outinthewood

Don't forget the rifle and sewing machine side of the business, the saws stuff a little later in the history. For the Stihl fans, tractors and heating boilers part of their history along with a short spell of uncertainty for Andreas Stihl for his part in the Nazi war effort, like a lot of businesses in that period not a reflection on him or his family !

I run a 28" on my ported 562 and have run a 30" just for the heck of it , my 357 BB runs a 28" just fine and I'm hard pushed to say which one is "better" The answer to running a 28" on a 357 is a Cannon bar or a large mount Husqvarna bar and carbide burr to elongate the oilway along with a 1mm thick shim ....

Just get a small dia 3/8 rim , 19...mm as opposed to 22...mm which is the normal 3/8 rim size or you will have to change the clutch drum and oil drive. The 562 comes with the 22...mm size rim as standard but trust me just get the small dia 3/8 rim !

Over here, R of I, we get charged VAT @ 23% on the cost of the item and cost of postage plus a 10 euro admin fee. If the goods cost more than 150 euro then import duty applies. On my last arrival of "stuff" valued at $140 + $131 p&p I got charged 65 euro incl the admin fee so it soon adds up and I would guess HMRC would have a much the same charges ? The suggestion of pre paying is a good one.

I'm 57 and look at a fellow sawman who is 74 and after a broken pelvis about 4/5 years ago he still works all the days he gets and still milks a small dairy herd. It's as much about what you want to do and not looking at what can stop you doing it ? I've been cutting timber for around 30 years and have all the bits broken and worn, detached bicep muscle along with mild arthritis in my hands and yes the mandatory bad back but I would not want another way of making a living. To say you will be worn out by X yrs is an individual view, however being eaten alive by horseflies and the like during summer and soaked etc during the winter is not to everyone's taste ! I'm not saying I'm special far from it ! I just do what I want to do and it's not for every one ….Oh and don't think you'll get rich during the process !

Yes, this will be the 7 saw he's done for me and can't fault his work. It's been held up due to the pesky pandemic, the 357 XP BB he just did took 6 weeks to get here via airmail.

Maybe carry a spray can to mark the timber if you are having trouble with all that speed ...Only joking, I didn't find any problems but just wanted a bit more hence the work being done and I suppose it depends what you are cutting and what you are used to cutting with before ? I don't think it's bad on fuel not to the point that you notice it. For a stock out of the box saw it's good, very good but a good well zipped saw of an "older" design i.e. carb will do just the same the big advantage is it's light weight.

I've had a 500 for nearly a year now and do like it for rough ground but unlike some others thought it could do with a bit more torque, yes press the trigger and it spools up fast. I sent it off to have some "surgery" and it's out killing Redwoods in California on a test run before coming back to more skyline work. The guy doing the work is happy that it's hard to see a big difference compared to a same level ported 661 but as he pointed out at 2+ lbs lighter than a 661 it's clear the 500 is the winner. As for being thirsty it is after all a 80cc class saw that encourages you to run it flat out !

I've had two pairs of the Alpin Pros and a good boot very hard wearing and the "griper" in the insole more handy than you would think. On wear and tear on your feet are you using good socks ? I have had some fairly nasty bruising to my feet over the last couple of years , not all the time but during skyline work and could not understand it - good boots not worn out ? My feet looked like I had been sat down by the Kray twins and set about with a hammer ! It was suggested that I start using Smartwool socks and that seems to have done the trick.

I've been using both for a while now and for ease of use depending on how you are with a file the C 85 is my preference. It's about the only chain you can use out of the box without touching and is fast without being "grabby" the EXL is a good chain but takes a little work to get cutting just right. The C 85 recovers well if you do have any mishaps the EXL a little more like Stihl in that respect needing a bit more work to get back. Skyland were doing very good prices on the C 85 and I think Rob D is also doing a bit of a deal on EXL ? Oh the "golden link" on the C 85 to aid where you started filing does last and can be seen the EXL not really as it just becomes same colour as the rest of the chain, not that really matters !

I got a pair of Husqvarna Technical "Robust" about a year ago from Skyland and they are the toughest I've used in a long time, had three pairs of the Tech Extremes and I find the Robust a better harder wearing trouser. I cut 5 days a week in mostly Spruce which is often blown and covered in brambles etc so a good test !

Just check that it the correct set for your saw, there is a difference between "old" and XT 365/372.

