doobin

Probably as it was thinned so much by the paraffin it gave the impression of not oiling. Technically it was oiling as it was pumping out but it wouldn't have been doing much in the way of actual lubrication. Engine oil won't clog a pump. Veg oil can.

I've just spend over £900 on a Fischer-Price toy. That's right, an Etesia Lawnmowers DUOCUT 46 RMCB | Etesia mower Gone for wheels as we don't handle any particularly formal gardens, and it's always the roller that breaks first, whatever mower you buy. Time will tell but so far I like it. It collects well enough, not quite as good as the LawnFlite/Kaaz in that if you push it too much in really thick stuff it can tend to miss the odd sprig. However this is in stuff that you should really be charging the customer double for anyhow. For mulching it's amazing, as good as a dedicated mulching mower. Very happy with this, and I hope my customers will see the benefits over this summer. I'm hoping it will be a reliable, tough and idiot proof mower. Kohler engine- the Honda option came with variable drive which is just more to go wrong. With wheels you just drop the drive and it's easy to push through real thick stuff at the right speed anyway. The plastic deck and box I like. Easy to steam clean to keep shiny for easy collection and very durable. The box comes with extra inserts to make the mesh finer if you are collecting in dry, dusty conditions which is a nice touch. I'm told all the council guys use them? Height adjustment is a single lever, clearly marked. It's heavier than it looks, but solid build is fine by me.

Glad to be of service

I've given this link out about ten times over the last month! http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/62516-heads-up-good-replacement-engine-stihl-polesaws-pole-hedgcutters-combi-units.html

Bob, your signature is very apt under that photo.... Steven Blairs avatar is pretty timeless re world MEWPS!

If it rounds the ends off, then you probably don't have the outer shaft all the way into the housing at one or both ends. It can't happen otherwise. Symptoms would be it working fine as a strimmer (pointing downwards) and then slipping when you use it in the air with the hedgecutter on. The driveshafts both inner and outer are all the same save for length across the Stihl range when you're talking about inch tube stuff (sub FS310) I've blown a hedgecutter gearbox up but I hold my hands up to abusing it. They're widely recognised as the toughest about.

Just drop it onto your old combi shaft. Vibes are fine- you get more from the hedgecutter head. I sometimes run mine on a short shaft for hedgecutting- use the short shaft that usually plugs into the combi engine bit.

Can foul the plug a bit, but I do it if we run out or we find a can of mix which is a bit old to run through a saw.

A good accountant will advise upon a suitable percentage.

Or charge the customer a lot...

We don't run a cartel. I'm fed up of hearing all this rubbish about how we're underpaid. Charge what you can/want/need, and it it's not enough then do something else/diversify/go on the dole. This is business 101. There's room in this trade for all skill levels, prices and lifestyles. Just decide what you want out of life and mould your business accordingly. This is the joy of working for yourself.

More like three times IMHO.

Whilst I agree that solvents won't touch it, near boiling water will will do the trick. Run it through the tank to solve oil pumps blocked with veg oil without dismantling. By the same token, a steam cleaner on the saw will sort veg gunk on the outside. Blimey, it's not every day you can teach Spud a new trick!

If you're destroying shafts (solid ones too if it's a KM-130) then you're doing something wrong? Do you mean the backpack unit? Because they are a flexi shaft and as such you obviously have to be careful with them. OP- just seen that you don't like the FS-55 trigger. This might fit the bill- 2mix, same power, same price as FS-70 and also a solid shaft: FS 94 RC-E - Comfortable 0.9kW brushcutter with loop handle, ErgoStart and ECOSPEED

Solved: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/62516-heads-up-good-replacement-engine-stihl-polesaws-pole-hedgcutters-combi-units.html If you're passing near the Sussex/Surrey border somewhen feel free to drop in and try mine.

The firm you work for are retards. Move on. Engine oil is no cheaper, and thinned with paraffin they are limiting further it's lubricating properties leading to far greater wear of cutting gear. Not to mention environmental/H+S issues. Idiots like your boss are the reason I went self employed- I knew I could do it better, and have proved as such

You're not working it hard enough if you can keep count of the number of times you bump the feed! 4-way is much better as you say- each bit of cord is doing half the work it would in a 2-way. It reduces line wear considerably and more importantly, greatly reduces the line flex that can cause the line to snap at the spool inlet if retards don't keep it bumped out. How do you find the 3mm compared to the 2.8mm in the 4-way?

Spray a solvent down the inlet as someone pulls it over. Contact cleaner works well. Keep spraying it and it may pull fuel though and start to run properly.

2.4 round for grass. Any more is pointless drag, and a blunter cut. 2.7 or 3mm in a four way head is the best tool for the job for thicker stuff like docks and past that (heavy bramble) it's a blade job.

If the extra cost of Aspen for a chainsaw worries you on that day rate, then I suggest you analyse your other costs!!

Do as I do and get the grounds maintenance around the filling station

Snickers or Scruffs, gotta look good! I like the jeans with kneepad and cargo pockets.

Bosch are generally fine with bio, even SVO. It's Lucas pumps which disagree with it. I killed a Lucas pump with one tank of SVO once!

All this faffing around to save a penny a litre. If you use 100 litres a day, that's a hell of a lot of fuel. And you're still only saving a pound a day... Just fill up wherever's on the way. The deciding factor if there has to be one should be the quality of the breakfast butty available at the same time.

Excellent first post!