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The end of UPS ARS shipping labels for ReSharp

Started by pnyberg, June 10, 2011, 09:41:47 AM

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pnyberg

I got a box a blades back from ReSharp yesterday with the following note included:

Quote
Dear Valued Customer:

UPS has informed us that they will be discontinuing their ARS shipping label services.  From now until December 31, 2011 UPS has agreed to honor existing ARS labels that are out at customer's locations. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

FedEx refers to their package return program as 'PRP'.  Beginning imediately, every new box of blades or blades from Resharp will include these PRP labels.  This is an optional shipping method to use, or you are welcome to ship anyway you'd like.

Wood-Mizer ReSharp thanks you for your continued commitment to using our blade sharpening service.

The UPS truck comes to my house frequently enough that I've only had to take a box of blades to the nearest UPS store on one occasion.  The driver has always taken the box with the ARS label without complaint.  FedEx comes less frequently, and according to the back of the PRP labels, they will only do pickups at business locations.  The nearest drop-off point is a 15 to 20 minute drive.

I've got 7 ARS labels left, which will probably last me through the end of the year, but it looks like next year the ReSharp program will be less convenient.

--Peter
No longer milling

ronwood

It looks like it might be time to buy a sharpner. The cost of shipping is getting out of hand.

Sawing part time mostly urban logs -St. Louis/Warrenton, Mo.
LT40HG25 Woodmizer Sawmill
LX885 New Holland Skidsteer

paul case

looks like to me that  sharpening and shipping would pay for a sharpener pretty quick.
i kinda think that anyone who can learn to run a sawmill can learn to sharpen blades. just dont loose touch with reality. just because you have a sharpener doesnt mean you wont ever have to buy blades. they still wear out. when they get to the point you cant cut very long before they dull it is time for new ones.
sharpening blades is an money saver for me. pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Mooney

Another option is to go online to UPS.com and print out shipping labels yourself. That may work better for some. If anyone has any questions, give us a call.

Coon

For us here in Saskatchewan the only way to keep sharp blades is to buy a sharpener from the get go.  I have just chalked it up to higher start-up costs for me when I purchase a mill later this summer or fall.  ;) 
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

ronwood

Mooney,

I think the issue is even if we print out the labels the cost are going up!!  Why do you think the program is terminated. Was there not a negotiated price for shipping along with the ARS labels.

Ron
Sawing part time mostly urban logs -St. Louis/Warrenton, Mo.
LT40HG25 Woodmizer Sawmill
LX885 New Holland Skidsteer

pnyberg

The ARS shipping price is lower than the regular price.  For this last flat-pack box of blades, the ARS charge was $12.00, and the return shipping charge was $16.31, which I assume is the standard rate.

If the impact of having to print my own UPS labels rather than using ARS labels is to add $4.31 to my round trip ReSharp charges (e.g. $137.62 vs $133.31), that's not a deal breaker for me.

I guess I'll look into the label printing option and see what's involved.

--Peter

No longer milling

DR_Buck

If you go the route of buying your own sharpener, you need to consider your time (labor cost) in doing the sharpening.   For me, the time is far more important than shipping costs.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Jim_Rogers

Grinding with a sharpener is only part of the sharpening process, the blades have to be set as well. At least some of the time.

Years ago, when I started milling the only option was to sharpen your own blades, Resharp had not be started, yet. So, when we got our mill, we got a sharpener and setter as well. Half of a day was spend at the dealer, with an instructor teaching us how to sharpen and set our blades.

After a while resharp got started. When they first announced it, they said you had to send in two boxes of blades (10 in each cube box). To me that meant I had to have two boxes to send in and two boxes to have on hand while the two were being sharpened if I was sawing steady everyday.
And probably a fifth box as well, just in case.

I didn't have that kind of money to tie up in blades, at that time, and I still don't.

At a pre-logging show workshop put on by the factory/dealer, they asked the group who was using Resharp? About half the group raised their hands. They asked who was doing the sharpening themselves? About the other half raised their hands.

The dealer asked on fellow from CT in the back why he didn't raise his hand either time. And he said he didn't know how to vote, as he was grinding them himself a few times and then sending them back to resharp to be cleaned, set and correctly sharpened in order to straighten out all the mistakes he had made grinding them himself.

I thought that this was a great idea. I hated setting blades.

This is what I do now and have ever since hearing that statement from the user from CT.

I sharpen my blades a couple of times with my grinder, and then send them back to be cleaned, set, and sharpened by resharp. I feel it has increased my blade life considerably.

I don't know what I'm going to do, about using FedEx. I'm not sure where the drop off spot is around here.....

