Chain Sharpening Prices

[stihl86]

We have a 8.00 minimum. $10.00 for a 16", $12.00 for a 20", 14.00 for a 24"
$5.00 to remove. It works out to approx 1/2 the price of a new Stihl brand chain.
We sell 12" pole saw chains for $10.00. Hate to say it but we don't have time
to waste money. If they don't like the price, buy a new one. Most chains
have to be done twice because of severe abuse, then the depth gauges.
It get a little ridiculous after a while at the time spent (lost) We sell about
2.5 miles of chain a year.

 

[lambs]

I applaud all you shop owners that do chains knowing you are losing money on the grinding but keeping customers!

I grind all my own stuff now because of the economics, but I don't often advertise to my friends. Their stuff is just too far gone and I'm not getting paid a penny for it. I'll gladly take in chain from my volunteer friends who know what they are doing with a chain saw though.

 

[Michael16]

I applaud all you shop owners that do chains knowing you are losing money on the grinding but keeping customers!

I grind all my own stuff now because of the economics, but I don't often advertise to my friends. Their stuff is just too far gone and I'm not getting paid a penny for it. I'll gladly take in chain from my volunteer friends who know what they are doing with a chain saw though.

Thats the main reason we do it, it brings a lot of pro business. They come in to drop a chain off but end up leaving with other goodies as well, it works out good for both parties.

 

[imagineero]

That's interesting Shaun as I get really good results with mine although I must admit grinders don't seem to have the same kick on full chisel as on semi chisel. I can't say I've ever had a full chisel chain come off a grinder that I've found brilliant. The average customer would think it's awesome but it's not up to my standard.

Maybe my setup is no good. I think the wheel I got was too small, but the guys at cyclone said this is the right wheel for 3/8. I got the 4mm wheel. It doesn't make sense to me to be using a 4mm wheel on a chain I'd use a 5.2mm or 5.5mm file on. Maybe I should try the wheel on lopro and see how it goes. When I grind, I keep the radius if the wheel level with the top of the cutter, but that means I've got to come back and clean out the gullets.

I think those auto vice grinders are probably the way to go. I sometimes don't bother too much with clamping every tooth. I just set the vice as tight as it can be and still be able to move the chain. That isn't as rigid as clamping, but clamping every tooth is too slow. I mostly use my grinder for rocked chains, then hit them with a file. Nothing like 1,000 file strokes on a single chain to put you in the mood for a beer.

Shaun

 

[MCW]

Maybe my setup is no good. I think the wheel I got was too small, but the guys at cyclone said this is the right wheel for 3/8. I got the 4mm wheel. It doesn't make sense to me to be using a 4mm wheel on a chain I'd use a 5.2mm or 5.5mm file on. Maybe I should try the wheel on lopro and see how it goes. When I grind, I keep the radius if the wheel level with the top of the cutter, but that means I've got to come back and clean out the gullets.

I think those auto vice grinders are probably the way to go. I sometimes don't bother too much with clamping every tooth. I just set the vice as tight as it can be and still be able to move the chain. That isn't as rigid as clamping, but clamping every tooth is too slow. I mostly use my grinder for rocked chains, then hit them with a file. Nothing like 1,000 file strokes on a single chain to put you in the mood for a beer.

Shaun

You may be right there mate as my 3/8"LP/.325" wheel is 3.5mm and my 3/8"/.404" wheel is 5.5mm. Greg at Dinasaw said you don't need 5.5mm but I insisted. My thoughts are you get the same radius/hook in the gullet as a 7/32" file. As mentioned I think I can get a bit more out of full chisel by filing (particularly in softwoods) but there is nothing in it with semi chisel and in my experience a ground chain will wear better than a filed one in crappy wood. You can achieve some angles with a grinder that are very difficult to achieve with a file and vice versa.

The auto clamps are awesome that's for sure. You can really crank out chains fast

 

[Whitespider]

Sheer stupidity and a lack of experience was very high on my list

Maybe, but maybe not, maybe they just do what the "book" says to do. I was over in Decorah, IA earlier this week; saw a Stihl sign and swung-in to pick up some oil. There was a guy in there picking up some chains and he actually said something about how short the cutters were after the sharpening... could tell he was a bit irritated. The shop owner apologized, but explained the he had to take that much off to get all the cutters the same length, that a few of them were pretty bad.

If ya' think about it, most guys that pay to have chains sharpened don't do it themselves, not even touch-ups. They just keep grinding away until the chain simply won't cut anymore. Well heck, if ya' abuse the chain that bad... and if the guy sharpening does what the "book" says, he finds the worst or shortest cutter and removes all the damage on it first, and uses it as the "gauge" for the rest of the cutters... Right? I mean, the "book" does say all the cutters should be the same length... Right?

It might be stupidity... but not necessarily on the part of the guy doin' the sharpening.

Just sayin'.

 

[MCW]

Maybe, but maybe not, maybe they just do what the "book" says to do. I was over in Decorah, IA earlier this week; saw a Stihl sign and swung-in to pick up some oil. There was a guy in there picking up some chains and he actually said something about how short the cutters were after the sharpening... could tell he was a bit irritated. The shop owner apologized, but explained the he had to take that much off to get all the cutters the same length, that a few of them were pretty bad.

If ya' think about it, most guys that pay to have chains sharpened don't do it themselves, not even touch-ups. They just keep grinding away until the chain simply won't cut anymore. Well heck, if ya' abuse the chain that bad... and if the guy sharpening does what the "book" says, he finds the worst or shortest cutter and removes all the damage on it first, and uses it as the "gauge" for the rest of the cutters... Right? I mean, the "book" does say all the cutters should be the same length... Right?

It might be stupidity... but not necessarily on the part of the guy doin' the sharpening.

Just sayin'.

I can see where you're coming from and have seen some absolutely hammered chains come through myself.
Anybody though, regardless of what the book says, that grinds every tooth back to the shortest one if it is only one cutter that is severely damaged needs to use a bit of their own discretion.
You're right though and that is what the book says though even if you'd never notice the difference with only one or two short cutters.
If you only read books you would indeed assume that if all cutters are not equal the earth will fly out of orbit and smack into Jupiter

 

[sbhooper]

I cannot imagine taking my chains to anyone else to sharpen. I spent a lot of time learning how to correctly sharpen the chains. Doing it by hand, I get lots of use from each chain. When they are done, they are DONE! I try to teach anyone that I know how to sharpen. I am considering doing some for other people, as I do not mind sharpening them. I feel like using a grinder would definitely shorten the chain life if used improperly.

 

[MCW]

I cannot imagine taking my chains to anyone else to sharpen. I spent a lot of time learning how to correctly sharpen the chains. Doing it by hand, I get lots of use from each chain. When they are done, they are DONE! I try to teach anyone that I know how to sharpen. I am considering doing some for other people, as I do not mind sharpening them. I feel like using a grinder would definitely shorten the chain life if used improperly.

Grinders can most certainly wreck chains If used by a madman who loves looking at sparks
Shiny things distract some people.

 

[incipit22]

sharpening prices

Here in South jersey the local sharpener gets $5 off the bar any size