# Today's Job...



## MCW

Not sure if many of you guys will find this interesting but had been asked by a large corporate Citrus Orchard to drop their Casuarina windbreaks (over 1000 acre property).
Had played around previously having already dropped about 30 but today was the first time I'd gotten serious. The farm manager had been told by a logging company they were thinking of getting in that their guys could average around 30 an hour at $60/hour. I actually thought this was a bit high but said that if they can do it I could but for $50 an hour 
Tree sizes ranged from 12-32" and probably up to about 60 feet in height.
There was a very strong NW wind which helped immensely as I didn't have to wedge one single tree.
Anyway, over 7 hours with about a 30 minute break talking to an interested neighbour over the fence I ended up dropping 357 trees.
In the first 195 minutes I dropped 171 trees, in the next 160 minutes I dropped 164 trees.
I dropped another 22 trees at the end of the day and averaged 51 trees an hour for the day. I also made them aware that without wind and having to wedge this rate may nearly be halved.
Used the 7900 all day and had to swap out one filter and 4 Carlton Semi Chisel chains. Only went through about 10 litres of fuel which is good - I though I'd use around 20 litres. Had a GB Ti 25" Roller Nose bar on that ended up with sap stuck all over it.

















The odd bifurcated trunk showed up amongst them and without a strong wind I probably would have left them for later. I just cut the scarf as low as possible to minimise the chance of splitting (the tree below split when it hit the ground).
I ended up leaving two trees for the whole day that were leaning a bit too far the wrong way, even with the wind.




By the way, now I can hardly move and every muscle in my body is hurting. I had to peel my fingers off the saw at the end of the day because my right hand was cramping. I haven't hurt this much for a long time


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## AUSSIE1

Good job Matt.
Any plans for the stumps?


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## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Good job Matt.
> Any plans for the stumps?



Basically my job ends with getting them on the ground but the main aim is to kill them ASAP as they are sucking valuable moisture out of the orchards. These windbreaks haven't been irrigated for about 18 months but are still quite happy as their roots are into the orchard's Avocadoes, Citrus, and winegrapes.
The manager was spraying the stumps behind me with Glyphosate to limit regrowth and in the future they'll probably push the stumps out with a dozer.
Today was basically a trial to determine the viability of felling these trees with a chainsaw as the mechanical harvester owner from the Adelaide hills said he can drop 80 trees an hour for $240/hour. The chainsaw guys who said they could do 30 trees an hour for $60/hour were from the same company.
Had to be pretty careful as there are a lot of fruit pickers burning around that can't speak, and don't understand English. I had to have eyes in the back of my head although I didn't have any come near me.


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## cjcocn

MCW said:


> Not sure if many of you guys will find this interesting ......



ha ha ha

Damn straight we find this interesting!

That's a heck of a lot of trees down and you took some great pics - keep them coming!


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## MCW

Casuarinas are generally pretty hard wood when grown without irrigation but these were relatively soft as they've had a good life. They are also normally an excellent firewood but I've already taken about 6 tonne off this property and it's splitting like you wouldn't believe, despite being as heavy as hell. Obviously a good percentage of water.
The 7900 and 25" bar absolutely ate them.


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## AUSSIE1

The reason I was asking is cause a mechanical harvester would cut at 150mm or less.
Loggers with a saw the same.
30 for a logger is cruising for sure.


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## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> The reason I was asking is cause a mechanical harvester would cut at 150mm or less.
> Loggers with a saw the same.
> 30 for a logger is cruising for sure.



Do you mean 150mm as in cut height off the ground? If so my back would be completely shot if I did that all day 
These are the easy ones though. In the centre of the property many of them are around 42-46" diameter and probably 100-120 feet tall. They will also have to be felled perfectly as the upper canopy is basically the same width (or wider in some cases) as the two headlands with citrus either side. Many will be very tricky and will slow things up massively.
I will only be able to start on these bigger ones after all the citrus has been harvested as these will completely block access to certain parts of the farm when dropped.


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## Gumnuts

Great job / fun an hard yacka.....but I would not / could not /see that wood go to waste.
Not sure which Sheoak .....but one of the best burners you could find.
Here on thee Mornington peninsula / Vic it was shippedd to feed the Melbourne kilns ,earlier in the century. Wish i lived closer I'd be grabbing as much of it as i could .....with an eye for any millable sizes.....usaully full of fiddleback.......give thought to stashing for sale to a mill.....great for floor boards too........nice stuff.
Do you know which variety/ species of Sheoak ?

- Graeme



think we spoke on the phone bout saws an stuff while back


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## gmax

Nice photo's, I bet you back ache's after cutting that lot, your 7900 would have paid for itself by now


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## AUSSIE1

Yeah, off the ground.
The most common head we have around here is 22" in capacity.
The largest here is 24" (Waratah 624 as an example).
Everything up to 22" you would be hard pressed to keep up with a harvester.
One cut only to your three.
With an inch or two over, you can do a front cut, get behind the tree, do your final cut and push.
But over that size, get out the saw.


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## MCW

Gumnuts said:


> Great job / fun an hard yacka.....but I would not / could not /see that wood go to waste.
> Not sure which Sheoak .....but one of the best burners you could find.
> Here on thee Mornington peninsula / Vic it was shippedd to feed the Melbourne kilns ,earlier in the century. Wish i lived closer I'd be grabbing as much of it as i could .....with an eye for any millable sizes.....usaully full of fiddleback.......give thought to stashing for sale to a mill.....great for floor boards too........nice stuff.
> Do you know which variety/ species of Sheoak ?
> - Graeme
> think we spoke on the phone bout saws an stuff while back



Not 100% sure but I think the species is Casuarina cunninghamiana. It would be good wood as a rule but has grown a bit too fast and splits like mad. I've had whole 24" rounds that I brought home split clean in half - no joke!
The tree harvester crew were actually going to take all the timber and fell it for free but once they got a few samples they canned that idea and said it was no good for much at all.
We may have spoken on the phone a while back but I've got a memory like a goldfish!



gmax said:


> Nice photo's, I bet you back ache's after cutting that lot, your 7900 would have paid for itself by now



I can't remember hurting so much when I'd finished in my life. Everything was aching. I'll be stiff in the morning, thats for sure.



AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah, off the ground.
> The most common head we have around here is 22" in capacity.
> The largest here is 24" (Waratah 624 as an example).
> Everything up to 22" you would be hard pressed to keep up with a harvester.
> One cut only to your three.
> With an inch or two over, you can do a front cut, get behind the tree, do your final cut and push.
> But over that size, get out the saw.



I wouldn't have a hope in hell of keeping up with a harvester from the ones I've seen. They are impressive units.
For interest's sake mate, how many trees an hour do you reckon a harvester could do? When these guys said 80 an hour that seemed a bit low to me?


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## aldo

Nice work, my back got a bit tichy just reading that. Thats bloody hard yakka for $50 an hour I reckon.


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## AUSSIE1

Don't get me wrong Matt, I reckon you've done a good job.
I reckon the harvesting contractor is doing a bit of leg pullin myself. 
It depends on the situation of course, but I'd say a good operator should drop at least three to your one (head capacity of course).
He's not processing, only harvesting.
Working this side of the fence, you work backwards.
If that fence wasn't there, you can go forward and it would be a touch quicker.
Do all the trees to capacity and come back with a saw for the larger trees.


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## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I reckon the harvesting contractor is doing a bit of leg pullin myself.
> It depends on the situation of course, but I'd say a good operator should drop at least three to your one (head capacity of course).
> He's not processing, only harvesting.
> Working this side of the fence, you work backwards.
> If that fence wasn't there, you can go forward and it would be a touch quicker.
> Do all the trees to capacity and come back with a saw for the larger trees.



Thats what I thought too mate. I actually saw the guy's quote and 80 trees an hour for the harvester is what he had on it. The harvesters I've seen on the internet are absolute weapons and I have no doubt they could do 3 trees to my 1. They also don't get sore backs and feel like dying at the end of the day


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## Gumnuts

MCW said:


> Not 100% sure but I think the species is Casuarina cunninghamiana. It would be good wood as a rule but has grown a bit too fast and splits like mad. I've had whole 24" rounds that I brought home split clean in half - no joke!
> The tree harvester crew were actually going to take all the timber and fell it for free but once they got a few samples they canned that idea and said it was no good for much at all.
> We may have spoken on the phone a while back but I've got a memory like a goldfish!  hehe
> 
> 
> I can't remember hurting so much when I'd finished in my life. Everything was aching. QUOTE] - sore but happy
> 
> .Old growth splits easy too tho.....if not for the mill ,would think still great burner.
> Sealed ,seasoned / cells collapse should toughen her up/Maybe the bigger stuff in the centre of orchard is better .......regardless well done.


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## BobL

Nice Pics Mat - looks like a fair bit of work though!



MCW said:


> Not 100% sure but I think the species is Casuarina cunninghamiana. It would be good wood as a rule but has grown a bit too fast and splits like mad. I've had whole 24" rounds that I brought home split clean in half - no joke!


It sounds like a species we have here called Swamp Sheoak which as you'd expect grows in swamp. Any log that comes from a swamp splits into half a dozen pieces unless the cut ends are sealed as soon as it is cut down. Then it's best to leave it for a few months partially wrapped in plastic so they can dry out slowly. Even then a good fraction of them will split enough not to be worth milling.


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## MCW

aldo said:


> Nice work, my back got a bit tichy just reading that. Thats bloody hard yakka for $50 an hour I reckon.



I've been told I'm mad by a few people but it's also good exercise. My full time job certainly doesn't burn too many kilojoules 
I actually enjoy felling trees so getting paid for it is a bonus.



Gumnuts said:


> Sealed ,seasoned / cells collapse should toughen her up/Maybe the bigger stuff in the centre of orchard is better .......regardless well done.



Unfortunately all of the fruit trees on the orchard have been getting fertilised via state of the art drip systems and top notch fertiliser programs (Full Martinez system if anybody is interested).
It's not only the fruit trees that have been benefiting from this fertiliser! 
A lot of the trees I dropped have basically had water running from their centres. They really are getting pumped, hence the poor timber quality.
All the windbreaks have been planted in about 1995-1996. The size of some of them may give you an idea how fast they've been growing


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## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> They also don't get sore backs and feel like dying at the end of the day



And that's for sure.

The way I'm thinking Matt is the way they have quoted this is to make it worth their while.


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## MCW

A few more photos. Will get more as the job progresses. I'll be back there again next Sunday. I'll try to get some photos of the bigger trees. Taken on my phone so not the best...


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## PetrolHead

Thanks for posting the pic's Matt, Well done and I hope you get a good nights sleep mate, I think that rate would be hard yakka. I'm glad you got the job, for one reason, because they wouldn't have posted pics here for us to see.


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## MCW

PetrolHead said:


> Thanks for posting the pic's Matt, Well done and I hope you get a good nights sleep mate, I think that rate would be hard yakka. One of the hand fallers from the Adelaide Hills company lives the next street over from here, nice blokes, but I'm glad you got the job. for one reason, because they wouldn't have posted pics here.



Unless my saw fitness improves I may wish they got the job 
My 5100-S is too small for most of the trees and the 3120XP is overkill on 95% of them. If I had to use the 3120 all day I'd have averaged 10 trees an hour and would have to be hospitalised!


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## PetrolHead

I nick name you "The Waratah"


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## MCW

PetrolHead said:


> I nick name you "The Waratah"



Fencing Wire?


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## PetrolHead




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## MCW

PetrolHead said:


>


Hah hah. Excellent.
They really are an awesome piece of machinery those things. Looks like something out of "Aliens".


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## woodguy105

Interesting and cool pics.

That's a hell of a lot of trees!

Nice work.


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## tdi-rick

Bloody computer ate my reply a couple of hours ago, so

Too bloody cheap for that hard yakka Matt !

I'm stunned how big those She Oaks are for their age, they certainly haven't suffered a lack of moisture.
Shame if it isn't usable, as the boys above have said, it's usually a pretty useful timber.


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## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Too bloody cheap for that hard yakka Matt !
> I'm stunned how big those She Oaks are for their age, they certainly haven't suffered a lack of moisture.
> Shame if it isn't usable, as the boys above have said, it's usually a pretty useful timber.



Yeah I agree its too cheap but I really wanted to do it and had to undercut the "big boys" 
Not only that though Rick, I've been selling them a fair bit of gear for their MS192T's, 200T's, Farm Bosses etc so I suppose you could call it "value adding", or just plain old stupidity. 
This 1000 acre property is just one farm of about 7-8 in the area (AgriExchange). Also a good way to get your name out there and possibly get to do some "cream" type jobs for them in the future. You don't have to chase them for money either unlike some people I've done work for 
It isn't much money though when you can make what I did today dropping 3 trees in somebody's back yard in a couple of hours.
Good workout though - I'm no fitness freak but a hard day's work always makes you feel good, once the pain subsides...


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## 7600

Cool pic's. You earned your pay there.


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## Bermie

Daayyyummmm!!
Great pictures and an interesting discussion of the timber.
I bet you are glad you only have to drop them!

I am in awe...I dropped two 23" dbh this week, cut up for firewood, crown trucked away took me....well I won't say

We have two species of Casuarina over here, introduced as windbreaks after our cedar forest was decimated by scale in the 1940's 50's. C cunninghamiana and C. equisetifolia. I'm always interested to compare how they grow here on the other side of the world compared to their native habitat.

C. cunninghamiana is known locally as 'running' or 'walking' casuarina as it spreads into a grove by shooting up suckers from the roots. It also tends to be softer than C. equi...has coarser 'needles' and thicker bark. I don't see any indication of suckers near your trunks
C. equisetifolia grows much taller, has thin layered bark that sheds in strips and plates. It is also HARD!!! We use it for firewood, burns clean and hot, some folks have cured it very slowly and made cabinetry, but if its not cured right it splits like mad.

I've experienced the water literally pouring out of the trunks, felled two up a hill, two minutes later, water was running out of the bottom of the trunk. I spiked one for a trim near power lines, cut about 20' out of the top of four or five branches, when I got down, water was coming out of the spike holes!

Love the pictures, keep them coming!


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## MCW

Bermie said:


> We have two species of Casuarina over here, introduced as windbreaks after our cedar forest was decimated by scale in the 1940's 50's. C cunninghamiana and C. equisetifolia. I'm always interested to compare how they grow here on the other side of the world compared to their native habitat.
> C. cunninghamiana is known locally as 'running' or 'walking' casuarina as it spreads into a grove by shooting up suckers from the roots. It also tends to be softer than C. equi...has coarser 'needles' and thicker bark. I don't see any indication of suckers near your trunks
> C. equisetifolia grows much taller, has thin layered bark that sheds in strips and plates. It is also HARD!!! We use it for firewood, burns clean and hot, some folks have cured it very slowly and made cabinetry, but if its not cured right it splits like mad.
> I've experienced the water literally pouring out of the trunks, felled two up a hill, two minutes later, water was running out of the bottom of the trunk. I spiked one for a trim near power lines, cut about 20' out of the top of four or five branches, when I got down, water was coming out of the spike holes!
> 
> Love the pictures, keep them coming!



Thanks for the reply mate. If C. cunninghamiana is the suckering variey then these are not C. cunninghamiana and I have the species wrong. I'll find out for sure and post back as its definately the non suckering variety. A lot of fruit property owners are regretting planting Casuarinas as windbreaks now as they have a tendency to run roots a fair way into the orchard. On this particular property citrus trees are suffering and stunted up to 30m away near the bigger trees.


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## Hddnis

Looks like a fun job. You'll start to feel better about the time you finish all the hard work.lol

Thanks for all the pics.


Mr. HE


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## mowoodchopper

Nice job MCW! Looks like you worked your A** off but it looks like first class job!


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## whitemountain

Excellent pictures and looks like a ton of work. :jawdrop:Wish for you the wood is good for something.







Interesting about the windbreaks, orchards and such.


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## Bermie

MCW said:


> Thanks for the reply mate. If C. cunninghamiana is the suckering variey then these are not C. cunninghamiana and I have the species wrong. I'll find out for sure and post back as its definately the non suckering variety. A lot of fruit property owners are regretting planting Casuarinas as windbreaks now as they have a tendency to run roots a fair way into the orchard. On this particular property citrus trees are suffering and stunted up to 30m away near the bigger trees.



Cool...
Casuarina are now considered an invasive species, they now self seed vigourously in the rocky coastline and beach dunes, took almost 50 years to make the transition...they still grow as tall as ever, don't respond to wind shear and so topple over happily in a hurricane, taking chunks of shoreline and cliff with them...that are habitat for white tailed tropicbirds...they change the soil chemistry, supress and overshade native species...keeps me in business, got one to dismantle tomorrow over a squash court!

Happy felling, hot bath with Radox helps, or give it a few days and it all fades into a blur!


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## Andyshine77

Really nice work MCW Glad to see the 7900 is working well for you.


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## tdi-rick

Bermie said:


> Cool...
> Casuarina are now considered an invasive species, they now self seed vigourously in the rocky coastline and beach dunes, took almost 50 years to make the transition...they still grow as tall as ever, don't respond to wind shear and so topple over happily in a hurricane, taking chunks of shoreline and cliff with them...that are habitat for white tailed tropicbirds...they change the soil chemistry, supress and overshade native species...keeps me in business, got one to dismantle tomorrow over a squash court!
> 
> Happy felling, hot bath with Radox helps, or give it a few days and it all fades into a blur!



It's often the same story isn't it, take a species, plant, animal or insect, it doesn't really matter and place it somewhere it isn't native and it has the potential to really become a pest.

She Oaks/Casuarina's are being re-planted here in large numbers along creeks and rivers to help shore up eroded banks and in some trials slow the flows down to what they were pre white colonisation.
Of course this is their native habitat.


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## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Glad to see the 7900 is working well for you.



I love these things mate. Although mine spat a base gasket about 6 months after I got it they really are as good as anything on the market I reckon, regardless of the price. That's why I get a bit arky when a few guys on this site bash them at any opportunity  They're so good I've ordered a new modded one off of Sir Snelling with the HD filter kit. Can't wait.


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## Andyshine77

I remember the gasket issue you had. I periodically check the head bolts to make sure they're properly torqued, especially with newer saws. Brad said something about you and a new 7900.


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## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> I remember the gasket issue you had. I periodically check the head bolts to make sure they're properly torqued, especially with newer saws. Brad said something about you and a new 7900.



Yeah he was worried about being seen ordering one with the new HD setup after saying quite openly how ugly it was.
I can picture him continously telling everyone "Its not for me, honest. It isn't. Honest"


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## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Yeah he was worried about being seen ordering one with the new HD setup after saying quite openly how ugly it was.
> I can picture him continously telling everyone "Its not for me, honest. It isn't. Honest"



ROTFLMAO


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## Andyshine77

I think Brad's warming up to the 7900's more and more, it's only a matter of time before he gets one for himself.


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## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> I think Brad's warming up to the 7900's more and more, it's only a matter of time before he gets one for himself.



Yeah he'll get one. I bet he's actually ordered two, using me as the "fall guy" in case he gets sprung


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## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> Yeah he'll get one. I bet he's actually ordered two, using me as the "fall guy" in case he gets sprung



:agree2:I wouldn't doubt that one bit.lol 

I'll tell you this. The only guys that down the 7900, are the guys that haven't ran one.


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## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> I'll tell you this. The only guys that down the 7900, are the guys that haven't ran one.


I agree 100%. 

If was to pick any faults they would be;

1) Filtration a bit average but manageable - hopefully fixed with HD setup.
2) Chain tensioner "looks" a bit weak but haven't broken it so...
3) Spikes look pretty and generally work well but have a tendency to lose grip on really hard, dead wood.

Thats about it. Very smooth and powerful saws. It's amazing how many Australian guys under 50 years of age that use saws have never even heard of Dolmar as a brand.


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## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> It's amazing how many Australian guys under 50 years of age that use saws have never even heard of Dolmar as a brand.



Good point, I think Dolmar had much more of a presence here pre Makita's ownership.

My mate that introduced me to the brand and has run them for over twenty five years is 60 now. (but still carries on as if he's 21 and single, but that's another story )


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## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Good point, I think Dolmar had much more of a presence here pre Makita's ownership.
> 
> My mate that introduced me to the brand and has run them for over twenty five years is 60 now. (but still carries on as if he's 21 and single, but that's another story )



I brought this point up at both of the chainsaw courses I did recently and when I said that Makita saws are German made and the same as my Dolmar they were all amazed.
They're used to relatively dodgey Chinese type tools from Makita.
Not one of them would have even associated Makita with German quality.
If I was running Makita marketing in Australia things would definately change.


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## SawTroll

MCW said:


> Yeah he was worried about being seen ordering one with the new HD setup after saying quite openly how ugly it was.
> I can picture him continously telling everyone "Its not for me, honest. It isn't. Honest"



:biggrinbounce2::rockn:


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## SawTroll

Andyshine77 said:


> :agree2:I wouldn't doubt that one bit.lol
> 
> I'll tell you this. The only guys that down the 7900, are the guys that haven't ran one.



...and Ben Walker.....


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## blsnelling

MCW said:


> Yeah he was worried about being seen ordering one with the new HD setup after saying quite openly how ugly it was.
> I can picture him continously telling everyone "Its not for me, honest. It isn't. Honest"



What are you guys talking about? I don't know anything about no stinkin' ugly 7900 with a HD filter setup:hmm3grin2orange: I guess I could always put a bag over its head when using it, lol!


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## stinkbait

Those are some great photos. I love dropping trees. That's the easy part.


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## JJuday

MCW said:


> Basically my job ends with getting them on the ground but the main aim is to kill them ASAP as they are sucking valuable moisture out of the orchards. These windbreaks haven't been irrigated for about 18 months but are still quite happy as their roots are into the orchard's Avocadoes, Citrus, and winegrapes.
> The manager was spraying the stumps behind me with Glyphosate to limit regrowth and in the future they'll probably push the stumps out with a dozer.
> Today was basically a trial to determine the viability of felling these trees with a chainsaw as the mechanical harvester owner from the Adelaide hills said he can drop 80 trees an hour for $240/hour. The chainsaw guys who said they could do 30 trees an hour for $60/hour were from the same company.
> Had to be pretty careful as there are a lot of fruit pickers burning around that can't speak, and don't understand English. I had to have eyes in the back of my head although I didn't have any come near me.



Nice job! You just made quite the hardwood graveyard and stumps for gravestones! I take it you mean Aborigines? I hate Sticky fingered people. Nice pics! JJ


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## tdi-rick

JJuday said:


> Nice job! You just made quite the hardwood graveyard and stumps for gravestones! I take it you mean Aborigines? I hate Sticky fingered people. Nice pics! JJ



:jawdrop: err, no, foreigners from OS, often backpackers too.


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## kevin j

john henry vs. the steam spike drive comes to mind.
and nice to see the man and skill do the job the big harvestors couldn't.
tks for pics. kcj


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## JJuday

tdi-rick said:


> :jawdrop: err, no, foreigners from OS, often backpackers too.



Hmmmm. I see......I often see the same backpackers in this country. How about we agree to call them all MethHeads! Is Meth as big a problem in OZ as it is in the U.S.?


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## MCW

JJuday said:


> Is Meth as big a problem in OZ as it is in the U.S.?



Generally our backpackers from overseas are pretty good. They're not wanting to stay long term and are more often than not just young couples on a working holiday. Every now and then you do get one that is just a downright criminal - it shows up pretty quick in small towns like ours (7000 odd people) and the police are onto them pretty smartly.
I don't think drugs are as big of a problem in Australia as it may be in the US and the hard stuff like Meth seems to be a larger problem in our cities. There is a fair bit of Marijuana getting around in the country though and would be one of the biggest mental health concerns in our area. My cousin and sister-in-law both work in different country regions with the Mental Health System and both say that marijuana is the biggest issue in regard to Schizophrenia and depression.


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## AUSSIE1

kevin j said:


> john henry vs. the steam spike drive comes to mind.
> and nice to see the man and skill do the job the big harvestors couldn't.
> tks for pics. kcj



I find that interesting Kev.
Could you give us your slant on why this couldn't be done by harvester?


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## kevin j

I think he said they were too big for the harverstors so he got the job.
So it is one of the rare times when the man with skill can do what the machine can't. Like a climbing artists vs. the bucket truck trimmers. Production per dollar, buckets all the way. Watching a climb job is seeing art and skill, but drives the accountants batty.

I'm not downplaying technology or mechanization. The john henry story/poem was someone doomed to fail against mechanization, but gave his bet shot.
After the toll on the body from doing this with saw, yeah there is great reason for harvestors.

I just find it nice to see a man using his experience and skill to beat the big boys and big toys, especially on a big corporate plantation. There is something 'david and goliath' about that and I like to see the little guys succeed.


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## AUSSIE1

Yeah I agree, Matt has done a great job.
Like he says, he's made a good dollar and he's thinking long term (good thinking).
By harvester, the job would be done very quickly.
By the photo's, there doesn't seem to be alot oversize for a 22" harvester.
Even if there was say 10%, the machine would be way out front.
If I was the owner of the property, I would not hesitate to contract Matt.
Trying to get the gist of what the Logging contractor was thinking makes me think he was pricing accordingly to justify the job.
30 trees an hour for supposedly experienced operators?
I guess he has greater overheads than Matt.
You don't see many larger companies take on small jobs like this unless it's worth their while.
Congtrats to Matt for a great job.


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## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah I agree, Matt has done a great job.
> Like he says, he's made a good dollar and he's thinking long term (good thinking).
> By harvester, the job would be done very quickly.
> By the photo's, there doesn't seem to be alot oversize for a 22" harvester.
> Even if there was say 10%, the machine would be way out front.
> If I was the owner of the property, I would not hesitate to contract Matt.
> Trying to get the gist of what the Logging contractor was thinking makes me think he was pricing accordingly to justify the job.
> 30 trees an hour for supposedly experienced operators?
> I guess he has greater overheads than Matt.
> You don't see many larger companies take on small jobs like this unless it's worth their while.
> Congtrats to Matt for a great job.



Thanks for talking me up mate 
It basically all came down to cost. The harvester was AUD$240 an hour plus AUD$1400 to get it there. The harvester came with the saw guys, the saw guys came with the harvester. It was all of them or nothing so therefore a total of AUD$360 an hour for an estimated 140 trees an hour. In between many of the trees that I'm dropping there are PVC irrigation valves which the property manager was worried about (I had a tree roll when it landed and snap a 2" bleed valve off buggar it!).
I also used to work there in the mid '90s so know the guys too which also helped.
I'll get some photos of some of the bigger trees this weekend and may even drop a couple as well if not too windy.
Aussie old son, do buttress type roots upset harvesters? The Casuarinas on the property aren't technically "buttress" type but do have some interesting trunk shapes. Not sure how well the heads clamp on when the trees are out of round?
I'm with you still on this one though, there's something not right about the way this guy quoted - myself versus his chainsaw guys fair enough, but 80 trees an hour in relatively easy conditions never made sense to me for a harvester. I have a funny feeling that the guy and his team may be short of work and downplayed the speed at which they could drop trees to drag it out and make more money. Big call on my part but...
Made me look good though 
There is probably another 10,000 trees to go on this property alone, maybe more?


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## AUSSIE1

10,000 tree's, farg, I didn't realise that big a job.
It'll get easier each day as your body gets used to it (you'd hope).
Butt flair/elephants foot just means you cut higher. No biggie.
In the pine, not so much the hardwood they like the stumps lower that 150mm/6" only because other machinery has to transverse the same ground you have. Drive a forwarder over stumps this high and higher without suspension you'll know what I mean.
I didn't realise the harvester and fallers together.
That really makes it a no brainer.
To think your out in the fresh air, great scenery, doing a job like this makes it almost a crime to get paid.
Good schit.


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## MCW

Yeah this property alone is 1000 acres. All up the company owns and manages about 2500-3000 acres of mainly citrus in the region, all with Casuarina/Poplar windbreaks at around 300-400m grids with a few gaps here and there but not many. The manager on one of the properties is pretty handy with a saw so he's been knocking down the trees on that property which is about 300 acres I think.
From what I can gather the main manager wants me to do basically all the trees on the remaining properties. Another manager who did the large tree felling course I did a month or so ago has been practicing on a few trees but loves these stupid 45° backcuts despite me telling him not to do them. The main property manager has told me he needs to stop cutting trees down, get back to doing wat they're paying him to do, and let me handle all the felling! There are also a few Eucalypt woodlots of about 5 acres each with small trees that they want dropped. None of these would be over 10m tall and 12" trunks. Good wood though 
What I did on Sunday was a test to see basically;

1) Whether I know what I'm doing (???) 
2) How fast the trees can be felled (viability)
3) Whether I damage anything (nearly succeeded!)

I didn't have any major problems apart from breaking that 2" PVC breather which is a 2 minute fix as it snapped above ground. A joiner and PVC glue and all was good. I was a bit dark about that when it happened. It was pretty tight when I dropped it and as it was the top of the tree brushed a neighbouring Avocado tree before rolling about 6" to the right and snapping the pipe.
In one area I dropped about 150m of trees all on top of one another so the headland was still accessible. Looked pretty but I would hate to be the guys cleaning up the mess - it was nasty as you could hardly even access a trunk to get a chain on to tow them out. It was just one solid wall of trees/branches etc like a big 6m high Casuarina hedge!
When you look at the mess of trees in some spots I think I got the easy job


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## WalterWhite

MCW said:


> I have a funny feeling that the guy and his team may be short of work and downplayed the speed at which they could drop trees to drag it out and make more money. Big call on my part but...
> Made me look good though


I would have thought a high quote meant "we really don't want this job but if you pay enough..." I hope there's not something the other guy sees in this job that you have not accounted for.


> There is probably another 10,000 trees to go on this property alone, maybe more?


 I am in awe. Here I am making a big deal out of cutting one tree in my yard. I guess there's a pretty big gap between a pro and a noob. At a tree a minute that's a months work. For me, I could turn it into a lifetime pursuit. 

-walt


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## MCW

WalterWhite said:


> I would have thought a high quote meant "we really don't want this job but if you pay enough..." I hope there's not something the other guy sees in this job that you have not accounted for.
> 
> I am in awe. Here I am making a big deal out of cutting one tree in my yard. I guess there's a pretty big gap between a pro and a noob. At a tree a minute that's a months work. For me, I could turn it into a lifetime pursuit.
> 
> -walt



I know what you're saying but I honestly think that the harvester guys were very confident that they were going to get the job. The manager of another AWB Landmark store (Agricultural Fertiliser/chemical etc) where I work just happened to mention to the main Farm Manager of this company that I cut down trees and have a chainsaw supply business. This guy was just about to sign on the dotted line with the harvester operator. A week later and I wouldn't have been cutting one single tree down - they'd have had the job.
I am only the 3rd person that the property manager had spoken to about felling these trees. Another guy they spoke to only has basically pruning saws and said he wouldn't be capable of doing it. After seeing his employees at the large tree felling course they would have killed themselves. They didn't have a clue.
When showing me the trees to start with I had 3 property managers and the main manager all asking questions about tree cutting as they drove me around the property. They knew nothing about chainsaws or tree felling so it was easy for me to sound smart 
Another thing too though, I'm no Superman tree cutter, with the wind I had on Sunday these trees really did fell themselves and any risks were minimal. Many people could do this and you do get your eye in pretty quick - I didn't take any photos of the first 20 or so trees but if I did you'd see some shocker angles. I expect to have a few errors when it's calm and I have to start wedging a few more.
Another thing of interest - I love Humbolt Scarfs and generally use them exclusively but what I found in a short time is that they were too hard on the arms at the rate I was cutting - you basically have to hold the weight of the saw to some extent on the undercut. I swapped to a traditional scarf which meant the weight of the saw did most of the cutting on the second angled cut and my arms started to burn a bit less!

Also, the windbreaks were planted in 91/92. I was wrong about their planting date being 95/96 as this was the date that most of the citrus was planted in.


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## MCW

Just thought I'd add a few more photos. Had a few spare hours this arvo so headed back to the property to knock a few more trees over. Very little wind today so had to wedge the majority of the trees I dropped, slowing me down considerably from last Sunday.
In 140 minutes I dropped 63 trees, but also had a few tricky bigger ones this time.
Entrance into property...













This tree was a pig. I actually strapped both trunks together with a 4 tonne ratchet strap before felling it to keep the main trunk together. It worked OK but when it landed it split and broke the ratchet with the force. Well it was a good idea at the time  May have to get some chains...




Flooded the 7900 too when I unknowingly bumped the off switch and kept trying to start it. Used the 5100-S for about 30 minutes while the 7900 dried out.
Will be back there again tomorrow with good winds forecast (hopefully).


----------



## tdi-rick

Are you getting the balmy weather over there Matt ?
Haven't needed the fire two nights running, and it's been burning since the end of April...
Forecast is high twenties here again tomorrow, every deciduous plant is shooting/flowering, and we usually get heavy frosts well into September


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## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Are you getting the balmy weather over there Matt ?
> Haven't needed the fire two nights running, and it's been burning since the end of April...
> Forecast is high twenties here again tomorrow, every deciduous plant is shooting/flowering, and we usually get heavy frosts well into September



Yeah its been funny weather here too Rick. We have only had about 3 frosts here this year - very unusual with no more in sight at this stage. Cereal crops started off well but haven't had any significant rain to speak of so starting to show severe water stress. A few showers today but barely enough to wet anything. Weather link below for Renmark Airport, about 6km from this property.

http://www.eldersweather.com.au/local.jsp?lt=aploc&lc=13384


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## Engineeringnerd

Great post. I've enjoyed reading it. I'd love to cut about 30 of them, but 300+?????


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## PetrolHead

What will they end up doing with all that wood mate?


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## MCW

PetrolHead said:


> What will they end up doing with all that wood mate?



Sadly they'll be pushing/dragging it into piles and burning it. Bit of a waste but to be honest the vast majority of it is garbage. I saw a few growth rings today just over an inch apart. They've grown too fast to be much good for anything. I saw $$$ from firewood originally but it can stay there now as far as I'm concerned.
With legal liability etc they can't just let any man or their dog on the place to cut and take it either.
Some of the piles will be well worth cracking the marshmallows out for


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## PetrolHead

Over an inch groth for one season ey? Sappy.
Oh well, you'd better be saving some of those trees for the new Dolmar mate. Good weather tomorrow I'm told.


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## PetrolHead

"With legal liability etc they can't just let any man or their dog on the place to cut and take it either"

You know I seen a government organisation down here stack pine and offer it as "cut your own". The sign was'nt up for very long at all, imagine the litigation potential?


----------



## MCW

PetrolHead said:


> Over an inch groth for one season ey? Sappy.
> Oh well, you'd better be saving some of those trees for the new Dolmar mate. Good weather tomorrow I'm told.



Yeah I'm getting some severe sap build up on the chains. Very hard to get off and is actually building up between the cutters and the depth guages like a shark's fin. I've resorted to soaking the chains in Caustic Soda to get it off.
Unless the new 7900 arrives in about 2 years I think there will be plenty of trees left for it 
Looking forward to tomorrow. I'll have the 32" bar on the Dolmar for some runs and the 3120 with 36" on hand too. I hope there is as strong of a NW wind as they've forecast. I'll need it on a few of the biggys.


----------



## MCW

PetrolHead said:


> You know I seen a government organisation down here stack pine and offer it as "cut your own". The sign was'nt up for very long at all, imagine the litigation potential?



Its even worse with the big corporates like this place. They have their own OH&S departments with guys writing new rules/guidelines every day. If they don't make up some new "danger" on a daily basis they'll be out of a job.
Some of the guidelines are absolutely stupid as far as the paperwork goes, but once you talk to the property manager with his feet on the ground he could hardly care less!


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## MCW

Some more photos from today. Got into some bigger ones today. Dropped 184 in 360 minutes having to wedge probably all but 30 trees.
Also managed to bend my 25" GB Ti Roller Nose about half an hour in - I've never bent a bar. Managed to straighten it up when I got home in the vice but still don't think it will be any good. Will run it another day but am expecting hot spots. May be a bin job as I've got another two of them on hand anyway. Ended up using a 32" GB Pro Top for the rest of the day.
Still not sure exactly how it happened but bar got stuck as the tree went over. I was holding the saw with no great concern and when the saw came free the bar tip was bent. Still has me wondering how it did it? I may have cut too far through the hinge but not sure.




Water leaking out of the the tree centre was common...




Had to avoid irrigation valving like this a fair bit today. Apart from my bar tip I didn't manage to wreck anything!












The biggest tree I dropped today. Probably around the 40" mark judging by how far the 32" bar managed to get through. Had a fair bit of canopy too and came down with a fair thud. Another bifurcated trunk that split when it landed...




A reasonable run of trees that I'll leave for now until we get a really strong Northerly. This lot seem to be leaning to the North over the orchard. Too risky to take on without strong winds...




Dropped this run of 43 trees all on top of one another except for a few in the centre where there was an irrigation valve...





One thing I did manage to do was cop a wedge in the chin. I bought these lame arsed single taper wedges that are a really hard plastic and tend to take off like bullets if struck off centre. Luckily it hit me on the flat and hit hard. Even still it opened up a good cut and is already bruising up nicely. Chin swollen up pretty good too. If it had hit on a sharp edge I would have needed stitches for sure. I knew something like this was going to happen with these wedges so have gone back to using some older double taper wedges that have seen better days but are a softer plastic and drive in a LOT better. The single taper wedges I've got are good if double stacking though...


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## MCW

And this set me up nicely in the morning.
Not often I get to go past Maccas when working so always make the most of it. I'm not a big fan of their main menu but love their breakfast menu. They do make a good cappucino...


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## AUSSIE1

Fairdinkum Matt, you haven't tried good coffee if you think that crap's good lol.

Have you tried putting mild steal bar in the groove to stop it from closing when straightening?


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## tdi-rick

I can only echo what Al said Matt re the coffee. 

You've been working your ring out mate, earning your $'s. I'll give you a bell in the morning.


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## MCW

I'm actually a bit of a coffeeholic but don't mind Macca's coffee 
There aren't too many local places that make as good of a cappucino as Maccas. Get to the city though and I know what you fella's mean.
But hey, it was early, tasted good, was large, and I was still half asleep  The local McDonalds is pretty good compared to other ones I've been to though.
As far as the bar goes it looks OK and .050" guage chain runs through a treat but there is a very slight twist on one side of the nose. May be OK but am expecting some heat. Quite a weak bar actually just behind the roller. Didn't take much effort to manually bend it back into place.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> I'm actually a bit of a coffeeholic but don't mind Macca's coffee
> [snip]



Really does depend on who makes it, if they've really got the grind right for the day, they go by feel on the milk jug rather than try and watch those stupid little thermometers when doing the crema, etc.
That's almost more important than the beans and roast. 

I loved one comment from an Oz roaster when Starbucks made their hasty retreat from Oz.
Apart from saying they had totally mis-read the market as Australia is a far more discriminating and sophisticated coffee market than the US he said "good beans roasted badly" 

I have to admit I've had a couple of good Macca's McCaffé Flat whites, and I've also sent quite a few back :monkey: but I'm not sure I'd ever be game to order a Macchiato.






Ooops, there I go again, totally OT :greenchainsaw:


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## tdi-rick

Interesting re the bar Matt.
Can you get the twist out someway ? maybe a big shifter used judiciously with something in the rails to prevent squashing, eg feeler gauges ?

I've surprised a few people at times at various things I've been able to straighten and true


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## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Interesting re the bar Matt.
> Can you get the twist out someway ? maybe a big shifter used judiciously with something in the rails to prevent squashing, eg feeler gauges ?
> 
> I've surprised a few people at times at various things I've been able to straighten and true



I don't think I'm too far off the mark at the moment Rick. One side perfect, other side the bar rails have an ever so slight "wave" in it (and I mean small). The old Mark I Eye Ball is pretty accurate as a rule and can sometimes pick up things that may not be as big of a problem as they look.


