Don't ship saws by U.S. Postal Service

[indiansprings]

I've had one helluva time getting the MS460 to Simon. First attempt the post master claimed she smelled gas, called the day after I left it. I went and picked it up no gas smell. Repacked it, used about a half of can of febreeze air freshner spray in the box. My wife takes it back, all the insurance they let me put on the saw because it was going to Canada was 650.00. Today I get a call that she has had the saw for six working days sitting at her post office checking to see if a box labeled chainsaw will get held by customs at the border. She calls the wife today telling her she (the postmaster) is afraid the saw will be held at customs or will disappear somewhere in route because of the listed value and the description I used (MS 460 chainsaw). I had to pick the saw up at the post office, drive 40 miles to Joplin to the UPS store, it cost me 126.00 to ship it UPS express. They charged me 12.00 to put my box inside another box with packing material around it. I made sure I had them lab el the custom form "repair and return".They let me insure it for 950.00. Bottom line the saw is guaranteed to be at Simon's door next Friday morning. I never thought it would be so hard to mail an item. It could be the result of a small town post master thinking she has to be in everyone's business.
I thought it was ironic that she thought the saw would disappear using her own employer's services, the U.S. Post Office.

if there is anyone who ships a lot of saws a thread outlining the procedures and any tips they have would be of great value to those that have never done it

 

[HILLBILLYREDNEC]

Shipping

The few saws I have shipped I wrap the power head in several trash bags. I helps mask any odors and and oil or grease from soaking the box. Never loose pack a bar ever always wrap in by its self then pack with the power head, had one that was loose in the box, it got stuck at the usps warehouse on the conveyor The usps said the saw I was supposed to receive was destroyed, I got to see it, ruined a really nice Stihl saw, got my insurance check and bought a new saw.

 

[tlandrum]

i use the usps to ship saws weekly and never had them give me that crap excuse. i have bought and sold a few that went north and never a problem. i think you need a new post master.

 

[blsnelling]

i use the usps to ship saws weekly and never had them give me that crap excuse. i have bought and sold a few that went north and never a problem. i think you need a new post master.

+1. I've sent quite a number of saws to MCW in Australia and never had a problem like that.

 

[indiansprings]

I couldn't believe that it cost double of what the post office was going to charge by using the UPS store. I can't get nasty with the post master as my wife works for her as a rural route part time carrier.
She is a pain in the azz. The little town has a population of maybe 250-300 tops. She's the kind that if you want to know whats going on in town, just ask her, knows more than anyone.
I had this saw emptied and used the air compressor to blow the tanks out and put it in a heavy 55 gal trash bag. There is no way she could have smelled anything. She actually asked if it should/would be classified as hazardous material.lol
I'll use another post office in the future. I was surprised that they limit the amount you can insure something for going into Canada.
Good thing is now I have a tracking # and a guaranteed delivery date of next Friday morning.

 

[eMGunslinger]

i use the usps to ship saws weekly and never had them give me that crap excuse. i have bought and sold a few that went north and never a problem. i think you need a new post master.

Same but I never tell them it is a gasoline chainsaw either idk if they really care or not. I know they flip when I ship off firearms. I believe in the as little information as possible philosophy otherwise they get weird in there fast

Indian-idk if the insurance thing is off or what but I just shipped a pair or zeiss optics to Can and they let me insure for $1300? Kinda odd

 

[indiansprings]

She may be crazy, but she told me going to Canada that was all that they would insure it for. I've shipped expensive optics as well (Leica and Swarvoski) as well and never have had a issue insuring for what they needed to be insured for.

 

[Jacob J.]

Never list in the description that it's a chainsaw. Apart from raising the paranoia of nosey postal workers, you invite theft from dishonest handlers.

Always list your description as "small engine parts." Like Hillybilly said, wrap the powerhead in several new, clean trash bags. Tape a piece of cardboard around the inside dawg if you're leaving it mounted to the case. Pack wadded newspaper around the clutch-sprocket-bar studs area prior to bagging it up, to soak up any residual oil that may leak out. Engage the chain brake if the saw has an inboard clutch- this helps keep the brake handle from getting broken.

Put the bar nuts on the bar studs but pack the sprocket cover/clutch cover separately. That way you won't lose the bar nuts and with the cover being separate from the saw, that reduces the chance it will get broken or damaged.

It's all about being smarter than postal workers.

 

[tlandrum]

yep,shes on a small town big job power trip

 

[blsnelling]

Believe it or not, USPS is actually the preferred method for shipping out of the US. I always use Priority International.

