How'd it go today?

[squisher]

I do my part for the cause

 

[stehansen]

The price is built into the rental, and liability issues make it unwise to re-rent a used chain that may have been subjected to stress that might reduce it's strength. Also, chain sharpness is a big issue and too many customers would complain if they got a used chain with a half-assed sharpening job. For 98% of chainsaw users (and 99.9% of rental shop service techs), nothing is sharper than a new chain.

I don't think that I ever equal a new chain for sharpness. School me buddy.

 

[vharrison]

I am playing hookie today! Heading to Key West with my parents and one of my daughters to have lunch with a relative I have never met. I am very excited to meet him!

 

[Chisel Tooth]

I'm going to tell!
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See Ya
Mike

 

[squisher]

I don't think that I ever equal a new chain for sharpness. School me buddy.

I don't mean to sound like an ass Steve, but depending on the brand and cut of chain you are using you should easily be able to get as sharp or sharper than the factory grind. I've had a bad run or three of Oregon chisel tip where I'd file either before using or within the first five minutes if I forgot. Generally I'll take a raker stroke or two within the first filing just to get a little more agressive. Short of screwing a chain right up mine are sharp like razors until the teeth start to break off.

I had it driven into me from day one, as soon as you are pushing the saw and it's not pulling stop immediately and file. A dull saw makes no money, is dangerous, and makes your work twice as hard. I'm sure you're not running dull Steve, but you should be able to equal a new chain for sharpness.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I like to tickle a new chain to razor sharpness if I've got the time to do it.

 

[stehansen]

I have Stihl chains on everything except my MS660 which has a 42" Oregon bar and skip tooth Oregon chain. I usually sharpen my chains with my little Oregon grinder at the end of the day or after the guys go home. I don't like to sharpen during the job as I think it slows things down. If I have extra chains I can just hand the saw to a groundie and get it back with the new chain while I drink some water or cool off.

I'm not usually satisified with the sharpness as I don't think it equals the sharpness of a new chain which is what I want. I usually don't take anything off the rakers until the tooth has been filed/ground back about a third or maybe half, maybe this is my problem. I have recently begun sharpening chains that have been lightly used during the day with a file instead of the grinder.

 

[squisher]

Hmm ya, I've been trying to avoid filing while on site as well, either spare saws or spare chains to swap out. For me I couldn't imagine leaving the rakers alone for that long. I run primarily Stihl chain now and I find that imo they seem sharper than Oregon right off the roll. Having your rakers down more obviously exposes more tooth and this I beleive can lead to sustaining alot more damage on rocking out bad but I'm the only one at this point who runs my saws so I try to take extra care in not cutting dirt/rocks. I'm sure that it will be different with an employee running a saw. I hand file everything with no guide. But I am always kicking around the idea of getting a grinder, just haven't gone for it yet.

I lay my flat file across two teeth, one in front of the tooth I'm gauging and the one I'm gauging the raker on, I then look to keep about a dimes thickness of gap for raker depth. This works as long as you keep your chain filed evenly. I don't check everyone but just ocassionally to know whether the rakers need a touch or not. Evenness in tooth size and raker height is extremely important imo. Also when cutting continously you can feel when your rakers need a stroke or two.

 

[stehansen]

I sometimes do all of the cutting but if I have a tree that is easier to rig down in large pieces then they cut a lot on the ground. Or if we are cutting a rather large trunk that I am loading into the trailer with the tractor then the guys will be cutting while i do that. No matter how much I try ti instill into my guys the value of changing the chain out rather than continuing to cut they always seem to want to make one more cut. The grinder is really good in this case as the chains are pretty dull.

 

[sotc]

i bought a grinder after i hired help other wise i filed when nessasary. ive got one guy now that can file, i just hate to pay him to do it!

 

[sotc]

got to bid on a 165 foot pine removal today. crane job. 60 feet to center pin on the crane!

 

[No_Bivy]

50 ton set up....?

 

[MasterBlaster]

More than that, probably.

 

[No_Bivy]

heck, take that leaning "aspen?" while your at it....Looks like a good crane job.

 

[sotc]

my crane guys big crane, i think 80T. he never puts out the jib for tree work but said he would on this one. 4 or 5 picks

 

[stehansen]

I worked on the stump grinder for a couple of hours and then went and ground a stump today. It was kind of hard to get the stump grinder in there. Had to use the unloading ramp and then the ramps to go up and over a little wall. Then I went and did a bid about a hour away up in the mountains and the guy not only booked the job with me but, he paid me, in advance, $1000.

 

[sotc]

good thinking

 

[stehansen]

My Groundie's idea.

 

[Frans]

Then I went and did a bid about a hour away up in the mountains and the guy not only booked the job with me but, he paid me, in advance, $1000.

I say Ouch! Many is the time folks have tried to pay me in advance and I always turn them down.

To be honest, I might just decide to drive my stuff off the cliff and walk away from tree work. Then I would have to give back the money.
Or I might just not want to do tree work anymore.

But really, their are waaaay to many stories about contractor's ripping off homeowners by taking money in advance and then not doing the work. So I am uncomfortable in doing this.

It is also illegal in CA. to do this unless it is a progress payment, and the amount in advance is never the total.

 

[sotc]

i dont either frans, but if they shove it in your hand id say take it!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I have no problem with being paid up front.

 

[stehansen]

They weren't going to be there tomorrow and I know about it being illegal but what the heck. They were shoving it in my hand. Watch it be some sting by the contractors board.

 

[sotc]

that would take away from the purpose of the law which id guess is contractor asking to be paid up front

 

[stehansen]

Yeah, I assume that is what they are trying to discourage.

 

[SkwerI]

The last time somebody paid me in advance was about 10 years ago, and I managed to push that job off for almost 3 weeks before I finally did it. Never pay a drunk in advance.