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Chris Sheppard

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Everything posted by Chris Sheppard

  1. Chris Sheppard
    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)
  2. Chris Sheppard
    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.
  3. Chris Sheppard
    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.
  4. Chris Sheppard
    Can't see owt for North Yorkshire - it'll need a big orange mark
  5. Chris Sheppard
    I used to be with Natwest for business banking a few years ago - note used to be with I found the account quite expensive to run on the whole and the branch was open stupid hours. Quite often they'd make mistakes within the account too, like making double deposits/withdrawals etc so you had to keep a very close eye on what was happening. I've no experience of Barclays so can't comment on them.
  6. Chris Sheppard
    Funnily enough that's the first thing everyone else has said too
  7. Chris Sheppard
  8. Chris Sheppard
    Result
  9. Chris Sheppard

    <p>Sound's ace, they're good little engines so hopefully it'll just keep on chugging</p>

  10. Chris Sheppard

    <p>Cool, now the weather's here I reckon the little XL will be just the job for buzzing round on <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/thumbup1.gif.b3bf398c4e4c934001283d01d1645efa.gif" alt=":thumbup1:" /> Is it an older one?</p>

  11. Chris Sheppard

     

    <p>Think I've got a probelm - this whole racing thing's taking a hold again! Just entered the vintage class in a local enduro for next Sunday (they'll let me go pre 90 on the little yellow DR) and then a month later should be lettign the KTM fly in Northumberland.</p>

    <p> </p>

    <p>So far seems he got a bit of a bargain on the 600. it's all there and hopefully a new coil will sort it - he only gave £450 for it and it's quite tidy.</p>

     

  12. Chris Sheppard
    I've some Birch ones here that i kept meaning to photo - They're all off one tree and was felled probably something like 18 months or so ago. Probably not stored the best but seem sound still. Have put a tennis ball in pic for scale (the other ball in one of the pics is fractionally bigger than a tennis ball). One of the pics is of one of the groups already shown but from a different angle to show the ends. No idea if they'd be of any use but you'd be welcome to come for a look (about 20 mins past York towards Scarborough). Sorry pics aren't great - if you think they might be of interest and want more pics of any then let me know.
  13. Chris Sheppard
    Husky/Jonsered, North Yorkshire, oddly though used mainly in hardwood. When am on arb jobs though an MS200T and an 066 are on site (not mine though)
  14. Chris Sheppard

     

    <p>Cool, XL 125 should be a nice little bike and go forever on a tank. I'm quite liking my litle black DR at the moment, especilly since it grew a pair! I didn't bother rebuilding the old top end, just dropped a complete, low milage DR 200 lump in <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/thumbup.gif.b5b8dbbabb9f02d00f8994927509a585.gif" alt=":thumbup:" /> Sshhh though <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/sneaky2.gif.eb5fe6666d685373f5497645561d2b74.gif" alt=":sneaky2:" /> It's not massively faster at the top end, but will hold 55/60 pretty well and goes up hills/into the wind loads better. </p>

    <p> </p>

    <p>One of the guys I work with just bought an 87 KTM 600 LC4 - h had one a long time ago but seems to think it's a good idea to have another <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/lol.gif.c1949ebebd07450b8e432682378725e0.gif" alt=":lol:" /> We were towing it behind the tractor flat out, with the bike in top gear and it would still lock up!</p>

     

