Motivation to work on your own ....

[Viper21]

The economic motive is certainly there. Local dealers here charge an average of $80 per hour for any chainsaw service work that they do. And, complete restorations are often turned down. They often also charge a markup on the OEM parts required to repair the saw. Occasionally they have used parts for half that amount, but it's rather rare. A cash deposit is usually required on a major repair and with no guarantee that the saw will be fixed. Often the repairs cost more than the saw is worth. When that occurs, most dealers will tell you that in advance.

So, this all motivated me years ago to start fixing almost any saw that I own, and if I fail, I offer it to someone else who might want to try. The more saws I worked on, the more I learned how to fix them and thus the more saws that I could fix. I must say that word got around rather fast that I was in town.

For me a good chunk of the motivation is, access. I live in the boonies. The closest shop that works on husky saws, is a solid 45 minutes one way.

 

[Yukon Stihl]

For me a good chunk of the motivation is, access. I live in the boonies. The closest shop that works on husky saws, is a solid 45 minutes one way.

Boonies...
For me groceries are a 100 mile drive from here,same with any parts or hardware you don't have in your own stash,your buddies or the dump.No open garages of any sort since the last one burnt down.

 

[Basher]

There is nothing like self reliance to build character, need is also the mother of invention.

 

[FergusonTO35]

You know, I never thought much of em until I bought this one. I had never owned one, & my prejudice against em was unwarranted. I just was always a full size truck guy. I bought this thing 8 yrs ago (spring 2013). Wow. I'll probably never be without one now. Cut & hauled home, two loads of firewood with it today in fact.

This has become my "farm truck", my woods beater, whatever name you prefer. It's my go to firewood hauler, & hunting truck. I've been super impressed with where this little beast will go, & what it'll haul. I can get to places my full size Ford can't. It's been a great little truck, & a huge surprise to me. It had 130,000 on it when I got it, & has about 180,000 now. The only real issue it has, is cosmetically, it's falling apart. It's got cancer pretty good. While, the frame is good, the fenders are rusting out . I'll need to put another bed on it, at some point. I might even put a little flat bed on it when this one completely falls apart. We'll see what happens.

I feel the same way about my 98 Ford Ranger. Bought it in 2004 with only 32k on the clock, currently around 198. Its basic as can be: 2wd/four banger/stick shift/no AC. Yet, it just keeps on going and does almost everything I need a truck to do. People keep trying to buy it and I keep telling them no!

 

[pwheel]

I get parts, technical support and loaned tools from the local Stihl shop; the manager knows everything there is to know about the 1128 chassis. My cousin across the street repairs everything from MX bikes to front end loaders and has a shop press and various other tools. Our kitchen has the stove and refrigerator where I can cook the cases and freeze the bearings and crank, as long as my wife is away on errands. The next door neighbor owns a hydraulics repair/fabrication shop with welding equipment when I break stuff. Also an excavator and a track steer. The neighbor on the other side has a Case 4wd turbo-diesel backhoe. All I have is a few chainsaws and a Power King garden tractor...

 

[Viper21]

I get parts, technical support and loaned tools from the local Stihl shop; the manager knows everything there is to know about the 1128 chassis. My cousin across the street repairs everything from MX bikes to front end loaders and has a shop press and various other tools. Our kitchen has the stove and refrigerator where I can cook the cases and freeze the bearings and crank, as long as my wife is away on errands. The next door neighbor owns a hydraulics repair/fabrication shop with welding equipment when I break stuff. Also an excavator and a track steer. The neighbor on the other side has a Case 4wd turbo-diesel backhoe. All I have is a few chainsaws and a Power King garden tractor...

It's always nice to have a great network

 

[Al Smith]

I'm old enough now and money is pretty free ,I've done well .If I have a problem with anything I can pay others to fix it .Then comes the fly in the ointment ,can't find anybody but a parts chaser .Any more lately I just fix it myself from automobiles to smart phones .Chainsaws and others are just a hobby . Odd perhaps to some but it's odd to me why somebody would have 100 firearms .Different strokes for different folks they say .

 

[N8TE]

it's odd to me why somebody would have 100 firearms

A collector likes a collection I guess. Saws, firearms, bottle caps or hats...whatever floats the boat.

 

[sundance]

Odd perhaps to some but it's odd to me why somebody would have 100 firearms.

That's all some of us can afford.

 

[Funky sawman]

The motivation I need to work on my own saws is I need to feed my family, and fuel the passion I have working in the timber industry.

 

[davidwyby]

Same with me...I'm a jack of most trades. Always put off learning saws. Got tired of waiting and getting jerked around, dealer is 1.5 hr away. Started learning and discovered they are pretty easy and fun.

As far as the whole self employed vs. being an employee...my hands aren't up for typing that much, and I don't have the answer yet...I guess short version is being in the middle ain't fun.

 

[Al Smith]

It was a Lombard Comango bought at a yard sale for 25 bucks that got me interested in chainsaws .It didn't run and 20 minutes after I got it home I was using it . One thing led to another and that's just the way it went .Funny part about that transaction was the guy was going to move to Florida and started out at 75 bucks .I just told him to take that old saw with him because he might run into a palm tree that needed some attention .He kind of saw it my way .