Big Ben

Get loads here in France, but as it was said earlier seems some people are more attractive to them than others. Mum gets loads on her and has had Lyme's disease(not nice at all) But My Dad and me don't seem to get any. Perhaps we don't taste nice. We use some kind of drop stuff for the dog and the vets out here vaccinate dogs against Lyme's, there is no such thing for people though.

Just had a couple of days over at my parents place in Correze to witness the trees being taken down and removed. Really interesting to watch and quite satisfying to see that the pros get it wrong( couple of trees fell wrong way) Here are a few pics, just out of interest. Heres my little mate, Ludo! The old dears, see my Dads mind going here as to how much money he has coming. The local mayor wouldn't let them use the track for a while as it was a bit wet, but they found where the source(spring) was and its like this for a good 200metres. This Lime tree was a bit too close to the house and leaning the wrong way. They gave it a good shove down the hill as one of the chaps cut it. Me and my ARB dog. Clearing out some of the decent wood (oak,silver birch) before the bulldozer comes in. They are going to clear about 3 hectares so should make a nice field. I think in total they took 420 Douglas fir and a lorry load of chestnut. Don't know of the going rate for wood here but the old chap is getting just under €20k.

Just got a Jonsered 2036 turbo with a badly scored piston, bore doesn't look too bad but might replace anyway. I keep seeing in searches on the internet that it uses a lot of parts from a Husqvarna 136! Anyone know if thats right? Have seen a cheapish barrel and piston kit for the 136 and if it'll fit the jonsered I might just go for it. Thanks.

Another Briggs and Stratton, just for a laugh! Exhaust bolt holes have no threads left. Hoping a re thread kit will do the job else its going in the bin. Discontinued engine so I am told, got the pto coming out the side. Also got his in........ It goes forward but only just backwards, a quick look and it seems to be an adjustment. Has some daft idea of pulling a rubberised pulley into the crank pulley to then turn the drive pulley in the wrong direction which should make it go in reverse. No idea on sourcing parts for it, made in poland! And couldn't quite get this on the bench, picked it up for the other half. Should keep her busy doing it up.

Thanks for that, doesn't sound as powerful as it feels going by those specs. It vibrates enough to loosen fillings.

I've just done a deal on a slightly rusty Massey 35. Needs a few little jobs but runs well. Whats the going rate for one of these little chaps? I'll pop some pictures up when I get it home.

It seems to be a recurring theme, my customers keep giving me their rubbish. Today a chap said here I can't lift this anymore if you can get it going you can have it. Looks like its a Solo 60135 going by the number on the plate. Put some fresh petrol in it and away she went. Going to sharpen the chain and see what it'll do. It is what you might call flippin heavy. Anyone know anything about these? No idea what year it is.

Says your in the Charente! If you get stuck give us a shout.

Couldn't get it on my bench but it had me confused none the less. Out in the Transit yesterday and hooked up a clients trailer to run some rubbish down the dump, on route the speedo stops working. Thought it a bit odd to randomly pack up. So got under it today(had to grease prop as the new one had nipples on it) Had a quick look at the speed sensor and shaft in the box, all seemed ok. so thought it could only be the wiring or the speedo head. Had the book out to see what fuses do what and there is one fuse for the instrument cluster but that was ok. Went through all the fuses while I was in there and founs the brake light fuse had gone. I think their lights must have shorted and popped the fuse. New fuse in now brake lights work and so does the speedo! Whats that all about? All my years as a mechanic I have never come across that.

Here is my latest bass being put into action in the studio, its a bravewood P lovingly hand made using flamed maple for the neck and flamed alder for the body. Its also got a hand wound 'Bare Knuckle' pickup in it which really gives it some balls. This is another one I have, feels like holding and playing a barn door after the P but its got its own great sound. Heres my acoustic hanging up, also my old amp which had to go as it was giving me a bad back. The top weighed in at 44kg. Just sold this one. Aria pro II, probably should have kept it really not a bad sound and so easy to play.

