neiln

Damn it! Family life, rushing and saws don't mix....I hate trying to fit a bit of cutting in late afternoon for this reason Okay, Makita 4300 (dolmar 410 I believe). First use in a couple of months but was run dry and winterised (run with choke once out of fuel/pulled over a dozen times to get the carb dry too). Filled with fresh mix. Stats right up but stalls as I pull the trigger. Repeat 3 or 6 times.... Hmm. Blocked high jet in thinking. Had once before with a different saw and managed to get it to clear itself pretty quickly so . ... Start and let it idle to warm a little, pull trigger gently and after a few goes I get it to pick up, although not quite right. Try a few cuts, still not right after 3 or so, so when it stalls I think it's time to get it apart before I do damage. Ok, air filter clean enough, pull carb off, remove diaphragm and the cap the other side, all looks clean and saw is only a year old so diaphragm in good condition. Not sure if I'm going to need to do more or not.... Before I can try the saw again how the **** do I get this hose back where it should be!?!!! In disconnecting it from the carb I accidently pulled and disconnected it from the other end. Is that the impulse line? Whatever. How the hell do I get to it and where it should connect? Please tell me I don't need to completely dismantle the saw.... But I can't even see where it should be connected and fear I'm going to have to take the jug off to access! So.....3 problems, 1. What was my original fault? 2 if it's the carb, how do I fix it? 3. How to reconnect the hose? I put the saw back together to keep the bits in one place and put it away before the light went.... Now I'm sulking. Photos of the hose, where it connects on the Zama carb and where I could see the other end. I'm peeved as I take such care not to leave fuel in it and to use e free.....********!

the alternative might be 3, but flue pipe straight up to the top of the arch and into the flue as that's where you'll find it. NOTE, to do that (or 1) you could well need to rip the floor up and construct a constructional hearth, that depends on the stove...my guess you would need to with that stove

I'm going to guess, because it looks very much like my own house, that there is another room with a mirror image arched alcove, breast, full height alcove, through the wall to the right. Also the chimney stack serving the 2 fireplaces is above that internal wall on the right. the flue goes across at 20/30 degrees from vertical just above the arch, then straightens to vertical to the roof. that sideways movement starts immediately above the original builders opening/lintel. the lintel btw is most likely just a thinstrip of steel. its a simple job to remove a couple of rows of bricks and reinstall the 'lintel' bringing the bottom of the gather into the visible opening, and allowing a snug register plate fit into the flue.....that's what i did. however, your stove height worries me.....it may not fit between/beneath the gather.....which would make the alterations you'd need to the brickwork more significant. MAY. may because yours may be slightly different to my own...the arch looks a little taller so ... anyway, I'd yank the gas fire or whatever is there and stick my head in the opening and have a bloody good look! happy measuring.

Same story, same article being repeated quite a bit in numerous places https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-08/firewood-demand-is-surging-as-europeans-return-to-world-s-oldest-fuel

By over firing, I mean flue temp of 450C.....I had about 5 M3 of that pine.... It was a big 🌲

I'd agree, softwood is much maligned but I'd happily take certain ones. My stacks are currently about 3/4 Oak, this bit of South London has a lot and I just happened to get a lot over the past 2 years. It can be a right pain to get it roaring. Turkey oak seems more sulky then English but English still needs to be bone dry. The stuff I've burnt this year is burning hot and readily so far, probably as it's been drying 2 years and this summer was really further dried it. I came across my moisture meter in a drawer so stuck batteries in and tested 4 or 5 bits. I didn't bother to take them outside and split them so I'm assuming they are dry through but the outer face tested at 11-15% MC, pins pushed hard in. Smaller pieces will burn better too. Have to say though last year I was burning some very very dense pine, felled first week of covid lock down so 18-24 months dry as it went in the stove. Scotts pine I assume but don't know my pines. I knew it was going to burn hot as it's was resinous and a lot was fat wood with waxy chunks... Stove was basically at melting point whether it was a couple of small bits, a big bit, a medium bit and a bit of oak... Basically impossible not to over fire the stove significantly! Good stuff.. Too good!

