Rob D

Sorry only just seen the reply Tony - where you thinking?

It's not ideal, it's not best practice but it's also not that bad either...

Surely shows must earn good money for the organisers - for instance - you get most of your money 3 to 4 months in advance of the show right? How many businesses get that? If the weather is bad and sales are down - your income is only changed a small amount by a drop in visitor numbers.

Let me give you an example as to why I'll never do the CONFOR show again - we shared a stand with Loglogic - they are designing and building the new Panther mills. To have both out contact details on the programme they wanted an extra £135-00+vat!? Just to have another phone number on there.... crazy! That sums up the organisers attitude in my mind - there is no feel good factor, no one for all all for one feeling - sad but true. 5 years ago at the same show they made a right hash of delivering logs to the stand... I said I'd never do it again then!

Yep it is easy to critise without offering some ideas - hence it would good to see the actual figures from these shows as to what the net profit is after costs... I expect the arguement would be if no entry fee was charged then more of the public would come in for a mooch about... but is that a bad thing? Some of them may buy a few bits and pieces or learn something new that leads to better awareness of the industry. Pete it's been a long long time since I went to a show with 'vibrancy' and that's my point (the AA show was supposed to be good this year though apparently) - they need to bring in fresh blood fresh ideas and stop the box ticking IMO.

Could be wrong in all this mind you - does anyone know where you can look at CONFOR accounts or get a break down of show costs/show income? Google does not seem to have much...

Not sure - I was more just looking at how a show is written up afterwards... each and everytime it is always a success! But to have 150 exhibitors and 2000 visitors is just crazy - you see all that gear and equipment set up with no one there to really look at it... There is probably only the numbers for one arb/forestry show in the UK each year IMO. It would be good just to see a fresh approach to shows and fresh objectives - at the moment this sort of show appears to be a money making exercise to keep the coffers topped up until the APF next year. Why not target foresters and arb companies and offer them free entry and free burger and beer or similar? Rather than charging for entry? Issue tickets out to this effect and at least start to get the numbers up..

It was good to launch the Panther mills at the CONFOR show but have to say I don't see how a show like this is sustainable with a high cost to exhibit and such a low turnout of visitors. Thursday was less than quiet, Friday was very quiet. No one seems to 'say it like it is' with organisers afterwards congratulating themselves on yet another good event. You can only assume there must be good money on holding a show like this - but precious little in attending it. I spoke to a lot of the other exhibitors their are sentiment was the same - there ain't no one here!

Yep you'll be fine to do that - I did it before we had the other custom rims made.

I think you'll like how the lo pro PMX Stihl chain cuts

Was that from us? Did you get the lo pro chain drive rim that fits on a ST internal spline? From research and experience: You can drive 3/8 lo pro and 3/8 standard off a standard 3/8 drive rim and not really too much of an issue You cannot drive a 3/8 lo pro chain off a 3/8 standard SPUR style sprocket You cannot drive a 3/8 standard chain off a 3/8 lo pro drive rim Hope that answers... The Stihl PMX ripping chain seems to do a grand job of milling and is preferred choice on all bars up to and including 42".

