Torch vs. Press: What a Seized Chain Pin Really Costs

Short answer: On a typical job of two seized pins, using our example inputs ($5,000 per hour of downtime and $45 per hour of loaded labor), a hydraulic press costs about $5,900 less per job than a torch. Most of that gap is downtime. The torch method keeps the line down while the hot-work permit is issued and while each pin is cut or heated. The other costs are smaller but real: the permit issuer's and fire watch's time, and the heated links you should replace.

The formula is Difference = (torch downtime hours − press downtime hours) × your downtime cost per hour + (torch labor, gas and replaced links − press labor). Plug in your own downtime number. That number decides the answer, and yours will differ from ours.

The torch can still be the cheaper choice. That happens when the chain isn't holding up production, when a hot-work permit is already open for other work in the same area, when the chain is being scrapped anyway, or when a riveted pin has to be ground first at a site that permits grinding as hot work. We cover those cases below.

What you're comparing

Both methods share the same lockout, slack-off and handling steps, so we leave those out. What's left is the cost that differs:

What you're comparing
Cost line	Torch (cut or heat)	Hydraulic press
Hot-work permit (issue, area prep)	Yes. Often on the critical path	Not hot work, so not triggered for the press step. A riveted pin still has to be ground first (see below)
Fire watch during the work	Yes. A second person	Not required for the press step
Post-work fire watch	Yes. 30 min minimum (OSHA), 60 min (NFPA 51B, 2019 ed. and later)	No
Time per pin	Example: 6–18 min at the joint	T&D Machine states about 2 min per pin; example below uses 3–9 min
Consumables	Oxygen, fuel gas, tips	Wear parts on the tool depend on use; not included in the totals below
Chain damage	Heated components should be replaced	No heat applied
Fire and injury exposure	Hot-work fire risk, burns	Hydraulic pinch and stored-energy risk; no flame

Hot-work overhead is the hidden line

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii), a fire watch is required wherever welding or cutting could start more than a minor fire, including when appreciable combustibles are within 35 feet. The watch must be maintained for at least a half hour after cutting ends. NFPA 51B (2019 edition and later) raises the post-work fire watch to 60 minutes and lets the permit authorizing individual add more monitoring time. OSHA's own fire-watch fact sheet notes that recommendation.

None of that touches the pin, but someone has to be paid for it. The permit wait matters most, because if the crew is standing by for it, the line is down too.

Why heat costs you chain

Chain makers' maintenance guides warn against heating chain. U.S. Tsubaki's guide says heating chain with a cutting torch "is not suggested unless absolutely necessary for removal," and Tsubaki of Canada's version adds, "If cut in such a manner, it should not be reused." Pins and sidebars on engineered chain are heat treated, and torch heat changes that. So every link you heat is a link you should plan to replace. (We cite these guides only for what heat does to chain. No chain maker makes or endorses the Kingpin.)

The calculator

Formula (copy this)

Torch downtime hours = Permit wait (P) + Pins (n) × Torch time per pin (Tt)
Press downtime hours = Press setup (S) + Pins (n) × Press time per pin (Tp)

Torch cost = Torch downtime hrs × Downtime $/hr (D)
           + 2 people × Torch downtime hrs × Labor $/hr (L)
           + Permit issuer hrs (= P) × L
           + Post-work fire watch hrs (W) × L
           + Gas and tips (C)
           + Links replaced × Cost per link (K)

Press cost = Press downtime hrs × D
           + 1 person × Press downtime hrs × L

Difference (Z) = Torch cost − Press cost
Payback (jobs) = Press price ÷ Z

Example inputs (all are examples; replace with yours)

Downtime cost (D): $5,000 per hour. This is a deliberately conservative example, well below the lowest sector figure in Siemens' True Cost of Downtime 2024 ($36,000 per hour in fast-moving consumer goods, large plants).
Loaded labor (L): $45 per hour. The base is the median wage for industrial machinery mechanics ($31.02 per hour, per O*NET) times a 1.46 burden factor from BLS employer-cost data.
Torch crew: 2 people (operator plus fire watch).
Press crew: 1 person. Your own rules for handling heavy chain may call for two.
Cost per replaced link (K): $200 as an example. Use your own replacement link cost.

