the 'todays job' thread

[AHPP]

 

4 hours ago, Mike Hill said:

 

Has anyone shown you how to start big saws on the induction stroke?

 

 

Can you describe it please. 

[AHPP]

5 hours ago, Joe Newton said:

I had the displeasure of using an 881 from a mewp with a 36" bar a couple of months back. Plenty of torque but no faster than my 660. Horrible to sling around though.

 

The starter handle had broken and they'd improvised with one from a spare top handle. I took one attempt and starting it and flat out refused. 

 

A perfect storm of misery. Long bar, heavy powerhead with big spikes, crammed in a picker basket. It's all well and good if you're bigtreedon and can sling it around like a battery powered Dyson but just grim otherwise. And still pointless. I've only really wanted a bigger than 36" bar once in ten ish years climbing and that was on a tree that was 12' or so diameter at the ground. I only had to letterbox it once to make a 7 or 8' cut. Never felt lacking otherwise. The 66x is a quality machine. 

 

The inherent misery of a big saw is magnified when it doesn't start easily. I remember working for a firm in Liverpool a few times. I only took a climbing saw with me at the time. Their 660 would idle fine but die when you went on the throttle and then be a pig to start. I pointed out the problem on a few jobs spread over a few months. They'd get it fixed they promised. They never did. It died up a pine tree for the fifteenth time that day and didn't want to restart. I, already quite annoyed with it, psyched myself up for a strong pull and with all my might smashed my elbow into a stub. Angriest I've ever been by a factor of several. Literally saw red. It's not just a saying. My vision went pink with fury. I took a few minutes, rearranged my knickers, finished the day and bought two saws on the way home. 

[Stephen Blair]

The 88 is an ego saw when your young and keen as mustard, I remember having 1 hang off my harness for 3 hours and I thought I was so cool, I could hardly walk for days and pretty much why my back is seized up, constantly over doing it.  I had similar as AHPP with another companies 88 up a monster Elm, requested to fell it into sections by the customer at the most stupid places on the tree for work position and it wouldn’t start or idle easily.  Basically it was the first major sign I was getting to old for full time climbing.  500i or top handle if I need to use a saw now. 

[Joe Newton]

The thing that confuses me is that everyone I've met who has an 880 for tree work never has longer than a 36" bar anyway. Fair enough if you're dropping monsters on the regular and use a longer bar, but it's as if they looked at a 36" 660 and thought "Yeah, I'd like a heavier version, please".

[AHPP]

3 minutes ago, Joe Newton said:

The thing that confuses me is that everyone I've met who has an 880 for tree work never has longer than a 36" bar anyway. Fair enough if you're dropping monsters on the regular and use a longer bar, but it's as if they looked at a 36" 660 and thought "Yeah, I'd like a heavier version, please".

 

Spot on. 

I had a 30" 404 on a 880 (that's what it came with). Stupid.

Now have a 36" 3/8 on a 661. Way better. THE UK big saw for UK big stuff.

[doobin]

7 hours ago, Joe Newton said:

The thing that confuses me is that everyone I've met who has an 880 for tree work never has longer than a 36" bar anyway. Fair enough if you're dropping monsters on the regular and use a longer bar, but it's as if they looked at a 36" 660 and thought "Yeah, I'd like a heavier version, please".

I use mine for trimming big butts for the mill, stumping prior to grinding, and ringing up small when a machine is holding the load. All saws weigh the same in the cut and I want these repetitive jobs done as quick as possible. 
 

No way I’d want one up a tree even if I climbed! The anti vibe is noticeably old school too. 

[AHPP]

Video yourself and then watch back with a pair of chess clocks. Measure cutting time vs everything else time. 

 

And they're no faster in the cut on normal size stuff. Possibly a tiny bit on three foot oak butts but that time's lost straight back to dealing with 404 when you only had to deal with 3/8 before. 

 

If you like it, great but for some reason we're now arguing over what's better and I think it's a 661. UNLESS one wants a ≥48" bar. 

Edited January 18, 2024 by AHPP

[doobin]

23 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Video yourself and then watch back with a pair of chess clocks. Measure cutting time vs everything else time. 

 

And they're no faster in the cut on normal size stuff. Possibly a tiny bit on three foot oak butts but that time's lost straight back to dealing with 404 when you only had to deal with 3/8 before. 

 

If you like it, great but for some reason we're now arguing over what's better and I think it's a 661. UNLESS one wants a ≥48" bar. 

There's no time lost with .404- they have their own drawer like all the other 3/8 chains in varying lengths do, and they use the same wheel on the grinder.

[AHPP]

Fair enough. Want to argue about anything else? I like black people and want them to marry our daughters. 

[Rich Rule]

Quite a few years ago now.  Used them quite a lot up the tree.   Sometimes if you need one it is nice to use.  Heavy as hell but wanted to get the job done in this London Plane and Oak in the other picture.  Hard timber and would have been a pain in the buttski with a 660. 
 

48” bar was needed on that tree.  Started smaller but it was easier to go large, we changed it up that day for the larger bar to make the cuts in one go.