Gnarlyoak

Blame the EU guys. EU are taking UK government to court for not meeting EU set limits on air pollution. The agreed limits were supposed to been have met by 2010. London is currently on course to meet the target limit sometime around 2025 at the current rate of progress. So the knee jerk reaction to try and dance to the tune of these Brussels edicts, is to hammer your old filthy polluting jalopies hard and where it hurts most, in your pockets! I guess the incentive is, that either you will scrap your old polluters and replace them with something more enviro friendly or to chase you out of town so you can pollute the countryside instead. Until Brussels take us to court for that, & then the government may charge an eye watering fine (Road Tax fee) if you want to keep on driving them anywhere in the UK. Yet another reason for the UK to leave the EU? Here's a link to the BEEB, with more info. BBC News - EU Commission launches legal action over UK air quality

Well forgive my ignorance, but only just realised today that when it comes to climbing spikes, the gaffs come in two flavours. I mean I knew you could get them in different sizes but was blissfully unaware of the significance of the size difference. So basically, the shorter gaffs are referred to as Pole gaffs, and the longer gaffs are Tree gaffs. So which do you guys have or prefer?

Well if its a fuel issue then I'm in no position to say weather or not its good or bad, stale or fresh. I'm a freelancer, so tend to use whatever fuel is supplied by whoever I'm working with/for. Perhaps what may also be pertinent, is the fact that I had been putting up with problems with the saw whilst using it for 3 maybe 4 weeks with a broken breather valve. So it was running rough, too rich (air?), but problems now seem to have become worse since I finally replaced the valve a couple of weeks ago. In the interim period, I have replaced the spark plug, its was a bit fubar'd! But hadn't before today attempted to retune the saw. Its sometimes a bit hit and miss when I try to retune a saw, I'm just as likely to make it worse as better... Now that I have, I'll put it through it paces on tomorrows job and see how I go on. Thanks again, for your help bud.

They churn them out by the thousands at the factory in china, and then distribute them around the world. The sit in a warehouse and are then are moved onto the dealers as when their own stock runs down. Its a bit like an escalator, first one on, is the first one off at the other end. So if the main warehouse has 2000 saws on the shelf all made in 2013, then you will have to wait until all 2000 have been sold before the 2014 batches move on through the system. However all you need to know is that the saw built in say August 2013, will be precisely the same as the saw built in Jan 2014. Its not like new model cars, where the next production run might tweak the colour of the floor mats or round off the corner of a bumper. So if you want a new saw now, buy a new saw mate. If it was manufactured 6 months ago, don't worry its not yoghurt, they don't have a limited shelf life...

Having a few wedges to hand is very useful when ringing up big timber. Just bang them in as your cutting through to keep your cut open. Another thing you could try is to put in a "V" shaped gob cut on the compression side, then make your undercut , cutting up towards the inverted apex of your top cut "V". Hope that makes sense. I appreciate the position you are in, but your boss is a bit of a tool, to go swanning off on his jollies and leave someone as experienced as yourself on their own to carry out a task that they are both unfamiliar with and with a big bit of kit they are not used to using. I admire your spirit for wanting to crack on with it, but you have been placed deep in the middle of a H&S minefield. Please do not take any unnecessary risks, and make sure that the fencers on site are within shouting distance at all times. If they have to move away for any reason make sure that you have a system in place where you each check in with the other at regular intervals. Stay safe mate.

Yes mate you should be covered by the insurance of whatever co you work for, for work related accidents. But double check with them that you will be covered for any eventuality, yes a few stitches or a broken bone might be covered, but if your left paralysed from the neck down or a head trauma renders you a vegetable, will it cough up for months of hospital care and then an air ambulance back to Blighty!?! But would definitely recommend you sort out your own additional travel insurance before you go. Not for healthcare, as a UK citizen, the UK & Ozzy governments have a reciprocal arrangement whereby citizens from either country are entitled to receive free public healthcare at source if needed. But, for things like losing your belongings when your in country. Say you get robbed or are involved in an accident when all your luggage gets blown up on a coach while your eating Roo burgers at an outback service stop. Or some pickpocket nicks your phone and passport while your "pished" at the bar, or your laptop slips into the water whilst your on a cruise around Sydney harbour. And that kind thing... etc... Have Fun.... ya jammy get....

