chrisj

YESSS!!! I've fixed it!!!!! Figured I couldn't do any damamge stripping down a dead saw, and since I was told the piston was scored and the cylinder most likely damaged too I might as well see how bad it was and get it ready to fit a new one as and when I could find the parts. Well the cylinder looked fine and whilst the piston was showing some wear the piston ring didn't look damaged at all and was free in the slot. Anyway I stripped all the ignition coil and everything off while it was in pieces to give it a major clean up. And then I found one of the wires where it ran around a bolt had worn through the insulation. I put some insulation tape around it (now replaced with some heat shrink) and put everything back together. Pulled it over and compression seemed same as ever and it all moved freely enough. So this morning I tried it. Started lovely. What a result. Looks like I'll be doing my own repairs from now on.

I've had a Makita blower Harvey since I started up 10 years ago. It's still going strong. The only time I've had any problem with it, it turned out to be a fuel line had become a bit loose on the carb and fallen off. I pulled it out of the fuel tank, pushed the stretched loose end back into the tank and pushed the other end back onto the carb. That was a couple of years ago now I come to think of it. Apart from that all I've done is put fuel in and run it. If their saw are as good I'd be well pleased.

Actually Hedgesparrow those weight figures aren't as bad as they first look, when you realise that they are quoting including bar and chain whereas some others quote weights without.

That's rediculously cheap! What's wrong with them? Although looking at those weight figures they're pretty heavy.

Thanks for the advice folks. A 560 is sounding pretty good to be honest and much more like what I was after. I didn't really want to go as big as a 72cc but the dealer was doing a good job of trying to talk me up to it. I might try and fix up my 630 when I have time (if I can get the parts). Much as it is beyond sensible economic repair to have fixed it would be a nice little DIY project to learn a bit about the workings of my saw and for nostalgia's sake. It would be nice to get running as a spare (and I'm quite attached to it). Any one any ideas where I could get a cylinder and piston from?

Interesting thoughts there wyk. Hadn't thought that more modern saws would be more powerful for the same size, but it makes sense. It was actually a Makita that I was looking at it the dealers. I wasn't really looking to go that big at the moment but you know what it's like when you see a bargain. I do need to get a replacement saw fairly soon but not this minute. Think I'll do some more research before parting with cash. At the end of the day no matter how good the price it's not a bargain if I decide after a few weeks that it's the wrong saw for me. My old saw has done me so well that I haven't looked at the saw market for over a decade and there are just so many options now. Time to spend a few hours trawling the saw threads on here I think.

Yes you're not wrong there sawfun. I think my problem is that there isn't one saw that is ideal for everything I do so until I can get 2 I'll going to be making big compromises. Probably more than three quarters of my work is shrub pruning and small clearance work. About 2 - 3 inch diameter stuff. But then when I get a decent tree job in I could often really do with an 18 - 20 inch bar. So most of my stuff I don't really need bigger than 12 inch but a saw that size will no way deal with the bigger stuff. I think I am leaning towards the big saw. The small one shouldn't take too long to save for and my topper (naughty I know, but needs must and all that) and a silky will fill the gap until then.

It'd be fun seeing him trying to clip on wearing boxing gloves though.

That's just what I was thinking of doing TGB. I was just pondering whether I'd get really fed up using the big saw (even with a smaller bar) for little stuff, more than I'd be irritated by only just having a big enough saw. I was just thinking that maybe someone else might have been in the same position and say "with hind sight I would have ........." I'll have to ponder it for a bit. I suppose I could always just use my topper for the really small bits until I can get a little rear handle. No, No I didn't really just say that. He says running away from the lynch mob. LOL