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## tdi-rick

Yep, used to straighten race car suspension pushrods by eye (chucked in a lathe) and when you ran a dial indicator over them after they'd only be a few thou out.

I remember reading once that the gunsmiths at the Small Arms Factory at Lithgow used to straighten barrels by eye after forging.


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## shwinecat

Great thread MCW. I appreciate the photos. My brother and I just took job felling trees out of an recreational park in MN. The trees just need to be dropped due to city airport to the North. The park is part of an old gravel pit so the terrain is not flat at all. It can be hard to stand at times to make a cut and you want to slide down hill. There is not much risk of damage other then guardrails on the trails or just dropping one in the wrong spot to block a trail.

It has been great training for me on felling trees and I will try and get some photos next trip out. I have been reluctant due to if some of the AS members laugh as hard as my brother did I will never live it down. I have learned a lot since we started and am willing to work until I can't move anymore. My brother is good about ending the day when you get so tired it gets unsafe. We have some really big cotton woods on this property so I am hoping to get some great photos. I am making $50.00 per hour and using Makita 6401 with the 7900 update and 24 inch bar. Awesome saw and have not needed more saw yet. We will in the future.

Not trying to steal any of your thunder for your hard work I just wanted to say thanks for the photos and at least now I know I am not the only crazy one out there.


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## MCW

shwinecat said:


> I just wanted to say thanks for the photos and at least now I know I am not the only crazy one out there.



Yeah I've been told I'm crazy more than once!
I suppose the reason I decided to start a thread and post photos was because this tree situation is a bit different to most. I can also say when I'm older and crippled that this is one of the jobs I took on, and have photo evidence.
I'm only 35 but the way I'm going the older and crippled part will be in just a few years 
Good luck with your job which sounds interesting and you certainly do learn a lot the more trees you drop. Good to hear you like the 7900 too 


Also for those that were interested earlier the species of tree is Casuarina cunninghamiana despite the lack of sucker growth. The oldest trees were planted in 1991 and the younger, smaller ones were planted as late as 1995.


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## MCW

Recorded a video on my phone on Saturday afternoon but without me realising my phone fell over after only a few trees. I kept cutting and after finally working out Windows Movie Maker I managed to edit the end off. Chain was getting a bit sad in this vid but was still cutting OK.
Strong left to right wind in this video hence no wedges in this section - however I did jam the bar about 12 trees on after getting a bit too smart with a tree leaning too far the wrong way 


<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RQOheZPBfAc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RQOheZPBfAc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


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## cjcocn

MCW said:


> Recorded a video on my phone on Saturday afternoon but without me realising my phone fell over after only a few trees. I kept cutting and after finally working out Windows Movie Maker I managed to edit the end off. Chain was getting a bit sad in this vid but was still cutting OK.
> Strong left to right wind in this video hence no wedges in this section - however I did jam the bar about 12 trees on after getting a bit too smart with a tree leaning too far the wrong way
> 
> 
> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RQOheZPBfAc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RQOheZPBfAc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>



That's a decent video considering it was recorded with a phone.

Good job on felling those trees. You'll get some good numbers down if you keep up that pace.


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## MCW

cjcocn said:


> That's a decent video considering it was recorded with a phone.



Yeah all the photos and tis vid were taken on a Nokia N96. Good phone and really good camera (5MP) and video.
The trees in the vid were some of the smaller ones and impossible to keep an average speed near that.


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## MCW

Back again. My new "Snellerized" 7900 with HD filter arrived Wednesday and today was its first day on the job. Only cut for 165 minutes and felled 114 trees with it. Mainly smaller ones 12-26" and had to wedge 80% of them.
I only have one thing to say about the new saw - AWESOME. I know that comparing it to my '06 model stock 7900 isn't necessarily comparing Apples with Apples but the difference is massive.
Today I was running a 32" GB Pro Top and Carlton A3-LM Full Chisel Skip and despite the smaller Casuarinas in today's area the speed that it cut was impressive. No chance for video but am back on this property tomorrow and will get more photos and hopefully some videos.
As you can see in the photos below it was throwing chips out a fair way. Due to the clean wood the A3-LM held up very well and as I only had one loop made up to test I touched it up with a file a couple of times but it didn't really need it.









The new HD filter setup for the 6400-7900 Dolmar/Makitas is also one very impressive setup. After today's short effort you could hardly tell the filter had been used. With the older setup it'd be due for a clean or swap.
Anyone who uses the filter as an excuse now to bag the 7900 needs a swift kick fair in the jewels. I will be getting a HD setup ASAP for my other saw, they are that good.
Another bummer today is that in amongst the mass of trees that were pretty well dropped on top of one another is my $70 block splitter. The manager came along and was talking for a while and I forgot to grab it and continued to fell trees right on top of it using my little sledgehammer for wedges


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## MCW

Just thought I'd update whats been going on.

Have been a bit busy the last few weekends and haven't managed to cut much else on these properties.
On the Sunday just gone managed to drop 422 trees in 8 1/2 hours, averaging 50 an hour. Wind helped in some spots but also was a pain in the a**e. It was switching from a N/W to a Southerly at the drop of a hat. I actually had to recut the scarf on a few and drop them 180° to where I originally intended. I got the bar stuck at least 6 times, having to unbolt the bar 3 of these and just fell the next tree on it to get the bar/chain out the cut using my other 7900/5100-S. Once the backcut shuts on larger trees there is basically no hope of getting a plastic wedge in - this was due to both the wind changing and me getting a bit too smart 
The new 7900 with HD filter kit modded by Brad is still running a treat. On Sunday I only ran a 20" bar on it with semi chisel and an 8 pin sprocket. Trees ranged from around 12" up to 32" with average maybe around 18" I would guess. The speed this thing cuts is still amazing me. The HD filter is also a piece of work but as yet I haven't managed to run it on dead Redgum. I'm hoping to this weekend weather permitting.

So far I have done 41 hours on this property and dropped 1596 trees averaging 39 trees and hour.

I originally thought maybe 15,000 trees were here in total. I think I'm out by maybe 100%! I am guessing closer to 30,000 trees as I have hardly made a dent. The managers are now discussing getting one of those grappler type things in (you logger guys will know the correct name!) as I am dropping them way faster than their guys can clean them up.

This photo was from the other weekend...






The winegrapes have now started growing for the season so I have to keep headlands clear for tractors and sprayers to get down the rows to spray the vines.






I'll post more info as I go.

Matt.


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## AUSSIE1

Matt a forwarder can pick up the logs and make a stack and a shovel (excavator with a grapple) will only move them around, not transport them.


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## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Matt a forwarder can pick up the logs and make a stack and a shovel (excavator with a grapple) will only move them around, not transport them.



Yeah all they want to do mate is drag them out the way. Taking too much time with a tractor and chains, not to mention the size of some of the trees is bogging the tractors as its all ex sand dune broadacre cropping country.
I don't think they'd thought too far ahead about the whole job and the amount of work involved. I've got the easy part


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## tdi-rick

A fence post/rail cutter around the corner has just bought a 75HP JD skid steer loader just to move logs around. It has a pretty handy lift capacity too. 

Sunday must've been the day for work, I booked out 6 hours here, last job ended up in a local pub and i didn't even have a drink, hell, I'm even off the coffee ATM


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## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> last job ended up in a local pub and i didn't even have a drink, hell, I'm even off the coffee ATM



Mate I'd get to hospital and be checked out. That don't sound normal 

And another video from a few weeks back with my stock 7900. Good strong wind here and no wedging necessary 



<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HwRgFevDN5E&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HwRgFevDN5E&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


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## Hddnis

Videos are nice, thanks for sharing them.

You have any trouble with the sandy soil being blown by the wind and getting into the bark, and then dulling chains quickly?




Mr. HE


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## Henry G.

Holy moly that like a tree a minute you are a machine!


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## rguim007

The Pic with all the stumps and down trees looking up the hill........looks like the road to "chainsaw heaven"!! Sweet pics. Nice job. Way to haul A$$.


----------



## MCW

Hddnis said:


> Videos are nice, thanks for sharing them.
> You have any trouble with the sandy soil being blown by the wind and getting into the bark, and then dulling chains quickly?
> Mr. HE



No worries about sharing the videos  When I'm old and crippled I'll whip them out just to hear a chainsaw again!
Funnily enough I did think that I would have a problem with sand in the bark but so far it hasn't been an issue. I have been getting really good wear out of chains and can't see this changing for the rest of the job.


----------



## MCW

A few more pictures from yesterday (Sunday). Managed to drop 479 yesterday in 9 1/2 hours. My biggest day yet as far as total trees go and I averaged 50 an hour. 
Have had an extremely sore and slightly swollen left forearm since the middle of last week. Saw a Physiotherapist mate of mine tonight after work as yesterday's effort has really stirred it up and unfortunately it is chainsaw related dammit. He has called it DeQuervain's Syndrome ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeQuervain's_syndrome ) and has taped up my left forearm and has told me I now need to wear a brace to give it relief or give it a rest for a few weeks. I've chosen the brace option. All I know is it hurts like hell and I need to ice it when I get home from sawing. If that fails I'll get a Cortisone injection.

Photo below shows weaker/dead trees adjacent to a winegrape patch. These vines are probably getting around 40% of the water per year that the citrus is but salinity also an issue on this property in the lower areas (like here). This has also affected the vigour of the Casuarinas and has actually killed quite a few in low areas - they do not seem to be a very salt tolerant variety. You can see how the tree health and size of the windbreak increases next to the citrus.

Before...




After...





Had one run of trees that had a Creeper/Vine running through the canopy. There have been a few guys that have work related injuries (on light duties) going along ahead of me cleaning up the bottom parts of the trees so I have easy access. They are helping a lot as there is nothing worse than fighting through the bottom part of a tree with spring loaded branches and a running chainsaw. I did one run of about 50 trees that they hadn't cleaned up and I finished the day looking like I'd had a fight with a Mountain Lion.
As you can see below these vines had a fair bit of strength as they held this one tree partly upright. It only fell when I cut the next tree. Can't say I've seen this before in my area as we don't have enough rainfall as a rule - these have been benefiting from fertiliser and irrigation too.










A reasonably large Casuarina that I dropped with the "Snellerized" 7900, HD filter kit and 24" GB Pro Top (Labelled Total II). Have retired the 25" Roller Nose after I bent the tip earlier on (pic in this thread). I though I'd straightened it enough (which I had) but it has weakened it that much it now bends just by looking at it.
There was a really strong Southerly blowing which helped immensely (I didn't have to wedge one tree). This tree started going before I expected and as you can see there is a big lump of uncut wood left. The trunk split as it fell and the right part swung on this wood about 10 foot further to the right than expected. If it wasn't bifurcated and hadn't split this tree would have gone exactly where intended. I had heaps of space to work with on this row but things like this are something I have to keep in mind as there will be some very tight felling work later on some runs. I probably should have whacked the 32" bar on but this tree was way larger than the others in this row so just took it on with a 24" instead...






Was running both the 24" bar and 3/8" semi chisel with 8 pin or the 32" and non skip semi chisel all day on the 7900 only. This thing is continuing to impress me and with a 24" bar and 8 pin sprocket I don't think I've ever had a saw cut this fast. As mentioned I'll be getting another one off Brad soon.

And.....

A big error on my part. This is what happens when you just expect trees to fall over with the wind but they don't so you keep cutting and not concentrating. Basically I cut straight through the hingewood and had this tree fall exactly 90° to where it was meant to go. As you can see there was only one tiny part of hingewood left on the side I was cutting from. Worst thing was is that I was on that side of the tree using the back of the bar (faster on smaller trees in this situation as you can do all the felling cuts from one side). As the tree fell it caught the bar, held the saw then the butt landed on my new 7900 (or so I thought). Luckily a few lower branches had kept the butt only inches off my saw and it and the bar was unscathed. I had visions of getting a new 7900 from Brad sooner than intended. I'd have to ask for a discount from Brad as after all this was HIS fault. He made this thing cut too fast 
The top of this tree landed on an adjacent Citrus tree and apart from knocking a few branches off didn't do too much damage. Out of 2075 trees so far this is the 3rd time I have done this and it has only happened with smaller trees while not concentrating. I tend not to lose concentration on the bigger ones!




Study this cut then look away - it's disgusting! Add it to your "I WILL NOT DO CUTS LIKE THIS" list.




Anyway, as mentioned total trees dropped so far in 50 1/2 hours is 2075 which works out to an average of 41 trees an hour.
I just hope my forearm gets better this week otherwise I'll get into a doctor on Friday for a Cortisone injection. 
Matt.


----------



## MCW

Also uploaded some videos.

Have had irrigation valves in the tree line so decided to bounce one trunk off another to keep the trunk above the valves. Due to the strong wind I couldn't fell the tree to the left. Worked this time 


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Just a plain old tree and chainsaw vid...


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And video of the big ugly mongrel of a tree I had a photo of in the post above. This tree was around 42" x 28" at it's widest points. You can see my "Crippled Hippo" attempt at getting around to the camera side of the tree to cut more of the backcut but alas, an Olympic sprinter I am not. I had more chance of falling on my saw than ever getting there in time 


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----------



## Hddnis

Sweet pics!

Vids are not working for me yet.

Right you are about losing concentration on the little ones. I see it all the time and have done it myself. 

I have one ground guy that is alway pinching his bar bucking up branches and trees once they are on the ground. He is a big guy and can usually muscle the wood to release the bar. I told him if he invested a second of thought into each cut he would save time and frustration. He is trying, but is very used to just being a big ox and powering through.


Mr. HE


----------



## MCW

Just reupped the bottom video above. Youtube had a dummy spit with my first upload


----------



## BobL

Cool vids Mat - that wind does look pretty convincing.


----------



## MCW

BobL said:


> Cool vids Mat - that wind does look pretty convincing.



Yeah Bob. When you can drop 479 trees and not need one single wedge you know the wind is helping!
Unfortunately we've had nothing but strong Southerlies, Westerlies, Northerlies, and everything in between. Would like some winds from the east for a change


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## Andyshine77

Holey hell Matt man, 479 trees felled in one day.:jawdrop: Nice work Matt, but make sure and take care of yourself.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Holey hell Matt man, 479 trees felled in one day.:jawdrop: Nice work Matt, but make sure and take care of yourself.



Thanks Andy 
I'm gunning for 500 in a day but the body is having trouble keeping up with the brain...
Left arm still giving me grief so hope this brace helps when it arrives later in the week otherwise there may have to be some drug assisted cutting this weekend :drool: Hoping to get 3 full days in as we have a long weekend in South Australia.
When I get that other 7900 off Brad you never know, I might crack 1000 in a day


----------



## Hddnis

Try putting ice and then heat on the arm. Take some aspirin, it will thin the blood a little and help circulation in the arm that will help it heal itself. Rub it gently when every time you get a chance. 

Very important to drink lots of water; looks like the world is your pisser out there so drink plenty. I have a strong back, but if I don't keep up on the water will bother me something awful at the end of a day. One of those people with a lot of letters after their name told me that the majority of work related health problems can be prevented by drinking plenty of water. I don't know beyond my experience which is that you almost can't drink too much. 

Also watch the coffee. I don't drink coffee if I'll be climbing or felling or anything that counts as hard work. It sucks because I love coffee. I just have to save it for the rainy days when I'm working in the shop or office. Like today, it's raining and I'm having a big cup of coffee. Almost makes a fellow pray for bad weather. :hmm3grin2orange:


Mr. HE


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## BobL

MCW said:


> . . . . Would like some winds from the east for a change



Me too - we're still waiting for spring here! 
For us Southerlies means winds from Antarctica - cold
Westerlies means winds from the Indian Ocean - ie wet
Northerly means winds from the tropics - ie warn and wet
To get fine weather we need easterlies at least for part of the day.
September is usually short pants weather for me but so far haven't worn them to work once!


----------



## MCW

BobL said:


> Me too - we're still waiting for spring here!
> For us Southerlies means winds from Antarctica - cold
> Westerlies means winds from the Indian Ocean - ie wet
> Northerly means winds from the tropics - ie warn and wet
> To get fine weather we need easterlies at least for part of the day.
> September is usually short pants weather for me but so far haven't worn them to work once!



Yeah Bob. I can't believe the wind we've been having lately. It's also been swinging around a lot which has caught me out a few times. I keep forgetting to look up as I'm relatively sheltered at ground level. I forget the top 60' odd of some of these trees is getting battered from a different direction than I think. These things have that much canopy area that they really do catch the wind. I've had some heavy leaners topple over against the lean with basically wind assistance only. I've been thinking that I'm going to have to double stack wedges etc.


----------



## MCW

Back again. Have spent the last two days felling trees again. Have been taking an Anti Inflammatory for my arm called Mobic (Meloxicam) that has been excellent. The physiotherapist gave me a brace bu it limited my wrist movement too much when sawing.
Have knocked over a couple of runs of trees the last couple days that would average out to some of the largest runs of trees on the property. Have been using the modded 7900 again with 32" bar. It's still running like a treat.
This thing has been using a serious amount of fuel with the bigger bar buried. Just yesterday I went through 9 tanks of in 78 trees. That averages out to 8.5 trees per tank. On trees under 18" I can drop around 40-45 before refueling with a 24" bar. In saying that though my stock 7900 wouldn't have used any less.
Have attached some more piccys and videos...












These Jays were a bit upset with me as I think they must have had a nest in one of the trees. But as per usual, their anger didn't last and they decided to look for food instead.






A fair sized tree this one. Around the 44" mark at it's widest point...






Some bigger trees. This run was only 78 trees but took 5 hours to drop. It is from this run where the videos were taken that I posted below...






And the mess afterwards.


----------



## MCW

And the videos. My brother and his dog came along for a look and decided to video me. He has also added some commentary. Youtube wouldn't accept a video over 10 minute so I have split one of the vids into two parts as it went for 17 minutes. As you can tell in the vids I leave a lot of trees partly cut then fell them by using the following trees, particuarly handy for the leaners.


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I bumped the off switch at the start. Excuse the language as I didn't know what was going on for a few seconds...


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----------



## MCW

Dropped the fattest trunked Casuarina I've seen on the property today. Looked like a Boab tree! Got a decent photo and video too...






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## MCW

Decided to post another video involving felling both bifurcated trunks using a 4 tonne strap. Good way to fell leaners in this siutation. Have used this technique successfully numerous times. You can see the strap about 2 feet above my head. I didn't cut quite deep enough on the first attempt 


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## blsnelling

That's a pretty cool way to get that leaner where you want it


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## MCW

Haven't posted for a while as I haven't been doing much cutting for the last month. Have had a few other things on then last weekend it was over 110°f here. I put in a few hours but I was recovering from a flu and just didn't have it in me. I think I dropped about 120 trees and pulled the pin, sweating like a pig with a good headache!

Anyway, was at it again over the weekend just gone. Conditions on the Sunday were absolutely perfect for felling trees in this situation. The wind was a pretty strong SW (around 20mph) and very few trees on the Sunday had to be wedged. I dropped 196 on Saturday in 5 1/2 hours having to wedge 80% odd. On Sunday I went nuts (and completely wore myself out!) but managed to drop 532 in 10 1/2 hours. I went through exactly 20 litres of fuel, or 5.3 US gallons on the Sunday alone (I have to record every bit of fuel I use for taxation purposes). I used a 24" GB Pro Top all day (rebadged as Total II) and GB semi chisel. I hand filed all day to 30° (7/32" Vallorbe and guide) as I've found the more I pull the bar off to swap chains the greater the risk of getting chips jammed in the bar oil hole etc. The sap and crap from these Casuarinas gets everywhere. Filing also gives me a bit of a rest. I only had to file maybe 8 times all day and the GB chain (rebadged Carlton, not the new Chinese crap) held up well. 
Probably 40% of the trees I felled on Sunday were between 24" and 42" so it was one of the harder lot of trees I've done. I did have one small run of trees that averaged around the 16" mark and I dropped 64 in 20 minutes - impossible to average that all day but with the strong wind is easy to do on shorter runs.

I ran an 8 tooth sprocket on the modded 7900 (thanks Brad, still running like a clock!) and Saturday arvo leaned her out a bit as it had been progressively running richer over the last few outings despite cleaning filters regularly. This made a massive difference to power and smoothness in the cut and although highly subjective I feel like it gained about 10% more grunt after leaning it out - it went from 4 stroking nearly non stop to only 4 stroking a tiny amount in the cut. I'm no 2 stroke guru but pulled the plug to check colour after WOT and it looked perfect. Tough call but the power increase when I leaned it out a bit was very noticable! This saw just keeps getting better. The HD filter kit(s) also continue to impress (I have one fitted to my stock 7900 as well).

I've been running nothing but BP Ultimate fuel (98 RON) and Jakmax branded Full Synthetic 2 stroke oil (made in the US by ALCO). This is excellent oil, way way better than the price would suggest and as far as I'm concerned every bit as good as the Castrol TTS I was using - in fact probably better, the fumes from the Jakmax oil aren't as hard on the eyes, nose, and sinuses!

There is also a patch of largish Polonia trees on the property that the company wants dropped. I dropped a couple (see photos and vid) and the wood was as soft as butter. Softer than any other wood I've cut and it stank too - hard to describe but quite pungent. Good fun though and good practice too. I may leave the rest of the Polonias there so that the local chainsaw guy can use them when he holds the next large tree felling course (>6m height). He is having a hard time finding larger trees to run his course on. The wood looks to be useless although I have cut a couple of logs to leave to see how it fares in regard to splitting etc.

Anyway...

Polonia Patch...




Dropped Polonia (one of the larger ones)...




Video of Polonia being dropped...

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Some other photos...


----------



## MCW

And more piccys...

This was a big run of trees on average. Most about this size...













I count the trees in the run before cutting as they tend to end up on top of one another. Impossible to count after they've been felled...






Images from top of the lookout in the centre of the property...










And a video from the lookout in the centre of the main property (1000 acres). Have added commentary but is pretty windy and a bit hard to hear me. There are still a LOT of trees to fell. I've just cracked the 5000 tree mark on this property and doubt I'm even half way through them. The tree spacing are 2-3 metres with many of those remaining being at a 2m spacing...


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There are also other properties involved with this company that have Casuarina windbreaks that need felling. All up this property is just under half of their total citrus, avocado, and winegrape plantings.

The 7900 from Brad is continuing to impress despite hard, constant use. Out of the 10 1/2 hours of cutting I did on the Sunday it would have been running non stop for about 9 3/4 hours of this, and running pretty hard. On and off the throttle constantly. WOT then part throttle. It just laps it up and is still running like the day I got it. Many people will say that of course it should (and they're right I suppose) but it has not been covered in cotton wool or babied, its been getting it's arse worked off everytime it goes out. I love it!

Anyone that bags 7900's and doesn't believe they can handle real world hard work needs a girly slap across the face!!!

Anyway, sorry for the big posts!

Matt.


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## johncinco

Very cool thread. Glad to hear the long term workout of the saw is holding up so well.

You know of course, the guy who spent years walking around that place planting all those trees is cussing you! I thought that was funny to think about.:greenchainsaw:


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## MCW

johncinco said:


> Very cool thread. Glad to hear the long term workout of the saw is holding up so well.
> 
> You know of course, the guy who spent years walking around that place planting all those trees is cussing you! I thought that was funny to think about.:greenchainsaw:



Yeah I know what you mean! One of the property managers I deal with organised the planting of these trees in the early 1990's and now he's the one telling me to cut them down. I haven't seen a tear in his eye just yet but it's probably coming


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## TommySaw

great stuff!! I'm soo jealous but then it's not my bones doing the work If I lived on the continent I'd be begging to help though:chainsawguy:


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## MCW

TommySaw said:


> great stuff!! I'm soo jealous but then it's not my bones doing the work If I lived on the continent I'd be begging to help though:chainsawguy:




Yeah my bones hurt a bit at the end of the day 

Anyone who ever wants to come tree felling with me is more than welcome. It gets a bit boring all by yourself!


----------



## blsnelling

I enjoy your pics and vids, as always. Did you get the new P&C for your old 7900 yet?


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## Andyshine77

Matt you're the real beast.lol I'm still amazed at the number of trees you can fell in a day. Glad to here your work ported 7900 is still running like a top. The warmer the air the less dense the air is, so yes your saws will run rich in hot weather leaning out the H needle on the carb, it's the opposite when the weather turns cold.


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> I enjoy your pics and vids, as always. Did you get the new P&C for your old 7900 yet?



Haven't received it yet Brad but should be here any minute. The tracking number has said it's arrived but no luck as yet. I can't wait for both the new modded P&C plus the modded 390XP - will be excellent 



Andyshine77 said:


> Matt you're the real beast.lol I'm still amazed at the number of trees you can fell in a day. Glad to here your work ported 7900 is still running like a top. The warmer the air the less dense the air is, so yes your saws will run rich in hot weather leaning out the H needle on the carb, it's the opposite when the weather turns cold.



Yeah Brad's 7900 is a very impressive unit. I know Brad estimated about a 15% speed improvement over stock from memory in regard to just cookie cutting but I swear in the real world on longer bars in larger wood that it is FAR faster than a 15% improvement over stock.
Thanks for the info re: tuning. I play around a bit and know what has to be done but forget the finer points like you mentioned (re: temp).
Conditions on the weekend were pretty cool for a change though, not much sweating going on at my end. The windspeed and direction was absolutely perfect to get a lot of trees down. I had absolutely no problems with any trees as even the leaners fell over easily with the wind.

I shave and shower regularly so look and smell a tad less beasty than you might think


----------



## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> I shave and shower regularly so look and smell a tad less beasty than you might think



Hahahaha Funny thing is I need to trim my full beard pretty bad.

Your 7900 runs close to my EHP 7900 so I'd say in bigger wood it's likely 20-25% over stock. Sure some can get more out of a 7900, but it will severely reduce the saws durability. When I had my saws ported EHP asked if I wanted a cookie cutter or a work saw, my 7900 is a work saw, and my 372 is a bit of both.

Be careful out there Matt, and keep up the good work.


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## husq2100

Andyshine77 said:


> Your 7900 runs close to my EHP 7900 so I'd say in bigger wood it's likely 20-25% over stock. Sure some can get more out of a 7900, but it will severely reduce the saws durability.



Andy, can i ask what you info or fact your basing the over 25% increase in performance = severely reduced durability on?

Matt, great pics and thread

cheers,
Serg


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## AUSSIE1

MCW;Anyone who ever wants to come tree felling with me is more than welcome. It gets a bit boring all by yourself![/QUOTE said:


> There you go Matt, sell tickets.


----------



## MCW

husq2100 said:


> Matt, great pics and thread
> 
> cheers,
> Serg



Thanks Serg. I might as well get some photos and vids when I can and share them around. It's a different type of tree felling situation to most so I'm glad some people are finding it interesting  I'm running out of interesting things to post though as after 5000 trees it is tending to get a bit repetitive. 

I was thinking of dropping a tree on my work vehicle just to liven the thread up a bit! After all it is a brand new Ford Ranger dual cab (rebadged Mazda BT50) and despite free fuel etc, it doesn't hold a candle to my current model personal vehicle (Nissan D40 Navara TD manual dual cab). The Rangers/BT50's really are cheap and nasty with a capital "C" and "N".



AUSSIE1 said:


> There you go Matt, sell tickets.



Problem is Al I'd have to *pay* people to tag along


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Hahahaha Funny thing is I need to trim my full beard pretty bad.
> 
> Your 7900 runs close to my EHP 7900 so I'd say in bigger wood it's likely 20-25% over stock. Sure some can get more out of a 7900, but it will severely reduce the saws durability. When I had my saws ported EHP asked if I wanted a cookie cutter or a work saw, my 7900 is a work saw, and my 372 is a bit of both.
> 
> Be careful out there Matt, and keep up the good work.



I'd love to go the Yeti-esque look as it would match the tree felling/logger type image but the fiancé may not be too happy about it 

You know Andy how every now and then with saws, cars, motorbikes etc you get that feeling that you need more power? Especially after extended use? I don't have that feeling at all with Brad's 7900. As far as I'm concerned I would not want to change a thing on this saw - it has done everything I've asked of it without skipping a beat. Up to and including a 32" bar it will pull them easily with non skip semi chisel in any wood I've tackled. Going above a 32" bar on a 7900 will push the limit of the oiler anyway, hence the modded 390XP I've got coming from Brad (and the extra modded P&C and modded muffler to fit to my stock 7900 - damn these modded saws!!!). The 390XP will fill the gap between this 7900 and my 3120. The 3120 is just way too much of a handful for extended use - the big old girl will be retired to basically milling only or the odd monster tree (I have about a 7' dead Redgum to drop soon so she'll get a run then). Apart from a backup saw in the 50cc class (I already have a 5100-S) I have no need for any further saws although if an old Stihl or something comes along who knows  I'm not even sure if I need another 50cc saw, the 7900's will do everything a 5100-S will although they are a bit heavier to throw around.

There is absolutely no way that someone could throw a 3120 around for 10 1/2 hours like I threw the 7900 around on Sunday and drop the same amount of trees - it defies physics as far as I'm concerned  If you tried you would most surely curl up in the foetal position sucking your thumb and die...sobbing...

And if not, get yourself tested 

It's like expecting a semi to keep up with a Porsche around a tight twisty track!


That was meant to be a short post again


----------



## porky616

MCW said:


> Thanks Serg. I might as well get some photos and vids when I can and share them around. It's a different type of tree felling situation to most so I'm glad some people are finding it interesting  I'm running out of interesting things to post though as after 5000 trees it is tending to get a bit repetitive.
> 
> I was thinking of dropping a tree on my work vehicle just to liven the thread up a bit! After all it is a brand new Ford Ranger dual cab (rebadged Mazda BT50) and despite free fuel etc, it doesn't hold a candle to my current model personal vehicle (Nissan D40 Navara TD manual dual cab). The Rangers/BT50's really are cheap and nasty with a capital "C" and "N".
> 
> 
> 
> Problem is Al I'd have to *pay* people to tag along



i'll be down sometime in the new year to say gday matt the relies are givin me a hard time about visiting them so i might spend a week or so in barmera. seen a funny thing on me way home from work today, a fc holden ute towing a stx navara wish id had me camera dont see that to often eh.


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> i'll be down sometime in the new year to say gday matt the relies are givin me a hard time about visiting them so i might spend a week or so in barmera. seen a funny thing on me way home from work today, a fc holden ute towing a stx navara wish id had me camera dont see that to often eh.



Give us a call for sure mate. Will catch up for a beer  Bring your saws!!!
I've been up swimming in Lake Bonney lately with the heat, not too bad at the moment despite getting pretty saline.
An FC Holden Ute towing a D40 Navara? That I can handle. If it was a Ford ute I'd be bursting into tears!


----------



## Andyshine77

husq2100 said:


> Andy, can i ask what you info or fact your basing the over 25% increase in performance = severely reduced durability on?
> 
> Matt, great pics and thread
> 
> cheers,
> Serg



No fact at all on the 25% It's a different number on each engine. Take the ms660, stock the mufflers are so restrictive just opening up the muffler will likely give you close to 20%. However you can only push a given internal combustion engine so far past it's original output before you start to have problems.


----------



## MCW

Back again.
Spent 9 hours today back on the property and managed to drop 303 trees. Had some really big, average trees on most of the runs today. Ran the 32" bar for most of the day and it still pulled up short on many of the trees.
Used about 4 gallons of fuel and once again had to lean the modded 7900 out. It is now running like it was when it arrived again with plenty of grunt. Also cracked out my old 7900 and dropped about 70 trees with it using LGX chain. It held up well and despite being spoilt with the modded saw the stock 7900's still command respect. A good SW wind was also present but still had to wedge about 25% of trees.

Had to put this photo in, don't think I can beat this perfection...ever... 












View from lookout again...










Lookout in the background...






And a poor Ringtail Possum that must have been up in the fork of this bifurcated Casuarina I dropped. Little guy got in a bad spot and the tree landed straight across his back as it split as it fell. Finished him off with a stick across the head. Pretty sad, I like these things...






And my first busted chain ever. It was mid cut and didn't hit anything - 1/2 of the drivelink looked like it had been cracked for a while as it was discoloured and not a recent crack. Had seen a lot of use but still had 75% of the cutters left...






The manager caught up with me today and ran through a few of the other farms where they want the windbreaks dropped. There will be heaps more...


----------



## Jacob J.

Great stump Matt, dead-on for sure. It looks like you have a lot of fun ahead of you. If only we had that much falling work here...

Too bad on the Ringtail, they must be pretty docile animals?


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> Great stump Matt, dead-on for sure. It looks like you have a lot of fun ahead of you. If only we had that much falling work here...
> 
> Too bad on the Ringtail, they must be pretty docile animals?



Yeah the Ringtails are generally seen around the river and love living in the Redgums - I was very surprised to see one out on this place. They are pretty docile little fellas but if you pick one up and they get angry they'll do basically the same damage as a cat. Cute they are but they'll tear you up pretty well if they want 

I couldn't help posting a piccy of that stump, it made up for some of the shockers I did today...


----------



## AUSSIE1

How are you doing Matt?
Is that chain getting plenty of oil?
The build up of sap on the chain usually suggests a lack of oil.

Yes that is the perfect stump.


----------



## BobL

Too bad about the possum Matt.
Yep - I like the stump 

And BTW your rakers are spot on.




Gullet width to raker depth is 9.33 which makes the cutting angle 6.11º 
The profile suggests you are using a filoplate?

Chain does look a touch dry.

Great work
Cheers


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> How are you doing Matt?
> Is that chain getting plenty of oil?
> The build up of sap on the chain usually suggests a lack of oil.
> 
> Yes that is the perfect stump.



All good Al thanks mate. The saw seems to be using a similar amount of oil per tank of fuel as it should be. I have the oiler set flat out. These trees are super sappy though, even when I was using the 3120 with .404" and the oiler maxed on a 32" bar the sap still built up. I'll recheck the oil output though, I did think it was struggling a bit too much on the 32" bar this morning...



BobL said:


> Too bad about the possum Matt.
> Yep - I like the stump
> 
> And BTW your rakers are spot on.
> Gullet width to raker depth is 9.33 which makes the cutting angle 6.11º
> The profile suggests you are using a filoplate?
> 
> Chain does look a touch dry.
> 
> Great work
> Cheers



G'day Bob. Can't get away with anything when you're around mate! You've turned a simple photo into a science experiment. Good stuff! I did actually use a File-O-Plate but took the rakers down just a tad more than the plate suggested. It has been filed a few times since though and was cutting absolutely perfect. I agree the chain seemed a bit drier than normal, however I also noticed this on my stocker 7900 with a 20" bar that I used for a bit today. I have a feeling it is just the sappy wood but could be wrong. I'll have to take more notice next time, and yeah sad about the poor possum. I really like the Ringtails, the Brushtails are a bit feral though...


----------



## BobL

MCW said:


> G'day Bob. Can't get away with anything when you're around mate! You've turned a simple photo into a science experiment.


Show me some data and I can't resist the urge to analyse it!




> . I have a feeling it is just the sappy wood but could be wrong. I'll have to take more notice next time,


Could be! A guy I know that was cutting a lot of tuart used to hang a spray pack of diesel on his belt and used to spray his chain with it in between cuts - you're probably going hell for leather so you won't want to stop between cuts.



> and yeah sad about the poor possum. I really like the Ringtails, the Brushtails are a bit feral though...


Yeah I heard that too.


----------



## Andyshine77

Excellent work as usual Matt. I'm no expert, but that stump looks 100% perfect.


----------



## blsnelling

Did you get your 390XP yet?


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Did you get your 390XP yet?



Hi Brad.
Not yet mate. Australian Customs have got hold of the package and now I have to fill out a heap of forms and get them to release it. Value was over AUD$1000 so they snatched it! I rang them and to be honest they guy was a real prick. I've had the forms for a few days so just have to fill them out and fax them off. Absolute minefield of garbage


----------



## blsnelling

Oh great!


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Oh great!



The Custom guy is probably using it at home in his garden as we speak...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Hi Brad.
> Not yet mate. Australian Customs have got hold of the package and now I have to fill out a heap of forms and get them to release it. Value was over AUD$1000 so they snatched it! I rang them and to be honest they guy was a real prick. I've had the forms for a few days so just have to fill them out and fax them off. Absolute minefield of garbage



Had been wondering what's been going on with this saw as it's been some time.
Haven't had any issues in the past with customs, but hear of issues from others.
The word is you classify the contents as parts.
I have a new 372 coming out from the States so will be interesting.


----------



## Jacob J.

Isn't it easier with the saws if the value is listed as being lower? I shipped a heap of saws to OZ way back when and I would take the spark plug out and list them as a "non-runner for parts" and put the value at $200.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Jacob J. said:


> Isn't it easier with the saws if the value is listed as being lower? I shipped a heap of saws to OZ way back when and I would take the spark plug out and list them as a "non-runner for parts" and put the value at $200.



Yeah sounds about it Jacob.

The last couple of saws I bought being a couple of years ago with no issues (over$1000).
Don't know if this came down to luck, or being a recent thing.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Had been wondering what's been going on with this saw as it's been some time.
> Haven't had any issues in the past with customs, but hear of issues from others.
> The word is you classify the contents as parts.
> I have a new 372 coming out from the States so will be interesting.



Contents were classified as parts but declared value was over AUD$1000 so they've nabbed it  Not sure what extra I'll be up for yet but not the easiest mob to deal with I've already found out. Once the magic AUD$1000 is exceeded they're all over it like a fly on a turd


----------



## tdi-rick

I was looking into the commercial import of parts a little while back and the magic A$1000 threshold is written into the rules for private imports.
Over that you'll pay duty (IIRC saws are 0% and bars are 5%) + GST.


----------



## blsnelling

What drove it up was that the one box contained a 390XPG saw, new 7900 P&C, 7900 muffler, gaskets, and miscellaneous hand tools.


----------



## Jacob J.

tdi-rick said:


> I was looking into the commercial import of parts a little while back and the magic A$1000 threshold is written into the rules for private imports.
> Over that you'll pay duty (IIRC saws are 0% and bars are 5%) + GST.



Rick- that's good to know. I shipped a new 575XPG to France late last year and the poor guy had to pay 25% duty on the 'listed' value. To make things somewhat believable I took the spark plug out and the muffler off and listed the value for parts at $250, and then shipped the muffler separately. Austria was worse though, that guy had to pay 40% on a new Onan short block for an industrial generator.


----------



## bitzer

Great thread! Awesome show! Man I wish I had a property like that to just fell trees as far as the eye could see. Great stuff! 


I know this is late in the game, but just a suggestion MCW when looking for speed on those smaller ones and maybe some bigger ones, once you put the face in, just flip the saw over and make the back cut. Its a little awkward at first, but it will put less strain on the saw and you and save the time of walking around to the other side of the tree. 



Again great show and great job! I envy that job you've got there!


----------



## Jacob J.

I just back-bar the back cuts...that's the fastest of all.


----------



## bitzer

Jacob J. said:


> I just back-bar the back cuts...that's the fastest of all.



Thats where I was talking about stress. The saw is fighting you instead of digging in. I know what you mean tho.


----------



## Jacob J.

Yeah it definitely depends on the size and type of wood you're cutting. It's not practical on bigger trees for sure.


----------



## bitzer

Jacob J. said:


> Yeah it definitely depends on the size and type of wood you're cutting. It's not practical on bigger trees for sure.



Very true!


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> I just back-bar the back cuts...that's the fastest of all.




