netflix chainsaw sharpening

[landroverbill]

Does anyone think there is a market for a netflix style chain sharpening service?
Flat fee, keep them for as long as...., return for sharp one or another style/ type. Any ideas???

 

[Nailgunner]

it's ok, provided the ones that come back haven't been driven into a rock, or crashed around in the back of a truck, or run dry, or hit some gippo metal in a trunk. Could lead to arguments.

Now, if you could invent a machine that identifies the chain by type, and automatically selects and applies grinders to bring it back to life, you'd be onto a winner. I see one in every petrol station and convenience store in the north-west, like passport photo booths. Any clever takers?

 

[landroverbill]

Thanks for the reply. Is ti an idea worth further thought ????

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Because I don't yet have square filing down, I'd love to have someone grind it for me.


I'd buy some more loops, and always have some in a padded envelope shipping to or from someone to grind it for me.

 

[bookerdog]

I don't know how many chains you could get in a priority mail set charge envelop, but I have always thought someone could make some extra money that way. I could see someone putting five chains in a envelop sending it off to be sharpend. I don't know about the netflixs thing though. The chains they send you back could just be toast.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Not likely to be very profitable. You've got huge overhead and a product that is easily ruined if people don't care about taking care of it. Besides, there are places out there that will sharpen chains cheap and mail them back. They get the profits from sharpening but not the expense of buying all those chains.

 

[Griffbm3]

I looked into this about 2 years ago. A really impressive sharpener that could handle things automatically would be a lot of outlay for a relatively unknown. Could you get away with a 511??? Probably for about a week. Trouble is, if you got to obacklogged, what do you do?

Good luck if you do it.

Jason

 

[ray benson]

People with highly worn chains would be willing to swap. But someone with a near new chain would be crazy.

 

[Soilarch]

Don't want to be too much of a downer....but...


There are a thousand more ways to ruin a chain than a dvd.

DVDs won't suffer from improper operating, and they're "at home" in a gentler environment. Sure you can scratch a DVD, and you can break one but you have to be straight up negligent to do either one without knowing. Some chains meet their maker through "normal" use.


Plus...wait for it....LIABILITY!!!!

Someone gets hurts using your chains...Mr. Lawyer will see $$$$ and come knocking on your door.

It aint right, and it's bad logic, but it's how the world works now adays.

I sharpen knives, and some days I'm close to stopping just for fear that some wacko will do something obsurd, and somehow an even more obsurd lawyer will try to convince a jury that it's my fault because I made the "instrument" "lethal". (There are so many whole's in the argument I won't be began...but that doesn't mean a lawyer won't try...and frankly I can't afford my own lawyer if it does happen:help

 

[rngrchad]

hm.

To me, personally, the idea sounds a bit ridiculous. I commend the idea of starting your own business doing this, but I'm awfully picky and the last thing I would want is someone ELSE other than me sharpening my chains...and If I didn't know how to sharpen chains, I would teach myself before spending money and time playing "netflix" with my saw chain.
sorry I couldn't seem to say it in a nicer kind of way
-Chad

 

[SteveH]

Seems to me that anyone who used a saw often enough to require frequent sharpened chains would be the type of person, mostly, to sharpen his own. Maybe not, though. I would've laughed my hinder off is someone several yr. ago had told me people would wait in line and pay $4.50 for a cup of coffee. And then go back for another.

I am sure you'd get some business, but how much and how regularly is a problem. I suppose that the guy who takes in a couple chains to a shop now and then might opt for the "convenience" of the mail rather than driving to the shop. I suppose. So I think that the base of your clientel would be the now-and-then user, most of whom wouldn't be a source of real regular business.

But what do I know. You could do it and be the next laughing millionaire for all I know.

 

[rngrchad]

You could do it and be the next laughing millionaire for all I know.

That was my thoughts too. I'd love him to have the last laugh while I'm sitting here saying; "Why didn't I think to do that".

 

[Nailgunner]

There's also the problem of needing a chain sharpened the same day instead of half a week later, as per postal services. I don't suppose most people have enough chains to have that many in the post at once.

Perhaps a better idea would be leasing automatic chain sharpeners to forestry contractors or saw shops. They then either reduce their file-time overheads or offer a quick service to clients for which they can charge a reasonable price for a fast, effective service.

Anyone else in CNC work? I can think of a VBasic macro for sharpening chains already, perhaps twenty lines of code and some clever mechanical setup. The hardware interface should ideally be dead simple - just select your chain type or set custom settings, and off it goes. I bet there'd be a lot of demand if it did a really good job.

 

[landroverbill]

I thank you all for the feedback. I think that Soilarch first hit the weak spot....lawyers. I'm not sure there isn't still a little bit of an idea there.

 

[computeruser]

I'm not sure how one would expect to make money at this.

Folks make such a big deal out of sharpening chains, though. I don't get it. Do a few chains? Buy a box of files. Do a lot? Buy a grinder and some ear muffs with a radio in them.

Not to be a downer, but as I understand the idea, I just don't see how this could be set up to be advantageous to both the user and the sharpener...

 

[PatrickIreland]

The guy I buy my chains and bits from does this - but at £8 per (hand filed, and he is top class) for a chain being done, and £12 for a new 18" loop I'd rather just touch them up myself when needed then buy a new loop.