Scenario table (cottered or pin-lock chain)

Scenario table (cottered or pin-lock chain)
Input / result	Quick job	Typical job	Bad job
Seized pins (n)	1	2	4
Permit wait, line down (P)	0.5 hr	1.0 hr	2.0 hr
Torch time per pin (Tt)	0.1 hr (6 min)	0.25 hr (15 min)	0.3 hr (18 min)
Post-work fire watch (W)	0.5 hr (OSHA floor)	1.0 hr (NFPA 51B)	1.0 hr (NFPA 51B)
Gas and tips (C)	$10	$25	$60
Links replaced after heat	1	2	4
Press setup (S)	0.15 hr	0.25 hr	0.25 hr
Press time per pin (Tp)	0.05 hr (3 min)	0.1 hr (6 min)	0.15 hr (9 min)
Torch downtime	0.6 hr	1.5 hr	3.2 hr
Press downtime	0.2 hr	0.45 hr	0.85 hr
Torch total	$3,309	$8,150	$17,283
Press total	$1,009	$2,270.25	$4,288.25
Difference (Z)	$2,300	$5,879.75	$12,994.75
Shortcut formula	Z = 0.4 × D + $300	Z = 1.05 × D + $629.75	Z = 2.35 × D + $1,244.75

Where the typical-job torch total of $8,150 comes from: downtime $7,500; labor $225 (two people for 1.5 hr plus one hour of permit-issuer time and one hour of post-work watch); gas and links $425. All values are examples. Press times include alignment and are deliberately slower than the "about 2 minutes" T&D Machine states, to stay conservative. Wear parts on the press are not included.

How the typical job changes with your downtime cost

For the typical job, the shortcut formula is Z = 1.05 hours saved × D + $629.75.

How the typical job changes with your downtime cost
Your downtime cost (D)	Difference per typical job (Z)
$0 per hr (chain not holding up production)	$629.75
$1,000 per hr	$1,679.75
$5,000 per hr	$5,879.75
$25,000 per hr	$26,879.75

Read it this way: if your downtime costs X per hour and the press saves 1.05 hours on a two-pin job, the difference is 1.05 × X plus about $630.

Riveted chain: grinding changes the math

A riveted pin has to be ground off before any press can push it, and the Kingpin does not break rivets. Whether that grinding needs a hot-work permit depends on your site. Using the typical-job inputs plus 0.15 hr of grinding per pin:

If your site treats grinding as hot work (permit, fire watch, second person), the press path carries most of the same overhead as the torch. In our example it costs about $9,400 against $8,150 for the torch. The torch wins by roughly $1,250, because it needs no grinding step.
If your site does not require a permit for grinding, the press path costs about $4,180 against $8,150, a gap of roughly $3,970 in the press's favor.

Both are examples. Ask your safety team how grinding is treated before you decide, and see removing a seized conveyor chain pin.

When the torch is the better call

The torch wins in these cases, and we'd rather say so:

The chain is going to scrap. If you're cutting worn chain into pieces for disposal, there's no chain damage to count. Renold's conveyor chain guide says worn chain can be cut into handleable sections with a torch for disposal. If the permit is already open, the torch is cheap and fast enough.
A hot-work permit and fire watch are already in place for other work in the same area during a planned outage. The permit and fire-watch costs are then shared, and the per-job difference shrinks to roughly the labor and link cost.
The chain isn't on the critical path. At D = $0 the typical-job difference is about $630. If you break chain a few times a year, payback on a press stretches out. Run the numbers before you buy.
The pin is riveted and grinding needs a permit at your site. See above.
The pin is out of range. The Kingpin handles pin diameters of 1.125 in. and below and pin lengths of 2.25 in. to 7.8 in. Bigger pins need another method.

Payback: fill in your own numbers

Pricing isn't published on the site. Request a quote, then fill in the blanks:

Price:                               $________ (from your quote)
Your difference per job (Z):         $________ (from the table, using your D)
Seized-pin jobs per year:            ________
Annual savings   = Z × jobs/year     $________
Payback (jobs)   = Price ÷ Z         ________ jobs
Payback (months) = Price ÷ (Annual savings ÷ 12)   ________ months

Example: if your Z matches our typical job ($5,879.75) and you do one such job a quarter, annual savings are $23,519. Divide your quoted price by that to get your payback in years.

