Chris Sheppard

I think it's maybe a case of supplying domestic saws with big bars to make them look like they are more capable than they actually are

Can't Husky dealer's still get Jonsered parts? I know my old 2163 had a lot of interchangeable parts with similar size husky of the time

I run 13" on my 353 and 15" generally on my 372, but have a 20" for if I need it - but generally if I'd need to go 20" I borrow a 660 with 30"

Glad you're happy with it chris I used to sell them - back in the woods now Stevies Thor is a hell of a machine too

Used both, like both but if it came to it I think it would be the 660 -it's the only stihl I've ever really got on with

Is the rytec second hand or new? Chances are it'll be a Maxi (made by B3 in Italy) and will have a 1m cylinder so will be quite versatile - for the sort of sizes you're looking to split I'd say it's worth gettign hold of an intermediate table for the smaller diameter bits so you're not bending down all the time and also can split the big diameter bits at ground level so save on lifting the heavy bits. I've never been a fan of the B3 machines (I had a demo on one before I bought the old 20 tonne Thor) but for your own use the Maxi should be more than adequate as it's aimed at the professional user. Can't comment on the Wallenstein as I've never seen one in the flesh as yet but I'd be asking myself why it was so much cheaper than the others. I used to own a Thor Practico which was fantastic but a bit overkill for domestic use. Also spent a couple of years working for one of the suppliers on the right hand side selling the Balfor splitters - there's a good number of happy customers on here with them.

Can't beleive no one's said the best tool of all - the 4 1/2" universal spanner (also known as a grinder ) -one size fits all nuts

We had to do the same with the TW this morning - by the time I got there it had already had one flask over it, then both of mine too.

Why would they need to uprate the suspension - it's still going to gross the same whether it's a tipper or still on a standard body

Yes, but not in yellow - I like the blue ones they do. Toyota's entry into the Freelander type market but not imported here yet The other one I quite liek the look of in that sort of market is the Nissan X - Terra (no, I don't mean X Trail)- looks kinda like a small pathfinder crossed with a freelander.

Beat me to it One year we had almost nothing but Alder to sell and everyone loved it. I did find it a bit like birch though in that it wanted selling that winter or it started to go soft

I know know just how bad our broadband is - we're 54mbps

It looks neater than my handwriting

just found this old gem again - this is what all LR should sound like get a minute or so into it and it sounds mint Edit: don't know what have done with the link but ist sort of works

Both engines were 2.4's the first one non turbo, the second one turboed. One thing in it's defense though, it never did fail to start, even when it was dying both times. There was a few 2.8 crew cabs kicking about over here a few years ago but not many. I did fancy taking the 3ltr turbo engine out of a surf and making it fit the old hilux but never got round to it.

Maybe I was a bit harsh, but it dropped a big end at 70,000 miles so I put a 2.4 TD in it and it cracked the head another 20,000 miles later. It looked nice and drove ok but had no go wahtsoever - the Turbo engine did improve things slightly but what it really was lacking was another 2 litres and two more cylinders. Can't remember where I heard it but I always remember " There's no Replacement for Displacement"

Forgot to add the Kelly kettle has been getting some use over the last couple of weeks too

Absolutely - I think if I was going to build my dream LR it would be 110 HD galv chassis (or maybe 130), Salisbury axles front and rear with locking diffs, straight 6 N/A diesel (or maybe at a push something like a MAzda 3.5 TDi) - body options would depend on how I felt - if it was a 110 it would probably be hard top, 130 would be a crew cab hicap. Gearbox and transfer box would probably need to be better than standard LR items, though even just uprated LR may be OK. Oh, and probably an overdrive too.

I wish I'd never sold that one - it had 170,000 ish miles on it and the chassis was immaculate - it was silly things like tailgate, door shuts and arches rusting away (all parts that are now avaialble from a guy in Germany ) I parked it up at a mate's (where that photo was taken), bought a hilux to replace it with and I remember driving the LC back to my house a couple of weeks later for the guy to collect it thinking "what have I done" - but by then it was too late to back out. The hilux was a pile of turd and not a patch on the LC. The only other vehicle I've ever missed as much as the 62 was the 3.9 disco which is sat in the back garden at the mo needing lots of welding - but even them it just wasn't the same. There's a few old HJ60's with the round headlights come up from time to time on Ebay but usually they are rotten and get snapped up for export for more than I paid for mine at the time. I found the Tradecarview website quite good for LC porn - there's even a few HJ61's with the 4.2td in them too.

Do you know what model the ryetec one is? Also, are the 60cm logs discs or are you billeting up 1m lengths? The hycrack is very good on big knotty discs but on smaller stuff they do have a habit of snatching. We did have somethign similar on one estate and used to load big discs onto it with the forwader so the just needed a shove onto the point.

Someone came into the yard one day when I worked for Riko with this - he'd bought an 80 series and converted it himself - it was that good it looked liek it had come out of the factory like it

I'd really like one of the pickups liek that - I think there's an american company making somethign similar under licence now (called IKON I think) which look smart too. Think best vehicle I ever owned was an old HJ62 Landcruiser and I'd really really love to get another. 4ltr 6cyl diesel, no turbo, no fancy electrics but would still cruise all day on the motorway at 70 on not much more than a fast tickover and was far more economical than the 4.2td ones. Been seriously giving some thought to importing a mint one from Japan or Australia. Only pic I can find of the old one

Never been good at making tea in a flask so just take hot water in flask and tea bags, coffee and usually powdered milk - usually have cup a soup or similar too. A bottle of juice of some sort too.

Think it's worth me getting a proper camera instead of using a phone then? The photo doesn't do it justice - you can only see about 3/5 of the tree - it was huge and I was glad I was firmly on the floor!

Oak and Scots Pine at the mo, in a few weeks I'll be into the other side of the shed and it will be Ash and Sycamore