KevR

Hi all, I'm a long time lurker on here but haven't posted for a while. Having a bit of a tidy up in the barn and realised I now have seven chainsaws, which seems a bit much really (I'm not a pro). So I think it's time to let go of a couple of them. Trouble is I don't really know what they're worth, so I was hoping someone on here might be able to give me a clue. They're both old Danarms from the late sixties or early seventies. A 55 Professional and a 110 Automatic. Both in full working order. The 110's been in the family since the late 80s. Still gets used occasionally but it's big, heavy and LOUD. The 55 I've had for 20 years or so. Got it in bits with loads of stripped threads - many helocoils later and it works a treat. Again, still in occasional use but I've got an old Stihl 08 for when I'm feeling old school, plus an 034 AV, a Jonsered and an Echo 3000, so they spend most of their time on the shelf. Much better they should go to someone who'll appreciate them. All advice on values etc gratefully received!

The joys of living in France - chain oil available in the local supermarket at 9 euros for five litres! Maybe add some to your shopping list if you're doing a booze cruise this summer!

I used to be just down the road, too - born in Sudbury, lived there and Acton and Cornard 'til about 1990. Still got family and friends there, although I'm now in France.

I live in France and I'm backwards and forwards all the time. Not always with saws, but always with the car stuffed full, often with all sorts of potentially hazardous gear including welding gas and big scary tools. Never had the slightest problem. As has been said though, they're not keen on full jerry cans etc.

I think Citroen BX seats fit pretty well too. Pretty sure you can modifiy them to make the squab removable to get at the underseat boxes too. A lot of 'normal' car seats are too tall, so you end up clouting your knees on the steering wheel and your head on the roof lining.

Excellent - can you pm me some contact details..?

Bit of a long shot, but has anyone got a good LT77 Defender box lurking in the shad looking for a home....? The main output shaft splines on mine are seriously worn (very common problem) so looking for a replacement before mine goes bang! I'm in France but back in the UK a lot and can pick up from Midlands, East Anglia, the south etc.

Yep, if you're warping discs (unless you spend all your time going up and down mountains with a full load) then sticking calipers leading to binding brakes, leading to overheated discs, is very likely your problem. In normal use the rear brakes don't do a whole lot anyway, so certainly shouldn't be overheating/warping. If you haven't changed the flexi hoses recently, that can also be a culprit - they start to collapse internally, so when you pres the pedal the fluid is forced through the hose into the caliper, but when you release the pedal it can't easily flow back, so causes binding/overheating. Then when you get home and investigate it appears to have all freed off again. Worth a look.

I've still got one of those! Still using it too!

Plus I like them in 7.50 16 because they're tall enough to raise the gearing (my early 110 is geared so low I'm in fifth before I get to the end of my drive on 205s!) and they help it look like a proper Land Rover, not some Yank monster truck wannabe!

XZLs are seriously expensive these days, sadly. I've just got a new set via of 7.50 x 16s from a mate who works for Michelin and even at mates' rates (well below what a dealer would pay) they work out about a hundred quid each.... The best deal I've seen is from Black Circles at £135 each for 7.50s and £123 for 205 R16. Buy Michelin XZL Tyres Online at Blackcircles.com If you have tube type rims they'll have a 15mm valve hole and you need a tube with a TR15 valve (or a TR13 with an adapter). If it's a tubeless rim it'll have a 13mm hole (and a slightly different rim well profile) and you can use it tubeless with a normal valve, or tubed with a TR13 valve. My XZLs are on standard Defender tubed rims with TR15 tubes - even if I had tubeless rims I think I'd run them tubed for preference for off-road use. The XZLs are rated for either fitment. Agreed about Michelin Airstop tubes - they're very good. The trouble is finding them for 7.50 16 tyres!

Thanks for that - I'll give the ends a tap just to be sure, but I'm pretty sure they're fine. I pressed them in (ie didn't whack them in with a bit of wood!) and they slid in nice and smoothly. The main problem I had was with aftermarket crank seals that just didn't want to go over the crank without prolapsing. Sort it in the end though.

