eBay used chain buying experience

I just wanted to give a shout out to this eBay seller.

Used 36" Stihl Chainsaw chains- Bulk quantity available | eBay

Normally I run Oregon because I'm somewhat of a tightwad, but I saw this deal on used Stihl chains and decided to give it a try. I purchased (2) 36" Stihl chains from him for about $40 shipped. They arrived yesterday. Dirty as expected, but no rust/binding or any complaints at this price point. It turns out that the seller actually sent me THREE chains: 2 with bare minimal use, needing a light touch up, and one that looked like it had been rocked but will still have 50% of the life left by the time I get the teeth cleaned up. If you like Stihl chain but have a hard time coughing up the coin (especially for a 36" loop) I highly recommend this seller. He's got various length loops for sale (pictures are all generic, but I got what was advertised)

Edit: The chains I got have a green (not yellow) master link, so from what I can see they're a variety of safety/low kickback chain. It's got a double raker... thing going on. Still, for how often I'm going to need to use my 36" bar setup, this was a good deal.

 

I’d like to get the story behind them. I’ve gotten saws with safety chain and swapped out for yellow once the green is dull. I’m wondering if it’s Asplundh, Davey, Bartlett, Dot, USFS, municipal saws purchased with green chain and ran until dull.

 

Only da gub (or some large corporation) would run a chain until it’s dull and then throw it away without considering sharpening it. I almost don’t want to know where these came from, other than the state of Louisiana

 

FEMA hurricane recovery chains.

 

Could be someone like Home Depot? They rent saws, but probably not 36” variety.

 

My cousin is a supervisor for Davey. The fiber side. They throw away chains after they get dull. Stihl .325 chains they run on ms250s. They buy them in bulk, cheaper as a large business, than the cost of either paying an employee to sharpen them or the fuel / time / cost to pay a shop to do it. He gave me 8 or 10. Some were green tag, some yellow. 68 dl.

 

I know of a tree service an hour from me, that runs several crews year round and they don’t sharpen chains The owner said he found it cheaper to buy new every single day rather than sharpen

he’s got barrels of used chains so someone like him could sell and regain some $$

 

Thanks for posting that, I ended up buying a few 25" loops. He's advertising these as RS3 chains, so it has that extra hump you mentioned, like the Oregon LPX chain that comes stock on many Echoes. The LPX is a little more work once you go to filing down the depth gauges but otherwise it's good-cutting chain. So, I figured I'd give it a try. It's a good price unless they're really trashed. Thanks again!

 

Excellent! I hope he throws in an extra for you too.

 

Good deal.

I had bought generic used from eBay years back. They were one time used from a tool rental place. Brand unknown and semi chisel. Now that I am wiser I only use Stihl RS chain.

 

I just checked out the link. Says they are RS chain so should be yellow with full chisel teeth. If it was I'd buy some and have you make several 20" loops for me again. I don't want semi chisel or safety chain.

 

after seeing 3 cousins between 16-20 years old not being able to jump start a car with jumper cables I am not surprised it’s easier to buy a new chain sad really

 

This is his description for the 36" chain, and the 25" is similar, but they both say RS3 chain:
"These are STIHL chains part # 33RS3 (3624 005 0114) 3/8 pitch, .050 gauge, 114 drive links. These chains were used on rental chainsaws. We rent chainsaws and replace the chains after every rental with a new chain. "

If you search that part number, it comes up as the green link chain:
Stihl 33RS3 Rapid Saw Chain Loop (114 Drive Links, 3/8" Pitch, .050" Gauge)

Not arguing, just wanted to be sure everyone understands what he's selling, as far as I understand it, so nobody is disappointed. But even green link is worth $12 a piece (for the 25" ones I bought) when they're going for almost $40 new. I think Stihl makes the most durable chain available but I don't usually buy it because I'm a tightwad. LOL

 

Some folks have weird economics. Shops here charge between $5 and $8 for sharpening. Rather than discard dull chains why not toss them in a bucket and drop off the next time you need a recoil starter or some oil? Sounds like laziness to me.

 

I resemble that statement.. frugal responsible

 

Good point.
I have an accumulation of unsharpened chains. Some have dinged links which is a PITA to fix.

Im not lazy, just unmotivated to sharpen them!

 

Thanks for posting those links with the picture attached. Yes this is exactly the chain I received. Full chisel, double raker making it a low kickback chain. It’s not going to win any cant cutting races but it’ll make a durable work chain and it comes at an easy price.

 

I can share my redneck fix for dinged drive links. Involves getting the chain mostly on the bar and some pizz revving. I just had to do it a couple weekends ago as matter of fact.

 

I always thought that was standard procedure.

 

You guys are freaking savages I guess that's one way to turn a 0.050" bar into a 0.063" gauge