Chris Sheppard

Which isn't a huge difference to going and buying a brand new one from the dealer with it's full warranty. If I wanted a 346 I'd pay the extra £100 or so and go to the dealer. Plus, it's a 346 - it's one saw I've used enough not to bother owning one

Tweaked it a bit for you I've never used a 362 so can't really comment, but would be very surprised it was a patch on the performance of the 560. The 560 really does feel more like a 70cc saw in a little body. Depends what you mean as general use though.

His buy it now is fairly optimistic, especially if its a private sale with no dealer backup.

Can't really comment on boots from a climbing perspective, but given the choice of either wearing saw trousers and non saw protection boots or saw boots and jeans, then I'd go ith boots and jeans everytime. I don't for a minute think that either boots or kegs would stop a saw on when your on one but I think out in the woods I'd be more likely to hit my foot than my leg. I do think good saw boots are too expensive, but then I feel that any decent saw kegs are too expensive in relation to the quality of them too. As for a waste of money - no, I don't think so. I generally wear Haix tibet forests and they are proper comfy, and at £160 ish are similar money to a pair of decent walking boots. Could I spend all day wearing a pair of low ankle work boots out in the woods - not a chance.

Think unless you go for one of the smaller table tyoe verticals (like the Balfor A11 or the 10T Thor) then you'll be somewhere just above knee height, which isn't as bad as you may think. What you'll find more of a pain is trying to balance a big disc on a small table, but you can usually break it in half, drop one half while you split the rest an then just pick the other half up to split next - a timber pick is a great help when splitting discs on a vertical. I used to have the old style 20T thor and really liked it, and work quite a bit with the newer 18T super magic thor and like that too. The big balfor verticals were alwys quite popular and fast too. If cost's not hugely important then the big Posch ones are really really nice.

Know what you mean - looking forward to a wander round for the first time in a while

I couldn't watch more than about 30 seconds, made me flinch every time

Hi David, I've not made it to the firewood fair for a couple of years (maybe three) when I was still working for Alpinetractors, but thought it was a nice, friendly atmosphere and that it seemed to attract a good range of people from those in the industry to people just having a day out. Don't know if it's changed much since then but definitely felt it was an event I'd have come back to if it had been a bit closer to home. Shame the FC round us don't do anything similar.

Been in front of the computer most of today so lit ours this morning. It's really starting to feel Autumnal here.

Spoke to Ben at Yorwoods and the Yorkshire Burners cooperative doesn't exist in the same way as it once did but he did give me a couple of leads. Cheers Charlie, that sounds promising. Are you on the stand at the APF this time?

I'd have thought any electric circular saw is going to be as noisy (or noiser) than sawing with a petrol saw. 4 cube isn't a lot - surely it's got to be better to make a bit of noise with a saw you already have than it is to spend money on a saw thats still going to make a lot of noise?

Hi Jamie, PM replied to

If there's no points then for 25% over the limit I think you've done pretty well. I picked up 3 points a couple of years ago and was livid at first (I'd had 11 years point free), but ultimately I was over the speed limit, excuses or not. I'd have done the course if I was offered it but had to settle for the fixed penalty and points - that in itself has made me more aware of my speed coming into town etc so the course shouldn't be too bad. What's annoyed me the most though in my case was that a few months after, where I was caught now goes 60, 40, 30 (rather than 60, 30) and I would have then been in the 40 instead of in the 30 and been OK.

We've one load of Scots Pine 3.75m left over on a job that were supposed to be going into Taylormade as sawlogs but seem to have an aversion to leaving - they've been down a minimum of 6 months and are from approx 6" up to about 18/20" TD (but mainly sub 15" or so). It'd be a shame but if anyone fancies some nice straight processor grade pine firewood (or some actual sawlogs!) then let me know. It's just outside York and we can give details of a local haulier.

We've one load of Scots Pine 3.75m left over on a job that were supposed to be going into Taylormade as sawlogs but seem to have an aversion to leaving - they've been down a minimum of 6 months and are from approx 6" up to about 18/20" TD (but mainly sub 15" or so). It'd be a shame but if anyone fancies some nice straight processor grade pine firewood then let me know. It's just outside York and we can give details of a local haulier.

I've recently picked up some ongoing work in an area of woodland I did some work in a few years ago that should be a nice little project with no real time constraints that I can pretty much drop onto when it's a bit quieter. It's a steepish valley with what should make a really nice crop of larch before too long, but has a good amount of smaller hardwoods in amongst it that are to be dealt with. There'll be a reasonable amount of decent hardwood but there's also a good amount of undersized stuff that I'd like to extract a value from, other than the usual firewood for ourselves. I've had machinery round the site in the past but it's probably going to be a much more lower impact approach than last time, with the tractor and trailer only coming in occasionally when really needed and trying to get away from just rattling out wood to roadside. Anyway, what I'm considering is a bit of charcoaling (as there's a reasonable priced kiln just come up a few miles away) but don't know whether I'd have the time/inclination at the moment to try and retail it or deal with smaller wholesale orders - other than bioregional, does anyone know of any other big buyers? Also, has anyone had much luck with selling firewood in billets? Every man and his dog sells logs round us and they are mostly far too cheap to make it worth doing so I'm weighing up other options. Maybe even wholesale bulk?

I like that - first attempt or not it's better than I could do

Reckon a 560 would be a better saw to go for - probably be a fair bit wicker than a 570 as well as better handling. Though either would be better than one of those stihl things you like

Compared to the 357, the 550 is lighter and more flickable and will do a similar job. The 560 feels lighter than the 357 and will knock th socks off the 357. I've had a 550 since May (I think) and it's been good - handles similar to a 242 but with shedloads more grunt so is ace for thinning. Do still fancy a 560 but the 372 is still running strong. Mine's been primarily on a 13" bar but had a 15" on it for a few days felling some bigger sycamore and it handled it fine. I'm sure it would pull an 18" to a point but if I needed an 18" bar I'd be reaching for a bigger saw anyway, especially a the handling would more than likely be all wrong too.

Not used one but pretty sure they're more of a semi pro saw rather than a full time pro saw.

They are some cool photos Matt

We're told she's all Siberian - Photo doesn't really show but shes only as tall as a good size springer. I do really like the look of the malamutes though She's really unfit so at the mo isn't taking a whole lot of tiring out but am sure that will change once she starts to lose some weight. She's really alert but so calm too - she's not very vocal and even other dogs don't really bother her, the german shepherd next door that tries to eat it's way through our fence doesn't exist as far as she's concerned!

She's from racing parents but has never been harnessed yet - hopefully we might get a bit of gentle pulling out of her before she's too old. Weighed her today @ 38kg - we knew she was massively over weight when we took her on but looks like she needs lose about 10kg or so

That looks quite a useful tool - it only made £510 last time round and I was half kicking myself for not looking into it a bit more.