wheels never break? If you have ever had a normal stone wheel shatter while in use on your chain grinder, you will know how dangerous and unpleasant that can be. The steel wheels are always in perfect balance, and they run much quieter, too.

 

[tree md]

Bouncing is a pretty good way of describing it. I kind of bounce the wheel or tap it on the chain for minimal amount of contact time and I never blue any teeth. I kind of had to learn that through trial and error.

And yes I have had one shatter in my face... A harrowing experience I assure you. I plan to look into the steel wheels when my money gets a little longer.

 

[pdqdl]

Hurt like hell, didn't it! When they go, they literally explode.

I had an employee running a grinder that shattered the wheel. In addition to getting whacked in the leg with 1/2 the wheel, the other half stayed mounted, and the grinder was trying it's best to leap off the bench (still bolted down) while he was trying to get the switch turned off...at great peril from the remaining wheel that could fly off at any moment.

It was exciting, and I wasn't even running it.

As you might guess, I only run the steel CBN wheels nowadays. Even in my current poverty, they are worth the investment.