Steven P

Think you are right with the QC thing. A big name company will make stuff in China but have QC in place to ensure that their reputation for quality is kept. In this case the Zama carbs being made there. In the back of my mind though is that there is someone with a set of callipers taking measurements, running down the back streets to their mate with say, Zama carb measurements and saying "Make this".. dimensions the same but what they don't get is the materials spec. Same with a lot of their stuff I suspect... but in some industries they know all the specs and make reasonable stuff. I used to work with a company that imported Chinese stuff to a German spec, far cheaper and the quality was the same or better.. but they had the full spec. The Japanese used to be the same - example here being their car industry, 1980s Nissan anyone? But their cashcow sorry, Cashqai is everywhere, Echo chainsaw anyone? (to keep it relevant). China will do the same, catch up and overtake us soon. Where we get lucky and get a thing to Western quality my other suspicion is that these are made in the same factories, so a quality Chinese saw might have the same metal in their castings as a Stihl and same QC - different shape but made in the same factory over the weekend with the same metals. (boringly back to my question, I have no idea if they are making carbs to just the same dimensions or if they are to the same full spec as the originals you see.. might be some parts are and some parts arn't at the moment)

Thanks, I've been through it easy bits first. Exhaust is clear, no spark arrestor on this one and inside the exhaust is OK, new air and fuel filters (proper genuine parts), new spark plug, cylinder looks good, it's as tight to pull over as the hedge trimmers (similar sizes), new fuel + quality 2 stroke oil (which run the other machines OK). So the next step is the carb itself, I've blown carb cleaner through it - though not down the L & H holes, I never thought of that (maybe I should have thought more, that makes sense). If it is coming off to clean it... my thought is for the time, effort and costs, put a new unit on or strip and build the old unit back up is it worth putting an after market carb in (loath however to pay as much for a carb as the whole machine did for an OEM one). Maybe it isn't worth it. Yes, I think your right, Zama C1Q. Thanks, I think I have made my mind up, I'll rebuild it, bit of a project for the next week or so. First though, a bit of a spray with the carb cleaner. Might get carried away and do the hedge trimmers too, chainsaw is a bit noisy for night time, that can wait.

Thanks Paddy, this is my third e-bay special, first 2 just needed the carb diaphragms freeing up and they came to life again (1 of these is in bits again to change the fuel tank - another story, on hold till i get a screw extractor). Both needed the carbs adjusting too. I didn't get them ideal but near enough - you can hear if the machine is struggling to idle, or racing and set the screws somewhere in between. Likewise while waiting for a service kit (lockdown) for the saw (had from new) had to adjust that as the filters got bunged up and back again working OK. Hoping I can set this one up as easy once carb is fixed... but as always, good to get a reminder what to do. The LA adjust will come later, just getting the thing to idle well would be nice (nice thing about this blower is a throttle lever - same effect as the LA by holding the air valve open and so much easier to fiddle with as I adjust the fuel screws. Still 50-50 really, guess if you get a better copy you'd be OK? but how do you know quality I wonder, or just take a chance.

How long wold you have access to the floor for and how much could you get in there? Best - cheapest - method of drying is to keep the rain off (a roof) and to let lots of air flow, it would be quicker than an outside stack, slower than a kiln, but cheaper than a kin too. I might throw in a question, how long does a log have to b in a kiln for to be 'kiln dried'? (dry the logs naturally on the crop drying floor, put them in a kiln for a couple of hours, 'kiln dried', you don't need to heat the whole space)

In a block of flats you'd have to know also which chimney is which to see whose fire is smoking. As it stands I don't think t can be widely enforced. Its the sellers who have to comply but once delivered and after maybe a week they would all shrug their shoulders and say "it rained, the sample of logs we tested for that delivery all met the standards". Guess this would be enforced by customs and excise and if they turned up at a yard the seller would simply say "that pile isn't ready to go out yet", you'd have to test the logs as they left the yard or at the delivery address, and then likely only to happen if there were a few complaints put in against a specific log supplier. Interesting thought though a forecourt or DIY warehouse. renowned for their wetter logs (also supermarkets) would buy their wood at the required 20%, storage would let that rise, however would they then pass the responsibility back to the producer? Almost guaranteed that the local supplier would be enough under 20% to be OK but the large warehouses want to save every penny, buy it in when it is exactly 20%, not a drop less, not a penny more spent on the kiln heating.

