Peter 1955

You must either have a very pretty wife, or a busy street corner. No way mine could earn enough. 😟

My son hired a MEWP for a topping job for a customer. It threw a wobbler, ( if you exceed the rotation limits, it cuts out, and strands you! ) so I got called in to assist. He asked to borrow my 12" battery Makita. I think he liked it. A lot. 😉

A tad expensive? A tad expensive? When I priced one up for repair on a Kombi, it was evident that a full brand new cutter was the best idea, not a huge amount more costly. Mind you, when I snapped a casting on the Kombi chainsaw attachment, a replacement casting actually cost more than buying another full attachment!

There is an additional drainage issue, one which I swerved when a nice man put a digester with a pump in. No ditches that this property has access to, no. Close in many respects, the garden has the mower in, the field has the soakaway for the digester. I can see me yet putting a drain in to take the surplus moisture away from the house, and into an adjacent field. Whimsy, rather than Joke, I'd say.

I have one customer whose garden “ retains water “ and in a dry time, her grass is the envy of all. Currently, it’s a tad soggy! Last night, I decided I had to give it a trim, before we saw lions and tigers roaming through it! I got all the best bits with the 4wd Husky, and this morning the apprentice took the push mower through whatever he could, and I strimmed everything less than ankle deep. Looks a lot better, but till a settled dry spell, this one’s going to be “ interesting “. 😂

Spent many a Sunday afternoon laughing at that. Happy days. 🙂

OK, a serious post this time. Bear in mind, my experience of these different saws is limited. It appears to me that the differences between some Stihl models is not huge. I bought the 400 first, and decided as soon as I got it, that I had bought exactly the right saw for me. A step up from an 038, and nicer/lighter to use. It impressed me so much that I decided to retire the 251 for a 261. I love that too, they're both a joy to use. Now here's the thing. If I had bought the 261 first, I'm not sure I'd have bought the 400. When I had 023/038 combination, the 023 was the first one picked up every time, and the 038 was only for when things needed a bigger bar, cos it was a numb brute. I now find the 261 is so versatile that I question whether the 400 is a big enough leap from it. I did consider a 462 very seriously before buying the 400, and if I'm honest, I think would have been a better companion to the 261. ( Of course, if I hadn't bought the 261, and struggled on with the 251, the 400 was a perfect choice) 😂😂😂

Blimey, that's a result! I'll hang fire on parcelling up my old 038 then. 😄

Never thought of Nigella as Victorian. Victoria's Secret however.......................................😍

Well then as a kind gesture, I'll let you have my 251 for a nominal sum. 😉

A point which the fella makes, to give him credit. He says it wouldn't fit my AV for that very reason.

Blimey, he is in Greece, and how on earth can can he sell parts at this price?

Indeed not, but if he's anything like me, he'll definitely need permission from Higher Authority. ( AKA "She who must be obeyed", for Rider Haggard fans ). Or a hiding place for it. 😉

I have a client who owns a fuel station. He was quizzing the fuel company rep about how many stations they're buying, and he asked them if they were going over to electric charging points. Answer? " Nah mate, hydrogen". JCB are already running hydrogen engines, it's the only sensible option, in my humble and fairly ignorant opinion.

It's rare that I disagree with the more eminent folk on here, but I disagree with your disdain for the 261, Sir. It's a little powerhouse, light as a feather ( relatively ) and sooo close to the 400 in performance that I sometimes wonder if I should have bought a 462 or 500 instead. You are however absolutely correct about the 400, it is awesome.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see the point of the 241. The 261 is only 10% heavier, for a 25% power increase. Of course, if you were looking for a lovingly cared for 251, I'd have exactly what you needed. 😂

Once helped to replace universal joints in a huge sugar beet harvester drive wheel. When we put it back together, we could barely turn it by hand, I was worried. Fortunately, one of us was a very experienced agricultural fitter, who performed exactly the procedure described, and it then spun like a dream. I'd never seen this before, I was very impressed.

You know folks, I joined this forum to learn from experts, and I fully expected some jovial good natured banter between seasoned professionals. Par for the course, and very amusing at times. However, I should have remembered that this is still the internet, and filters are required to sort the wheat from the chaff. 😟

Indeed yes, but perhaps very different horsepower. The 261 is really really lively and rapid, but I'd say the 038 had more " grunt ". We had two tractors at work years ago, different models, but seemingly almost the same. Different fuel systems, one was eager and lively, great on trailers, but no guts at all. The other would just lug and lug.

Sods Law decrees that on two of the best days for work this week, I have a funeral and a social engagement booked last winter. Yesterday, when I had got geared up to finish a job so I can invoice for it, guess what? Heavy rain, just for a change. Why didn't I get a nice office job? 🤔 ( Rhetorical question, by the way. On Monday, felling small nuisance trees, it was a pleasure to be outside.

Vaguely related to this thread, I've just got a new chain for my MS 261, as I damaged a drive link or two when it came off a day or two ago. I run a 14" bar on it, basically it's the one for the MSA 300 and while looking, I found out that it's a full chisel. ( Apparently ). Seems odd to me, I hope I can just sharpen it normally as I would a semi chisel, normal round files. Any thoughts or advice on this gratefully received as always.

Personally, I would hack it off with an angle grinder, and replace it with something like this which would allow you to fit it without first disassembling it.

Years ago when we were laying a patio/path round a farm cottage, the farm hand was cutting the low garden hedges. He thought it was silly that he could cut the three sides that were classified as Garden hedges, but he had to wait September to cut the one classified as a field hedge. We agreed.

Whatever you do then, don't pick up a 400! 😂 Seriously, on paper, the 441 has the edge on power, and can run a bigger bar.

251 here. Been a disappointment from the moment I started it up. 😟 I want another Hedge trimmer, Kombi power unit, and an Auger, I know whereof you speak. Ooh, that's a mighty close run thing. 441 or 400? Make the choice easier, get a 500. 😂 😂