ThrustSSC

In my time I've worked with a Randy Shepherd, a Richard Head, an Annette Smith who then married Mr. Curtain, and a Drew Peacock.

Surely it's not just me?

New fault for me today.

Delimbing a cherry, running down the stem happily enough for a minute or so. Then the saw refused to throttle down from full power.

Stopped, restarted and still at full power.

Stopped it and had a good check over but couldn't see anything untoward.

Restarted and has been fine.

Only thing I have done differently in the past week is to have the heated handles on for long periods. Possible reason, or just an unlikely coincidence?

Unlikely, I'd say. The heated handles are a separate circuit, not part of the Autotune setup, so I can't see how they'd affect the AutoTune. A sticking throttle cable or linkage on the carb, perhaps?

Still, agood price these days, what species?

It's a heck of a good price! Round here roadside is looking like £45 for beech, £50 for ash. And then there's transport...

As I understand it yes.

 

A

Not quite, I'm afraid. Woodworm larvae take a number of years in there before they come out (5-7yrs from memory) and they emerge in the spring - so March through May or so.

It's a good reason for not keeping logs indoors past the winter, even on display. And why display logs are treated.

Woodworm goes into the heart wood - if I see any it's almost always in wood that's a bit rotten and is destined for the bonfire anyway. Or if it's a bit sound, I burn it myself.

Ash bark beetle never goes deeper than the bark - lots of holes in the bark, but not in the heartwood. Only one customer has ever mentioned it to me - he kept his logs in the conservatory and they flocked to the windows and died - but he wasn't bothered. He just hovered them up. But for the 'posh' customers, another good reason not to keep wood in the house for long.

Hardwood seems harder to get and more expensive again this year - or maybe it's just me.

Just wondering what prices folks are seeing for a) hardwood and b) just ash roadside this year? Obviously transport will add some to that and will be variable, but at least roadside prices will give a good feel for things.

As I see it, unless you want or have to live off-grid as the Yanks like to put it, you're storing trouble if you put all your heating eggs into a single source basket. Be it Gas, electric, logs, oil, solar or air/ground source-source-heat-pump. If your chosen mollusc fails, either due to market forces, strike action, downed wire, local/national weather conditions or other, then you're stuffed in the rusty tin of doom.

 

Even logs have their downside. But if you have enough dry logs and you can access them, at least you're not going to freeze and maybe you can cook too. However, I still think it wise to mix and match.

Diversification. Well put. Crucial if you're off-grid, IMHO. The only question I have is what to have as backup if we convert our place to entirely-biomass? If biomass prices go completely silly (will they? how can we be sure they won't?) how do we then cope?

I suspect the answer still lies in producing firewood as a sideline - it means we get it at very low cost. That doesn't obviate the question of what to do if we can get more selling it than the alternatives cost us!

Indeed. Just got a new hedgetrimmer - a Husky. It came with a note to register it online for the 2yr warranty cover. You even get to specify if it's home use, estate use, or pro use.

I have maintained, since we started heating the whole house with a gasifying logwood boiler.

That it would be cheaper to sell the sticks for cash to pay for the heating oil.

This is subjective, the only "fact" I possess is that we used to heat the house with one full fill of oil in the year.

For the sake of round figs say 2500 litres worth.

Plus of course the Morso kicking out 5kw for 12/15 hrs per day (say)

I am burning a substantial amount of wood with all the attendent daily hassle to compensate for not burning oil.

Preversely, since we got underfloor, I should probably install a ground source heat pump, (under our RHI scheme) and since we are in peat, this would be ideal ground conditions for GSHP too.

then sell the logs for cash.

But still run the Morso of course.

It is indeed a funny old world.

Difflock is spot on - I've made the same calculation that selling the logs to buy oil would leave us better off. BUT... I burn partly the crap that I won't sell (I market mine as a high-quality product, and that means properly-seasoned, no rotten bits, etc.). Logs with rotten bits on them burn nicely, but look ugly, and for me are a waste product.

Check out the Nottingham Energy Partnership online: September 2013 | Energy Comparison Data | Energy Cost Comparison | Nottingham Energy Partnership. They publish regular comparisons of all the main fuels - oil, gas, coal, logs, chip, pellets, etc.

The key learning is that wood is pretty similar to oil, and more expensive than gas. BUT...

The point about logs for MOST of our customers (or at least most of mine!) is that they are:

a) a luxury, giving them a nice romantic, warm living room after the kids have gone to bed

b) a 'point' heat source, heating only the room they're using. AGAs are the same - although they're inefficient compared to a condensing boiler, ours is actually cheaper to run as it only heats the room Mrs. ThrustSSC is in most of the day, not the whole house.

c) sometimes available for free - when you or friends cut down a tree, or burn some joinery offcuts - diluting the costs

Between the above, logs work out economical for most folks. But for those using them as their only heat source, and paying full price for them, they're expensive.

