Making Money Sharpening Chainsaw Chains?

[Hexa Fox]

Hey guys I wanted to get some insight off here from people that may have some good advice. We live a pretty good way out in the country and people are constantly complaining about having dull chains. So I figured that this is a good way to get a side business going and offering a chain sharpening service. I have done a good bit of research and sort of torn between what I want to do now. I was hoping the community here could help me decide.

My initial plan was to buy an Oregon 511AX Grinder and learn how to properly use it. After doing some more research on the web and even seeing what people prefer to sharpen their own chains with here it looks like taking the time to learn to use a file might be more rewarding. Especially since I can buy files, depth gauges, and accessories for all different types of chains out there four under a hundred bucks it might be worth considering. The main problem I face is if I get a lot of business it may prove to be too much to sharpen each chain by hand and try to make a profit off it.

Do you guys think if I take the time to learn to properly use a file that I can sharpen the cutting tooth and depth gauges on several different chains a day and do a good job people will respect? Because I here a lot of people saying that files are more of a "touch up tool" for the field and that is it. Where as other people constantly swear by them. I guess my main question is with several strokes on each cutting tooth and filling down the depth gauge can I get each tooth as sharp as a Oregon Grinder would? Of course with knowing I need to put a little more effort into it?

Also I have two more things I am worried about. If people bring me their chains only how can I vice them up or get them sit up so I can get to them to sharpen them?

Lastly if I am sharpening a .325 regardless of who manufactured it can I always use the 3/16" (.325) file? For example my chains are .325 and Stihl sells the file for the .325, which I am pretty certain is 3/16". So could I use that file for any chain that is .325 whether it be Husqvarna, Polan, Craftsman, etc?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I would go with the grinder. Most of the chains you are going to get are going to be from homeowners that have severely abused them. Hand filing is truly an art that takes a long time to master, not that using a grinder to get factory results doesn't take a lot of skill as well. Keep in mind offering professional services means you must be able to give professional results. From your questions it honestly doesn't sound like you have the experience to do that at this point, but ya gotta start somewhere. Jeff

 

[Hexa Fox]

I would go with the grinder. Most of the chains you are going to get are going to be from homeowners that have severely abused them. Hand filing is truly an art that takes a long time to master, not that using a grinder to get factory results doesn't take a lot of skill as well. Keep in mind offering professional services means you must be able to give professional results. From your questions it honestly doesn't sound like you have the experience to do that at this point, but ya gotta start somewhere. Jeff

Yep I have about ten chains now and they are all pretty dull. So I plan to start with my own chains and see what kind of results I can get. If I am not satisfied with my own work then I probably won't offer it to other people as a service.

I heard the grinders are a pain because even after you get a nice wheel that will last a long time you have learn how to use it properly. Also people say a lot of customers do not like their chains done on a grinder because it takes too much out of the chain. Also they guy I plan to buy the wheels from Diamond Wheel Inc told me that I can not sharpen the "square/straight" chains that a lot of people are buying. They are usually referred to as "high kickback" chains and usually get through wood a good deal faster then their rounded counterparts. Problem with them is they dull out a little faster.

So hearing that I would not be able to get a wheel to sharpen the more aggressive "square" chains was a huge negative. I would assume that he is the guy the listen to as well since he is selling some of the best grinding wheels on the net.

 

[Philbert]

Grinder.

You can look up sharpening specs for major brand chains on their respective websites, or set up your own 'default' angles, file/wheel sizes, etc.

Most people bringing chains in will not be that picky about specs, as long as the chains cut. If they tell you that they want a specific angle then you can accommodate them.

Philbert

 

[Hexa Fox]

I would go with the grinder. Most of the chains you are going to get are going to be from homeowners that have severely abused them. Hand filing is truly an art that takes a long time to master, not that using a grinder to get factory results doesn't take a lot of skill as well. Keep in mind offering professional services means you must be able to give professional results. From your questions it honestly doesn't sound like you have the experience to do that at this point, but ya gotta start somewhere. Jeff

From another forum on here and from talking to a certified Stihl Technician at my local shop (good distance away) told me that using a grinder is a lot more complicated than filling. I watched a Stihl video on filling last night and it looks like it is something I could get the hang of with reading directions and practice. Where as a grinder may require me to actually seek out someone that actually knows what they are doing and get a few pointers.