The risk line we didn't add to the table

Fire and injury are real costs, but we have no honest probability to put on them for your plant, so they're not in the totals. Add them yourself as expected cost = your probability of the event × its cost. For reference:

NFPA's 2023 report on structure fires started by hot work, as summarized by Safety+Health magazine, found hot work caused nearly 3,400 structure fires a year in 2017–2021, with an average of 19 civilian deaths, 120 injuries and $292 million in direct property damage per year.
The National Safety Council's Injury Facts puts the cost of a medically consulted work injury at $48,000 (2024).

Even a small probability against numbers like that can move a decision. Your safety team should set the number, not a vendor page.

What the Kingpin is

From the Kingpin product page: a 15-ton portable hydraulic tool with a hand pump (foot pedal available), weighing 28 lb. It measures 16.5 in. x 2.5 in. x 16 in. and handles pins 1.125 in. diameter and below, 2.25 in. to 7.8 in. long. It ships with 2 pin cavities, 4 push pins and 5 spacers and needs no external hydraulic unit. It is made by T&D Machine Corp in Butler, WI. T&D Machine states about two minutes of press time per pin within the advertised range when the tool is set up and used correctly. The press step uses no flame or sparks, so it is not hot work in the OSHA or NFPA sense, but your plant's hot-work and safety rules still govern, and riveted pins must be ground first. The Kingpin has no hazardous-location rating. Call 262-781-3870 for current pricing and lead time.

FAQ

Is a hydraulic press always cheaper than a torch for a seized chain pin?

No. It's cheaper per job whenever the chain is holding up production, because it removes the permit wait and cuts time per pin. If the chain isn't on the critical path, a permit is already open, the chain is being scrapped, or a riveted pin has to be ground under a permit, the torch can cost less, especially once you count the press's purchase price.

How long does the fire watch have to stay after torch work?

At least 30 minutes after cutting ends under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii)(B). NFPA 51B (2019 edition and later) calls for 60 minutes, and the permit authorizing individual can add more monitoring time. Your insurer or site rules may require more.

Does pressing a pin out count as hot work?

The press step uses no flame or sparks, so it isn't hot work in the OSHA or NFPA sense. If the pin is riveted, the grinding needed first may be treated as hot work at your site. Follow your plant's permit rules.

Can I reuse a link I heated with a torch?

Chain makers advise against it. Tsubaki of Canada's maintenance guide says chain cut with a torch "should not be reused." Plan to replace every heated link.

What downtime cost should I use?

Use your own: lost margin per hour plus idle labor, plus any penalties. Siemens' 2024 survey of large plants found $36,000 per hour at the low end (fast-moving consumer goods) and $2.3 million per hour in automotive. Many plants run well below that, which is why our example uses $5,000 per hour.

What chain sizes does the Kingpin fit?

Any chain whose pins are 1.125 in. diameter or less and 2.25 in. to 7.8 in. long, per the product page. Call to confirm a specific chain before ordering.

Sources

Kingpin Breaker product page: https://kingpinbreaker.com/home

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.252

OSHA Fact Sheet, Fire Watch Duties during Hot Work (OSHA 4188): https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA4188.pdf

Code Red Consultants, Updated Fire Watch Requirements: https://coderedconsultants.com/insights/updated-fire-watch-requirements/

Los Alamos County Fire Dept., NFPA Hot Work Safety fact sheet: https://www.losalamosnm.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/departments/fire-department/documents/hotworkfactsheet.pdf

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Industrial Machinery Mechanics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/industrial-machinery-mechanics-and-maintenance-workers-and-millwrights.htm

O*NET OnLine, 49-9041.00 Industrial Machinery Mechanics: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/49-9041.00

BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecec.pdf

Siemens / Senseye, The True Cost of Downtime 2024: https://assets.new.siemens.com/siemens/assets/api/uuid:1b43afb5-2d07-47f7-9eb7-893fe7d0bc59/tcod-2024_original.pdf

U.S. Tsubaki, Installation & Maintenance for RS Roller Chain & RF Conveyor Chain: https://www.ustsubaki.com/wp-content/uploads/installation-guide.pdf

Tsubaki of Canada, Installation & Maintenance: https://tsubaki.ca/wp-content/uploads/install1-1.pdf

Renold, Conveyor Chain Installation and Maintenance: https://www.renold.com/upload/renoldswitzerland/conveyor_chain_-_installation_and_maintenance.pdf

Safety+Health magazine, Structure Fires Caused by Hot Work: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/24698-structure-fires-caused-by-hot-work-new-report-from-nfpa/

National Safety Council, Injury Facts, Work Injury Costs: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/work-injury-costs/