What will be interesting will be the subsidies under the new domestic renewable heat scheme: will these be high enough to cover the cost of the cord to produce the chip/pellets? If they are, does this give those prepared to put the effort in to converting cord into fuel the option of free heating...? (Accepted there will be administrative hoops to jump through!)

T540 , 560xp , 372xp , 395xp would be my choice .

Agreed, with a preference for the 576XP-G over the 372XP... and for what I do, the 395XP would be a luxury rather than a necessity.

I use an X27 for most of my stuff, and a Spear and Jackson maul for the stuff that needs brute force. A good combination. I rarely go out with just one of the two.

I've run mine right out with no problems.

I think the trick is to kill it as soon as it starts pinking rather than run it bone dry.

Agreed on that one. Saw tells me when it's about to die - so hit the red switch and refuel. Very occasionally it doesn't, and it takes a few pulls to get the fuel going again (no bulb - another missing item on that otherwise-amazing saw), but nothing untoward.

HI STUBBY//thrust does it put the auto tune out when run out of fuel thanks jon

Not on my 576XP. As I said, refill, decomp, pull, get on with it! It cuts like a nutter, and it's completely unmodded, so open to suggestions if folks think I'm missing something!

Thanks, all. Some good alternatives there. Will give it a go - shame about the size restriction on the Sugi ones, though!

What's the deal with not running out of fuel on AutoTune saws? It happens to me all the time on my 576XP - which doesn't have the fuel gauge. I just fuel up again, pop in the decomp, pull and carry on. The saw goes like a train, starts beautifully, no worries.

If I had to keep stopping to put half a tank in it would be a right pain!

Here's a deal for you - buy some of these new Sugi low vibe ones... use for a good while then post a review upon this thread with at least 5 pictures...

 

 

I've used them and found them very good, loverly and warm, excellent anti vibe and.... they are machine washable!

 

But I've not used them day in day out for chainsaw use...

 

 

After you've updated this thread with pics and review I'll send you another pair free!

 

 

Products for the category: Forestry equipment

 

 

But - they only come in a medium size! So that could scupper the deal...

 

 

 

Damn! I was all ready to say: "You have a deal!" then I got to the bit about having girly hands :-(

I'm with Jon Mendi-Plogs, I'm afraid. Big hands

Ok, I'm getting peed off with buying new chainsaw gloves far too frequently. I didn't mind when I had a crappy saw and bought cheap ones, but then I got some decent kit and graduated to Stihl's gloves at about £25 a pair.

Problem is, the leather side rapidly gets holey - they just don't last. The chainsaw protection side is fine, but the grip side is far too flimsy.

Can anyone suggest something hardier from experience, please?

Since we've had a couple of apprentices join us I'm making a conscious effort to be better with stuff like this. It's unfair to correct them on something in also guilty of.

 

It was fun trying to tell the newest how to use a saw as NPTC will teach him. I remembered most of it (and found it frustrating) but when showing him how to cross cut a small stem my team leader reminded me that I should drop to one knee to make each cut, to prevent poor posture! What a ball ache! Anyone honestly do that still?

No way! I'm usually sawing close to the end of my log stack - no way I would make it harder to run if the lot unexpectedly decided to start moving my way!

Me, I'm relatively-inexperienced user. I recognise that and admit it. So I use the chain brake when I'm not cutting - when moving around, when I put it down, when I sharpen it or fuel it, when thinking about my next cut, when rolling a ring out of the way.

Mind you, after driving well over a million miles I still use the handbrake when I stop, too. I wish more did so their over-bright brake lights didn't blind me. I don't want to end up wishing I'd used the chain brake more...

whats on my bench?

 

my land rover.......

 

lost my clutch yesterday one the way back from the hospital from becoming a grandad for the third time.

 

took the slave piston out tonight and the release arm is stuck, means the fork has worn and the wont work. so its over the pit in the new ish workshop ready for the morning. should be fun.....not.

 

really ant wait for this week to just end aready...

Ignore the miserable trolls.... who really meant to say: "Congratulations!" ;-)

that should make a good imperession,not!!! follewd by a lenthy & costly to you tax records check for the past 5yrs of trading

I've nothing to hide. So will enjoy the conversation

I'll look forward to my visit, then. First question from me will be: "When are you going to pay me the money you owe me?"

I know we need HMRC for the country to function, but I do wish they were competent. I can only presume the pay there is dreadful...

My 372 is spud ported and would at least hold its own against a heavy 576 . Probably quicker ....Is that fighting talk ??

Biggest difference - other than AutoTune for folks like me who want to just get on with things - is the vibration. Fuel consumption, power, weight etc. pretty well identical for the two.

Wonder how the 576 would cope after Spud had done his stuff? As I said to Jon Mendi-Plogs, when it eventually needs serious work (it's never missed a beat so far) I think I'll send it that way...

HI SSC hodge has a re maped one im told he loves it :thumbup1:jon

Mine's still original and still incredible! God only knows what a re-mapped one is like. Hodge does, too, by the sounds of it... ;-)

No-one going to suggest a 576XP?! Love mine...