Dan Maynard

I only tried to buy one bar for my Dolmar, there is limited choice on pitch. I would suggest ring to check before spending, or go on chainsawbars and get a better one.

Also interested in this, nearly wrote the same post as you as I've started getting emails too. I reckon they've got data from Facebook as I don't even have a proper website. Like you I'm following the free credits to see what happens. Compared to using something like Checkatrade it is much more attractive to me as you get a reasonable description of each lead before you pay anything. Also the rate it generates leads is controllable so it's kind of ideal marketing/advertising spend compared to chucking out wedge of cash and hoping. In the long term I guess it depends how many people want to use bark to get work done and that's difficult to second guess.

I run a jobeau M500 in a 12 foot twin wheel trailer, I just section off a corner for the chipper with weldmesh, load the front part up with chip and then timber around it. Behind the landy payload is up to 1.8 tonnes so I don't run overweight. For pruning, small removal type jobs it is fine, you have to cut several garden type trees down to get even 2 cubic metres if you stop at 3" for firewood. Conifers are worst, lots of heavy green chip and people less likely to keep the wood.

Me: 'looks interesting' Mrs: 'you don't need to go there you'll just buy more stuff' Fair point.

Pretty sure Jo Beau make one too based on the M500, gravity fed with the advantages and disadvantages of that.

I'm slightly suspicious about the timing, for the council to write that letter and it arrive only two days later he would have had to go back to the office and be straight on to it with a first class stamp - doesn't sound like council to me. I think it's possible the letter was drafted before the visit, clues being it doesn't mention the visit but rather says 'brought to our attention' and also that it says 'substantial building' and building regs, which I would not have thought apply unless it is within 1m of the boundary (and over 15m2 floor area). Probably is worth checking the building regs as that would be a different enforcement and you wouldn't want to be caught out, but I have a wooden double garage that didn't need building regs so should be a breeze. Your planning consultant will surely say but as far as I can see the only thing potentially wrong is if the shed is only for business use so store some personal gear as well.

I'm interested in the longer billets and saw bench idea, seems to be very common in Europe as you see lots of stacks of metre long wood in fields but I don't know the thinking. Does look like it makes a more stable stack than short logs.

The pitch and gauge are right so sprocket and bar are fine, it's a question of whether the tensioner and slots have range to allow it to fit on - give it a try. Saying that 68 is only one more than standard for 16" so seems short for 18"

I tend to agree with onetruth, you've got to consider the roots and whether they were planted properly in the first place if they didn't grow properly for a decade. If they have poor root structure then they will just get taller and fall over at some point, the taller they get in the meantime the worse the hazard.

Well thanks for that guys, generally positive about the narrow kerf so I'm going to try it out but you saved me buying the Oregon bar and wishing I had the Sugi.

Beat me to it there, I also bought 10 from them as they were listed on eBay. I don't see them at the moment but that might be because selling a few at at a time to the public is a pain, if you want bulk then make them an offer as they have to scrap the cages after emptying the bottle. There were hundreds in the yard.

Evening all. Anyone using the Oregon speedcut narrow kerf? I have a MS261, reading the hype about speedcut it seems like an aluminium centre and lower cutting force would make it ideal for an 18" climbing saw, nice and light. The only thread I could find was someone a while ago saying it cut like a banana and Oregon were going to take it back...

I'm sure when I did my CS31 there was a guy doing a refresher, he was only there for the last day. I guess if his employer was happy with one day then it covers the requirement from their point of view.

I don't know what the chain is exactly but my Stihl Kombi pole saw has bumper links between the teeth - won't cut on the tip of the bar at all so doesn't kick back, you can't bore. That's 3/8" narrow kerf so may fit the MSA120?

I wouldn't buy too much kit before the course, ask loads of questions once on the course. I have size 13 feet so had to buy boots before mine. Absolutely the best advice I was given was to go to an arb show and try lots of harnesses before you buy - it is worth paying for one that is comfortable. I did not come away with the one I would have chosen on the internet or from reviews etc but am very happy with the choice.

I hired a Timberwolf 13/75 when thinking about chippers, and echoing others comments I found 3 problems: heavy machine means hard to move around and get on a trailer, small chute which narrows makes it a pain to feed stuff in, and as a 3" chipper it is actually only happy to chip 1 1/2 to 2" without being really careful. My solution - JoBeau M500. Self propelled so drives itself onto the trailer, 24hp engine will chip up to 5" diameter, infeed chute is 50cm wide by 15cm tall so you can shove branches in and let the chipper do the work - I never use loppers to feed this. Above 3" is firewood and it will eat anything smaller with ease as the chute is so wide. Stuff like poplar you can hardly feed in as fast as it eats it. I believe the degree to which the chipper self feeds is the key to productivity - if you can throw a stick in and let go then you are picking up the next piece ready while it chips. This means it needs to grab in, but also be powerful enough to chip and eject without slowing and blocking. As a test I would suggest scots pine or leylandii. The only problem with the M500 is there aren't many second hand ones around, but I paid just under £3k for mine and I know the bloke I bought if off didn't pay much more 2 years earlier. It's about 8 years old - built solid and to last. I looked at CS100, the chute looks narrow to me which would mean hard work to feed unless straight sticks. My second choice was Haeksler, they have a 40cm wide chute machine but having bought a JoBeau I would also look at the M400.