spudulike

Seen a few in over the last two years. Not common but then again, I have seen a handful.

I would make sure that you are drilling in the right position - take care on that part. I would use a 2.0 - 2.5mm drill and make sure it is sharp as some of this alloy isn't easy to drill. Pop a single hole through from the outside and then use a 2mm drift to knock it out - a broken drill with the broken part ground flat would make a good drift. You won't be weakening the structure of the casting at all as the strength needed is in the vertical structure when in position and not the horizontal. Manufacturers often have small holes in these covers to drive out the end of the chain brake band which can get stuck in the casting over time. If you really want, you could seal it with a bit of epoxy afterwards but wouldn't bother myself. Start at 2.5mm and wouldn't go much over 3mm - you can start small and go bigger if needed but not the other way round! You could use a little bearing retainer fluid on the new pin but is an interference fit with splines so shouldn't need it. That's how I would do it - if it all goes tits up, you can still just purchase a new cover so no drama TBH! I am sure Mark can help with that

If you buy second-hand, just check the top end is original OEM and not Chinese!

I wouldn't say no older than three years. I often see some very nice MS260s/346XPs come in and look like they have been used an hour per year. Just ported a 2012 550XP and it looks like new - you can get lucky!

I would reckon that the little pin would be hardened making drilling it out almost impossible with the risk that the drill will drift in to the alloy! Marks idea is exactly what I was thinking before I read it and is of minimal risk to the cover.

Why do I bother!!!! I had a MS460 once do exactly as yours, 5 mins and pop, it would stop and not start. The coil gap was just enough to spark when cold. When the coil warmed up, it would stop working. I adjusted the gap and bingo, still running 3 years later! I did Bills 361 and found it had a dodgy coil that would work fine and the saw would idle well but it wouldn't rev past 7.5K and was like it was rev limited. I changed the coil and it worked fine.....until the new coil failed recently!

How about running it until it flubs, keep it running, put it on its side, loosen the fuel cap and see if it suddenly clears or if it still has the issue - that is probably the easiest for you. The tech way is to remove the fuel filter and carb then pump the air out of the tank through the fuel line with a vacuum pump and see if air is replaced through the breather. There is usually a load of woodchip under that little cover and it blocks the breather, You can double check the coil to flywheel gap or reduce the gap right down to the thickness of A4 paper and see if it has any effect.

But do they know where the breather is Hidden behind that plastic cover where the top handle joins to the side of the fuel tank! It is the most likely problem but the coils on these machines can also go wobbly stopping the engine making full revs!

Sounds like the ring has worn, seen them get very thin on the ends before. I usually just pop in a new piston, lightly hone the bore and normal service will return

And because you should have a bit more time available in retirement, that is why you have a pension so you can enjoy that stage of your life between working hard and going in to an old folks home!

Trouble is that your outlook changes as you get older and holidays abroad, trips to the pub and getting pissed in the garden during the summer starts to look more appealing as the years go by!

MMMM, yes Stuart, not sure what your version of ""CLEAN" is but your saw certainly wasn't as was the 353XP in the picture....you know who you are. I have a 395XP to do now...brand new and a spanking 550XP which is 4 years old but looks new......doing these gives me time to spend on the important bit rather than TWO hours cleaning your 441 - still getting bits of chip out of my hair

No you don't, if you put a grand in to an Equity ISA and after 30 years it is worth £12K, you take out £12k and don't pay a penny in capital gains tax. You don't get tax relief on your pay as with a pension but an ISA is a tax free saving!!! Just don't confuse equity with a cash ISA.

Equity ISAs are pretty simple, you are basically buying shares in a fund that normally consists of lots of shares in a number of companies. You can invest lump sums or make regular savings and there are minimum and maximum amounts you can invest in during a given year. You take your hard earned and invest it, the fund you have invested in should grow over the many years you save for and you can draw your money out and pay no tax on any gains you have made. They tend to be a bit more "interesting" than the more safe pension funds. Personally I would avoid the banks etc and just look at different funds from the big investment companies, Schroeder, Bailey Gifford, Jupiter, JP Morgan etc. They are a bit like a fancy bank account with the main difference being that your fund can plummet if the markets are volatile but they can also make 30% in a good year but nothing is guaranteed and much depends on your investment strategy. Take more risk when young and less when older is the norm! You can instruct your investor to switch funds or pull out funds at any time. Lots online about them and they are a sound long term investment. Do Not Leave it in a Savings Account!!!!!!

Been modding equipment most of my life but chainsaws for around 7 years. Got in to this line by accident after a long time in manufacturing and then a stint in sales. I look at things and think...I wonder what would happen if.........just my way and enjoy what I do despite some of the challenging things that roll in the shop!

The £523K would give an annual pension of circa £26k but most would draw down a lump sum at 55. you then have a good old chunk of money to keep you going until you get your government pension kicks in. Sounds like you have got the right attitude to making the most of early retirement.

Are you trying to date me ................54 so a little bit down the road of life from you. Getting financially stable gives you options later in life - you can make your own mind up whether you work hard, take it easy or just lie back and catch up on your sleep. I think you will be bored if you knock it on the head too early, I would but it is having the option that you can if you like that is important and the lack of worry.

So - you have two opinions, one where you save, build up some wealth over a long period, perhaps retire at 55-60 years and enjoy a bit or R&R. The other where you don't give a damn and just keep working till you drop - it never is that clear cut but these are the two options or somewhere in between. Starting early is the best option, think of the old acorns to oaks adage - the longer the tree grows, the more logs you get! Pensions are pensions and bound by pension legislation but there are other tax free savings out there that can give good returns such as equity ISAs, sure, you pay tax on your earnings but unlike pensions, when you take your savings out, you pay no tax and they are pretty flexible. If equity gives you the wobbles then the housing market may beckon. It all depends on where you want to be once you hit 50-60.....where do you want to be?

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Back on pensions - you should start saving as early as possible, if you leave it to later in life, you have to put away much larger amounts the later you leave it. Don't think of a pension kicking in at 65-67 years, savings/pensions give you the benefit of retiring early and bridging the gap between retiring and getting your own pension supported by the government one later in life. What happens if you don't have a pension - you end up with the bare minimum when you eventually reach an age where you shouldn't be worrying about money.

Time will tell, not sure it will last like a 460/660 etc but lets see!

There is a limit to what tax can be paid by guys washing cars for peanuts and paying a proportion of their wages back to the business owner for crappy accommodation!!! What about the costs on the economy like translators in schools, police and hospitals etc

Spirit and compressor - works for me but find it annoying that owners don't seem able to pop covers off every 6 months and clean their saws!

Another lovely clean machine.....well it is now

The email etc don't show up if viewing on a phone but we have made contact and time will tell!