Improving Saw Maintenance in the field and between jobs - what has worked for you?

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We really need to figure out a better way to maintain our saws. The biggest issue we run into on the job is, as always, dull saws that cut crooked all the way to hell. I was wondering what your recommendations are concerning the new strategies we are trying, and what strategies you’ve found the most successful.

1. We picked up an Oregon grinder due to the inconsistent sharpening quality. Our only experience with them was decades ago, and it was agreed to be lackluster…but perhaps that’s down to operator error. have you seen good results from a chain sharped by a grinder vs traditional methods?

2. We are considering keeping extra chains on the trucks, not sure if it’s worth while though. It would have saved our butts a few times in recent memory. And I suppose if we could have changed a chain out, we would have, rather than suffer. But if the grinder helps us as much as we are hoping, maybe it’s an unnecessary additional thing to keep track of in each truck.

3. Do you have one person on the crew that is responsible for inspecting saws, sharpening, etc? I imagine the benefit would be consistency and specialization. Or do you use assign individual saws to each crew member? Saws are used communally, but assigning saws maybe helps introduce more accountability. It also helps that everyone gains experience in saw maintenance, even though there may be more inconsistency between saws.

We recently had our chief maintenance guru leave for an unknown period of time, and boy, do you feel it when one crew member is so specialized that it creates a huge operational hole in their absence.

3. Right now we operate all husky, except a MS 200T and 201T. Our most used husky’s are getting on in years and are experiencing more and more mechanical issues. I am intrigued by the idea of adding some Echos to our collection, rather than new husky’s. In general what has your experience been with running the newer husky models hard on daily crews vs echo?
 
Teach the workers not to turf the chains and how to cut.
I appreciate the importance of correct technique, sure, we have added more green to the crew dynamic than we’ve had in a while. I feel like there’s a symbiosis between Saw skills, and saw maintenance…and i was mostly curious for input on other peoples systems.
 
We really need to figure out a better way to maintain our saws. The biggest issue we run into on the job is, as always, dull saws that cut crooked all the way to hell. I was wondering what your recommendations are concerning the new strategies we are trying, and what strategies you’ve found the most successful.

1. We picked up an Oregon grinder due to the inconsistent sharpening quality. Our only experience with them was decades ago, and it was agreed to be lackluster…but perhaps that’s down to operator error. have you seen good results from a chain sharped by a grinder vs traditional methods?

2. We are considering keeping extra chains on the trucks, not sure if it’s worth while though. It would have saved our butts a few times in recent memory. And I suppose if we could have changed a chain out, we would have, rather than suffer. But if the grinder helps us as much as we are hoping, maybe it’s an unnecessary additional thing to keep track of in each truck.

3. Do you have one person on the crew that is responsible for inspecting saws, sharpening, etc? I imagine the benefit would be consistency and specialization. Or do you use assign individual saws to each crew member? Saws are used communally, but assigning saws maybe helps introduce more accountability. It also helps that everyone gains experience in saw maintenance, even though there may be more inconsistency between saws.

We recently had our chief maintenance guru leave for an unknown period of time, and boy, do you feel it when one crew member is so specialized that it creates a huge operational hole in their absence.

3. Right now we operate all husky, except a MS 200T and 201T. Our most used husky’s are getting on in years and are experiencing more and more mechanical issues. I am intrigued by the idea of adding some Echos to our collection, rather than new husky’s. In general what has your experience been with running the newer husky models hard on daily crews vs echo?
Buy a box of decent files and some Husky filing guides, and learn how to use them. Having a grinder at the shop isn't going to do you any good if you need some chains sharpened on the job. If you are going to run a saw, you really should know how to maintain it properly and be able to sharpen a chain in the field.
You should have extra chains on the truck regardless...and a couple bars also.
If you have more than one truck and crew, each truck should have everything you need on it. Saws, extra chains and bars, saw files, tools (rakes, shovels, pitch forks etc), whatever is needed on a daily basis.
Where I worked, every crew had an assigned truck, and every truck had among other things a couple MS201 bucket saws, a couple 16" MS261s, a 20" MS361, an MS460, a bunch of ropes, slings and chains, hand tools, fuel and oil cans, at least one friction device, some wedges and hammers of various sizes, a couple redirects, and a vice for sharpening saws.
We didn't have a grinder either. Everything was sharpened by hand.
 
