Alternative to sharpening your chain

[KenJax Tree]

Has anyone used or seen the Stihl FG4 guide its similar to the Husky roller guide.

YouTube

 

[KenJax Tree]

I didn't realize the chain was replaceable. I've been buying new saws!

I will PM you my address to send the old saws to i will even pay shipping

 

[cpr]

I'll give ya $4 for it.

SOLD! In our next lot, this wonderful unicorn. Very rare and, as you can see the polished cover on the halter is always a good indicator that it is fully modified.

Starting at $1000. 1000whosabidwannabid1000, rightherewannanabid1000anagoin1050, thank you sir, rightabidwannabidwehave1050...

 

[saxono3]

Waste not want not. Sharpen them back to the line. They only get faster.

Sawtroll, can I get a handful of that popcorn?:msp_smile:

 

[hoeyrd2110]

how old is your saw? must be turning awfully slow to make a chain last 4 cords...and you must go thru 1000 gals a week of bar oil to keep the chain cool. i wanna know your trick cause at 4 cord per chain it would sure turn the whole industry on it's head...

 

[edisto]

Now aftermarket chains...I'll toss those after one use...

otstir:

oke:

:deadhorse:

 

[THALL10326]

:msp_w00t: If you never filed a chain, you likely never cut with a really sharp one. Chain need to be touched up with a file right out of the box (or off the reel), and the rakers also need to be checked (and often adjusted).....

Really. I know of no one that files a brand new chain or checks the rakers. Ole feller I've been selling and putting on new chains for over 20 years. In my 20 plus years I've never had one person ask me to touch it up with a file or check the rakers. They, like me, assume since its new its probably already sharp and the rakers are right. I've yet to find a new dull chain in a Stihl box or one with the rakers outta wack. Let me tell ya what I have heard over and over, "nothing cuts like a new one". I hear that all the time.

I know there are folks than can hand file a chain and it cuts great, better than new, I've yet to see it, possible I guess but to actually see it, never have. I've heard it said but never seen it. Sadly for every one person that can file good there are a 100 who can't. Few human hands can hold the angles like a machine can. I got many customers who hand file their chains a few times and then bring them back to get the angles striaghtened out with the grinder. That goes on all the time. The human hand just isn't that steady or accurate, the machine is.

I think this filing thing is more self satisfaction that its cutting again than how well its really cutting. It feels good to be sawing, chain goes dull, touch it up and its cutting pretty good again. Feels good yes. Cutting better than it was new, I doubt it. If it is awesome, I know my new chain is cutting like what, ya got it baby, a new one, cheers!!!!!!!!

 

[hoeyrd2110]

i started filling after reading threads about it and hearing about the touch up rule and such. started about 6 months ago...now my grinder only turns on for a rocked chain or for customer saws. i get about 8-10 filings before i re angle it and dress it up on the grinder. yeah i wrecked 2 chains but no biggy, now i'm pretty darn good, and it gets the older guys all up in arms a 23yo can do it the oldschool way and they can't:hmm3grin2orange: i can tell you if you tune saws and can tune in the wood by feel, you can notice a PROPERLY filed chain vs out of the box. If you can't tune in wood and don't have the ear/feel for it you probly aren't even looking for differences. To each their own. i like my filed chains now especially my SXXV w/VXL...oh yeah it's sharper than new now:msp_thumbsup:

 

[spacemule]

For me you is correct. At the price I getem it isn't worth my time to sharpen one. However I have made $8000.00 this year sharpening chains for those that want em sharpened. At 8.50 a pop that 941 chains I've done this year. Last year I did 1500 chains but I'm getting better at selling new chains now, every new one sold is one less I have to sharpen,hehe Sharpening chains verses grass growing, both the same, boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why don't you get one of those automatic machines?

 

[THALL10326]

Why don't you get one of those automatic machines?

Got one, called my wallet.