I have a bit of a 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other dilemma. My all round saw has been a Jonsered 630 with a15 inch bar since I got it when working on clear fell over 15 years ago. Now I do mostly gardening work with bits of tree work (although I do want to build this side up more). So for a lot of stuff this saw was a bit big, but I've had a number of jobs recently that have been at the limit of the 15 inch bar when cutting up the lower section. My thoughts were to get a bigger bar on my Jonsered and then get a small saw for the little stuff. However before I could do this the saw has reached the end of its days and I'm left with just my topper. I was thinking of replacing the Jonsered with another 60cc ish saw for now with a view to getting a longer bar and a little saw as before. But my dealer can do me a great deal on a 72cc so that it's cheaper than a 60. It comes with a 20" bar and he says I could go down to a 16" and ultimately up to a 28". Long term view for my business I think that this saw paired with small one would cover everything that I'm ever going to want to do. However I can't afford 2 saws right now. So my dilemma is, do I get this and put a 16" bar on so that it's not quite so unwieldy on the smaller stuff for now while I save for a small saw? Or get something smaller that will just pull a 16" knowing that it may be a bit of a struggle on some jobs while I save for a big saw? Jobs wise I've got a load of small stuff and one job that's at the limit of my old 15" bar so no clear help with my decision there. Someone else must have been in a similar spot before. What are your thoughts?

The ladder is only to make it quicker and easier to get into the tree. Once in, the ladder is removed and work is done from a rope and harness. Professional arborists don't work off of ladders.

Exactly the same here. Good job done and out the way though.

Putting my example into context. It was a landscaping company not a tree surgery company so PPE was largely limited to steel toe cap boots and waterproofs, and it was quite a few years ago. They were upfront about it at the interview. Their attitude was that they weren't required to provide it because they employed under 50 people. I can't remember why they called consultants in but they were rapidly told that they were wrong and we all got a set of boots paid for. At the end of the day when you're young and want a job, you take what you can get. Now I'm older and wiser I wouldn't be happy with it and if I were employed, I would feel that the company should provide climbing kit within reason, since it's the equipment required to do the job as well as it being PPE.

Yes that's what I was planning will.

The H&S consultants that the company I previously worked for called in said that they had to provide PPE (the company didn't up to that point). BUT they only had to provide necessary PPE not the PPE you wanted. So they could find the cheapest nastiest £10 a pair safety boots and say this is what we issue if you don't like them and want different you have to buy them yourself but you must wear safety boots or you can't work. In the end they said everyone could pick up 1 pair of boots (from the builders merchants that we had an account with) per year, any more you had to pay for. Then they hung several sets of cheap nasty waterproofs in the shed for anyone to use that wanted to, but no surprise we all bought our own better ones.

Excellent. Thanks Drew.

Develop a good rapport with your local garden centre(s). I have a local garden centre that regularly recommends me to people and I've had loads of work through them.

Ah. I didn't know who developed the RW or when. I'm glad I wasn't going mad seeing a connection. Cheers for the info.

I quite like the look of that. It looks like a homespun take on the ropewrench.

I registered a few weeks ago. It's dead easy to do on-line. Just fill in a few boxes and you get the registration number straight back. It told me that since I only transport waste from my own business and no building waste I was lower tier and I wasn't asked for any fee. Worth 5 mins to do so that you can just show your number if stopped rather than having to convince a jobs worth that it isn't really waste. It did say that there is a hefty fine if they catch you without being registered (since Jan 2014 as I recall) so for me it was worth the peace of mind.

As Dan says UKHippy has loads of info about living on the road full time.

Just the info I needed Steve. Thanks for that.

Yes i was aware of the difference between dynamic climbing rope and static arb rope. I'm using a proper arb rope. The cord the local shop sells is static cord and is available in proper 8mm and 10mm. The one doubt I had was whether the cord sold in arb shops was a different material and had higher abrasion resistance, making the cord sold in the local shop too easily melted or glazed and thus not suitable. Sounds like no one has any dire warnings about that so I may get some and try it low and slow, keeping a close eye on it and see how it holds up. Even if I end up using arb cord long term, I'll have an idea of whether I can pick up some locally if I'm ever stuck.

My local climbing store has everything from 2mm to 10mm. My main worry was whether the construction was the same. I was half waiting for dire warnings about how it would melt within seconds and send my plummeting to my death. The price is about the same and if needs be I can just mail order from an arb supplier but it would be just so convenient if I could just pop into the local shop.

Up until now I've been climbing on a Blake's Hitch (13mm split tail on 13mm rope). I'm looking at going over to something like a VT, knut or distel with a pulley. The only thing is I don't have any Arb shops near me so it would need to be mail order. However I do have a climbing shop nearby. They have prussick cord in a range of sizes. So is there any difference between the cord sold in climbing shops and that sold in Arb shops? Is there a reason I couldn't use the cord from the climbing store? Just wanted to check before I do something silly.