Dan Maynard

Is that right? I thought the 362 was being dropped, but then there has been no reason to buy one since the 400 came out anyway. If the 462 is dropped that would be a shame, if I won the lottery I'd buy one but I don't think I'll ever wear out my 461 so don't really need to.

That is special! How the hell do you keep on using it that long without thinking something is odd?

From what I could work out the 40v is a little bit bigger than the 18v, and it cuts more like the 36v. Overall more comparable to the Echo saw. Seriously thought about that one, also thinking of a battery hedge trimmer so whether to stick with 18v batteries I've got or move to 40v so ready for saw later.

If I was starting again, I'd probably get one of these, light and powerful. Much more expensive than the Makita setup to get started though, at the beginning i was unsure about battery saws so saved money on Makita, and now I have the batteries so carry on. OP already has mak batteries. It's all a balance of parameters, like saying what's the best petrol top handle. The 540i cuts fast, but it's huge and heavy, like a 540 or 201 petrol. Great for removals but absolutely not the best saw for reductions or a million 1-2" cuts in a conifer hedge.

I've got both the 18v single battery and 36v twin battery Makita top handles, had them four years or so and they've done a lot of work. The 18v has an 8" Panther bar on with 1/4 pitch chain, its not very powerful but its small and super light. Its niche is cutting up to say 2" so hedge work, ivy, laurel, bay, yew, those type of jobs as well as bigger tree reductions. The 36v is a chunk heavier, but it cuts easily up to 6", I generally use that for brushing out on dismantles, then switch to a petrol saw for blocking down wood. Mine is still on the 3/8lp bar it came with but chain nearly gone so I'll be switching to 1/4 pitch 10" bar. I'd recommend the Makita if you've got the batteries already. The Panther bars got a bad rep for durability, but Rob has changed supplier to Tsumura so hopefully they are better now, I will change the 8" bar to new panther as mine is worn out and they've been unavailable for a while.

It's a pole, I have a saw head on it but you can fit a pruner if you want. https://www.bahco.com/gb_en/aluminium-compact-telescopic-poles-pb_atp-110-210_.html

I thought they take a percentage of the sales as a fee? If you cancel auction and pay cash then nothing to them.

Haven't got a cs100 but on my JoBeau had to cut through the bearing. Angle grinder to thin then whack with cold chisel.

I'm a fan of using a pole when deadwooding, have used the Wolf pole but it's awkward getting the thing round the tree between stops, as so long. Now have the Bahco 1.1m to 2.1m 3-section telescopic pole, which is designed for use climbing or in a mewp apparently. This has a nice loop for a sling to clip to harness, and to me is the perfect balance between long enough to reach out to stuff and save climbing, but short enough collapsed to be easy to manage. Have used that like you say, chuck line across through a fork and then hook back the end.

Cool, thanks. I also have a 150 so rather keep everything on 56 DL.

Why do you say 55/60cc ? Just get a 550, nice and light, step up in power from your current saw. Ok on 18".

The problem I've got with this is Reg Coates said SRT would make my life easier, so I bought a rope runner and he was right. Now he's saying a hook will make my life easier, do I need to buy one of those too? Or is it not going to help as I don't climb 200 foot monsters like Reg?

I'm going to have a crack at this, need to change over 2 battery saws as currently have Panther bar and the original 3/8lp.

I learnt the bowline knot sailing, where it's shortened to bowlin', rhymes with pin. Other arb types I've met have called it a bowline, rhymes with pine. Occasional confusion and weird looks. I just think the butterfly is a bad name for a knot, sounds fluttery and insubstantial and not something you hang your life off of.

I was cheap too, but I had a go on a hitchclimber pulley on my climbing course and pretty immediately switched over. Still climb on it. SRT is easier on my elbows and shoulders, and a rope runner is cheaper than the physio so I've dug deep and got one of those as well.

Nutter

Broadly speaking, engines let less crap past the piston into the oil, and oils have more anti-wear and stabiliser additives, than the old days of change on 6 months or 6000 (or 3000 in extreme conditions ie stop start, short journeys etc). I would also think the manufacturers of vans compete to increase service intervals so that fleet operators can calculate lower maintenance costs. On something like a delivery van where the oil stays hot all day, you probably can run it longer between changes because the engine conditions are ideal. For average use I agree annual is fine but wouldn't leave it longer whatever the mileage says.

I was dreaming about a stack of plywood circles held together by studding up the middle, don't know if that would be acceptable but can be made with simple tools.

For me taking the slic pins away should be an improvement, they catch bits of rubber from my glove when opening, but would be good to know the new solution is really better.

630 and 690 look very similar, I'd take the 690 for a bit more power unless it's stupidly more expensive. Unipower rings a bell, I think maybe where they got the engine.

I didn't get to round to it, too busy ordering a plug in heater which can heat my house for a fraction of the cost in no time at all.

Also the website logo is outparks but address mechanicoffer.shop . Looks like they knock up a quick website on plausible name, get some cash then close it down.

The only ones I've seen are honda engine which makes that a replacement anyway. No need to buy it from TW, mates have changed theirs and from what he said it was pretty straightforward apart from a bit of cut and weld to get the exhaust to fit. Less than a grand for the engine.

I'm going for scam......

So maybe rather than a surge in used sales, we'll see a surge in new sales before April.