LSS (Local Saw Shop) wants $5 to sharpen chain

[wood junky]

My Lss wants $5 to sharpen my 72 drive link chain- I figure for $5 I would never sharpen a chain. Just give him a couple loops and I have some ready to go in the case.

What are most folks paying to get chains done or what would you take as payment it hardley seems worth the time for $5.

Kevin

 

[PES+]

About right

A person can do a good job with a decent sharpener and a 72 takes less than 5 minutes so how much should he charge?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Good luck with that.
Think they'll sharpen them to your liking? Will they do the rakers?
No, and No.
Will they burn your cutters?
Yes.

 

[GASoline71]

Sharpenin' chains ain't rocket science... pocket the 5 bucks and do it yourself. If your just a firewood cutter, and you aren't usin' your saw for a livin'... just do it yourself. Lots of threads on here about sharpenin' a chain.

Seriously... it's not as hard as it looks.

Gary

 

[DOLMARatOs]

We sharpen chains up to 18" for $5.00 and $7.00 for 20"+ chains. $10.00 plus parts if the chain is damaged or needs to be run twice on the grinder. $2.00 extra for any chain if it's mounted on the saw (We clean the bar, dress the rails if needed, flip the bar if needed, clean the chips out of the clutch cover, etc.)

This price is not really worth it for 1 chain at a time. Most of my cutters bring in 3-5 chains at a time. My pro guys, or the guys heating with wood year round usually drop off 20+ chains at a time.

I can clean, dry, inspect and sharpen about 14 average chains per hour. At $5.00 per chain, it's not bad.

Some people actually complain about $5.00 bux a chain, but very very few people. Maybe 1 out of 50. There is a guy in my area trying to low-ball on chains but when you get them back, they are pretty blue and he doesn't cut the depth guages.

 

[Cut4fun]

I used to pay $4.50. But then I did a few of my own hand filed and have never been back. Seems like my hand filed jobbers cut alot faster and I use alot different angles and raker hieghts.

 

[B_Turner]

I can clean, dry, inspect and sharpen about 14 average chains per hour. At $5.00 per chain, it's not bad.

There is a guy in my area trying to low-ball on chains but when you get them back, they are pretty blue and he doesn't cut the depth guages.

That's a complete chain every four minutes. I sure can't average near that. What model of grinder and what specific wheel are you using?

How are you setting the depth gauges as well so quickly on the chains off the saw?

4 minutes, that's impressive.

 

[PES+]

Exactly

It is something to do during lulls. IF the guy burns your cutters dont use him and file them yourself. If they are burned he is not using his grinder correctly and chances are he is removing far too much and wasting life left on the chain

 

[PES+]

I use the Foley Belsaw reversable. I could not do 11 to twelve with the Oregon due to no reverse so I had to take more time on the back cutters

 

[PES+]

Oh forgot

I don't grind the rakers I file them on the clamp bed of the grinder and I have the foot clamp for the rail stop

 

[DOLMARatOs]

That's a complete chain every four minutes. I sure can't average near that. What model of grinder and what specific wheel are you using?

How are you setting the depth gauges as well so quickly on the chains off the saw?

4 minutes, that's impressive.

Oregon 511A with Borazon wheels. I have a seperate grinder for doing depth guages, very quick. Just use a use a depth guage tool or a grinder that moves the wheel .005" per notch.

I don't include the time to clean and dry the chains in my sharpening time. If a customer brings in multiple chains they are usually all the same size and pitch. I just set up for the first one and only make the minor chain to chain adjustments for proper grind. It helps if you do a few hundred chains for practice.

 

[DOLMARatOs]

I use the Foley Belsaw reversable. I could not do 11 to twelve with the Oregon due to no reverse so I had to take more time on the back cutters

Really helps if you put a dpdt switch on your new oregon grinder so that you can reverse it. They didn't switch the motors, just didn't use the same parts with the new grinders.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

That's a complete chain every four minutes. I sure can't average near that. What model of grinder and what specific wheel are you using?

How are you setting the depth gauges as well so quickly on the chains off the saw?

4 minutes, that's impressive.

How blue are the cutters on the chain he sharpens?
Can you just see the sparks flying off the grinding wheel, hitting the wall, and bouncing back all over the shop???

 

[DOLMARatOs]

Forgot

Average chains around here are 56 link. 72 would be a little slower.

6 minutes per chain is a better example of average. Also, not all chains need the depth guages ground every time. I get a ton of "touch up" jobs that only involve taking .001-.003" off the cutters. Some people are afraid to touch up their chains with a file.

 

[Urbicide]

I was paying $8 a loop. Bought one of these from Bailey's.

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/31?mv_session_id=XDxTAY9H&product_sku=15200

Took a bit of practice. My chains are now sharper than when I was having them ground. No hassle of driving to the shop and driving back to pick them up. I have saved several hundred dollars by using this guide. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[PES+]

I was doing that but had trouvle keeping the wheel profile so I just file now
Ain't those Borazons great?.....much less mess

 

[DOLMARatOs]

How blue are the cutters on the chain he sharpens?
Can you just see the sparks flying off the grinding wheel, hitting the wall, and bouncing back all over the shop???

Mike, our policy is that if we screw up a chain ie blue the cutters, then that chain is junk and that customer gets a brand new chain for the price of sharpening their chain. This is a policy that hasn't needed to be enforced. I guess I should have posted that our average size chain is a 16" bar 91VG OREGON chain. I've been experimenting with spray coolants that are normally used in TIG welding to pre-coat my own chains before sharpening, allows for a bit faster grinding but also protects the chain from heat. Mixed results at this point, I'm about 70% happy so far.

 

[Urbicide]

Really helps if you put a dpdt switch on your new oregon grinder so that you can reverse it. They didn't switch the motors, just didn't use the same parts with the new grinders.

Can you post the schematic for the reversing switch? There are probably a lot of grinder owners who would appreciate the info.

 

[Adkpk]

Can you post the schematic for the reversing switch? There are probably a lot of grinder owners who would appreciate the info.

Me for one.

 

[B_Turner]

I was paying $8 a loop. Bought one of these from Bailey's.

http://store.baileys-online.com/cgi-bin/baileys/31?mv_session_id=XDxTAY9H&product_sku=15200

Took a bit of practice. My chains are now sharper than when I was having them ground. No hassle of driving to the shop and driving back to pick them up. I have saved several hundred dollars by using this guide. :biggrinbounce2:

I used that guide or years and loved it. Am pretty spoiled now with a 510 and a pro sharp. It generally takes me a good ten minutes to touch up a 105 dl square chain. But I'm really fussy and go for no heat discoloration at all, and I always make sure the last moments off the cutter on the wheel is virtually no pressure just to clean up the chrome. I like em real pretty.

I sharpen in batches of 10 to 20 chains in the evenings when I don't feel motivated to do something more challenging.