Peter 1955

Indeed there are, the Sandvik was always my favourite. It looks like Screwfix are doing them cheaper than I remember.

It's not unknown for air inlet hoses to collapse as the engine cranks. Unlikely, but not unknown. Something in the recesses of my mind says that some old Bedford lorries were known for this. I see AHPP has suggested something along the same lines. We don't have the engine in front of us, we're just theorising of course.

Often, a session with a multimeter set to continuity test can be a solution. Find the main input terminal ( often the biggest ) and look for permanent live ( probably not needed for anything, unless you have fitted it with a radio 😂) , switched live, and momentary live ( the one that energises the starter ). Switched live feeds everything except the starter. It can be trial and error at first, but not beyond the wit of man.

Logical. The colour of the smoke makes me suspect some sort of air restriction, as a non starting diesel ( eg failed glow plugs ) usually gives white smoke if it's getting air and diesel. I once left a wire off an engine when replacing an alternator, and despite cranking the engine until the building disappeared in white smoke, it refused to fire.

Now he tells me! Looks like it might be possible to create a shorter reach hedgetrimmer that way. I tried to do it with surplus Kombi parts, but nothing from the tools fitted the engine. I abandoned the process and bought a dedicated trimmer instead.

Well, given those parameters, Oregon Universal 3 Tooth Brush Cutter Blade 3.0 x 255mm for Grass and Vegetation in Gardens, Professional and Heavy Duty, Fits All Brushcutters including Husqvarna, Echo, Shindaiwa, Stihl and more : Amazon.co.uk: Garden WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK Free delivery and returns on all eligible orders. Shop Oregon Universal 3 Tooth Brush Cutter Blade 3.0 x 255mm for Grass and Vegetation in Gardens, Professional and Heavy Duty, Fits... Unless you've bought a bigger machine than a Kombi, beware the 300mm blade. It's a millimetre thicker, far heavier, and probably too big for a Kombi. I bought one, and it takes too long to spool up, and too long to slow down. I'd expect concerted heavy use to damage the drive line. If you're meeting a post every few metres, loop handle all the way, for precision. Basically, as far as I understand, it's because you don't have the same control over the machine. Just imagine trying to cut the hedge face vertically with a bike handle strimmer. The idea doesn't appeal to me.

KM 131 R Petrol KombiEngine | STIHL WWW.STIHL.CO.UK For professional applications requiring high performance ✓ Order the 1.4 kW KM 131 R Petrol KombiEngine here! 131R loop handles, 131 bike handles. My son loves bike handle machines, I hate them. I had to smile when I watched some trainees with bike handle machines fitted with mulching blades in some briars. As you know, the best results with these blades is a vertical movement, and watching these lads bobbing up and down like weebles was hilarious, I thought. My loop handle machine would have only required me to move my arms, not my whole body. Also, use of hedge trimmer attachments with bike handles is not recommended at all.

Well, Stihl have moved the goalposts with their BOGOF on batteries and selected tools. With the thought at the back of my mind that we're going to be pushed/led/cajoled/coerced away from petrol, this tipped the scales for me. A cost of nearly £1500 becomes much nearer £1000. ( Around £1100 actually ) My apprentice has retired, at 90 years old, I thought he'd have had a year or two more left, but apparently not. 😉 It became apparent to me that when working solo in my yard, the cable was becoming a real nuisance, which it hadn't been when I had to move about much less. After a missed delivery date, I picked up a 300 yesterday, with two batteries and a charger. Once I've had a go with it this afternoon, I'll report my findings, and if I hate the thing, a large portion of humble pie will be eaten. My son's has used one at his place, and he quite liked it ( with the standard complaint about the safety switch ).

Sorry fellas, but I'm going to swim against the tide here to a certain extent. Let me first concede that if you're going to be clearing Amazonian jungles all day every day, yes, a dedicated clearing saw is the answer. However, I have found that if you choose the correct blade/line for the job, a Kombi will cope admirably. KM 131 has to be the choice, in case you're going to use 2.7mm line, although it lasts longer than 2.4, it requires more power. For what they cost, I'd recommend having two cutting shafts, one with line, and one with blades, as I think the " universal " guard is being phased out. ( Not sure about that, I do know that they're moving towards single purpose guards ). I think I have the Autocut 27-2 head for 2.7mm line, and my most used metal blades are Oregon 3 tooth blade for grass/scrub, or for brambles/heavier stuff, The 3 tooth mulching blade ( which requires patience, and a different action for best results ), or the amazing EIA type blade, which will cut wood up to 75mm easily. It's great for clearing hedges that haven't been touched since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Or the whacking great 70 odd cc Jonsereds which was the first saw we ever bought. We asked the dealer for " a saw that would cut anything we came across " and by heavens, he sold us one! I probably shouldn't admit this here, but the starting procedure was akin to hammer throwing. You pivoted to the right, threw the saw to the left, and at the vital moment, while the saw in your left hand was heading left, your right hand holding the pull cord went right! It could have done with a decomp valve. And a chain brake! In our defence, we knew nothing then. Now we know a little.

