Dan Maynard

Yes you would need to change the sprocket as well. They do a kit with bars chains and sprocket which I haven't calculated but you'd guess is a good deal. Some people have found the panther bars not last, maybe they aren't the toughest but has been absolutely fine on my Makita battery saw so not having too much power through seems ok. I also don't know if it's an early development problem, in any case I think 1/4 pitch is essential on a pruning saw. Going down the Sugi route limits your chain choice, haven't tried these myself. 5795345-01 Husqvarna 1/4" Sprocket for 535i XP, 536Li and others. WWW.CHAINSAWBARS.CO.UK Husqvarna 1/4 Sprocket 436Li, T535iXP, 535iXP, T536LiXP, 536LiXP, 536LiPT5, 536LiPX, 536LiP4...

The canopy looks green all over, I don't immediately see a lot wrong. My suggestion would be to get proper advice on veteran tree management, from an arb consultant. That way you've done the best for the tree (best practice long term), best for client (avoiding unnecessary work), best for yourself (fair reputation, liability passed on). We can't take down all veteran trees just because they have some decay else there would be no veteran trees at all, especially oak.

I can't recognise the location from your picture but you can't be a million miles away if you decide you need to get someone in. We're not really thin on the ground, if you're east side of Cambridge I'd suggest people to talk to, if you're west side I'd come over. Obviously I know nothing about you, but what I usually say if you're set on doing it yourself is make sure you have a good plan for getting rid of all the material, taking it to the tip in a van will be a lot of trips. Whereas with a chipper parked next to the tree it's a super easy job, not over half a day. It would be reasonable to get someone in the first time and then keep on top of it yourself in future years.

I'm building the picture that you moved to France for the food and wine.

Hey there, how many 166s are you collecting? All of them!!!!

I find the Haas ok for length but I am tall. The problem I have is slipping off my boot when I hit brush and small branches, that looks like it's attached to the boot? Not managed to find a boot with better attachment in size 13.

No, think you need to hop over to www.chainsawbars.co.uk and get a panther bar, or maybe Sugihara.

I'd agree with Mick, you would normally recommend a pollard cycle to keep cutting at the same head but making 4" cuts is a bit big so you're likely to end up with big decay pockets. Once you cut it then don't leave it so long next time, so the cuts are more like 2" diameter.

Ha ha was just about to tag you!

Yup, in fact every few saws I think that's it I'm sorted, and then it happens again...

Curiously I always work up a log on the ground the other way, after a cut reach across and set the saw into the next cut and then shuffle across while it's working. For me the trick is looking ahead at the log to decide the next cut while the saws half way through, that way you have no thinking time with the saw out of the log just straight in.

Then the next step down the slope is getting another 70cc saw so you don't have to swap the bar over.....

Given you have the 550 already, a 70cc saw is a good next step. I would definitely suggest a 20" bar as well as the 24, you'll find it cuts really fast and is great for ringing up.

Maybe 50cc and 16", certainly the saw I use most. Trick question though, best saw is the lightest one that will do the job you're doing.

What happens to the rounds you've cut? Are they manhandled through a splitter? Anything like a cutting fixture will mean the rounds have to be moved away, whereas when you cut from a digger with grab the logs just stay where they drop. I'm imagining you could make a kind of cutting bench from rounds, bring lengths with the forklift and cut till it's covered and then tip some across to make a new bench.

My dad did his apprenticeship on oil tankers which were steam turbine, probably the same heritage of trick.

I was in the New Forest recently, when I was 18 or 19 year old we used to rag across the forest at 70+ but now it's all a National Park and 40mph. Quite weird to drive there now. Seems to me no politician can increase the speed limit, that would be a danger to children and the elderly. Tightening up speed limits is increasing road safety so a vote winner.

Doing cars, my dad would set the flange up in the vice, lay the gasket paper over, and then tap gently all round the edge with a small ball pein hammer to cut out the shape. Not sure I'd want to do it on a chainsaw carb though.

Saw the moon program yesterday, really interesting.

Too many variables, like choosing an anchor point. Don't think there is an upper limit on temperature either, but at some point you have to say it's too hot and sack it off before anyone gets heatstroke.

That's good. Always possible it can be a deeper problem but you have to do the basics first. The air filter is washable, in any case a service kit every couple of years is sensible. Depends how much you use it obviously, if it's having a good run every day then maybe service kit every year.

Looks like that to me too, we have one but not back boiler. That looks about the same size and I think ours was 6kW. No idea of value except it wasn't a super expensive stove new, welded steel box and cast doors.

Haix do a real lightweight that's cheaper but mate has them and they fell apart really fast. He's a groundie so just walking, although a fair bit of walking obviously.

Mine is a little different in that the fuel tank is a jerry can sat in the front of the machine. It has a couple of joints in the line, the bottom hose which dips into the tank had hardened and so not making a great seal. It would let air in when the fuel level was low so hard to start, one day split completely. The short term (on site) answer was lift the jerry can up with a log. To prime I held the open end of tube up and poured petrol in using the cap off a water bottle, doing that you could see petrol collecting in the fuel filter. New tube now , been absolutely fine since. The joints don't need to be super tight, mine have cable ties or spring clips. Just twist the tube and see if it's gripped on the spigot, it's not like these tubes are resisting a load of pressure trying to push them apart. My feeling with all this though is that struggling to prime stops the engine from starting up. Once it's running there is plenty of impulse so the pump gets going and priming is not the issue. Why connect on a new filter and short bit of hose, dip it in a small can of petrol and you'll isolate anything that could be an issue tank side? Air filter is really quick to check though, should do that regularly.

That looks a bit like it's on a mat indoors? Oaks don't like being indoors all year round.