Chris Sheppard

But do they have a normal skidding type C hook on the end?

I really like mine too At first I used to manage to flood mine fairly often but then sussed it and all good.

Marshalls had plenty of the bigger link chokers recently and Riko usually had a good pile of normal sized ones in stock when I was there.

I generally only bother on anything going for milling, but especially bigger or leaning ash, and usually couple it up to a dogs tooth. More often than not I'll make a small cut down either side of the hinge too, severing the buttresses to reduce the risk of tearing up the sides. Handy tip though, don't take the same 660 out to do lots of bore cuts when the last job it was on was cutting big windblown spruce off the stumps without changing the chain first Long bar and low rakers make it a bit lively

Try pumping th primer a few times more than you usually do, set half throttle (not choke) and it should go first or second pull Mine gets run dry 9 times out of 10 and once sussed is never a problem.

If you're going from production cutting to Estate working then you'll certainly not need to work as hard. Job security is great but don't be surprised if you get bored. I managed 9 months on the books for one estate before leaving - they, like many, were resistant to change and I suddenly realised that if I didn't leave I'd be doing exactly the same thing in the same place in 40 years time.

I think that would look cool

That looks lovely Used to drive a County 4600 - four a few years ago and was really nimble little thing.

Think there's a nice middle ground which works well for everyone - there's always going to be odd long days but there's always a few days of job and knock. We had a good one this week - nailed a 2 day job by dinnertime on the second day, got bought Fish and Chips and we had the whole lot logged up and in the barn and still got away early.

I agree - last big job my 550 was out on was some sycamore thinnings. Mainly 12-15" but an odd few 16-18" Ordinarily I'd have been dragging the 357 round but stuck a 15" on the 550 and was really quite impressed. Likewise, the 560 when we had it was tackling stuff I'd usually chuck the 372 at.

560 came out first, by a few weeks I think.

Am planning on making more next year Quite liking the fact every time I empty a demijohn it makes 6 bottles and a good glass full

If your hands get cold you're not moving fast enough Can only really comment properly from a forestry perspective, but when I started I had a 65cc saw and a range of bars and one saw did all. Then went 50cc and 70cc and if one broke the other could finish the day off at a push. I've ended up with a bit of a ramshackle collection of Husqvarnas (and a jonsered) from 242g through to 181se with a few 3 series huskies and the 550 thrown in for good measure. The 181 is 27 years old but will still work hard when it needs to. I've only ever used a 15" on the 560 as we only had it on demo, but I pre-ordered my 550 before we took the 560 back. If you're thinking 13" mainly, I'd go 550 and then later get something like a 372 which will comfortably run 20" but at a push run 24" or I'm sure there's some one here said they've tried a 28" on it (I can't see it being that good though)

But surely if the guys are back to the yard early that means they've got done what you had booked in for the day to get the full day's profit? Surely that's having your cake and eating it?

Just bottled up the sweet batch of Birch Sap wine - forgot to test the gravity but it tastes lovely. The Dry was good but this just beats it Got a batch of Elderberry and bramble to bottle that's made from last years berries - last time I racked it it tasted good so hopefully it will have gotten better by now.

I'd agree - 18" on a 50cc is on the big side. I've had 15" on my 550 and am sure in softer woods it would pull an 18" if it had to, but I'd be leaning more towards the 560. Once upon a time I'd have said if you wanted 18" with any regularity then go for the 372 but the 560 really did up the ante. FWIW my 550 usually lives on a 13", 357 is on a 15" and the 372 is on a 15" but up a tooth. 372 sometimes gets a 20" though. That's out in the woods though. EDIT: Should have said - do sometimes use another 357 with an 18" 3/8ths on it and it pulls it well. However it does run better than both my 357's and any other I've used - it's standard, but an older one so don't know if the emmissions gubbins made the newer one's a bit limp? When you say ground saw, do you mean for arb rather than out in the woods? From what I can gather, most of the tempramental 500 series saws have been mainly used for Arb rather than forestry. Have only limited experience of heated handles but I do quite like them, more for novelty than owt else though.

Cheers Instructor said I looked like I was trying to sit on a traily but someone had moved the bars Keeping quiet with test date but you'll all know if I pass

346 is a fairly high revving felling saw for getting small trees on the floor and whizzing up a tree buzzing off branches. It's not a saw I particularly like (nt that it is a bad saw) but it's also not a saw I'd pick up to cut a lot of firewood. The 550 that replaces it is fantastic little saw with plenty more go than a 346, but again not a saw I'd pick to cut lots of firewood with. 560 - similar to 550 but more go again. 365 will feel a bit heavier compared to your 55 but they aren't that numb. One estate I worked on we only got issued with 365's and they were to do everythin, even first thin/clean. You'd get used to it. I personally prefer the 372 as it's pretty much the same saw but much more agressive. Mine generally lives on a 15" bar with an 8 tooth rim and full chisel with the rakers well down. The 353 is a nice little saw, I had one that was my main felling saw for a few years (primarily in softwood but latterly more hardwood) and other than clutch springs it was generally trouble free. Not as powerful as the 346 but mine definitely made the power lower down the revs compared to the 346 of the time (mid 2000's sometime). If you're looking at 346/353 then the 357 or 359 is only a tiny bit bigger but a good dollop more midrange make them a bit more useable for ringing. Everyone's different, but I find ringing up fairly tedious so the faster I can get through it the better Only very limited experience of trio brake but didn't like it at all.

Looking good Passed theory a week or so ago and got Mod 1 booked. Wanted originally to go for A2 but don't think will get in in time before it all change if weather a bit bad. Had first lesson today and took 500 out to see how got on - actually didn't feel too bad considering 99% of my riding has been on trail/enduro/motocross bikes.

Used to do a fair bit for these and they do a lot of Wholesale. Christmas Trees You want to speak to Tim Tollis

They looke to have some cool recovery toys

365 - bit more grunt and fairly robust. Probably manage an 8 tooth rim with a 15" bar. 346 is a felling saw and won't thank you for ringing up all day. 353 isn't a bad saw either but like to eat clutch springs. 365 will eat more wood in a dday than the other two too. For firewooding I always prefer a bigger saw with a smaller bar and a fastish chain speed

Anyone recommending a 50cc saw for firewooding must have a lot more patience than me Husqvarna 365 - never going to set the world alight power wise but will pull a bigger bar than something like a stihl 261 or equivalent 50cc saw. Bit agricultural but last well and are pretty robust. Effectively they are a 372 that's detuned a bit. Other on (if they are sill available ) is a husky 359 - pretty much just a detuned 357xp. I've got the Jonsered version of the 359 (so a 2159) and it runs an 18" OK if you're not in a rush. For grin factor then something like a 560 but TBH it's probably a bit fierce/overkill for what you want.

About 4 or so years ago I took a break from working with trees full time (various reasons) and reasonably quickly felt a pining to get back out to it again. I can't put my finger on just one thing that I missed but as daft as it sounds one of them was the getting home knackered and aching and feeling like I'd done a days work. I was quite fortunate in that I still got to talk trees and tree based machinery and also got to play on some pretty cool kit, but it still wasn't enough for me. On Bonfire night this year I'd been back in tree work for 2 years and it was the best thing I ever did - within a few days I started to feel like me again Every time you think about giving up just remember how much worse it could be - you could be stuck in an office dreaming of being back in the woods