 

[Philbert]

I heard the grinders are a pain because even after you get a nice wheel that will last a long time you have learn how to use it properly. Also people say a lot of customers do not like their chains done on a grinder because it takes too much out of the chain. Also they guy I plan to buy the wheels from Diamond Wheel Inc told me that I can not sharpen the "square/straight" chains that a lot of people are buying. They are usually referred to as "high kickback" chains and usually get through wood a good deal faster then their rounded counterparts. Problem with them is they dull out a little faster.

So hearing that I would not be able to get a wheel to sharpen the more aggressive "square" chains was a huge negative. I would assume that he is the guy the listen to as well since he is selling some of the best grinding wheels on the net.

WHOA!!!!!

Sharpening is a skill. If it wasn't, why would people need a sharpening service?

The guy trying to sell you wheels is trying to sell you stuff.

Square ground chain requires an entirely different GRINDER than a 511AX.

Respectfully, you need to learn a bit more about sharpening chains before jumping in as a business. LOTS of threads on it here on A.S. - too much to put in this thread.

Start with your own chains and figure out what works for you. Then maybe expand to friend's chains, etc., before offering it as a service, or you will wind up being one if those guys people complain about.

Philbert

 

[TheJollyLogger]

At this point, if your daughter shows up with a bearded french model wearing a fanny pack to hide his gut, welcome him into the family.

Sharpening chains using any method is a skill that takes a long time to master, and you won't learn it on the internet. As far as square chains go, if a guy is running square cut, he's sharpening his own. Running a sharpening service, your customers are going to be for the most part poulan wielding weekend warriors who have hit the dirt every other cut and trashed their chains, and some metal is gonna have to come off to fix em. That's grinder work. Not to mention a good file job takes a lot longer and way more expertise than a grinder onthat kind of damage. Sorry bud, just trying to be honest but you're in over your head already. Jeff

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I've been saving that line for a while, couldn't resist.

 

[Hexa Fox]

WHOA!!!!!

Sharpening is a skill. If it wasn't, why would people need a sharpening service?

The guy trying to sell you wheels is trying to sell you stuff.

Square ground chain requires an entirely different GRINDER than a 511AX.

Respectfully, you need to learn a bit more about sharpening chains before jumping in as a business. LOTS of threads on it here on A.S. - too much to put in this thread.

Start with your own chains and figure out what works for you. Then maybe expand to friend's chains, etc., before offering it as a service, or you will wind up being one if those guys people complain about.

Philbert

First off if the guy was trying to sell me something and you use common sense he probably wouldn't tell me that I can not sharpen the "square/straight" chain. I am pretty sure they are called "full chisel" if you buy them from Stihl, but think you get the picture. Given the fact that a lot of people use the same wheels to sharpen regardless of the type of chain should tell you that there are a lot of people "in over their head" when it comes to sharpening. Therefore he could have easily just told me "I don't see why you can't use my wheels to sharpen the square tooth chain" instead of being honest and telling me I could not.

Respectfully you guys sure do assume a lot on here. Maybe I should have elaborated my situation better. I have a lot of dull chains and definitely want to have the satisfaction of sharpening them with my own hands. Because of this I would also like to make certain I am doing at least a decent job and be able to offer it to other people as well. I make money off of my chainsaw removing trees and just trimming so if I can sharpening my own chains and offer it for a little extra cash I would quite happy.

As I tried to express before that so many of you are assuming, I know that buying an Oregon Grinder sharpening chains is not going to make me a professional business overnight. I never expected anything of the sort, but just as said before, you have to start somewhere. I am willing to put the time and effort into it and it definitely looks rewarding since I am the only guy in the area that would offer the service.

Now with having that said, in my novice opinion (no offense applied) it looks like learning to sharpen chains with a file would be quite simple to get into. Because as far as my novice self understands it the Stihl files have lines on it to show you which way to hold it and stress to count your strokes and be cautious of how much pressure you apply. Then you simply take the depth gauge tool lay it on each of the teeth and file down the depth gauge if need be then make sure it retains the curved shape. Then you are done. There is not a lot of room for error there, ESPECIALLY since you have a file you are using by hand and not a piece of equipment making thousands of rotations per minute. Just my opinion though.

 

[Hexa Fox]

The big question I want is am I going to get a more quality job from the Oregon Grinder or the Hand Files? Also if someone brings me a square tooth chain and I have a $300.00+ investment (Oregon Grinder) and can't sharpen it, what do I do then?