Yeah I do that on the smaller trees under about 20" as it does save heaps of time. When I do need to wedge though (ie: with no wind) I'll swap to the other side as I am dominant right handed so easier to drive in wedges.
I'd drive wedges straight into my legs if I swing left handed with my little sledge. I am unco as all hell left handed


----------



## MCW

Back again and trying to include a few more "original" type photos as they are all starting to look the same. Most of the windbreaks now left on the main property are tight with citrus still being picked either side. The wind was playing around today so only dropped 65 on a different property. I left the main property alone and will do so until the remaining citrus has been picked. The Casuarinas I dropped today are the oldest trees across all the properties. In my wisdom I left the 32" bar hanging on the wall at home (despite bringing the chains!) so took them on with the 24" bar. A 32" bar would have made the job a LOT easier. To be honest this wood was that tough even the 3120 would have been considered.
These trees hadn't been irrigated for many years and despite the main lot of Casuarinas being soft these were HARD. The old Snellerized 7900 would not easily pull a 24" bar and well set up semi chisel chain with an 8 pin sprocket. I ended up fitting a 7 pin sprocket on it and it was happy again! These trees were landing with one massive thump and I even ended up with some onlookers for a while as the area where I was working was adjacent to a main road. Every tree that hit the deck engulfed the road with dust - hence the attention.
This run of 65 older trees is the most fun I've ever had tree felling. They had massive canopies and decent trunks. To give you an idea of how hard the cutting was I was averaging 4-5 trees per tank with a 24" bar!!!



















In the centre of the run there was an old horse yard. One of the roof beams was touching the tree so I decided to cut off the end of the beam with the saw in case there was any unforseen load on the tree.






And of course I'll never hit the tin with the saw while I'm doing it will I???






Oh yes I will. Scratch one nicely sharpened chain...

This run took a while simply because the trees were so big. A lot of wedging was required, and the wood was so damn hard. These particular trees would make excellent firewood or even be good for slabbing. The growth rings on these were very close. It took about 3 1/4 hours for the 65 trees.










I went out yesterday as well for 7 hours and dropped nearly 300 in good wind. Nothing different there though so no piccys.
I have a few other tree jobs to do for people over the next few weeks so may even get some happy snaps there.


----------



## Jacob J.

Matt, you're really making me grit my teeth here.


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> Matt, you're really making me grit my teeth here.



Constipated? 

A few more photos...

These trees were felled about 7 weeks ago. As you can see they are reshooting which is a big concern for the property owners...






And a run of the most feral, shaggy Casuarinas on the property. These are a different species but unsure which Casuarina. I'll wait for a howling Southerly before tackling these otherwise they'll take for ever (P.S. I am NOT responsible for that massacre of the trees at the front and those hideous angled back cuts - nobody seems to claim responsibility when I ask around!)...










Oh and a happy snap (despite the lack of smiling!) that I sent to my fiancee who is away for the weekend seeing her pregnant sister (note the lady's sanitary pads lining my helmet! They soak up sweat like there is no tomorrow. When we hit 110°f I may even have to go for the "heavy days" ones! Heh heh)






And another one of the larger trees I dropped today. You can see my oh so tiny 7900 bottom right...






Had a another good story from yesterday. Decided to upgrade the old foam fuel tank breather to the new updated version in my older, stock 7900 when I got home. I didn't realise but as I was blowing the area clean I must have pressurised the tank via the breather. As I pulled the rubber breather out I wore a heap of BP Ultimate right in the face and eyes. It burnt like all hell and somehow despite being blind managed to get into the house, undress myself and get in the shower. The old eyes were bloodshot and watering for about 2 hours. I went out to the pub with a mate last night for tea and a few beers and looked like I'd been smoking the whacky tobaccy or something 
Feeling like new today though and probably did me some good!


----------



## Jacob J.

MCW said:


> And a run of the most feral, shaggy Casuarinas on the property. These are a different species but unsure which Casuarina. I'll wait for a howling Southerly before tackling these otherwise they'll take for ever.



That's one ugly looking row...



MCW said:


> Had a another good story from yesterday. Decided to upgrade the old foam fuel tank breather to the new updated version in my older, stock 7900 when I got home. I didn't realise but as I was blowing the area clean I must have pressurised the tank via the breather. As I pulled the rubber breather out I wore a heap of BP Ultimate right in the face and eyes. It burnt like all hell and somehow despite being blind managed to get into the house, undress myself and get in the shower. The old eyes were bloodshot and watering for about 2 hours. I went out to the pub with a mate last night for tea and a few beers and looked like I'd been smoking the whacky tobaccy or something
> Feeling like new today though and probably did me some good!



Ouch! been there, done that. Funny thing is, you can actually feel gasoline on the backside of your eyeballs...


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> Ouch! been there, done that. Funny thing is, you can actually feel gasoline on the backside of your eyeballs...



I blew my nose this morning and could still smell petrol. Even the skin on my head and face was burning when it happened. The fuel was warm too which probably made it worse. I was going to start squealing like a little girl when it happened but then realised I was the only one home so had to man it up a bit and fend for myself...
Yeah that row is ugly alright. Luckily I'm being paid by the hour


----------



## 056 kid

MCW said:


> Haven't posted for a while as I haven't been doing much cutting for the last month. Have had a few other things on then last weekend it was over 110°f here. I put in a few hours but I was recovering from a flu and just didn't have it in me. I think I dropped about 120 trees and pulled the pin, sweating like a pig with a good headache!
> 
> Anyway, was at it again over the weekend just gone. Conditions on the Sunday were absolutely perfect for felling trees in this situation. The wind was a pretty strong SW (around 20mph) and very few trees on the Sunday had to be wedged. I dropped 196 on Saturday in 5 1/2 hours having to wedge 80% odd. On Sunday I went nuts (and completely wore myself out!) but managed to drop 532 in 10 1/2 hours. I went through exactly 20 litres of fuel, or 5.3 US gallons on the Sunday alone (I have to record every bit of fuel I use for taxation purposes). I used a 24" GB Pro Top all day (rebadged as Total II) and GB semi chisel. I hand filed all day to 30° (7/32" Vallorbe and guide) as I've found the more I pull the bar off to swap chains the greater the risk of getting chips jammed in the bar oil hole etc. The sap and crap from these Casuarinas gets everywhere. Filing also gives me a bit of a rest. I only had to file maybe 8 times all day and the GB chain (rebadged Carlton, not the new Chinese crap) held up well.
> Probably 40% of the trees I felled on Sunday were between 24" and 42" so it was one of the harder lot of trees I've done. I did have one small run of trees that averaged around the 16" mark and I dropped 64 in 20 minutes - impossible to average that all day but with the strong wind is easy to do on shorter runs.
> 
> I ran an 8 tooth sprocket on the modded 7900 (thanks Brad, still running like a clock!) and Saturday arvo leaned her out a bit as it had been progressively running richer over the last few outings despite cleaning filters regularly. This made a massive difference to power and smoothness in the cut and although highly subjective I feel like it gained about 10% more grunt after leaning it out - it went from 4 stroking nearly non stop to only 4 stroking a tiny amount in the cut. I'm no 2 stroke guru but pulled the plug to check colour after WOT and it looked perfect. Tough call but the power increase when I leaned it out a bit was very noticable! This saw just keeps getting better. The HD filter kit(s) also continue to impress (I have one fitted to my stock 7900 as well).
> 
> I've been running nothing but BP Ultimate fuel (98 RON) and Jakmax branded Full Synthetic 2 stroke oil (made in the US by ALCO). This is excellent oil, way way better than the price would suggest and as far as I'm concerned every bit as good as the Castrol TTS I was using - in fact probably better, the fumes from the Jakmax oil aren't as hard on the eyes, nose, and sinuses!
> 
> There is also a patch of largish Polonia trees on the property that the company wants dropped. I dropped a couple (see photos and vid) and the wood was as soft as butter. Softer than any other wood I've cut and it stank too - hard to describe but quite pungent. Good fun though and good practice too. I may leave the rest of the Polonias there so that the local chainsaw guy can use them when he holds the next large tree felling course (>6m height). He is having a hard time finding larger trees to run his course on. The wood looks to be useless although I have cut a couple of logs to leave to see how it fares in regard to splitting etc.
> 
> Anyway...
> 
> Polonia Patch...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dropped Polonia (one of the larger ones)...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/IMG]



What do you think of that Polonia? we have that on the east coast, but everyone calls it coffey wood. The thin ring trees bring or used to bring crazy money, but i have never cut one i dont think, i may have cut one that was real small, i remember thinking that the rings where a good but tighter than that of the others around that area but it was no candidate for a log....


----------



## MCW

056 kid said:


> What do you think of that Polonia? we have that on the east coast, but everyone calls it coffey wood. The thin ring trees bring or used to bring crazy money, but i have never cut one i dont think, i may have cut one that was real small, i remember thinking that the rings where a good but tighter than that of the others around that area but it was no candidate for a log....



What I heard was that its a light but very tough (springy) wood. I'm not sure what it's really used for out here as its rare in this area. These have grown relatively fast though so no tight growth rings here. Stinks a lot when you cut it and seems very soft. Not sure if Bob (BobL) has ever used it for anything but he seems to have good knowledge on most woods as he hangs around a lot on Woddworking Forums etc.


----------



## tdi-rick

Great photo's as usual Matt.

I dunno what the hell is going on around here, but I see those bloody angled back cuts all the time now, but don't know who is responsible.


----------



## 056 kid

I have herd that we ship it to China or something so they can make ceremonial shoes for weddings or something wacky.

& soft it is, brittle too...


----------



## dingeryote

tdi-rick said:


> Great photo's as usual Matt.
> 
> I dunno what the hell is going on around here, but I see those bloody angled back cuts all the time now, but don't know who is responsible.



Great snaps!!!

I noticed the angled back cuts and really deep face on the weathered stumps too.

Y'all need to ask around a bit.

Somewhere in your neck of the woods is a transplanted Midwestern Yankee Farmer.

I dunno where or how it started, but there's PLENTY of stumps identical to those in every woodlot and windrow around here.

Those pics are making me jealous.
No snow, no Greenbrier, no Poison Ivy. I gotta go to a golf course to find tree's like that here!!

NICE!!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Great photo's as usual Matt.
> 
> I dunno what the hell is going on around here, but I see those bloody angled back cuts all the time now, but don't know who is responsible.



Yeah I know Rick. Basically every tree I see cut down, even from most of the pro mobs, have angled back cuts. There is a local company called Riverland High Works. I've checked some of their stumps and they've been Mickey Mouse. Those guys know what they're doing but generally do all their work from high lift trucks now.



dingeryote said:


> Great snaps!!!
> 
> I noticed the angled back cuts and really deep face on the weathered stumps too.
> 
> Y'all need to ask around a bit.
> 
> Somewhere in your neck of the woods is a transplanted Midwestern Yankee Farmer.
> 
> I dunno where or how it started, but there's PLENTY of stumps identical to those in every woodlot and windrow around here.
> 
> Those pics are making me jealous.
> No snow, no Greenbrier, no Poison Ivy. I gotta go to a golf course to find tree's like that here!!
> 
> NICE!!!
> 
> Stay safe!
> Dingeryote



Yeah when I was cutting trees down in Tasmania you had to fight your way through Bracken and Blackberry. Had more chance of dying getting to the tree than actually felling it 

I'm guilty of the odd deep face cut too  When you have funny shaped trunks the 7900 spikes really don't cut the mustard and won't dig into an angled trunk very well. The bottom spikes need to face down and not have a slight upward hook on the points - they tend to slide along the bark on some trunk shapes and not dig in.

Angled backcuts though - they never seem to end...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> The bottom spikes need to face down and not have a slight upward hook on the points - they tend to slide along the bark on some trunk shapes and not dig in.
> 
> Angled backcuts though - they never seem to end...



You're not the first to notice that either Matt, Someone on here or RS made some new dogs up with the top two thirds the same as stock, and the bottom one angled as you say for the same reason.


----------



## tdi-rick

dingeryote said:


> [snip]
> Somewhere in your neck of the woods is a transplanted Midwestern Yankee Farmer.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> Stay safe!
> Dingeryote



One of the old cowboys here was besotted with the US, he always flew the US flag from a flag pole in his front yard, drove Chev duallies and F series Fords, called his place a 'Ranch', ran Texas Longhorn cattle (first time I'd ever seen them) and would bung on a Yank accent all the time.
He only died Friday night, and apparently wanted his ashes scattered in Montana.

...He'd be the nearest suspect, but I don't think old Dave was responsible.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> I was looking into the commercial import of parts a little while back and the magic A$1000 threshold is written into the rules for private imports.
> Over that you'll pay duty (IIRC saws are 0% and bars are 5%) + GST.



Ordered and payed over &1000 (including shipping) for another 372XP on the 12/1/09 and received it today, 12/7/09 with no duties owing.

Yet to be hit with these duties. (Touch wood).

Are they including shipping in that $1000 threshold?


----------



## Jacob J.

Al, that seems kind of expensive. What's the shipping running?


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Ordered and payed over &1000 (including shipping) for another 372XP on the 12/1/09 and received it today, 12/7/09 with no duties owing.
> 
> Yet to be hit with these duties. (Touch wood).
> 
> Are they including shipping in that $1000 threshold?



G'day Al.
Finally sorted it out and shipping/postage is not included in the AUD$1000 limit. Have forwarded my Credit Card details to them and would expect the parcel to arrive in a week or so.
Have attached the form from Customs with what I owe for people's perusal.
Best to keep under that AUD$1000 limit!
Matt

P.S. As you can see it added a significant amount to the total cost but oh well, still a good deal and thanks to Brad as well for helping me out getting the Custom's papers filled in. Even HE had to fill stuff out for them...


----------



## blsnelling

Ouch. I bet I won't be sending you anything over $1000 again. Shipping on a seperate box would have been a lot cheaper than that!


----------



## AUSSIE1

Jacob J. said:


> Al, that seems kind of expensive. What's the shipping running?



$113.60 USD.
About $120 AUD.

I said to the fella I'd shop around if he wished, but was happy with this price so went with it.

What's your thoughts Jacob?


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> G'day Al.
> Finally sorted it out and shipping/postage is not included in the AUD$1000 limit. Have forwarded my Credit Card details to them and would expect the parcel to arrive in a week or so.
> Have attached the form from Customs with what I owe for people's perusal.
> Best to keep under that AUD$1000 limit!
> Matt
> 
> P.S. As you can see it added a significant amount to the total cost but oh well, still a good deal and thanks to Brad as well for helping me out getting the Custom's papers filled in. Even HE had to fill stuff out for them...



Thanks Matt.
Yeah as Brad said, brake it up sounds like the go.


----------



## Jacob J.

That shipping seems ok, but at over $1k w/shipping I guess I was thinking that was a bit over the top. If that's AUD though then it's about average.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Jacob J. said:


> That shipping seems ok, but at over $1k w/shipping I guess I was thinking that was a bit over the top. If that's AUD though then it's about average.



Yep. Didn't seem too bad.
Saw was a tad over $800 USD, but when wanting it shipped to Aus our choices become limited.

Matt, that's a hefty little extra.
Even gotta pay for their time.


----------



## Jacob J.

Ouch, that's a bit steep just to have customs open your box...

[email protected]'s club not accepted...


----------



## AUSSIE1

Six working days to deliver isn't too bad considering the saw flew into Melbourne, then to Sydney, back to Melbourne, then up the Hume Hwy to home lol.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yep. Didn't seem too bad.
> Saw was a tad over $800 USD, but when wanting it shipped to Aus our choices become limited.
> 
> Matt, that's a hefty little extra.
> Even gotta pay for their time.




Yeah Al. Oh well, lessons learnt mate. I did classify it as a business purchase so not sure if that added any dollars. Regardless I still got a good deal, just not as good of a deal as I thought 
I suppose it opens a few eyes for the Aussies here and makes them remember to keep parcel value under AUD$1000. Err on the side of caution too in regard to the exchange rate. 
Also pays to remember that if they decide to open any parcel, it doesn't matter what the DECLARED value is. You will get charged the extra duties and GST etc on what they VALUE the contents at, not what you paid


----------



## husq2100

With the many imports i have done (saws,tools clothes etc) j have always been told by customs/ Aus post and in one case the customs broker that the cost of shipping WAS included and its the AU$ value, so anything over AU$1000 INCLUDING shipping would incure the GST and import duty.

I normally use USPS if shipping from the USA, but in the end its up to the person sending what they are willing to use.

Right or wrong on the $1k, i just stay under it or send in multipull parcels.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Well here is another saw brought into Aus over $1000 (including shipping) without any duties.

This time time UPS and previously USPS.


----------



## husq2100

Thats cool mate, im all for it. But as I have been told, I wont push the issue with them......we all know who wins that one


----------



## AUSSIE1

husq2100 said:


> Thats cool mate, im all for it. But as I have been told, I wont push the issue with them......we all know who wins that one



For sure. I think I've been getting the winning ticket each time. Possibly just luck. Almost suggests alot slip through undetected.


----------



## husq2100

AUSSIE1 said:


> For sure. I think I've been getting the winning ticket each time. Possibly just luck. Almost suggests alot slip through undetected.



I think they are more worried about flora and forna coming in, drugs etc....now where did I leave that extra cash for a Solo 681 :greenchainsaw:


----------



## MCW

husq2100 said:


> With the many imports i have done (saws,tools clothes etc) j have always been told by customs/ Aus post and in one case the customs broker that the cost of shipping WAS included and its the AU$ value, so anything over AU$1000 INCLUDING shipping would incure the GST and import duty.
> 
> I normally use USPS if shipping from the USA, but in the end its up to the person sending what they are willing to use.
> 
> Right or wrong on the $1k, i just stay under it or send in multipull parcels.



I agree Serg, best to play it safe mate but it does state on the Custom's website that postage is not included in the AUD$1000 limit. Over the years I have imported 10's of 1000's of dollars worth of chainsaw and golf equipment from the US with no problems but declared value (as opposed to actual value  ) has always been under AUD$1000 (I've known about this limit for ages).
My error was not telling Brad about this limit and also continuosly adding to the vast list of things he sent me! Solely my fault, not Brads by the way.
Earlier this year I imported about USD$6000 worth of chainsaw gear spread over a number of packages. Customs reserves the right to combine package values if parcels are sent in a short time period and can treat the numerous parcels as ONE parcel. I only found this out after I imported a heap of chain and bars from a Stens sale so probably got lucky. Import tarrifs range from 4-17% according to the girl I was speaking to at Customs depending on what the parcel contains. Unlike the last guy the girl I was speaking to this morning was lovely and very helpful (Thanks Grace!).
I spent hours searching for the appopriate tarrif for a 90cc chainsaw with no luck - I emailed Customs (Grace!) and even she couldn't tell me what the appropriate tarrif code is...


----------



## husq2100

MCW said:


> I agree Serg, best to play it safe mate but it does state on the Custom's website that postage is not included in the AUD$1000 limit. Over the years I have imported 10's of 1000's of dollars worth of chainsaw and golf equipment from the US with no problems but declared value (as opposed to actual value  ) has always been under AUD$1000 (I've known about this limit for ages).
> My error was not telling Brad about this limit and also continuosly adding to the vast list of things he sent me! Solely my fault, not Brads by the way.
> Earlier this year I imported about USD$6000 worth of chainsaw gear spread over a number of packages. Customs reserves the right to combine package values if parcels are sent in a short time period and can treat the numerous parcels as ONE parcel. I only found this out after I imported a heap of chain and bars from a Stens sale so probably got lucky. Import tarrifs range from 4-17% according to the girl I was speaking to at Customs depending on what the parcel contains. Unlike the last guy the girl I was speaking to this morning was lovely and very helpful (Thanks Grace!).
> I spent hours searching for the appopriate tarrif for a 90cc chainsaw with no luck - I emailed Customs (Grace!) and even she couldn't tell me what the appropriate tarrif code is...



sounds typical of those types of situations.....depends on the person on the day and how they are feeling (regarding the tarrif %)

good to know they dont include shipping, it gives a bit more leway......would there be any difference from state to state......stranger things have happened


----------



## tdi-rick

Australian Customs Tariff concession codes

_8467.81 CHAINSAWS, engine capacity greater than 67 cc, whether or not
imported with guide bar, but NOT including guide bars when
imported as initial spares or replacement parts.
Op. 04.06.1993 Dec. 04.06.1993 - TC 9305593

8467.81.00 CHAINSAWS, whether or not imported with guide bar, but NOT
including guide bars imported as initial spares or replacement
parts
Op. 24.08.1993 Dec. 18.03.1994 - TC 9307538

8467.81.00 CHAINSAWS, hydraulic powered, portable, hand operated, operating
weight 3 kg to 12 kg inclusive, power output 3.7 kW to 12 kW
inclusive
Op. 22.09.1993 Dec. 27.01.1994 - TC 9310289

8467.91.00 PARTS, CHAINSAW AND POWERHEAD, excluding guide bars and electronic
ignition modules
Op. 29.07.1994 Dec. 31.01.1995 - TC 9406423_


----------



## tdi-rick

and some more

_8409.91.10 PARTS, CHAINSAW ENGINE, being piston rings
Op. 18.01.1995 Dec. 21.04.1995 - TC 9500966

8409.91.10 POWERHEAD CARBURETTOR PARTS, being ANY of the following:
(a) fixed jet;
(b) filter;
(c) top cover;
(d) speed adjustment screws;
(e) cup plug;
(f) inlet needle;
(g) inlet lever;
(h) spindle;
(i) metering diaphragm;
(j) valve jet;
(k) adjuster;
(l) throttle shaft with lever;
(m) throttle shutter;
(n) choke shaft with lever;
(o) choke shutter;
(p) pump diaphragm;
(q) bottom cover;
(r) idle speed adjust screw;
(s) retainer;
(t) terminal socket;
(u) clip
Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508788

8413.81.90 CHAINSAW OIL PUMPS
Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508802

8413.91.90 CHAINSAW OIL PUMP PARTS, being ANY of the following:
(a) pump piston;
(b) roll pin;
(c) plug;
(d) hose;
(e) spline screw;
(f) worm;
(g) control bolt;
(h) elbow connector;
(i) pick up body
Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508801_


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Australian Customs Tariff concession codes
> 
> _8467.81 CHAINSAWS, engine capacity greater than 67 cc, whether or not
> imported with guide bar, but NOT including guide bars when
> imported as initial spares or replacement parts.
> Op. 04.06.1993 Dec. 04.06.1993 - TC 9305593
> 
> 8467.81.00 CHAINSAWS, whether or not imported with guide bar, but NOT
> including guide bars imported as initial spares or replacement
> parts
> Op. 24.08.1993 Dec. 18.03.1994 - TC 9307538
> 
> 8467.81.00 CHAINSAWS, hydraulic powered, portable, hand operated, operating
> weight 3 kg to 12 kg inclusive, power output 3.7 kW to 12 kW
> inclusive
> Op. 22.09.1993 Dec. 27.01.1994 - TC 9310289
> 
> 8467.91.00 PARTS, CHAINSAW AND POWERHEAD, excluding guide bars and electronic
> ignition modules
> Op. 29.07.1994 Dec. 31.01.1995 - TC 9406423_





tdi-rick said:


> and some more
> 
> _8409.91.10 PARTS, CHAINSAW ENGINE, being piston rings
> Op. 18.01.1995 Dec. 21.04.1995 - TC 9500966
> 
> 8409.91.10 POWERHEAD CARBURETTOR PARTS, being ANY of the following:
> (a) fixed jet;
> (b) filter;
> (c) top cover;
> (d) speed adjustment screws;
> (e) cup plug;
> (f) inlet needle;
> (g) inlet lever;
> (h) spindle;
> (i) metering diaphragm;
> (j) valve jet;
> (k) adjuster;
> (l) throttle shaft with lever;
> (m) throttle shutter;
> (n) choke shaft with lever;
> (o) choke shutter;
> (p) pump diaphragm;
> (q) bottom cover;
> (r) idle speed adjust screw;
> (s) retainer;
> (t) terminal socket;
> (u) clip
> Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508788
> 
> 8413.81.90 CHAINSAW OIL PUMPS
> Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508802
> 
> 8413.91.90 CHAINSAW OIL PUMP PARTS, being ANY of the following:
> (a) pump piston;
> (b) roll pin;
> (c) plug;
> (d) hose;
> (e) spline screw;
> (f) worm;
> (g) control bolt;
> (h) elbow connector;
> (i) pick up body
> Op. 10.07.1995 Dec. 20.10.1995 - TC 9508801_



From this day forth Rick you shall be known as *"GOOGLE GURU"...*


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> From this day forth Rick you shall be known as *"GOOGLE GURU"...*



I'll second that.
But it has been known for some time.


----------



## husq2100

Rick is definitly the man....also on a few other fourms we frequent.

have to ask though, what does all that customs stuff mean


----------



## AUSSIE1

husq2100 said:


> Rick is definitly the man....also on a few other fourms we frequent.
> 
> have to ask though, what does all that customs stuff mean



I'm glad you asked.

I would of thought percentages would be attached.
Maybe you cross reference the codes back somewhere.


----------



## tdi-rick

I have about 10-15meg of Customs crap saved on the HD, I was checking out duties a few months back for commercially importing stuff

Customs _Tariff Schedules_ list the duties applied and list it as a %, Customs _TCO's_ (like those listed above) are the concession codes, which I'm guessing when quoted nullify duties, but I'd double check that with a Customs broker or Customs.
I've only ever been able to find the TCO's for saws, but bars by themselves carry 5% duty (5% is pretty standard for most everything without a concession)


----------



## tdi-rick

FWIW, here's an example of a Tariff Schedule

8301
PADLOCKS AND LOCKS (KEY, COMBINATION OR ELECTRICALLY OPERATED), OF BASE METAL; CLASPS AND FRAMES WITH CLASPS, INCORPORATING LOCKS, OF BASE METAL; KEYS FOR ANY OF THE FOREGOING ARTICLES, OF BASE METAL:
8301.10.00
01 No
-Padlocks
5%
8301.20.00
02 No
-Locks of a kind used for motor vehicles
10%
DC:5%
From 1 January 2010
5%
8301.30.00
03 No
-Locks of a kind used for furniture
5%
8301.40.00
31 No
-Other locks
5%
8301.50.00
06 No
-Clasps and frames with clasps, incorporating locks
Free
8301.60.00
07 ..
-Parts
5%
8301.70.00
08 No
-Keys presented separately
5%
CA:Free


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I'll second that.
> But it has been known for some time.



Imagine the sort of naughty pictures he can find? Heh heh...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Imagine the sort of naughty pictures he can find? Heh heh...



Lucky I'm still on dial up or I'd be blind by now.... :monkey:


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Lucky I'm still on dial up or I'd be blind by now.... :monkey:



Excellent!!!


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Imagine the sort of naughty pictures he can find? Heh heh...



I could add very well to that, but better refrain.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Lucky I'm still on dial up or I'd be blind by now.... :monkey:



Or is that makin chineeza?


----------



## MCW

Back out to the property again yesterday and today. Had a crack at those ugly trees posted above. What an absolute nightmare. In 5 3/4 hours I dropped 32 of them, had my saws stuck at least 10 times, including both 7900's at once (remember some of these things were bifurcated and had up to 7 individual trunks, all loaded in different directions), and just about went off my nut! I had to use my scrench and mallet to reopen the rails on my 24" bar TWICE. Can't say I've ever had to do that before...
Most of these trees had canopies that were interlaced with it's neighbours. I basically burnt my brain out guessing what way the limbs/trunks were loaded hence all the stuck bars and saws. There was also old fencing wire in some of the trunks too just to add to the fun, and yes I hit some.
I also had one loaded branch that I cut come back hard and smack the dogs on the 7900, luckily the saw took the brunt of it with no damage but if it had whacked the chain brake I'm sure something would have been broken, and if it had missed the saw I'd have copped a decent break or bruise. It knocked me backwards quite a way.
Anyway, some pictures below...







Lots of suspended hangers just waiting to give me a headache...














They don't get much uglier than this...






And the end result of this prick of a tree. Stuck 24" bar off my modded 7900, with my stock 7900 and 20" bar jammed on the other side. I've never seen anything like this. What looked like a solid single trunk quickly split into two jamming the bar solid. I wedged the back half over (not where I intended) which freed the 24" bar allowing me to cut out the other 7900. By the way, I was not in the danger zone when I wedged the back half over. The butt then slid backwards hence the funny angle...






And some close ups...

The 24"...






The 20"...
This thing shut like a bank vault with the bar only just in the face so I recut the scarf above the 20" bar to free it, once I'd freed the modded Dolmar and 24"..


----------



## MCW

And some more photos from the ugly trees yesterday. The 3120 was feeling unloved so brought her along to blow some cobwebs out. Still a beast but overkill for these trees. Even for a short time you know you've been swinging one of these around, thats for sure...










And the 7900's...






And the mess...






Some photos from today. Dropped 213 trees today in 7 hours. All where I wanted them but had to tow a few over that were heavy leaners - no way could these have been wedged.
The manager took me for a tour around again and there was a row next to some Ellendale Mandarins where the irrigation had been turned off. He said I can drop the Casuarinas straight into the orchard. Was good fun actually as I tried to take as many Mandarin trees out as I could!
It's not often while tree felling you actually get given authority to wreck stuff...















There is another property owned by the same company about 30km away where they also have Casuarina windbreaks that need felling. I haven't been on this property for about 13 years but according to the manager these trees were planted in the early 70's and dwarf the ones that I've felled so far! They are also a different species of Casuarina apparently - I'll try to get photos soon even before I start knocking them over. This is only likely to happen in a few months time when I've finished this property.

Used the stock 7900 most of today with 20" bar, 7 pin sprocket, and LGX chain. I really like LGX, it cuts well, is smooth, and wears well too. Some of the trees were up around 3 foot but I just came in from both sides. My modded 7900 is still running a bit strange. Definately a tuning issue so I'm gonna get it into the local Husky dealer this week as my 3120 also needs a warranty service. Their tech that tuned my stock 7900 a while back when it blew a base gasket absolutely nailed it so I'll give him a crack at Brad's 7900 too. I'm no saw tuning wizard thats for sure! I've had a bit of a dabble but haven't made it any better, it just seems to be running to richer and richer (with clean filter!) hence I used my stocker for today. It actually is still an impressive saw stock and was absolutely eating wood.

And a picture of a bifurcated stump. I strapped the two trunks together and felled them as one using the front half to pull the back half over. The back half was leaning heavily and as you can see the trunk on the left has the backcut coming in below the scarf. This technique (also used when towing/winching heavy leaners over) stops the trunk pulling off the stump which can get nasty as you lose control. This technique (basically a reverse Humbolt) works well and I use it often.


----------



## Andyshine77

Holly ####! that doesn't look like fun, what an over grown mess.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Holly ####! that doesn't look like fun, what an over grown mess.



Yeah Andy, worst trees EVER. Every time one started falling (if you can call it that as quite often they just fell forward a bit and hung up) I had to bolt as there were busted limbs flying everywhere. As you can see in a few of those photos there are busted 3-4" limbs laying in the row. These are what have fallen out the tree when they've gone over due to the interlaced canopies.
Still about 60 of them to go 
I avoided them today, yesterday was enough!


----------



## Andyshine77

Is the saw just running rich? or does it have other symptoms as well? If you have the time, run the saw a bit, get it nice and hot, than hit the kill switch in the cut. Pop out the plug and take a good pic of it and post it. If it's running as rich as you say I'll be able to tell pretty easily. The modded 7900's hit the revlimiter really hard so tuning can be difficult. 

Maybe this will help, listen closely to the change in sound as I slowly lean out the carb until it sounds clean and smooth.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ulY5sU4axFQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ulY5sU4axFQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Is the saw just running rich? or does it have other symptoms as well? If you have the time, run the saw a bit, get nice and hot, than hit the kill switch in the cut. Pop out the plug and take a good pic of it and post it. If it's running as rich as you say I'll be able to tell pretty easily. The modded 7900's hit the revlimiter really hard so tuning can be difficult.
> 
> Maybe this will help, listen closely to the change in sound as I slowly lean out the carb.



Thanks Andy. I've played around a bit mate with no luck but I do have to learn how to tune a saw better. Fact is most of my saws are running spot on and I never have to touch them hence my lack of practice. I was gonna pull the plug today after WOT but didn't get around to it. I'll just drop it into the Husky guy this week as I've been working 60+ hours with my normal job and it's just a lot easier at the moment to get someone else to tune it sadly, knowing that they'll get good results 

Basically what it's doing is running fine one minute then burbling mid cut and losing power then off it goes again like a clock. Even with the muffler mod it sounds terrible and it doesn't seem to be doing it consistantly which is only adding to my confusion  I'll be honest in saying that my stocker is outcutting it at the moment which is saying something. It seems to be holding a lot higher revs in the cut, even with full chisel on the stocker vs. semi on the modded saw.


----------



## Andyshine77

Don't run the saw anymore!! something's up. You may have an intermittent air leak, get it vacuum and pressure tested asap. It could also have a tank vent, or fuel supply issue. Also check the head and carb bolts. The head bolts should be very tight, the carb bolts should be snug.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Don't run the saw anymore!! something's up. You may have an intermittent air leak, get it vacuum and pressure tested asap. It could also have a tank vent, or fuel supply issue. Also check the head and carb bolts. The head bolts should be very tight, the carb bolts should be snug.



Yeah thanks mate - that was the plan. Have attached some photos of the plug. It was removed basically after WOT with very little idle time. Not sure if this helps but definately not rich...










Not sure whats up with the carbon flaking off the edge of the plug. It wasn't bumped on removal.


----------



## mdavlee

Is it whitish or more brownish? I can't really tell from the picture. You want it to be a brownish tint but not real dark brown. Most people have said the carhartt brown is about perfect. Have you got to use your 390 yet?


----------



## tdi-rick

Any idle time makes it hard to tell Matt, and I don't trust the colour rendition of most digi cams either.
Plug cuts are psychologically hard IMO. WOT then kill it in the cut isn't an easy thing to do. 

Base carb settings for a stock PS64-73-7900 are LS=1 turn and HS = 1,1/8

Running fat/rich can be too low a pop off pressure in the carby or the valve not holding properly too. The tiniest bit of garbage can be stopping the valve seating, leading to running too rich.


----------



## blsnelling

Sorry you're having issues Matt. Please don't run it any more at all until you get it looked at. It sounds to me like you have either a carb or ignition problem. Have you looked at the exhaust side cylinder wall through the plug hole just to make sure it's good? That wouldn't be an intermitent problem though.


----------



## MCW

mdavlee said:


> Is it whitish or more brownish? I can't really tell from the picture. You want it to be a brownish tint but not real dark brown. Most people have said the carhartt brown is about perfect. Have you got to use your 390 yet?



It is more of a brown colour mate. 390 not here yet but should arrive today or tomorrow. All fees have been paid to Customs. Looking forward to it 



blsnelling said:


> Sorry you're having issues Matt. Please don't run it any more at all until you get it looked at. It sounds to me like you have either a carb or ignition problem. Have you looked at the exhaust side cylinder wall through the plug hole just to make sure it's good? That wouldn't be an intermitent problem though.



Not your problem Brad. I mean lets be honest, she's seen a fair bit of what I'd class hard work since it arrived without being touched  It's already paid for itself many times over so I'm not going to crack the sads if it has any issues although I doubt this is anything serious. I just pulled the muffler mate and the piston looks like new. No marking at all.


----------



## blsnelling

MCW said:


> It is more of a brown colour mate. 390 not here yet but should arrive today or tomorrow. All fees have been paid to Customs. Looking forward to it
> 
> 
> 
> Not your problem Brad. I mean lets be honest, she's seen a fair bit of what I'd class hard work since it arrived without being touched  It's already paid for itself many times over so I'm not going to crack the sads if it has any issues although I doubt this is anything serious. I just pulled the muffler mate and the piston looks like new. No marking at all.



Good to hear! That's always a modders nightmare, lol. But seriously, it'd be a big mistake to run it even one more time before inspection. I'm fishing for straws here, but could the carb have gotten dirty, and the needle be getting stuck?


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> I'm fishing for straws here, but could the carb have gotten dirty, and the needle be getting stuck?



I think you may be right Brad as changing the H didn't make any noticeable difference. I've got it on the back of the ute (pickup) to take to the Husky dealer along with 3120 for it's warranty service. I'll keep everyone informed on whats up.


----------



## Andyshine77

Matt it's hard to tell but the plug looks a little lean, but not bad lean. Glad to hear the P&C is good, it's starting to sound like something simple.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Matt it's hard to tell but the plug looks a little lean, but not bad lean. Glad to hear the P&C is good, it's starting to sound like something simple.



Yeah Andy, the photos were actually pretty true to colour. I dropped the saws in today and the Husky dealer is absolutely flat out. They also sell Yamaha motorbikes, outboard motors, and boats which is why they are so busy coming up to Christmas and the associated holidays (and living in an area on a major waterway where a lot of people water ski and go fishing).
They won't be able to look at either of the saws for a month at this stage. I can't say I'm overly fussed as the 390XP should arrive any day so I'll have that to use with my stocker 7900 as a backup. All of the trees for the last month or so and from now on are too big for the 5100-S which is also starting to feel unloved. I don't think I've started it for about 6-8 weeks at least so better get it out again soon and warm it up.


----------



## MCW

The modded 390XPG arrived today from Brad (well yesterday but the guys at work forgot to tell me it had been dropped off by Austraia Post - they obviously had no idea at the scale of this momentous occasion).
Bolted the dogs back on, fitted the 32" Oregon Power Match Plus bar I have in .404", fitted a Windsor semi chisel chain, fueled/oiled it up but no go. Oh that's right, the on/off switch is the reverse to the 7900. Flooded 
Pulled the plug and gave her a squirt of compressed air and voila, success.
Well, this thing has nuts which was instantly apparent when I buried it in that really hard Chinese Elm log I have out the back and leant on it a bit. No stalling! It sounds awesome too, even my other half commented on it and she was in the house. When a female says "that saw sounds grunty" you do tend to take notice. 
My time on 90cc class saws is basically non existant bar a small amount of time on an 066 or 660 (can't remember). The balance is quite good and you can definately feel it's heavier than the 7900's (this is the 390XPG with heated handles so slightly heavier than a standard 390XP) but in the situation I'll be using it in I don't think the weight will be too much to use all day, unlike the 3120 which is just a lead anchor with a bar on it. I've mentioned it before but the bigger saws (ie 880/3120) are in a league of their own when it comes to dead weight. Not one person that has ever picked up my 3120 has said "that is just as heavy as I expected". They have all been shocked at just how heavy it really is.
Anyway, depending on weather I'll give the new saw (well Brad's 2nd hand saw that is in good condition) a run this weekend on the Casuarinas and get some piccys and maybe videos.

The modded 7900 P&C and muffler also arrived plus some spare base gaskets and tools but I won't tackle fitting that to my stock 7900 until I get my other modded 7900 back from the Husky dealer. Last thing I want to do is stuff it up and only have the 390 to use on this job. If something happens to that saw then I'm not gonna earn any money as I won't have a backup saw big enough for these trees.

I'd also like to thank Brad again for being a pleasure to deal with.


----------



## Jacob J.

Is there an application for heated handles and carb there in OZland?


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> Is there an application for heated handles and carb there in OZland?



Nah no application at all! It's just the saw Brad had for sale and he gave me a good deal on a nice saw. Heated handles apparently dry out sweaty gloves too though so maybe they do have an application  Didn't fuss me with the purchase though. I would have paid the same for a standard 390XP.


----------



## TommySaw

MCW said:


> The modded 390XPG arrived today from Brad (well yesterday but the guys at work forgot to tell me it had been dropped off by Austraia Post - they obviously had no idea at the scale of this momentous occasion).
> Bolted the dogs back on, fitted the 32" Oregon Power Match Plus bar I have in .404", fitted a Windsor semi chisel chain, fueled/oiled it up but no go. Oh that's right, the on/off switch is the reverse to the 7900. Flooded
> Pulled the plug and gave her a squirt of compressed air and voila, success.
> Well, this thing has nuts which was instantly apparent when I buried it in that really hard Chinese Elm log I have out the back and leant on it a bit. No stalling! It sounds awesome too, even my other half commented on it and she was in the house. When a female says "that saw sounds grunty" you do tend to take notice.
> My time on 90cc class saws is basically non existant bar a small amount of time on an 066 or 660 (can't remember). The balance is quite good and you can definately feel it's heavier than the 7900's (this is the 390XPG with heated handles so slightly heavier than a standard 390XP) but in the situation I'll be using it in I don't think the weight will be too much to use all day, unlike the 3120 which is just a lead anchor with a bar on it. I've mentioned it before but the bigger saws (ie 880/3120) are in a league of their own when it comes to dead weight. Not one person that has ever picked up my 3120 has said "that is just as heavy as I expected". They have all been shocked at just how heavy it really is.
> Anyway, depending on weather I'll give the new saw (well Brad's 2nd hand saw that is in good condition) a run this weekend on the Casuarinas and get some piccys and maybe videos.
> 
> The modded 7900 P&C and muffler also arrived plus some spare base gaskets and tools but I won't tackle fitting that to my stock 7900 until I get my other modded 7900 back from the Husky dealer. Last thing I want to do is stuff it up and only have the 390 to use on this job. If something happens to that saw then I'm not gonna earn any money as I won't have a backup saw big enough for these trees.
> 
> I'd also like to thank Brad again for being a pleasure to deal with.