That's my gut reaction but seeing the AM carbs, they might work, they might not

It's a Stihl BG85 - not sure if it makes much difference (reasoning being that there are plenty of spares available)

Good morning, I picked up a leaf blower from ebay, right model for the right price, and knowing that no one sells stuff in perfect condition it needs a little TLC. Done a basic service, but I think it needs a carb kit (bogging down with the throttle, fiddling with the adjustment not doing much). So todays question: Do I go for a proper carb kit and put it in the original carb, or do I go for a Chinese copy and a new carb, save the hassle of rebuilding one - very similar prices for both What are your thoughts? Thanks

First job in an industry, unproven, and needing to be trained up at the moment you are more likely to be a cost to the employer - someone needs to keep half an eye on you so their productivity is down a bit and you'll probably need some one to one supervision. The employer is taking a chance to spend the cash to train you to be useful to their team. Chances are they are paying the going wage in your area - pay too little and they won't get anyone, pay too much and they will loose money. The probation period of any job is great, take it as work experience and your 3 months will help you decide if that is what you want to do for the next 5 years, 10 years, forever... If not, after 3 months both sides can walk away and chalk it down to experience. However if it is enjoyable for you and you can work hard then make a go of it, show you are willing to learn (same as in any job), ask questions, ask how you do stuff and if it is possible for future training in 6 months times - not in your probation but show the boss you are willing to stick around for longer. Often after probation I have had a pay rise, but it also shows on your CV that you are willing to work - easier to get a new job if you have one I've always thought that great wages means great hassles - the car manager on 200k hates the job with massive hours (and at home too), wok minimum wage and you might love the job... and somewhere between the 2 is a level of job satisfaction balanced with the wages that is acceptable for you. So if you enjoy the work, stick with it. You'll get used to the physical side, and an enjoyable jo b can make up for lower wages. Tree felling from Big J - a walk in the forest at the weekend that is being felled, half a dozen caravans on site for the workers, that £300 a day is OK, live cheap on site, bank the cash.

However, I have had tree surgeons drive past and reverse back to mine offering loads full of fresh cut logs to save them paying commercial rates at the tip. If you ask the right people the right questions you get the right answers. Have you looked in the phone book and see who the local tree surgeons are, bit of leg work to call them all but it might turn out OK, especially if one could give up a rented yard / downsize to a smaller one and use yours as their full time tip site. You don't get anything for free... if it's owner can make a profit for sure, but if you are saving them a cost (tip fees, travelling to their usual tip site, even giving up having a rented yard), you arn't fussy them you might get what you want. The final thing, nothing for free of course, maybe no cash but your time - you might not get anything tipped but you might get the offer of "come to our yard, take what you want" type of thing, and so log as you can load and transport it then it's yours. However, I would look at talking or phoning about locally and see what you get (my 2 best sources of logs were both from popping in as I was walking past, and just asking, the answers were both "take what you want")

My bad, sorry, I meant torx

I just took the exhaust off my MS181, slightly bigger model, slightly older, no gasket in that one either, but I guess exhaust / muffler side it isn't so important. (the hedge trimmers work OK with very worn gaskets on the carb side too, a tear here and there, but that's on the to do list)

and as an update for reference, I took the exhaust off, as you both said, popped off the cover with a crew driver (had to use the shape of the exhaust to get a bit of leverage). Hex bolt the same size as all the others, no problem. Turns out there is no spark arrester in there (UK version anyway). Just to wait for a new air filter to be delivered, realised I haven't changed it for a couple of years now.

Perfect, I'll try that shortly. Thanks

Good evening and sorry if this has been asked before, I didn't see anything though My MS181 is loosing a bit of power, the internet says to check the spark arrester, but on this machine the bolts for the exhaust are a weird 3 slot head on the circumference arrangement if that makes sense. So the question is... what do I need to open it up? new tool or is there a trick with a different tool? Thanks

My problem with that is in the winter, when I use smokeless, the ashes don't get chance to cool down, I suspect that an ash vacuum has plastic parts which might not like hot ashes going past them?

