TurtleWoods72

Get some port down ya Jon boy! It's the weekend!!

I use the Maglite recharchables Jon, not cheap but have a good throw and the batteries charge in a little docking station, although if your desperate you can wang in some pound shop batteries. Best torches ever.

Lol, thanks Jon. Hope you have the weekend you deserve mate. A relaxing one!

I remembered that's I'd had a not too bad day, that all my grandparents died a long time ago, but I miss them less than I respect them and admire them, that superstition is counter productive and can now be classed as OCD. I relished the fact that I have a new saw and my other half allowed me to bring it in the house without major drama. I appreciated the fact that my family, and precious dog are all well, happy and warm, and that I have some bloody good mates who I've met on arbtalk and would hope to do as much for as they have for me, if I can. Life's short, but I enjoy mine, and so should we all. Screw superstition, I've left out all the parts of my day where I was no too thrilled. Get over, move on. Arbtalk helps.

After a hard day at work, got home, changed and went to buy some Prosecco for the other half. Thought it would be a nice gesture, since she bollocked me for bringing home another chainsaw yesterday. Lidl were outs stock, as were Aldi. (I'm class). Ended up in Sainsburys where I finally got some plus some exotic mushrooms for me. Almost £2 for a tiny tray. Nice though and you only live once. (Unless it's a toadstool)

Just bought a new cub cadet. Where does that leave me?

Lol, don't worry we're old farts teasing you. It's a classic Dustin Hoffman film about a young graduate who's going out with the daughter of a lusty old bint. Over the course of a summer she seduces poor old Dustin and all hell breaks loose. Her name is Mrs Robinson. Would you like me to seduce you?

As an ex Air Cadet I'll have to pull rank and say that hot chocolate is severely pongo. Crabs prefer coffee. Strong black coffee, what ho!

you're taking this Mrs Robinson thing a little too far no?

Watch 'The Graduate'. Is her name Mrs Robinson.

You haven't worn your original chain out already have you Dunc?

touching, heartwarming.

I'm ok bud. You'd better buy a new pair of boots yourself, since mine are still in use. It wasn't man flu, just an off day. Probably that curse you put on me whe we won the rugby!

Lol, ya silly bugger. Juggling's a waste of good fuel. Sword swallowing with them is the preferred pastime of the efficionado! Sounds like you'll be fine with common sense and a good attitude. As a fellow amateur I truly understand your fear and wariness of these 'killer machines', but in reality most of the nasty accidents must involve people with zero PPE, zero common sense, zero instruction or research, zero brain cells, and a flippant attitude to their own mortality. I'd imagine for every minute we spend worrying about what's what and how we can survive our next cross-cut, there's some nobber in trackie bottoms and bare chest, wearing only trainers (no gloves) trying to fell a large Oak in some old dears garden on the sly to supplement their 'benefits'. All using a stolen MS181 and a machete.

no wonder you hoped I'd die of man flu so you could abuse my poor babies too!

Not be pedantic because "better safe than sorry" is correct... But really? I'm a 16 stone bloke holding on to a 50cc saw with both hands in suede gloves..squeezing a dead mans handle and pulling a trigger throttle in with my index finger. How do I drop it accidentally and cut my foot off?

I have a pair of Haix Tibet Forst boots. They're enormous, cumbersome, take ages to lace up snugly, dig into your shins a bit unless you wear mega long socks (which I don't) and I walk like Buster Gonad in them. Dancing, forget it, but I do feel safe as houses when sawing in them. If I'm using my saw horse or my new favourite the Superjaws with log jaws, I just wear some steelies. Reason is my saw never goes lower than waist height. I've got some Stihl chainsaw trousers which due to an elasticated waist expose a builders bum on every bend down, I will be buying the braces in due course to overcome this unsightly occurrence. I had a pair of chainsaw gloves which recently decided to hide themselves with my girlfriend's help no doubt. I now use some Stihl leather gloves I got from Countrywide for about a tenner. I always wear my Husqvarna helmet, ear defenders and face mesh set, always. I'm probably not the best protected, nor the least. Likewise I'm not the safest with a saw, nor the most dangerous. Due to my low cutting experience and low personal usage compared to the Arb pro's I probably 'concentrate' harder and am more 'nervous' about every cut than a guy whose work means he using a saw eight hours a day all week for years. A bit like a newly qualified driver having to over think every move, which later becomes second nature. As long as you take all the precautions you can afford, and don't get sloppy or rushed with the chainsaw, you should live and remain intact. My worst crime is forgetting to stand aside of the bar's arc, instead pitting my head dead centre in the aim of a kick back. I think this will be soemthing someone used to other power tools will potentially do out of habit. One wouldn't use a jigsaw with their head to one side normally. Just try to be safe. Work slowly, don't let the tip of the bar touch anything. Use both hands and hold on securely. Use the saw dogs to get some purchase and leverage and don't cut above chest height (preferably lower). Also try to get into the habit of actuating the chain brake between cuts where you might have to put the saw down, or move some wood out the way with your other hand. It might seem tedious but it's good practice for a noob in my humble opinion. Also you know that your chain brake works. Disclaimer: this information is BY NO MEANS PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION purely my own personal safety rules which may or may not be adequate. I welcome corrections or suggestions. P.S to answer your question, chainsaw boots have a material in that if sawn through will jam the chain and stall the saw, same as the trousers etc. Work boots don't have this feature.

Ok Jon, I'm sure some matheticions will be along soon to help mate. Maybe the lady off Countdown could help?

What surprises me is that people openly admit they'd snap up bygone chainsaws for almost unreasonable sums of money, yet the mainstream manufacturers don't seem to ever grasp the nettle and release a 'retro range' of 'nostalgia saws' to,satisfy the obvious public demand. Sad thing is. They probably will now I've suggested it, and some designer glasses wearing tosspot will get a bonus on his £100k salary for 'thinking of it' while I get no credit (or money) at all.. ArbTalk is my witness!

You're obviously bored Jon lol. Download the chess game on your iPad.

Just wow. Wow dude. I think there should be a gallery on ArbTalk of carvings for people to view when they need some 'quiet time' to chill out.

Predictably I'm going to say get a Makita DCS5121 18" promo pack in a nice steel box for around £335 delivered. See where you go from there and buy something bigger if you need to in due course. It's a well made saw for peanuts with a Magnesium crankcase and good power for firewood duties. Duncan_R has bought one which he's pleased with by all accounts, I own one and think it's a bargain. If you like orange saws there will be many recommending the ubiquitous Husqvarna and Stihl models, but if you want an orange Makita get a Dolmar off Shavey or TCD. I'll stand aside and wait for the mainstream suggestions to flood in. Almost forgot to mention, give Echo and Solo a look in too. Some swear by Mitox for occasional use as they're cheap and have Wahlbro carbs. They're chinese made though so longer term might not hold up.

Any update on the DCS5121? What do you reckon to the extra oomph, weight and dare I say build quality?

Glad you like it! Wait till you've put a couple of tanks through it, it will free up a bit and be even more pokey.

Sportsmans Bum Centre lol. Good prices on most things but they're very much the Asda of guns. The blokes in the Newport shop knew less about guns than my dog....