Les Cork

Not surprised ! you got 91VG a guarded chain meant for domestic users with low performance and reduced kick back features, you then tried Picco Stihl chain. Next time ask an Oregon dealer for 91VXL and then tell the forum how you got on.

Hi You need a clip lift A New portable hydraulic ride on mower/quad lift for ease of maintenance to blades, spindles, belts etc Available from your Oregon dealer part number 42-086 it can lift up to 300KGs or 660lbs. It folds flat to store on the wall or in a service van. Ask any of the large dealers on here they have the info already. Les See [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oPMutnGaa4]YouTube - CLIPLIFT AT.MOV[/ame] for a video which shows it work

Saw the romamiacs enduro on sky the other day awesome !! total scenery, great team work, waterfalls, mountains huge forests they said it was a 165 mile lap. Were you in that ? I know a dealer in the UK who bought a place in Romania about 10 yrs ago, he paid £45,000 for about 300 acres and a farm house,barn and buildings.

Hi A very good clutch specialist company is Wetherby Engineering [broadbent drives] they have a website and you can contact them with the details of your clutch. They recently saved a dealer i know a lot of money on a NORAM clutch off a Husky stumpgrinder.

The import reality is Cost £750.00 shipping to port £15.00 Consolidated freight [part container to UK per pallet = £190.00 so per machine say average £15.00 a unit inc insurance Transport and unloading UK £30.00 inc insurance Total £810 Plus Import duty @ 6% =£48.60 New Total £858.60 Plus VAT £150.25 on machine cost duty and freight Final bill delivered about £1008.85 And then you may find it is not CE compliant so cannot be used by an employee under H&S and parts may vary. It would only be worth it for 60-100 saws at a time and even then the saving over the show prices available today would not be worth the outlay of cash upfront.

Try looking in the kent messenger online version and rightmove.co.uk you may have to look up to 10 miles in all directions to get cheaper deals but the roads across country are empty.

When i started in the chainsaw industry in 1980 Stihl were no 4 in the UK behind McCulloch, Echo and Husky, you could also buy Sachs Dolmar, Homelite, Jonsered, Partner Shindaiwa, Oleo mac, Danarm,Poulan, Jobu, Topso, Tanaka and several others all of which built a decent farmers saw. Yes there were some crude cheapies about like the quadra in about 6 brands and the Mac 120 saws both of which were £79.00 retail. Then aquisitions got rid of many and slick marketing pushed the big two up to what we have today in the UK. In the USA however there are other players, those who used to read chainsaw Age an American chainsaw magazine would read about how Shindaiwa was voted best pro saw in 6 states and how redmax is a good no noncence work horse, and today they still are getting the sales and reviews along with Echo and these brands grab a nice little chunk of the pro business over there. There has been a new alliance between Echo and Shindaiwa which will see a huge range made available and once the distribution sorts itself out will be worth a look. Makita bought Dolmar and have kept both brands going, in the states big Makita's get better reliability reports than both Stihl and Husky and are the subject of some keen modding as well. The lightest most responsive mid range saw i have ever used was a Shindaiwa 62cc, it had the torque of nearly a Dolmar 120si and the chain speed similiar to a Husky 357, and that was back in the late 80's. I acknowledge the market place for the Chinese saws for the home owner and know some landscapers who prefer to abuse a cheap saw and then replace, the question is if your saw works hard a lot of the time then it must have build quality to survive, if you are coppicing and thinning for example is "hard work" for any saw and also on the operator so weight, performance, balance and reliablity all play a part. I guess what i'm suggesting is that the other saw manufacturers and distributors need to get some saws in the field and spread the message if they believe in their product for the pro market. As for Cheap back up saws "smart choice" as Mick Stockbridge said his AMA is a motorised silky. One last mention has anyone tried an old 60cc Topso saw ? i would like to see one run against a modern saw as they were ultra reliable with a Mahle pot/piston proper bearing crank and spring AV Not bad for the mid 80's, and has anyone tried a CT or CA Dolmar in big timber as it's an experience of brute force not equaled by most modern saws except the 090 which isn't available here anymore. Check out [google] Power equipment trader magazine which also has southern logger and other titles under it's parent company.

Hi See page 81 in the Stihl 2010 catalogue the file size part number doesn't match up to the files on page 56. i suggest asking C&O in Blandford they are Stihl dealers. Oregon clearing saw blades use a 7/32 [5.5mm] file. Replace air filters when needed i.e if used a lot every 6 months, but cleaned every week, if the saws are not used much then once a year as good practice although a good clean up is normally sufficient. Using premium fuels will help a better clean burn and can reduce residue, they are not the solution to a clean tank. Reduce dust and small chips down by sharpening more often and watching chip size reduction and when the saw stops pulling into the wood. Help keep muck out of the fuel tank by using a combi can with an auto fill spout, wipe around neck of fuel filler before you take off cap.