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Peter Drouin

Just buy the new WM sharpener and setter.the best money you will spend, it makes the blade like new, and no stone dressing. I keep sharpening till they break I have some that I have ground a 1/4" off :D :D then call WM when you need more blades ;D and UPS or whatever will gring them to your door , no label thing ,It works for me just fine 8) 8) 8) 8)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 10, 2011, 07:24:00 PM
Just buy the new WM sharpener and setter.the best money you will spend, it makes the blade like new, and no stone dressing. I keep sharpening till they break I have some that I have ground a 1/4" off :D :D then call WM when you need more blades ;D and UPS or whatever will gring them to your door , no label thing ,It works for me just fine 8) 8) 8) 8)
I wouldn't turn back from sharpening and setting, but it might not be for everyone.  You have to be 1) willing to make about $4k outlay for the CBN/dual setter, and to 2) be willing to do some rather continuous,  intensive, nit-picking type of work to make a return of about $15-$20 per hour.  You also need to have an area to do the grinding that can handle some oil overspray and give you around 50 degrees F to keep the oil moving. 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: pnyberg on June 10, 2011, 04:29:57 PM
The ARS shipping price is lower than the regular price.  For this last flat-pack box of blades, the ARS charge was $12.00, and the return shipping charge was $16.31, which I assume is the standard rate.

If the impact of having to print my own UPS labels rather than using ARS labels is to add $4.31 to my round trip ReSharp charges (e.g. $137.62 vs $133.31), that's not a deal breaker for me.

I guess I'll look into the label printing option and see what's involved.

--Peter


Label printing is easy...you go to myups.com and sign up for charging shipping to your credit card.   You create a shipment which ends up as a barcoded label.  Just print this out on any printer and tape it to the box with overlays of packing tape.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Jim H

Resharp used fed ex several years ago, I just told them I had a sawmill and the address was my home and business. They seemed satisfied and sent a driver whenever I called, which I liked better than trying to catch the ups driver when He came to deliver another package. I'd give it a try, might work out for the better :)
2008 LT40HDG28, autoclutch, debarker, stihl 026, 046, ms460 bow, 066, JD 2350 4wd w/245 loader, sawing since '94 fulltime since '98

Peter Drouin

terrifictimbersllc, HI there how you doing good I hope . ya 4000 is a lot but I can set and sharp a box of blades in a little over an hr . a box to resharp and back last I new was 100+.$ so I think im making 60 to 70 dollars an hr sharpening my blades. with the WM tools just push the button and smile :D :D 8) 8)
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Mooney

Our guy down in the Purchasing department told me that apparently UPS has been wanting to phase this program out for a while, so we got lucky that it wasn't earlier! I'll have him take a look at this thread on Monday, and see if he has any additional recommendations/thoughts for you guys!  ???

Here's a link to a video we recently made of a sawyer in KY that uses a sharpener/setter, and what he thinks  :)
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=222031371149732

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 10, 2011, 08:35:20 PM
terrifictimbersllc, HI there how you doing good I hope . ya 4000 is a lot but I can set and sharp a box of blades in a little over an hr . a box to resharp and back last I new was 100+.$ so I think im making 60 to 70 dollars an hr sharpening my blades. with the WM tools just push the button and smile :D :D 8) 8)
Well maybe sometimes me too just for sharpening.   But that's my estimate for cleaning, sorting, measuring and marking (aka Bibbyman method, but this saves time sharpening),  sharpening, and setting.  Maybe call me Monk but I can't help myself.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

ladylake

Quote from: Peter Drouin on June 10, 2011, 08:35:20 PM
terrifictimbersllc, HI there how you doing good I hope . ya 4000 is a lot but I can set and sharp a box of blades in a little over an hr . a box to resharp and back last I new was 100+.$ so I think im making 60 to 70 dollars an hr sharpening my blades. with the WM tools just push the button and smile :D :D 8) 8)

Real close to the same speed here, 8 blades per hour set and sharpened around $60 a hour . If some don't need setting I'll be sharpening or working on a chain saw when the blade is going around.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

terrifictimbersllc

My speed would probably double if I set teeth while the sharpener is going.   But I do other things instead while the sharpener is going.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Mooney

Update for this topic!  FedEx WILL pick up PRP boxes at residences.

We contacted to FedEx to confirm, and this is what they told us.  They will pick up ReSharp boxes with the PRP label at residences "as long as the customer is calling it in as a PRP or other "return manager" pick-up (email or print return label). There may be an issue getting a 'regular' pick-up at a residence, but not for any that are considered a return, such as a PRP. Make sure the customer is calling the # on the label."

So, that's what they told us, let us know if you run into any issues.

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