ThrustSSC

Sold out here - everything I have is earmarked for customers. On Sunday I have to deliver 20 cubes and load up 4 more for the following day... Crazy. My challenge is not selling this year's stock, it's getting in cordwood for next year's.

I love the way they've voice-overed a European video! I just hope the UK ones come with a UK plug - unlike that demonstrated...

How old is the saw? I had this with my 576XP at first - it was a devil to restart when hot. As time went on and it got run in (I don't use it anything like daily) it settled down. By the time the first chain on it was used up, it was no problem at all.

Much younger than that's illegal, you know??!

Those are the crap chinky rip-offs of the excellent products of Husqvarna?

You'll only ever get a rough guide, and experience will count as you go on. So, for example, drier cordwood will give you more m3/ton, oak will give you less m3/ton, and so on. But I reckon I get 45-50m3 from every 26-27ton load I have delivered. Of mixed hardwood cord.

Couldn't resist, especially after watching you all dreamily recalling great saws you'd had in the past in the other thread... So c'mon, what's the _worst_ saw you ever had? I'll start with a Ryobi PCN 4545 - the first saw I ever had, bought from B&Q when I was just cutting myself some firewood at home out of scrap from a tree surgeon mate. It was forever breaking itself - and even just changing the oil pump required you to strip it down past the point where you split the crankcase. Vibration-mount springs would break, the primer bulb would split, the clutch/brake drum would crack. Second worst saw I had was another one, bought dirt cheap on eBay so I could use the first as a spares donor. Between the two of them I built up 5 years' supply of logs for myself, but looking back it was HARD work. Then all my mates started asking to buy firewood off me 'cos it was a hard winter and everyone had sold out. I spent the first bit of profit on a decent trailer secondhand and the next on my first Husky new... at which point I never looked back.

I feel such a newbie reading you all waxing lyrical about saws I've never had the privilege to handle in anger! But I still love my 576XP. Had it 18 months now, and currently working our way through some 18-24" diameter ash. It was born for the job...

I don't think anyone will argue with that one. I see nothing put in place to prevent it - and when 25t of diseased ash can be sold for £1000+ with minimal risk or burned for £0, is it surprising?

Sadly, Jon, not so! Ignoring "edge effect", there should be no difference. Smaller logs pack tighter, but they're also smaller so there are more air gaps. You can check it by taking a bag of big logs and chopping them small: you'll find they're still exactly one bag full! (Yes, I'm sad, I know - I enjoyed maths at school!)

I've had to put my prices up £10 a cube this year to cover the rise in costs. It's not hurt me so far with orders for this winter - I think folks are comparing to all the other commodities they buy, which are also going up of course. Maybe it indicates my prices were too low to start with? Or perhaps it's simply a shortage of hardwood in my patch - it was certainly difficult (and expensive) to get hold of this year!

I think this gets to the nub of it, chaps. How many times have you delivered to a customer and they've been amazed at how much is in "a cube", because your predecessor has been selling them a ton bag as a cube? Those 3.5 cubes may turn out to be less than 2...

4m3 delivered today, Jon. Another 4m3 booked next week, the week after, and the week after that. That's all my delivery slots taken for this month... Then a load more next month. I'm only a small-scale supplier, but never had such a rush this early in the season!

Trying to PM you, mate, but your Inbox is full! :-(

Blimey. It's easily 50% of what I've had this year. Try living in Worcestershire!

I hear you. I put out one advert on email this morning and immediately got orders for 15m3... If we get a hard winter, I'm going to be embarrassed. Most of what I have ready is already earmarked to fulfil orders. If it stays dry through August, I can take more orders, otherwise "that's all folks"!

I ringed up a 27t load of syc and ash a couple of months ago - and it's killing me splitting it now, it's so dry! Makes a nice change to last year :-)

Agreed, Jon. While I understand the liability concerns they have, I do feel they're taking it to the point where they're damaging their business badly. No point avoiding every possible lawsuit if you've got no business left! After all, whatever happened to personal responsibility? It's still easier to buy a gun in the 'land of the free' than it is to buy a Stihl chainsaw here - and they've got an even worse litigation culture than us!

Yep, the last chain on my 576 was the same. Made absolutely zero difference. On the sharpening front, maybe worth mentioning I use one of those "liquid paper" pens - a couple of dabs on the first cutter I sharpen and I it stands out a mile when it comes back round.

Blimey. My 576XP-G AutoTune has only ever given me an issue once - starting when hot and I'd run out of fuel, when it was new. Got it going in the end. Never had the problem again as it got run in! Looking for a 550XP-G next. Glad that one is going fine!

Right. But don't completely cover in the autumn/winter - just put a roof over them. Let the wind in still. Better to let a little rain at them than to let them sweat under a tarp.

20", mate. And feels like it would happily take a 24", but I've no need!

576XP-G AutoTune. Never let me down. Just cuts and cuts and cuts.

Do you know which they are, spud? Just about to break into a new 20l barrel of Husky bio oil as part of my "go green" credentials...

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