Grats on the new saw, look forward to the pix and would love to see some vid


----------



## mdavlee

Hope you like it as good as the 7900. Can't wait for some videos.


----------



## blsnelling

I'm glad it finally arrived safely. What a nightmare for you!


----------



## Andyshine77

Can't wait to see it in action.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Can't wait to see in in action.



Yeah I'm really looking forward to it Andy. 
I'm going to start with the 32" .404" bar and 7 pin and see how it goes. If it works OK I'll leave it, if not I'll go to a 32" in 3/8" with an 8 pin which shouldn't trouble it at all.
It really does sound nice, different to the Dolmars but pretty tough and smooth.
I'll keep people posted and I'm looking forward to it.
I won't be getting anymore saws at this stage. I have all bases covered now and despite having some form of CAD, it's not as advanced as many guys on this site. If any good second hand saws come along you never know though  Thats how I ended up with the 390XPG from Brad as I was actually considering another modded 7900 as a spare and decided to ask Brad if he had any saws for sale!


----------



## Andyshine77

The husky's have a really sharp exhaust note, if I run my ported 372 without hearing protection it's so loud it's painful.


----------



## MCW

Back to the property this morning and gave the "new" modded 390XPG a run. Started with the 32" bar and .404" semi chisel but hit something early and the chain went off the cut. Ah well, it cut like a champ and had no trouble pulling that bar buried.
Swapped out to a 3/8" non skip semi chisel Windsor 63A chain and 8 pin sprocket with a 32" Pro Top. I forgot that I'd ground too much hook into this particular chain (wrong grinder setup) and it was super bitey. When it wasn't grabbing too much it cut like an animal 
This saw is certainly nice with impressive power however I did tend to get a few angles wrong, probably due to the different feel. I love the sound of it compared to the Dolmars however as far as feel goes I do prefer the 7900's although that's just personal taste. The dogs are HEAPS better on the 390 though! I only dropped 63 trees this morning and had one stuff up of monumental proportions. One of the largest trees on the property was bifurcated and both trunks were up around the 30" mark in diameter.
I completely underestimated the size of it and how much side load was on this particular trunk and it let go, shearing through a good lump of hingewood and falling out to the side. After chopping it up into moveable pieces I cracked the sads and called it a day. Mistakes like that really pi*s me off!
Quite a few orange trees were completely flattened and this tree went across three rows of them 















Also had another Ringtail Possum come down with one of the trees I felled. He was only really young but was unhurt and shaken up. My fiancee came to visit so took a few photos of the cute little guy. He was a bit young to leave out there so I dropped him into the local wildlife shelter. He had good claws too and when my other half tried to pull him off and put him in a box it was like pulling a cat off a flyscreen. I ended up with a few holes!


----------



## tdi-rick

One occasional faux pas in how many down so far ?

You've done good, mate 

I have a Mum and bub Brushtail possum that visit my shed on and off. They hate it when I have to go in there and do stuff during the day, inconsiderate sod that I am.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> One occasional faux pas in how many down so far ?
> 
> You've done good, mate
> 
> I have a Mum and bub Brushtail possum that visit my shed on and off. They hate it when I have to go in there and do stuff during the day, inconsiderate sod that I am.



Yeah I suppose the wrecking ratio isn't too bad but it still gives me the sh*ts 
I like the Ringtails over the Brushtails. My mate in Tassie has massive problems with the Brushies eating his windowsills and crapping over everything. His vegetable garden looks like Fort Knox to stop them eating everything. The Ringtails stay in the forest and are protected. He gets permits to shoot the Brushtails and the job never ends.
It got the better of me this arvo so I fitted the new modded top end and muffler from Poppa Snelling to my stock 7900. Started 3rd pull, fair bit of smoke (I oiled the cylinder etc prior to piston fitment). All I had to was lean it off a bit (I'd richened it up a turn or so prior to starting) and up the idle a tad.
I let it idle for a while and gave it the odd rev. Ran like a clock. First impressions in wood was, well, excellent. Straight off the bat this saw feels stronger than my other modded 7900 from Brad. Not sure if he changed any of the porting techniques but the throttle response and speed is awesome.


----------



## mdavlee

Glad to see you got to use the 390. It's nice to have a backup 7900 ported ready to go too, I'm sure.


----------



## wooddog

Did the dealer find out what happened or went wrong with the other woods ported 7900?


----------



## Jtheo

Nice work. Thanks for the pics.


----------



## MCW

wooddog said:


> Did the dealer find out what happened or went wrong with the other woods ported 7900?



Nah not yet mate. He's that busy over Christmas that he won't be able to look at the saw until mid January  Doesn't matter though, I've still got the 390XPG and now the "new" modded 7900.

Also heard back from Brad that he did go a little further with the porting this time on the new 7900 P&C. It not only seemed more powerful, it probably is! Cool


----------



## MCW

After fitting my new modded P&C to my older model 7900 I've decided to post my stock P&C and muffler back to Brad with instructions to "go nuts".
His last effort definately has more power and faster throttle response than the original modded 7900 so am hoping he may be able to extract a bit more out of the next one.
I'll keep everyone posted. Been busy over the Christmas/New Years break so haven't been felling any more trees but plan to get more piccys and vids, especially of the 390XP, next time I'm out.
Weather starting to really heat up here so tree felling will become less enjoyable by the look of it 
Temp over the next few days is 105 degrees f... Yay...


----------



## MCW

Bit of a change of scenery for this thread. Had a guy contact me to cut a Redgum down for him. He was worried about his winegrapes on one side and powerlines on the other and was hoping I could drop it in the gap (despite Winegrapes being worth very little in the current market). Thought I'd go have a look this afternoon (only 15 minutes away) but quickly realised that a naturally occurring tree of this size and age would be protected so there is no way I'd legally be able to fell it. To get permits for something like this tree you'd have to show it is probably "dangerous" then pay maybe $1000 just to get the tree inspected by the appropriate authorities blah blah blah.
It would have been relatively tricky as I'd have to drop it in sections up maybe 8' off the ground but not impossible, just time consuming.
Quite large butt and over 7' at the ground. My fiance's cousin in the photo is 6' tall for comparison and my Nissan Navara is quite a wide vehicle by Australian standards.
(You may even be able to see the Dolmar sticker on the tailgate!)


----------



## gmax

Very nice!.. the tree looks good too


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Very nice!.. the tree looks good too



That what I meant by change of scenery


----------



## MCW

I finally managed to sort out the video of my 390XP cutting down a Casuarina. For some reason Youtube didn't like the previous format.
Nothing fancy, just a plain old tree felling video. Saw had a 32" Pro Top with non skip 3/8" Windsor 63A Semi Chisel. I'd ground a bit too much hook into this chain which is why it was bogging a bit too much. It is a tough sounding saw and with a decent setup chain will pull the 32" bar with 8 tooth sprocket buried easily. My modded 7900's are strong, but this thing is well above those, just a bit heavier...

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zg6aUGWlSmw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zg6aUGWlSmw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


----------



## mdavlee

Looking good. I think my 390 has more power than the 7900 also.


----------



## MCW

Is anybody having trouble with the above 390XP video? I watched it last night and it was fine but now it looks to be playing up again :censored:


----------



## AUSSIE1

Yeah, it's still playing up Matt.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah, it's still playing up Matt.



:censored: Thanks Al...

I'll delete it and reupload. The original video on my computer is fine...


----------



## computeruser

How the #### did I miss this thread all along? 

Anyway, great work there and great pics! I was feeling kinda down today, realizing that I haven't anything to cut at the moment, and while viewing this thread wasn't as good as actually getting some saw time in, it was really close!


----------



## MCW

computeruser said:


> How the #### did I miss this thread all along?
> 
> Anyway, great work there and great pics! I was feeling kinda down today, realizing that I haven't anything to cut at the moment, and while viewing this thread wasn't as good as actually getting some saw time in, it was really close!



Thanks for appreciating the thread mate. Even I regularly read it when I've been lacking saw time


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Thanks for appreciating thr thread mate. Even I regularly read it when I've been lacking saw time





BTW, loved the phone vid yesterday...showoff...


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> BTW, loved the phone vid yesterday...showoff...



Yeah I had 13 lined up to video but the bloody wind came up and beat me to it  I have a really long run of trees about 18" in diameter so I'm going to try and pull off a full showoff act and get a heap down in one hit - I think 50+ is achievable but won't get my hopes up 

Have a couple of photos of yesterday. This particular run was the longest on the property as far as I can tell at 150 trees. No records set but dropped 237 in 7 1/2 hours averaging 31.6 per hour.

No dramas at all except for one stuck 7900 that I had to cut out with the 390XP (pays to ALWAYS get wedges in early no matter what direction you think the tree will fall  ). I put a few tanks through the 390 again yesterday and that is one angry and impressive saw. To say it doesn't eat my 7900's is a complete lie - it absolutely creams them with a 32" bar and 8 pin. Stock would be a different story. With the oiler set on full it supplies ample oil to the 32" bar whereas the 7900's get "just" enough out there.


----------



## MCW

Went out cutting again yesterday. Broke my second chain ever, exactly the same as the last. Mid cut and bang.
Really gives me the shi*s. It's not the chain, $2 and she's fixed, it's just that every time one lets go it wrecks something, like another chip guide. I have spares and no biggy but badly damaged chip guides do not like noodling. They tend to clog up a lot easier.
This time I inspected the drivelink a bit closer and it looks to have gotten a bit hot. Upon further inspection I realised that the drivelink had been damaged at some stage, had been tight in the bar groove, and had been overheated and weakened.
The broken piece of the drivelink was still stuck in the bar groove which I only realised when I tried to fit a new chain...










Chip Guide damage...






And the piece of drivelink stuck in the .050" groove...






Bit of case damage but not bad...






I also received my modded 7900 back from the Husky dealer that was running funny as mentioned previously. He couldn't find a problem with it and didn't touch the tune or anything, just ran it for a while and gave it a rev.
Must have been a blocked jet as I ran it for a while and it was like new again.

I used my "new" modded 7900 with the modded P&C and muffler that Brad sent out from the states for nearly the whole day yesterday. There is a noticable difference between this saw and the modded saw he sent out to me. The latest one (I fitted the P&C etc) is far stronger than the other 7900.

Great saws these 7900's. I know I say it a lot but I couldn't want anything else for this job I'm doing at the moment. The HD air filter is still awesome on both saws. I dropped about 230 trees yesterday and only tapped it out once despite it not being necessary. Being a dry paper filter it's easy to clean too despite rarely needing it.


----------



## Hddnis

Interesting, I've had saws and other tools do that from time to time; both modded and stock.

Most of the time it has ended up being a tank vent issue, but not always.




Mr. HE


----------



## blsnelling

Glad to hear it's running good for you again. Honesly, I wish they would have found something wrong with it. Then you would know for sure that it's fixed. Problems that just disappear make me nervous. Fortunately, you know what you're doing running it, and will catch it if it does it again.


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Glad to hear it's running good for you again. Honesly, I wish they would have found something wrong with it. Then you would know for sure that it's fixed. Problems that just disappear make me nervous. Fortunately, you know what you're doing running it, and will catch it if it does it again.



Thats right Brad. When you run saws a fair bit you can tell when somethings not running right but intermittent problems are always a worry  I think it was just a blocked jet though.

As others mentioned earlier in this thread (BobL) the 24" Total II bars I have been using just don't seem to be oiling the chain as much as they should be. Chains aren't wearing too badly or bar getting too hot but after breaking that last chain I realised that the drivelinks do seem to be overheating. The chains and bars are copping more abuse than average so I dug a bit deeper. I ended up drilling another, larger oil hole right above the bar stud hole. I drilled one hole to test and all of a sudden I had oil flying off the bar everywhere 
I have a funny feeling that some of the 200 odd bars I got from excess GB stock were excess for a reason  I am wondering whether these had been put aside in GB's warehouse and not sold due to this oiling problem to begin with.


----------



## porky616

i had to drill my 36" that i got from laurie it wasnt oiling properly, i also had to strip the paint off the bar, chips and dust was sticking to the paint and making it near impossible to do a full cut. it took me a while to figure it all out but with no paint and a big hole it cuts like a shearer on a friday arvo.


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> i had to drill my 36" that i got from laurie it wasnt oiling properly, i also had to strip the paint off the bar, chips and dust was sticking to the paint and making it near impossible to do a full cut. it took me a while to figure it all out but with no paint and a big hole it cuts like a shearer on a friday arvo.



I have a 36" GB Hard Nose (HV mount) as well mate from Laurie for my 3120 and that seems OK. Yours would be SN or SLD mount so probably different. That batch of bars seem hit and miss. Labelling is the biggest problem. 20" and 72DL generally means 19" and 70DL!


----------



## porky616

musta been a bad batch of bars, the paint was my biggest problem it was like silastic it stuck to everything and drove me nuts,went out last week and cut my first load for the year, shoulda stayed in shed and drank beer, fuel can sprang leak in me car,broke handle on me splitter and blew a tire just to top it all off


----------



## tdi-rick

Mat, do these GB/Tilton bars use an angled oil feed hole ?

Of course it wouldn't be the first time someone has set-up a machine incorrectly.

I had a freshly reconditioned refrigeration compressor (20HP) seize on start up on a job several years ago. The manufacturer got back to me a few weeks later that mine was the first of an entire batch they had to rebuild. The machinist had set up the boring bar with insufficient clearance when machining the tunnels.........


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Mat, do these GB/Tilton bars use an angled oil feed hole ?
> 
> Of course it wouldn't be the first time someone has set-up a machine incorrectly.
> 
> I had a freshly reconditioned refrigeration compressor (20HP) seize on start up on a job several years ago. The manufacturer got back to me a few weeks later that mine was the first of an entire batch they had to rebuild. The machinist had set up the boring bar with insufficient clearance when machining the tunnels.........



Nah Rick not angled mate. Basically have about a 10mm countersunk hole with the final oilfeed hole into the bar groove about 3mm. The oil hole works well and doesn't block at all that I can see.


----------



## MCW

Dropped another 120 trees this morning in exactly 4 hours. Decided to get a video of some dominos, 23 in a row. Boredom took hold but there was hardly any wind so got sick of smacking wedges in every tree...

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zTryU_lE4cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zTryU_lE4cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Also no luck with my fixit job on those 24" Total II bars. At least one oil hole remained unblocked at all times but still not enough oil. Went back to a 20" Pro Top and oil everywhere. Somewhere, somehow, GB have got it wrong with these Total II bars I have. Not sure what the hell it is but have ruled out the saws. They won't even oil enough on my 390XP with the oiler flat out - this problem only presents itself once the cutting starts. "Maybe" the oiler holes are blocking up then miraculously unblocking when I check them. I just think that something has been machined wrong in the bar groove. There is also a chance that it is a thicker bar oil. I swapped from Husky to ALCO a few months back - may check that also. I'll keep running them but may actually mix some bar oil up with some lighter engine oil to try and get more oil out there.


----------



## tdi-rick

Any chance of sending a photo Matt, maybe with a (steel) ruler sitting across the bar at the oiler hole ?

It'd be interesting to see where they've placed the oiler hole and how they've done it, and why they didn't do it like a 'normal' Pro Top ? (if not a straight out cock up, it's usually a manufacturing cost saving issue behind these things)


----------



## blsnelling

MCW said:


> Dropped another 120 trees this morning in exactly 4 hours. Decided to get a video of some dominos, 23 in a row. Boredom took hold but there was hardly any wind so got sick of smacking wedgtes in every tree...



Showoff!!!!!


----------



## sachsmo

Nice, nice, didn't think those last 2 were going to make it!


----------



## MCW

mobetter said:


> Nice, nice, didn't think those last 2 were going to make it!



Neither did I  Certainly wouldn't have been game to post a vid if that happened. I left a bit too much hingewood on those few and had to hold my tongue on the other side to get them to fall over.


----------



## MCW

Here you go Rick. I'm sure some of these bars were simply trials by GB to see what does and doesn't work. Possibly why they were hidden out the back of GB and only sold once Direct Agencies bought them out..

Have attached photos of two bars that I redrilled, both a big negative on the extra oil when cutting 

First bar (note 3 holes) with the original hole unblocked. I pulled this bar twice today and each time it was a different hole unblocked. One hole always remained open...






And the other bar. I redrilled the original oil hole slightly...










Nothing too obvious. Oil left in the tank once the fuel runs out is about half. Way less than it should be so oil not actually getting to bar full stop. Same deal with the 3 saws I've tried it on. Should try it on my 3120 with the oil boost switch/lever on. That'll test it out 

BTW, my 5100-S oils a treat with very similar looking bar oil holes and the same chain guage.


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, I just measured the distance from the bar stud to the oiler slot and it's a distance of 16-20mm.
Those holes of yours appear to be too high up the bar, they are running above the oiler slot. That's why they've countersunk those holes, but it obviously isn't working.

FWIW, I elongated the oiler hole in the German bar you sent up. Probably didn't need it, but I just felt a little better doing it. It measures 15-21mm above the stud slot.
I just used a small carbide burr in the die grinder. Shame you aren't closer, it only takes a few minutes to get the grinder, crank up the air compressor and do it.


----------



## Andyshine77

Some Windsor bars had oil hole placement issues, and would not oil properly with 8 pin rims. Here is a picture I made a few years ago that illustrates the problem, I and a few others had. As you can see the chain would pass over the pickup hole before it inters the bar rail.


----------



## MCW

Thanks for the images guys. 
Your picture makes sense Andy although I'm not 100% sure that is the case here as the oil isn't even getting out of the oil tank. I have also run a 7 pin and had the same problem with the lack of oil. I will remount the bar and chain without the clutch cover on though mate just to check what you're saying.

However, I'm going to take some measurements of the oiler channel compared to the bar studs then transfer measurements to the bar. If this all seems OK I'm going back to Husky bar oil for a while to see if that improves things. I've got about 100 litres of it here.


----------



## belgian

MCW said:


> That what I meant by change of scenery



My kind of scenery ! 

Nice cutting too.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Thanks for the images guys.
> Your picture makes sense Andy although I'm not 100% sure that is the case here as the oil isn't even getting out of the oil tank. I have also run a 7 pin and had the same problem with the lack of oil. I will remount the bar and chain without the clutch cover on though mate just to check what you're saying.
> 
> However, I'm going to take some measurements of the oiler channel compared to the bar studs then transfer measurements to the bar. If this all seems OK I'm going back to Husky bar oil for a while to see if that improves things. I've got about 100 litres of it here.



Matt, the distance from the top of the stud to the oiler slot is 16mm as I wrote above. The oiler slot in the saw is 4mm wide.

If you look at where the oiler hole starts on my bar compared to yours, mine sits at 15mm above the stud, so the bar feed is totally open to the slot in the saw.

At a rough scale up, your main feed hole sits at 25-26mm above the stud, well above the top of the oiler slot, with the bottom of the countersunk section at roughly the right height, but I'm guessing the countersunk section isn't deep enough.
Maybe clean all the paint out and try that, but I'd elongate the main feed hole back towards the stud like on a normal GB bar or the photo above. That'll fix your problem.


----------



## Andyshine77

Matt I wasn't sure if that was your problem or not, thought I'd post it just in case.


----------



## tdi-rick

Andyshine77 said:


> Matt I wasn't sure if that was your problem or not, thought I'd post it just in case.



What did you end up doing Andy ?

Devcon the existing hole and drill/grind a new one further along the bar ?


----------



## Andyshine77

You know what I think I sold the bar with a saw, it worked fine with a 7 pin rim. The problem is even if you add a new oil hole in the bar, oil would still pour in the old hole and the oil would just run down the back of the bar, leaving the chain dry as a bone.


----------



## MCW

Thanks for the bar chat guys!

Got some photos today of trees to drop on a couple of the other properties owned by this company. The following three pictures show some tricky and potentially dangerous Casuarinas that are interlaced with the neighbouring Pine Trees. The Pine Trees have to stay. I will have to ensure that I don't wear a tree branch when felling these...










Note Pine branch hooked around Casuarina trunk...






Also got some photos from the property I mentioned earlier where the Casuarinas are around 40 years old instead of 18 like the main property I've been cutting on. There are definately some large trees on this farm and also very tricky ones. I outlined the potential difficulties to the property manager in a meeting this afternoon. He agrees and has said that quite a few Citrus trees may have to be sacrificed in the tree felling process.






Tight. Very tight...






Massive overhang into orchard. Wedging WILL NOT work here. These trees have basically no canopy overhang the other side (probably due to southerly winds off an open paddock)...










The mass in these canopies is huge. Way higher than the other properties...






Basically the plan is to work together with the company employees on this property. As I drop them and section them up guys will be chaining the trunks and dragging the parts out with tractors. This will be a long slow process but I'm looking forward to it and it will be a good test for me. If anything goes wrong I'll have a lot of witnesses! Trust me, things will go wrong. Too many tricky ones here to not lose the odd tree.


----------



## blsnelling

How's the new 7900 running? Still no more issues?


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> How's the new 7900 running? Still no more issues?



Hi Brad. I haven't actually run this particular 7900 much since but when I have it has shown no issues at all. I'm still thinking "blocked jet"  Hopefully...


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> How's the new 7900 running? Still no more issues?



Have worked out why the saw was running funny Brad. My old 7900 started running the same yesterday.

Wait for it...

BLOCKED PRE FILTER!!!

Despite knocking a lot of dust out it still seemed loaded so removed it and just kept the main filter on. Problem instantly solved and saw as good as new.
This saw was showing EXACTLY the same symptoms as my last one that I had the Husky dealer check.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no way you can effectively clean the pre filter 100% in the field so I'm going to wash them more than I have been. They are very hard to get the dust out of when blocked. Even a compressor has been struggling. I think I'll just run the saws for a while without the pre filter because at least you can tap out the main filter...

Some photos from yesterday...

This run was 191 trees and where I planned to knock over 70+ trees in one hit. I had 50 already done, the fiance on her way to video the occasion, and just as she has pulled up a freak gust of wind knocked the lot over despite calm conditions. Much swearing followed...
I still have about 90 left so will have another go at it later...














Used the 390XP for a while today with the 24" bar on it and a 7 tooth sprocket as had a few harder trees to drop with tougher wood. Took a while to get my angles right - for some reason I keep dropping the bar tip on the Husky compared to the 7900's.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Have worked out why the saw was running funny Brad. My old 7900 started running the same yesterday.
> 
> Wait for it...
> 
> BLOCKED PRE FILTER!!!
> 
> [snip]



Cheers Matt, I'll keep an eye out for that one. 

Was going to drop you a line, but here's good enough.

Ran the 30" bar tonight in some 33" old dead box and it walked through it.
I'm pretty impressed with the Windsor chain too, just ran it out of the box, didn't touch it up and i was cutting through two termite chimneys (bifurcated stump about 5' AGL)
I pushed it a bit, only went to a new chain at re-fuel time so pretty damned good.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Cheers Matt, I'll keep an eye out for that one.
> 
> Was going to drop you a line, but here's good enough.
> 
> Ran the 30" bar tonight in some 33" old dead box and it walked through it.
> I'm pretty impressed with the Windsor chain too, just ran it out of the box, didn't touch it up and i was cutting through two termite chimneys (bifurcated stump about 5' AGL)
> I pushed it a bit, only went to a new chain at re-fuel time so pretty damned good.



Good to hear Rick re: the Windsor. I am going out on a limb here but I actually think it is "slightly" better than Carlton in 3/8" semi chisel. 
Have you modded that Makita yet mate or still stock?

I can't believe that it was the pre filter. I never, ever thought that it would be causing that problem. I suspected blocked filter all along but it was only yesterday that it dawned on me that I hadn't washed them for quite a while, just hit them with compressed air. I also noted that it "looked" blocked even after belting the hell out of it. It may just be the particle size from these Casuarinas - not sure. I am going to run for a whle without the pre filter and see what happens. I suspect the main filter will block faster but at least I can tap it out.

Remember these trees?






Well although the tree in question isn't shown here I came as close to being flattened as I ever have. One of these Casuarinas had about a 10" Pine limb jammed into the side of it. I whacked the scarf and backcut plus a wedge but no cigar. The tree didn't move. I thought, oh well, I'll cut the pine branch off (about 20" thick and 3 foot above my head). Result was one stuck 24" bar on the 390 despite the branch being cut the WHOLE way through - apparently this tree hadn't heard of gravity... Next step was to unbolt said saw so that when I finally drop it my saw doesn't fall from 9 odd foot.
Now back to the Casuarina with the 7900. I left my earmuffs off for this one as I had a sneaky feeling something may go wrong. Always listen to your guts!
As I'm ever so slowly cutting the backcut a bit deeper with eyes upwards BANG, the hingewood lets go, the 18" odd Casuarina launches itself straight at me, the saw gets stuck, I yank on it once and realise I'm in trouble so I leave the saw jammed and bolt (well, not really bolt but I felt like an Olympian at the time). The tree ended up missing me by more than I thought and luckily the 7900 remained unharmed. Basically the pine branch had that much side pressure on this Casuarina that it sheared through about 2" of hingewood and shot it 90° the wrong way - my way 
Oh, and this was also followed by a quick look around to see if anybody saw me!


----------



## tdi-rick

:jawdrop: How was the tikker ?

I'm sure SWMBO wouldn't have been impressed if it clobbered you either. 
They get antsy about us hurting ourselves, I think they want the privilege.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> :jawdrop: How was the tikker ?
> 
> I'm sure SWMBO wouldn't have been impressed if it clobbered you either.
> They get antsy about us hurting ourselves, I think they want the privilege.



Yeah mate. There was a certain part of my anatomy that clamped shut like a bank vault. It turned out I was a lot further from dying than I thought at the time but last thing my eyes saw was that tree coming sideways - fast. Helped along by our friend, Mr Pine Tree. The bastard... If they wanted the Pine Trees dropped as well it would be easy. Just semi cut the Casuarinas and flatten them with the quite sizeable Pine Trees which are all leaning nicely to where I'd want them.

So when are you modding that 7901 mate?  Come on, you know that a man has to set deadlines for a thing like this...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> So when are you modding that 7901 mate?  Come on, you know that a man has to set deadlines for a thing like this...



as I said to Rick/Chevy and Al, autumn, when works tapers off a bit, or at least that's the plan.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> as I said to Rick/Chevy and Al, autumn, when works tapers off a bit, or at least that's the plan.



At least by running it stock Rick you'll be able to appreciate the mods  I'll send you my 3 7900/7901's for a comparo  And if your saw beats all my saws then...

Post them back to Brad


----------



## MCW

For everybody's information I dropped about 500 trees yesterday and today with my pair of modded 7900's and no pre filters fitted.
I'll be honest in saying that they ran better, stronger, and more consistantly than they ever have and the main filter actually blocked up LESS (due to chips not getting stuck between the main and pre filter).

Yep, I have trouble believing it myself. 

Despite pulling the main filters off both saws a few times for a tapout they most certainly did not need it. In fact visually they looked clean! Unlike the felt pre filter nothing sticks to the paper elements. It's as if the felt pre filter is a CHIP MAGNET, as opposed to a chick magnet. I can assure you chicks don't dig pre filters.
I won't be running these saws with a pre-filter again unless something unforeseen shows up down the track.


----------



## MCW

Back again.
Haven't posted much on here lately as haven't been doing as much tree felling over the last month or so as I had been doing previously.
Have just cracked the 7100 tree mark and have had to slow up as most of the tree runs left will block areas that need to be accessed by tractors for foliar nutrient sprays on the citrus. Therefore I have only a few areas on this property able to be felled - the rest will have to wait. The company also wants to keep a few of the boundary windbreaks so suspect this property will be done at roughly the 9200 tree mark - less than I thought to start with but still a lot.
The 7900's are still running well after leaving the pre-filters off.

The Carlton importers had some good deals on Tsumura bars so grabbed a few for stock and for my own use. I got them all in Stihl mount and have used an adaptor on my 7900 to fit a 20" .404" bar. I'm going to run this for a bit to show just how good .404" chain is providing the saw has the nuts to pull it (which mine do). The Tsumura bars are absolute works of art. In the last lot I was also sent genuine, non rebadged Tsumura bars. I may get more soon as they are sure to dry up 














I have been dropping trees alongside their winegrapes now that they have been harvested. I got a bit excited on the tree below and blew through too much of the hingewood. I didn't realise this till a sidewind blew across and took the tree with it at about 70° to where I intended it to go  No major damage done but once again, much swearing followed. Also took a while to clean up. I try not to lose concentration but every now and then I let my guard down. When you're dropping close to a tree every 80 seconds (averaged across the day including fuel breaks etc) it's hard to stay 100% focussed. It went across three rows of vines and as you can tell my face cut angles weren't very pretty...


----------



## MCW

I also completed the tricky task of felling the Casuarinas that were interlaced with a neighbouring row of Pine Trees. Most were OK but there were about 6 trees that were complete pricks. In particular the one below. Both the pine tree and Casuarina had formed a callous that simply would not seperate. I had the Casuarina with about 1" of hingewood left and fully wedged but it hadn't even moved. I then hooked up a 3.5 tonne rated rope and proceeded to snap that after getting frustrated when even 2nd gear low range flat out in the Ford Ranger didn't budge it. This thing was unbelievable. I then got a ladder and decided to drop the pine branch that was responsible for holding the Casuarina up. It was a position I didn't want to really get myself into but it had to be done.



















As you can see by the callous on the Casuarina it was hanging onto the pine branch pretty well.






My fiancee was there and videoed the moment. A number of things didn't go to plan here. I was using my 7900 with 32" bar to stay as far away from the action as possible. The branch missed my ladder by about 3 foot. My ladder was firmly attached to the pine tree but even then this was way closer than planned. I didn't expect the pine branch to roll off the cut like it did 



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-rjqdWGKlck&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-rjqdWGKlck&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## volks-man

that pine branch flopping toward the camera must have given your lady a start!
i didn't like it and i was only watching on a screen. 

amazing how strong the hold was on that limb. 




when are we gonna see you flogging that makimar hybrid in the field?


----------



## TommySaw

Not much to say that you didn't cover, but as the saying goes it only takes a couple minor mishaps to make 1 big disaster
Thank God you're alright, live to fight another day


----------



## parrisw

Hmm, nice work, but ladders and saws???


----------



## MCW

volks-man said:


> that pine branch flopping toward the camera must have given your lady a start!
> i didn't like it and i was only watching on a screen.
> 
> amazing how strong the hold was on that limb.
> 
> when are we gonna see you flogging that makimar hybrid in the field?



Yeah my other half jumped a bit! You're right though, in the vid you can see the pine branch "crack" off the Casuarina which sort of spun it the wrong way to where I though it would go.
The machine work on the Dolkita is still getting done in the US but Brad emailed me the other day and said it should be completed soon  Looking forward to it.



TommySaw said:


> Not much to say that you didn't cover, but as the saying goes it only takes a couple minor mishaps to make 1 big disaster
> Thank God you're alright, live to fight another day



You're exactly right. I hate to see things like this happen to anyone but post them just to show where things can go wrong. I fell a lot of trees but have no trouble showing people where/when I make a mistake. 
As far as the video incident goes though I had assessed and reassessed the situation and no way did I expect it to fall like it did. I do however hate being up a ladder with a chainsaw - you've got nowhere to run if things go wrong


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Hmm, nice work, but ladders and saws???



Yeah ladders and saws suck as I mentioned in the above post, unfortunately it was all I could do at the time. I contemplated calling the property manager and getting him to come help with their loader and a set of chains but as it was a weekend all their compounds were locked up. The ladder had been tied onto the pine tree though as I'm very wary about them slipping, particularly with a running saw.
Certainly not something I like doing or would recommend


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah ladders and saws suck as I mentioned in the above post, unfortunately it was all I could do at the time. I contemplated calling the property manager and getting him to come help with their loader and a set of chains but as it was a weekend all their compounds were locked up. The ladder had been tied onto the pine tree though as I'm very wary about them slipping, particularly with a running saw.
> Certainly not something I like doing or would recommend



Agreed, I just don't do it. If the tree is coming down, the spurs go on, and do it that way.


----------



## Andyshine77

You got the job done, but be careful out there man.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Agreed, I just don't do it. If the tree is coming down, the spurs go on, and do it that way.



I'll leave the tree climbing up to you mate  At 6'3" and 115kg I'm likely to bring the tree down by climbing it without even starting a saw  I need both knees reconditioned and have had a shoulder rebuilt so the less chance I have of injuring myself the better 
I've contemplated getting a set of spurs but any tree jobs that I get asked to do that require aerial work I palm off to other guys - very few guys here climb, even though one of them has all the gear and is qualified. They all use high lift trucks now.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> You got the job done, but be careful out there man.



Hi Andy.
I've checked out all the trees on this company's properties and these were always going to be the more dangerous ones. I'm always pretty careful, it's just sometimes things end up a bit closer than planned 
Matt


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I'll leave the tree climbing up to you mate  At 6'3" and 115kg I'm likely to bring the tree down by climbing it without even starting a saw  I need both knees reconditioned and have had a shoulder rebuilt so the less chance I have of injuring myself the better
> I've contemplated getting a set of spurs but any tree jobs that I get asked to do that require aerial work I palm off to other guys - very few guys here climb, even though one of them has all the gear and is qualified. They all use high lift trucks now.



Ya, its not the easiest thing to do, very tiring on the legs.


----------



## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> sometimes things end up a bit closer than planned
> Matt



I know this all too well.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Ya, its not the easiest thing to do, very tiring on the legs.



I've never tried it but gather it's like climbing a set of stairs spread legged with a 100lb backpack  Not my cup of tea but kudos to any guys that climb trees like that.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I've never tried it but gather it's like climbing a set of stairs spread legged with a 100lb backpack  Not my cup of tea but kudos to any guys that climb trees like that.



I sometimes do it, not allot. I really enjoy it actually. Its the standing on the two little spikes that get me, I'm not small. 6' and 210lbs


----------



## 056 kid

parrisw said:


> I sometimes do it, not allot. I really enjoy it actually. Its the standing on the two little spikes that get me, I'm not small. 6' and 210lbs



gaffs dont mind that. You know the fellas that hoisted 150 lb blocks up 200 feet of tree had to weigh more than that. . .


----------



## Jacob J.

Matt-

I'm enjoying your pics and the video, looks like a lot of fun. That HD7900 filter cover reminds me of De Gaulle's nasal profile...


----------



## parrisw

056 kid said:


> gaffs dont mind that. You know the fellas that hoisted 150 lb blocks up 200 feet of tree had to weigh more than that. . .



I don't mind it at all, it just starts to hurt the bottom of my feet a little.


----------



## 056 kid

parrisw said:


> I don't mind it at all, it just starts to hurt the bottom of my feet a little.



thats why you get a good pair of boots. I know exactly what you are talking about. . .


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> Matt-
> 
> I'm enjoying your pics and the video, looks like a lot of fun. That HD7900 filter cover reminds me of De Gaulle's nasal profile...



Awwww come on mate. The De Gaulle comment is a bit rough


----------



## Jacob J.

MCW said:


> Awwww come on mate. The De Gaulle comment is a bit rough



lol, De Gaulle wasn't all bad...


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> lol, De Gaulle wasn't all bad...



Oh he was OK I suppose but the Dolmar HD kit/nose comment was a bit below the belt


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Oh he was OK I suppose but the Dolmar HD kit/nose comment was a bit below the belt



Yeah, the HD kit has really grown on me (and _not_ like a wart  ) 
particularly the black top on top of Makita blue which just didn't look right at first.

BTW Matt, had a thought re the felt pre-filters.
Try putting them in the washing machine (a front loader would be ideal) on the gentle cycle, that might get the buggers clean, although I did notice they are only US$4.44 so maybe get Brad to send you a few with the the new saw.

BTW, JJ has hit 7000 posts :jawdrop:


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Yeah, the HD kit has really grown on me (and _not_ like a wart  )
> particularly the black top on top of Makita blue which just didn't look right at first.
> 
> BTW Matt, had a thought re the felt pre-filters.
> Try putting them in the washing machine (a front loader would be ideal) on the gentle cycle, that might get the buggers clean, although I did notice they are only US$4.44 so maybe get Brad to send you a few with the the new saw.
> 
> BTW, JJ has hit 7000 posts :jawdrop:



Yeah I actually like the look of the HD kit, it's grown on me too, possibly wart like 
Funny you say that re: washing machine mate, they both went through the machine today! As mentioned though I've yet to see any major benefits to the pre filter but would prefer to run them if they won't impact performance.
Weather permitting I'll be out again tomorrow armed with my new 20" .404" Tsumura. I got a bit cocky and fitted an 8 tooth .404" sprocket earlier but the diameter was way too big and would have eaten out the chip guide 

Congrats Jacob on 7,000 posts


----------



## parrisw

Dang 7000 for JJ, been trying to catch him for a while now. Looks like I need to try harder!!


----------



## Jacob J.

parrisw said:


> Dang 7000 for JJ, been trying to catch him for a while now. Looks like I need to try harder!!



Put some of those new Stihl parts in the swap meet thread, you'll hit 7,000 in no time.


----------



## parrisw

Jacob J. said:


> Put some of those new Stihl parts in the swap meet thread, you'll hit 7,000 in no time.



ha ha, your not kidding. I've been trying to keep it on the down low at the moment, till I finish loging all the part numbers. Even now I get a number of pm's every day, seems I got lots of odd ball stuff that nobody ask's for. I'm almost done on the spreadsheet, then I got to figure out what they fit, LOL. I got the mediacat now though, its fun. Any parts I should reserve for you? We can use them in the trade if ya want anything.


----------



## Jacob J.

parrisw said:


> ha ha, your not kidding. I've been trying to keep it on the down low at the moment, till I finish loging all the part numbers. Even now I get a number of pm's every day, seems I got lots of odd ball stuff that nobody ask's for. I'm almost done on the spreadsheet, then I got to figure out what they fit, LOL. I got the mediacat now though, its fun. Any parts I should reserve for you? We can use them in the trade if ya want anything.



I think I'm good for now, although I know a couple guys wanting a muffler guard for an 041G which is a hard part to come by...

Like a lot of guys, I'm always down for 070/090 parts. I have your name on those NOS 051/075 parts I have too.


----------



## parrisw

Jacob J. said:


> I think I'm good for now, although I know a couple guys wanting a muffler guard for an 041G which is a hard part to come by...
> 
> Like a lot of guys, I'm always down for 070/090 parts. I have your name on those NOS 051/075 parts I have too.



Sorry no muffler guard, those are hard to come by. I'll pm you a list of all my 1106 part numbers, might be a few goodies in there for you.


----------



## MCW

Headed back out the property today but wind was blowing strongly in the wrong direction so had a bit of a play in those Polonia trees I had pictures of earlier. Dropped about 6 of them with the new .404" Tsumura 20" bar and Windsor 63B semi chisel. Cut really well.
Also took a few photos of the cut Casuarinas that they are piling up ready to be burnt when fire season ends.











And one of the rows where trees have been dragged out...