I think Shavey's crystal ball might be right! WYK - you have pm.... I didn't go looking for the 281, it found me.... I've already got a Jonsered 630 which is big enough for most of what I do, and I drag the Danarm out for anything really big/hard as it runs nice and slow and just chunters its way through. I would have put a different cylinder on the 281, with a decompression valve, but the main thing was just to get it running again. Bearings stressed from the rebuild? Possible I suppose, but I don't think so, it really is just the compression that's the killer. I'm very used to drop starting the 630, but I don't think there's any way I could drop start this!

Thanks! I think once the new piston's run in it won't be too bad. But at the moment it's a bit of a workout... Nearly as bad as my ancient Danarm 110, which only has about 6 inches of pull cord so it's hard to get it to spin!

Hi all, Just finished rebuilding the 281 XP I rescued from a skip. Apart from the sheer effort of getting the thing turning over (no decompressor, plus new piston/rings and crank seals so it's a bit tight) it's all good I think - I just need stronger arms. Just wondering whether there should be a chain guide on the chain brake side of the bar. There's a pressed steel plate on the crankcase/body side, covering the oil outlet and adjuster and holding the plastic slider in place. But there's nothing on the outside of the bar. Can't see anything on the parts diagrams so I think that's how it should be, just want to check for sure!

.... if a little light on health and safety requirements...! From about 50 seconds in. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=810982872296801

I've got a fairly recent Mac 540e, rescued from a house clearance for nothing, and it is indeed a piece of rubbish, no better than a lot of cheap Chinese knock-offs - ok while it's working but prone to stopping for no reason, throws its chain at the slightest provocation, and hates working on its side. I'm currently struggling to find someone daft enough to take it off my hands. I've had a couple of older McCullochs though, and they were good, tough DiY saws.

If you want to avoid the ethanol then avoid 95/E10 in general and cheap supermarket fuel in particular. The main premium super unleaded types tend to have very little or no etahnol in them - the cheaper it is, the more likely it is to have the full allowable 10%. FWIW a small amount of Ethanol (less than 5%) is benificial in normal use - clears wate3r from the system.

Exactly what I found on the (free!) 281XP I acquired a few weeks back. The bore cleaned up really nicely. Bought a Hyway 2-ring piston kit, gaskets etc, and just got my new main bearings so it'll be going back together this week I hope.

It's the self tapping thread, but the last thing I want is more vibration - already get white finger due to years of motorcycling.... Perhaps I'll leave it standard after all....

OK, that's what I'll do then - I think I've got a couple of spares lurking about. Pretty sure they're the same as my Jonsered 630 uses.

Aha, of course - as shown in the parts diagram kindly posted by Woodwizzard. Being a dimwit, I'd forgotten about the spring mount at the front. So is that there instead of the two front rubber AV mounts on the 281 or should it have the spring mount AND a full set of six AVs?

Hi All, Recently acquired (for nothing - my favourite price) an old 281 XP. Generally good nick but piston had nipped up. Bore is ok, so I'm going to put a new piston and rings, plus new main bearings, seals and gaskets to be on the safe side. Having stripped it down though, I have a query. It has four rubber Anti-vibe mounts present - upper and lower at the rear on both sides. But nothing at the front where the tank unit joins the crankcase. That can't be right, surely? It's not like they've rotted off and left the mountings - there's nothing there at all.... Obviously hasn't been anything there for a while either, judging by the amount of crud in there. Should I fit AV mounts when I put it back together? Or is it supposed to be like that? All advice gratefyully received. Kev

I've got an Echo CS3000 top handle saw. Love it. After a couple of cheap Chinese copies of Zenoah type TH saws, it's a bit heavy - not so good to use one-handed. But it's rubust and powerful enough so I use it for a lot of groundwork and trimming up rather than firing up something bigger. It's a bit sensitive to carb adjustment, I find - if it's set so it's easy to start, it runs a bit rich when warm, and vive versa. It could maybe do with a proper ultrasound carbclean )I bought it secondhand so don't know its history). Otherwise, great little saw. This is all DIY use, incidentally - I'm not a pro.