Another big question is if a lot of people start bringing me chains and I am stuck with a bunch of Hand File how fast am I going to get sick of doing it? Even if I learn how to use either of these tools properly. I do not want to go out and spend around $400-$500 on a nice Oregon Grinder with a nice bench for it to sit on and then not know what the hell I am doing at all and not have anyone to guide me through it.

So another question you guys have agreed that I can not sharpen the "full chisel" or "square tooth" chains on the grinder right? Is there no wheel that I can buy that will get me at the angel I need to be at to sharpen it? So if someone brings one in how do I sharpen it?

 

[mdavlee]

Square chisel grinders start at around $900. Using a grinder takes as much finesse as hand filing. You only take off what you need to get a chain sharp with a grinder. A good silvey will let you take off .010" at a time if you're careful.

 

[Philbert]

Hexa,

You are right, we don't know you. But from your posts it sounds like you have a lot of bits of information and need to straighten it out. 'Full-chisel' chain is different from 'square-ground' chain. If you confuse these terms you will get confusing answers.

Learning to sharpen well with a grinder is easier to learn than learning to sharpen well with a file. The grinder is inherently more consistent. There may be other advantages to hand filing, but it takes more skill to get a consistent loop of chain. Both require some knowledge, some practice, and some skill to do well.

You asked. That's my opinion.

Philbert

 

[Hexa Fox]

Hexa,

You are right, we don't know you. But from your posts it sounds like you have a lot of bits of information and need to straighten it out. 'Full-chisel' chain is different from 'square-ground' chain. If you confuse these terms you will get confusing answers.

Learning to sharpen well with a grinder is easier to learn than learning to sharpen well with a file. The grinder is inherently more consistent. There may be other advantages to hand filing, but it takes more skill to get a consistent loop of chain. Both require some knowledge, some practice, and some skill to do well.

You asked. That's my opinion.

Philbert

Okay so if you were in my position right now and knew how to use both a Hand File and Grinder well would you sharpen other peoples chains with the Hand File or the Grinder?

 

[joezilla11]

All a homeowner cares about is how well it cuts. If your going the hand file route I'd order some Pferd files. They file the tooth and raker at the same time and takes the guess work out of it. It's easy and my chains cut as good as new. $17 its fast, easy and sounds like it would suit you well until you see how your business does

 

[andydodgegeek]

Okay so if you were in my position right now and knew how to use both a Hand File and Grinder well would you sharpen other peoples chains with the Hand File or the Grinder?

If I was gonna sharpen a lot of chains for people I would use my grinder. Fairly quick and easy, once you've figured.out how to use it. But for my self I rarely let my chains get so bad I need a grind. I hand file all mine and try to keep them very Sharp, usually about 3 strokes with a file.

 

[Philbert]

Okay so if you were in my position right now and knew how to use both a Hand File and Grinder well would you sharpen other peoples chains with the Hand File or the Grinder?

See my first post. Grinder.

Philbert

 

[Zale]

How much do you plan on charging per chain? What is your time worth? I would use a grinder. If you hand file, you will be selling yourself short. Hand filing takes time and patience starting out and if you are running a business , time is money. Good luck.

 

[Hexa Fox]

How much do you plan on charging per chain? What is your time worth? I would use a grinder. If you hand file, you will be selling yourself short. Hand filing takes time and patience starting out and if you are running a business , time is money. Good luck.

Are you just a guy who cuts for personal use or have a business or something? You are about an hour away from me.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Could I really mess up a chain if I try to use a Oregon 511AX Pro or Round File on a "square tooth" chain? I definitely know a lot of people do definitely do this, but assume these could be the people that you people consider "in over their head". The "square tooth" I am referring to in terms of Stihl chains is RS-26 which the sharpening kit that Stihl offers says it's "round tooth" counterpart can indeed be sharpened with the same file and measured with the same Depth Gauge. The round counterpart I am talking about is RM3-26 and hope this helps you guys figure out what I am talking about.

I mean when I first started looking around I was almost immediately sold on the Oregon 511AX Pro as I have read good things about it. Then after doing some more reading it would seem a lot of people do prefer to file chains. They claim that "after you learn to file you would wonder why anyone would pay to have them sharpened" or "after you get a file there is no better way". Again though a lot of these quotes are coming from people that do not touch other peoples chains.

 

[Gologit]

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