doobin

I don't rate Desert Extrusions as any tougher then the Stihl stuff, and as the Stihl stuff is cheaper.... Will your FS50 manage to swing 2.4mm? I tried 2mm line once for edging, hoping for a sharper cut, but it was hopeless. 1.6mm sounds too thin if you are having to run along concrete etc. Stubby is correct re the bucket of water trick, but you shouldn't have to. You might want to give ALM another try, you can get bad batches. I once threw 2/3rds of a big reel of Stihl 2.4mm away as it was a bad batch.

Indeed. I learnt the hard way many years ago with a hired in digger, ended up stuck in a fish pond I was cleaning out! Thank God there was a building firm next door, who pulled me out with a mini JCB loadall. Never been stuck since thankfully. The difference between a skilled operator and one who just understands what lever does what is also a huge factor.

That's odd, it's a tenner more and the same power. Why do Stihl have so many variations of the same power? It's the same with the FS-55/56/60. But you're right, looks like a capable machine. It's on the list to replace the oldest FS-70 after summer. Lighter too. The 'Ecospeed' function looks pretty pointless. You constantly need to slow down for trimming round edges, etc with that size of strimmer, so what use is what is in essence a throttle lock? In fact, even in thick undergrowth you need to let off the throttle at the end of each sweep. Looks like a gimmick to me. The 94 has a separate throttle, much like the 4-mixes. I prefer the combined throttle and engine unit of the 70 as it's very quick to swap it onto an extendable shaft for the polesaw. I agree the FS-70 looks delicate but I've used them for very hard work, up in mancrates and stuff on a polesaw. My only gripe is the trigger, which is easy to catch clothing on and looks easy to snap. Bottom line is that for £250 it's an economical, dependable engine to replace a bust 4-mix.

'We' were 'twenty miles from home'? Leave your mate with the trailer and chipper and run home for a spare wheel/bigger trailer.

You're picking holes with the strimmer part of it, not the engine. I'm talking about using the engine on other machines after people get fed up of 4-mixes. The guard is Stihl's new design for all their strimmers. Flexi shafts break if idiots are allowed near them. I will keep an eye on the pullstart, thanks. Although with the ElastoStart it doesn't seem to put much stress on it to start it so I'm surprised.

It'll take more than 14 days for the ragwort to disappear....

Had to post this: When someone asks you a dumb question wouldn't you like to respond like this?..... Yesterday I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for Athena the wonder dog at Tescos and was about to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired, with little to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again. Although I probably shouldn't, because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms. I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry and that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story.) Horrified , she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no; I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both.

Neither. They're for resurrecting buggered chains quickly, to a state a DIYer would say they're sharp. If you have multiple chains in multiple stages of wear, you will always need to hand finish them to get a cut you will be happy with (as you're a pro). Rob D's 12v Granberg sharpener has potential, as you can set the top plate, side plate and depth. Trouble is the stones wear unevenly and clog easily, and it's hard to tell when you're reached the depth stop. Very nice and quick for well-shaped depth gauges though. To be blunt (pun intended) I find a fresh file quicker. I use the Granberg on the 20"+ bars as it's worth the setup time then.

What problems do you have? I like to to be prepared , mine are faultless at the moment and my 2-mix 460s have not had anything more than an air filter in three years.

Works OK if your happy to strain to the post and staple it on. Correct way is to tie it around each end strainer and meet/tension in the middle. But with people who want rock bottom price, mild steel wire etc I use one and it saves lots of time.

I can't deny that I'd like one!

Here's ya fix: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/62516-heads-up-good-replacement-engine-stihl-polesaws-pole-hedgcutters-combi-units.html?highlight=replacement+engine Love my FS70s, 8 months of abuse and still going strong. I'll chop them in at the end of summer for new ones. For a polesaw, you could even go for an FS240- twice the power you currently have. I might change one of the 70s for a 240, but TBH the 70 has plenty of power and it's harder to justify the cost of a 240. Long story short, 4mix are crap, 2mix are great.

Mog Operating Instructions: Step 1: Open wallet...

If he's winding down and already has five tractors and word of mouth contacts then he's halfway there. Trouble is, he's probably been doing it for beer money. You need £40/hour to make a tractor and flail pay. And when you're up against every jumped up little **** with Daddies tractor and Daddies diesel, agricultural work starts to look stupid compared to gardening at £15-20/hour just for a few tools.

What's he got two tractors and flails for if he's been employed to drive someone elses for the last ten years??

Surely you mean 'wing wing'?

For anyone on this diet and in particular Keto, I would recommend something like Stronglifts 5x5 as the exercise of choice. Very time efficient also.

All selling a few bags of coal means is that your customers will take an extra week to burn the wood you sell them. It would be OK if you made as much money on coal as the wood, but that's not the case IME.

Water weight mate, it'll shift quick enough. What's your BF% at? I'm at 5%

Good man! Best course of action. It's amazing how a little bit of success motivates you to do more. My top tip is this- no matter how busy/rushed you are, always take time to put a card through the houses around you. Once you are quiet, it's too late to start advertising!

The X-box isn't free, the phone contract is paying for it. Hell, you can't even get a year contract any more- they're all 18 or 24 months. Doesn't that tell you something? My post re the cheap phone and GiffGaff sim is your ticket out of a monthly cycle of being screwed by a phone company for 'going over your minutes' just because you wanted a 'free' phone (which is isn't). Take the principles behind it, and apply it to the rest of your life. Then you will find things much easier.

We can't all be happy-clappy. You just can't help some people, and plenty of posters with somewhat more tact than me have already referenced this.

And a £20 Samsung will pick up signal almost anywhere, has a two week battery life and can survive being tracked over with a mini digger David, if you're reading this, GiffGaff do a pay-as-you go sim where you top up £20 a month for 2000 free minutes, unlimited texts and internet. Runs on the O2 network so signal is as good as you can expect for out in the sticks. I spend only £10 as I only need 500 minutes. I'm not tied to any damn phone company.

I'm glad you quoted my post, some do-gooder clearly decided it wasn't relevant to this thread (which it bloody well is) and my original post has now disappeared.

.325 is a downgrade on that size saw if you ask me. I recently gave up trying to find an 8t 3/8p sprocket to fit an MS250, but settled for a 7t instead. With a 12" 1.1mm gauge bar on it, it cuts easily as quick as a 13" / .325 9t combo on an 036. And at half the weight too.