 

[CharlieG]

Air out the fuel and bar oil for a few days, then package securely. No problems here and was sent out for under $14 USC (powerhead only).

 

[Wildman1024]

The post office can suck it!!!!! Been there done that. I FedEx it or forget it!

 

[indiansprings]

Thanks guys for all the tips, I'll drive the nine miles over to the next little post office the next time I ship a saw. This was a costly little lesson.lol

 

[PLMCRZY]

Shoot i got this one stihl box that a guy sent a poulan in, i then sent one of my poulans in it and the guy put a stihl in it which i now have. It has oil stains all over it and a few times i used duct tape as packing tape. No complaints from anyone.

 

[dingeryote]

Small town here as well, and no shortage of estrogen soaked, power tripping USPS employees. All three of 'em. For some reason they can't get any men to work in that office for long.

Had one leave a message that my mailbox was too rusty and had to be replaced, mail suspended untill it was.
I mailed the note, and the aluminum mailbox to the Postmasters office, along with a pic of it before it was taken down.

That went well. It seems the antique bronze finish the wife spent hours on, was found to be quite attractive and we got a call asking where we got the Retro style box, as well as bieng informed the matter was resolved.

Saws? No problem.:hmm3grin2orange:
I think I could ship a Live aligator strapped to an Alapaca.

Last saw I shipped to another member, the nice gal even helped me wrap things on her lunch hour.


Take the gal some posies and thank her for helping you out.
It IS a small town afterall. Just let your wife know what you're doin before hand. LOL!!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Nevada Al]

Small town Postmasters can be a PIA for sure... While I've never shipped a chainsaw I ship firearms at times and having shipped many over the years living in all parts of the country I've only ran into problems here at home where I grew up... First one the PM told me I couldn't ship a firearm to a non FFL and she would not budge... I literally had to print off the USPS policy and the ATF policy and hand it too her and she still wouldn't let it go... I had to lodge a complaint to the regional PM to set her azz straight... She shipped it... For years I have shipped firearms to myself in care of a friend at their address when hunting in another state instead of letting the airlines tear up or loose my stuff....I think the local PM just hates guns or something

I can't believe they would trip over a chainsaw though.. Of course the USPS isn't without theives..In the last two X masses I have had at least 50% of the gift cards stolen in cards I've sent to people and my daughter had 2 stolen in cards for her last birthday that my brothers sent her.......

I think labeling them as small engine parts is a good idea.........

 

[trimmmed]

Go back and tell the ditz postmaster you believe she made an error. Then ask her for the contact info for the regional postmaster, the one that's her boss.

Watch her squirm, lol. You will be getting very good service after that.

She might be in violation of a law for keeping your package, that long. It's either in the mail or it ain't and if she don't know, she's not qualified for the job.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I ship all my saws USPS and have had good luck. For smaller saws (or powerheads only) I find that liquor boxes are the best. I take the dividers for the bottles out and then line the bottom and the sides of the box to give 2 layers of protection. As mentioned above, I take off the dogs and wrap them in cardboard as well and in some cases have removed the wrap handle in order to make the saw fit. The only drawback to liquor boxes is that you need to cover any reference to alcohol (I either paint over them or use brown grocery bags on the outside).

I remove all the fuel and oil and let the saw air dry for a few days then wrap it in several heavy trash bags, taping each one shut. They always ask if I am sending anything hazardous and on the couple of times I have been asked what I am shipping I just answer "parts".

I find the local UPS stored to be high priced and what they charge is about 30% higher than the cost on the UPS website. My father in law wanted to ship a guitar to Florida last year and they wanted $416. He took it to Fed Ex and got it done for less than $30.

I agree, I would complain if the woman held your package for several days and never mailed it.

 

[husq2100]

i have had over 10 saws shipped, plus numorous parts,tools etc from the USA to Australia using USPS Priotiry, we are talking over 70 individual packages, Not ONE SINGLE problem. I have shipped from Canada twice, one of which was a dissaster. USPS has a great range of options,is cheap and reliable. In Aus, shipping a saw like a 288 is impossible without stripping it down as the box size required,without bar, is bigger than they will send.

 

[woodgrenade]

I've bought a few saws that have been shipped USPS. Never a problem. Three of them were shipped in actual chainsaw boxes that new Dolmars had come in (very distictive with a pic of the model dolmar on the outiside of the box!) I would think if someone was dishonest they would have nabbed the box with an actual chainsaw advertised on the outside. That or maybe they don't like Dolmars :rolleyes2: