Rob D

I suppose it's just very hard to get this sort of weather right - certainly there are some vicious gusts - last night it was saying 80mph now but seems less now.

Yep I'm thinking we drive but possibly lunchtime - this is supposed to be peak wind now for us and as said people are out walking their dogs on the coast path and seems like a normal very windy day.

On the North coast of Cornwall right on the red zone - yep it's windy but with none of the build up would have just said another windy Feb day and thought nothing of it. Typically were due to fly Newquay to Gatwick today [cancelled] but the Sat flight going to Turkey seems to be going ahead... Now got the decision of do I drive to Gatwick and if so when? Or cancel everything... be interested to hear what everyone else is seeing and opinions.

I don't think so - and that's what makes it such a priceless post!

Maybe - but then what's your time worth? Efficiency goes down and one chain de rail at the wrong time means 2 hours lost which then dissolves all savings to date as well as the headaches. I think if it was worth doing the above you'd be doing it already. Once your time is worth more then it's worth buying new stuff as less chances of it going wrong. And anyway if you lot kept all your guidebars longer who'd be buying ours 😅 On a serious note - stock up now - be prepared. Your cash is devaluing at 5% a year so turn it into something that will go up in price but maintain it's value. That's what we are doing - our cash goes into products today which cost less than tomorrow. We keep stocked at lower prices for longer. If you did the same then you'd be better off in the long run and you would not have the drama of 'if I ordered it now would I get it for the weekend as I got a big job Sat afternoon'.

You don't have a choice which is sort of what inflation is - our suppliers put their prices up - we then put our prices up [if we put them down we'd make no money and there would be no incentive to supply anything]. Also China shipping prices - which used to be crazy cheap - are now 600% from Jan 2021 to Jan2022 - I'm sure there is some cartel at work as still can't figure why that much. Think your own situation - if all your costs went up ie. fuel, insurance, chainsaws, wages - would you then put your prices down to help stop inflation? You'd make no money so you'd go out of business. In fact soon you will be part of inflation yourself and likely increasing prices. So as our suppliers are increasing prices, then distributors like us increase prices, then it'll be tree worker types like you and that's inflation. There's a bit of a delay ie. we have pretty good stocking so we delayed putting our prices up as the older stock we paid at the old prices - but in the end it's got to be done.

Up to a maximum of 10 years?! What are they thinking - for a peaceful protest... but seems their petty and self serving laws didn't go through... I give £50 a month to these folks [though clearly don't always read the newsletters cover to cover] - and seems old gov are not going to be locking anyone up for protesting anytime soon. 'In a night of crushing defeats for the Government’s campaign to restrict and criminalise protest, Peers voted 14 times to block its proposals yesterday and this morning (17-18 January). A series of powers put forward by the Government at the eleventh hour, such as the creation of “protest banning orders” and new “locking on” offences, were consigned to history as there will not be another chance for the Government to table them. Other powers that were in the original Bill, such as sweeping powers to restrict protest on the basis of “noise”, were defeated but the Government may try to table them again when the Bill returns to the Commons.' VICTORY OVER PROTEST RESTRICTIONS SHOWS UNITED FRONT CAN DEFEAT GOVERNMENT POWER-GRAB - Liberty WWW.LIBERTYHUMANRIGHTS.ORG.UK

I don't see how they have the resources to lock everyone up - plus it's expensive at around £350 a day. I'm still going to attend. The protest I went to there was everyday type folk there - all of this is scare tactics IMO.

Nudge on this - they are here - prices going up over weekend on all range. Get your orders in now at these prices.

It's pretty much most things where there's a buck to be made for those that pull the strings. And good to know that COVID or no COVID the banks have made record profits and allocated record bonuses [another 2008 around the corner?]. But also closing their local branches 'for health reasons and to keep us safe'. Nurse's pay rise is I think 3% in a time of inflation measured at 4-5% [by official figures]. Oh and the threat of being sacked for not getting jabbed... I went on my first protest a few weeks ago - it won't be the last. What a load of old bulls testicles! Britain's biggest banks preparing to trigger bonus bonanza | This is Money WWW.THISISMONEY.CO.UK Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest will reveal the bumper payout over the next fortnight.

Yep - it's a tried tested and working model. And you can add all sorts of tweaks, twists and turns. Heap in more misinformation or headline articles - 'Mother begs for law change after toddler dies due to smoke inhalation because of faulty woodburner. Isn't it time we said enough is enough and moved to cleaner energy and fuels?' And as said - bring in the legislation - 2 years later show the information it was based on was false - scapegoat/sack a couple of people you wanted rid of anyway - and onto the next drama for some more money making/red tape creating nonsense. Time we had us a truck hoedown to Londinium!

Used to spend sooo much time in a circular conversation with customer like this: 'Its all got too big, we need tidy it up and reduce it by at least half'. Me 'it'll look terrible, as we stand here now it looks thick because all the growth is up high - take it down by half it'll be time consuming and look patchy and you'll ask us to take them out.' 'I don't want to take it out, we need the barrier, it gives us privacy' Me 'ok when you do want to take it out give me a call' 'Yes but we got you here now as we need to do something, it's got too big' Me 'ok what do you want to do' 'Tidy it up - it's just got too big' Me 'but it's too late to just trim it up because if we trim it it'll cost half as much as taking the whole lot out' 'Why's that?' Me 'to get to the end of the thing will need a platform - and after 2 years you'll be in the same situation - just poorer' 'Ok what would you recommend?' Me 'Take it out and re plant it if it is has become a problem' 'We like having the screening and barrier though...' Oh God thankyou that I don't have to do that no more!

Yep I had to take my cap off and walk away from a couple of jobs a little red faced saying 'sorry I completely underestimated this it's a weeks work that I put a day and half on!'

I think the operative word there is 'should' - if you saw what I saw day to day there is a massive variance of skill levels amongst the pros [that is putting it very gently - you would be shocked!]. I was pretty terrible at maintenance when I was full time on the tools. My chain sharpening and other skills only got good when I started selling stuff! Also it comes down to what you are good at - I can't sharpen a chain well manually as my eye is not able to do it - I have to use a guide to get an accurately sharpened chain.

Yep I think that's a good idea - although may wait for them to come to us - so much easier that way and you know the person is then keen.

Yep I wonder if as long as each tooth has the depth setting correct does it matter on tooth length as each tooth is then still taking the same bite as it's neighbours. Could prob set up a timed test to see - but such a lot of faff changing chains and timing cuts!

Yep they seem ok to sharpen to me. Performance I haven't used them enough yet but from what I have seems good. I saw testing data as compared to Oregon - it was close on most tests - slightly worse in some - but slightly better in others.

Cheers

Yep I mean if you can do that then prob there is no use case for yourself... but that said in a few months if you've bought one and thought 'actually is quite handy having the additional reference there and I like the chain as well and I like the price'. You never know!

It's pretty critical to get tooth length the same length - as then each tooth takes the same bite - each tooth shares the work. It makes cutting more efficient, smoother, and the chain should seem to stay sharp longer. Can you cut with missing teeth or some teeth missing? Yep but it does make a difference - it's personal though as in if you don't mind this difference then does it matter? Probably not.. Chainsaw milling the chain needs to be right to work well. It's hard enough with a correct chain!

Nope not at all - and you need push back/challenges to ideas like this as it allows them to be improved/answered.

Be interesting in a year to see if this idea takes off - or like many of my other ideas fades peacefully into obscurity 😅

Yep I think the witness mark helps with the angle but it doesn't give any visual as to the length of the tooth. And as above if you have a Granberg grinder that is going to be accurate - but why not have this additional info there if it's an option?

Yep - if you use a grinder with a backstop or guide and/or know what you are doing you won't need this - but either way it doesn't detract from the usual use of the chain in any way. Pricewise it won't be more expensive than what is already out there. From what I see most struggle with sharpening which is why there are so many guides and methods out there but having it built a guide into the tooth is new - we'll see how it goes. A lot of people throw the chain away after they hit something or if they are halfway down the tooth and can't get the length right. This could help that.

Yep it's all horses for courses - let's face it there is no 'best' chain - or best anything. There is what works for you on the day at the right price - and in that moment that is the best chain! For some this could become the go to chain - won't use nothing else - for others it won't be worth the trying... better than Stihl? Unlikely - maybe on par with possibly.... depends on how much you value the additional markings. Certainly the chains I have got so far look the business. Pricewise will be competitive. Mainly it'll be ripping chains to start with but if it works out we'll increase the range across the board. Even got some 3/8 lo pro .050 ripping chain in a full skip coming... [but not with the markings!].