I saw one of those auto machines at the Stihl factory, only $19,000.00 I can buy alot of chains for that. Would be great to have at the shop though, then customers could sharpen their own chain and hand me $8.50 going out the door, user fee,hehe

 

[ancy]

In a little over 5 years cutting and I can tell you like many have a half way gone FILED chain will smoke some hack on a grinder or even the factory job. Case in point here is a Stihl shop ground chain what I bet will hold an edge for a little over 1 cut!

If you can't see it has a nice purple color to it. Put your new chains and grinder away and learn something!

Sent from my XT881

 

[spacemule]

Got one, called my wallet.

I saw one of those auto machines at the Stihl factory, only $19,000.00 I can buy alot of chains for that. Would be great to have at the shop though, then customers could sharpen their own chain and hand me $8.50 going out the door, user fee,hehe

Yeah, but you just said you've done 8k worth this year when you're actively discouraging having sharpening done. If you encouraged it, the number would probably go up. Not to mention, the machine would pay for itself in a couple years and you wouldn't have to manually do any more chains. Or, you could just hire a shop monkey for $7.25 an hour and have him do them.

 

[spacemule]

Hell, I bet you'd even find a few suckers who would do your chain sharpening in exchange for saws.

 

[THALL10326]

In a little over 5 years cutting and I can tell you like many have a half way gone FILED chain will smoke some hack on a grinder or even the factory job. Case in point here is a Stihl shop ground chain what I bet will hold an edge for a little over 1 cut!

If you can't see it has a nice purple color to it. Put your new chains and grinder away and learn something!

Sent from my XT881

I guess your talking to me. I'm not putting new chains away and no I don't need to learn anything. You been sawing 5 years, do another 35 and come back, I may listen, not likely by may. That chain your showing was ground too hard and too fast, thats how that happens. Thats why you have to bounce the grinder lightly as you sharpen the tooth, hope you just learned something. Half worn out chain will smoke a new one,ok, show me. I want some vids, I got the stop watch, lets see how much smoke is really being blown here,:msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin:

 

[THALL10326]

Yeah, but you just said you've done 8k worth this year when you're actively discouraging having sharpening done. If you encouraged it, the number would probably go up. Not to mention, the machine would pay for itself in a couple years and you wouldn't have to manually do any more chains. Or, you could just hire a shop monkey for $7.25 an hour and have him do them.

True but I make more than 8.50 on a new one and I can make it in seconds. Space I'll have to check but I'm quite positive I send 25-30 grand worth of chain out the door a year so 8 grand in sharpening to me is more less a pain in my azz. Sharpening holds me up from doing more productive things, like making some money, 8 grand may sound like alot but its not..

 

[stihlrookie]

You guys missed it

Sure he cuts 4 cord without sharpening but he has an OWB and bucks the logs to 8' length. Not much cutting after all.

 

[spacemule]

True but I make more than 8.50 on a new one and I can make it in seconds. Space I'll have to check but I'm quite positive I send 25-30 grand worth of chain out the door a year so 8 grand in sharpening to me is more less a pain in my azz. Sharpening holds me up from doing more productive things, like making some money, 8 grand may sound like alot but its not..

25 to 30? What's the margin on that?

 

[hoeyrd2110]

lo pro 3/8's or full 3/8's....sorry don't do .325 here. i'm getting the feeling my roll of vxl is going to get opened up and put on one of the S25's for a vid if no one does it by this weekend(when i will have the time to). i'm gonna tell yah there sure is alot of variables here even between two posters hands to the way a guy takes care of his grinding wheel on his machine.

he would probly spend 15-20k on the chain wholesale

 

[Chris-PA]

Everyone knows new chains attract rocks, so it doesn't matter how well they cut you're sure to rock it in a couple of minutes anyway.

 

[THALL10326]

25 to 30? What's the margin on that?

ALOT!! On 30 grand I'll pull 15 grand in profit. Sounds outragous doesn't it. Way I see it a 25.00 chain will cut a cord of wood. A cord of wood around here goes for 250.00. A 25.00 chain will saw up a small tree that they charge a grand to do. So do I feel bad, not at all...