Yep call them and visit, let me know how you got on.

Hi Drive east along the 27 for 30 minutes past Chichester then Fontwell then take a right to Yapton, 1 mile down you come to a mini roundabout, go straight over and then turn into DM chainsaws Tel 01243 554065, they have just about everything. Or take a drive but that about 3/4 hr away to WGM Forest & Arb off the Alton road nr Winchester Tel 01962 863705 they also have just about everything.

For those who have never been Saltex show is on next week, it has always been the Institute of Groundsmen [iOG] show but over the last few years has grown a small Arb section. Jonesie, Honeys, Richmonds, Buxtons and a few more are there with tents full of shiney things to tempt you and you can see most major saw,stumpgrinder, chipper and mewp mfg's and distributors as well as much more. It's free to get in you just have to register which you can do online just visit Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) | Shows & Events | IOG SALTEX. Its at Windsor race course just off the M4 Slough/Windsor junction. For those in the south not going to the APF its a great chance to see whats new in and around the trade. They even serve beer

Hi are you going to Saltex or APF show ? if so bring one of your chains with you and well see whats happened to your chain. Saltex show Windsor Racecourse 7-8-9th Sept [free to get in] and i will be on either FR Jones & Son, Honey Bros or Richmonds stands during the show. APF 23-24-25th Sept Oregon [blount UK Ltd] have a large demo plot and again the above dealers and others will be there. If your not going to either then perhaps when convenient we can meet up at a dealers and look at the chain. One point i'll make is that if you have badly damaged the side plate and top plate you will need to 1, assess damage to chassis and rakers as well as cutters. 2, determine the worst and mark the cutters to be ground back the most 3, decide if you are to grind all cutters even [lots of damage] or replace just a few with new [worth considering if the chain is good] 4, Use a filing clamp to help or better still a filing vise in a vise [chain off] 5, Check your file is good and the guide the correct angle 6, the natural rock of the chain in the guide bar actually gives near a 10deg DROP OF THE FILE HANDLE so dont add another 10deg to it or you will end up filing uphill from the tie strap to the top of the feed angle and you will lose the profile of the working corner and grind the tie strap out nearest the tooth. 7, follow the profile of the tooth and check the chrome layer on the feed angle and side plate after each 3 strokes 8 The old saying goes if you have 8" use it a full stroke of a file should see metal coming off, even pressure with front hand whilst pushed from back hand.If not rotate or change your file. 9,Check the rakers and use a depth guage tool . 10,take off any swarf with file handle Just a point is the chain our new 22BPX or the old 22BP as the top plate cutting angle is 55deg on BPX and 60deg on BP Depth guage .025 Side plate angle 85deg Top plate angle 30deg File size 4.8mm Oregon double cut file 70503 File Guide 18228 4.8 file size See OREGON®: Public and see maintenance guide 22BPX chain is micro chisel which has a curved tooth profile and normally gives longer cutting performance in hard woods than its full chisel partner 22LPX, is far better in soft woods in general and some say faster cutting out of the box, full chisel chains dull off quicker than micro chisel in hardwoods. We also have a multicut triple chrome version of 22LPX called M22LPX for dirty wood cutting and keeping 4-5 times longer life between sharpening. I hope this helps. Les Area Mgr Oregon Cutting Systems Division

Hi Now Then you can See it for yourself at the APF, it has not been launched yet in the UK, Early Oct is looking the earliest we will see stock. Yes it's a different chain and bar which fits only saws under 45cc but it lets you sharpen in 4 seconds and get back cutting the dirty grit and wire filled wood that normally wrecks your chain. You may see the benefit of having a powersharp equiped saw like many others saw at Jonesies show [read threads on here] Yes it works which you will see at the APF.

If you have bolts shaking loose for whatever reason you need to be using a new washer design that increases the torque setting of the nut or bolt. One dealer i know uses these is DM Chainsaws down in Yapton nr Arundel in West Sussex tel 01243 554065 they will post you some but they are expensive. Locking tabs on muffler bolts used to help and nyloc washers on AV mounts and side handle bolts helped. As good practice how many invest in T bar allen and torx screw wrenches so a decent pressure can be applied without ripping out aluminium threads but getting a good nip up of the bolts. And from new before and after the first tank go around 360 and check everything ?

What was the item ?

Im not on the tools but have been in the industry for just on 30yrs and have learnt many sides to the business. Do any of you market your services to the allied trades , like landscapers, groundsman, greenkeepers and the like within your regions ? Here are a few web links with details you may find useful. Bali see British Association of Landscape Industries Landscape Gardener Contractor | UK Landscape Contractor Gardening IOG see http://www.iog.org/ Bigga see The British and International Golf Greenkeepers' Association

I want to see an advert for "finish the dirty bottom bit with your 'dirty little whore' saw" thats funny ! And is there a video of the dance Mr Bolam ? and are you related to that other Geordie James Bolam ?

