Fieldarcher

Hi. Joe , Fib and MattyF because you guys use these saws day in day out in your job then I feel your opinions carry a lot of weight . All the replies have been very honest on this thread. Quite suprising as some guys I've spoken too are very passionate about one or the other . Cheers

Thanks for all your input guys. I can get an ms362 for £650 up here. The prices seem to be the same wherever I look ( bit of price fixing I think). I have an ms211 and wanted to stay with the same make but as I've never has a husqvarna I wouldn't know the difference . I have a Stihl dealer about 2 miles from home so this is a big factor in my choice. Derek

Thanks Ian

So husq is better value than Stihl ? More machine for money? I just had a feeling that Stihl was more robust. So 365 ? ( I do get a gooood price on Stihl gear so that's my Scottish blood talking lol) This saw btw is for helping with my carving and possibly compitition in the future , it will not see a lot of use but I like equipment that can sit for a while but will burst into life when asked . I have a Stihl Disc cutter that came to life after sitting for 10 years . Ok I won't be leaving a saw that long lol but it has swung me to Stihl . I will say that my ms211 sounds bloody harsh when running

Hi Guys I have £600 buget to buy a blocking down saw . I've already got a Stihl ms 211 with a Sugi bar and a 40cc ryobi with a 14 inch Stihl bar ( from the 211 lol). So what do I buy?

Hi Thanks for the offer of the Generator but I bought one last week. It runs my 900w grinder and lights so I'm happy. Thanks again

Update. Took it out the box , filled it with oil, petrol, pulled the cord 10 times , put the choke on , switched it on and 1st pull it burst into life. This is not the quietest of gens compared to a Honda but I'm not using it in a caravan site where most of these are employed . It has a sticker saying 92 decabels ( normal Tv is about 60 decabels ). Once your about 20 yards away it's hardly noticeable . It has a 70cc motor but it would seem that more expensive models have a larger motor which means they don't have to run as fast to produce the same wattage resulting in a quieter machine. One thing I have added is an hour meter from Amazon for £8. This only has one wire you wrap around the HT lead . This will allow me to keep up with oil/ filter changes( great gadget that can be fitted to anything with a spark plug ). I also used semi synthetic 10/40 oil.

Hi guys. What gloves would you recommend for carving ? Derek

Good job Ian. Like you I'm new to this but I'm an addict already lol. The guys on here keep you right. It's the first place I go to when I need to know somthingorother . Derek

Hi Guys Took the plunge and ordered the gen from screwfix. I will pick it up on Wednesday and wire up my shed at the weekend with sockets and led lights this weekend. You can see my efforts on Facebook "Caledonian Chainsaw Carving". Derek

I think I've found what I need on Screwfix of all places . £279 for 1.2kva constant 1.5 surge. The main point is that they have in my experience a good return policy. There does seen to be a trade off between cost and size of the engine . This one is 70cc but trueshopping is a lot smaller so it will be high reving and make a racket. Dave you never warned me enough. Thanks for the advice on changing the oil every 50 hours btw

Thanks guys I found this online and if I don't find somthing better I will give it a go. The tools I want to run are 400w and this is a 2000w model which should cover the surge at start up. It's the size that's limiting my choice, not much room in the boot. My other option which I looked into was a solar charged battery. Batt £100 20w solar pannel £60 2kw inverter £100 Led flood lights £40. This is green but not portable

Well I've been all over the net and a Honda is at least £1k+. I did find a copy for £395 so this is what you might have seen. Anyone recommend a good supplier of a good unit for £350 ? Are the true shopping ones any good ?

Hi wood hopper That's at the top end of my buget . It's a toss up between small and compact and cheep and back breaking lol. What was the name of your local shop? Thanks

Hi Guys I've been looking to buy a small petrol generator for running a die grinder and sander . I can't leave anything where I do my carving so I would like to get a small suitcase type . The problem is after trailing through the web it would seem every site has the same price for a 2kv size . Anyone know where I should look for a good deal on one. Thanks Derek

Hi Again Had a few days to play with my new 211 and sugi bar. What a massive diffrence in how fast you can create a piece . Tried out a few different chains so far and that's been an eye opener as well.

Hi Trousers from Engelbert Strauss arrived today. This is probably the best engineered item of clothing I've ever bought. I wear Haglofs when I'm out shooting field and they are perfect but I thought expensive at £110 but these chainsaw trousers cost the same but have at least 5 times the work and materials used. I can see I will need to order the braces to go with them . Looking forward to seeing how they perform. My new 211 arrives Monday so can't wait to get in the forest and try out my new gear. Thanks for all your great advice so far guys.

It's been a good day. Spoke to Robb at Chainsawbars uk. What a pleasure it is to talk to someone who not only knows his field but is such an enthusiast as well. Spent sometime on his website before I spoke to him and I know a few company's who should look at this to see how a website should work. I then phoned a nice lady at Strauss who was very helpful in getting me kitted out with a snazzy red pair of vented chainsaw trousers at what I think is a very reasonable price. I also found a belt that might just be what I was looking for on their site . Every time I bend down to pull arrows my quiver hit the deck , so much for a lockable quick release belt. This new one is based on an aircraft seatbelt so it should be more reliable .

Thanks Guys That's narrowed the choice down for me. Phoned the chainsaw bar guy today but he wasn't in so I'll try again tomorrow. Derek

Thanks for your advice guys. I took the plunge and ordered the 211 today. Thanks for giving up a full day to spend showing me how it's done Dave ( Dervish Carver). You gave me a lot to think about. A local art gallery ( Art village - Facebook )heard about "Eddie" and asked ME (lol) if they could have him for their new collection . 5 weeks in and things are moving faster than I can keep up with lol. SO next question :- I'm looking at getting a good pair of chainsaw trousers to replace the basic ones I have. After going square eyed looking through the web it has become apparent to me that the pricing structure is based around company's paying for PPE but where does that leave guys like us who have to find the cash for essential equipment like this. The thought of being trapped inside a pair of heavy overheating trousers is a real issue for me so I'm drawn to the trousers with venting etc but £300 really. I don't compromise in my sport so I'm not going to here , I would just like your experienced advice on what you have found is the best and good value.

Finally finished. What started out as a head , turned into this lol

Hello again. I have been advised to get a ms180 and then I was told to get a ms211 for carving detail. Any thoughts on this before I order it. Thanks Derek

A big thanks for your replies guys. Just about to pawn a kidney to buy a carving saw. Am I looking at £500 or is there better deals for a small carving saw out there? Almost finished Eddie , fun with a blow torch today . Just need to do the body and he's done

Thanks Guys I will look at these sites. I should have said that I am well aware of the safety issues involved here. I have been an archer for quite a few years and I've shot for Scotland internationally. In the last few years I've found myself doing more coaching and it never fails to amaze me when someone turns up having bought a bow on eBay and thinks it's as easy as that. So thanks for your help so far and I'll keep you all posted on my journey to release all these animals that are trapped inside the trees. Derek

Hi My budget is whatever it needs to be( Santa will be here soon lol) I bought a cheep saw ( brand new but half price) and soon realised its limitations with regards to detail and control . I just don't want to be ripped off on the price so that's why I decided to ask the experts for their advice. I'm lucky in the location that I have to enjoy this new found hobby. I've been given great support by my club members who have come up with all sorts of logs and ideas for projects. Derek