I’m just a firewood cutter and rarely damage chains, but I never leave the shop without a spare chain for each saw.

It’s faster to swap a chain then sharpen in the field, and production is much higher wirh shadp chains.
 
+1 on all the above, especially the spare chains & a vice on the back of the truck.
I'd also push the point that the jobs not done until the chains (& everything else on the truck) are refurbed & ready to go for the next job. The hard part is usually getting the guys to take pride & ownership of maintaining the gear & sharpening the chains well, especially if there is the opportunity to dodge any responsibility & leave it for the next guy to worry about
 
I sometimes work on a crew which tends to have inexperienced cutters. We have some practices which will seem excessive to some...but, they are all rooted in avoiding problems we have actually experienced.

1. Everyone is assigned a saw. There is zero borrowing someone else's saw.
2. Only 2 chains per saw. Dudes need to field-maintain their chains, not just swap them out.
3. 30 minutes of shop time at the end of each shift for saw rehab.
4. Most crew members are instructed to not: adjust carbs, remove e-clips, or do their own repair.
 
Trailer/ chipper fenders are a good spot to mount a vise. Even better, mount a little steel toolbox on the fender, and the vise on the lid of the toolbox. Raises it up a little so you’re not hunched over when you’re sharpening. Just a cheap vise, and let it stay a bit greasy and oily to keep rust away, or maybe the occasional coat of paint.

Periodically clean the saws and air filter with compressed air. Daily if you’re working in dry dusty environments.

If you got an employee that doesn’t know how to sharpen a saw chain, and you plan on keeping them around, teach them how. They’ll improve over time and gain more insight into how to care for their tools. They’ll probably be less likely to hit the dirt if they’re the one that has to sharpen the cutters.
 
We really need to figure out a better way to maintain our saws. The biggest issue we run into on the job is, as always, dull saws that cut crooked all the way to hell. I was wondering what your recommendations are concerning the new strategies we are trying, and what strategies you’ve found the most successful.

1. We picked up an Oregon grinder due to the inconsistent sharpening quality. Our only experience with them was decades ago, and it was agreed to be lackluster…but perhaps that’s down to operator error. have you seen good results from a chain sharped by a grinder vs traditional methods?

2. We are considering keeping extra chains on the trucks, not sure if it’s worth while though. It would have saved our butts a few times in recent memory. And I suppose if we could have changed a chain out, we would have, rather than suffer. But if the grinder helps us as much as we are hoping, maybe it’s an unnecessary additional thing to keep track of in each truck.

3. Do you have one person on the crew that is responsible for inspecting saws, sharpening, etc? I imagine the benefit would be consistency and specialization. Or do you use assign individual saws to each crew member? Saws are used communally, but assigning saws maybe helps introduce more accountability. It also helps that everyone gains experience in saw maintenance, even though there may be more inconsistency between saws.

We recently had our chief maintenance guru leave for an unknown period of time, and boy, do you feel it when one crew member is so specialized that it creates a huge operational hole in their absence.

3. Right now we operate all husky, except a MS 200T and 201T. Our most used husky’s are getting on in years and are experiencing more and more mechanical issues. I am intrigued by the idea of adding some Echos to our collection, rather than new husky’s. In general what has your experience been with running the newer husky models hard on daily crews vs echo?
My nosebag always had 3 or 4 sharpened chains in it. Everything else should be attended to after work. Keep in mind I square grind at home. An average guy with an average saw should be able to put an edge on his chain bits in a matter of minutes. A simple sheet metal file guide will likely solve the wondering chain problems.
 
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