ashtree

Oh dear, it could all so easily have gone tits up.

I tried it last winter on an open log fire. The chip was clean and dry and I found the best way was to build a thick layer at the back of the grate leaving the front half clear and bright. The thickness of the chip layer gave it a reasonably long burn through time and I reckon it extended the time between the need for another round of logs by about half, so well worth doing although a bit messy with a box of chip in the hearth. Years ago I had a Tirolia wood fired cooker that did domestic hot water and ran the central heating as well, I decided it would be an ideal way to get rid of sawdust and tried giving it a fill. The stove shut down to 'slumber' and unbeknown to me started producing unburnt gas which filled the whole stove. When the temperature dropped and the dampers opened the first flame ignited the gas and produced what the army call a 'low order explosion', all the lids flew off and all the doors blew open.....the kitchen turned black. Cleaned all the flues out though. My wife did laugh..........well, I was allowed back in after a week.

I bought a Timberwolf 18/100 chipper to help my son when he started his tree business nearly two years ago. I knew nothing about chippers then although I am mechanicaly savvy after spending my working life in the truck repair business. I still don't have experience of other machines but I can say that the Timberwolf has exceeded all our expectations and is certainly a great starter machine. The 18/100 is what I call a 'well sorted bit of kit'. It is simple, strong, well put together and can be virtualy field stripped with just three spanner sizes. This thing will certainly chip up to its 4" rated size plus a bit more, If the brash will go through the hole it'll chip. Two of you can manhandle this machine just about anywhere and It's narrow enough to get round the back of houses. It has a high work rate and I have no hesitation in recommending it highly. When I bought this machine the bloke said "You won't be dissappointed" and he was right.

Your description sounds like a ring gear problem. Engines tend to always stop in the same place so just one small area of the gear gets most of the wear. Try turning the engine over a few degrees by hand then keying the starter, if it engages ok that would tend to confirm gear tooth wear but will get you out of trouble until you can get the starter off and investigate fully. Of course it might just be the pinion teeth worn back in which case a new starter will do the trick. Good luck with it, Ashtree.

It looks like a Trojan, I had one similar many years ago, very very noisy and vibrated enough to take the fillings out of your teeth. Trojan was a motor manufacturer that made a very sturdy van with their own two cylinder two stroke petrol engine. This had a novel arrangement of two power cylinders charged with fuel/air mix from two compression cylinders thus allowing a normal wet sump and lubrication system. I can't be certain that the saw was made by the same Trojan company but mine certainly had a logo on it that looked the same as the vehicle badge and I always assumed it was an effort at diversification by the then ailing car company. Unfortunately, like so many other British companies, Trojan lost its way and lack of investment and innovation saw its end round about the 1960's. Anyone old enough may remember seeing Trojans in the familliar red livery of the Typhoo Tea Company. They don't make saws like that any more.....thank God. Ashtree.

Thanks for the welcome Pedroski, it is appreciated. I feel a bit of a fraud posting here as I am not an arborist, just got interested when my son started his little business nearly two years ago after leaving the army, so maybe that qualifies me near enough. I'm sorry you're having medical problems but you're only a young feller yet, so if you don't mind me offering advice without being asked it would be to persevere with the licence, it's a skill well worth having and you never know what's around the corner. The people on this forum seem a pretty friendly lot and generous in sharing their knowledge, so I'm looking forward to learning a bit and impressing sonny Jim and make sure he knows the old man still has a trick or two.

I must say I have found the DVLA medical people most helpful and accommodating after expecting the opposite. While carrying out a review of my medical condition they said I could drive after the expiry date of my licence pending their decision. My doctor found an irregular heart beat at my last HGV medical (Atrial Fibrillation) which had to be reported. I had no idea I had this condition, which just shows the value of annual tests for old blokes. DVLA said I could be reissued with a new licence once my condition was stabilised, but in the end at over 70 I came to the decision that whanging a 40 tonne artic around in todays traffic is a job for a younger man and let the licence go. It's hard to accept that reflexes are slowing down and that you can't screw your head round like a young'un......but it comes to us all in the end. So now I get called out as a groundie by my son....never worked so damned hard in my life.