I was only up there today for about an hour so decided to clean up some of the crappy logs I have laying around out the back of my place. Heap of dirty old gum and a fair load of Chinese Elm that I blocked up in fireplace sized chunks. I used the 7900 with the 20" .404" and I'm impressed. It wore well and easily outcut 3/8" semi chisel - I put about 10 tanks through it total. The only problem I had with it was on a few smaller Chinese Elm logs where it had the odd tooth bite in, jam the log against the spikes, and stall the chain. It was VERY VERY hard to get that tooth out of the wood (big teeth!). This Chinese Elm is some really tough stuff. Probably the second hardest wood I've ever cut behind dead River Box. When I say hard I don't mean hard like steel, just quite dense with tricky grain and fibre structure. The chain just wants to bounce no matter how you set the rakers.
On a 20" bar with my modded 7900's I believe it is well worth running .404" semi chisel. The only downside in my eyes is it does cut rougher than 3/8". It really is only an experiment though and as many people have mentioned the logistics of running two chain pitches over 5 pro saws with 10 different bar lengths gets a bit painful even when you sell the stuff and have about 3500' of chain in stock 
What I won't do is replace any more 3/8" 20" chains when they wear out. Once they're done I'll switch permanently to .404" on the 20" bar but still have about a dozen 72DL 3/8" chains to kill. That will take a while as they are spread over both .050" and .063" guage bars. If the 7900's were outboard clutches then I'd stick with 3/8" without a doubt!!!


----------



## blsnelling

Happy BDay Matt!!!


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Happy BDay Matt!!!



Thanks Brad 
If my ageing is on a constant gradient then I'd better book into the retirement village stat!!!


----------



## gmax

Happy birthday Matt, by the way that was good advice regarding those "Pal" grinding wheels, they grind well without over heating the cutters.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Happy birthday Matt, by the way that was good advice regarding those "Pal" grinding wheels, they grind well without over heating the cutters.



Thanks mate. You mean you listened to me? Wow!!! If you want anymore mate I have a few old ones now that I've gone to ABN/CBN wheels.


----------



## MCW

Getting a bit off topic but because it was my topic I didn't think anybody would mind!
I had decided to have a massive cleanup out back involving all sorts of gear. In amongst the crap I had accumulated were two McCulloch PM310's (may be able to get one runner out of them), a running Homelite Super 2, and an old Australian Mobilco saw. I was given all saws.
Anyway, I was heading to the city (Adelaide) for laser eye surgery and contacted Wayne (gmax) and asked him if he wanted the old saws for nothing. I appreciate old saws but to be honest most of them aren't for me.
He said he'd gladly take them off my hands and I was more than happy for him to have them - better than having them waste away out the back!
Imagine my surprise when he PM's me saying he's got the old Mobilco running the day after I dropped the saws off! I'm not joking when I say this saw hasn't run for least 30 years, maybe longer. Wayne sent me a video of it running which cracked me up big time. I never thought this thing would run again! Anyway, he fixed a few things (even a washing machine spring was fashioned into the clutch) and a few more things need fixing too but I thought I'd post the video for those nostalgia type moments...

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mi08HN0bJEw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mi08HN0bJEw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

While at Wayne's place I also ran my beady eyes over his quite extensive saw collection. Some of the saws he has rebuilt are bordering on "as new". He does an excellent job at restoring, thats for sure and must be pretty handy with a spanner to get an old piece of snot like that Mobilco running as fast as he did!


----------



## gmax

Matt, Thanks for dropping the saws off, it's always nice to hear the old ones running again, now I have to find some more shelving 

Thanks Mate


----------



## MCW

Haven't posted for a while so thought I'd add a few photos of some trees I dropped on the weekend for the in laws and associated relatives!
I had to drop two Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) trees for the in laws that had copped a hiding from Longicorn Beetles that have basically killed them. I had taken some photos of the trees standing but forgot to take any happy snaps when they were down. I used the 390XPG and 24" bar. This thing has some serious grunt (Brad Snelling's old saw) and is WELL above my modded 7900's. They were easy to drop and despite not being very tall one of the trunks was probably about 40" in diameter. Got quite a lot of firewood out of it. My father in-law had a crack on the 7900 instead of his old hammered 029. His response was that it cuts really well (coming from someone who can't sharpen a chain to save himself) but was too loud. "It sounds less muffled than my 029" he said. I didn't get too technical as it would confuse him so just said it's because it has a two port muffler. Both of the standing, sick looking trees got felled...






I then drove 5km down the road to knock over a couple of pines for my fiance's uncle. One dead, one alive. Big trunk on the live one but a very ugly, short, mushroom like tree. Easy to fell, hard to clean up.






















The dead pine I dropped is in the background. Took 2 minutes to drop, 2 hours to clean up...






He also wants another pine dropped plus 2 large live Redgums (one of which can be seen on left in the last photo). They are getting that big that he is worried they'll drop a branch on his shed. Probably about 80' tall with approx. 3 foot trunks. I was going to drop them today but had to head home and didn't want to leave him with a massive clean up. When I come down to drop them next time I'll bring the mill as they have some really nice, long, even trunks. Should produce some nice slabs


----------



## gallegosmike

Just imagine those short ugly pines being most of your only sources of firewood. Those pines look like pinon pines on steroids. The trunks on pinions normally grow to about 6" to 18". Very rare to see bigger then 18"! What kind of pines are they? I spend hours limbing and stacking limbs in the slash piles while cutting firewood. To get about 3/4 cord of wood. I normally cut about 30-40 trees.

I some times get lucky and find a huge juniper that bucked up gives me a 1/2 cord. With you going into fall-winter. What are the temps like???

Time for a good beer!


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> Just imagine those short ugly pines being most of your only sources of firewood. Those pines look like pinon pines on steroids. The trunks on pinions normally grow to about 6" to 18". Very rare to see bigger then 18"! What kind of pines are they? I spend hours limbing and stacking limbs in the slash piles while cutting firewood. To get about 3/4 cord of wood. I normally cut about 30-40 trees.
> 
> I some times get lucky and find a huge juniper that bucked up gives me a 1/2 cord. With you going into fall-winter. What are the temps like???
> 
> Time for a good beer!



This ugly thing was a Radiata Pine (Pinus Radiata) and the dead pine in the background was a different species according to my fiance's uncle. He planted them all 34 years ago.
Temps very nice at the moment mate. About 20°c (68°f) during the day getting down to approx 8°c (46°f) overnight. However in a month or so we're likely to get down to about -6 to -7° (approx 20°f) on the odd occcasion. Overnight temps of -3°c (26°f) are common here but we never stay in the minuses during the day. Our minimum daytime temp is generally no less than 8°c (46°f).
Cold beer was had


----------



## gallegosmike

My winter low temp is from 0 to -10 F with the daytime highs in the 20's F. Heck last wedsday we had a snow storm, then the day it was in the mid 60's F. Nutty weather high up in the mountains! LOL 

What is your beer of choice? I go for a widmer hefeweizen or alaskan brewing company white (hefeweizen). Hard to beat a german wheat style beers!


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> My winter low temp is from 0 to -10 F with the daytime highs in the 20's F. Heck last wedsday we had a snow storm, then the day it was in the mid 60's F. Nutty weather high up in the mountains! LOL
> 
> What is your beer of choice? I go for a widmer hefeweizen or alaskan brewing company white (hefeweizen). Hard to beat a german wheat style beers!



YOU WIN!!! Thats cold  Closest snow to where I live is probably around 400 miles away. I've only ever seen snow twice!

I like wheat beers too but on the weekend I had a couple of Cooper's Stouts as that's all that the father in law had in the fridge.


----------



## gallegosmike

MCW said:


> YOU WIN!!! Thats cold  Closest snow to where I live is probably around 400 miles away. I've only ever seen snow twice!
> 
> I like wheat beers too but on the weekend I had a couple of Cooper's Stouts as that's all that the father in law had in the fridge.



The mountain range behind my house, the sandia's on the east side of it. Still has snow at the top. That is about 11000ft. It is funny to watch low lander texian's go up to sandia peak and suck wind! LOL Haaaa! 

I took my best freind up to the Sangre de Cristo mountain range just north of where I live. I got up to just over 12000ft. He is a low lander from southern california. He started showing signs of altitude sickness! I had to rush him back down to 8000ft. 

Ive got houses at 7500ft and another at 7300ft. Call me a mountain men.


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> The mountain range behind my house, the sandia's on the east side of it. Still has snow at the top. That is about 11000ft. It is funny to watch low lander texian's go up to sandia peak and suck wind! LOL Haaaa!
> 
> I took my best freind up to the Sangre de Cristo mountain range just north of where I live. I got up to just over 12000ft. He is a low lander from southern california. He started showing signs of altitude sickness! I had to rush him back down to 8000ft.
> 
> Ive got houses at 7500ft and another at 7300ft. Call me a mountain men.



The altitude where I live is about 120 feet  The pine tree in the photos above is probably only 20 feet above sea level. Apart from in planes the highest I've been is around 4,000 feet I think. You must be a mountain goat


----------



## MCW

Thought I'd add a few more piccys.
Mate asked me to cut a tree down for him as the biggest saw he has is a 14" Poulan although he does have a couple of better saws (200T's with 12" bars).
It was pretty simple and just a tow over as he'd already attached a cable and his tractor prior to my arrival. Decent sized Eucalypt that had died after being attacked by Longicorn Beetles. Came down with a fair thump. Used the 390XPG, 32" Pro Top, and non skip 3/8" semi chisel. Although I'm unsure of the exact species (I'll ID it later from the neighbouring trees) it is very dense and hard - more so than Redgum. I've already dropped 3 other trees like this for him and it made excellent firewood. The modded 390XPG made short work of it - the more I use this saw the more I am impressed. It pulled the 32" in this wood easily. My current modded 7900's would most certainly have been working hard to pull a 32" in this timber although they would have done it, just not as easily as the 390. After cutting dead Redgum on the weekend the 390's filter also seems up to the task of keeping out finer particles - just like the Dolmar's HD setup.
I love my 7900's but this 390 is slowly working it's way to the top of my favourite saw list and it hurts me to say that 

After dropping it I realised the tree was solid with no rot/termites and I'm going to slab it with my mill as soon as I can (It was about 3' diameter). It is an exceptional piece of wood. Had to be a bit careful as there were powerlines in the background but being towed by a tractor and being relatively symmetrical it was an easy job...

Before (note mate standing at base of 2nd tree from left)...







After...











Don't mind the angles, they weren't perfect that's for sure  ...


----------



## tdi-rick

gallegosmike said:


> The mountain range behind my house, the sandia's on the east side of it. Still has snow at the top. That is about 11000ft. It is funny to watch low lander texian's go up to sandia peak and suck wind! LOL Haaaa!
> 
> I took my best freind up to the Sangre de Cristo mountain range just north of where I live. I got up to just over 12000ft. He is a low lander from southern california. He started showing signs of altitude sickness! I had to rush him back down to 8000ft.
> 
> Ive got houses at 7500ft and another at 7300ft. Call me a mountain men.



LOL, the highest mountain in Australia, Mt Kosciuszko is only around 7300' (2228m to be precise) and no one in this country lives at that height.
What it lacks in height it makes up for in age 

I'm in a valley at around 1500' ASL, with the hills surrounding us around 3000'. We get snow every couple of years or so.

Mike, there's a huge flood flowing through inland Australia ATM and it takes something like four months to make the trek from outback Queensland to be flowing past Matt 1500 miles away as the fall is only around 50-100' over that distance.


----------



## howellhandmade

MCW said:


> After...



I think I can feel the sun beating on me through the computer screen.

Jack


----------



## MCW

howellhandmade said:


> I think I can feel the sun beating on me through the computer screen.
> 
> Jack



Step back mate, don't want you to get a tan 
Yeah, I took the photos on my phone and didn't realise how bad they were until I got home and transferred them to my computer.


----------



## gallegosmike

tdi-rick said:


> LOL, the highest mountain in Australia, Mt Kosciuszko is only around 7300' (2228m to be precise) and no one in this country lives at that height.
> What it lacks in height it makes up for in age
> 
> I'm in a valley at around 1500' ASL, with the hills surrounding us around 3000'. We get snow every couple of years or so.
> 
> Mike, there's a huge flood flowing through inland Australia ATM and it takes something like four months to make the trek from outback Queensland to be flowing past Matt 1500 miles away as the fall is only around 50-100' over that distance.



I woke up to snow this morning. Just a real good dusting but neverless it was snow. Tallest mountain in oz only 7300. I am in the south side of the rocky mountains. New mexico's tallest moutain is wheeler peak at 13,161ft. . The tallest mountain in colorado(neighbor to my north)is mount elbert at 14,440ft. 

That flood your talking about, what caused it. Monsoons or normal fall / winter rain? 

I live right at mountain range zone between high desert / scrub forest(okay really freaking high up) to sub-alpine. Walk west 150 yards from my back porch and you'll be in the middle of a ponderosa forest. Walk east out my front door and you'll be in the middle of a scrub forest. 

After living in the mountains for the last 10yrs. I could not live any where else other then the puget sound area. And by the puget sound area, I mean way north of seattle or on whidbey island.


----------



## gallegosmike

Looks like you had a good time sawing wood. But any day not stuck in a office with a chainsaw in your hands is a good day in my book! Does look nice sunny and hot. Time for a nice cold one. 

Firewood permits come available on may 3rd for me. I need to replenish the 6 cords of wood that I burnt this winter. Busy summer for me!


----------



## howellhandmade

MCW said:


> Step back mate, don't want you to get a tan
> Yeah, I took the photos on my phone and didn't realise how bad they were until I got home and transferred them to my computer.



Yeah, we Welshmen aren't known for our tans. I spent most of my young adult life in the mountain west -- Colorado, New Mexico -- and thought the high altitude desert sun was intense, but then I spent a year in NZ. Now there's some fierce sun. Too bad chain saws don't emit ozone.

Jack


----------



## tdi-rick

gallegosmike said:


> That flood your talking about, what caused it. Monsoons or normal fall / winter rain?



Two Tropical Cyclones, one earlier in the year and then one huge one a bit over a month or so back that moved in from the coast (weather systems normally go west to east in the southern hemisphere, these moved in from the east) and became massive tropical rain depressions.

It's the first decent soak that the central western districts of Queensland and NSW have had in fifteen years, ie. they've had fifteen years of bad drought.
As the country is so flat it spreads and just slowly creeps across the landscape. It literally becomes an inland sea.
Graziers have weeks of advance warning to move stock out of harms way.

Sub soil moisture levels will be high for the next few years, so they'll be able to crop for the next couple of season easily, regardless of whether there is any follow up moisture.
It really is marginal country, you have to be mentally tough to survive its vagaries and the river systems and wetlands that were all dying are now bursting back to life.



> I live right at mountain range zone between high desert / scrub forest(okay really freaking high up) to sub-alpine. Walk west 150 yards from my back porch and you'll be in the middle of a ponderosa forest. Walk east out my front door and you'll be in the middle of a scrub forest.
> 
> After living in the mountains for the last 10yrs. I could not live any where else other then the puget sound area. And by the puget sound area, I mean way north of seattle or on whidbey island.




I love high country, when I went to the south island of NZ in '93 I got an appreciation for _real_ mountains, not the hills we have here that we call ranges.
Our county is literally so old that anything resembling a real mountain was eroded millennia ago, and half our ranges are eroded plateaus anyway. 
We are geologically too stable for mountains, AFAIK this big old island continent sits on one big plate so there isn't anything to push a mountain range up.


----------



## MCW

howellhandmade said:


> Yeah, we Welshmen aren't known for our tans. I spent most of my young adult life in the mountain west -- Colorado, New Mexico -- and thought the high altitude desert sun was intense, but then I spent a year in NZ. Now there's some fierce sun. Too bad chain saws don't emit ozone.
> 
> Jack



Yeah Australia and particularly where I am has UV readings through the roof. Lots of skin cancer here as many people don't give the Aussie sun the respect it deserves. There are a lot of people in their 40's that look 60 they are that shrivelled up from too much sun.


----------



## billmartin

howellhandmade said:


> I think I can feel the sun beating on me through the computer screen.
> 
> Jack



I felt it too and it felt good!

I love this thread you have going Matt. Found it soon after joining here and read all 13-15 pages of it. Just caught up on the new bits I from the last month or two 

Keep It up to the beers after a good days work.

gallegos mike knows his beer too. I love the widmer hefewiezen on tap down the street... without looking at your location closely I thought you were in the pnw with me. big flakes and loose nuts, oh and don't forget the subara driving hippy wannabe
crowd. (where is the shudder at the thought smilie?)lol

Can't wait to see some more stories and pics of how its done down under

Bill


----------



## wvlogger

Stump and lay best way to do it. Great work.


----------



## 8433jeff

Nice thread MCW. Love the kitty. That sun seems like it might be a :censored:. We have a brew called Blue Moon over here, and Leinenkugels has one called Summer Shandy. Really good wheat beers, and better than Fosters from one of them oil cans, IMHO. I always say the quality of the beer is inversely related to how hot it is, as long as its cold. In that sun, even budwiser might taste good.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Thanks for the honest report on the 390 Matt.

You can see why anyone wanting a bigger saw than their 385/90 only needs to get a decent port job done on them.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Thanks for the honest report on the 390 Matt.
> 
> You can see why anyone wanting a bigger saw than their 385/90 only needs to get a decent port job done on them.



Yeah Al, the 390XPG I bought 2nd hand off Brad is really growing on me. The power increase over my current stable of modded 7900's is significant enough that I am, think CAD here , getting a brand new 390XP ported from Brad over the next month or two - he's already priced one for me and it is an excellent deal. I will then sell one of my modded 7900's, just not sure which one (big dilemma). It is a very impressive saw as you already know owning and porting it's close siblings 
I got stuck into a few 30" odd Redgum logs on the weekend and it absolutely ate them for breakfast. Hardly even slowed down 

Thanks to all the comments and replies here too. When I've finally finished dropping all these Casuarinas for this corporate farm it will be a sad day as I'm absolutely loving it. Am heading out again tomorrow so will get a few more pictures and maybe some videos. I can't wait to get onto the other property with the larger, older trees. Unfortunately the logistics of dropping such big trees on such a tight property are causing a lot of concern amongst management and I may even have to take holidays from my main job to work alongside their employees on weekdays. The cleanup needed will be massive. Some of these tree will probably still be 40' tall even when laying on their side.


----------



## AUSSIE1

A new 390?......Goooo Matt!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> A new 390?......Goooo Matt!



Damn CAD. Luckily I can skirt around the CAD tag and say it's for business  I feel it's OK to buy a new saw if you sell an old one. What do you reckon Al? Problem is I'm not sure which 7900 to sell so will probably not sell any of them...
One saw I won't be getting two of is my 3120  One's enough...


----------



## MCW

Back out again today for 5 hours and got stuck into that ugly row outlined previously. Had a reasonable Southerly today and despite the timeframe only dropped 44 of these trees. They are ugly and very tricky with lots of hangers, side loads, intertwined canopies etc etc. Worst trees by far that I've ever cut and to be honest easy to get yourself into a dangerous situation if you're not careful. Prior to starting I went along with marker paint and sprayed the trees. An X for safe, an X + ? if I thought they needed a bit more care when felling, and I didn't mark the tricky, unsafe ones at all.
I used the 390XPG with 32" bar and 7 pin all day. The chain was semi chisel Windsor 63A and it required a few touch ups with a file, probably around 4 touch ups - all necessary.
Some of these are the type of trees that the instant they start falling you squeal like a little girl and run or you'll wear a branch in the head...














Watch your head...


----------



## MCW

I had one mongrel tree just not want to go over no matter what. I sunk two wedges up to the hilt and it didn't even move 1°. I flagged it with pink tape and rang the property manager who will get a guy to come along tomorrow with a loader and push it over. Basically there were a few too many thick branches on the other side that continued to hold it up...










Perfect tree felling scenario...NOT...


















Lots of trunks split/fractured on the way over...


----------



## MCW

The back of my ute (pickup) loaded up. I generally don't bring the 5100-S for trees this size but thought it might be handy for limbing. I didn't end up using it. I always carry no less than 3 saws, generally my two 7900's and now my 390XPG. Prior to that it was quite often my 3120 with 36" hardnose - just in case. The reason I carry three is that I've had two stuck at once, in the same tree  (photos in previous posts from this same row of trees)...







And some videos...

Basic Tree Felling with the 390. Sorry about the poor video quality...



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e9bPY7caWUw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e9bPY7caWUw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

I also decided to do a video of the 390 with 32" bar buried. Unfortunately the log split when cutting, jamming the saw, and the only thing it buried was the handle of the 390! Luckily the 7900 was on hand to cut it out. No damage done although I was pretty sure the tank may have been injured. Saw came out completely unharmed, even the 32" GB Pro Top had about 60° twist in it that flexed back to shape like new when released. I was quite surprised and luckily it was soft dirt that the handle got driven into. The Windsor 63A semi chisel chain was nearly due for a sharpen too...



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwgRNSH1XUk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iwgRNSH1XUk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## gallegosmike

*Swedish Saw*

The "dishonor" of having to be cut out by a german saw! LOL 

NO plattar(swedish pancakes) with lingonberries for breakfast for Mr. Husqvarna!

Looks like you had some fun and it wasn't too hot. 

It was snowing again yesterday and right now it is below freezing outside. Screwy april/may weather! There goes my apple and cherry trees.


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> The "dishonor" of having to be cut out by a german saw! LOL
> 
> NO plattar(swedish pancakes) with lingonberries for breakfast for Mr. Husqvarna!
> 
> Looks like you had some fun and it wasn't too hot.
> 
> It was snowing again yesterday and right now it is below freezing outside. Screwy april/may weather! There goes my apple and cherry trees.



Yeah I didn't even think of that. Don't worry, the 390XPG will be able to return the favour one day when I get one of my Dolmars stuck 
Was 26°c (79°f) here today with a good breeze. Still managed to get a sweat up though.


----------



## gallegosmike

MCW said:


> Yeah I didn't even think of that. Don't worry, the 390XPG will be able to return the favour one day when I get one of my Dolmars stuck
> Was 26°c (79°f) here today with a good breeze. Still managed to get a sweat up though.



You got me thinking about the temps I cut wood in. In the spring / summer time, starting at sun up. It is normal to see temps low as 30's - 40's F and highs to mid 90's F. In the fall / winter time, starting at sun up. It is normal to see temps low as 0 F and highs in the 30's. 

Nothing like alittle snot frozen to your nose. Funny thing about cutting in freezing weather is that running a saw really gets the blood flowing. I start off with a heavy sweater jacket and 15 minutes later. I am wearing just a tee shirt and sweating like no tomorrow! I will take my saw helmet off to refuel up, put it back on. And get few ounces of nearly freezing water dumped back on me! 

I guess it is a mountain man thing! LOL :biggrinbounce2:


----------



## blsnelling

Wow, that happened in a hurry didn't it! Glad you and the 390 were ok


----------



## blsnelling

AUSSIE1 said:


> A new 390?......Goooo Matt!



So how many 390s do you want me to send you, Matt?:hmm3grin2orange: Why not pick up a 395XP and a MS660 while your at it


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> So how many 390s do you want me to send you, Matt?:hmm3grin2orange: Why not pick up a 395XP and a MS660 while your at it



Actually, I've been thinking of a couple of Jonsereds as well Brad


----------



## TommySaw

MCW said:


> Actually, I've been thinking of a couple of Jonsereds as well Brad



Ooooh, ooooooh get a 2188 so I don't have to :chainsawguy:


----------



## MCW

TommySaw said:


> Ooooh, ooooooh get a 2188 so I don't have to :chainsawguy:



What are the specs on the 2188 mate? Not familiar with that one but by god man, I want one 

Actually make it 2.


----------



## TommySaw

MCW said:


> What are the specs on the 2188 mate? Not familiar with that one but by god man, I want one
> 
> Actually make it 2.



390xp but a whole lot purdier basically, go to Tilton USA http://www.tilton.usa.jonsered.com/node246.aspx


----------



## thomas72

When I saw your 390 go into the dirt thought to my self Oh no. Glad it came out unscathed. I have had something similar happen to my SP125 with no injury to the saw as well. When a tree does the come-apart all you can do is let go and see the damage happen.


----------



## AUSSIE1

The filtering of the Jonsered won't suit Matt.


----------



## TommySaw

AUSSIE1 said:


> The filtering of the Jonsered won't suit Matt.



this is true


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> The filtering of the Jonsered won't suit Matt.



Bummer...


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> The filtering of the Jonsered won't suit Matt.



Also depends on whether you like a straight cross front handle or angled.
After using the 7900's and 390 the straight front handle may feel a tad odd at best.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Also depends on whether you like a straight cross front handle or angled.
> After using the 7900's and 390 the straight front handle may feel a tad odd at best.



Yeah I'd reckon you're right Rick, it would have to feel funny. Pass on the Jonsered then  Al's comment re: filtering had already sealed it.


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> The filtering of the Jonsered won't suit Matt.



What's wrong with the filtering? They are air injected as well.


----------



## blsnelling

parrisw said:


> What's wrong with the filtering? They are air injected as well.



I'm assuming they don't have a red hightop HD filter setup available. Not sure on that though.


----------



## parrisw

blsnelling said:


> I'm assuming they don't have a red hightop HD filter setup available. Not sure on that though.



No they don't, your right, but I still don't see what the problem would be, to low top's work very well too.


----------



## blsnelling

parrisw said:


> No they don't, your right, but I still don't see what the problem would be, to low top's work very well too.



You do have the option of using the flocked filter with the lowtop setup.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> What's wrong with the filtering? They are air injected as well.



I think you'll find that Al (AUSSIE1) is having filtration issues in our dead hardwood on his larger Huskys which are allowing fines through from things like dead Redgum etc, even with the High Top Husky filter setup. My 390XPG hasn't shown any issues yet on timber like this but I am keeping a very close eye on it. I have to run filter oil on my 3120 filter otherwise my warranty is void. Our dead hardwoods suck for ther ability to go straight through even some of the best filter setups. The Dolmar HD setup is the only filter setup (apart from the Stihl Extreme Conditions filter kit) that I am confident will keep dead Redgum dust at bay on larger saws at this stage.

I have a feeling that if I was to keep dust out of a 2188 I'd have to use filter oil unless they have a similar high top setup to the 390XP available. I could be wrong though as I have heard nothing at all about Jonsered filtering on our dead hardwoods. I suspect Al has heard though.


----------



## Jacob J.

I bought a saw from OZland once and the bottom end was completely packed with Redgum dust. It took me hours of chipping that stuff out after I split the case. That Redgum and Box wood down there is very hard on saws.


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> I bought a saw from OZland once and the bottom end was completely packed with Redgum dust. It took me hours of chipping that stuff out after I split the case. That Redgum and Box wood down there is very hard on saws.



Very hard mate. A lot of people don't understand just how easily some of our hardwood dust makes otherwise good filter setups look very bad and despite what some people think, and I sound like a broken record on this, the dust is going straight through the filter media itself.


----------



## AUSSIE1

I don't think they would filter any worse or better.
The HD filters do have more surface area, so if you are going to oil the filters in our hardwood, I'd want that extra surface area the HD offers.

Interesting about your 390 Matt.
My 385 and 395 pass alot of dust but the 371 nil. All OEM filters and the 371 filter is 13 yrs old!

I have a "Unifilter" from a previous KTM I'm going to modify to wrap around the OEM with some mesh in between to keep the media's separated.

Bluddy nice looking saws those Jonsereds though.


----------



## huskyhank

MCW said:


> snipped....
> 
> I have to run filter oil on my 3120 filter otherwise my warranty is void.



Please tell me about your 3120 filter. I assume its the factory foam? What oil do you use? I have one 3120 with foam that doesn't filter that well. I find the standard filter to be lots better. Maybe the foam is too old? I used to run foam/oil filters on MX bikes with good results. But the one on my old 3120 does not filter that well. Any suggestion welcome.

I enjoy your posts - its fun to see you doing all that felling.

Many thanks!


----------



## gallegosmike

Has anyone thought about using K&N prefilter raps on their filters? Thus avoiding the mess of using oiled filters?


----------



## AUSSIE1

gallegosmike said:


> Has anyone thought about using K&N prefilter raps on their filters? Thus avoiding the mess of using oiled filters?



Sounds interesting. Haven't heard of them.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I think you'll find that Al (AUSSIE1) is having filtration issues in our dead hardwood on his larger Huskys which are allowing fines through from things like dead Redgum etc, even with the High Top Husky filter setup. My 390XPG hasn't shown any issues yet on timber like this but I am keeping a very close eye on it. I have to run filter oil on my 3120 filter otherwise my warranty is void. Our dead hardwoods suck for ther ability to go straight through even some of the best filter setups. The Dolmar HD setup is the only filter setup (apart from the Stihl Extreme Conditions filter kit) that I am confident will keep dead Redgum dust at bay on larger saws at this stage.
> 
> I have a feeling that if I was to keep dust out of a 2188 I'd have to use filter oil unless they have a similar high top setup to the 390XP available. I could be wrong though as I have heard nothing at all about Jonsered filtering on our dead hardwoods. I suspect Al has heard though.



Ahh, I did not know that. No HD filter setup on the Jonnyred as far as I know.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I don't think they would filter any worse or better.
> The HD filters do have more surface area, so if you are going to oil the filters in our hardwood, I'd want that extra surface area the HD offers.
> 
> Interesting about your 390 Matt.
> My 385 and 395 pass alot of dust but the 371 nil. All OEM filters and the 371 filter is 13 yrs old!
> 
> I have a "Unifilter" from a previous KTM I'm going to modify to wrap around the OEM with some mesh in between to keep the media's separated.
> 
> Bluddy nice looking saws those Jonsereds though.



Yeah I'm impressed by the few JReds I've seen too mate and everybody I know with one, although few, swear by them.

As yet on my 390 though Al I haven't put it to the true test on a 200 year dead Redgum on a dry old river flat - I think the filtration will fail. In fact I'm sure it will. You know those crappy conditions where wood dust just swirls around and you're blowing red/brown snot out for days? Yeah, those conditions  They suck...
I am 99% sure that I'll end up having to oil the 390 filters.



huskyhank said:


> Please tell me about your 3120 filter. I assume its the factory foam? What oil do you use? I have one 3120 with foam that doesn't filter that well. I find the standard filter to be lots better. Maybe the foam is too old? I used to run foam/oil filters on MX bikes with good results. But the one on my old 3120 does not filter that well. Any suggestion welcome.
> 
> I enjoy your posts - its fun to see you doing all that felling.
> 
> Many thanks!



My 3120 filter is the factory flock style. I've oiled it from the get go when I bought the saw due to the dealer mentioning it had to be done - nothing has got past it yet and that does include some very old, dead and dry dusty Redgum. I cut side by side with a mate who has an 880 with extreme filter kit (non oiled setup) and to be honest I think oiling a Husky filter is just about as good - both our filters looked pretty sad after a few hours cutting. He covers his filter with old pantyhose to help pull fines off the foam prefilter which does help when cleaning. Good setup but ugly as hell because the 880 filter cover can't be used anymore. 

As far as oiling my 3120 filter it seemed as if it was a directive from Husqvarna as my 3120 was only the 3rd this dealer had sold in over 10 years, all to guys with mills. As you'd know milling is very hard on saws and also testy on filtration. I haven't done a hell of a lot of milling yet but do plan to. This will most certainly test out the filter. I do have a spare and am pretty sure I'll be swapping a lot


----------



## gallegosmike

AUSSIE1 said:


> Sounds interesting. Haven't heard of them.



Check out K&N's website: http://www.knfilters.com/search/wrap.aspx


----------



## blsnelling

gallegosmike said:


> Has anyone thought about using K&N prefilter raps on their filters? Thus avoiding the mess of using oiled filters?





AUSSIE1 said:


> Sounds interesting. Haven't heard of them.





gallegosmike said:


> Check out K&N's website: http://www.knfilters.com/search/wrap.aspx



OuterWears are the cats meow. That's all I ever ran on my modified Yamaha Banshee in the sand dunes. Never an issue. I now actually run one on my 066. I've never cleaned the filter itself. The OuterWears does the work. You may not like the looks of this setup, but it is not in the way at all and works very well.









It clamps onto the small velocity stack. You'll want the old style carb cover without the Intellicarb port.


----------



## AUSSIE1

gallegosmike said:


> Check out K&N's website: http://www.knfilters.com/search/wrap.aspx





blsnelling said:


> OuterWears are the cats meow. That's all I ever ran on my modified Yamaha Banshee in the sand dunes. Never an issue. I now actually run one on my 066. I've never cleaned the filter itself. The OuterWears does the work. You may not like the looks of this setup, but it is not in the way at all and works very well.
> 
> It clamps onto the small velocity stack. You'll want the old style carb cover without the Intellicarb port.



Yeah, interesting. Worth looking into.


----------



## gallegosmike

Air filter CONDOM! Wrap that puppy! LOL 



Okay, Time for bed! Long day behind a wheel a of truck!


----------



## Andyshine77

Brad not to knockdown you're Idea, but I've dealt with K&N filters and I pretty much hated them. They do flow well, but they don't filter worth a damn IMHO. In my experience they don't filter out any fine dust at all, just larger particulate. The outerWear does help, but because the cover has no real seal, fine talcum power like dust will pass right through the filter every time. Sand is actually pretty easy to filter as the average grain size is about 0.030" find dust or talcum is about 0.0004"


----------



## parrisw

Andyshine77 said:


> Brad not to knockdown you're Idea, but I've dealt with K&N filters and I pretty much hated them. They do flow well, but they don't filter worth a damn IMHO. In my experience they don't filter out any fine dust at all, just larger particulate. The outerWear does help, but because the cover has no real seal, fine talcum power like dust will pass right through the filter every time. Sand is actually pretty easy to filter as the average grain size is about 0.030" find dust or talcum is about 0.0004"



:agree2:


----------



## tdi-rick

Andyshine77 said:


> Brad not to knockdown you're Idea, but I've dealt with K&N filters and I pretty much hated them. They do flow well, but they don't filter worth a damn IMHO. In my experience they don't filter out any fine dust at all, just larger particulate. The outerWear does help, but because the cover has no real seal, fine talcum power like dust will pass right through the filter every time. Sand is actually pretty easy to filter as the average grain size is about 0.030" find dust or talcum is about 0.0004"





parrisw said:


> :agree2:



And the really bad stuff, fine silica, goes straight through.
A mate on another forum is a filtration engineer, has a PhD and has published peer reviewed papers on filtration, has worked with and done research for the biggest filter companies in the world (Mann-Hummel, Donaldson and Cummins-Fleetguard) and he has tested some oiled cotton gauze filters (mine) against Donaldson and OEM paper filters (also mine) on certified lab equipment at the University he conducts his research and lectures at.

The results weren't good for the well known oiled cotton gauze filter.

He already knew this would probably be the case, he was privy to confidential test data from Europe when he worked there after a certain F1 engine manufacturer lunched a succession of engines in their first Grand Prix in the Middle East several years back. The sand sweeping the circuit was going straight through the well known oiled cotton gauze air filters.


----------



## Teddy.Scout

Is there any known working filters for such the case of cutting conditions you guys down under cuting in?
Or is it just what you guys find works best for the individual?
I am curios, cause if it works for you guys, it will kick butt for me!

Seems to be the AUSSIE version of the gas war.


----------



## tdi-rick

Teddy.Scout said:


> Is there any known working filters for such the case of cutting conditions you guys down under cuting in?
> Or is it just what you guys find works best for the individual?
> I am curios, cause if it works for you guys, it will kick butt for me!
> 
> Seems to be the AUSSIE version of the gas war.



Yep, from what everyone says the Stihl extreme filter kit works well. (although Stihlman441 has posted recently that it looks like Stihl Germany has dropped the extreme filter and so Stihl Australia are substituting a Uni-Filter instead with the same part # for the time being)

From personal experience (and Matt's recommendation) the Dolmar/Makita HD filter works very, very well too.


----------



## MCW

Teddy.Scout said:


> Is there any known working filters for such the case of cutting conditions you guys down under cuting in?
> Or is it just what you guys find works best for the individual?
> I am curios, cause if it works for you guys, it will kick butt for me!
> 
> Seems to be the AUSSIE version of the gas war.





tdi-rick said:


> Yep, from what everyone says the Stihl extreme filter kit works well. (although Stihlman441 has posted recently that it looks like Stihl Germany has dropped the extreme filter and so Stihl Australia are substituting a Uni-Filter instead with the same part # for the time being)
> 
> From personal experience (and Matt's recommendation) the Dolmar/Makita HD filter works very, very well too.



I'l echo what Rick said but yeah the Dolmar HD setup is top notch. I have seen absolutely no evidence of any fine particulates getting past this setup on either of my two modded 7900's, this includes dead Pink Gum/Red Gum which as mentioned is like red talcum powder. They are an excellent setup.
The Extreme Filter kit for the larger Stihl saws also works extremely well but the filter cover won't fit so the main filter is exposed.
Filter oil on standard flock filters also stops everything but they do block up a lot quicker and my concern is that it may also lower airflow through the filter and therefore impede performance - not 100% sure on that one but have a sneaking suspicion I'm right...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Filter oil on standard flock filters also stops everything but they do block up a lot quicker and my concern is that it may also lower airflow through the filter and therefore impede performance - not 100% sure on that one but have a sneaking suspicion I'm right...



I would agree Matt and why you would need all the surface you can get.


----------



## Stihlman441

Ha there Matt, the HD filter system that the dealers are supplying the filter cover fits OVER the filter for 660 to 880s.See my post.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ha there Matt, the HD filter system that the dealers are supplying the filter cover fits OVER the filter for 660 to 880s.See my post.



Yeah thanks mate. I know the older Extreme Conditions kit wouldn't fit. I gather yours isn't technically called an Extreme Conditions Kit? Maybe just a Stihl HD kit or something?

Also, Al, you're right mate. Going out cutting again tomorrow and just did a quick run over of the saws as I always do. Dust HAS been getting through the 390XPG high top (HD?) filter and worst of all it's only Casuarina dust. Once again, getting through the media - absolutely no evidence of it getting around via a poor seal somewhere. Just washed and oiled them  I suspected this would be the case and if Casuarina dust can get through then dead Redgum dust will completely spoil it's party. Bummer but can't say I'm surprised...

Once again thumbs up to the Dolmar HD kit, it continues to stand at the top of the larger saw filter pile...


----------



## MCW

Headed back out to the property again today but for a different reason. Today was to basically get a few photos, some vids, drop a few Polonia trees (which I don't expect to get paid for), and get a few decent logs to bring home to play around with in regard to chain, bar, sprocket, and saw testing (or just plain old fun!).

The company has been piling all the remaining sticks and trash up against the old trunks and burning it. This has also helped to kill off any surviving stumps and makes the place look a bit tidier.















There are also some decent piles of logs as well that will be able to toast marshmallows at a few hundred yards. This wood burns hot too, particularly with all the splits in it...














Had the ute (pickup) parked in the shot for reference.


----------



## MCW

And as promised, videos.

Everybody loves videos...

First one is of my 2nd modded 7900 (that I pulled the gasket from last week and is now over 200psi cold) vs. my ex Snelling modded 390XPG. These 390's are weapons. I honestly thought that it would be a close race as bumping up the compression on my 7900 made a massive difference.

But alas, no competition at all. You can quite simply lean harder on the 390 before it stalls, therefore cutting faster. In a general tree felling scenario though it's not quite as noticable.

The 7900 had brand new RSC on a 20" bar then the same combo was fitted to the 390XPG without sharpening. The log was quite parallel so no real advantage to either saw - in fact there were a few knots for the 390 yet it still averaged 8.3 seconds over the first five cuts, compared to 9.1 seconds for the 7900...



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOrrJhLmZ7M&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOrrJhLmZ7M&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Plus the 390XPG noodling...



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F8XNicqh5c4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F8XNicqh5c4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

And some basic tree felling with the 390XPG. I love the sound of these Huskys when modded. They sound awesome...