Nor does it run out of petrol. I have a " domestic " battery saw, with a lot of large batteries, and while it's brilliant for pruning/dismantling in the field, for continuous cutting of stuff much thicker than your arm, it's useless. 240v will chew through 8" logs as long as you will.

That's a magnificent job, well done there. The one I did for a customer was not in that league. 👍

An astute and probing question. Typical of the sharp and incisive minds on this excellent platform. Sadly, the data protection act prevents me from either refuting or agreeing with your premise. 🤐

The same as too many internet forums- populated extensively by keyboard warriors hiding behind the cloak of anonymity, and imbeciles purporting to know everything. Fortunately, it's fairly easy on here to get good advice and information from the genuine folks.

Screwfix are noted for their descriptions being somewhat " lax". Usually, the Details section is correct. Usually. It seems to be badged as a Pro model, so perhaps that's why? I'm still running a 4041 of similar vintage, which my son bought. It has cut many, many tonnes of timber.

Agreed. And considering that Screwfix are offering them from £50, it shouldn't be too fiscally imprudent.

Yes. Buy a Pro. No comparison. Oops, just seen you've made the decision, good move. I have 12, 10 and 8. The 12 is a standard, and isn't a patch on the Pro.

Absolutely correct. One of my customers sometimes buys bags of logs from a log merchant in their log bags, which he rightly claims as 1 cubic metre. Compared to the 1 Tonne builders bags, they're huuuuuuuuuuge! Beware the folks advertising a cubic metre of firewood in builders bags, can't be done. 😉

One saw only, 400, yes absolutely. Lovely saw, light and powerful. But: if you're going to have two saws as suggested above, it's got to be a 462 to accompany the 261.

I recently got a Stihl 82 RC-E, which is supposed to have a lower speed gearbox, enabling it to cope with thicker stems. So far, I like it a lot, and it seems to handle thicker stuff well. I got the shorter bar, a colleague has the longer one, which looks imposing, but too long for what I want.

I'm not convinced that the 220 will offer quite enough muscle for what I want, as some of the logs are quite hefty. I definitely don't want yet another different chain profile, which is the reason for the appeal of the 300 running the same as my 261. Now as to a saw bench, well there's no question that a good bench would be a game changer, less handling time, more cutting time. Due to rarely having straight timber, the " logging " benches are ruled out, I'd be looking for something along the lines of this. Redband diesel saw bench WWW.EBAY.CO.UK Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Redband diesel saw bench at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products. That really would allow me to manage some of the awkward timber I come across.

Kombi Pole saw yes, petrol. The cunning plan going forward might be to get the battery version as well. Most of the trimmings are either done by a contractor with a 360 and shear, or sometimes me in a teleporter basket. Oh good heavens yes. How I wish I hadn't had to say goodbye to the cast iron bench driven by a combine engine I put on a farm trailer many years ago. The right bench would actually be the perfect solution, but it's finding the right one at the right money.

Apologies for sticking my question in on here, but I didn't think it merited another thread so similar. I've been looking at the MSA300 because it can run on the same bar/chain as my 261 does. Most of my wood is hedge trimmings, and because it's bent branches, I use a sawhorse of sorts. I cut the bits to manageable lengths to bring into the yard, then log it and split it into the shed. It's often a two person job, one loading/unloading the horse, one cutting. My 240v Makita is good for the stop/start nature of this, and is also low noise, which is a safety bonus. The safety drawback is the length of orange cable underfoot. That's why I was looking at the330, to lose the cable. Also, it would be portable for other jobs. With two batteries, I can probably keep going as constantly as I need to in the yard, but the astronomical price is a hindrance. The 220 has a big cost advantage, but I don't think I can get it on the same light 04 bar as the 300/261, which I would want, to save having so many different chains/sizes. Should I stick with the cabled saw, should I splurge on the 300, ( which to my way of thinking is the best option ), or can I save money on a 220, and still have the same bar/chain as my 261? Floor's yours folks, thanks for the advice.

Another vote for the 36v Makita here, you already have the batteries. Try to use matched batteries ( same age/condition, same size, or you'll get poor performance ) It has its annoying little traits, but you soon get used to pressing the button every time before you cut. With a sharp chain, it's surprising what it will comfortably cut. I know it's not the best, but it's by no means the worst.

I have what I suspect is a smaller version of that blade on a Stihl Kombi, and it's awesome. Only problem is for best mulching results, reminding myself to move it up and down, not side to side. In briars and brambles, it's marvellous, if used correctly.