How do you store your chains?

Something I've wondered about for awhile and thought I'd ask.

I've read in numerous manuals that chains should be stored soaked in oil.

I understand the advantages and advisability of this but have to admit that I am very careless in this regard. I also hate mounting oily chains.

This would also involve oiling new chains before mounting (the idea is to get oil permeate the rivet area).

So - How many of you store your chains well oiled and oil new chains before mounting?

And if you store them oiled just how do you store them ie in a plastic bag, bucket, plastic tub ???? I'm sure you don't hang oil soaked chains from nails on the wall - do you?

all mine are either hanging off nails at the shop or are spares in my little chainsaw tools toolbox.

I coat mine with oil and store them in tupperware containers that my wife has deemed to old or stained to use in the house, and then carry them in a milk crate in the truck/tractor or whatever.

I also have a jug of bar oil, wedges, a hatchet, extra bar nuts for when I loose one, a few screwdrivers and a few other odds and ends in the milk crate as well.

I use mine all year round so don't store.

Put if I did, I would just spray them with wd40 and leave them on the saw. I've never had no chain rust when doing this. Don't really consider it that big of a deal.

i store my chains on a nail as long as there dry they don't rust
i would't store mine in oil i could't Imagen reaching into a bucket of oil and pulling out a sharp chain..

but i'm just a back yard firewood hack..:spam:

I go through chains so fast no need to store. New ones in the box last long enough to get used before rusting.

Extra chains hang on nails in the garage but most chain live in an old milk crate in the truck alond with extra wedges and few cans of chile.

After I sharpen my chains on a Bell Industrys grinder,I fold them,set them on a sheet of news paper,spray with WD40,roll them up,tape the paper closed,and label it with a marker.A friend of mine has a sharpening biz, and it is how does them.

FATGUY said:

all mine are either hanging off nails at the shop or are spares in my little chainsaw tools toolbox.

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When I don't have them in boxes to go with me in the field, they are hanging on nails in order (left to right) of shortest to longest. There is enough space between nails so the spare bar(s) go on the same nails as the corresponding chains. The chains come with a skim of oil on them new from the dealer, and if I've used them and my chain oilers are working well, they maintain that oil skim and don't rust.

If I lived in the deep South or along ocean coasts, I'd probably have to re-evaluate that, but I've never had a problem with chains rusting here in the Midwest storing chains as I've described.

StihlyinEly said:

When I don't have them in boxes to go with me in the field, they are hanging on nails in order (left to right) of shortest to longest. There is enough space between nails so the spare bar(s) go on the same nails as the corresponding chains. The chains come with a skim of oil on them new from the dealer, and if I've used them and my chain oilers are working well, they maintain that oil skim and don't rust.

If I lived in the deep South or along ocean coasts, I'd probably have to re-evaluate that, but I've never had a problem with chains rusting here in the Midwest storing chains as I've described.

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pretty much how i do it and i live in the deeep south. as a matter of fact we consider 100 miles farther south, yankee-land. i don't have problems with rust. my shop is covered, but not sealed, and i don't have a problem with rust. oh, the odd speck, but nothing that could affect speed. there is enough oil on them from the saw. when they go to the woods i put them in plastic peanut butter jars. i label each (i do all of my cutting with either 72 or 84 DL chains) with a sharpie. i can get three of either in a 32oz jar. when i take one off it gets thrown in the bed of the truck and then hung on the sharpener when i get home.

I have always put my chains away clean and sharpened and dipped in bar oil if i think they will sit for a long time.

Works very for me for over 15 years

Just go cut wood and don't worry about it.

I store mine all covered in sap.

parrisw said:

Just go cut wood and don't worry about it.

I store mine all covered in sap.

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:agree2: I don't do anything. They are either on a saw or hangin on a hook in the shop.

Arrowhead said:

:agree2: I don't do anything. They are either on a saw or hangin on a hook in the shop.

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Ya, I don't know what the big deal is, this comes up every now and then, I think the last one was do you pre soak your chains!! LOL. Just throw it on and cut wood. Its just a frigging saw chain. I got a coupe reels sitting there in my shop, I'm not about to go soak a couple hundred feet of chain LOL.

so your saying the sap keeps the rust off?

ckelp said:

so your saying the sap keeps the rust off?

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Yup and the bugs away! I hang em around my neck too, bug repellent!

bling bling

i forgot i have a 20" loop of skip in the back of my tuck just in case trouble comes my way.

you know though trouble trees that jump out at you..

Chains live on nails when not on bars. It's their natural habitat. If I think it's gonna be awhile, they get a shot of Kroil. If I'm gonna use 'em TODAY, they're hanging from my belt by a carabiner in a kevlar bag. If they've been sitting awhile and are a bit stiff, they get a shot of Kroil. If I feel like givin 'em a treat for being Especially Good Chains, I give 'em a shot of Kroil.

ckelp said:

i store my chains on a nail as long as there dry they don't rust
i would't store mine in oil i could't Imagen reaching into a bucket of oil and pulling out a sharp chain..

but i'm just a back yard firewood hack..:spam:

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LOL yep on a nail or in the saw box. The oiler is designed to oil the chain. Don't store them in the rain for more than a week or two, that might help too

Bill

My work chain's are stored on the bar, 2 new chains generally in the little cardboard chain boxes waiting their turn. The rest are still on the reel waiting to be spun up.
My race chain's are stored in a chest I made. The "drawers" are 1x6 Pine routed out to fit each particular chain.
Haven't ever oiled one though, other than on the bar.

Andy