Sawing is expensive.

[LeeB]

I bought 8 chains and a dozen files today. $220 

[ely]

thats 5 years supply for me, if i can keep dad off my saw.

[Cut4fun]

I bought 8 chains and a dozen files today. $220 

You have me curious. What brand and length chain are that expensive and file brand also?  I am guessing bought at.............. which I would understand why.

[LeeB]

2 x 24" + 2 x 18" chains for 372 XP, 2 x 16" chains for 346XP and 2 x 14" chains for MS180. 6 x 7/32 files and 6 x 5/32 files, stihl brand. Bought at the local saw shop, a stihl dealer.

thats 5 years supply for me, if i can keep dad off my saw.

Would be for me too. I had to replace all the chains that walked away with the nieghbors kids. I lile to have a fedw extra on hand so I can change chains and not have to stop and sharpen. Prefer to do that on a rainy day while puttering in the shop.

[LeeB]

Oops, $220 was my fuel bill, saw bill was $180.

[mooleycow]

$180   That would be about right for me.  I gave up chain sharpening - I chewed too many up with the file.  Never did learn.

[T Welsh]

LeeB, count yourself lucky, there are weeks that our saw repair bills blows that amount out of the water. 5 employees and it gets crazy!!! we had noticed that we where going through saw chain like made, found our crew leader sharpening a 3/8 chain with a 404 file . we had a rain day 2 days ago and I went through every saw on the bench 11 total and sharpened every one and did PM on all. came in the next morning to find him sharpening an 064 with the 404 file. I asked him what he was doing and he said putting an edge on the saw! I pointed out to him that he was using the wrong file,his comment was this one takes the damage off faster.I now know why we have been going through so much chain! you can not fix stupid! Tim

[thecfarm]

So is running a tractor, I can spend a 100 dollar bill with 5 gallons of off road diesel and 4 gallons of gas for the saw.I'm just a guy that plays around on my own land. I know some of you guy that run skidders and forwarders would like to have a bill like that in a week. I like to have things on hand too. I have 4 new chains,2-3 chains that I put on when I think I'm going to cut into the ground by cutting a stump real low and I have 2 bars now,one new one and one old bar that I have no idea I had.

[Cut4fun]

found our crew leader sharpening a 3/8 chain with a 404 file . we had a rain day 2 days ago and I went through every saw on the bench 11 total and sharpened every one and did PM on all. came in the next morning to find him sharpening an 064 with the 404 file.

I take it you use 13/64 files on 3/8 chain. My 404 and 3/8 chain both take 7/32 so I dont see where that would matter, unless you were using 13/64 files on stihl chain maybe.

[beenthere]

I have found on my Stihl 3/8 chain that the 7/32 file works well for the new tooth, and then I switch to the 13/64 file size for the latter half of tooth life. That is for the 33RSC style Stihl chain.

[SwampDonkey]

A chain is still around $20 as it was 30 years ago. A brush saw blade is still around $20 as it was 10 years ago.  Someone always blat'n about something I suppose.

[Ironwood]

You sound like the farmer I grew up working for on his dairy, plow share is 8x as much milk per gallon is about hte same as it was a decade or two ago. 

Ironwood

[Corley5]

The saw shop I frequent usually has bar chain combos with a 20" bar and three chains for around $75.00.

[LeeB]

Put on one of the new 24" chains this morning and cut about 3 hours with it before I rocked it. 

[sprucebunny]

I just got my annual supply at the Fryeburg Fair. 10>14" Stihl chains and 10>16" Stihl chains =$230. No bars available this year. I would have bought 2.
That's about $60 less than at the dealer. I cut a lot of brush and either hit rocks or twist them off thru clumsyness/lazyness ( and need to file the drive teeth !  )

Still have about 40-50 used chains that I'll run past the grinder and use during the year.

[SwampDonkey]

You sound like the farmer I grew up working for on his dairy, plow share is 8x as much milk per gallon is about hte same as it was a decade or two ago. 

Ironwood

Yeah but I use $$ instead of barter.

[thecfarm]

Steel must be expensive in Canada Swampdonkey. I use to buy 5 chains for $60 all the time as a special or about 14 each,30 years ago and 20 too.I kinda forgot when they started to hit just about 20.Seems like the last 6-8 years.I use to buy a chain and bar for $35.

[SwampDonkey]

Dad cut a lot of wood on the farm (450 acres of woods) both by horse and by his own skidder and he agrees the price hasn't changed much and said $20 was pretty expensive back 30 years ago, but that's what it was.  Dad only bought what was needed, nothing ahead. And in this area a deal would be like the chance of winning a lottery. I've bought chain for a few years as well and it's never deviated far from $20. I also put it to the saw dealer and he agrees on price not changing much.

[DR_Buck]

 

I picked up 6 chains (3 -24" & 3 18"  3/8 .050's), a few files and a new 24" scabbard at Paul Bunyon.  Cost me $120.       They must have seen you coming.

[johncinquo]

Watch the Baileys catalog.  They get a sale on chains once in awhile and stock up.  Not to be confused with the regular "Sale", but really lower prices.     Its just about like the box store lumber yard, every week is a different sale.  I figure out all I need for a project and buy it in stages as it goes on sale.  Probably saved $6000 in the last year just buying on different weeks. 

[tractorfarmer]

Sawing is expensive, but paying a tree service is through the roof! With $200 of chains you can make thousands cutting down trees.

[bill m]

Only if you know what you are doing. Just because someone owns a chainsaw doesn't mean they are an experienced arborist,climber and rigger. Many times I have been called upon to bail out someone who got in over their head trying to take down a tree that was well above their abilities. We get big money for a reason. Training, proper equipment, insurance, and the risks we take to piece down a tree in tight locations are just some of the things that we take into consideration when we price a job.

[bandmiller2]

Of all the machines built by man I don't think theirs any outher that saves so much work and uses so little fuel as a chainsaw.I get many miles out of a chain,when their worn down they have earned their keep.Chains are a bargin,especially if your a good cutter and not a rock star.Frank C.

[Meadows Miller]

The saw shop I frequent usually has bar chain combos with a 20" bar and three chains for around $75.00.

Jezz I gotta get myself overthere you woldn't be able to walk outa the saw shop with just the bar for $75 and loops for it woulf be about $33 down here Mate   

[tractorfarmer]

Only if you know what you are doing. Just because someone owns a chainsaw doesn't mean they are an experienced arborist,climber and rigger. Many times I have been called upon to bail out someone who got in over their head trying to take down a tree that was well above their abilities. We get big money for a reason. Training, proper equipment, insurance, and the risks we take to piece down a tree in tight locations are just some of the things that we take into consideration when we price a job.

I agree completely.

People shouldn't use any tools they are uncomfortable using or unfamiliar with.