*Lesson 1:* Before showing off for the video camera make sure your saw has enough fuel to preferably make it through at least the first tree :censored:



<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZCu_OhIXX4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZCu_OhIXX4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## ale

As always....good stuff!


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW, you do have that down as a science. I've always cut by the hour, not by the tree, and am in no way a bonofied woodsman, so it may not surprise you when I say thats the first time I've seen someone simply pivot the saw as you do when going to the other side of the tree. Works pretty slick. If I can rep you I will again, thanks for the videos.


----------



## blsnelling

Great vids Matt. Good to see the saws are still treating you well. Boy did that 390 make a pile of noodles in a hurry or what?!!! BTW, I think this Dolkita will give it a run for it's money


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> MCW, you do have that down as a science. I've always cut by the hour, not by the tree, and am in no way a bonofied woodsman, so it may not surprise you when I say thats the first time I've seen someone simply pivot the saw as you do when going to the other side of the tree. Works pretty slick. If I can rep you I will again, thanks for the videos.



Hi Jeff. The old pivot technique works well when your bar is too short for a single cut. I don't do it though unless I know the tree will definately fall that way. I use wedges in that scenario which means I use a different technique. This wood is like butter though so very easy to cut like this.



blsnelling said:


> Great vids Matt. Good to see the saws are still treating you well. Boy did that 390 make a pile of noodles in a hurry or what?!!! BTW, I think this Dolkita will give it a run for it's money



Can't wait to see the comparo Brad


----------



## 8433jeff

QUOTE=MCW The old pivot technique works well when your bar is too short for a single cut. 

That is an understatement. I usually take the saw out and then position it again, the way I've always seen it done, but now I have another trick I can use.:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Rudolf73

Great comparo vids Matt



MCW said:


> Had the ute (pickup) parked in the shot for reference.



And thats a nice ute to... btw how did you get the logs on the trailer - just threw them on ? lol


----------



## blsnelling

Rudolf73 said:


> btw how did you get the logs on the trailer - just threw them on ? lol



Knowing how many trees Matt can drop in a day....probably yes!!!


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Great comparo vids Matt
> 
> 
> 
> And thats a nice ute to... btw how did you get the logs on the trailer - just threw them on ? lol



Yeah I like the Navara. Wouldn't change it for anyone.

As far as the logs go I just rolled them to the back and flipped them on. Fair to say I struggled with a couple of them but at least I have some decent wood at home to play around with again


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Yeah I like the Navara. Wouldn't change it for anyone.
> 
> As far as the logs go I just rolled them to the back and flipped them on. Fair to say I struggled with a couple of them but at least I have some decent wood at home to play around with again



Yeah, we use the Navaras for horse floats and they have held up pretty well so far and the price is good to. 

Strong man and it sure helps when your trailer is a bit lower. I try and do the same with a loader bucket - if a dont have the forks handy. But after some struggling with crooked logs I decided get a grapple for the loader. 

So I knocked this up the other day and it has been really helpful.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I have some decent wood at home to play around with again



:monkey::jawdrop:


----------



## Andyshine77

Matt once again thanks for starting and continuing one of the best threads on AS. 

Both saws were cutting really well, but as I experienced a day ago carb tuning can effect timed cuts more than one would think. With that said the husky saws take well to porting, and that 390 is a beast.

The pictures you've posted in this thread are simply awesome, keep them coming if you can.
Take care.

Andre.


----------



## parrisw

Andyshine77 said:


> Matt once again thanks for starting and continuing one of the best threads on AS.
> 
> Both saws were cutting really well, but as I experienced a day ago carb tuning can effect timed cuts more than one would think. With that said the husky saws take well to porting, and that 390 is a beast.
> 
> The pictures you've posted in this thread are simply awesome, keep them coming if you can.
> Take care.
> 
> Andre.



Ya, from all I've heard is that the 390 and 372 seem to take to mods the best. And the simple ones seem to go a long way with these saws.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Matt once again thanks for starting and continuing one of the best threads on AS.
> 
> Both saws were cutting really well, but as I experienced a day ago carb tuning can effect timed cuts more than one would think. With that said the husky saws take well to porting, and that 390 is a beast.
> 
> The pictures you've posted in this thread are simply awesome, keep them coming if you can.
> Take care.
> 
> Andre.



Hey thanks Andy. I'm enjoying this as much as anybody 

I agree on the carb tuning and I'm no guru that's for sure. The 390XPG hasn't been touched from the day I got it from Brad. The more I've used it when actually felling the more I've come to like it. Hence another modded 390XP coming from Brad. I'd love to look and support local dealers but hey, if I got a new 390XP out here + got it modded I'd have no change from approx $USD2000 and that's no lie (apart from Aussie1 (Al) I don't know of anybody out here that has ported or modded much at all).


----------



## mdavlee

Ouch. It would cost that much to buy a 390 over there and then have it modded.


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Knowing how many trees Matt can drop in a day....probably yes!!!



I've been trying to cut down on the horse steroids lately Brad. Getting too hairy 



mdavlee said:


> Ouch. It would cost that much to buy a 390 over there and then have it modded.



Yeah we pay through the nose in Australia. A new 390XP will cost about USD$1700-1800 here. Approx USD$850-900 in the US from some dealers.


----------



## MCW

Headed out again today. Not much I can do with the few remaining larger runs on this property as they are right in the middle of picking their citrus. I'll block too many headlands so these runs will have to wait a few more weeks yet. I decided to go around the property and knock over the trickier trees that I'd left previously. I had forgotten about some of these. What seemed difficult 6 months ago looks a hell of a lot easier after another 7,000 more trees under my belt 
I was hoping to use my recently acquired winch that I got in via Brad from Baileys - beautiful piece of US engineering. I have not seen a winch anywhere near this quality available in Australia. Needless to say the freight was nearly as expensive as the winch itself...










First one was pretty tight but with a raging Southerly accuracy was all that was needed. Managed to drop it right between the irrigation valves. The guy who is cleaning the mess up in a loader will probably want to kill me when he sees this as he has a bigger chance of wrecking something getting it out than I had felling it...














Also had to reset the scarf after getting the original face cut out of alignment. Lucky I did or I would have hit the valve on the left...


----------



## MCW

I dropped a few easy ones along the boundaries then hit these in the middle. I'd also forgotten I'd left these due to the wrong wind direction at the time (probably the first day I started I think). This run was facing North/South with about a 30-40kph (18-24mph) gusting Southerly coming from the end closest to the camera. I chained and strapped every tree and towed it over with the vehicle. The worst thing was is that I was preloading the strap with the ute (pickup) then hoping to be able to use my new winch in anger. *3* times I set the winch up only to have the wind die off and the tree come over where I wanted it without even getting the chance to crank on it - oh well, another day. 















Basically I purposefully bogged down the ute on this one so that when I got out the winch it didn't drag the vehicle backwards (it's got a 3 tonne rating). It did not want to tow over one little bit - until I set the winch up :censored:


















One thing I didn't realise is just how much 8mm high tensile chain weighs. I bought 3 x 15m lengths of it (not cheap either!) especially for tree felling about 6 weeks ago but up till today had only used one length at a time. Today I had two joined together and it was one hell of a struggle dragging them around. I felt like I was in a "Survivor" challenge but with no donuts at the end as a prize...


----------



## MCW

I then decided to go out to the other part of the property where that stand of Polonias are to test out the new stupendously large spikes on my 390XPG...

These puppies...






Dropped a few Polonias and on these trees the spikes worked well - very easy to rotate the saw with absolutely no slipping. Also pays to note that on soft wood like this, even with thin bark, these spikes hooked in about an inch at least - OK in these trees but in something like Redgum may need a crowbar to get them out. At some stage I'm bound to puncture my femoral artery with them, or my ute's fuel tank, or another saw's tank etc etc. They are needle sharp with a pretty fine angle.
The problem I can see on harder trees is that they may have an ability to stick and get stuck in the bark or wood. They are VERY sharp, stupidly so...

Anyway, once again the modded 390 with a 24" bar of freshly filed RSC made these trees look like Balsa wood.

For the hell of it I "carved" a basic chair out of a stump...










Pays to make a chair that my hips can actually fit in though. I went to sit in it and nearly had to call the fire brigade to come and cut me out (390 was out of reach). The pelvis, she no fit...

Anyway, more piccys and stuff to come - hopefully the new saws will have arrived from Brad by the time I'm out there next


----------



## tdi-rick

Strong looking winch Matt and a lot safer with rope than cable too.

For pulling trees over I have the winch on the front of the Defender or a Tirfor, and with the Tirfor you aren't limited with a drum size so can keep on pulling while you have cable.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Strong looking winch Matt and a lot safer with rope than cable too.
> 
> For pulling trees over I have the winch on the front of the Defender or a Tirfor, and with the Tirfor you aren't limited with a drum size so can keep on pulling while you have cable.



Yeah a winch on the Navara is on the cards. Pity Nissan want $2200 to fit a Warne  
The Dyneema rope on that winch cost about another USD$100 over steel cable but if you snap a cable under load you're likely to wear it across the face or back of the legs. That'd smart a tad if loaded up with a few tonnes  That's why I went with chains under the tree and the 9 tonne snatch strap out of harm's way.
I used a 3 tonne strap around a few of the trees then linked it to the chain just because it's easy to hook up. I was using a few 3.6 tonne rated ropes I had but they get damaged to easily when a tree lands on them and then your 3.6 tonne rating ends up half a tonne!

Hey Rick, I've heard of the Tirfor winches before. Don't know much about them but what are they worth?


----------



## tdi-rick

I have no idea how much a Tirfor is these days, I'm lucky with mine, it's on permanent loan, I've had it for over fifteen years now.

Back in the day before vehicle mounted winches were widespread any serious 4wdriver had a Tirfor, but geez you got a workout if you needed to winch for any distance 

Warn's are chronically overpriced here (ARB is the distributor, so they keep a pretty tight hold on what is charged)
Some of the Land Rover fella's have been using some of the off brands with good success but I haven't paid too much attention to the threads. (I have a low mount Warn on the Defender, it was on it when i bought it)
One of my customers has a high mount that I wouldn't mind getting my hands on and modifying, but I don't use a winch enough these days to justify it.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I have no idea how much a Tirfor is these days, I'm lucky with mine, it's on permanent loan, I've had it for over fifteen years now.
> 
> Back in the day before vehicle mounted winches were widespread any serious 4wdriver had a Tirfor, but geez you got a workout if you needed to winch for any distance
> 
> Warn's are chronically overpriced here (ARB is the distributor, so they keep a pretty tight hold on what is charged)
> Some of the Land Rover fella's have been using some of the off brands with good success but I haven't paid too much attention to the threads. (I have a low mount Warn on the Defender, it was on it when i bought it)
> One of my customers has a high mount that I wouldn't mind getting my hands on and modifying, but I don't use a winch enough these days to justify it.



My missus can get the T-Max winches through her work for a bargain. I rang the Aussie distributors who unfortunately told me they take a lot of work to fit into the steel Navara/Pathfinder bull bar negating their cheaper price :censored:
In the process of buying a house on 8 acres at the moment so luxuries like that will have to wait  I'll just have to crank my hand winch instead and burn off a few calories...


----------



## porky616

MCW said:


> My missus can get the T-Max winches through her work for a bargain. I rang the Aussie distributors who unfortunately told me they take a lot of work to fit into the steel Navara/Pathfinder bull bar negating their cheaper price :censored:
> In the process of buying a house on 8 acres at the moment so luxuries like that will have to wait  I'll just have to crank my hand winch instead and burn off a few calories...



thatll learn ya for buying a navara:hmm3grin2orange:
mate of mine bought one them ebay boat winches for about $30 and put it on a home made ute crane. its been lifting 200kg logs into his cruiser ute now for over 4years. i been looking at a winch for my patrol as i have a habit of getting stuck whilst cutting in the sandy creeks around here. but as you know the cost is a bit much


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> My missus can get the T-Max winches through her work for a bargain. I rang the Aussie distributors who unfortunately told me they take a lot of work to fit into the steel Navara/Pathfinder bull bar negating their cheaper price :censored:
> In the process of buying a house on 8 acres at the moment so luxuries like that will have to wait  I'll just have to crank my hand winch instead and burn off a few calories...



That's excellent news that you are buying a few acres, but a bugger re the T-Max.
We are off to the Lands Department next week to lodge an application to buy an extra few acres here (gazetted roads and lanes that surround the place that have never been made)


----------



## mdavlee

I was wondering if those spikes would be of some use or not. It's good that they will work pretty good. I just hope you don't get them stuck and take the saw for a ride or split it when a tree starts falling. All the pro safety spikes I've touched were all really sharp. I've got a few scrapes from them myself.


----------



## MCW

mdavlee said:


> I was wondering if those spikes would be of some use or not. It's good that they will work pretty good. I just hope you don't get them stuck and take the saw for a ride or split it when a tree starts falling. All the pro safety spikes I've touched were all really sharp. I've got a few scrapes from them myself.



Well the Pro Safety spikes worked pretty well on about 5 soft Polonia trees but I really think when I hit hardwoods they'll stick in to much - I could be wrong. I was speaking to the property manager today and I'll have about another 300 trees to drop probably this weekend so that will tell me whether these "super spikes" are any good. I plan on using the 390XPG. The Casuarinas I dropped yesterday were all with my 7900 that had the smaller 390 spikes adapted to it. They worked excellent.


----------



## tdi-rick

porky616 said:


> thatll learn ya for buying a navara:hmm3grin2orange:
> 
> [snip]




Cruel. 

although it could've been worse, Matt could've bought a Lolux.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> That's excellent news that you are buying a few acres, but a bugger re the T-Max.
> We are off to the Lands Department next week to lodge an application to buy an extra few acres here (gazetted roads and lanes that surround the place that have never been made)



And mate IT'S GOT A DECENT 7.5m x 15m CONCRETE FLOORED SHED!!! No more chainsaw crap scattered randomly throughout the house  It's half scrub and half cleared, perfect for storing logs and running chainsaws around the clock. Can't see my neighbours either


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Cruel.
> 
> although it could've been worse, Matt could've bought a Lolux.



My last ute was a 3.0L TD Dual Cab Rollux and we've got a few of the new common rail ones at work.

Give me the Navara anyday although I'd back a Hilux in the off road toughness stakes. Navara for the win on road and for less serious off road work. It was also $10,000 cheaper new than a Hilux...


----------



## porky616

tdi-rick said:


> Cruel.
> 
> although it could've been worse, Matt could've bought a Lolux.



ah yes the mighty gutlux aka toorak truck


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Well the Pro Safety spikes worked pretty well on about 5 soft Polonia trees but I really think when I hit hardwoods they'll stick in to much - I could be wrong. I was speaking to the property manager today and I'll have about another 300 trees to drop probably this weekend so that will tell me whether these "super spikes" are any good. I plan on using the 390XPG. The Casuarinas I dropped yesterday were all with my 7900 that had the smaller 390 spikes adapted to it. They worked excellent.



Be watching with interest.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Be watching with interest.



Look in the paper for "Tree feller impaled on stupendously large felling spikes - police believe he may have been compensating for something".

Or "Pointy man made object seen from space"...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> And mate IT'S GOT A DECENT 7.5m x 15m CONCRETE FLOORED SHED!!! No more chainsaw crap scattered randomly throughout the house  It's half scrub and half cleared, perfect for storing logs and running chainsaws around the clock. Can't see my neighbours either



Bonus !

haha, I'm not the only one with saws inside then 

I've gotta work harder to build a decent shed, all we have is an old Aussie barn with a dirt floor and a three sided hay shed up the paddock  but it is _our_ dirt floored shed


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Bonus !
> 
> haha, I'm not the only one with saws inside then
> 
> I've gotta work harder to build a decent shed, all we have is an old Aussie barn with a dirt floor and a three sided hay shed up the apddock



I've got an old collapsing chicken coup where I'm renting 

My other half won't ever see me again now that I've got a shed 

Beer fridge - check
Television - check
Old lounge - check
2 stroke smell - check
Mates coming around to watch the footy - check

Ahhhh, bliss...


----------



## ropensaddle

MCW said:


> I've got an old collapsing chicken coup where I'm renting
> 
> My other half won't ever see me again now that I've got a shed
> 
> Beer fridge - check
> Television - check
> Old lounge - check
> 2 stroke smell - check
> Mates coming around to watch the footy - check
> 
> Ahhhh, bliss...



You gotta get a puter out there mate lol


----------



## MCW

ropensaddle said:


> You gotta get a puter out there mate lol



We can get 8GB speed out at this place which is what I'm on at the moment. If I couldn't get good internet speed I wasn't gonna buy it  It costs a fortune to get wireless or satellite and if I blow the very small download limit I'd have to sell drugs to cover the bill...


----------



## ropensaddle

MCW said:


> We can get 8GB speed out at this place which is what I'm on at the moment. If I couldn't get good internet speed I wasn't gonna buy it  It costs a fortune to get wireless or satellite and if I blow the very small download limit I'd have to sell drugs to cover the bill...



Wow 8gb I barely get 3g's you stream even on bad days lol


----------



## MCW

ropensaddle said:


> Wow 8gb I barely get 3g's you stream even on bad days lol



Yeah 8GB is in name only. Actual peak physical download speed from a good connection(s) with a download manager program is 1MB per second. Pretty handy though


----------



## wvlogger

those winches are flat out awesome i have one and load old junk cars up with it. it will pull in an old caddy no problem


----------



## gallegosmike

MCW said:


> Yeah 8GB is in name only. Actual peak physical download speed from a good connection(s) with a download manager program is 1MB per second. Pretty handy though



Most dsl/cable modem (might be north america only) access is rated by KB per second. Do you have 8GB cap or ??? 

No unlimited UTMS / WIMAX (4G) in your neck of the woods? 

With scumcast, err comcast cable modem access. I get 1700 KB down and 150 KB up avg. on a good day. 

I miss the day of having a T-3 or FIOS at work! That was fast!!! 

In the early morning in a office I worked at that had fiber. I did a speed test going over 100MB per sec, that is MB. Not KB per second! Wow super fast!!!


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> Most dsl/cable modem (might be north america only) access is rated by KB per second. Do you have 8GB cap or ???
> 
> No unlimited UTMS / WIMAX (4G) in your neck of the woods?
> 
> With scumcast, err comcast cable modem access. I get 1700 KB down and 150 KB up avg. on a good day.
> 
> I miss the day of having a T-3 or FIOS at work! That was fast!!!
> 
> In the early morning in a office I worked at that had fiber. I did a speed test going over 100MB per sec, that is MB. Not KB per second! Wow super fast!!!



Hi Mate.
Sorry about that, I meant 8MB (8000kbps) not 8GB  We have a 180GB download limit.
I get 1000kbps down and about 350kbps upload depending on the site I'm downloading from


----------



## gallegosmike

MCW said:


> Hi Mate.
> Sorry about that, I meant 8MB (8000kbps) not 8GB  We have a 180GB download limit.
> I get 1000kbps down and about 350kbps upload depending on the site I'm downloading from



Nice upload speed! Geek envy! LOL


----------



## MCW

gallegosmike said:


> Nice upload speed! Geek envy! LOL



I always wear my coke bottle glasses and stick on freckles when uploading...


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I always wear my coke bottle glasses and stick on freckles when uploading...



What about a pocket protector?


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> What about a pocket protector?



What's that? Maybe I'm not as geeky as my upload speed would suggest


----------



## tdi-rick

parrisw said:


> What about a pocket protector?





MCW said:


> What's that? Maybe I'm not as geeky as my upload speed would suggest



Aww mate, you aren't a _real_ geek unless you walk around with a plastic pocket protector in the left breast pocket. 

It's the ultimate geek accessory, the one thing that screams "I'm a nerd !" 

For the ultimate in geeky pocket protectors, this one would go close... a _Linux_ pocket protector. http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~squadron/pocket_protector.html





Where's editso ?


----------



## AUSSIE1

Well you learn something every day.

If you used gell pens you'd be right. 

Now we know why Matt posts pics that fall of the side of the page, aye Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Well you learn something every day.
> 
> If you used gell pens you'd be right.
> 
> Now we know why Matt posts pics that fall of the side of the page, aye Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:



Yeah I never knew what the hell a pocket protector was  Now I think I need a couple...

Hey sorry about the big pictures - I didn't realise that. I've got a 22" screen so they're fine on my computer. Bummer.

I like Gel Pens Al.

Another thing too. My older 7900 has been progressively oiling less and less lately to the point that it has been marginal even on a 20" bar. I was in Adelaide dropping the missus off at the airport (she's in Canada for 2 1/2 weeks - HOME ALONE ) and caught up with gmax (Wayne).
Man of many tricks he is. He drained the bar oil out of it, looked in the tank with a small torch and said "there's a fair bit of sh*t in there" (I'd like to know WHO took a crap in my tank?). He then proceeded to flush it out with Kerosene with the saw/oiler running. In the space of about 20 minutes I've got as much oil flying off the end of it's 20" bar as it's ever had. It had basically gotten blocked with probably finer Casuarina woodchips and dust that had made it's way into the tank in the less than sanitary conditions I tend to cut in.

He also tuned my little Echo 290EVL that was running like crap. It is now a noodling monster with it's 12" bar and 44 drive links of Carlton's finest. It also turns just over 10,000 rpm via my tach...

I had loaded up 3 largish Casuarina logs and all my saws for Wayne to have a go on too. I had a crack on his Dolmar "143"? (Sorry Wayne - can't remember the model). Nice old saw with heaps of torque.

He had a go on my 5100-S, 7900, 390XPG, and my 3120 with 42" bar. He made more cuts with the 3120 than anything else and I actually thought he may steal it when I wasn't looking. As Wayne's collection is basically all older saws his main comment was how smooth my saws were with newer antivibe.

Rick, Wayne would also give your local Barista's a run in the coffee stakes! He makes one mean Cappucino on his new machine 

Anyway, we basically had a two man chainsaw GTG right in the middle of suburban Adelaide! To show Wayne's dedication, he only told me his wife was home sick in bed AFTER we'd finished running the chainsaws!

Wayne also got a few photos so feel free to post some mate...


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Well you learn something every day.
> 
> If you used gell pens you'd be right.
> 
> Now we know why Matt posts pics that fall of the side of the page, aye Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:



hahaha, I fixed that Al by buying a 23" monitor a few months back.

Found a thread on Whirlpool where the boys were discussing a Dell deal that wasn't advertised and how you could an extra $50 off by 'flashing' your NRMA/RACV membership so grabbed one. 
Pretty damned good for the $ and fixed Matt's widescreen predilection.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> hahaha, I fixed that Al by buying a 23" monitor a few months back.
> 
> Found a thread on Whirlpool where the boys were discussing a Dell deal that wasn't advertised and how you could an extra $50 off by 'flashing' your NRMA/RACV membership so grabbed one.
> Pretty damned good for the $ and fixed Matt's widescreen predilection.



Hmmmmmmmmmm..................that's the way!


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Yeah I never knew what the hell a pocket protector was  Now I think I need a couple...
> 
> Hey sorry about the big pictures - I didn't realise that. I've got a 22" screen so they're fine on my computer. Bummer.
> 
> I like Gel Pens Al.
> 
> Another thing too. My older 7900 has been progressively oiling less and less lately to the point that it has been marginal even on a 20" bar. I was in Adelaide dropping the missus off at the airport (she's in Canada for 2 1/2 weeks - HOME ALONE ) and caught up with gmax (Wayne).
> Man of many tricks he is. He drained the bar oil out of it, looked in the tank with a small torch and said "there's a fair bit of sh*t in there" (I'd like to know WHO took a crap in my tank?). He then proceeded to flush it out with Kerosene with the saw/oiler running. In the space of about 20 minutes I've got as much oil flying off the end of it's 20" bar as it's ever had. It had basically gotten blocked with probably finer Casuarina woodchips and dust that had made it's way into the tank in the less than sanitary conditions I tend to cut in.
> 
> He also tuned my little Echo 290EVL that was running like crap. It is now a noodling monster with it's 12" bar and 44 drive links of Carlton's finest. It also turns just over 10,000 rpm via my tach...
> 
> I had loaded up 3 largish Casuarina logs and all my saws for Wayne to have a go on too. I had a crack on his Dolmar "143"? (Sorry Wayne - can't remember the model). Nice old saw with heaps of torque.
> 
> He had a go on my 5100-S, 7900, 390XPG, and my 3120 with 42" bar. He made more cuts with the 3120 than anything else and I actually thought he may steal it when I wasn't looking. As Wayne's collection is basically all older saws his main comment was how smooth my saws were with newer antivibe.
> 
> Rick, Wayne would also give your local Barista's a run in the coffee stakes! He makes one mean Cappucino on his new machine
> 
> Anyway, we basically had a two man chainsaw GTG right in the middle of suburban Adelaide! To show Wayne's dedication, he only told me his wife was home sick in bed AFTER we'd finished running the chainsaws!
> 
> Wayne also got a few photos so feel free to post some mate...



Matt, I posed a thread on our GTG last night, I'm surprised you didn't see it

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=138374


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Yeah I never knew what the hell a pocket protector was  Now I think I need a couple...
> 
> Hey sorry about the big pictures - I didn't realise that. I've got a 22" screen so they're fine on my computer. Bummer.
> 
> I like Gel Pens Al.
> 
> Another thing too. My older 7900 has been progressively oiling less and less lately to the point that it has been marginal even on a 20" bar. I was in Adelaide dropping the missus off at the airport (she's in Canada for 2 1/2 weeks - HOME ALONE ) and caught up with gmax (Wayne).
> Man of many tricks he is. He drained the bar oil out of it, looked in the tank with a small torch and said "there's a fair bit of sh*t in there" (I'd like to know WHO took a crap in my tank?). He then proceeded to flush it out with Kerosene with the saw/oiler running. In the space of about 20 minutes I've got as much oil flying off the end of it's 20" bar as it's ever had. It had basically gotten blocked with probably finer Casuarina woodchips and dust that had made it's way into the tank in the less than sanitary conditions I tend to cut in.
> 
> He also tuned my little Echo 290EVL that was running like crap. It is now a noodling monster with it's 12" bar and 44 drive links of Carlton's finest. It also turns just over 10,000 rpm via my tach...
> 
> I had loaded up 3 largish Casuarina logs and all my saws for Wayne to have a go on too. I had a crack on his Dolmar "143"? (Sorry Wayne - can't remember the model). Nice old saw with heaps of torque.
> 
> He had a go on my 5100-S, 7900, 390XPG, and my 3120 with 42" bar. He made more cuts with the 3120 than anything else and I actually thought he may steal it when I wasn't looking. As Wayne's collection is basically all older saws his main comment was how smooth my saws were with newer antivibe.
> 
> Rick, Wayne would also give your local Barista's a run in the coffee stakes! He makes one mean Cappucino on his new machine
> 
> Anyway, we basically had a two man chainsaw GTG right in the middle of suburban Adelaide! To show Wayne's dedication, he only told me his wife was home sick in bed AFTER we'd finished running the chainsaws!
> 
> Wayne also got a few photos so feel free to post some mate...



It's not particularly an issue for me Matt, just havin a bit of fun with ya.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> It's not particularly an issue for me Matt, just havin a bit of fun with ya.



Phew. I was getting worried mate. Gotta look after the Aussies  Just tilt your head on the side when viewing.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Phew. I was getting worried mate. Gotta look after the Aussies  Just tilt your head on the side when viewing.




naa, you've gotta look around the inside corner of the screen to see the rest of the piccie


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> naa, you've gotta look around the inside corner of the screen to see the rest of the piccie



Sorry mate. Thats what I meant.

Just don't look too far around though Rick, you'll see that dirty website you were looking at earlier


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Sorry mate. Thats what I meant.
> 
> Just don't look too far around though Rick, you'll see that dirty website you were looking at earlier



Bugger, that's how Vickie finds out :jawdrop:


----------



## gmax

> my little Echo 290EVL that was running like crap. It is now a noodling monster with it's 12" bar



 Yep, 27cc of gut wrenching power, not quite but it's running better than what is was, now your 3120 that's defiantly a monster :greenchainsaw:


----------



## blsnelling

Our 3120XP and MS880 rev limits are just pathetic. Last summer I saw a brand new MS880 cutting, and it sounded horrible. Both the carb and coil are rev-limited, and it's never got off the limiters in the cut. I couldn't live with that.


----------



## gmax

My Oleo Mac 999 is rev-limited due to a bad coil it will barely run at WOT :censored:


----------



## BobL

blsnelling said:


> Our 3120XP and MS880 rev limits are just pathetic. Last summer I saw a brand new MS880 cutting, and it sounded horrible. Both the carb and coil are rev-limited, and it's never got off the limiters in the cut. I couldn't live with that.


It's not just the carb and coil limiters, the exhaust is also pretty oppressive too.


----------



## MCW

BobL said:


> It's not just the carb and coil limiters, the exhaust is also pretty oppressive too.



G'day Bob 
How's Canadia? Any good beer?


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Our 3120XP and MS880 rev limits are just pathetic. Last summer I saw a brand new MS880 cutting, and it sounded horrible. Both the carb and coil are rev-limited, and it's never got off the limiters in the cut. I couldn't live with that.



I don't think you COULD live with that Brad  If I'm not mistaken I saw you taching your modded 3120 at about 14,000rpm if I remember correctly. Now that thing was a weapon...
It's a pity mines got a fixed high jet


----------



## blsnelling

MCW said:


> I don't think you COULD live with that Brad  If I'm not mistaken I saw you taching your modded 3120 at about 14,000rpm if I remember correctly. Now that thing was a weapon...
> It's a pity mines got a fixed high jet



Oh yeah. My 084 does as well.


----------



## MCW

Went out again today after a few week's break. I was out 2 weeks ago but crunched my dodgey knee in an unseen hole before I'd even started a saw so headed home.
Anyway, the fiancee got back from Canada yesterday after a 2 1/2 week holiday with her cousin so I asked if she'd like to come up tree felling for a few hours and take some videos and photos. She was happy to oblige 
Had the new Makita 7901, 200T, and 390XP with me (that arrived from Brad about 10 days ago), one of my 7900's and the 390XPG.
One thing I found today with the XPG is that those stupidly large spikes I bought are useless in hardwood as suspected. I was running new RSC on a 24" bar with an 8 pin rim and it was forever stalling in the cut as the chain bit, pulling the spikes into the wood, which in the process slowed the chain and stalled it. The stupidly sharp needle like spikes digging in acted like a buffer - hard to explain but I hope you guys know what I mean.
Anyway...

My 7900 and 20" bar...















Timberrrrr...


----------



## AUSSIE1

Yeah Matt, they will make the saw want to stall. Pull back a bit as you lean.
I fitted those four spike jobs to the 371 and the 385. Even though they can have the tendency to make the saw stall, I'm getting the bite I needed when falling etc. I'm getting used to them and prefer them over the stock ones. The dogs on the 395 are a reasonable size not dissimilar to the aftermarket jobbies and have the potential to make the saw stall just the same.


----------



## ropensaddle

I had problems with those dern huge dawgs too went back to the originals on my 372. I did not want to raise my rakers to compensate I like the saw to pull through not have to be pushed lol


----------



## parrisw

ropensaddle said:


> I had problems with those dern huge dawgs too went back to the originals on my 372. I did not want to raise my rakers to compensate I like the saw to pull through not have to be pushed lol



Yes, I got those big dawgs on my 372, and stockers on my 371, I like the stockers better that's for sure, the big dawgs are real good on thick Doug Fir bark though.


----------



## ropensaddle

parrisw said:


> Yes, I got those big dawgs on my 372, and stockers on my 371, I like the stockers better that's for sure, the big dawgs are real good on thick Doug Fir bark though.



Not too many fir around here sir lol. I can see where they could be good for loose thick barked trees though!


----------



## woodyman

MCW said:


> Went out again today after a few week's break. I was out 2 weeks ago but crunched my dodgey knee in an unseen hole before I'd even started a saw so headed home.
> Anyway, the fiancee got back from Canada yesterday after a 2 1/2 week holiday with her cousin so I asked if she'd like to come up tree felling for a few hours and take some videos and photos. She was happy to oblige
> Had the new Makita 7901, 200T, and 390XP with me (that arrived from Brad about 10 days ago), one of my 7900's and the 390XPG.
> One thing I found today with the XPG is that those stupidly large spikes I bought are useless in hardwood as suspected. I was running new RSC on a 24" bar with an 8 pin rim and it was forever stalling in the cut as the chain bit, pulling the spikes into the wood, which in the process slowed the chain and stalled it. The stupidly sharp needle like spikes digging in acted like a buffer - hard to explain but I hope you guys know what I mean.
> Anyway...
> 
> My 7900 and 20" bar...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Timberrrrr...


 Looks like you got a few set up and did the domino thing with them


----------



## parrisw

ropensaddle said:


> Not too many fir around here sir lol. I can see where they could be good for loose thick barked trees though!



Yup, I've had bark on Doug Fir like 10" thick


----------



## ropensaddle

parrisw said:


> Yup, I've had bark on Doug Fir like 10" thick



Wow thats thick I have seen thick cottonwood bark but 10" was it one you can drive through?


----------



## parrisw

ropensaddle said:


> Wow thats thick I have seen thick cottonwood bark but 10" was it one you can drive through?



I think about 72" DBH


----------



## AUSSIE1

ropensaddle said:


> I had problems with those dern huge dawgs too went back to the originals on my 372. I did not want to raise my rakers to compensate I like the saw to pull through not have to be pushed lol





parrisw said:


> Yes, I got those big dawgs on my 372, and stockers on my 371, I like the stockers better that's for sure, the big dawgs are real good on thick Doug Fir bark though.



It comes down to what your cutting obviously.

The originals were just outright frustrating with virtually no bite whatsoever. 

Maybe a better layout of the spikes would better suit all/most situations.
When crosscutting, pulling up on the rear handle for the first half of the log, the saw will bite/stall but not through the second half. I'm thinking if the two inside spikes were shorter like say the OEM's just could be what's needed.


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> It comes down to what your cutting obviously.
> 
> The originals were just outright frustrating with virtually no bite whatsoever.
> 
> Maybe a better layout of the spikes would better suit all/most situations.
> When crosscutting, pulling up on the rear handle for the first half of the log, the saw will bite/stall but not through the second half. I'm thinking if the two inside spikes were shorter like say the OEM's just could be what's needed.



I found that 272 spikes were really nice for everything.


----------



## MCW

Yeah these stupendously large spikes will be getting removed and replaced with the smaller version. Al, I did lean back as mentioned to get the saw to cut - not something I like to do as when a grunty saw like the 390 is trying to pull you into the cut I'd much rather let it bottom out on the spikes and do it's job. Fighting a saw all day tree felling just adds to the arm pain 
Anyway a few videos that uploaded last night when I was in bed...

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7_Ox_S29KE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7_Ox_S29KE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


Some peanut on Youtube has already asked why I'm felling trees with a limbing saw (200T). Doesn't take long to attract them...


<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HJwRTf02QWY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HJwRTf02QWY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dX4Jr_Tt2SY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dX4Jr_Tt2SY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## Rudolf73

Great videos as always Matt... that 7901 sounds really good and looks fast  How does it feel compared to the other 7900's ?



MCW said:


> Some peanut on Youtube has already asked why I'm felling trees with a limbing saw (200T). Doesn't take long to attract them...



I was going ask the same thing... haha only joking. It cuts like a hot knife though - might have to be your backup backup felling saw


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> It comes down to what your cutting obviously.
> 
> The originals were just outright frustrating with virtually no bite whatsoever.
> 
> Maybe a better layout of the spikes would better suit all/most situations.
> When crosscutting, pulling up on the rear handle for the first half of the log, the saw will bite/stall but not through the second half. I'm thinking if the two inside spikes were shorter like say the OEM's just could be what's needed.



Al do you have a pic of your originals? I thought the ones on my 371 were just fine?


----------



## woodyman

MCW said:


> Yeah these stupendously large spikes will be getting removed and replaced with the smaller version. Nice vidsJust wondering where you get the smaller spikes or do you have to make them?


----------



## Stihlman441

Thanks Matt for the videos great stuff,we all love videos.............


----------



## blsnelling

Rudolf73 said:


> Great videos as always Matt... that 7901 sounds really good and looks fast  How does it feel compared to the other 7900's ?



+1. Which 390 is strongest?


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> Al do you have a pic of your originals? I thought the ones on my 371 were just fine?



Yeah the originals are the same as yours.






Matt is basically falling and I'm falling the occasional tree but mostly crosscutting, so something in that.

Maybe one spike in the middle along the bar centreline? 

Either set doesn't work great in all situations. With the originals I would pull up on the rear handle and the powerhead would slip up the log without biting. 

Those big ones Matt, you could try cutting them back somewhere between where they are now and the OEM's and see how they feel maybe.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Great videos as always Matt... that 7901 sounds really good and looks fast  How does it feel compared to the other 7900's ?



For some reason it is very very smooth! I'm not sure if it is different anti-vibe or not - I just think it has better balanced internals. As far as power goes it definately has more torque but on bars under 24" I'm not sure how it will go against the others. I've only run a 32" bar on it so far. I'll get something organised though and post some comparos later. I know my other two 7900's would not pull a 32" bar like this 7901 did in the bigger tree in the vid.



Rudolf73 said:


> I was going ask the same thing... haha only joking. It cuts like a hot knife though - might have to be your backup backup felling saw



Yeah I just had to post videos of that little saw and tree felling was all I had at the time. Accelerator pump had to get fixed (as per all 200Ts with a few hours on them by the sound of it!) but now it's a great little saw. I won't be selling it. For what it is it really has some grunt - I'm just used to modified 80cc+ saws so hard to please 



woodyman said:


> Nice vidsJust wondering where you get the smaller spikes or do you have to make them?



I actually had the smaller spikes sent out via Brad. They are WAY better than these larger spikes for the tree species I cut down.



blsnelling said:


> +1. Which 390 is strongest?



Hi Brad.
Hard to tell at this stage mate as I haven't done a direct comparo so my thoughts are subjective. I think your newer 390XP has more torque but there is not much in it at all. They are both great saws with lots of grunt. I have a sneaky feeling though that the 390XP will pull longer bars better than the XPG. This new saw seems less likely to stall out when pushing hard.
I'll do a full comparo soon


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Those big ones Matt, you could try cutting them back somewhere between where they are now and the OEM's and see how they feel maybe.



I've got another new set the same as on my 390XPG which I'll fit to this new 390XP. I might modify these big mongrels though and mount them on one of the 7900's 
I can see that these bigger spikes would be useful in certain situations however they are just to big, cumbersome, and sharp to be of use in my situation. I never thought you could get spikes "too sharp" but yes you can  When that RSC bit the spikes were pulled at least 1/2" into hardwood - makes smooth saw movement while cutting damn near impossible...


----------



## komatsuvarna

So.... Im confused. Why does the bigger dawgs want to make the saw stall out?


----------



## tdi-rick

I'm definitely making some for the 7900 Matt, I had to work around the short lower one again the other night.

I'll make two pairs up to try first 

{edit} I just checked the scrap steel bin and I have enough 4130 to make 1.5  
Looks like i'll have to buy some decent sheet, and the stuff GB use for the Ti CN40 bars doesn't come thin enough.


----------



## MCW

komatsuvarna said:


> So.... Im confused. Why does the bigger dawgs want to make the saw stall out?



Hard one to explain mate but I'll give it my best shot  

Basically with "less sharp and pointy" spikes if the chain "bites" the standard spikes will already be "bottomed" on the wood so the chain will pull through it as you have all the moving parts providing torque. Problem with these spikes (combined with bitey full chisel chain) is that the points sit on the wood but when the chain "bites" the points pull in even further allowing the chain and moving parts to lose momentum, causing stalling. With semi chisel or a 7 pin I doubt this saw would have stalled so much (I have videos of it that I might post - similar affect to dropping your rakers too much. It is actually very very frustrating).