I just replaced a shaft in one of those Stihl combi jobs, it was the flexi one, some have a solid one. Part was only €30. They get a bit heavy after a day with the hedge cutter attachment on though.

Flying the flag for Briggs and Stratton again. This time a Quantum 55 off a three wheeled rough cutter mower. My Dad said get it going you can have it, cheers! Anyway exhaust has always worked loose and looks like he has drilled one and knackered the threads on the other. Going to see if I can somehow re attach the exhaust, give it a good clean up and service and get it running again. It was a handy bit of kit when it was working. Wanted to use another engine originally, but its one of these daft ones with the pto shaft coming out the side for the drive belt and blade bolts straight onto the crankshaft. If all else fails I reckon chemical metal might be in order.

Generally I have found B+S engines ok, but just recently have had a few in that have caused nothing but trouble. Maybe the French market got flooded with poor quality ones, I don't know. I am liking however the Kawasaki Twins and the Kohler engines in the Husqvarna ride on mowers. They seem to knock the spots off B+S.

No idea of the cause other than the user is a hamfisted oath/bull in a china shop. I'm wondering if he has run it low on oil and has tried going to steep up an incline and starving it of oil. He has taken to cutting the grass verge from his house up to his neighbours which is a long way and pretty steep, my transit will only get up in second gear. Oh and its a Briggs and Stratton, I fell out of love with B&S a while ago and I'm really not surprised this has happened.

I've got a friends ride on mower in at the moment. It has had some problems before. ie the float was stuck in the carb filling the engine with petrol and turned it into a big smoke machine. Sorted that one out end of last year(think this is a bank holiday mower, been problems from day 1) Anyway he phones e up and says got a problem with mower, it went bang and then stopped and now won't start but it does turn over. So I picked it up took the cutting deck off and whipped the engine off. Now when you take the bottom off of anything its never good to find these bits fall out.......... The con rod has certainly had a battering. Told him its pretty much scrap and quickest to bolt a new engine on, which I think is the route we are going to take. Happy days.

Had a big box of new stuff turn up today, a new bar and chain being in there. Popped them on the saw after giving it a good clean, adjusted it up and ran it for a bit, re-tensioned and so far it all seems to be working really well. No oil all over the floor and plenty on the chain. Will put it through its paces on friday, got a big willow to cut up. Two bits have fallen backwards and two bits have fallen in the drink! so could end up going for a swim. Thanks for all the advice.

This should cheer you all up, I'm down to my T-shirt and flip flops its 24deg in the sun. Its lovely.

Heres my old chuggerboom, loved it to bits. Everywhere I tried to go it went. Lovely 200tdi in it from new. Lost first gear, then viscous coupling seized but was still plodding on pulling out roots and carting gear around the forest. Used to pull my old sankey trailer full of logs without a problem. Then the front diff went pop and the bits I would have to replace while doing that job was too much so sold it on to a Frenchman. I can't even put a wheel off road in the Transit without it getting stuck, would have another landrover in a shot.

I'm not that old, had to think for a while how old, but only 36. Things in France are normally 6-12months behind.

I think I must have been living in the sticks too long.....What is The Harlem shake? Only just seen what Gangnam style is about. Am I out of touch?

Don't laugh, its just a glorified wheel barrow really. 1965 D326, its on light duties now just for bringing logs down to the wood shed.

I'm a qualified mechanic, years at college learnt plenty of stuff in books but really got to it in the work place where you learn something new everyday. I have nothing for chainsaws or felling trees, for that I use experience and good old common sense. It also helps that my Dad has plenty of woodland for me to play with. Got to keep the wood shed full, winters are cold in the hills.

Bit of Horse in everything now isn't there?

My Dad burns alot of sweet chestnut, alright if its dry but as others have said its nothing like a nice bit of oak.

Mulching blade on the brushcutter for me, they do a pretty good job on the brambles.