Muddy42

I don't have a 500i, but I have filed off about half the length of the spikes on my 088. I find this better for crosscutting and milling. The remaining metal protects the main body of the saw, but you can still dig in a bit if needed.

Thanks both. I'm afraid it is a blind hole that only goes half way through the Aluminum. I'll give the Helicoil a go first. If that fails I might just buy/make the felling type of bumper spikes that hold the chain catcher out of the way (which I prefer) like this (but maybe with less aggressive spikes:

Stihl MS460. The thread has stripped for the bolt holding the chain catcher and spikes. I suspect a previous owner had used a bolt that was too long for the hole. I have ordered a Helicoil set but I have not used Helicoil before. Any tips? I will be careful not too drill too deep to avoid the oil tank. Should Helicoil be set with epoxy or thread locker? Thanks.

I have lots of saws and bars, but probably a 14 inch bar on a 50 cc saw the most. Personally I've never subscribed to the "longer-bar-on-a-small-saw-saves-your-back" argument. I have tried it a few times.

+ fairy liquid as a lubricant, some massive tyre irons and bad language. I find small ride on mower tyres even harder than bigger tyres.

Pieces of string can be really helpful for installing new clutch springs and getting the required tension on the springs.

Lucky you and good idea. I really like a 20 inch bar on 460/461.

Personally I'd stick to Stihl, that way the bars will be interchangeable with your MS460 and MS461. What is your "small saw"? I've always liked having 50-ish cc and then up to 70-ish cc, missing out 60-ish cc as too similar, but up to you.

sorry if this is obvious, but have you tried resetting the autotune?

Also you could juice it? I have a small cheap juice press. Half the fruit and remove the stones. If the fruit is soft you might be able to press it straight away otherwise pulverize it in a bucket or freeze and thaw to break down the cells. The juice freezes well. Any technique like this where you discard the pulp will use up loads more fruit by volume and create a more concentrated finished product. Jam is fine, but you're effectively doubling the volume by adding sugar. Other than that give away as much as possible!

Ideal, thank you. I'll check the tuning as per your method and leave it at that.

I think some models of the RXTs might be autotune, not my one. Thanks

Thank you adw. Is the reverse situation also true? What I mean is if the engine is tuned per your method above, can worn short strings then cause the the rpms to rise, overheating and potentially lead to lean engine damage? Or does this tuning method allow for enough margin for this to happen safely? As an explanation, I use a Oregon jet fit head rather than a bump feed, where the temptation is to keep going with shorter strings rather than change them. I'm not looking for max power output just a safe tune where the engine is fine even if the strings snap off. Thanks

Thanks. Sorry, I’m struggling with the terminology. Does that mean the max safe rpm (before leaning) is 12000 rpm and that I should tune to 9000 rpm ?

It gets quite scary if you start thinking that the only sustainable alternative to fossil fuels being reverting to human / animal power. A human can produce 100-320 watts and a horse maybe 700 watts. By comparison you can draw 3 kw from an electrical plug and small chainsaw and many hundreds of kw from a tractor sized machine or harvester.

As per the title, I bought a new 53cc Husqvarna 555 RXT Strimmer last summer. The manual says the H is screw is tuned at the factory but it should be adjusted after running in, however it gives no advice on max RPM. Just for fun, I measured it with the tach yesterday - at full throttle it reached about 8400 rpm, clean air filter and with full lengths of string . Is this about right? I don't need any more power (it has loads already) I just want it to run at a speed that is best for the engine. Thanks

I don't feel guilty at all about lighting stoves. Yes the wood is sustainable - its from windblown trees or forestry that is replanted. Transporting it a few miles and processing it requires some diesel but less than transporting other fuels.

If it helps you, a neighbor in Scotland just sold about half an acre of mixed standing woodland with diseased larch. With re-fencing costs it was net zero in total, but the threat of falling trees was sorted. Tricky access and steep bank next to a main road. Lots of hand-felling required. The buyer recovered 50:50 firewood and poor quality mill wood. Both timber markets may be better in England, but you get the picture.

Standing dead and diseased larch is often a headache and liability for a landowner. In time it will start falling and damaging fences and roads. Offer the farmer some loads of firewood as payment?

If it was me, I'd just buy a the correct 4mm bare file and make a handle out of a piece of hazel wood. you'll do a better job that a 2 in 1 system. As has been said flat files for the rakers are interchangeable. new files are cheaper than buying new chains sprockets or bars. You'll find a use for them, I sharpen all kinds of things aside from chains. Plus its a good idea to 'drop the file size' occasionally when the chain is getting well used to restore the C shaped profile.

Do any of those other screws fit? You can get special "security" bits for the star shaped one on the right. If yes, measure it or take it to a dealer and they'll have one.

I've got a thicknesses like that, except mine has two added dangers - a table saw and it runs off an uncovered belt from an motor. I find it so scary to use, that I rarery use it.

I run both multi-fuel and wood only stoves with just wood and don't find there is much difference. As you say its still possible to build up a bed of ash in the MF stoves anyway. Many of them are also adjustable - the grate can be replaced with vermiculite if you change your mind. I guess an iron grate might be slightly more robust and long lasting, vermiculite needs replacing occasionally. Sorry to add another dimension to your selection, but I'd treat some of the newer eco design stoves with caution. These are designed by scientists for maximum efficiency and minimum air pollution under perfect laboratory conditions (perfect draught, perfect weather, perfect flue, perfect modern house) and with little control over air flow and a large baffle to recirculate air. In real life many of them can be tricky to light and/or smoke back into the room. Yes older stoves such as Clearviews might be less efficient and send heat up the chimney, but I find them much more pleasant to operate! Do some research.

Never heard of that before! When you are using the stove, they won't like the environment at all, in the summer just keep the stove door and vents closed. If you are really concerned, you could always use an anti moth bomb, but then a small fire in the summer would have a similar effect Is this a recently installed stove or liner? A well used flue will be a pretty toxic environment even in summer. If its new, maybe the problem will go away with use.

Above is a print out of a stihl file size guide - left column = chain pitch in inches and mm and right hand column = file diameter. The stihl kits have everything you need to maintain a chain - search for "Stihl filing kit for 0.325 inch chain"