Arn't they splitting a bit anyway? My thought that if you are loading them into the van / trailer to take away is it much of a detour to go home and try to split some? Splitting some this evening that have been lying about 2 years and they are OK, only 18" diameter though so not massive. Might be they go rock hard but they would also depend on if they have been stored left in full sunshine, or in the wettest part of the garden

We're always gonna need a bigger log store

Just a complete offshoot for the pricing here... took the car for a few jobs, service, MOT and so on, 1 mechanic and a bill of about £600 including parts. I reckon the job took half a day at the most. So multiply that by 2 for a full days work, and by 3 for 3 guys working on a job, less few of hundred for parts, 300 x 2 x 3, or about £2000, 3 workers for a full day, in a dry garage, all kit to hand, no heavy lifting. Have to cover all the overheads with that and we are all happy to pay that sort of rate, Myself, in my nice warm office, the company charges about £60 an hour for my time, including all overheads, about £1350 a day for 3 people to do my job, but no expensive kit £2k for a team of 3 to take out a tree that might take a day and based on a photo - stump grinding, clear the site and so on, doesn't sound so bad. Now this post... just cost my company about £15 for my time to write it.

Rocks? Knock it down?

My 'spare' saw, the battery one, has an Oregon blade, the other has Stihl and I have noticed, probably the same as you that the Oregon blade sharpens a lot quicker with a better edge. I've yet to get them both sharpened at the same time to compare but my gut feeling is the Oregon will blunt a bit quicker too.

Bird feeder, hate to say it but depends how much you put out for them, bit of a PITA putting out just enough each morning so that 'Basil' has nothing to eat at night. 'Dave the Fat' pigeon polishes off any left overs at mine, suspect I'll get the odd night visitor but I've never noticed them yet. My bird table has been pecked clean today. I have a cat scarer thing - makes a noise that he cat doesn't like (it works, so far no cat mess in the garden since Christmas, down from every other day before), can you get the same for rats? Might work or will they just get used to it or gnaw through the leg to disable it? Pest controller was around yesterday (dropping off rather than collecting), his Lurcher is doing well, he doesn't rate terriers and Jack Russels though.

Dust... so try dusting the stove next time? use a damp cloth and wipe it down and see. Not something I have encountered even with the first fire of the season. I know I will get it from the storage heaters if I ever use them again (6 years of dust in them now) or ghosts - Billhook might be onto something, ectoplasm maybe?

.. If you can use this advice and identify the stove... before you install the bricks (well, put them in first and check the are right), before you put a fire in, measure the dimensions then say, Alycidon can make them up next time or you can cut your own from that pattern

so my thoughts for what they are worth... If you recently moved in my first thought would be the paint, old owner paints it up, it looks nice, you fall in love buy the house. They don't care about the paint type so long as it is black... however since October I would expect a stove paint to have cured and stop smelling and a not-stove paint to have burnt off and also to stop smelling, I'd be tempted to consider something else. Noting that when my stove was curing you could see smoke coming off the top of it. Likewise your fuels should be OK, if you use them regularly you'd expect the smell regularly Lets assume that a stove installed 2 years ago also has a carbon monoxide monitor fitted as the rules say it should (and if note, you should consider fitting one, CO the silent killer)... again might rule that comment out then. The flue and the movement, that looks like quite a bit of movement. might be worth considering that for a moment. Has the scraped paint always been there? Did it happen once and there is was or has it appeared over time. If it has always been there it's possible when it was installed stove pipe was pushed too far in then taken out a touch scraping the paint. A one off occurrence while you had the house and something might have disturbed it, moved it maybe if you were in the loft or something, and if it happened over time, then it regularly moves. Second 2 things are worth checking out that it is all connected together properly. If it moves regularly then might be an issue with the install and to get it checked. Now onto the smell..... there was a post a while ago somewhere made me think of this... is the smell from the stove itself, from near the stove or from the chimney? can you work that out? The chimney heats up quickly, might be something too close to that somewhere? Just have a check along it and see that there is nothing in the loft too close perhaps. The only thing I can think of that might be happening is that a cold stove and the metal work shrinks opening a gap in a joint (stove to chimney perhaps?) - different metal types, different expansions. If you use it for a few days, it all warms up enough for the metals to expand and seal the joints, could try come high temperature silicone to seal around the joints? Try to work out what causes the chimney movement first though else any seal will come undone. Wonder if your local friendly sweep can take a look for you also? They might be able to rule out leaking joints, and thatt he chimney is installed correctly Note.. I am not an expert at these things, just my thoughts on what you say