wyk

True. Even so, if you grab your own firewood in the PNW, you likely will face similar circumstances, and having more bar isn't gonna hurt much. I run a 22" bar on my very heavily ported 262xp much of the time when I don't feel I need a larger saw for firewood. Here's the thing with a 16" 3/8 bar on it after porting and a pop up in white pine: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpHW6wmXPA8]Wes' 261.75.mkv - YouTube[/ame] As for the 880, my guess is STIHL Assume you are going to stump or low cut with the 880, thus providing a hard nosed bar so the sprockets are not damaged by all the dirt/sap, silica, etc. Can you not have it delivered with a sprocket nose for felling?

Although you are probably right about the autotune part of it, Randy did note in his post(that is originally from another US forum) that he used a lot of varying pressure from cut to cut. He used a LOT of force in the 3rd and 4th cuts yet it kept on chugging along. You can search the web for 'mastermind meets the 562xp' for more info on what he did as far as work. Here's a 562xp Mitch did wearing a 28" bar: [ame] [/ame] [ame] [/ame]

Logging Pacific Northwest US style is cutting 2ft to 5ft+ trees dbh on the side of a mountain. Farming is working relatively soft hillsides or flats - compared to the pacific northwest, England has no mountains. Now, if I carry a 30-32" bar on a 70cc powerhead I can now cut 99% of the trees I am likely to come accross on the side of a mountain without having to go back and get a bigger/smaller saw/bar until I run in to an 8 foot spruce or yellow cedar(and they are out there, you can hinge/plunge cut them if you want, but that is asking for trouble more often than not). When you come accross that rare large tree to fell on a farm in England, you can go to the shed or the tractor or truck and grab a larger saw. That option isn't available when you are working the side of a mountain unless you plan on wasting a few hours a day in a job where you are often pad by the tree. So the fewer cuts I make, the more trees I can put on the ground in given time. Using a 20" bar on a 70cc saw in 3' softwoods like cedar, fir, and pine is a complete and utter waste of time. So, you bring a 'one size fits all' tool to the work site and make do. You then carry that saw, it's fuel and oil, your other felling equipment, and water up and down the side of a mountain all day. The professionals that do this job are not messing around. When I worked in England, I switched from the issued 60cc saw with 15" bar to my personally ported 50cc saw and 20" narrow kerf bar and increased my production significantly.

I may have spoke too soon. Someone brought this to my attention on another forum. This looks to be a 555(AKA 560 in the UK) with a 24" bar in Montana softwoods. I think I see a Lodgepole pine, Larch, white pine, and a douglas fir there: Ax Men — Greenhorn Gets Schooled — History.com Videos

Sry if I'm a bit late to the thread as well, but I thought a west coast American could shed some light. On the American forum sites there also is debate on bar sizes between west coasters and east coasters. East coast mostly cut on hardwoods, while west coast mostly cut on softwood. Also, the west coast gets quite a bit more rain, 80-90 inches/yr in some spots isn't rare. So even the hardwoods like big leaf maple, ash, alder, cottonwood/poplar are fairly soft compared to east coast counterparts, and UK hardwoods. Oaks are fairly rare, Beech nonexistent, etc. In such an environment a 60cc saw can easily live with a 20" bar all it's life, and live a long life and run efficiently. Sometimes 24" bar may be used to do some snedding/limbing with or to fell the occasional 3' wide Fir or Cedar one comes across. Saws are quite ubiquitous in the American Pacific North West. Many residents heat their homes with wood, and the states allow them to hunt firewood from certain areas of certain sizes each year. Porting mufflers and cylinders are far more common there than anywhere else in the world. As is skip, semi skip, and square ground chain(all designed to work best in softwoods - namely douglas fir). Having said that, I don't often see 24" bars on 60cc saws unless they are modified. Some will use up to 32" bars on a muffler-modified 70cc saw with full skip square chain with low rakers for larger wood out here, but 28" seems to work better, if you ask me. Pro's will often have 32" bars on ported 70cc saws, tho.

I suspect part of the problem is the internal arrestor screen inside the muffler. Mine was roughly 85% clogged with carbon build up when I received the saw. Unless you knew about it, you wouldn't know there was one in there and to look after it. So, what would happen is you use it, have to lean it out some to run, use it some more, lean it out some more, etc etc until the exhaust side starts to lean seize and you lose all your compression. A silly design. I've since removed it and gutted the muffler. I've grabbed a piston from a 346XP older edition before they went to 50cc's, machined a pop up into the top of the piston, and will be cleaning up the cylinder with muritic acid soon here when I find the time. I've taken some skirt measurements from the piston and have already ported the cylinder, advanced both ignition and exhaust a tad, and raised the upper transfers as well as relieving quite a bit on the lowers. It will either sing or explode. Wish me luck.

I just came accross a 444se as well while back here in the states. I am told a 242xp piston works, but I doubt the cylinder will. This one has low compression so I am gonna clean it up and put a new ring on it and see how she does.

pm sent

Cheers, bud!

I know this is a long shot, but here goes: I am an American currently living in the Dublin area. I am willing to relocate anywhere. I have my 30 and 31 certs, as well as a safe pass cert. I have a few years working on trees, and about a year falling large Firs, Ashes and Maples in Oregon. I have my own saws, and PPE. Let me know if I can help you. Obliged

I spoke with Chris - he seems to really be on the ball. I'll likely go with him. Thanks a bunch for the ref.

Thanks for the response. I think I have the gear sorted now. I am gonna either try for TCI or Coillte in Ireland.

Howdy, Guys. Long time listener, first time caller. I intend to get my 30 and 31 cert in the next couple of months in Ireland. I was wondering if you could let me know what all I will need to take the certs. All the stuff I have is OSHA compliant as I live in Oregon, USA, so I doubt it will be EN certified. I own a 372XP and an Echo cs-520. I do have safety chain for both, are these required? I know chaps won't do, and likely my helmet won't suffice. I intend to get the necessary equipment and containers in Ireland or on line whilst in Ireland. So what shall I procure, and where is the best place to get it? Obliged!