Dan Maynard

Have you got something with a 36" bar? That's basically what you need to mill 25" as you lose a bit each end in clamps. I bought an EcoMill from RobD, does the job OK. I've not had many stems to mill so the price/performance is fine. Also bought lopro 36" bar so as not to have to buy a 661. I figured that cost less than paying someone with a mill.

I noticed payload is 1.6t vs 2.2t for normal van, so looks like 600kg batteries. So that's no chip at all on an arb truck unless you leave the saws behind.

Definitely yes. I bought sprocket from RobD at chainsawbars and Panther 8" bar which has been fine so far. The Panther chain doesn't have bumper depth gauges which I find a bit easier to work with than the Stihl 1/4 chain. It's a rumour that a Stihl MS161 sprocket might fit, did an L&S order this week but forgot to put one on.

Yeah and let the rain in too.

The trouble I see is the people who've spent £200k will expect it not to leak. Disappointment assured.

My JoBeau is poor on hedge trimmings, it doesn't blow much but rather the momentum of the wood chips being thrown out of the drum carries the leaves with it. Material needs to be woody so bigger hedge cuttings say 10mm diameter and up will go ok. You are maybe better with a shredder for the really green stuff. I just dump it as green waste, not tried one of those machines.

I've got a 36" lopro bar which I run on my 365xtorq, not a huge amount but it hasn't ever struggled.

Have you changed the 18v to 1/4" pitch? Absolutely worth doing, much better for pruning Keep the 3/8 on the 36v for dismantling.

I think it was RoughHewn who posted a video a while ago of Stihl testing a fake saw against a real one on things like handle breakages, etc. Chinese chain brake handle just pinged off, which isn't a lot of good if you would rather the chain brake was applied when you hit it.

Unless I've missed something it doesn't actually say it's a chainsaw, so not misdescribed. Looks like a toy, is a toy really.

11kW single phase motor would be a rare beast. Is this an electric/PTO combination or options on the machine? I'm just wondering if the rams are definitely the same.

If it's deadwood then the pruning cut is less critical as you should be cutting in the dead anyway. A silky pole saw would be cheaper than climbing gear and cut 4" limbs no bother. If you were going to climb then helmet, climbing rope, lanyard, prussic loop, harness. Gustharts have a basic climbing kit at £322+vat + helmet. Trouble is that's not going to come with any instructions to tell you how to make the knots or how to approach the tree.

That's a good lump of elm, are elm trees that size common in your area? We have few because most have succumbed to elm disease.

My father in law passed away earlier this year. Turned out he had 34 fishing rods.

I believe you need 3 years full time experience to be eligible for ISA certification. I think one way or the other get working and building up experience. Doesn't really matter too much what at the beginning, all experience is good.

They don't dry terribly well, if you leave them in a heap they get warm and start decaying.

Good value.

Round us Ibbetts, agricultural supplies place. When I lived in Hampshire it would have been SCATS but seems like it's turned to Moles and maybe not the same.

Yeah if you don't have a tipper as well I would also look into local guys who'll do chipper and tipper on a day rate as they can be good value - the next obvious question when you've got a 230 hired is what to do with all the chip.

I usually use Ben Burgess, their website lists £135+Vat plus fuel. The machines have been really good, low hours, sharp blades, clean and for me handy as only a few miles from home. Only other thing to factor in is hired in plant insurance, I have it added to my tools policy as cheapest way over the year but you need to ensure you're covered if it gets nicked or even someone runs into it on the road as it's an £18k machine.

It's been said before it's confusing how the old 150s command such a high price. Seeing as the design is over 20 years old you might think they have been improved on and well, they have. Newer chippers get through stuff faster. The only good thing I guess is if you come to sell it on in a couple of years then you should more or less get your money back (unless we're all in recession). Similar question in a way for me as not full time, I've gone for gravity fed chipper. Much cheaper to get a reliable machine, I just couldn't justify the money to buy and insure a big chipper and worried that if there's a repair bill on hydraulics, flywheel etc could be thousands. Realistically for 90% of what I do, smaller trees, hedges etc M500 is absolutely fine and if I get a bigger job on then I hire in a TW230 for a day. So I'd say no, don't buy a ragged old 150 but rather start with a CS100 or M500 if you can find one and then chop it in when you eventually go full time and the business warrants it. Maybe depends when that will be I guess.

I've friends up the road who took over the kennel/cattery, he used to be a head chef in a London restaurant so never saw his kids, running his own business with his wife was less stressful meant a lot more time seeing the family. They shut down for a month every January, not many people using it and then they get to have a break. I think the virus has buggered their business though, they were selling fruit and veg for a while and I don't like to say where it will all end.

I think the Stihl has a date on and specified to last 7 years, but I think that's just Germans being thorough - as Stubby said can't really imagine it going off. Unless you have bio-oil, then anything could happen.

I buy Stihl fully synthetic from L&S in 5l cans, they start off cheaper than Jones etc and when you buy 4 you get 17% off. That makes it about £45+vat which is quite a bit cheaper than a 20l can anywhere else, but factor in paying for delivery so wait till you need some other bits. I can confirm bars last a long time, can't tell you if it is longer than with cheaper oil as haven't run other oil for 5 years to compare.

Ash is a funny one, it's known for being easy to split and that is mostly true. Every now and then though you get one which really isn't - springy and tough and stringy to pull apart. Cut the rings shorter is another good idea, makes it much easier. You can even go to 4 inch and then not split down as far, make log shapes with the grain sideways if that makes sense. All burns.