When it rains it pours

[Rockjock]

Took on job in the city cleaning up after the ice storm. The guy running this project bought saws based on price not ability. So I am left sharpening MS 211 and MS 171 chains. His best guy blew up a MS 271 and a MS 311 so where does one find a cylinder for a 3 day old MS 311? The 271 the dealer took back thankfully but refused the 311. The operator was running a super dull chain and pegged the throttle for lord knows how long.

Any help gents would be great!

 

[hanniedog]

I believe his best guy needs shown the door.

 

[Rockjock]

I believe his best guy needs shown the door.

What bugs me is the " boss " feels this guy did nothing wrong! He is his best guy! No joke the first day I was there 10 hours unfreezing saws, sharpening chains and explaining to his crew that when you feel the chain is getting dull you STOP and bring it to me. Also a MS 211 and MS 171 were not designed for this sort of work. For the smaller branches sure but this is what I was faced with on day 2. Each morning it is the same thing I have 5 frozen saws because the are left to freeze in the back of a pick up truck. Recoils frozen bars frozen air filters frozen. And on top of all this the boss guy complains why I am not cutting! LOL

 

[broman78]

Don't do any more maintence for those clowns, just keep up with your saw and keep cutting. He will figure it out.

 

[Little Al]

Don't do any more maintence for those clowns, just keep up with your saw and keep cutting. He will figure it out.

+ 1 to that. But do not put in to much effort as you will be producing 2 or more times the output for the same money ? as the other ( clowns) being employed

 

[gary courtney]

Took on job in the city cleaning up after the ice storm. The guy running this project bought saws based on price not ability. So I am left sharpening MS 211 and MS 171 chains. His best guy blew up a MS 271 and a MS 311 so where does one find a cylinder for a 3 day old MS 311? The 271 the dealer took back thankfully but refused the 311. The operator was running a super dull chain and pegged the throttle for lord knows how long.

Any help gents would be great!

i would hate to see his average employees.

 

[C SAW 090]

That's why i work alone, can't deal with idiots

 

[broman78]

That's why i work alone, can't deal with idiots

You have to be extra careful when you work by youself cause things happen quickly.

 

[JC360]

That's why i work alone, can't deal with idiots

Yup,you cant fix stupid. And trying to, just makes me a cranky SOB.

 

[Rockjock]

The guys are not that bad, they just do not know about saws and that worries me. Cutting some fallen branches is one thing but they just keep pushing the dull saws and with no regard for being safe. Now the boss tells me he will take the saws to a stihl dealer for the maintenance but I am not sure he realizes that the dealers are not open on the 1 day off he gives us. So he no longer wants me to look after the saws. I am not thinking this will go too well! By 3pm I had the only saw cutting since I am no longer sharpening the saws they just ground to a halt. FML! I know I will sit and laugh about this all one day!

 

[ncsawguy]

my opinion. don't use homeowner saws for pro uses. not matter maintenance you get what you pay for. just my opinion. pro saws built a little different.

 

[Rockjock]

my opinion. don't use homeowner saws for pro uses. not matter maintenance you get what you pay for. just my opinion. pro saws built a little different.

I agree but on a lighter note it will show how long they last. 10hs a day 6 days a week. I am feeling a week or so more and they are toast. Not the build quality but the lack of proper maintenance.

 

[dl5205]

Sounds like your "Boss" can have one guy cutting with a well-maintained saw, and ~4 (?) other guys trying to look really busy while dealing with dull crap. I would try to distance myself from the rest of the crew and let my actual production show. Some folks have a way of looking like they are working furiously, while not really getting anything done. I wish you good luck, from what you are saying, sounds like you are in a no-win situation.

I was in your position once, where the boss's "pet" was doing nothing, and I was the one accused of slacking.

 

[Rockjock]

Sounds like your "Boss" can have one guy cutting with a well-maintained saw, and ~4 (?) other guys trying to look really busy while dealing with dull crap. I would try to distance myself from the rest of the crew and let my actual production show. Some folks have a way of looking like they are working furiously, while not really getting anything done. I wish you good luck, from what you are saying, sounds like you are in a no-win situation.