  15. Chris Sheppard
    Handling wise it feels very similar to the old 242's, very flickable and compact - noticably shorter than the 560 too. The 357 in comparison feels heavy and cumbersome. Cutting performance wise, I'm sure it's not going to outcut a 357 thorough a bigger stem, but I reckon it will be pretty close. Snedding heavier limbed timbers it doesn't feel any slower. My 357's have pretty much been redundant since the 550 came along. It definitely out cuts the 346 convincingly.
  16. Chris Sheppard
    I can't really comment on the stihls other than my experiences of older ones have been less than great - just that they always felt sluggish and a bit docile. 550 wise, mine's a 2011 saw and as far as we can tell one of the first ones actually sold (rather than a demo saw) and it's been fine. Took a bit of getting head round the auto tune and restarting but that was just because it's subtly different to the older ones. They don't seem to have suffered any of the niggles the 560's did, and the only upgrade Ive been offered, but as yet not done, is to the fuel tank breather. Apparently the carb can flood when tipped on their side, making them hard to start and the new breather solves that - mine's not been a problem as far as I can tell. When the autotune stuff came out I was openly against the idea of it, but so far I've coped, and the difference in power seems to be worth it. I find I use my 550 for stuff I'd always taken a 357 to. Only mod I can suggest right out of the box is to dtch the spark arrestor screen - makes it pick up loads better off the bottom.
  17. Chris Sheppard
    There's loads of threads on this now, but IMO you couldd do worse than considering the 550 from Husky. For a 50cc saw it flies, and handles like an old 242. The 560's got more go and not a lot bigger or heavier, but there's a couple of guys on here really don't like them (but loads more that do )
  18. Chris Sheppard
    Not picked it up yet, but finally got my Vinduro bike sorted for this year, a 1990 KTM 250. First of the right hand kickers and is currently in MX trim, but pretty much all the EXC engine bits will swap across if need be. Best of all it was local (and cheap) and is right on the cut off age for the vintage stuff so is fairly high tech in comparison to some of what it will be in with Should make getting hold of engine bits a doddle as they were the same engine through to 1997. Wants fork seals doing and other than that it's little bits, oh and makin it a bit quieter No pics as yet but should have it home next week all being well, then 5 weeks to get it ready for it's frst race in Northumberland on my Birthday
  19. Chris Sheppard
    I still really want one of those old GMC pickups with that engine in - mate of mine's Dad has one (ex USAF I think) and it spends all it's time with a 2.5T compressor behind it and still does 20/22 MPG I'm sure somewhere on here there's a thread about big engines in landys with that 6bt hicap as I was getting all excited about wanting to do similar to one I had, but never got any further and sold it. I still think an old straight 6 normall aspirated patrol/LC engine would have been a good one to use albeit heavy.
  20. Chris Sheppard
    I go through phases, sometimes I sleep really well, other times I can't get to sleep and other times I wake up in the middle of the night. I've never spotted a pattern but what I find does seem to work is to have the telly on when I try to go to sleep, rather than just trying to go to sleep as that seems to help. At first kept finding I'd wake up during the night and the telly would still be on but now I seem to know when I'm about to go and switch it off just before. Other thing is to use the sleep function and set it for 20/30 mins and forget about it. Don't know why, but it seems to help anyway. My problem at the moment though is the getting up in the morning bit, no matter how well I sleep.
  21. Chris Sheppard
    There's some vids on Youtube of a 110 Hicap with a 6bt in it - sounds awesome and seemed to go well too. Not sure the landy halfshafts/diffs/props/boxes etc would like it for long though
  22. Chris Sheppard
    I'd agree with that; I wandered away from it briefly but soon came back. I got into it after spending some time dragging christmas trees the winter I'd left school. When tht finished I ended up planting, then as a bit of a dogsbody setting chokers and tending fires before picking up a saw and finding I really enjoyed it. That was over 12 years ago now and I still enjoy going to work (most days anyway ) The majority of what I've done has been Forestry, but over the last 2-3 years have been involved with bit more of a mixture with some Arb and Conservation type works but deep down I'd always prefer to be out in the woods crashing down sticks.
  23. Chris Sheppard
    Whilst overall weight shouldn't be a problem, my gut feeling is that the noseweight will be very light, maybe even negative. Couple that to a fair bit of weight being high up on a very light trailer, I'd not fancy it much.
  24. Chris Sheppard

     

    <p>Finally got myself sorted with a bike to do some Vinduros on - a 1990 KTM 250 MX <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/thumbup.gif.b5b8dbbabb9f02d00f8994927509a585.gif" alt=":thumbup:" /> Fairly tidy thing and shouldn't take too much to calm it down for enduro I reckon. It's one of the first right hand kick ones so is pretty much the same engine right up to 1997 - almost seems a bit unfair being in the same class as guys on early 80's bikes <img src="<fileStore.core_Emoticons>/emoticons/lol.gif.c1949ebebd07450b8e432682378725e0.gif" alt=":lol:" /></p>

    <p> </p>

    <p>Hows the CCM hunting going?</p>

     

  25. Chris Sheppard
    It still seems though that for every bad one there are many many good ones, pretty much just you and Josh that are having big problems with them from what I can see. I really like my 550, it's over 15 months old and never been into the dealer's yet. I've got the modified breather kit to fit but never bothered as never needed it. Even taking the performance out of the equation, it handles so much better than a 346 ever did. When the 560's came out I really didn't want to like the autotune saws but my experiences of both the 550 and 560 have been great.

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