Have a 72" double power head GB bar and it's has been used, abused and still keeps going strong. When I first got it had to drill a couple of new mount holes and after 6 bits took it to a local engineering firm who still broke 2 bits before doing the job so very hard ! No cracks or rail wear so would assume the "normal" bars will be as good ?

K&H are about the best , Stihl are good but at a certain point they will start to absorb the strike because of the material they are made of and whatever you are driving them with just bounces off. Get yourself a good farriers rasp to dress whatever you get and you'll get more life out of them. As for the Oregon they're fine ok but only if you strike them dead on if not they snap like carrots as already said !

Ok with the HD clutch cover from 462 the outer is 462 but inner is 461 that's ended up working on my 500.

Another "as above" and I've found my m II a great little saw

I used a set from a 064 with some grinding to the outer one to get perfect fit, I had those around so just made do. The saw has now arrived in Oregon for some port work and 'cause he has them on the self we'll see if a HD pair from a 462 will fit ? I should know in the next couple of days and will report back.

Been looking at these for a while myself, as mentioned the rain and an impact gun may not be the best combo long term ? Sy mentions the ratchet type but they are a smaller version which I would still reckon wedge and axe much of a muchness ? but point about the ratchet being safer on dead stuff very valid ! So did some digging and see that strixner.de and nestle.de do hyd versions which are based on a bottle jack but a lot better, strixner even do a remote electric pump version ! The nestle version would be my first choice but only when I find out a price, it's just over 9kg and very simple with 28+ ton lift. Till then I'll carry on with a 15tand 20 jack and a selection of wedges.

Just this weekend did a deal to "re-home" the last of my Contra's x4( the 106cc size) and a couple of 070's one of the Contra's and one of the 070 were AV, had already a few weeks ago let the Contra "S" go along with a 090 AV . Just have to hammer out the deal for the 090 "G" but I've kept one very late year 090 AV. To be honest the advent of HyperSkip chain it really makes the big old beasts a bit redundant ?

Been using one for nearly four months along side my other saws and it's a good saw, a very good saw but not a great saw ! It picks up fast and with it's 80cc you need to pay attention to what the nose is doing and I've changed how I limb a little bit just to keep control ! I should mention here I have some fairly serious ported saws so no stranger to something fast with a bit of guts. The air filter is very good but the arrangement is like a Dyson hoover as it sucks up all it can get around the filter which means be careful when you knock it clean or you will allow debris in around the intake. It's a very poor oiler until you knock in the restrictor pin in on the oil pump then it's good. I found the RS chain it comes with just a pain to get cutting right, when it's cutting well it's to rough to back bar and bore with so found the Oregon LPX far better and allows full use of the speed and power. I put a few videos up on "outinthewood" on youtube for what my thoughts are worth !! This saw is now off to the US to be fettled as I'm looking to get more midrange which it is lacking at the moment.It's a saw that likes to run flat out which isn't always the best ...

Did they do the bag for the 268 ? I half recall seeing an ad for it ? As you say it had it's limits, the 281 version would have been a scary thing in the wood !

A interesting bit of gear, like a geared type action for a want of a better description, starts to lift then as it's going the hinge allows a further "push". Don't remember seeing one and perhaps a bit like the "felling bag" that Husqvarna did some years ago that plugged into the cyl and used the cyl pressure to lift the tree which was not the longest lasting extra...

Had my 572 for almost two years with a 28" most of the time and it's got a lot of work under it's belt now with no problems. I also run a 500i and prefer the 572 for felling it has a better "feel" to it for my work. Put the C 85 chain on and you will do a lot of work very easily !

I always find the comments on "ported" saws interesting...those who love them i.e. have them and work them and those who know just enough to know not a whole lot about them and don't work them. It was touched on earlier how it all came about, get a lighter smaller saw to cut like a bigger heavier one so in the beginning it was about power not really "speed" now the lines have been, in my very humble view, blurred where folk think a ported saw is the fastest saw cutting a "cookie" and the aim of a small easy to use all day on the side of a hill has almost been forgotten by all but those of us who really cut all day all week for a living. I run 6 fully ported saws and another 6 just MM'd and the fully ported all built by guys who cut for a living themselves. As for how long they last, my first 372 XPW lasted 5 yrs not bad for a saw running far beyond it's factory specs ?

Shavey ( AJS Chainsaws ) has genuine Husqvarna refills and replacement hooks at good price. I have a bit of a thing for tapes and have to confess to always looking out for something different and a Lufkin from the 60's is my most used one , I know I need to get out more ….