Cheers Rich, Sorry, yes it is a 200T. The revs on the saw do not sound unusual, either to slow or fast, no chain creep! Once it is up and running, the saw appears to rev up & down quite normally when the throttle is depressed. Its just that initial start from cold when it seems it is at its most cantankerous, when it will take several restarts and lots of throttle wiggling to get it to stop stalling & build up the revs and then run relatively normally. Stripped the saw down again today. Carb boot looks fine. Stripped carb, but no real sign of contamination. Gave the filter a good clean, it was a bit grubby but not exceptionally so. However did make a note to self to replace it at next available opportunity, as the filter is probably still the original on a 6yr old saw! I have reset the carb settings to default, and retuned. I give it a run out tomorrow, and see how I get on. Pardon my ignorance, but what is the "meter arm height"? Thanks for you help mate.

Yes, I hope that Andy is right also, and nature will win out. But the water table is really high at the moment and it will need to be relatively dry for a long period of time before the water table falls depreciably even after the surface waters appear to have receded. Some areas are likely to take weeks or months before the ground conditions are unsaturated IE: the Somerset levels. In the meantime of course Spring will have sprung, and in the most waterlogged areas could we potentially see acres of hedgerows in areas like Somerset be unable to recover in time, to prevent serious long term damage over a wide area? Yes there maybe some trees & shrubs that are fairly tolerant to a prolonged period of submersion, and adapt to produce advantageous roots that are able to extract some o2 from the water. But I would imagine the vast majority may struggle, as high water levels persist especially during the transition from out of the Winter dormancy period into Spring. Ecologically, many of the British countrysides fauna is critically dependant on their breeding period coinciding with the emergence of buds, leaves, and flowers of the flora at Springtime. I'm sure the short to mid term impact of these devastating floods will reverberate throughout the year!!!

I ave noticed that there is an orange coloured grommet that sits in the roof of the fuel tank of an MS200, directly underneath where the breather valve sits on top of the tank. What's it called? What's for? And how critical is it to the smooth operation of the saw? Currently experiencing probs with my 200 and noticed that this grommet appears to have snapped off, leaving just the stub of the stud in the roof of the tank. The saw starts up ok, thru choke & then half choke, but once the choke is off, the saw is really slow at picking up revs or running at idle. I have to constantly tickle the throttle, and make numerous restarts before the saw will run up properly. Once it warms up, it will run ok as normal for a while, but once it is hot, it will frequently stall out when idling and/or when I jerk it suddenly on the lanyard. I've had it apart a couple of times now , and can't really seeing anything obvious apart from this orange grommet!! Any ideas anyone? Many thanks in anticipation.

Dave & Sandpiper. You both raise relevant points. Now I am absolutely no authority on this matter, but this is just some of the info that I have picked up whilst surfing the web simply to satisfy my own curiosity. 1) Long term flooding can be extremely detrimental to the fertility of soils. Not least because many of the micro organisms that are essential to maintain the health of soils are (just like the tree roots in relation to my OP) totally reliant on being able to take in the oxygen usually found in the 'gaps' between soil particles. The anaerobic conditions created by long term water logged soil will asphyxiate these micro organisms as well as the tree roots. So in the short to mid term, soil conditions will be very poor for anything growing in it. 2) Yes some silt deposition after flooding can be beneficial in bringing in additional nutrients for things growing in the soil. But again, oxygen is key. If roots and soil microbes have drowned, then there is little left to take up the newly deposited nutrients. But the flooding can also remove as much if not more in the way of soils and nutrients there in, so it actually makes the soil poorer. Swiftly moving water, especially carrying lots of debris will have a 'scouring' effect. This may actually expose tree roots that are normally under ground, once exposed, these tree roots can dry out and die back, therefore rendering them unable to take up water and nutrients in the future, and that's before you consider the stability issues for the tree itself, which has had its roots undermined by having the ground around & underneath them washed away. Other things to consider, is that an excessive build up of sediments, particularly around a tree, say. Can bury the trees root collar, and again this may kill the roots and lead to premature decline and/or death. Then there is the small matter of the stuff that is in the water. Pollutants of all kind, chemicals, effluents and other pathogens and fungal spores. These latter two in particular could arrive on a flood stressed tree, and in its weakened state become susceptible to infection which may go on to cause its decline.