Hope you can understand what I wrote (I can't!!!) but if anybody here has a better explanation please chime in.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I'm definitely making some for the 7900 Matt, I had to work around the short lower one again the other night.
> 
> I'll make two pairs up to try first



Good stuff Rick and then get an extra 200 pairs water jetted once you work out the best design


----------



## komatsuvarna

MCW said:


> Hard one to explain mate but I'll give it my best shot
> 
> Basically with "less sharp and pointy" spikes if the chain "bites" the standard spikes will already be "bottomed" on the wood so the chain will pull through it as you have all the moving parts providing torque. Problem with these spikes (combined with bitey full chisel chain) is that the points sit on the wood but when the chain "bites" the points pull in even further allowing the chain and moving parts to lose momentum, causing stalling. With semi chisel or a 7 pin I doubt this saw would have stalled so much (I have videos of it that I might post - similar affect to dropping your rakers too much. It is actually very very frustrating).
> 
> Hope you can understand what I wrote (I can't!!!) but if anybody here has a better explanation please chime in.



Ah... OK. Good explanation. So when the chain takes a bite the torque pulls the sharp dawgs deeper instead of spinning the chain. Thanks mate.


----------



## Andyshine77

Awesome vids Matt!! It was cool seeing the 7900 throw chips off the end of the bar 20'

About the spikes, are you referring to the stock large dogs or the aftermarket set? I have a set of large Huske dogs on my 372 and the seem fine.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Awesome vids Matt!! It was cool seeing the 7900 throw chips off the end of the bar 20'
> 
> About the spikes, are you referring to the stock large dogs or the aftermarket set? I have a set of large Huske dogs on my 372 and the seem fine.



Yeah I'm referring to the Pro Safety 5 point spikes from Baileys Andy. I'm sure they have a place it's just not on my saws  The other, larger than standard spikes that Brad sent out are great - not sure who makes them or if they're even OEM?
I'll post a few more vids of the 7900 throwing chips. My other half seemed to photograph and video the 7900 more than any of the other saws - maybe that's telling me something?


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Yeah I'm referring to the Pro Safety 5 point spikes from Baileys Andy. I'm sure they have a place it's just not on my saws  The other, larger than standard spikes that Brad sent out are great - not sure who makes them or if they're even OEM?
> I'll post a few more vids of the 7900 throwing chips. My other half seemed to photograph and video the 7900 more than any of the other saws - maybe that's telling me something?



There is two different sets (aftermarket) you can get for these saws. There is the four point that I'm running on the 371 and 385. 

http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=17167&catID=1709


----------



## Gypo Logger

MCW said:


> Not sure if many of you guys will find this interesting but had been asked by a large corporate Citrus Orchard to drop their Casuarina windbreaks (over 1000 acre property).
> Had played around previously having already dropped about 30 but today was the first time I'd gotten serious. The farm manager had been told by a logging company they were thinking of getting in that their guys could average around 30 an hour at $60/hour. I actually thought this was a bit high but said that if they can do it I could but for $50 an hour
> Tree sizes ranged from 12-32" and probably up to about 60 feet in height.
> There was a very strong NW wind which helped immensely as I didn't have to wedge one single tree.
> Anyway, over 7 hours with about a 30 minute break talking to an interested neighbour over the fence I ended up dropping 357 trees.
> In the first 195 minutes I dropped 171 trees, in the next 160 minutes I dropped 164 trees.
> I dropped another 22 trees at the end of the day and averaged 51 trees an hour for the day. I also made them aware that without wind and having to wedge this rate may nearly be halved.
> Used the 7900 all day and had to swap out one filter and 4 Carlton Semi Chisel chains. Only went through about 10 litres of fuel which is good - I though I'd use around 20 litres. Had a GB Ti 25" Roller Nose bar on that ended up with sap stuck all over it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The odd bifurcated trunk showed up amongst them and without a strong wind I probably would have left them for later. I just cut the scarf as low as possible to minimise the chance of splitting (the tree below split when it hit the ground).
> I ended up leaving two trees for the whole day that were leaning a bit too far the wrong way, even with the wind.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> By the way, now I can hardly move and every muscle in my body is hurting. I had to peel my fingers off the saw at the end of the day because my right hand was cramping. I haven't hurt this much for a long time


 Wow, that's alot of work. At the height of my logging career I felled an average of 500 trees (highgrade) annually, now I dump that many a month for firewood.
It seems that it takes 2-90 seconds to dump a tree between 4" and 24"
Gypo


----------



## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> Yeah I'm referring to the Pro Safety 5 point spikes from Baileys Andy. I'm sure they have a place it's just not on my saws  The other, larger than standard spikes that Brad sent out are great - not sure who makes them or if they're even OEM?
> I'll post a few more vids of the 7900 throwing chips. My other half seemed to photograph and video the 7900 more than any of the other saws - maybe that's telling me something?



OK that's what I thought, they do look too pointy, I bet they grab way too much.


----------



## MCW

Yukonsawman said:


> Wow, that's alot of work. At the height of my logging career I felled an average of 500 trees (highgrade) annually, now I dump that many a month for firewood.
> It seems that it takes 2-90 seconds to dump a tree between 4" and 24"
> Gypo



Yeah dropping them is always the easiest part 
My average for the 8,500 odd trees on this job has been 42 an hour, or one tree every 42 odd seconds. Fastest has been 130 an hour on smaller trees with my 5100-S and RSC chain and slowest has been about 7-9 an hour on some gnarly old ugly ones as shown earlier. I've got it all recorded in a notebook. The managers of the property don't care how fast I cut but I record it for my own interest.


----------



## wvlogger

MCW said:


> Yeah dropping them is always the easiest part



and the most fun. Most of the time.


----------



## MCW

wvlogger said:


> and the most fun. Most of the time.



Certainly the most fun  If I had to limb all 8,500 odd trees I'd be really hating this job with a passion


----------



## wvlogger

MCW said:


> Certainly the most fun  If I had to limb all 8,500 odd trees I'd be really hating this job with a passion



id say. what are they doing with the wood? whole tree chipping?


----------



## Gypo Logger

MCW said:


> Yeah dropping them is always the easiest part
> My average for the 8,500 odd trees on this job has been 42 an hour, or one tree every 42 odd seconds. Fastest has been 130 an hour on smaller trees with my 5100-S and RSC chain and slowest has been about 7-9 an hour on some gnarly old ugly ones as shown earlier. I've got it all recorded in a notebook. The managers of the property don't care how fast I cut but I record it for my own interest.


 You're a good man and probably in your prime. I'd be concerned about your hands. Does the 7900 vibe much compared to a 372. My hands aren't too bad after 29 continued years of cutting except for a few breaks diamond drilling and mining which is worse on the hands. Lol
John


----------



## MCW

wvlogger said:


> id say. what are they doing with the wood? whole tree chipping?



Dozing into piles and burning  To be honest there are no people at all in this area that are setup to handle this amount of wood. There are also legal implications of letting people on a corporate owned property like this with chainsaws regarding Occupational Health and Safety laws - you have to have chainsaw competency certificates etc plus up to date saws with working chainbrakes etc - lots of hoops to jump through. Numerous people have asked and been disappointed however not many people even know that this is happening as the only way in and out of the property is via one road.
The wood also has grown too fast (high water content) to be good for much at all although this species in it's natural environment is excellent firewood and woodworking timber.


----------



## MCW

And a few more videos...

Good footage of the new 390XP shooting chips...

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And some basic tree felling dominoes...

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Plus double stacking wedges on a tree that only decided to fall when I'd given up on it...

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----------



## gmax

Matt, I like your tree felling dominoes, what's the most you've knocked over at
once?


----------



## Stihlman441

The things we do when we get a little bored..........:biggrinbounce2:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, I like your tree felling dominoes, what's the most you've knocked over at
> once?



I think it was about 40-50. I was going to film about 75 odd but a stupid wind came up, I'd gone a bit too far on a few backcuts, and they all blew over  The fiancee had just arrived to film it when they fell over. Of course her response was "Why did you do that?".
I think I posted a video of 23 in a row earlier in this thread. I only have one 100 tree run left on this property to better my record 

Found it, here it is again...


<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zTryU_lE4cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zTryU_lE4cg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>



Stihlman441 said:


> The things we do when we get a little bored..........:biggrinbounce2:



Yeah you're right. Have to do a few different things here and there to liven it up


----------



## MCW

Yukonsawman said:


> You're a good man and probably in your prime. I'd be concerned about your hands. Does the 7900 vibe much compared to a 372. My hands aren't too bad after 29 continued years of cutting except for a few breaks diamond drilling and mining which is worse on the hands. Lol
> John



Hi John.
Hands are fine mate although after a long day I do get some cramp, not related to saw vibes, just from hanging on tight most of the day.
As far as the antivibe comparison between a 372 and 7900 I'm not sure - I've never run a 372. I do know however that the 7900's are smoother than the Husky 390XP's, but not by much and not enough to concern me. From a few things I've read on this forum though some people are very sensitive to vibrations but they are yet to bother me. The most I've run a saw on this job is about 28 hours (basically continuously) in 3 days (one day was 10 3/4 hours) with no ill effects apart from some aches and pains (I only fell trees after hours and we had a 3 day long weekend). I have a damaged right wrist that I broke in a brawl 15 years ago that gives me some grief here and there but funnily enough not actually sawing - sometimes I tweak it rolling/lifting logs around though


----------



## MCW

MCW said:


> My average for the 8,500 odd trees on this job has been 42 an hour, or one tree every 42 odd seconds.



Sorry guys. Back to math's school for me. I meant one tree every 85 seconds 

And a big *F* for all of you that didn't say anything and correct me 

At $50 an hour they are getting pretty good value for money. The local tree guys would charge $300 for a single, simple tree fell like these. I mean you need to know what you're doing but they have the average homeowner convinced that this type of work is cloak and dagger, 15 years at University, Superman type stuff...


----------



## MCW

Ah well. Have a bit more to add. Felled a decent sized Silky Oak this morning for a couple (Grevillea robusta - an Aussie native which I only recently realised! Thanks Serg ). A mate who has a paving business put them onto me so came along to help out. I arrived at 9am this morning and they'd already hooked up the guy's tractor and a couple of decent sized straps.
This was a pretty solid tree and the largest (by far) of any Silky Oaks I've seen in this area. Was leaning back over their new verandah slightly so they wanted it removed. For some reason a lot of these have been dying in our area over the last few years. Not diseased, no borers, probaby a lack of rainfall and possible soil salinity - I'm not sure. This particular one was starting to show the typical branch dieback of a tree on the way out and was dropping smaller dead limbs on their roof with even the slightest breeze.
Anyway, had the 36" bar on the new modded 390XP from Brad with Carlton semi chisel skip plus a 7 pin rim. Unlike most Australian timbers this stuff is relatively soft, probably between Radiata Pine and Redgum. The new saw pulled the 36" bar easily and was supplying ample oil which is excellent.
Got the guy to preload the straps on the tractor and with a few simple cuts the tree was on the ground right where we wanted it - the straps had enough stretch in them to pull the tree over with no wedging or tractor movement. It was "just" too long at the height I cut for the 36" bar. I also carved the stump down as far as I could without hitting dirt and the flair on this tree's butt was about 5'. It had a big butt 
Unfortunately I didn't get many photos and no videos as I didn't really want to look like I was more concerned with photos than actually felling their tree.







Now don't look to hard at the backcut angle! I mean it WAS a basically a tow over...










I left a couple of decent logs there for the owner and I'll be back there in a year or so to mill them. Nice solid lumps of wood with lovely grain.

As always the owners asked for another tree to be chopped down. A small dead Gum. And once again, as always it was full of old termite damage and dirt - unsure of the species but the wood was also very hard. 3 chains later the tree was chopped up into firewood sized bits and moveable limbs. They also wanted a limb dropped that was overhanging an outdoor area...














My mate used my 5100-S on the Silky Oak and for the whole tree we didn't even have to sharpen a chain between 4 saws...


----------



## MCW

After this mornings Silky Oak I headed up to the property again to finish, sniff sniff, the last 88 trees.
There are still probably 20 trees scattered around the property (tricky ones requiring towing etc) but this was the last run.
All said and done there were less trees than I thought. I had estimated maybe 20,000 early (I got a bit excited!), then by the end was thinking about 9,000. Well after spending about an hour running through my notebook tallying it all up there were 7,673 trees for a total of 204 3/4 hours averaging 37.5 trees per hour. I actually lost track of the total towards the end and have incorrectly said 8,500 trees numerous times. 

Have attached a photo and video of the last tree  The same mate that helped me this morning came for a drive to see the property (and to avoid his sister-in-law). It was handy having a helper  ...






And video of the last tree. I swapped from using the "new" modded Makita to using my original 7900 on the 4th to last tree. Simply because I got the bar stuck on the 7901 and had to remove the powerhead then knock that tree over with the neighbouring tree. The Makita is a very smooth, nice saw to use. Despite the 3 port muffler it is actually quieter than my other 2 port mufflered 7900's - less of a screamer. I ran it today with a 24" bar, 8 pin, and well setup semi chisel. I don't think it would outcut my other saws with this setup but I doubt it would be outcut by them either. Win to the Makita though with a 32" bar. Once I retuned all my 7900's there really isn't much in it between all 3. The 200psi 7900 may have a slight edge (if any) though on shorter bars but this Makita wins by a mile in the torque stakes. I also forgot to suck my guts in at the end of the video...


<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOo4-10JVrQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qOo4-10JVrQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


Now I just have to wait and see what management wants done at the other properties. The larger, older trees that I posted about earlier may be some time yet as they are still trying to work out how they'll be able to manage the cleanup. There is also talk about me felling their Casuarina windbreaks on another 750 acre property they manage. However these trees are only about 30' tall with trunks maybe 12-16" - they are a lot younger. They don't want this lot growing as big as the other properties now that they have seen how much moisture they can suck from the citrus orchard.

I'll try to post some of the domestic jobs I do until these other Casuarinas require dropping. It's actually a pretty sad day for me - I'm gonna get bored on weekends now and with the amount of calories I've been burning up here I may even have to get a gym membership to avoid packing on more kilograms/pounds which I don't really need 

By the way. My more powerful 7900 is now on an around Australia arboristsite tour to a few of my past customers that are members here also. First stop is Rick (tdi-rick) and then to Al (AUSSIE1). I trust these guys will have fun and also trust them to not straight gas it!!! They also already have a stash of Husky mount bars. I only sent the powerhead. Al hadn't used a 7900 so thought he really needs to and Rick has fitted a 7900 topend to his Makita 6401 with plans to mod it himself. I thought by letting him play with my modded one he may get a real appreciation between stock and modded. Al will just get a good appreciation of a 7900 and I think he'll like it.


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, the straps used on the tow over, were they just a 'normal' webbing lift strap or a snatch strap ?

Have a couple of pull overs to do here and I was just going to use cable but maybe a big snatch strap would be better (and yes everyone, I know, you shouldn't join straps and cables, missile potential of shackles with a break, etc  )


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Matt, the straps used on the tow over, were they just a 'normal' webbing lift strap or a snatch strap ?
> 
> Have a couple of pull overs to do here and I was just going to use cable but maybe a big snatch strap would be better (and yes everyone, I know, you shouldn't join straps and cables, missile potential of shackles with a break, etc  )



Both straps were snatch straps Rick.

The owner had a decent 15m 10 tonne snatch strap on the tractor plus a smaller, older, nearly stuffed snatch strap fitted to the tree. I bought all my chains, straps, shackles etc as I hadn't planned on him getting everything setup. My normal procedure is to use chains at the tree then snatch strap at the vehicle end. I never use a shackle on the chain to strap connection when intending to pull hard. I loop the chain through the end of the snatch strap then tie/hook it back together. I sometimes use a 9m loading strap (as part of a 4 tonne ratchet kit) at the tree but we have heaps of them laying around at work unused - when they get wrecked it's no big deal. The straps in the cheap kits we use at work always outlast the dodgey ratchets 3:1.
Snatch straps get wrecked quickly when trees fall on them. They also get wrecked when hit with a 32" bar on the 7901. This guy's older strap is no longer functional  I was happily cutting away when I was presented with a handful of grey fuzz flying out the chip deflector. Whoops, straight through it! Funnily enough he didn't seem to mind at the time. I found out later he works in the mines laying fibreoptic cable (he had an awesome new model Toyota Troop Carrier there with all the gadgets and accessories). The straps weren't actually his, hence his lack of concern when I wrecked one.


----------



## porky616

that oak looks like nice wood, very clean and solid. are there any earthmovers in the area matt who do timber clean up work with proper log forks etc


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> that oak looks like nice wood, very clean and solid. are there any earthmovers in the area matt who do timber clean up work with proper log forks etc



Not that I'm aware of mate. There isn't any real form of timber type work done in our area apart from firewood and the odd guys like myself with chainsaw mills. Never seen or heard of anybody owning a Lucas Mill in this region either.

That Silky Oak sticks like the proverbial sh*t to a blanket on your saws. When it's dead it's fine


----------



## porky616

ah nice stuff, sounds like stinkin old pepper tree sap. i used to drive a log loader in vic clearing farms for blue gum plantations and it would be ideal cleaning up the cas trees you been dropping.


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> ah nice stuff, sounds like stinkin old pepper tree sap. i used to drive a log loader in vic clearing farms for blue gum plantations and it would be ideal cleaning up the cas trees you been dropping.



I'm yet to see the contraption but they mounted some sort of "grabber" setup to the 3 point linkage on their big loader at this corporate property. Even then they are unable to move some of the larger trees until they have dried out - too much moisture and too heavy. These things certainly have some weight in them...

I've never cut up a Pepper Tree but there are heaps planted in our area, particularly around old farmhouses. However the wet sawdust from these Silky Oaks absolutely stinks. Smells a lot like vomit


----------



## porky616

vomit now thats nasty real nasty, im trying to find a pic of me old loader, it was rated to take 15ton in the grab, more when ya balanced it on the front wheels


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> vomit now thats nasty real nasty, im trying to find a pic of me old loader, it was rated to take 15ton in the grab, more when ya balanced it on the front wheels



Ah ha, the good old load rating assessment  We used to do that on the forklift at work until they got a new Hyster fork with weight sensors that sends user details (we have our own pincode login) back to Melbourne head office. They can even remotely shut off the forklift from 800km away. Bound to get a phonecall about 5 minutes after it's been overloaded. Big brother :censored:


----------



## porky616

found a couple of pics of the old girl in action, it sure made easy work of cleaning up farms quick and easy


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> found a couple of pics of the old girl in action, it sure made easy work of cleaning up farms quick and easy



Now that thing is a beast  Same sized loader as this corporate property, just with an awesome attachment. I love machinery like that 

Hey where were those photos taken mate? Looks very similar to the lower South East SA region.


----------



## tdi-rick

I never noticed anything nasty cutting up an old Pepper tree here a while back ??

SWMBO tried to kill herself and knocked a branch (around 10-12") with the ROPS on the tractor. It speared back into the steering wheel and her, I was down the road rescuing little sister who'd just had a tyre delaminate on her Prado which took out most of the rear bodywork...
Strange day that one, I told them both to stay the hell away from me 

It was the first time I'd used the 8 pin on the saw, talk about light sabre


----------



## porky616

coleraine vic, just outside hamilton. i reckon i would have stacked and burnt over 5000 ton of wood in 2 years. makes me cry to think about it now


----------



## porky616

tdi-rick said:


> I never noticed anything nasty cutting up an old Pepper tree here a while back ??
> 
> SWMBO tried to kill herself and knocked a branch (around 10-12") with the ROPS on the tractor. It speared back into the steering wheel and her, I was down the road rescuing little sister who'd just had a tyre delaminate on her Prado which took out most of the rear bodywork...
> Strange day that one, I told them both to stay the hell away from me
> 
> It was the first time I'd used the 8 pin on the saw, talk about light sabre



i downed about 25 with little 026 last year and ya could stuck it on the wall after id finished, man was there some nasty stinkin goo hanging off it


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> coleraine vic, just outside hamilton. i reckon i would have stacked and burnt over 5000 ton of wood in 2 years. makes me cry to think about it now



Yeah the benefits of hindsight eh mate? You wouldn't have been the only one. I know the area you're talking of - the area south of Bordertown towards Mount Gambier looks the same. Adelaide Hills has a very similar paddock to tree ratio. I love those big old gums in that setting. They sure get some sizeable trunks on them when they're the only ones left.


----------



## porky616

yeah we took down some big ones, one in particular took 2 loaders to carry the trunk and stump. my boss had a wood pile to last 30 years, perks of the job eh.


----------



## willbarryrec

*Thanks.*

MCW Thanks for a awesome thread. I have enjoyed reading every bit of it and getting to see some of your beautiful country makes me want to come down and see it in person.

Please do continue to post pics and video of your other felling jobs,I look forward to them 

Cheers
Will


----------



## Stihlman441

Ya second that,its been great love the pics and videos dont stop.
Cheers


----------



## MCW

willbarryrec said:


> MCW Thanks for a awesome thread. I have enjoyed reading every bit of it and getting to see some of your beautiful country makes me want to come down and see it in person.
> 
> Please do continue to post pics and video of your other felling jobs,I look forward to them
> 
> Cheers
> Will



If you're ever in Australia be sure to drop in 



Stihlman441 said:


> Ya second that,its been great love the pics and videos dont stop.
> Cheers



Thanks guys  Appreciate the comments...


----------



## imagineero

hey all,
Had this tricky fall to do today. Not a huge tree, but in a tricky spot. Its right in the middle of two powerlines, one going to each house. The powerlines were within about 10~12 feet of the tree. Immediately to the left, a shed. Immediately to the right, a house. And behind? Another tree the HO didnt want damaged. Time to break out the harness and ropes!

Started from the ground up. took out the branches on the way out for clean drops. about 40% of the branches had to be roped and lowered. Wasnt worth setting up a speedline because most wouldnt clearn the power lines.

First pic shows tree at start. Second shows most of the branches off, and the top 10 feet also cut off. just a few branches left and hanging in the tree. 3rd pic is how i left it at the end of the day. Still another half days work left probably.

I like to leeve about 8" of branch on so I've got good footing, and it also makes slinging more secure when chunking down the trunk.

Big thanks goes out to Matt for being everything my local stihl dealer isnt; helpful, quick, knowledgeable and reasonably priced! Bought chains and bars off Matt and would recommend it to any oz chainsaw users!

Wednesday should be able to get back to the site and keep going. Will have to take a bigger saw up in the tree and chunk the trunk down a couple feet at a time until its low enough to clear the powerlines.


----------



## MCW

imagineero said:


> hey all,
> Had this tricky fall to do today. Not a huge tree, but in a tricky spot. Its right in the middle of two powerlines, one going to each house. The powerlines were within about 10~12 feet of the tree. Immediately to the left, a shed. Immediately to the right, a house. And behind? Another tree the HO didnt want damaged. Time to break out the harness and ropes!



You can keep jobs like that mate  I'll stick with ground work 



imagineero said:


> Big thanks goes out to Matt for being everything my local stihl dealer isnt; helpful, quick, knowledgeable and reasonably priced! Bought chains and bars off Matt and would recommend it to any oz chainsaw users!



Thanks mate. My pleasure


----------



## tdi-rick

imagineero said:


> hey all,
> Had this tricky fall to do today. Not a huge tree, but in a tricky spot. Its right in the middle of two powerlines, one going to each house. [snip]



How the hell did they get the OK through BCC ? 
Or have they become a little more 'reasonable' over the last ten years ?



imagineero said:


> Big thanks goes out to Matt for being everything my local stihl dealer isnt; helpful, quick, knowledgeable and reasonably priced! Bought chains and bars off Matt and would recommend it to any oz chainsaw users!



All true, but don't tell him that, he'll get a big head


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> All true, but don't tell him that, he'll get a big head



Can't get any bigger Rick  Even those "one size fits all" caps occasionally struggle. I've got a pretty solid melon...

Hey another thing too Rick - when that 7900 arrives, check for either one of those two, small screws that hold on both the steel oil pump plate/protector (the one that fits over the bar studs) and the black plastic chain brake cover. I found one of those screws on my bench with orange paint on it - I suspect it's off the saw I sent you. It's not off any here  :censored:


----------



## imagineero

MCW said:


> You can keep jobs like that mate  I'll stick with ground work



I've got to admit i do prefer jobs on the ground. None of this 15 hours to get the tree down business, 3 minutes to fell then straight on to limbing and bucking! I dont mind taking the odd tricky job from time to time, its a change of scenery and keeps you thinking. There's good money in those tricky jobs too ;-) 

Next time you've got 7,000+ trees to knock over put the beer in the fridge then give me a call! 

That spare used chain the 192 has already come in handy ;-)

Shaun


----------



## tdi-rick

Yep, no worries. It hasn't turned up yet.
I should be able to match it pretty easily if one is missing.


----------



## MCW

imagineero said:


> I've got to admit i do prefer jobs on the ground. None of this 15 hours to get the tree down business, 3 minutes to fell then straight on to limbing and bucking! I dont mind taking the odd tricky job from time to time, its a change of scenery and keeps you thinking. There's good money in those tricky jobs too ;-)
> 
> Next time you've got 7,000+ trees to knock over put the beer in the fridge then give me a call!
> 
> That spare used chain the 192 has already come in handy ;-)
> 
> Shaun



Good stuff Shaun. Now if only I can find another 7,000 trees to drop  Could be on the cards but I ain't sharing  I can't wait for approval to get stuck into the trees on their other properties though however they've just got to work out how to clean the mess up before I start 



tdi-rick said:


> Yep, no worries. It hasn't turned up yet.
> I should be able to match it pretty easily if one is missing.



Just drive a tek screw into the casing with the cordless mate, she'll be right


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> Just drive a tek screw into the casing with the cordless mate, she'll be right



It's a 3.5x9.5 self tapper, and I won't be doing that, ya bodgy bastage 

I actually thought I had a spare from when I bought a stack of bits from Kyle last order, but it doesn't look like it.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> It's a 3.5x9.5 self tapper, and I won't be doing that, ya bodgy bastage
> 
> I actually thought I had a spare from when I bought a stack of bits from Kyle last order, but it doesn't look like it.



OK then, Liquid Nails...

With a pop rivet...

I'll drill it out when the saw comes back 

The worst bit will be if the saw arrives and it HASN'T got a screw missing 

Awww :censored: which saw is missing a screw...


----------



## MCW

Back again gents.
Have had a little bit of a tree felling siesta for about a month but thought I'd post a few more photos of some Casuarinas that I've been felling with the 200T on a mate's place. This is only 1/2 a mile down the road so good fun and easy to get to. Nothing over maybe 18" in this patch but they are one nasty suckering variety. In amongst the Casuarinas are some orange trees that have seen better days as they have been under massive competition for water and nutrients but also have suffered from excessive shading. Lots of dead wood in the oranges and many of these trees are well beyond saving. It's just a love job and the perfect place to hone my 200T skills on smaller trees. This is a great little saw now that it's problems have been fixed. I am impressed and I hadn't used much 3/8"LP for ages - I'd forgotten just how good it is on the little stuff. Anybody that says a top handled saw shouldn't be used for felling has their hand on it. It is the perfect saw for work like this in the tight messy stuff. I have used my 5100-S in this same patch a while ago and because of the number of close suckers even the little Dolmar is too big...

Sorry about the photo quality. I took them on my work phone as my new Nokia N97 doesn't like wooddust in the keyboard bit. Next time I'll wear better pants that keep the dust out...



























And although an absolute mess I still have to directional fell them to miss the orange trees and some irrigation equipment...






Also have been in touch with the corporate farm again and I'll crank up on the next stage over the next few weeks. Should be fun...


----------



## porky616

a very well organised mess there matt.
that piston worked perfectly too thanks, got the big slug running again


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> a very well organised mess there matt.
> that piston worked perfectly too thanks, got the big slug running again



Good to hear mate. I had a missed call from you and was going to give you a call back. Good to know she's running again 
Yeah this is a mess, thats for sure. Basically I've been dropping as many as I can, then chopping them up into manageable bits so my mate can clean it up later. I seem to have a habit of just cutting stuff up or dropping it then avoiding the hard work at the end 

I actually had to cut my way out yesterday afternoon as I'd hedged myself in...


----------



## porky616

thats the eh, just drop and run no clean up. i was only ringing to say thanks and that it fit perfect


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> thats the eh, just drop and run no clean up. i was only ringing to say thanks and that it fit perfect



Excellent news. Hope you had a safe trip back to Broken Hill  I clobbered a Wombat at 2am this morning coming back from Adelaide  No damage luckily and he was only a little fella. The headlights on these Ford Rangers are crap :censored:


----------



## porky616

bloody wombats, i posted some pics in the pos880 thread


----------



## tdi-rick

There was a show on the ABC late yesterday arvo re some old Japanese Imperial Palaces and the timber they used.

It showed the timber cutters harvesting the farmed (cypress ?) and using a small Shinny or Zenoah (I'm guessing) top handle saw for the felling.

What got my attention was the Grandfather shinnied up the pecker pole trimming branches 25' above the ground.
The old fella would have to be 70 if he was a day :jawdrop:


----------



## MCW

Outstanding. Harnesses are for pussies...


----------



## Stihlman441

A bit of topic but,talking about 'cypress' my mate is a fencer and he tells me cypress is more expensive than redgum when making post and rail fences,it don't rot and nothing eats it.


----------



## Rudolf73

Stihlman441 said:


> A bit of topic but,talking about 'cypress' my mate is a fencer and he tells me cypress is more expensive than redgum when making post and rail fences,it don't rot and nothing eats it.



Yes, thats right - cypress is naturally termite resistant as far as I know. And with new legislation aiming to ban harmful preservatives like creosote in all Australian states there will be much greater demand for naturally preserving timber like cypress. Hmmm, maybe I should plant some cypress trees in the backyard... :monkey:


----------



## tdi-rick

Stihlman441 said:


> A bit of topic but,talking about 'cypress' my mate is a fencer and he tells me cypress is more expensive than redgum when making post and rail fences,it don't rot and nothing eats it.



:arg:
Actually I think the Japanese were using a Cedar, why I typed 'cypress' I have no idea......brain fart probably. 

Anyway, Australian White Cypress (callitris glaucophylla) is a native that is as Rudolf said, naturally termite resistant.
All the older buildings here are White Cypress, if they aren't, they are falling down or disappeared long ago.
It's really hard for a softwood, as hard as some North American hardwoods, smells wonderful when working with it and apparently catches fire quickly and burns really hot, so an old house that catches on fire goes.

It's native just over the range from here, about 25km away, with a mill 40km away but most timber comes from The Pilliga.

It isn't used much as fencing here, too exxy and Ironbark and Stringy are used instead (and I'm pretty sure the Stringy here is different to your Stringy)

These are ancient cypress slabs, 10"x 2" thick in this old humpy of ours.
The modern timber is a lot smaller, knots are much more prevalent/closer and is a lot lighter.
These old girls were hidden under 6-8 layers of paint.
I had a builder strip it (i didn't want to inhale the lead  ) and then I linseed oiled it. I left the bits of old paint, sort of highlights it.







Note that the only half decent photo I had included a saw


----------



## Rudolf73

Thats a cool timber wall Rick - shows it has some history. Oh and I like the home décor too (makita style)


----------



## Zombiechopper

very interesting. 

So, when you guys fence you make your own posts? We buy them. They are very roughly debarked, pointed and pressure treated green. about $7 for an 8' x 5-6". The old old fence here that is still standing is willow cut from the land where the fences are. Some may be 100 years old. The willow posts I've pulled out are still solid wood although weathered away to thin diameter. Even 30 year old treated posts are mush now but that willow is still strong.


----------



## ropensaddle

Zombiechopper said:


> very interesting.
> 
> So, when you guys fence you make your own posts? We buy them. They are very roughly debarked, pointed and pressure treated green. about $7 for an 8' x 5-6". The old old fence here that is still standing is willow cut from the land where the fences are. Some may be 100 years old. The willow posts I've pulled out are still solid wood although weathered away to thin diameter. Even 30 year old treated posts are mush now but that willow is still strong.



Osage posts I have seen petrified!


----------



## tdi-rick

Zombiechopper said:


> very interesting.
> 
> So, when you guys fence you make your own posts? We buy them. They are very roughly debarked, pointed and pressure treated green. about $7 for an 8' x 5-6". The old old fence here that is still standing is willow cut from the land where the fences are. Some may be 100 years old. The willow posts I've pulled out are still solid wood although weathered away to thin diameter. Even 30 year old treated posts are mush now but that willow is still strong.



Treated pine is becoming pretty popular, but it doesn't last, appearing to start to split and crack after about ten years IMO.
It's easy to handle and rams in easily with a post driver on the back of a tractor and looks good for a few years.

Most rural fencing is still hardwood/star picket, eg. one wood to three steel posts and it's reasonably common for the timber on bigger properties (eg, 5000 acres and up) to use the timber off the place for their posts. 

The big Thoroughbred studs where I am mostly demand post and rail (big $ for a fancy image) and that's all cut from hardwood and the posts in each panel are normal strainer size.
A hell of a waste of good timber.

This clip (one of lumberjackau's clips) shows how our timber posts are cut, the Post Rip race is the money event at a Chainsaw race here, not the speed events.
Strainer posts are single logs, but the intermediate posts are cut and split as per the clip.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MM0KcjOMgr8&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MM0KcjOMgr8&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Treated pine is becoming pretty popular, but it doesn't last, appearing to start to split and crack after about ten years IMO.



It depends on your rainfall Rick. In higher rainfall areas Creosote will definately outlast your CCA green posts but in drier areas like where I live (11" average annual rainfall) the cost saving on CCA (approx $2 a post on 8' x 4-5") makes them worthwhile.
Speaking of Pine check out the photo below of a pine (Pencil Pine?) I cut down at a guy's place a year or so ago. Nicest grain I've seen. Termites won't touch this gear either and this particular tree was extremely hard for a Pine  This stump was just over 4 1/2 foot tall


----------



## tdi-rick

Good point Matt.

We're around 32" a year here and averaging well above that ATM, this is the best winter season here for a decade.
Getting further OT we're right on the cusp of the temperate/tropical divide so we average fairly consistent falls through the year, but it's been a really wet winter here this year.

We're lucky, we can buy CCA posts direct from the mill/plant (about 125km away) but we won't be using many on our place here, although we've used a few as piers to replace some really dodgy brick ones at the back of the house :monkey:
The rest of the house is so old it's just sitting on Ironbark stumps.


----------



## porky616

the pine is quiet popular around here to for fence posts but the number one is mulga, the termites need hard facing and carbide tipped teeth to get thru that stuff. the pine seems to last up 60 years before it rots away to nothing. mulga is the same but only the bit that contacts the ground will rot.


----------



## MCW

Am heading out again soon for a bit more of a cleanup but was out my mate's place again yesterday knocking over more of his mangey Casuarianas. It's getting messy, thats for sure. Once again the little 200T impressed...






By the way the stump in the picture isn't a barber chair, I just cut a stump up for my mate as an actual chair...














*Warning: Top handles shouldn't be used at ground level or for felling trees, they are very dangerous and not designed for this type of work *oke:






Don't look at the base of the log, I cut the base off to get it to drop off the stump...


----------



## AUSSIE1

Matt, with the privacy provided and the hole in the seat you could be mistaken for another use!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Matt, with the privacy provided and the hole in the seat you could be mistaken for another use!



Actually Al I hadn't noticed until I posted the photo. The log was a nice creamy white until I stained it


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Actually Al I hadn't noticed until I posted the photo. The log was a nice creamy white until I stained it



That's ok...next time you can bore cut a chute.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> That's ok...next time you can bore cut a chute.



I might have to teflon coat any chute too to avoid blockages 

I made up one of those "Scandinavian Candles" that I saw on this site somewhere and the old modded Makita and Carlton Full Chisel skip was quite a handful bore cutting the centre out but job well done.
Just took a couple of photos. It's cranked up nicely - even with a few wayward cuts. I'll be doing this again


----------



## ropensaddle

AUSSIE1 said:


> Matt, with the privacy provided and the hole in the seat you could be mistaken for another use!



hillbilly potty lol


----------



## MCW

ropensaddle said:


> hillbilly potty lol



Yep. Full Hillbilly Spec  A few splinters in the butt cheeks never hurt anybody...


----------



## wendell

I was in Las Vegas this past weekend at a meeting and I knew the name of the hotel I was staying at sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. Now I remembered it was the type of trees Matt cut down that started this thread.


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> I was in Las Vegas this past weekend at a meeting and I knew the name of the hotel I was staying at sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. Now I remembered it was the type of trees Matt cut down that started this thread.



The Casuarina Hotel? Sounds good


----------



## wendell

Yep!


----------



## ropensaddle

MCW said:


> Yep. Full Hillbilly Spec  A few splinters in the butt cheeks never hurt anybody...



Being very honest here; I would gladly set on a hollowed stump over a public commode.


----------



## MCW

ropensaddle said:


> Being very honest here; I would gladly set on a hollowed stump over a public commode.



Well at least you won't catch any nasty diseases


----------



## AUSSIE1

ropensaddle said:


> Being very honest here; I would gladly set on a hollowed stump over a public commode.



Only PC would argue with that!


----------



## MCW

Back again gents. Just got back from Tasmania after doing a bit of cutting for a mate again. Have a heap of videos however having trouble encoding them in high def at the moment. Will get them up ASAP.
Basically just firewood cutting and got as much wood on the ground and cut up ready to split as possible. Unfortunately the weather wasn't too kind and instead of around 12 days of felling and cutting I only managed around 7 days. A few inches of rain meant that vehicle access to the top part of the property was impossible.

I was meant to take my personal D40 Nissan Navara but it had a fuel pressure regulator die under warranty a few weeks prior then had other issues that the dealer couldn't work out. I ended up taking my work vehicle, a dual cab TD Ford Ranger. Due to the wet conditions I borrowed every esky I could get my mitts on to keep stuff out of the weather as it had an open tray, unlike the Navara.

Loaded and ready to go (note 3 x 20L of Port and 2 x 20L of Bar Oil)...






Saws packed away - the 200T was in another box...






Dropped a couple of nice Stringybarks for firewood. My mate's little kid loved it...






The type of forest I was cutting in has still got a few large trees (Stringybarks and Tasmanian Blue Gums). Very nice country around here...


----------



## MCW

One decent sized Blue Gum next to one of the main tracks had some rot in the trunk. The top half was fine and Tassie Blue Gum is excellent firewood. Very dense and hard too. This particular tree was probably around 140' tall and as it started falling the stump collapsed sending the tree about 30° off target. I actually expected it to miss the mark due to it's weight and lean but didn't expect the stump to collapse as it did. The 390XPG and 32" bar made short work of it...














And cutting it up...














And my best mate, complete with beer!


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## gmax

Nice photo's Matt, I must get down there one day.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Excellent photo's Matt. 

Nice looking property.

Unusual to here bluegum is good for firewood with it up here being very ashy and those stringy's are a little different to here also.


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## Stihlman441

Ge your mate is doing all right if you cut all his firewood for him,i wish i had a mate come over and cut all my firewood for me.i could sit back and watch with a beer.


----------



## ChipMonger

Looks like a lot of fun Matt. You guys have some awesome country down under. I really want to cut a stringy bark, im not sure why but that tree really intrigues me.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Nice photo's Matt, I must get down there one day.



Damn right you should Wayne! It's a beautiful place, particularly in the Huon Valley where I was.

Here's a nice straight young Blue Gum, probably around 120-130' tall. The Makita was the go to saw when a bar of 24" was enough. This is a gutsy saw and grew on me a lot this trip...










Fire damaged Stringybark. I dropped it with the 390XP and 36" bar. No problem at all. Had a good lean and was easy...






I then chopped the bulk of it up with the 3120, 36" Hard Top, and .404" semi chisel skip. Nothing spews out chips faster than a big saw and .404"!






Another shot of the forest. This area is one of the landings from old logging operations in the area. One of my mate's old neighbours said she'd seen pictures of her father on these hills back in the middle 1900's and apart from the odd larger tree the whole valley had basically been been clearfelled.