Hi The original Oregon series 80 chain that was designed for use on the McCulloch saw and a few others [ Poulan, quadra, sears top sharp] was a top sharp style chain, it is similar but Power sharp has evolved, the cutters are different, the chain has a diamond dressing link that profiles the sharpening stone to keep the angles good as it's sharpened and the sharpening stones position also trims the rakers as well. And for others in this thread Now from the outset it has been designed for the homeowner/landscaper user who wants to spend more time cutting and less time sharpening. It was not intended for pro use and as a 3/8 .050 size chain is the same size as 91VXL or Pico [for you stihl users who haven't used 91VXL yet] so it's power rating is for saws less than 2.3kw power which equates to 45cc. In demo's to pro's the majority say that after seeing how it cut after contacting concrete they would dedicate a saw on the truck for dirty wood conditions from stumps, ditches, sleepers,fence line trees, and others so that they wouldn't have to dull the big saws that they they take time and care to sharpen. It matters not to power sharp as it cuts again with 4 seconds of sharpening and the whole procedure takes a minute. Time is money and for these reasons i had more than 100 pro users give favourable comments of when and where can i buy. So from a World brand leader in chain and bar since 1947 a new development comes to market. Meanwhile you all enjoy daily the rest of our range. When you next get the job that is priced keen and you dull your saw off in the first 2 inches with that old ZZZZZ sound that everyone hates, then spend 1/2 hour plus sharpening back up to possibly do it all again in the next cut you will remember power sharp. A new chain for your 361, or 357 is ? and your hourly rate is ? See you at the APF we'll supply the saws, chain, wood, concrete, chaps, helmet and you can try it for yourself. or watch others do it. Les Area Manager Oregon Cutting Systems Division

Give Wayne a ring at tree trunks southern UK Ltd 01273 305055 he might be able to help you. see TreeTrunksUK - Tree Surgery, Logs, Mulch, Hire, 24 Hour Emergency Cover

It was bigger and better than last year, the weather was good, the quality of visitors good, great demo's and well set out. Justin, Richard and their teams take a bow. Special thanks to Rob Dyer who helped me out with over 20 powersharp demo's and narrow kerf chain on an 026/MS2600 demo's as well as his own milling demo's. Arbtalkers and industry stalwarts all were in good spirits and many a laugh was had during the days as well. The look on everyones face when Rob put the powersharp chain into the stone flat out, "priceless". A few pics taken early on day one

Try Oregon 91VXL it has Vibe ban built in has a long tooth and cuts faster than the old VS 44 links for 12" 50 links for 14"

Hi Give David Jacobs a ring at Carters of Swanick in Hampshire, he can talk Cramer, if anyone can get one he can. Les

Hi Just to let you know a few tips we use since the launch 5 years ago. When new dissemble the head, copper slip the threads on the 4 allen bolts and re-assemble, saves time later in life. Did you know you can use ALL nylon line thru the head as well, so if going around things you want to keep take out the flexiblade and use nylon strips of 20cm long. Keep about 1cm out of the the head on the opposite side to the cutting line, this allows removal if you get a break off. New Techniblade cuts bracken and i've even cut small Gorse as well. Go on Oregonchain.eu and see the videos, techniblade the movie. There are 10's of 1000's out in the field now and it is a great option to fast brushcutting of heavy weeds and light woody whips. The 4 line version is also available for 40cc and above and is awesome. Oh and all components are available as spare parts, pawls,screws, washers rubbing cap etc Les

Hi Looking at whats on show in the picture, The bar rail is beyong repair and will only damage a new chain so replace asap. the chain is worn into the chassis some from the bar and i would guess also by a worn sprocket or rim if fitted. I suggest you go to your nearest Oregon dealer and get all replaced The 24" performs well so you could use 248RNDD009 Retail £60.00 approx Or change the first 2 numbers for 26", 28" Chain use 73LPX084E on 24" or 089E =26" or 092E=28" Sprocket = part no 32059X + 21276 bearing Powermate drum and rim = 28094X drum + 68210 rim + 21276 bearing The arborol ultimate works well when mixed correctly with 4 parts water and is shaken before use every day. The bar is a replaceable nose type so you will get long term use as long as you look after it. Sequences [and irregulatories] on cutters on chains don't normally cause a problem just in case you ever see this again. Hope this helps Les

Just to say thanks to the boys from Forest & Arb which is part of Winchester Garden Machinery for their hospitality during the last few days at their Arb show. For those attending Husky, Workwear, Timberwolf, Oregon, the specialist Arb truck boys, plus Arbor Venture training, Arb truck builders, mewps, John Deere etc it was warm in the 29-30's and we were treated to a BBQ and drinks each day. These smaller regional shows have much mileage to help increase the awareness of the latest developments and with the Arb worlds support can grow into a healthy calender around the country which should encourage more to visit the national shows.