Chainlocker

[Maintenance Chief]

I like the Scottish short bread cookies that you can get in a little tin around Christmas, the tins are around 4" and make good 93dl cases.
Eat cookies first ,they taste terrible with bar oil on them.
I like the concept of the chain locker but a completely tangled 20-24" chain untangles in 5 seconds? If they would accommodate a 36-41" chains that would be better .

 

[SimonHS]

I like the concept of the chain locker but a completely tangled 20-24" chain untangles in 5 seconds? If they would accommodate a 36-41" chains that would be better

Yes. They should make it in two pieces that slide apart with click stops. Then they could have a couple of models that expand from, say, 18" to 28" and 24" to 36". But then it might cost $50 each instead of $36.

 

[Philbert]

(Thought we ought to include a photo of this product in the thread!)



It looks like a well designed product for this application. But it immediately raises at least 2 questions:

1. Where do you store your used chains?

2 Do you need a separate one for each saw?

When I started to get ‘chain crazy’, many years back, I looked at a lot of storage options, including: telescoping, rectangular, plastic tubes (formerly sold for this purpose); custom, wooden boxes (heavy); empty deli take-out containers; old VHS cassette cases; etc.

I even contacted a manufacturer’s rep for a plastics molding company who made telescoping, plastic cases for Home Depot ‘Powercare’ brand chain (nice cases, TriLink chain). But I would have to buy a large quantity and sell off the rest. I thought, ‘ Who would pay $7 for a case for an $18 chain?’

I settled on heavy duty (‘freezer’), zip-lock bags, which last a while, but not forever. Less than 10 cents each. Heavier gauge bags are available from industrial suppliers, in quantity.

I saved a bunch of the heavier ‘Mylar’ style bags that dog treats, trail mix, etc. come in, but the clear bags still win.

I can see where the ChainLocker could be a great product for the right user. Like a tackle box for fishing, or a quiver for arrows. But I already carry a case for each saw, with scrench, spare parts, etc., and the zip-lock bags of chains fit in there.

Philbert

 

[JB-PlantHeirloom]

I would buy one for $40 if it held a 32-36" loop, I bookmarked the page.

When I am running my chainsaw mill, the last thing I want is to be dealing with undoing blights in long loops of chain. I currently use pencil boxes I bought from Office Depot, but, the high quality ones of thick plastic are no longer available. If I ran a crew these might be worth it as when you are charging $350+ an hour, time is money. Once I saw a small crew next door cutting trees and the guy was getting frustrated with the saw not cutting, so, I went over to help, and the (Poulan) chain was on backwards! I do not know how it even made it around the bar once. So, I dissembled it and put it on the correct way. I can see laying out the chain the correct way to be put on the bar good for newbies, especially if that person is dedicated to just filling oil and gas and changing chains.

 

[JB-PlantHeirloom]

What I use, bought from officemax:

 

[sundance]

What I use, bought from officemax:

So, what does officemax call it? Looks handy.

 

[JB-PlantHeirloom]

They were called pencil boxes, but, as noted they no longer sell them. They do sell these instead

Really Useful Box® Plastic Storage Container With Built-In Handles And Snap Lid, 0.55 Liter, 8 1/2" x 4" x 1 3/4", Clear

https://www.officedepot.com/a/produ...Really-Useful-Box-Plastic-Storage-Container__

They do sell a big one for $14

Really Useful Box® Plastic Storage Container With Built-In Handles And Snap Lid, 4 Liters, 14 1/2" x 10 1/4" x 3 1/4", Transparent Blue Item # 546858

https://www.officedepot.com/a/produ...Really-Useful-Box-Plastic-Storage-Container__

Though knowing plano is made in the USA and offers smaller boxes, I might be inclined to go with them. I need to surf plano's website more. As I get back into saw milling, I will need more new sharp chains as I usually go through 4-6 chains in one day because a dull one causes a rough surface and slows me down a lot once the boards are wider then 20".

 

[Hinerman]

What I use, bought from officemax:

Same here. I have a bunch of them. Very handy.

 

[Michpatriot]

Been using Klein zipper bags, they work good.