Had one of those "idle" thoughts pop in my head (as they do) recently with regards to the possible impact that all the recent flooding could have on the long term health of trees in the flooded areas. Of particular relevance is the duration that some tree roots have/or will have been consistently under water for weeks possible months, rather than days. When roots remain under water for a period of time, they became unable to extract oxygen molecules from the soil, this naturally in time will cause problems for the health of the roots and tree ultimately with the possibility of leading to the untimely death of the tree. So I did a bit of digging on the inter-web, and came across an article written by the University of Tennessee, which quotes from Diseases of Trees and Shrubs” by Sinclair, Lyon & Johnson, 1987 (see page two of attached pdf doc), that the impact is less severe on trees that are in dormancy. However, I believe that due to the mildness (temperature wise) of this winter we may see an early spring, given that I have already begun to notice the first signs of leaf budding and even new leaves emerging on some shrub species (eg: buddlihea) in our more northern climes (Gtr.Manchester), and that the ground water levels will remain very high even after the surface flooding has receded. Would anyone with a better understanding of tree biology, than I can ever hope to attain, care to give their thoughts on what sort of impact we could likely see on the tree populations in some of the worst flood hit areas in the South West and South East. http://www.utextension.utk.edu/mtnpi/handouts/Field%20Production/Crops_Tolerant_of_Moist_Sites.pdf

Cheers Dig, was a good day out mate , apart from the bloody rain . Here's a couple more pics of that beastly beech sticking out of the hole it made in the roof.....

Good grief! That's enormous..... or are you a midget?

Don't be tempted by Oregon Waipoua, they are a bit, but not much better than Hi-Flex. If you baulk at the price of a pair of Pfannies () then I'd suggest looking at Husqvarna Technical. Mine seem to be holding up really well. They are a bit "bright" straight out of the box, but after a couple of weeks of dirt, moss, tree juice and oil etc, they calm down a bit! Best price I found was £166 from Skyland in Liverpool.

Not a 100% certain on this John, double check with your insurer depending how your policy is written, but I think that you only have to pay the excess if you make a claim on your OWN insured vehicle. The insurer should pay out a TP claim without it costing you in the short term. Of course when it comes to renewal, then you'll have to bend over and take it!!!!! I had a TP claim made against me couple of years ago, no damage to my vehicle so didn't make a claim for myself. Insurer paid out TP and never came calling for the policy excess to be paid back. But then I did see my premium shoot up nearly 60% at renewal!!!

Very sorry to hear your sad news Hedgesparrow. Wishing your wife all the best, and may you both find the strength to fight and endure what will be difficult times ahead.

Well they've done the very least of the least they could do, having supplied you an un-thoroughly tested product that could have left you crippled or dead!

You'd say owt for a cuddle you! Does your missus know it was you that gave her that rash yet?

And your hypothesis is based upon.......? Seriously though, the AE like most government depts. has been cut to the bone. With limited funds to cover every environmental "project and event" in England/Wales & NI. What do you cut to devote all your time and money to prepare for record amounts of wet weather in one county? Whilst "global warming" is a hypothesis that is still deeply debated, climate change is a phenomenon that is increasingly perceptable to all. You only need to look back over the last 5-10 years to find us having the warmest, the coldest, the wettest weather on record. Britain has always had weather rather than a climate, now year on year we are seeing more extremes! These are hard to forsee and even harder to plan for, when we don't know when or where they will happen or what the likely consequences are until they do! Anyone with a crystal ball and without an axe to grind, please step forward and be this country's saviour. And I shall kneel before you Sir George, (David, Patrick, Andrew).

