Chris Sheppard

Fixed that for you

Looks very similar to the old Fransguard ones but I'm working from memory and not quite 100% convinced (but just about ). It's the open drum that's casting doubt in my head, everything else looks very familiar.

Sounds like it works for you, but why not fit what you can in to less days and enjoy some more time off? Surely it would be more cost effective too?

I work as many hours as I need to but as little as I can get away with on the whole. Like today, it's blowing a proper hooler and chucking it down - too windy to sensibly go and do what we were meant to be or the felling we've been on with the rest of the week so am milling round at home, bit of housework, going to pop into town shortly and then crack on fixing bike a bit later. I'm not panicking that we've lost a day as I've not put myself in a position where I have to. Several years ago I'd have been out on a day like today trying to battle on with something but that was because I had to - would think nothing of setting off for 3:30am to go forwarding til 8/9pm, drive home and do it all again for a few weeks at a time - stuff that now I see no harm in enjoying your job (otherwise why do it) but if it has to become your hobby as well to make it pay then maybe something's not running quite as it should be.

Yep, that about sums it up. No one said you can't, but it's getting a bit boring now. You had one, had bother and got rid, that's your experience of them - on the whole though, most people that have them can't fault them.

YAWN

Just crack on and use it, maybe go a bit steady for the first day or so, but after that it will just get faster and faster and make you smile more and more Been using mine a fair bit again just lately and it's ace.

I'd quite like that

Go pick up a 550 or 560 and you'll see what we mean

Finding a decent one's like looking for a needle in a haystack. If you've the time and space, I'd try and find one that's OK and factor in bunging a fresh galv chassis underneath it and replace any bits that break with good quality replacments and then you'll end up with a decent one. Too many people skimp on parts and wonder why they break. In my experience, the best ones to look at are generally still very much standard looking and come from a working background - on the whole they'll have been maintained better (though may still look as rough as) as the previous owner will have depended on it for work. Avoid anything that looks like it's had lots of shiny bits bolted to it - most of it's for show and rarely does it make it any better in day to day use.

I've no idea on exact cc, spec etc, but the 550 replaced the 346 and the 560 replaced the 357 and chewed up both and spat them back out again. So if the 201's a pruning saw, yet the 200 rips like a goodun, what's the point of the 201 if the 150 does the same job? Admittedly, my usage of a 200 is very limited, but have seen them in use a good amount and they always surprise me how well they cut for the size of them.

So how come Husky were able to make the 550 and 560 so much more poweful than the saws they replaced? Of course the 201 was released to replace the 200 - why on earth would it not be?

Enduro aint cheap though - usually around £60 entry plus a good amount of fuel (especially in a 125 2 smoker) plus FIM enduro tyres are usually about 50% more expensive than a MX tyre and you'll shred a fair bit off a new back one each event. That said, I'd rather do an enduro than risk my life at an MX Recently bought an old 1990 KTM 250 SX that's hopefully going to be reborn as an EXC - they won't tlet me ride my firebreathing (10 horsepower!) 1992 DR 125 in most vintage events (despite it being identical to a 1985) but I can ride a 1990 bike with USD forks, water cooling and disc brakes each end - Crazy.

Looks a nice thing. I'm not local but have just got back into Enduros again after a long time of not riding and am loving it. If you've not done any Enduro type events before then maybe try a few multi lap hare and hounds first as these will break you in a bit more gently. Did the Langdale enduro near Scarborough yeterday in the vinatge class on my little old Suzuki DR 125 - we were mixed in with the modern bikes which made it interesting as I was dragging pegs in the ruts on the first lap! (curse my lack of ground clearance!) Must be getting a bit fitter as I got up this morning and actaually managed to walk down the stairs without groaning

Me too. Chances are it would be OK for a while, but why risk it. Other than the fact they are both two strokes, they are totally different engines doing totally different jobs. I always used to use Silkolene Comp 2 with no probs, mostly in 125's too. One thing I'm curious on though - it does seem like a lot more of the 2 stroke bikes want 50:1 now, whereas in the past everyone used to run 30:1. Are the oils just better now so you don't need as much?

I don't doubt it - they were offering them to every man and his dog at one point Comparing one of the chines trailers to a jussi vahva is like comparing one of those chinese saws to a stihl/husky. Ones designed with a price in mind whereas the other's designed with a job in mind.

Completely - but he just doesn't want to hear it so it seems.

Perhaps, but just don't expect it to last very long in comparison to the European built items. I must admit though, for Chinese made items they didn't look to be that bad. Who's bringing in them in now? I know Atkinson Vos were but stopped for a while and I'd not noticed if they'd started again.

I might have already posted it earlier in the thread, but if not, have a look at this guy's book and DVD's Dean. The book seems pretty good and his way is more aimed at the commercial build where you might be working with green timbers and a lot of it's done using powered tools to speed the job up. Learn To Build Handcrafted Log Homes I still really want to go down this route one day - probably end up building a full scribe shed in the garden and that'll be it Looks some lovely stuff on his site. There's a huge bench outside the Reindeer centre near Aviemore that looks like it could be one of his.

Crane mounted are really for pulling odd bits into reach of the crane rather than skidding. A decent tractor mounted winch will pull a lot more wood a lot faster. Also, it's not going to be putting extra strain on the crane.

But we all know Youtube doesn't mean it's rght though Using the spikes on bigger stuff is naturally going to produce a rocking action of sorts, but I can't really think when I'd be doing a similar action without the spikes. It almost sounds a bit like you were "landscapering", which does make it look hard work A well sharpened chain will pull the saw into the wood without needing to be forced (hence why on the whole it's those who use saws less frequently who tend to make t look hard work)

Looks some nicely made stuff I'd half agree and half disagree with you. I'd not be too worried about the top link as there's some huge loading going to the top link when using a winch, less so when doing the actual skidding. I'd agree though that there's going to be a lot of leverage taking weight off the front of the tractor. Agree with TCD too though about the wires, not sure they'll last very long, especially if you're going to hook thse clips back round the wire. Choker chains and a row of slots on the bar to hook them into would be my suggestion.

A lot depends on the terrain as much as anything. Our Kubota probably weighs similar to your lamborghini and is less powerful and works really well with our trailer on the whole. Ours is 4T gross, but I know that occasionally some loads of sawlogs in the past have been over 4T (just the timber) and it's never struggled to handle it in a safe manner. typically though we're nearer 2.5 to 3T depending on what product. If it was a particularly boggy or rough site, or sloping (either side slopes or up/downhill) then I'd load it accordingly. We don't have brakes on the trailer, but would be a lot happier with them if there was any slopes as it doesn't tke a lot to start shoving the little tractor about. Spool operated brakes are better than nothing I reckon. The other thing with foot operated brakes would be whether or not they would activate when you're usng the independent brakes - Because of the sort of sites we work, I find I'm on the independents quite a lot to wiggle round stuff and having the trailer brakes apply then would be a pain in the arse. On a small rig, because you can wiggle between rows fairly well, I reckon a steering drawbar would be a good thing to look at - ours doesn't have one and is quite a long trailer (about 16ft to end of drawbar) so can take quite a swing to get out of the end of a tight row sometimes.

Can't see owt for North Yorkshire - it'll need a big orange mark