 

[SimonHS]

The Chinese copies have arrived. At full price now, but give it a few weeks and the price will drop. I feel sorry for the US inventor/manufacturer.

 

[isaaccarlson]

That's the trouble with a free market and patents. It's a give/take situation. They can't sell them here if he got a patent, but they can sell them in other countries. If he didn't get a patent, he's sol.

 

[Philbert]

Saw these in a saw shop today. Look okay, but I would not want to pay more than about $12 for one.


Philbert

 

[Wilhelm]

This works perfectly fine for me, just picked up every box they had, 20$ well spent.

 

[Ford3000]

I just put them in an empty plastic tub with lid on, filled with clean oil.
After I clean them, sharpen them, in they go.

 

[Wilhelm]

I just put them in an empty plastic tub with lid on, filled with clean oil.
After I clean them, sharpen them, in they go.

Sounds messy though, filled with oil?!

I make sure to blip my saws before shutting them down, for one to give the engine some cool down after a WOT bucking cut, secondly to soak the chain in oil.
I find they are oily enough without dripping off excess lubrication.

Although, again - I tend to have one work chain per saw, as such I do not really have boxes filled with used chains.

 

[Ford3000]

Sounds messy though, filled with oil?!

I make sure to blip my saws before shutting them down, for one to give the engine some cool down after a WOT bucking cut, secondly to soak the chain in oil.
I find they are oily enough without dripping off excess lubrication.

Although, again - I tend to have one work chain per saw, as such I do not really have boxes filled with used chains.

I try stihl husqvarna and oregon, and in full and semi chisel on every saw, so I need to store them somewhere they do not cut the unwary, and I don't have to worry about them being borrowed, out of sight out of mind.
I hang the ones I want to use above the container to drip before use,
the excess oil helps while the bar gets loaded from the pump.

 

[Wilhelm]

I try stihl husqvarna and oregon, and in full an semi chisel on every saw, so I need to store them somewhere they do not cut the unwary, and I don't have to worry about them being borrowed, out of sight out of mind.
them being ceized up.

Not saying it is a bad practice, just thought it to be a little messy.
But, if You stash them away that way long term I certainly see the appeal to it.

And, yeah - cool deterrent of someone coming by and borrowing a loop or two just to bring them back all Fed up.

 

[Wilhelm]

I try stihl husqvarna and oregon, and in full and semi chisel on every saw, so I need to store them somewhere they do not cut the unwary, and I don't have to worry about them being borrowed, out of sight out of mind.
I hang the ones I want to use above the container to drip before use,
the excess oil helps while the bar gets loaded from the pump.

I too have Stihl, Oregon, Dolmar, Husqvarna, Carlton, Archer, TriLink - both full and semi chisel, and a couple carbide.
.325" to .404", .043" to .063", 40DL to 115DL.

These Stihl boxes really help me keep my chains sorted, labeled and neatly stacked.
They are the only product Stihl makes that I care for.

 

[Ford3000]

I too have Stihl, Oregon, Dolmar, Husqvarna, Carlton, Archer, TriLink - both full and semi chisel, and a couple carbide.
.325" to .404", .043" to .063", 40DL to 115DL.

These Stihl boxes really help me keep my chains sorted, labeled and neatly stacked.
They are the only product Stihl makes that I care for.

I was jokingly going to say, stihl must have lost the plot,
when they made something that affordable. usually we
need to buy chill made products to get over stihls prices.

 

[Ford3000]

I too have Stihl, Oregon, Dolmar, Husqvarna, Carlton, Archer, TriLink - both full and semi chisel, and a couple carbide.
.325" to .404", .043" to .063", 40DL to 115DL.

These Stihl boxes really help me keep my chains sorted, labeled and neatly stacked.
They are the only product Stihl makes that I care for.

I have only a small shed, a lot of the time I use angle grinders,
and can't always point the sparks away from where I used to hang
the chains, grit and steel from the grinder used to settle on them,
this was bad for the bar and chain, so no I dunk them in a sealed container.
If I had a large locker I could hang them nicely along with the bars, some day.