Why? Did he make it rain persistently for the last two months. Given that this IS the wettest winter EVER! Digging ditches, dredging rivers can only do so much. Our river systems can only drain so much water, before it rains again & then again..... when it rains inches at a time several times a week for two months it can only go one way, across the surrounding land. Let us not forget that the EA has been underfunded for years, and in the current climate,. where the current Government has had to make severe cuts to clear up the mess left behind by the last. That government took off the shackles on the banks allowing them a free hand to undertake "casino" banking, whilst at the same time spending more money than they were making on popularist social re-engineering that in the long run have benefitted no-one. When there is not a pot to p**s in, its hard to give the EA and others the tools to do a proper job. An empty pot, will not produce a magic sponge to mop up all the water, nor will it make the conveyor belt of Atlantic weather fronts either disappear or move further North or South. The only constructive thing the Government could do today to help alleviate some of the problems, is to divert some of the "ring fenced" multi billion pound overseas aid budget to helping those British citizens and taxpayers that are suffering so badly in the affected areas right now. I cannot understand or accept why the British government is sending money to countries like India, to help support and educate millions of impoverished Indians, when that same country is spending billions on nuclear weapons and space exploration. Charity should begin at home, and we should make those who are suffering in our country are our first priority.

Oh yes, defo Oyster shrooms. Hmmm. Tasty, grab a few of the freshest and make yourself a lovely risotto. Not all mind, leave a few to sporolate (spl?) so you can get/eat more next year!

Whilst what is happening in Somerset and elsewhere can & could be classed as anything from tragic to catastrophic, I fail to understand why so many posters seem to, by default, blame unerringly the Government. Whilst the Government/Environment Agency could have (should have!) done more to mitigate some of the problems currently being experienced, let us not lose sight of what the real problem is. Rain. Rain, rain, rain, and more rain! Then, now, and for the rest of this month by the looks of things. The government (of any colour, and at anytime) can be blamed for a lot of injustices in this country, but the weather is natural phenomenon that, at least the last time I looked, cannot be controlled or engineered by any mere mortal organisation. Short of the Environment Agency dredging rivers to almost half the depth of the Grand Canyon, the sheer volume of rain that the South West and elsewhere has received since mid-December, has been unprecedented and record breaking with Atlantic storms hitting the Western side of the country almost every 4/5 days in that time, (by Monday the South Western and Western parts of the country will actually have been hit by 3 major Atlantic storms in a week!) The government does not control the weather. Some inter governmental agencies might have done more sooner, but the result would still have been the same. Even if rivers were more regularly dredged, the removal of a couple of feet of mud would still have not prevented the dramatic flooding that we are currently witnessing, given that it has rained, and rained, for days, weeks, months on end. You only need to look at other threads on AT about tips & ideas for keeping dry whilst trying to work in the current British weather. It been raining consistently everywhere around the country, regrettably, the highest amount of rainfall has fallen in the South West, consequently this region has suffered, with flood waters barely moving for weeks on end, because it hasn't stopped raining for long enough for the flood waters to recede. You cannot blame the government for the rain, or how frequently it falls consistently in the same area. You could argue that this is a foretaste of climate change. There, the culprit is easily identifiable. Its humankind. As long as populations grow, then so will the causes of climate change, if you were to blame anybody then it is all of us, the 7 billion plus (and counting) inhabitants of this tiny little planet in the middle of a barren universe. Cause and effect, we shall all reap what we sow. Flooding in Somerset, tragedy, but not the Governments fault, its the weather stupid, and that is probably the responsibility if not the controllability of us all!

Pah. Talk about disappointed. I was hoping to see a viddy clip of a saw being put through an old PC, and seeing both explode!!!.

Doh! Cheers Felix, yeahh.... penny's dropped. Havin a grey moment...

When you say covered Steve, do you mean PL or are you talking personal accident? Thanks