We'll be mainly launching our new Panther mills at the show - in fact it will be the only place you can buy one to start with... CONFOR woodland show - we'll be there - any requests?? http://www.confor.org.uk/about-confor/confor-woodland-show/ New Panther Mills, Extended GB Bar range (at intro sale prices) Join us on ArbTalk, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram NEW PRODUCTS First cut systems These are almost completed so those who have bought on a pre order please bear with us a tiny bit longer! New Panther Mills We will be displaying the new Panther chainsaw mills at the CONFOR woodland show 7th and 8th Sept. Our intention is to build the best chainsaw mill out there. They will come as a 36", 42" and 60" version to start with. New Panther Chainsaw Mill 42″ version comes with 42″ GB Lo Pro milling bar + Stihl PMX narrow kerf ripping chain + GB lo pro drive rim + full winch kit. Do the maths and you’ll find this mill is also the best value of any premium chainsaw mill. Ready to go, with minimal build time to start milling. For saws this fits see list at bottom of the right hand column. The Panther chainsaw mill has been designed and built by Loglgoic and is sold in the UK through www.chainsawbars.co.uk. There are a host of other chainsaw mills on the market so why make another? Answer – because it’s better in every possible way when compared to other mills on the market. Designed by chainsaw millers for chainsaw millers Re designed from the ground up – most other chainsaw mills are copied from existing designs – the Panther Mill has been re designed from scratch. Height adjustment is tool less and fast – in fact it is the fastest compared with any other mill on the market. Simply rotate the round handle to adjust how deep the mill will cut. No need to hold a spanner in one hand while trying to adjust the mill with the other. Attachment is the quickest of any chainsaw mill – easily bolt and unbolt your mill to your chainsaw. Attachment to the saw is bolted not clamped – the saw can never slip in the mill. The mill is designed to be used with special GB Lo Pro milling bars which are thinner and narrower than existing chainsaw bars for a faster, cleaner cut. Panther Mills automatically come with a full winch set up to make milling 80% easier than pushing by hand. There is a dedicated Panther First Cut System to ensure your first cut is table top flat. This first cut system can be extended and widened indefinitely. It is the best on the market today. In the long term additional functionality will be built into the Panther Mill that currently does not exist anywhere else – but you’ll have to watch this space to see! Come and see the Panther in action at the South West Woodland Show on 7/ 8th September 2017 > Confor Woodland Show 2017 Fits direct to Stihl saws 065, MS650, MS651 064, MS640, MS641 066, MS660, MS661 Fits with an adapter here > GB912 to Husky saws as below 61, 64, 65, 66, 70, 77, 160, 162 163, 180, 181, 185, 260, 263, 266 268, 272, 280, 281, 285, 288, 298 365, 365XP, 371, 372XP, 380, 385XP 390XP, 394XP, 395XP, 575XP, 576XP 64" Version 64" version comes with 64" GB Lo Pro milling bar + Stihl RCX ripping chain + full winch kit. Do the maths and you'll find this mill is also the best value of any premium chainsaw mill. Ready to go, with minimal build time to start milling. Fits direct to Stihl saws 084, 08, 088, 075, 076, 070, 090, MS880 Fits with an adapter here > GB914 to Husky saws as below 3120XP New Range of sprocket nose pro bars from GB now in stock and on sale for a limited period... We've had nothing but good reports on the GB milling bars both lo pro and extra long so we have now increased the range - they already feature in the selectors on CSB website but you can also find them in a long list here. GB bars have been building bars for 40 years. They make a huge range of bars that covers small chainsaws all the way up to enormous double ended bars for chainsaw mills and tough thick bars for harvesters. You will not find better in terms of pedigree and quality. Copyright © 2017 Always Greener Ltd, All rights reserved. Subscribers from Chainsawbars and Sugihara websites Our mailing address is: Always Greener Ltd Brookside Farm Agars Lane, Silver Street Hordle, Hampshire SO41 0FL United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Thanks - it's a tricky one but a rule of thumb - smaller saws seem to gain less benefits from using ripping chain than larger set ups. But even then depends on the wood you mill/how you sharpen/how wide the plank your cutting is/what saw you have etc. etc. Huge amount of variables going on - buld up an amorory of experience is the best way to answer this question - there are so many variables everyone out there will have different opinions and experiences...

What chain size was on that saw? And can you confirm the part numbers for the Oregon chains you used please.

880 will always win with a good sized log (2ft+) than the 660 no matter what the chain type

Haha - good to know!

Yep I guess it's all part and parcel of launching new products - it would be good just to see some actual real world folk using and commenting on the saws but yes nicely summed up 'the bigger the business the bigger the noise'

Good link - you do wonder if they get bored with continuously telling themselves how great they are... Maybe we should all be doing that - making 45 minute videos where 40 minutes are take up by telling ourselves and each other just how amazing we really are! But always good to see fresh ideas and innovation. Just wish it could be condensed a little more.

The LIGHT system is really an economical system for whatever chainsaw mill you have. It'd more to go with the EcoMills and those on a budget. The HEAVY system can be widened as well as extended and further down the line the new Panther mills will need to use the HEAVY system to do some clever stuff! Also the leveling brackets and fixings are much better on the HEAVY system.

Yep should hopefully save a lot of the fiddling about with a range of different rail sizes etc!

Yep sounds good Bill - it may be just a peculiarity with the 076 that causes this as not found it to happen on more modern saws - see how you get on with the 660

Had a collegue the other day using an MS880 and MS660 on some big beech - first time out on a double ended set up and he was loving it!

I'm guessing the 076 has a centrifugal clutch and you release the throttle on the 076 then the clutch dis engages from the drive sprocket. In that case the 084 cannot drive the piston on the 076 as the sprocket on the 076 would be free spinning (once you've released it's throttle). But I'm not familiar with the 076 but would imagine the clutch works the same way as most saws.

We now have a line of GB ProTop chainsawbars. CSB has stocked GB bars for years but mainly for chainsaw mills and for big saws. We have now extended the range and have a good selection of ProTop bars for Stihl and Husky saws. Reduced prices for this week only - after that back to RRP for ever so if you want a deal get one soon! Find the range here https://www.chainsawbars.co.uk/?s=ProTop&submit=Search&post_type=product Click the bar to confirm what it fits. These bars have also been loaded onto the selector.