Shane

Good quality, twice the weight. Only annoying probs ... The hedge trimmer head does not lock back at 180 degrees for storage/transport (its about 140). The chainsaw head and hedge trimmer heads need different tools (one is a 4mm allen key the other is a screwdriver) The short handle on the drive end of the trimmer can get in the way (Stihl ones are angled correctly) Overall though its very robust and very reliable, just work on the Popeye arms.

That's the sort of gung ho attitude the Mountain Rescue people must get pretty fed up with. Still I guess some people are just so hard.

I second the comments about Cib Goch. To the uninitiated it's a bit of a 'brown trouser' route and in the snow without the expertise and kit it's a stupid idea. Tryfan and Bristly ridge is a slightly easier way to get into trouble. I'd suggest sticking to the easier routes and maybe read Poucher's book for a variety of routes.

Replcing the berings isn't huge job. Not trying to be funny here but lods of people hve done it nd it's fine. Even if the flywheel shaft is a bit ficked it can be replaced (I and at least one other member on here have hade it done for £100 or less). The whole job can be done in a few hours and, shafted shaft-work apart, shouldn't cost more than abou £350 labour. I'd say £1000 is a good deal.

Is Stihl the way the Chinese pronounce the stuff they find blocking the sewers?

I've been climbing for too many years, I still climb occasionally but I get all my climbing gear from a company calles Stannah.

I saw a 'woman' in Worthing yesterday who needed an HGV license to use the footpath. I lost count of the number of boobs she must have had. How? why?

Indeed it was, somewhat lacking in wise men and virgins (allegedly). Mind you, the same could be said for many areas.

And of course, we all know why Jesus wasn't born in Liverpool.

It strikes me as ironic in these days of saving time with abbreviations that the most commonly used TLA (three letter acronyn) uses 9 syllables yet the words it represent only use a total of three! namely... World Wide Web --> WWW bah humbug.

I was told the same thing, but the bloke was wearing huge shoes and his bow tie started revolving just before the doors fell off his car.

Think of all the scratch cards you could have bought with £35mil. Or tins of white stripe. You'd even be able to contribute to your rent.

If you don't need it, or can't quickly sell it on for a massive profit it's NOT a bargain. Long live the Monty Python 'piston engine' sketch - no doubt a tecchie can put up a link to it.

No right answer here... cheap and recommend????? It's going to be all about opinions rather than facts. Either decide on your budget and shop around carefully within that budget OR decide what you really need, find out the price and work out how to raise the money. We all know what you mean but these threads often degenerate into a mud slinging session against hated machines (which are loved by others). What is your budget? That will at least give us all a chance to contribute.

Still crap here, I've put the tractor tyres on the Landy for the next few weeks. Gonna need em for the golf course contract and a few 'field' jobs.

Life is all about perspective, to most, the Titanic sinking was a disaster - the lobsters in the kitchen disagree.

I thought Ibiza was the place for grinding, so the youngsters tell me.

For what it's worth, my greenmech has a purge bearing on the 'rollers' side and a sealed bearing on the engine side. Last week I heard a clattering bearing so stopped the machine and phoned up for a new set of flywheel bearings. A few minutes after the purchase I realised it was the belt tensioner pulley that was making the noise. The chipper has done 500 hours so I changed the flywheel bearings anyway (gotta have fun at Christmas). I have to say that when I removed the old bearings they looked perfect, and there was no play at all in them. For what it's worth I grease the bearings once a week (the purge bearing takes about 60 pumps (on my 400cc gun) till I see the fresh grease coming out. I put two slow pumps into the front one. This has done the job as the old bearings will testify. Shame I never checked the tensioner! Still, they were sourced locally and done in 10 minutes. Moral of the tale, If its a purge bearing - give it plenty, if its a sealed bearing treat it like a Richard Branson trademark. As a last resort, check with the bearing manufacturer.

Delegate more, REALLY start to retire (semi retire at least) to allow more me-time and more time to support my parents, goodness knows they are starting to need it - and my grand children (that WILL improve my sanity).

I store my saws somewhere else - as do most of us. I use secret security measures which only I know about. Basic rules are 1. Keep location secret 2. In case of secrecy failure (and anyway).. use loads of physical security. 3. Make it so any attempted unlawful removal is as noisy and time-consuming as possible. 4. Every time theres a theft mentioned on here you must say how you would like to turn into Bruce Willis and skin the perpetrators alive etc. etc. I did try to be a bit helpful though the initial question seemed a tad mis-worded.

As above really. I managed to take a chunk out of the cutter blade on my Jameson pole pruner. My local dealer tells me they don't list the blade as a replacable part??? there's too much missing to grind it back and it is starting to catch on smaller branches. Does anyone know if it is possible to get a new cutter blade? If need be I'll try a blob of weld and grind it down, a whole new head seems a bit much. It's been a really good piece of kit and I just can't believe the manufacturer can't supply what I need.

I still have my scalextric from the 60s, with lots of additions over the years. Star of the show is a fifty year old Panther F1 car which still runs (on its original motor). It all still gets used and is set up in my spare room.

He'll be parking in Bath city centre next! Tut tut

Wot me guv??? I've never been near (wherever it was) in my life - honest!

There was one in a layby (shown on here) a few weeks ago.