Costs of running saw(s) per year.

Magnus

TreeHouser
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May 6, 2005
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South East Sweden
Is this something that you keep track of?

I had a hard time getting actual figures out of my customers what they spent on saws a year.
I got some to add it up and we compared notes on what we discovered.
Not easiest thing to do for all I guess, but for those running saws professionally it is a good thing to do.
Pretty educating for all involved and I highly rek those who don't have a number ready for last year to do it.

Add all costs, Purchase, oil, gas, parts, chains, bars, rims, shop time, your time....

For some of the customers i have i cut costs to 1/3 in a year. That mean they had 2/3 of the cost to spend on other stuff.
Others I could not help as much.
 
I'm not totally following your reasoning. Purchase price of the saw needs to be spread out for how many years you end up keeping the saw and how are you supposed to know that?

Secondly, if you exclude purchase price, wouldn't gas and oil be the highest cost of running a saw? It is for us anyway. I have to believe there is nothing at all you can do about that, that would make a noticeable difference. Right?
Chains..... Short of not running them into the ground or hitting buried metal what can you do to change that cost?

Are you saying that you are able to save your customers money by making sure their saws are tuned up properly? I'm just wondering what I'm missing.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
I don't think my saws represent even one tenth of my operating cost, especially if you don't consider the purchasing price. Gas and employees burn most of my income.

Granted, I don't do much logging so we aren't running large saws for hours on end.
 
I clean my saws pretty regular, not just the blow out with the compressor times, but taking the bar off and cleaning the groove and the area under the sprocket cover, air cleaner and carb area, etc. I can only think that it would add up to a lot of time during a year. When someone brings you a saw to work on, Magnus, do you clean it as well, I mean thoroughly?
 
I would like to see the numbers you speak of and the 2/3rds saving that you achieved. Could you post some examples?
 
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  • #6
I'm not totally following your reasoning. Purchase price of the saw needs to be spread out for how many years you end up keeping the saw and how are you supposed to know that?

Secondly, if you exclude purchase price, wouldn't gas and oil be the highest cost of running a saw? It is for us anyway. I have to believe there is nothing at all you can do about that, that would make a noticeable difference. Right?
Chains..... Short of not running them into the ground or hitting buried metal what can you do to change that cost?

Are you saying that you are able to save your customers money by making sure their saws are tuned up properly? I'm just wondering what I'm missing.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

We do our books yearly so it is natural to think of yearly costs. I think you base most financial thoughts of as we do here I think.
Yearly income etc,,,

So what does it cost you to run them a year? That is what most don't know or have interest to see. Saw purchse is not among the bigger posts, but as strange as it is that is what is discussed most.

There can be a bit of money to be saved on fuel and oil by choosing products and saws a bit more cost efficient.

It is not just by tuning, it is about product choices, maintenance, handling, service, all things and costs combined.

A different way of thinking than most do I guess. At least from what I experience here..
 
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  • #7
When someone brings you a saw to work on, Magnus, do you clean it as well, I mean thoroughly?
For my regular custemers I will say no. They usually ask how to best do it and have it done before arrival or do it here.
I do it for a few of them as my hrs rate is cheaper than theirs and I do it better than them.
For the runabout "cheep repair seekers" they get hour rate if I think it is in need of cleaning as they often are.

Cleaning saws is one thing. Finding products as bar oils etc that don't make a mess of saw is another.
Combined they make it cost and time efficient.

If I clean I do it as well as I can and that include what you mentioned and filters, cylinder, case, carb area, area between body/tank, under starter, top cover, muffler etc..
 
I have never really given it any thought, I suspect it is probably more relevant to loggers. Tree surgeons/arborists call them what you will are rarely using saws flat out all day so it is less of an issue. for instance I have had an 066 for 15 years or so, cost me a hundred pounds. i've only replaced the bar twice;
 
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  • #9
I would like to see the numbers you speak of and the 2/3rds saving that you achieved. Could you post some examples?
Sure.

A customer I have spent almost 120 000SEK on saws and services with weekly visits to saw shop for repairs and parts.
The past two years we reduced that to 45 000SEK and one service/year.
He spends very little time on his saws compared to before and no lost work time to go to dealer and back to work.
This includes all he need to operate except education/certificates etc.
 
I run mine 2-3 years, toss them out and buy a new one.
May not be the most cost efficient way, but it means I'm always running fairly new saws.

( Toss them out is not quite true, I sell them under the table to firewood cutters etc.)
 
The key to long saw life in my experience has been using compressed air or CO2 every time I fuel them, particularly the air filters and starter side intake.

Most of my non trim saws have lasted ten years plus now.

Jomo
 
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  • #12
I have never really given it any thought, I suspect it is probably more relevant to loggers. Tree surgeons/arborists call them what you will are rarely using saws flat out all day so it is less of an issue. for instance I have had an 066 for 15 years or so, cost me a hundred pounds. i've only replaced the bar twice;
100£ is not 1000SEK That is very cheep for a 066... Here you would pay 8-9000SEK for this saw 15 years ago.
 
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  • #13
Costs are very different depending on region as I understand it. Regulations, laws and standards vary a lot as well.

