How many people use Aspen?

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Aspen Fuel is made from mineral oil production like normal unleaded petrol but has numerous harmfull items taken out/not added. It is not from a natural grown source like rapeseed chain oil.

 

We asked Jeremy Pilch to start importing this into the UK having been to Norway a long time ago and seen the difference.

[agg221]

Question on draining saws - because if you don't use them for a couple of weeks the fuel goes off and you risk seizing the piston and wrecking it.

 

Question on why pump fuel is an issue - because in a 4-stroke engine you have separate lubrication, so in a car the fuel is effectively all burnt, and the remaining hydrocarbons are picked up in the catalytic converter. In a 2-stroke engine the fuel is also the lubricant. As such, approximately 1/3 of the fuel passes straight out of the exhaust unburnt. Pump unleaded is approximately 2% benzene, so your chainsaw exhaust contains approximately 0.66% benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen.

 

Question on how you get exposed to exhaust - the concentration depends on what you're doing - if you're milling, forestry type felling, cutting stumps low or using a hedge trimmer your head is very near the exhaust.

 

Question on how long the effects take to show up - think of lung cancer - few smokers die in their 20s, not many in their 30s, more in their 40s, a lot in their 50s/60s cf. non-smoking population with a 15-20yr greater life expectancy.

 

Alec

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

HMRC would reduce the rules on fuel tax if an exhaust pipe was in the face of them all the time.

 

Watch a chainsaw at -20C to see where the fumes go to.

 

I did speak to the HSE at the APF and terrible response.

Edited November 21, 2011 by TRADITIONAL LOGGERS
Info

[MATTMOSS]

Question on draining saws - because if you don't use them for a couple of weeks the fuel goes off and you risk seizing the piston and wrecking it.

 

 

 

Thankyou Alec, I was beginning to think I was being snubbed. I though the fuel going off was the issue, but i didnt realise that i could risk seizing the saw! I just thought it may cause an issue starting them. I leave some saws for weeks inbetween using them, never had any probs but definatley something i will think about in the future.

 

To be honest I had never heard of Aspen until reading about it on here, its something I would definatley like to try, then decide for myself whether its worth the money or not.

[treequip]

Just order direct from aspen, that's what I do, I get 60 lt at a time, delivered to my door. As for price well it's all tax deductible.

 

No can do, as a freelancer, some weeks I only use 5l or less so I would probably have the leave the remainder in my will.

 

The building I rent has rules about flammable storage, max 20l so that’s a non starter too.

[Daniël Bos]

As this is turning into a general Aspen related questions thread anyway... If I use Aspen4 and mix it with aspen 2-stroke oil, does it keep or does it go off like petrol/two-stroke mix?

 

There are a few machines I very ocasionally use that need different fuel mixes (1/33 and 1/40). mixing as needed is haslle and wastefull as mixing by the tankfull is not practical.

[agg221]

I though the fuel going off was the issue, but i didnt realise that i could risk seizing the saw! I just thought it may cause an issue starting them. I leave some saws for weeks inbetween using them, never had any probs but definatley something i will think about in the future.

 

Some people seem to get away with it for years - others don't. I didn't, and developed a rather expensive barrel and piston habit. There were other factors, but this was one I could eliminate. To be honest, that was the main reason I switched, as you can buy a lot of Aspen for the price of a genuine Stihl pot and piston - the health benefits became apparent when I stopped coming in after a day's milling feeling sick with a bad headache. The fact that the carcinogens have been removed/excluded was a later, and very welcome discovery.

 

Alec

[born2trot]

I think we all get the health and mechanical benefits of using this product.

 

How can they be taken seriously though when there is no distributor between Dundee and Huntly ?

 

Do we not cut trees up here or something !!

[David Goss]

No can do, as a freelancer, some weeks I only use 5l or less so I would probably have the leave the remainder in my will.

 

The building I rent has rules about flammable storage, max 20l so that’s a non starter too.

 

Also this is my situation. I live in a flat and have no other means of storing the fuel so i have to buy as needed. Some days i go through 5 litres per day and sometimes 5 litres can last more than a week. So apart from my reasons for not needing to use it, i just cant use it because i cant store it.

 

As for the health issues, I stay in the auld reekie and i smoke! whats for me wont go by me. I will die of something that is sure:001_rolleyes:

[Treecreeper1961]

As this is turning into a general Aspen related questions thread anyway... If I use Aspen4 and mix it with aspen 2-stroke oil, does it keep or does it go off like petrol/two-stroke mix?

 

There are a few machines I very ocasionally use that need different fuel mixes (1/33 and 1/40). mixing as needed is haslle and wastefull as mixing by the tankfull is not practical.

 

It should be a thread to raise awareness of the health risks associated with the machinery and fuel we all use on a daily basis.

 

There is loads of evidence and scientific studies to confirm what should be obvious to anyone that works in the industry.

 

Have you ever held a hedgecutter at head height for eight hours in a day, cut big stumps with a beast of a saw, reduced leylandii hedges on a still cold, damp day? The fumes hang around and soak into your clothes and every pore in you skin.

 

It may be convenient to ignore the issue. At the end of the day it's our livelihoods.

 

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or does it just kill you later? Maybe not. Maybe you are not genetically pre-disposed to certain diseases. Maybe you are. How do you know? Do you care?

3-Dost-PowersawEmissions.pdf

Professional Users - A case for Aspen.pdf