cornish wood burner

Are you saying you are wasted in the wood. I thought those plants needed more light. Definitely real talent there Mr I. A smile has to be a good start to any day. Thanks

Sorry that's a lot bigger than I thought you would need. Woodberry Chilcott Plymouth would be worth a call. I have bought several pieces of special steel from them in the past and they have always been helpful. Explain what you need it for and they will do their best to sort it for you. That will be a fair chunk of money though. Can you go thicker rather than stronger.

A piece of high carbon steel etc will cost a bit from a steel stockholder but an old telehandler cutting edge from your local farmer/contractor might be just scrap price. Alternatively a suitable plough piece from your local agricultural dealer might also be cheaper as you could buy the size you want.

Hi Doddie, T20s and some 35s have quite low low flow rates. 3 .or possibly 3.5 gpm which is similar to a good electric splitter. If its for your own use then speed is not really an issue otherwise a PTO splitter would be the answer. I grew up on a farm and one of our tractors was a little diesel 20. Great machine, built well, easy to drive and lasts forever. It is good to see these old tractors used for what they were built for, you just have to size the implement to suit. Make sure you have a working ki gas when you buy it. Starts so much easier and the tank and pump are very expensive for what they are. Good luck with it.

Aspenarb your first job tomorrow should be to fit a divider between your seats and tools. Even a slow speed front end collision could be fatal with that lot coming at you. It might not be your fault but you would reap the consequences.

I cut my own firewood and if I was offered that for free and I needed firewood then I would take that in the blink of an eye, I don't see the problem. If you are doing it in your own leisure time it becomes a hobby. Same reason I like my saw, its not the fastest but it is pleasant to use so I enjoy using it. I expect most hobby firewood cutters have the same views.

That's a big compressor, in the region of 30kw of power needed How about something that would drive a jackhammer. Might be worth talking to a construction hire company.

Bar length depends on what diameter you wish to cut.

In Cornwall we have companies that specialise in selling, fitting and repairing tyres. What you need to do is take it along to one of these companies and say fix this please. End of your headache and the start of theirs. If they cover agricultural tyres they will have many contacts and should sort it.

My 211 has been faultless but I suspect you won't go wrong with either. You local dealer should be considered and might be the deciding factor.

Planning has to be time well spent, especially if you can talk it through with your neighbour. Hope it goes well

I believe the point Eddie is trying to get across is that even doing the bulk digging an inexperienced operator will be lucky to achieve 60% of what an experienced one can. I have worked with several different drivers and machines over the years and I have found that although it helps, experience does not guarantee a good driver. Good operators stand out by how they approach a job, operate the machine to achieve economy of movement and finally accuracy of finish. Watching and working with good experienced operators have shown me that there is a lot more to digger driving than pulling the levers.

I suppose we should add carb setting to the possibilities. Agree with no decomp to start a 365. Ours goes from I'm tired, let the lads have a go to impossible let's run over it. Joking aside I think there must be a problem with ours, always been a bitch to start from new. We just need to find a good local dealer that will have a look under warranty. Always the down side of buying over the internet.

Our 365 is good IF we can start it. Much prefer my 450 though, might not last as long or cut quite as quick as the 365 but its lighter, nicer to handle, better on fuel, starts easily every time (unlike the 365)and runs like a dream even with an 18 inch bar.

Depends on the size of toy you want to play with. 15 ton probably is big enough but it depends on the ground and how deep you want to go. If a 15 ton machine has enough reach and the ground is soft enough for it to dig at depth then thats the one to hire. Towards the end of a job I have had a 30 ton machine with a single ripper tooth defeated by the cornish shillet and we have had to resort to a second machine with a hammer for a few days. 70 ton machine probably would have just dug it but at that size you are talking serious money. Within reason get the correct size machine for the job you are going to do, it will save you money at the end of the day. Regarding bunding I don't think you will have a problem as far as regulations are concerned. 200ltr drum, shed storage or agricultural use which has a higher limit should mean you dont have to join. Always a good idea though if its not too much hassle. Don't take this as gospel but that's how I understood the regs unless they have changed.

Second that If available I would be tempted to get a quote for a bigger machine, it would be a lot easier and quicker. We are digging a small pond at the moment with a local 15 ton machine but it requires a bit of shuffling around. In the past we have used several 25 ton machines and they have more reach, far more digging power and a bigger bucket. If the ground is soft a long reach with wide tracks is what you need. Amazing what they will do in a day.

For the amount of oil you and I use I don't think we would notice any difference even with a cheap chain oil. Stihl or Oregon would be fine.

Its a bit slower chipping as we need to avoid slivers so go for a smaller chip. Works out marginally cheaper as the slabwood is cheaper and drier to start with. We drop whole bundles in the chipper and leave the bands on. After we have chipped I normally tidy up after work, so that benefits both parties. Don't think I could carry enough on the skateboard to make it worthwhile though.

Probably supply and demand at your local mill. If there are lots of people after it and they can sell at it all at 30 then that's what they will do. I guess that most of us on here buy larger quantities so get a better deal. Why not phone around other sawmills. If you find one that has a big stack in a small yard then you might get it for £15.

I have a MS211 with a 14 inch bar and Stihl chain. I use it to cut most of my smaller firewood. Present chain has kept me warm for a few years so no complaints. Do not let it get too blunt. I tend to give it a light sharpen every few tanks by which time it has cut a fair heap of wood. A few strokes is all you need. Your not cutting on the ground are you? Quickest way to blunt a chain

Agreed on all counts. Slab has now gone up a little in line with demand for chip feeding biomass boilers but nowhere near £30 delivered. I used to only burn slabwood but it was free. A lot more work than round wood though. Might be worth enquiring how much for a lorry load if you can store it.

I could let him have some of my twisted, knotty, forked oak and birch from my hedge to try. That would test it

Whether or not its advisable to do it remain to be seen but im sure you realise you will have several problems to overcome. You probably could incorporate a tensioner working as a clutch into a v belt drive system. Don't be tempted to run the machine at a higher rpm than it was designed for unless you want an unexpected look at the internals. Internet is full of engine suppliers but if you could look at one before you buy to get an idea of the physical size and layout it would be much easier to design. You need to be happy with the physical size and extra weight of the new engine and drive. A bigger engine will put more strain on the machine so if there is any weakness your more powerfull engine will find it. If you decide to go ahead, before you start you need to do your research and plan the whole job rather than try to solve problems as you go.

Some engines have a diaphragm on top of the injector pump. Air pipe to it. Classic symptoms are lack of power but also pressurising the diesel tank. Big hiss/release of air when you remove the cap.

Also make sure you pick a haulier that goes in the woods. They will have double drive, difflocks, better tyres and the know how to travel off road