I was in your position once, where the boss's "pet" was doing nothing, and I was the one accused of slacking.

OH you have worked for him as well?!! It is a no win situation indeed. I have PTSD so these odd jobs keep me occupied and not climbing the walls. The boss called today and said that the dealer was closed today and what will he do now. I just said I don't know but you will figure it out..I gotta get to church. ( truth be told if I set foot in a house of worship I would burst into flames! )

 

[redtractor]

Well, it's been a week. Did the saws live through it? Did your boss allow you to do any basic maintenance on them to keep his business going or is he cussing at "a bunch of no good pieces of junk. They should've held up"?

 

[514mach1]

While I agree that pros should have "pro" saws, if they're idiots like this, then they should only have a harbor freight hand powered crosscut saw. I've got a couple old husky 51s, a couple 55s, a 257, and a 455. Even though those aren't 'pro' grade saws, they hold up very well to a BUNCH of use. Many many hours on those saws. They've had new fuel lines, a few rings, pistons, oil pump gears... and so on, but that's stuff a pro saw would need in time also. I've cut some with a very good friend of mine. He was using his mom's new el cheapo walmart 40-something cc saw on some wind storm blown over big maples. He thought I might be some good help. I brought my 394 and both my 288s. He cut for about an hour before the chain was dull and he didn't even know saw chains could be resharpened. I was working on the other tree of similar size. He had a small pile of a few limbs cut, I had about 20-30 times his amount done. The cheap saw went back in the case and hasn't been used since (that was 3 years ago). I spend a big portion of my work time on sharpening and tensioning chain, cleaning out the bar grooves and oil holes, and looking over what I'm going to be cutting. I'm sure to the casual observer it looks like I'm not working hard at all. But I still manage to get a lot done... and still have good functioning saws to put away for the next session. With my 272 (light port work, base gasket delete, opened up muffler) I'm often cutting 3 or 4 locust or osage trees per 1 that my dad does. He lets the chain get quite a bit more dull and loose than I do. He's sore and completely tired when we stop after a several hours, I'm not but have cut a lot more even though I was bending over and contorting around a lot less time than him. Anyway, maybe the boss will realize that appearing to be working doesn't at all mean that more is getting done.

 

[blades]

Likely not as your description indicates a desk jocky, or is he in the field with the crew? Is this a full time company or just quick fix while the gettins good? i worked for a outfit like that once, one week was enough to see where it was headed.

 

[XSKIER]

An opportunity to make a quick buck in a "windfall" situation often leads to many cut corners.

 

[Rockjock]

Well, it's been a week. Did the saws live through it? Did your boss allow you to do any basic maintenance on them to keep his business going or is he cussing at "a bunch of no good pieces of junk. They should've held up"?

As of Friday 3 saws were running the other 2 were down for the count. As usual by the end of the day mine was the only one running. he is slowly starting to grasp the concept that a sharp chain will cut wood. He has also taken to the idea of renting saws from Home depot because they will swap out the chains for him nightly. Once I am paid I am done with him. His new batch of worked are even worse than the last lot.

 

[Rockjock]

Likely not as your description indicates a desk jocky, or is he in the field with the crew? Is this a full time company or just quick fix while the gettins good? i worked for a outfit like that once, one week was enough to see where it was headed.

He sits on his truck the whole time and micro manages. He has no idea at times what is going on. He insists on PPE for the workers and when they do not have any he just lets them get to work. He is just doing this for the money, and it is a 1 time thing. Some have hinted I should all the ministry of labour and have them shut him down with fines and citations. Truth be told a great many of the blokes do work very hard hauling the brush and limbs out to the trucks to be loaded. I would think he is getting the hint with my crew are moving from section to section and making short work of the dead fall that keeping the equipment running well is a good thing. I have even brought some larger gas cans so we do not have to stop and wait for him to bring fuel but that falls on deaf ears. He finds the cheapest gas stations, often getting more fuel than is needed and then adds too little oil. I run my own fuel just for such a reason. It is just a mess. But I get lots of people asking me to come and cut up trees on their property for cash so I am doing that one my 1 day off.