How much does your dealer charge to repair a chain?

[indiansprings]

We would have done it for free at our dealership if you had bought the chain there, we do it all the time for customer's. We figure the cost is so little that doing it for free will earn your on going business and we'll make it up down the line.

 

[Fish]

this forum just needs some clarifying

 

[indiansprings]

Fish, to clarify , we wouldn't spend no thirty minutes on it for free, we have quite a few chains that customers have never picked up, if it was something that took 5-10 minutes and a couple of presets, for a repeat customer we would do it for free. Taking a totally trashed pos chain and spending thirty minutes on it no way in hades. We take links out all the time for good customers and don't charge. But the owner also has us sharpening chains for five bucks off the saw and seven dollars if we take it off.

 

[DSS]

Sigh.

Just goes to show that you can start a ruccus on here over anything.

My chain needs one drive link and two presets. I straightened the other bent driver. I didn't expect them to fix it for free. Just seemed like a lot of money for what had to be done. I know how much things cost, and how much work it is to fix a chain. I just wondered if the price was normal.

A good dealer is worth his weight in gold, no doubt about it. Even a cranky bastard like Fish.

 

[Fish]

this thread needs some clarity. Hell, I have eaten more parts and labor than all of these kids. That is why I am such a bitter diakhead....

 

[superwd6]

I mean, if I sold a spark plug for $1.99, and my cost was $1.39. Half of these jokers would call me a stealer!!!!!!!!!!!

We just need to clarify things, so the guys don't go into a good dealer expecting something silly. Then go around calling him a stealer....

If someone brings in a boogered up chain, and if repairing it would involve more than a quick deburring, or replacing one bent tie strap,
I would recommend a new chain. If it was one of my customers, I may do it for free. But if someone brings in a butchered up chain with several boogered up drive links, he needs a new chain, any further discussion is silly!!!!!

I got an Uncle that gets a new 441 for the lowest price he's willing to pay then has done nothing but complain no free hat for 2 yearsHe used to be a Husqvarna owner but the local Husqy dealer doesn't miss the constant "give it to me " whine.He'll complain about dealers but most of us read between the lines. I payed the sticker price for my Redmax so when I need a favour my dealer Does look after me.

 

[Fish]

Sigh.

Just goes to show that you can start a ruccus on here over anything.

My chain needs one drive link and two presets. I straightened the other bent driver. I didn't expect them to fix it for free. Just seemed like a lot of money for what had to be done. I know how much things cost, and how much work it is to fix a chain. I just wondered if the price was normal.

A good dealer is worth his weight in gold, no doubt about it. Even a cranky bastard like Fish.

Yes, by telling these kids that they should expect a "good" dealer to spend some time fixing their boogered up chain for free is totally wreckless

 

[Fish]

Yes, I am a cranky a-hole, but I won't change my last post!!!!!!!

 

[Fish]

If all I have to do is remove 1 link, I just charge $2

 

[DSS]

Yes, I am a cranky a-hole, but I won't change my last post!!!!!!!

We wouldn't expect you to.

 

[Fish]

Friend of mine brought me his 029 that he pinched in a cut. He very slightly bent two drive links, and I didn't have any .325 .050 presets, so I took it to the local Stihl dealer. Went back to get it and was told it wasn't worth fixing. This is a new RSC been sharpened maybe twice.

They said by the time I bought the parts and labour, it was over $30 plus tax, but they would be glad to sell me a new chain for $22.95 plus tax. How much do stihl presets cost anyway????

You guys that have a good dealer close by are very lucky. I'm all about buying local but I just can't support these guys. They also want almost $70 for a 16" .325 stihl bar with non replaceable nose.

Is this not a little out of line?

Yeah, your guy may be a tad high. But looking at the original repair, it would need a splice from another chain, or else an extra 4 tie strap assys., over the first 4, not counting the cutters that would be cut out. Would he be better spent spending 1/2 hour trying to repair a chain and charge you $10, or just selling you a new one?

 

[WidowMaker1]

Nothing ...I charge him for my presence. lol I'm expensive!

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

Naw, I am just trying to convince these guys that anyone that works on saws for a living is not a crook......

They always throw up some guy fixed this or that for free, but really!!! Do you expect a real saw shop to waste 1/2 hour on a chain. and
$5 worth of parts for free, and stay in business.

I dealt with logger aholes for years, wanting to get me to sell them Stihl chain for our dealer cost, they claimed they could get that price in the next county... I told them to go there.....

Don't waste your breath talking to these guys Fish most of them use both sides of the toilet paper to save a penny.

I see it all the time in the shop guys will drive 45 minutes out of their way to save 2.00$ on a chain and
burn through 20$ in fuel doing it.

 

[stihl023/5]

What is toilet paper?

 

[Fish]

Nah, for good customers I do things for free all of the time, but boogered up chains I refuse to spend much time on. If they need a link removed, I usually give them the "Time for a new sprocket soon" speech, and also tell them they don't want to run their old worn out chains on their brand new sprocket, if they are getting one. I also will not sell them a new chain if their sprocket is shot.

If they need a link removed, I charge $2, which is almost free, as the tiestrap set is @ $1, my cost.

 

[4x4American]

a general rule of thumb i go by for stihl bars and chains: multiply the length of the bar by two for about how much itll cost, and the chain should cost about a dollar per inch.