Ty Korrigan

I'll post a few images of my chains for slating later on. The 500i is now running a new Sugihara on the thickest oil my local motoculture supplies. 1st new chain now due for a light tickle. I can see the bar is quite oily where as before with Aspen bio-oil is was much drier but 'cleaner'. I'm still using Aspen bar oil on all other saws under 60cm as I've never really had an issue and still appreciate it's benefits. Stuart

It shouldn't matter where you buy a product if the warranty makes no mention of being tied to geographic zones or specific dealers. I had my French bought Renault fixed in Chichester under warranty and a camera bought in the U.K repaired under warranty in Auckland N.Z My machine has several faults which from experience will be beyond local dealers and are definitely factory return jobs and beyond a dealers experience to correct. GM are recalling machines from all over the E.U all the time for factory upgrades. Stuart

GM are not making me take it back to the U.K, that is my choice to do so. In 2017 I owned a GM190 which developed mysterious roller issues not so dissimilar to the 150. It spent a great deal of time at the dealers who could not find the fault (bearing in mind this isn't a Rolls Royce Griffin engine) and even told me the fault did not exist despite videos. GM France actually exchanged this for a 200 which was faultless for the 128 hours I owned it but I was never told what the 190 fault was. At the time of the 190 debacle we had a back up chipper so managed, this time I do not. I see posts like this (image attached) but have never experienced similar service in France. Now I have multiple issues which effect the machine which I want sorted before the end of the warranty. Handing it to a French dealer means losing the chipper for possibly months. Plus from experience they will argue against the faults existing because it is not in their interest to do warranty work on a machine they did not sell. One mechanic at a French GM dealer has even suggested that I should not chip up to the maximum as the machines are not up to it. The Briggs engine fault I recently experienced fully justifies my phobia of dealers here. 4 weeks downtime over a £150 part I could SHOULD have fitted myself. Compare that experience with the screenshot. The fear of violating the engine warranty prevented me from doing so. Stuart

GM will repair in the UK if I get it back to the factory and have offered to deliver it back which is a nice gesture. Sadly I cannot travel myself due to quarantine restrictions. I could also pay a transport company to take it, however that will leave me without a machine for quite some time. This post is really about whether the rebending of the offending rails is a red herring and non-permanent botch. My local engineering shop seems to think so... Stuart

Same fault as yours took me 4 weeks 900kms and €2400 in rental. So you can imagine just how long my multiple faults would take to sort out. Stuart

I worry that I'm being over particular about the performance of the machine and that these issues are perhaps perfectly normal even acceptable. Like trying to sleep with a mosquito in the room, trying to 'enjoy' effective and efficient chipping or having 'pride in ownership' certainly is difficult for me to manage given the cumulative issues which seem out of my control. Stuart 20200514_155857.mp4

I am plagued by the rollers refusing to draw material in. They are sharp, I see to that. The spring is weak though, I can draw the rollers apart. 20200526_112038.mp4 20200526_112038.mp4 20200514_155857.mp4 20200514_155857.mp4 20200526_112038.mp4 They just do not seem to have much bite. Now larger wood is drawn in fine, generally. But leafy twiggy and smaller stuff just sits there between the rollers as they spin to the sound of my swearing. I have also caught the rollers jamming open and stopped the machine to take images of clean roller rails. GM think the roller carriage is twisting in the rails and jamming. They propose to redress the rails. I can see a slight upward bend in the rails and a curve in the metal upright panel. Seems like nothing at all but I'm led by the manufacturers advice. There must be other GM150 owners with similar issues as I cannot believe that I am lucky enough to have ALL the problems to myself. 20200526_112038.mp4

I'll post an image when I return home. The subject is sliding roller rails on a GM150 They splay subtly upwards. I am led to believe by GM the slight deformation has lead to the rollers drop off in performance and the solution is simply to bend them back. Stuart

Metal fatigue has given me mental fatigue... Stuart

Hello, Question for the engineers out there. The effects of cold bending/redressing steel. If steel deforms through use, even slightly and is bent back to correct it, does this weaken or strengthen the metal? Stuart

Google Honda gx390 fuel cap. I found many sources for just a few euros. Stuart

Mine does this too if I do it up tight. At the moment, backing it off a little seals it fine but I can see it being an issue in the future. Stuart

Arbtalk... Stuart

This evening I've emailed the sales director asking for GM to send a transport to come and collect it and attached a few videos. Stuart

Could this be the fuel pump again? I changed the fuel filter, the air filter is clean and the fuel pump was replaced under warranty a few months back. If I throttle up however slowly, sometimes it does not respond and I must let it chatter away a while before throttling up again. Not looking forward to leaving it with a French dealer for warranty work. Last time it was away a month which cost me €2400 in hire, 900kms travel all for a €150 part which takes 20min to fit. Looks like a call to Briggs Bits... Stuart received_1635456593277066.mp4

Old bar rail closing tool from Oregon. Stuart

The rails are not splayed. I am assuming the groove has widened increasing chain rock. I'm a bit lost, this is a very recent phenomemon with my 60cm+ bars and the only common factor is the choice of oil. It seems to come on fast too. I put the 500i away and the next job it jams, maddening. The bar simply jamming in the cut, refusing to advance. First I thought old chains new bar. Then it occured with new chains. Stuart

Bars always flipped, obsessively. As for redressing bars, I've never done this and have just looked it up. Are the tools still sold? I've never come across them or known anyone do it before. Edit: I'm talking about a tool which compresses the rails together. I have always filed off the burrs and redressed the top of the rails. Stuart

Thank you, I'll try that tomorrow. Regards Stuart

Hello, Not having much luck with bars recently. Worn out 3 different makes of 60cm bars in 2 years on saws which are hardly used. Averaging 2 chains before they not longer cut straight. Kox, Stihl and Sugihara all consigned to a nail on the garage wall. I use Aspen bio chain oil. This is fine on the climbing saws and bars up to 45cm but it seems not to give enough lubrication on longer bars. My 500i oiler is on it's max, the saw is always clean and yet barely 2 chains in, the grooves are worn. Before that the 441 Kox then Sugihara met the same fate. So I've a fresh Sugi bar, sprocket and new chains on the 500i. Tomorrow, before starting felling I'll empty the Aspen chain oil back into the combi can and trial mineral oil exclusively on this saw. See how many chains I get through this time. Stuart

Hello, mine, which I bought for my wife to use is difficult to start once warm unless choked. Clutch springs recently replaced, filter, plug and it is run on Aspen Should I perform this reset I've just seen mentioned above? Stuart

This? Compact Petrol 6HP Wood Chipper Garden Shredder | Forest Master Wood Diameter 50mm FOREST-MASTER.COM Forest Master Compact Petrol Wood Chipper 6hp LCT Maxx... I sense your money might be wasted on this. No heavy drum or flywheel and 6hp is...risible. Stuart

The infeed tray has deformed, creating a lip which material gets caught on. As the rollers lack crushing power, this has become a regular scenario. Stuart received_693163614831773.mp4

Is this normal? Stuart received_713080529446704.mp4

I like that high hopper. I frequently get material caught on the bump stops which is an added and unnecessary distraction. Certainly the older models seem to be rather more solidly built. Stuart