Keeping track of chainsaw chains

How do you guys organize your chains?

I have 5 saws total and I find it already tedious to try and keep track of what chain is for what.

I keep a spreadsheet of the info.

Those of you that have 20+ chainsaws, how do you physically store the chains? In cardboard boxes? In drawers?

I think of Buckin' Billy Ray Smith videos and his shed of like 50 saws and I just wonder how the heck he keeps track of what bar is on what saw with what sprocket and what length.

At the moment I have these chains for my 5 saw:

Makita 36v cordless
3/8" .043" 14" 52DL Oregon semi chisel
5/32" file

Stihl 028 WB AV
.325" .063" 18" 74DL Stihl RS
3/16" file

Stihl 034 Super
3/8" .050" 20" 72DL Stihl RS
13/64" file

And I haven't decided on what to get yet for the 029 because I haven't worked on the saw.

Then you guys with the big boy saws and bars have to deal with skip tooth chains, or multiple bars with different lengths and full comp - man it starts to get confusing real quick to me.

I carry one spare chain for each saw in my sharpening bag.

And then things get confusing to me when I have old chains that are still good. I've been hanging them on the pegboard but things are getting hairy already.

 

I use those large coffee jugs... I have 3 saws... Husqvarna 545, 257 & 338. (The 545 & 257 have same chain size) Blue jugs for sharp chains, red need sharpening.

 

Smart i like that keeps them sealed to and protects from rust probably to…i think i might go with this method myself in the future

 

My extra chains are in a labeled box or hanging with an extra bar they belong with.
I sharpen on the saw until used up, so I don’t keep a lot of extras. If I dull while cutting, I’ll grab a different saw, or stop and sharpen. It’s the way I learned and just stuck with it.

 

Here is how I do it. Envelopes in a box and a hook on the wall.

 

Mine are tagged and hanging on the garage wall on bars. The wall is labeled where they hang. All bars / chains that fit a particular saw are kept together. Currently that's Stihl small pattern, Echo, Makita / Dolmar, Vintage Homelite, Vintage Remington and Mcculloch. I store most my saws without cutting equipment. Usually just one or two have them mounted if I need a saw in a hurry. Otherwise I mount the bar and chain I want as needed.

 

Cool idea

 

I have 12 foot of peg board hanging above my saw bench. I just hang them up there.

 

Same her, labeled with blue painting tape

 

I wrote it on the wall in black or red marker. Lol. Some are tagged, some written on the bar. They are 10' up in the air. I made a hook on a piece of 5/8" aluminum tubing to snag them with.

 

I made this to hold 5 chains for my primary saw. (Pic courtesy BuZZsaw BRAD).
It stays in my truck tool box.
The other saw, i only have 3 chains for, so 2 stay in a plastic bag. I should keep a few more chains handy for each saw....for when prices skyrocket. Perhaps I'll add a couple of pegs to the inside lid of the tool box....should prolly get an extra bar or two as well....

 

I have he few duplicates in my black tag along toolbox and stored in freezer ziploc baggies labeled with a sharpie. Ill keep the on the bench in the OEM box until the get "promoted" to the black box. I have a few extra bars with scabbard and an extra chain will stay with them too. Can get to be a PITA at times. I like to use the .375/.050 20" bar on the bigger CC saws and will swap it out among them often.

 

This is my method the extra bars that aren't currently on a saw are hanging in the shop with the chain on them sprocket side down hanging from a nail.

 

Do they get a nice coffee scent? You might be onto something...scented bar oil maybe? Im partial to French vanilla!

 

"HOLY SMOKE" FREEDOM ROAST - COFFEE SCENTED SYNTHETIC 2 STROKE OIL - 64 OZ

 

I was kidding of course, but it actually exists. Have you tried it? Smell good? Available in decaf?

 

I have not. Lol. It's intriguing but ive tested so many oils in the last 2-3 years I'm kinda burnt out on it. 28 or 29 oils if I recall.

 

I mostly run 16" .325 chain on the 261 and .375/20" on the bigger saws so i have multiples of those. The other sizes usually just two except the 36" just one.

 

A lot of interesting ideas. I feel like perhaps there is no "best" way....because it's just a PITA to have different length chains with different gauges, pitches, drive links, and mounts.

Wow that is a lot of testing. What was your conclusion in a nutshell?

 

That results don't care about peoples feelings or brand loyalty lol. Oh and stay away from Stens synthetic, Stihl ultra and Lucas.