Fuel prices here is silly in comparison to US and of crappy quality here so commersial gas from stations are not a option here.

Choosing products and learning how to take care of it is the key to save buck's. Choosing products after work/user/saw rather than price tends to be better.

If filter needs cleaning every tank it is a lot of dust. Chips don't block air filters but dust do.

The art of filing is a passion for me. I file more than most I think. A harvester owner here saves more than 30% on chains/bars/sprockets/oil/fuel after I started filing for him.


There is a lot to do to save money if there is interest. Doing what you are good at and being cost efficient is important.
If I clean your saws to less cost than you get paid working during same time, the job is mine. If not the job is yours.

Jumping chains, stalling saws, interrupted jobs cost a great deal if you do the math.

Don't get me wrong, I love old saws more than most. I have more than 1300 saws here right now....
But they are not money makers. They have been at some point.....
 
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  • #16
There is not many that keep track of what it costs and what could be different.

One firewood producer here cut his service costs in half when he got a 7900 and put his 576 on the shelf.
 
I ear mark my costs for each type of equipment. I can get the totals by highlighting them in the spread sheets. Maintenance costs, fuel, oil etc.
I can easily get a total each year, but I seldom look at it these days. We track more closely my problem areas. Like we tracked one FS250 for two years from new to figure where the maintenance curve was and our running costs per hour. Amazed to find out that string, fuel, oil, maintenance etc came out to $4.50 per hour ave. for two years. Machine cost of $750.00 not included. Makes one re-evaluate what one charges whacking brush and weeds with one. :lol:
I took repairs and maintenance some years ago when I saw what it was costing us to put gear in the shop. I bought tons of tools that paid for themselves in the first year (and then some). Figured I was once certed for small engine repair, I should probably use it. Now a small shop is accumulating to fix other guys stuff I can charge out to do as I want to slow down some in my latter years.
It is easy to track stuff in a spread sheet.. Just have to take the time to make one for what you want to track.
 
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  • #18
For me it is not so important to see the numbers, I know what this can do and how much help it is to put things in perspective.

As example:
It is far more to be saved on maintenance, service and fuel by choosing saw more carefully.
A lot better to loan/rent a saw from dealer if you only use it a couple times a year than buying it.
In planning and research there is a lot to save. Turning down a job you are not equipped for is not a bad thing sometimes.
Good dealer is priceless!
 
For me it is not so important to see the numbers, I know what this can do and how much help it is to put things in perspective.

As example:
It is far more to be saved on maintenance, service and fuel by choosing saw more carefully.
True, and also the saw for the task at hand. Use the best fuel and mix you can buy local or with in reason.

A lot better to loan/rent a saw from dealer if you only use it a couple times a year than buying it.
Also to get a trial of something you might buy if you can not get a demo
In planning and research there is a lot to save. Turning down a job you are not equipped for is not a bad thing sometimes.
Yes or price it so that you can rent or buy the gear so long as you have the skill set to do the job
Good dealer is priceless!
I wish I had a good dealer remotely close.

:)
 
Or be big enough that buying a saw just to test it out and reselling it when you don't like it is no big deal.

60 cc saws have never had a place in our arsenal, but last year we dicided to try a MS361.
After 4 weeks nobody really wanted to use it for logging, since it was simply to slow going, so we sold it to a woodturner.
 
I buy them, deduct them and can write them off as worn out ( that means selling them out the back door) after a year.
Back in the happy pulp cutting days, limbing saws lasted about a year. The IRS didn't believe that, so they took one logger to court over his yearly deduction of a saw, as a test case, and lost it.
There have been no problems since, even though we don't cut pulp by hands any more and saws last 2-3 years in normal logging.
I sell them for $5-600 after 3 years and usually have 2-3 guys in line to buy them.
It gives the guys cutting their own firewood ( and there are LOTS here, cause of the high fuel prices) a chance to buy a pro saw with heated handles and still enough hours left in it to cut firewood for 5 years at a decent price.
The money goes into our company travel fund,which brings us to California and the big trees on occasion, so a good deal for all:)
 
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  • #23
I wish I had a good dealer remotely close.

Those that do should support them and stick as much business they can there instead of searching web.
Buy it on Internet, service on Internet. Not as easy as most think.

Purchase of a saw is not much in the big context. Better support someone you get help from another day.
 
I can't really add anything because although I use the things they don't put beans on my table .They do heat my house though for the most part .While it is a hobby more or less and in spite of the fact I own over 40 not a one of them owes me a dime .For that matter if I sold them all today I'd probabley come out money ahead although I have no intentions of that .So it's a little gas ,oil,a few parts,chump change .
 
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  • #25
Money making is a different ballgame.
I have 700 saws in collection, another 200 doubles and 2-300 in parts. This don't make me any money.
(Hoping to reduce the number of saws extra and in parts to get others I don't have.)

If you use saws to make money the picture of cost effectivity looks quite different.
Parameters change quite rapidly with small changes as choice of model for example touch several parameters.
In some cases it is better to have several saws, in others (most cases) it is not.

My point in this thread is to raise awareness to the cost and drop the focus of chasing dollars when choosing a saw.
If you find the saw that is correct for the job you do it makes you more money than one that is to big or small.
 
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