As said, is it's properly dry then it's down to learning what it needs in your stove top burn well. I like lots of paper (16 pages of tabloid size), lots of kindling (a dozen bits, some small, some larger) and a couple of smaller logs. I'll let the stove roar for a good while, get it hot and the flue hot. Then load a couple of bigger logs and enjoy. Birch is very easy to get going... Very easy to split and dries fast too.... Anyone got any birch arisings they want rid of? 🤣

I read yesterday OfGem have warned or electric generator companies that gas rationing may be needed, and with 40-60% of our electricity coming from gas power stations that means black outs. Tbh that kinda seems odd to me.... Without the electric the boiler goes off so rationing gas to the generators and keeping it for households still doesn't keep people warm, but that's what I read. I've a spare stove we took out of mum's last winter....hmm, maybe about January I should shove it on eBay. I could include a handful of logs even!

True it's not really needed, and I've got an IR thermometer..

Not really complaining as they are so cheap, but I've got half a dozen and they all start ok but soon miss read by a huge amount, 50-100C or more under, always under. I can only imagine the curly bimetal strip gets too hot and bends or goes limp or something. But, if there is a decent brand that doesn't do this, I'm interested!

I thought building regs only allow a short length, possibly 300mm but can't remember, before going to an insulated flue. The stove instructions will say what flue diameter you want, if it's a 5kW (or less) regs allow 5", iirc over 5kW needs bigger but the stove instructions over rule the regs. Smaller draws better, costs slightly less and is easier to install.

Btw I should have said, if you're splitting straight grained easy stuff then perhaps a kinetic splitter would suit best.

Good deal on the trailer! A set of lights costs Andy m almost that.

Looks pretty clean to me. Give it a sweep, you'll get a bit out but there's not much creosote there. You can't see the top though, there may be more further up, as the gases cool and the creosote forms as they get further up.

The ms180 comes with either 12" or 14" bar with picco chain

Oh and £300 is still a fantastic deal for the Makita,. RRP is about £370

I had a ms180 for 6 years and processed about 50m³ with it. Good saw due the price. I happened to see and absolute bargain on Amazon of all places for the above dolmar/Makita at £270 so I bought that, sold the ms180 , huge step up. The Makita is a different class. I worked out the Stihl only cost me about £1.20 for every cube of wood though and I'm sure it works have gone on for many years to come. Husky 135, or small Echo also worth a look. Buy whichever the local dealer has?

Something from rock machinery would get most recommendations here. Just trying to picture how much you're hand splitting.... Quite a bit....350 nets must be 7 cube... Bulk bag? Is that a builder s tonne/yard bag? That's another 15 cube....okay 22 cube, 70-80 hours splitting and stacking maybe 🤔

Here's my tupenth, 'unqualified' just with a bit of user experience. 1. It's sensible to check the obvious things before going too the dealer, even after as a busy dealer may have a bad day and not be that helpful. So going through the manual and doing the obvious checks like is the oil turned up enough for a long bar and is the oil hole clear etc is sensible. 2. Yes the bar looks too be over heating. 3. Oil tank I don't know, they do get warm from the exhaust and many saws have a bit of foil/insulation under the exhaust as a bit of a heat shield. I don't know if your saw should have this, is it there? 4. Check the bar, chain and drive sprocket are all the same pitch and guage. It's not unheard of for a saw to be supplied with a mix up such as wrong chain, so check the numbers on them. Even fit another bar, chain, sprocket that you know are correct if you have one/can borrow. 5. Also check the chain is sharp, fit a new one, a spare is always useful. 6. If these checks don't solve it I'd go to the dealer again, calmly, find a time they aren't too busy and explain what you've checked and show them the bar. 7. Hope you get it resolved

I would have bitten your arm off at £500..... If I wasn't 300 miles away! ..

Liz truss confirmed as the next pm and strong rumours she will freeze the energy bills. May slow demand for logs a little... Or maybe not....

True. I'm slightly concerned I've too much Oak in my stacks and could struggle to get a really hot stove when needed. Splitting smaller and burning 4 small bits instead of 2 large bits can help.

Indeed, trigger seems unable or unwilling to understand those differences

What makes me raise an eyebrow when I see YouTubers demo the top down method they always use so much kindling they couldn't fail to get a roaring blaze in a few seconds. I use lots of newspaper and lots of kindling and it's away and roaring inside a minute. I also use Wax from cheese or waxed paper sweet wrappers and such if I have it, but mainly it's just newspaper, kindling and dry wood

40% of current seasoned prices, how does that compare to cordwood prices? Admittedly, finding the room for 18 tonnes from an eight wheeler would be challenging, but arb waste looks expensive at 40% of seasoned.