Flyguy

Dont know about vans, but I always put winter tyres onto my 10 year old, rear wheel drive BMW. They make a huge difference and I can regularly get around in the snow better than FWD cars. However, as already mentioned, the rubber compound is softer and will wear quickly over the summer and the more aggressive tread profile will increase your fuel consumption. I generally run them November to March...

I got mine from Amazon for £19.95 - seems to work well. However, if you are measuring firewood be sure to measure the INSIDE of the log. Split in half and measure the middle of the freshly exposed face in a couple of places to get a feel for the actual moisture level. Also, measure the middle of your biggest log and a smaller one - if both are the same then they have been well seasoned and reached an equilibrium with the environment in which they were stored. If the small log is significantly lower then they havent been seasoned for long enough.... Hope that helps... FG

Sounds like the battery is shot - even the most basic laptops should be giving you 2-3 hours minimum. Might be worth getting a new battery first to see if this helps before chucking it in and going for a Mac.... Although I certainly would recommend getting a Macbook or Macbook Pro if you can. An all together more civilised computer !

I take your point, especially for the big tree that I am currently dealing with. However, this is likely to be the exception rather than the rule and most of the time it'll be dealing with firewood and much smaller stuff. As such the bigger size, heavier weight and higher fuel consumption of a bigger saw is probably not justified for what it will be doing much of the time.

Just a quick update... Met up with Gerbutt today to find out how it should be done . Got some great tips on safety (eg. always apply chain brake when not actually cutting), ppe and technique. Also, got to see how a professional saw has the grunt and endurance to be able to take on a big job even if it does involve just cutting out blocks.... Very useful and very much appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the comments. Obviously everybody has their own opinion and both are good quality pro-level saws. However, I get the overall feeling that the Husky 346XP is generally held in higher regard than the Stihl MS 260. However, given that the MS 260 has been discontinued and that the MS 261 is now the current saw this comparison is a bit moot. The 261 claims to have addressed many of the issues people didnt like about the 260 and has more power, lower emissions and lower vibration levels (apparently). As such, would anyone like to comment on how the 261 v 346XP comparison stacks up now ? Thanks ! FG

Funnily enough - just suggested exactly that to the Mrs [not sure she was convinced though]

Thats a very kind offer indeed ! Many thanks. It would be a great chance to see it in action... I'm up in Bents Green S11 - message [being] sent.

You may have hit on something ! They look beautiful. Also Made in Sheffield (just down the road from me) and a lot less money than a new Stihl Although, sadly, slightly less useful for general firewood cutting...

Yep - absolutely. I did try cross cutting as deep as I could and then trying to split out chunks by hitting the endgrain with a maul. However swinging an 8lb splitting maul from overhead to impact below and between your feet while standing on the trunk was so obviously a BAD idea that I didnt try it a second time ... not that it worked first time either.

No worries ! I had worked out that I could nibble away by cutting out blocks but it was just painfully slow. I just wondered if there was a technique that the professionals used that I hadn't heard off. And yes - absolutely right an extra 3" on a new saw isnt going to make much difference. But if it can cut out a [slightly larger] block in less than 10 min and not need a rest to cool down afterwards then it might be worth a go. ... also potentially a good justification for a new toy to tell the Mrs However I'll give the splitting approach hullsmillfarm suggested a go first (and then make a decision once I've buried 4 wedges in the trunk)

Ah yes - I see. Good idea. As long as it splits reasonably straight that should do the trick. Will head out tomorrow and see if I can pick up a couple of extra wedges to give this a go. Cheers.

I have had a go cutting blocks with limited success - but as you say - its killing the saw and takes an age to release a relatively small lump of wood. I was wondering if I had missed something. Having got this far and invested so much effort into dismantling this tree I am reluctant to let it get the better of me. I was wondering if I should just bite the bullet and buy a decent quality new saw that would run an 18" bar. Looking at the Stihl website it looks as if the MS 260 / MS261 are the smallest saws that will run an 18". I bit pricy... but if it's robust and will last then it would probably be a good investment. I'm fed up of nursing this current saw...

This is an approach we have used with larger limbs. However the main trunk is HUGE - > 1.5m in diameter. So probably close to 4x the length of the bar on my saw. So even if I cut all the way round to the full 15" depth of my bar (and manage to make the ends join up) then its still held on with a central plug of uncut wood. Do I just need a bigger saw ?

Its a bit of a long story and please dont shoot the messenger... This spring my friend bought in an arborist to thin the tree in question that turned out to be rotten up the middle. Am not entirely sure of the details, but apparently there was a misunderstanding and the pro dropped the tree to the displeasure of its owner... Anyway, the aborist was apparently contacted several times and asked to finish off but isnt returning calls. By this time it had lain there all summer and I was asked if I wanted the firewood.... So in answer to your question: it has been cut off cleanly and is lying on the ground. We have cleared almost everything that is easily cuttable - all the brash and all limbs up to about 20". I have even cut most of the rotten bit of trunk (where the outside wall of sound wood was less than about 13" thick). Its the remaining chunk that is putting up the stiffest resistance.

Many thanks for the link.. useful stuff and I fully appreciate that I am not a pro. I am here to learn ! However I have got myself the appropriate ppe and like to think I have gained some experience over the last weeks work. While the saw leaves much to be desired I have taught myself to sharpen chains and when it IS running it cuts reasonably well. Its just the big wood with a little bar that has me stumped

Apologies if this is obvious to the old hands, but I have a question about how to cut up a tree ! A friend has had a large sycamore come down on their land and we have been working to take it to pieces, split for firewood and clear up for some weeks now. As a result I now have a good few years worth of wood stacked around my garden But can one ever have enough... ? Anyway, we are now at a stage where we are left with a large main trunk (about 150cm at its widest I guess) and an increasingly dodgy no-name cheepie chainsaw with a 15" bar. Its been worked very hard but is low on power, cuts out when hot and has a chain oiler problem that periodically lets go and dumps out all the oil onto my clothes at random intervals (maybe time for a new saw...). The question is - what is the best way to cut up the remaining large trunk with a small saw ? I have tried to noodle up the trunk and then cross cut 'cake slices' out with limited success but its slow going (especially with a crap saw) and was wondering if there was a better way that I didnt know about. Many thanks, FG

I am in a similar position to you jamesfwpurdy. I recently installed a wood burner (3 years ago) and have been collecting and processing my personal use firewood since. I have been using a cheep no-name 15" saw bought new for £78 but its a pain - little power, motor cuts out when hot, chain oiler dodgy. Am looking to replace it with a decent saw before the VAT goes up - mostly for firewood but also some light tree work helping out friends and neighbours in their gardens (in exchange for the wood). Would the MS 261 be a good option ? In particular, I am currently dismantling a huge sycamore that has blown down in the garden of a friend and am struggling with a 15" bar. Would the MS 261 run an 18" reasonably ? If so would you recommend buying it with the 18" or getting the stock saw for every day firewood work and buying an additional 18" bar and chain as a backup ? Sorry for all the questions - but I am still on a steep learning curve and keen to get some tips from the professionals. Thanks, FG