And my mate's house from the valley floor...






And this scenario sucks. I was cutting up a log on the ground and the tip hit a neighbouring branch. I assumed that was why it wasn't cutting well so leant on it a bit more. By the time I realised I was actually hitting a nice solid rock the Carlton full chisel chain that was cutting a treat had been toasted. All the chrome was gone...






And a happy snap of the 3120 and 60" GB Ti bar in a big Pine Log...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Excellent photo's Matt.
> 
> Nice looking property.
> 
> Unusual to here bluegum is good for firewood with it up here being very ashy and those stringy's are a little different to here also.



Yeah Al as discussed the other day Blue Gum is the firewood of choice down there. Stringybark is a bit easier to come by for the average cutter and is a bit more widespread.



Stihlman441 said:


> Ge your mate is doing all right if you cut all his firewood for him,i wish i had a mate come over and cut all my firewood for me.i could sit back and watch with a beer.



Yeah I've been called crazy more than once. The other half couldn't come down with me as she'd run out of holidays so this was a "man" trip  Beer and chainsaws, good stuff. I actually don't mind this sort of work. I probably laid over about 200-250 tonne of wood by the time I'd left. The couple of 140 foot Blue Gums I dropped would have had about 20 tonne in them each I reckon. Cut most of the larger stuff up into rounds ready for the splitter. Problem with those big Blue Gum rounds is they'd be cracking the 100kg mark so have to be sectioned up afterwards.



ChipMonger said:


> Looks like a lot of fun Matt. You guys have some awesome country down under. I really want to cut a stringy bark, im not sure why but that tree really intrigues me.



Yeah I love it down there mate. Although I love the country where I live it's flat and relatively boring compared to down there. As Andrew (Stihlman441) has mentioned in his threads, Stringybark can be a real mongrel to cut. I had to clear oil holes in the bars about a dozen times. It's not unusual to be cutting up a round and just have the saw get slower and slower and slower until it stalls. The bark just jams everything up. The bark also folds around the front of the cutters and the saw will just ride on top until forced into the hardwood where the cutters clear themselves and away you go. When I finally get the vids up you'll see me backing the saw out ocasionally and giving it a rev to clear the bar and sprocket and to get a bit of oil flow going again 

Stringybarks also get pretty big too and are some of the largest trees in Australia...










With the rain they'd had there were creeks everywhere. I donned the raincoat plus 390XPG, backpack complete with fuel, spare bar, chains etc and made the journey by foot one day. It was that punishing I didn't do it again. I am most certainly no mountain goat.


----------



## MCW

Nice firewood sized Stringybark getting cut up with the Makita. This one was dead with no rot - very rare down here with the amount of rainfall.






And the local Stihl dealer's Nissan Navara (same as mine). Really good guy. 






My earmuffs on my helmet really weren't up to the task with modded saws and got to be a bit hard on the ears by the end of the day. I planned on buying a Stihl setup however he talked me out of it. He said the local forestry workers dislike the standard Stihl muffs and choose to fit Peltors instead. Although he ended up out of pocket I fitted Peltors to my standard no name brand helmet. What can I say! They are awesome. The new muffs cost more than my whole helmet setup but I couldn't believe how much noise they block out 

We had a good chat about business etc. By the end he was asking me to buy his business as forestry is dying rapidly in the area and things are tough. I passed


----------



## Machold

Beautiful pics! It always hurts a little to see big beautiful thriving trees cut down, but what has to be done has to be done. Beautiful windbreaks - or as my nephew used to call them when he was little, "farts" - he didn't understand that windbreaks and break wind were different.


----------



## MCW

Machold said:


> Beautiful pics! It always hurts a little to see big beautiful thriving trees cut down, but what has to be done has to be done. Beautiful windbreaks - or as my nephew used to call them when he was little, "farts" - he didn't understand that windbreaks and break wind were different.



I know what you mean. I dropped two older larger Blue Gums. It was only when they hit the deck I realised just how big they were - I had completely underestimated their height by around 40-50 feet. You'll see in one of my videos when I finally get them uploaded that I nearly took my new HD video camera out with one of the Blue Gums when it landed - I thought it would fall well short  My mate had about 5-6 of these biggies lined up. Two was enough for me. They really are beautiful trees. I decided to concentrate on Stringybarks and Peppermint gums for firewood after that. I'm no greenie tree hugger but I got a soft spot for these Blue Gums.
The wind break and break wind comment made me laugh. Kids say some stupid things


----------



## blsnelling

Absolutely beautiful country, Matt. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Absolutely beautiful country, Matt. Thanks for sharing!



No worries Brad. All your saws ran well  Video uploading to Youtube as we speak


----------



## wendell

Thanks for the pics, Matt!


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Thanks for the pics, Matt!



No problems  Now if only this stupid Youtube video would start working 

*FINALLY...*

And here is one of the videos. I didn't end up processing it in high definition as it kept spitting the dummy. I'll continue trying. As you can see in the video the text prior to each clip didn't come out too well  In some of them you can play "Guess Which Tree" as I can't be seen!!!

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FiOIKVfesc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FiOIKVfesc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## Stihlman441

Good work there Matt,thanks for sharing,very nice part of the world down there.Keep the pics and videos coming there are great and look forward to seeing more.Good to see you are getting on so well with the stringybark .
Do they have termites in the stringy down there ?.

Cheers
Andrew


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Good work there Matt,thanks for sharing,very nice part of the world down there.Keep the pics and videos coming there are great and look forward to seeing more.Good to see you are getting on so well with the stringybark .
> Do they have termites in the stringy down there ?.
> 
> Cheers
> Andrew



Hey the lack of termites is quite surprising. There are so few my mate was convinced they didn't have them but in all the wood I've cut down there I've only seen one lot of live termites in an old dead Blue Gum log.

At least you understand the Stringy mate


----------



## AUSSIE1

Great video Matt. I didn't see most of that the other day. Those stringy's were alot healthier up the middle than most of our stringy's here due to the termites. Great wood, annoying bark.


----------



## wendell

Thanks, matt, wish I could rep you!


----------



## mdavlee

Nice pictures. I can't wait to see the videos.


----------



## Andyshine77

Great stuff as usual Matt.


----------



## bitzer

Good pics and vids man! Those look like some fun tall trees! You're making me a little nervous when you never look up though. Especially when the tree is starting to tip. Get clear, #### is falling a long way. Also flip the saw, cut from one side. You're standing under the lean one way or another. Otherwise good stuff! Looks like fun!


----------



## MCW

bitzercreek1 said:


> You're making me a little nervous when you never look up though.!



Don't need to look up, I've got a helmet  Heh heh.
I know what you mean but most of these trees were pretty heavy leaners with very few if any dangerous, ready to drop limbs and no interlocking canopies directly above me. What you didn't see was a fair amount of canopy assessment on each tree before I even started the saws from basically all angles and from varying distances. I don't want to die any more than the next guy 

There were also a number of larger dead trees that I didn't touch due to some dangerous looking widowmakers.



bitzercreek1 said:


> Also flip the saw, cut from one side. You're standing under the lean one way or another. Otherwise good stuff! Looks like fun!



I think I know what you mean and correct me if I've misunderstood but when you're running a 24" bar on a 30"+ tree it's a bit hard to cut from one side. 

Yeah it is fun


----------



## willbarryrec

*Nice Vid and pics*

Love the sun coming up (or coming out from cloud cover) at 1:40 ..

That 390 is a beast!:jawdrop: and that makita sounds wicked at idle....and WOT
Nice job all around!
:wave:


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> Loaded and ready to go (note 3 x 20L of Port and 2 x 20L of Bar Oil)...
> 
> [snip]



Good to see you had your priorities sorted mate....


----------



## bitzer

MCW said:


> Don't need to look up, I've got a helmet  Heh heh.
> I know what you mean but most of these trees were pretty heavy leaners with very few if any dangerous, ready to drop limbs and no interlocking canopies directly above me. What you didn't see was a fair amount of canopy assessment on each tree before I even started the saws from basically all angles and from varying distances. I don't want to die any more than the next guy
> 
> There were also a number of larger dead trees that I didn't touch due to some dangerous looking widowmakers.
> 
> 
> 
> I think I know what you mean and correct me if I've misunderstood but when you're running a 24" bar on a 30"+ tree it's a bit hard to cut from one side.
> 
> Yeah it is fun



I sure saw the lean on some of them and I'm sure you did a good assesment before hand. I've had some crazy stuff happen like tops snappin back at me because of that hard forward lean though. When they go, they go fast and hard. The crown will put back pressure on the middle and if there is any rot or soft spots, snap. Especially when the wood gets taller and whippyer. 

With a bar shorter than the wood. Stay on the side you put your face in from and walk the saw around the back to the other side. Nip off what you can't reach then get back over to the side you put your face in from, dog in and swing. The far side has to be cut first if thats the lean (compression) side anyway. That way you are never under the lean or the swing side. 


The large ones with the widow makers are the trees I usually mess with. They are the most fun.  Tight canopy and flying branches! 

That was a pretty fun vid to watch to though! Good stuff man!


----------



## MCW

bitzercreek1 said:


> I sure saw the lean on some of them and I'm sure you did a good assesment before hand. I've had some crazy stuff happen like tops snappin back at me because of that hard forward lean though. When they go, they go fast and hard. The crown will put back pressure on the middle and if there is any rot or soft spots, snap. Especially when the wood gets taller and whippyer.
> 
> With a bar shorter than the wood. Stay on the side you put your face in from and walk the saw around the back to the other side. Nip off what you can't reach then get back over to the side you put your face in from, dog in and swing. The far side has to be cut first if thats the lean (compression) side anyway. That way you are never under the lean or the swing side.
> 
> 
> The large ones with the widow makers are the trees I usually mess with. They are the most fun.  Tight canopy and flying branches!
> 
> That was a pretty fun vid to watch to though! Good stuff man!



Thanks for the explanation mate and I undertand what you're saying. That big one with the rot that you saw me gallop away from in the vid was the one I was the most wary of. The cutting was easy but it gave a few "false starts" that it was going. There were a number of death cracks that gave me an indication it was going over - in fact at one point you could hear the hingewood going for at least 5 minutes then the cracking stopped. The original video went for over 15 minutes. As you could see in the video there was a wad of wedges I jammed in the back that I was certain would get it over but alas, I had to come in and finish it with the 390XPG and the tiniest of cuts 


Now just gotta get these other videos to encode properly


----------



## MCW

willbarryrec said:


> That 390 is a beast!:jawdrop: and that makita sounds wicked at idle....and WOT
> Nice job all around!
> :wave:



You can thank Brad Snelling for the "beastiness" of the 390XP and the XPG. Brad modded the 390XP from new for me whereas the 390XPG was Brad's old saw. Funnily enough you don't realise they sound that tough when you're actually using them but when you see a video of them you realise they sound completely different. They are both very tough saws - the 79cc Makita with the pop up piston and 200psi compression is not as far behind the modded 90cc 390XP Huskys as some people may think 



tdi-rick said:


> Good to see you had your priorities sorted mate....



Yeah I know mate. Then I caught up with Al on the way home and gave him some of the Port as well. He's probably been on the juice for the last week and porting under the influence.
Good to see you back online mate, as mentioned when I phoned you we'd been checking the news and Youtube in case you'd been kidnapped


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> You can thank Brad Snelling for the "beastiness" of the 390XP and the XPG. Brad modded the 390XP from new for me whereas the 390XPG was Brad's old saw. Funnily enough you don't realise they sound that tough when you're actually using them but when you see a video of them you realise they sound completely different. They are both very tough saws - the 79cc Makita with the pop up piston and 200psi compression is not as far behind the modded 90cc 390XP Huskys as some people may think
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah I know mate. Then I caught up with Al on the way home and gave him some of the Port as well. He's probably been on the juice for the last week and porting under the influence.
> Good to see you back online mate, as mentioned when I phoned you we'd been checking the news and Youtube in case you'd been kidnapped



Port and home made Irish cream......wow!


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Y
> [snip]
> 
> Yeah I know mate. Then I caught up with Al on the way home and gave him some of the Port as well. He's probably been on the juice for the last week and porting under the influence.
> Good to see you back online mate, as mentioned when I phoned you we'd been checking the news and Youtube in case you'd been kidnapped



Naa mate, I'm a cockroach 

Emails back up too, BigPond were out from Monday through yesterday for anyone with a dot.com address


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Port and home made Irish cream......wow!



Now I am jealous 

BTW Al, did you notice a month back that Brown Bros have bought Gunns vineyards in Tassie as a hedge against climate change ?

One more excuse to visit the apple isle.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Port and home made Irish cream......wow!



At the same time? Madness...


Also I suppose it's worth me saying that I had a crack on Al's self modded 371XP and 395XP.
I know he'll get a fat head and I hope his "one size fits all" cap doesn't run out of adjustment but both saws were very very impressive.
The only wood he had handy was a couple of old dead Grey Box logs (one of the hardest timbers on the planet) so we had a mini (micro) GTG right there and then. My chains were set up far too aggressive for timber that hard and even my 3120 with .404" semi chisel skip was grabbing and stalling in probably a 14" section  The 7901 with semi chisel was cutting but bogging too much. In the Stringybark or Blue Gum in Tasmania that same chain was cutting a treat.
Al had his chains set up perfect for timber like that and he'd even whacked a square filed chain on the 371 (by the way Al your square filing looked good to me even though you hinted it wasn't too flash!). It cut awesome and although I only had a couple of cuts I was very very impressed. I also ran the tacho over it for him. Peak no load was a tad under 14,000 but what surprised me was the thing held revs between 10,000 and 12,000 in the cut. Now that impressed me  Although "maybe" just behind in larger wood I'm pretty sure it would give the Makita a run for it's money on wood maybe 24" or less. I'd love to run them side by side one day in the same wood with the same chain.
He also showed me some of his port work - he does a very neat job and certainly knows what he's doing.

How's the head Al?


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Now I am jealous
> 
> BTW Al, did you notice a month back that Brown Bros have bought Gunns vineyards in Tassie as a hedge against climate change ?
> 
> One more excuse to visit the apple isle.



Yes the Irish cream is easy to make and I got the dregs from Matt's Tassie trip (ten litres)! 

No I didn't hear this about the Brown boys. I wonder if they will bottle it over there? They make a nice drop!

Where ya been Rick? Thought you might have liked that 7900 a little too much!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yes the Irish cream is easy to make and I got the dregs from Matt's Tassie trip (ten litres)!



DREGS??? (Well OK I filtered out a few dags with my used undies but certainly not dregs  )



AUSSIE1 said:


> Where ya been Rick? Thought you might have liked that 7900 a little too much!



Yeah I'd been keeping a close eye on eBay for my modded 7900...


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Now I am jealous
> 
> BTW Al, did you notice a month back that Brown Bros have bought Gunns vineyards in Tassie as a hedge against climate change ?
> 
> One more excuse to visit the apple isle.



Good old climate change eh? For the first time in donkey's years Hobart has had snow down to sea level. It's been snowing at my mate's place where these photos and vids are from all today.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Now I am jealous
> 
> BTW Al, did you notice a month back that Brown Bros have bought Gunns vineyards in Tassie as a hedge against climate change ?
> 
> One more excuse to visit the apple isle.



Bluddy internet...could get through for a moment...

Yes the Irish cream is easy to make and I got the dregs from Matt's Tassie trip (ten litres)! 

No I didn't hear this about the Brown boys. I wonder if they will bottle it over there? They make a nice drop!

Where ya been Rick? Thought you might have liked that 7900 a little too much!


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> DREGS??? (Well OK I filtered out a few dags with my used undies but certainly not dregs  )
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah I'd been keeping a close eye on eBay for my modded 7900...



_ebay !_ sheesh, if I was going to fence it I'd like to think I could do a little better than ebay.......


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yes the Irish cream is easy to make and I got the dregs from Matt's Tassie trip (ten litres)!
> 
> No I didn't hear this about the Brown boys. I wonder if they will bottle it over there? They make a nice drop!
> 
> Where ya been Rick? Thought you might have liked that 7900 a little too much!





AUSSIE1 said:


> Bluddy internet...could get through for a moment...
> 
> Yes the Irish cream is easy to make and I got the dregs from Matt's Tassie trip (ten litres)!
> 
> No I didn't hear this about the Brown boys. I wonder if they will bottle it over there? They make a nice drop!
> 
> Where ya been Rick? Thought you might have liked that 7900 a little too much!



You been drinking again Al? No need to tell us twice, we heard you the first time


----------



## MCW

G'day Wayne. Seen one of these mate? I forgot to take photos of the old Stihl Al's mate had...















I saw you lurking there mate


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> You been drinking again Al? No need to tell us twice, we heard you the first time



Must have been when the net had a brain fart... Nope, haven't had a drink for days, lol!

Mate, 10 odd litres is near on dregs when you originally had 60 litres, but nothing wrong with that!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Mate, 10 odd litres is near on dregs when you originally had 60 litres, but nothing wrong with that!



Yeah but your 10 litres was poured off the top of a 20 litre container so my mate probably got the dregs  Ethanol is pretty light so your Port may be more like 25% alcohol instead of 18%! Heh heh. Not a bad drop though old son. Especially in a chilly area like yours.


----------



## AUSSIE1




----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Yeah but your 10 litres was poured off the top of a 20 litre container so my mate probably got the dregs  Ethanol is pretty light so your Port may be more like 25% alcohol instead of 18%! Heh heh. Not a bad drop though old son. Especially in a chilly area like yours.



Hey, I'm not complaining mate, thankyou very much...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Hey, I'm not complaining mate, thankyou very much...



Nah no probs mate. Thanks once again to you and Tim for the tour of the area, particularly where the bushfires went through - that was an eye opener.

Good stuff on the Stihl piccys too


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Nah no probs mate. Thanks once again to you and Tim for the tour of the area, particularly where the bushfires went through - that was an eye opener.
> 
> Good stuff on the Stihl piccys too



Tim? Pain in the butt... oh well... had to chuckle in back when he got a couple of dents in the GU for a change! :hmm3grin2orange:

I'm over working on his truck tomorrow so I might make a start on the GU also, if I can put up with him for that long.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> G'day Wayne. Seen one of these mate? I forgot to take photos of the old Stihl Al's mate had...
> 
> [snip]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I saw you lurking there mate



http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...aa5c1200de50564b88256afb002140c3?OpenDocument


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.n...aa5c1200de50564b88256afb002140c3?OpenDocument



Uh oh. Wayne won't be happy Rick with you jumping in like that 

Here are some photo of the area that Al and Tim took me on a trip through. Tim had his stock 372XP in the box on top of his Patrol - we needed it a few times as trees were across the tracks everywhere...














And the legendary Al with Tim's stock 372XP. We rubbed it in numerous times that a stock 372XP wasn't even worth starting and that it needed to be modded. Tim saw the joke


----------



## porky616

nice pics matt and nice vids too.
did ya notice them beavers at the bottom of the C6 page? looked like a trucker beaver


----------



## AUSSIE1

Good job Rick


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> nice pics matt and nice vids too.
> did ya notice them beavers at the bottom of the C6 page? looked like a trucker beaver



Damn Beavers 

More piccys from around Al's stomping ground. Beautiful country, even when it's been burnt...






















One minute it's getting burnt then there is flooding. Water was laying everywhere but most of this is heading to where I live 700km away via the Murray Darling system...


----------



## AUSSIE1

They are a good saw, just not particularly exciting stock.

That second last pic doesn't show the steepness of that track.

Nice area in there being full of old gold mines and air shafts.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> That second last pic doesn't show the steepness of that track.



Yeah you're right mate. Even with the handbrake on and the automatic Patrol set to Park it was still a bit up in the air whether the old Nissan was going to continue sliding down the muddy hill.


----------



## tdi-rick

Do you have to travel far to the State Forrest Al ?
I think the nearest one to here is about 65-70km away.

I have to do some work on a farm near there next week, (7000 acre grazing property in the hills) so if I get time i might go and have a look, if i can get anywhere, it's sopping wet here ATM, the ground can't take anymore.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Yeah you're right mate. Even with the handbrake on and the automatic Patrol set to Park it was still a bit up in the air whether the old Nissan was going to continue sliding down the muddy hill.



:hmm3grin2orange:



tdi-rick said:


> Do you have to travel far to the State Forrest Al ?
> I think the nearest one to here is about 65-70km away.
> 
> I have to do some work on a farm near there next week, (7000 acre grazing property in the hills) so if I get time i might go and have a look, if i can get anywhere, it's sopping wet here ATM, the ground can't take anymore.



No Rick, it's just out behind my place. I used to ride the trail bike out my front gate down the road for a couple of k's to access the bush.
Same wet ground here. It's all run off now.


----------



## MCW

Yay  Finally managed to get a program that would successfully encode HD video. Windows Movie Maker or Movie Maker Live kept faulting out half way through or simply wouldn't encode it properly. I ended up purchasing Cyberlink Powerdirector. Good program and does it very very fast. The time however is taken when uploading to Youtube  3 hours for this one...

Anyway, here is a video of cookie cutting with my 3120 and 60" bar. Chain was .404" Carlton Semi Chisel Skip on a big Pine log...


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mc3MS5m2JTQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mc3MS5m2JTQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## AUSSIE1

Good stuff Matt.

The sound, picture and colour quality is excellent with that camera.

You could go up one size with your youtube view with that quality.


----------



## mdavlee

The video looked good. I think that saw needs to be ported something awful.


----------



## Stihlman441

Good work there Matt,its nice to cut some soft pine (US hard wood) for a change,it would be good to have a stock 880 there to compare the two.Its funny how around here there has been a campane to get rid of those big pines almost treated as vermin and to exterminate at any cost.
I like the HD videos what camera have ya got ?.


----------



## mdavlee

I finally got to watch the long video. I think you would really benefit from a wrap handle when felling some of those trees.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Good stuff Matt.
> 
> The sound, picture and colour quality is excellent with that camera.
> 
> You could go up one size with your youtube view with that quality.



Go up one size? Mate I was absolutely chuffed that it even uploaded  



mdavlee said:


> The video looked good. I think that saw needs to be ported something awful.



Yep it's just screaming out to be ported. Maybe in about 6 months when it's warranty runs out 



Stihlman441 said:


> Good work there Matt,its nice to cut some soft pine (US hard wood) for a change,it would be good to have a stock 880 there to compare the two.Its funny how around here there has been a campane to get rid of those big pines almost treated as vermin and to exterminate at any cost.
> I like the HD videos what camera have ya got ?.



Hi Andrew. Yeah Pine is like butter mate  My other half does the accounts etc at an electronics store so I got a ripper of a deal (cost + 5%). The camera I got was a Panasonic HDC-HS60. Not big dollars but has a 120GB hard drive plus an SD slot and also has a pretty good quality 25x optical zoom. Battery life with the standard battery is pretty average though. 
Hey I've run my 3120 side by side with a mate's 880 (now sold) and there was nothing in it. We swapped saws a few times in a big Redgum log. I thought the 880 had a bit more vibration and he thought my 3120 had a bit more grunt. I didn't notice any real difference in power, only the vibes. My mate has a real monster pine, probably around 7 foot at the base, left on his property that he wanted me to fell last year but his wife liked all the little "Christmas Trees" that grow from it's seeds. One day it'll go he told me, maybe when she's not looking 



mdavlee said:


> I finally got to watch the long video. I think you would really benefit from a wrap handle when felling some of those trees.



Not the good old wrap handle debate  I'm going to try and redo the tree felling vid in HD. Even the 3120 video above was nearly 500MB. High Def really takes up some space


----------



## porky616

Stihlman441 said:


> Good work there Matt,its nice to cut some soft pine (US hard wood) for a change,it would be good to have a stock 880 there to compare the two.Its funny how around here there has been a campane to get rid of those big pines almost treated as vermin and to exterminate at any cost.
> I like the HD videos what camera have ya got ?.



US hardwood ah now thats funny
them big victorian pines kept me in work through winter around hamilton way for a couple years. one bloke we worked for wouldve spent over $2mill clearing pines on his several farms, he hated them with a passion and money was no object.


----------



## MCW

YAY!!! More HD. The tree felling one was 1.8GB and took about 16 hours to upload and process - the joy of HD. Lucky I'm not on dial up 

The 390XP getting stuck into a Blue Gum log. This is very hard and dense wood (by the way ignore the title saying XPG - it was only when I played this clip on my HD 46" LCD TV that I realised it was actually the XP)...


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_I7irEJ8NKo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_I7irEJ8NKo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>


Tree felling...


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvlOulFwOr0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cvlOulFwOr0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>


----------



## AUSSIE1

Nice colour, definition and that sound reproduction is excellent.

At that price you could sell camera's too Matt!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Nice colour, definition and that sound reproduction is excellent.
> 
> At that price you could sell camera's too Matt!



Yeah it does pick up the sound well, even at distance. Thats why I let one of the vids with the Makita and one with the 390XP run a bit longer, just because of the sound  

Nah buggar the camera sales mate, I'll stick with methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuweenies, and the odd bags of heroin. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do


----------



## gmax

AUSSIE1 said:


>



Wow that's a neat looking 070, Matt your videos are crystal clear but to watch them in HD I would have to download them, my connection is pretty slow thanks to Telstra's dodgy phone lines.


----------



## Jacob J.

MCW said:


> It depends on your rainfall Rick. In higher rainfall areas Creosote will definately outlast your CCA green posts but in drier areas like where I live (11" average annual rainfall) the cost saving on CCA (approx $2 a post on 8' x 4-5") makes them worthwhile.
> Speaking of Pine check out the photo below of a pine (Pencil Pine?) I cut down at a guy's place a year or so ago. Nicest grain I've seen. Termites won't touch this gear either and this particular tree was extremely hard for a Pine  This stump was just over 4 1/2 foot tall



That is one cool stump Matt, might make for good end tables or such if big enough. 

Those pics of your Tassy falling are the tops, looks like a real good time. You boys have it swell down that way.


----------



## Stihlman441

porky616 said:


> US hardwood ah now thats funny
> them big victorian pines kept me in work through winter around hamilton way for a couple years. one bloke we worked for wouldve spent over $2mill clearing pines on his several farms, he hated them with a passion and money was no object.



Yar thats what i mean about the pines,i drive to SA past Hamilton often and you see them going everywhere.I dont know why they hate um so much ?.


----------



## Stihlman441

Matt,
Its funny how ya get used to the sound of your own saws and when ya here something differant i makes ya ears prick up.They have that at idle mean rough sound,that tell ya straight away there not stock but angrey and ready to go.(i think i have had to many beers)
Those Blue Gums ya cutting look differant than some i cut a few weeks ago down near Colac,they were planted for firewood and were about 20'' accross at the base.They had long stripes of bark that caskaded down from above,but ferther up the thin bark was silver in colour,it was easy to block up and creamy colour inside.I suppose there is hundreds of differant types of gums.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> YAY!!! More HD. The tree felling one was 1.8GB and took about 16 hours to upload and process - the joy of HD. Lucky I'm not on dial up
> [snip]



I'll ask my mate that lives down the hill from us what he uses.
He's a doco maker/cameraman/editor (ex-ABC/SBS and I think CNN in the Middle East)
I was only down there mid week picking up some cool new programs (including p/shop CS4 :monkey: )


----------



## porky616

Stihlman441 said:


> Yar thats what i mean about the pines,i drive to SA past Hamilton often and you see them going everywhere.I dont know why they hate um so much ?.



them sound barriers along the freeways in melbourne took care of a lot of the big ones, blokes were coming along and milling what they wanted and left the rest for the farmers to clean up. biggest issue i found with them was the age and amount of rot they seem to have made them too dangerous to have around.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Matt,
> Its funny how ya get used to the sound of your own saws and when ya here something differant i makes ya ears prick up.They have that at idle mean rough sound,that tell ya straight away there not stock but angrey and ready to go.
> Those Blue Gums ya cutting look differant than some i cut a few weeks ago down near Colac,they were planted for firewood and were about 20'' accross at the base.They had long stripes of bark that caskaded down from above,but ferther up the thin bark was silver in colour,it was easy to block up and creamy colour inside.I suppose there is hundreds of differant types of gums.



Yeah Al said the same thing that the Tasmanian Blue Gums look different. These things get huge and I think are in the top 5 or so tallest species in Australia. They are also excellent firewood whereas Al said the Blue Gums in his area aren't so good however there are 6 species of Blue Gum and the one in Tassie isn't found in his area. The image below shows the distribution of Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus) in Australia.








Stihlman441 said:


> (i think i have had to many beers)



And is this a problem mate?  I don't see one...



tdi-rick said:


> I'll ask my mate that lives down the hill from us what he uses.
> He's a doco maker/cameraman/editor (ex-ABC/SBS and I think CNN in the Middle East)
> I was only down there mid week picking up some cool new programs (including p/shop CS4 :monkey: )



I'll get you a copy of the old Euclid too mate. She ain't protected  Al installed it no worries as did my mate in Tassie.


----------



## MCW

Jacob J. said:


> That is one cool stump Matt, might make for good end tables or such if big enough.
> 
> Those pics of your Tassy falling are the tops, looks like a real good time. You boys have it swell down that way.



Thanks JJ. Yeah I manually slabbed that lump of pine and now it's stacked in the guy's shed. Unfortunately I cut it too thin and it warped a bit.

Yeah Tasmania is a beautiful place. I love it down there but unfortunately from an economic point of view it's not real flash. For instance if I took an Agronomy position down there I'd be looking at around a $20k per year pay cut, if I could get a job at all...


----------



## tdi-rick

mcw said:


> [snip]
> 
> i'll get you a copy of the old euclid too mate. She ain't protected  al installed it no worries as did my mate in tassie.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


>



Oh, haven't you got yours yet Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh, haven't you got yours yet Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:



I'll swap him for a certain 7900


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh, haven't you got yours yet Rick? :hmm3grin2orange:





MCW said:


> I'll swap him for a certain 7900










BTW, there was an excellent programme on eucalypts on NSW ABC this arvo, unfortunately SA got some club aerial ping pong and can't remember what Vic got instead.


----------



## MCW

Haven't posted for a while. Have been doing the odd bit of cutting here and there but mainly smaller stuff with the 200T around the house.
Headed back out to the corporate farm again as I had actually forgotten about a run of Poplar trees. There are also the odd leaners and tricky Casuarinas left which I'll drop here and there with the right winds and/or help.

The row of Poplars in question was 91 trees and took exactly 4 hours. I went along first and pruned all the bottom branches off with the 200T and 14" bar so then I had easier access later with the modded Makita to fell them. It is amazing just how much work you can do on a tank of fuel with a 200T! I only went through about 6 tanks here.










Pruned out the lower limbs...










Then got stuck into them with the Makita and 24" bar. This wood is very difficult to cut funnily enough. The chains (I tried two) just didn't seem to want to "self feed". Funny timber, very soft and springy, just painful! These same chains absolutely ate the harder Casuarina wood...

Also had to really drive through the hinge, otherwise they'd close the face and just sit there like this one. There was also a pretty solid left to right wind as well...










Anybody looking at my stumps would probably be shocked unless they realised you had to cut straight through the hinge to fell them properly.


----------



## MCW

Also dropped one remaining lonesome Casuarina. Why I hadn't dropped this one already I'm not sure - I think the wind at the time may have been going the wrong way?






Sort of tight but not too difficult...






Also had a bird's nest in it. They were Currawong chicks. Pity as they are nice birds. Couldn't catch the two surviving chicks so unfortunately left them there. I'd think they wouldn't have lasted long...


----------



## parrisw

Nice work Matt! That's crazy that the tree just sits there once the face closed up.


----------



## MacLaren

I would really like to visit Australia some time. Beautiful country! I bet its a pretty penny for a plane ticket though.....


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Nice work Matt! That's crazy that the tree just sits there once the face closed up.



Yeah mate it's pretty amazing. I've had Poplars do this before but I'm sure other species I'm unfamiliar with would do the same thing.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah mate it's pretty amazing. I've had Poplars do this before but I'm sure other species I'm unfamiliar with would do the same thing.



Cool man. 

Let me know about the BB kits too. I wont be doing any saws this winter, well maybe, but not likely, I'm restoring a boat right now. But the one you sent is still running strong in the hands of the tree guys still.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Cool man.
> 
> Let me know about the BB kits too. I wont be doing any saws this winter, well maybe, but not likely, I'm restoring a boat right now. But the one you sent is still running strong in the hands of the tree guys still.



Good to hear the 372 BB kit is going well Will. Have got some 395XP BB kits coming in a few weeks along with five Dolmar BB kits too (all my Chinese mate can supply for now - at least I can test the Dolmar kits myself). Getting one MS460 BB kit for a look also.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Good to hear the 372 BB kit is going well Will. Have got some 395XP BB kits coming in a few weeks along with five Dolmar BB kits too (all my Chinese mate can supply for now - at least I can test the Dolmar kits myself). Getting one MS460 BB kit for a look also.



Great!!!


----------



## MCW

Ah well long time no posty. Haven't been doing too many jobs lately as have been too busy with other things. 
Got asked to drop a dying gum tree for a mate's parents. Easy fell and not an overly large tree (about a 22" trunk). Decided to give my new 660 a crack at it's first felling job. Now this thing has serious poke. Very addictive poke I might add. They are certainly a nice felling saw. All cuts lined up nicely which surprised me as I thought I'd be a bit out of whack with a new, unfamiliar saw. It will not, however, knock my 390XP or 7900's off their perch. I have spent far too much time on these saws to let this 660 waltz on in and take top spot(s).
Had an 8 pin sprocket on it, a 25" ES bar, and near new RSC chain. Well to say this thing ate the tree is an understatement. It just laughed at it.
Anyway, tree fell over where it was meant to (a good lean helped) and I started cutting it up into firewood lengths. The whole time myself, my mate, and his dad were amazed at the speed this thing chewed up this mostly dead hardwood - until I hit some concrete I didn't see. Scratch one near new Stihl chain. Off to the grinder you go...

Anyway, a few photos attached. Would have liked to get more but the daylight was running out and the whole shooting match was over in less than 20 minutes and a tank of fuel...










And some photos of the filter. This was clean prior to this job. Although all finer particles were stopped, I'm still amazed at just how much crap ends up on the Husky 390 and the 660's filter. The Dolmar HD filter would be clean (no joke). After less than one tank this is honestly a bit disappointing.
I can't help but think the Stihl and Husky setups are designed to stop larger chips and not finer dust. Any particles with a bit of mass and weight are probably ejected away from the filter I presume...














Great saw nonetheless 

Have a very large dead Tasmanian Blue Gum to drop for a guy before Christmas. That one is tricky and will be interesting but I can see the 660 getting another opportunity.


----------



## mdavlee

In our wood I can get 2-3 tanks before the filter is totally covered. I almost forget about it as the huskys can go a long time before they get close to that much dust on them.


----------



## gmax

Matt, Your right about the dolmar HD filters, I used 2 tanks cutting some dry gum last week, hardly any dust on the filter, the filter hasn't snapped off the base yet either :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

mdavlee said:


> In our wood I can get 2-3 tanks before the filter is totally covered. I almost forget about it as the huskys can go a long time before they get close to that much dust on them.



I can't help but see a couple of familiar saws in your sig  The bonus with this 660 HD filter is that it isn't oiled, but then again the gum I cut today is nowhere near the fine dust of dead Redgum. The Husky, despite being oiled, would have nowehere near this amount of dust on it.



gmax said:


> Matt, Your right about the dolmar HD filters, I used 2 tanks cutting some dry gum last week, hardly any dust on the filter, the filter hasn't snapped off the base yet either :hmm3grin2orange:



Yeah in our wood Wayne they've beaten every filter system I've used. No fancy air injection etc, just a good filter element


----------



## 385XP

gmax said:


> Matt, Your right about the dolmar HD filters, I used 2 tanks cutting some dry gum last week, hardly any dust on the filter, the filter hasn't snapped off the base yet either :hmm3grin2orange:


Boy your setting the world on fire running 2 tanks threw your saw in a week .Maybe that's why your filter hasn't broke yet.


----------



## blsnelling

Looks like the filter's doing a good job. I do hate how they drop crap all over everything when you remove them. I always put the saw on choke before removing the filter, then hit the saw with compressed air to remove the debris. The think about all the dust on the filter, I doubt it hindered performance at all. It may not be pretty to look at, but they do work quite well.


----------



## oscar4883

blsnelling said:


> Looks like the filter's doing a good job. I do hate how they drop crap all over everything when you remove them.



I thought it did well too. I rarely take the filter off when working, just the pre-wrap. The nice thing about the 441, maybe others, is that they have a nut if I recall to hold the filter on. In my bag I carry a small wing that fits the bolt that holds the filter on. When I go over to re-fuel, and clean the filter I pull the cover off and run the wing-nut up snug then I don't have to worry about droppong junk in behind the filter.


----------



## MCW

385XP said:


> Boy your setting the world on fire running 2 tanks threw your saw in a week .Maybe that's why your filter hasn't broke yet.



Well I've put hundreds and hundreds of tanks through mine and haven't broken one either 



blsnelling said:


> Looks like the filter's doing a good job. I do hate how they drop crap all over everything when you remove them. I always put the saw on choke before removing the filter, then hit the saw with compressed air to remove the debris. The think about all the dust on the filter, I doubt it hindered performance at all. It may not be pretty to look at, but they do work quite well.





oscar4883 said:


> I thought it did well too. I rarely take the filter off when working, just the pre-wrap. The nice thing about the 441, maybe others, is that they have a nut if I recall to hold the filter on. In my bag I carry a small wing that fits the bolt that holds the filter on. When I go over to re-fuel, and clean the filter I pull the cover off and run the wing-nut up snug then I don't have to worry about droppong junk in behind the filter.



Yeah guys the filter is doing a good job of stopping dust actually getting through but to see this amount of stuff on the filter after one tank is a shocker. Although the 390XP wouldn't have faired a hell of a lot better the amount of dust that would have ended up on the 7900 HD filter would have been, um, not even visible, seriously.
Oh and by the way, the choke was put on 2 seconds later and the whole show was blown off with compressed air


----------



## 056 kid

Shoot! Get an oil foam filter on that thing & shave the aluminum down on the stud so the SB deal fits under the cage correctly. My saw has well over 100 gallons through it and is well, cleaner than that. . .


----------



## MCW

056 kid said:


> Shoot! Get an oil foam filter on that thing & shave the aluminum down on the stud so the SB deal fits under the cage correctly. My saw has well over 100 gallons through it and is well, cleaner than that. . .



Nah mate. An oiled foam filter with the amount of very fine dust we get from our hardwoods is, well, bad. Oiled filters + fine wood dust = filthy filter in five...
All the oiled filters I've run have blocked up 10 times faster than their dry equivalent.


----------



## 056 kid

I see the size of that particulate, same as our hardwoods, Show me the nasty stuff!

Take you a stick and scrape it off good is all I do and it seems to last me a good while. I dunno, the stihl oval filter system with it's 80 miles of sealing surface just never impressed me. they should have necked the filter down to the diameter of the carb inlet IMO. Ive seen perfectly good HD filters let in all kinds of jank,(that bumpy looking oil) no Sir, not in my saw!


----------



## MCW

056 kid said:


> I see the size of that particulate, same as our hardwoods, Show me the nasty stuff!



Yeah this stuff was nowhere near as fine as Redgum dust


----------



## oscar4883

MCW - I remember seeing that vid of Graham Mcmahon at Tahune and he had a respirator on for part of the job! When my hd filters get that trashed, that is why I like the wing-nut deal. Easy to pull the pre-wrap an clean it without getting dust behind the filter. Beautiful country you guys have down there but even your sawdust is nasty!


----------



## MCW

oscar4883 said:


> MCW - I remember seeing that vid of Graham Mcmahon at Tahune and he had a respirator on for part of the job! When my hd filters get that trashed, that is why I like the wing-nut deal. Easy to pull the pre-wrap an clean it without getting dust behind the filter. Beautiful country you guys have down there but even your sawdust is nasty!



Yeah we have a few hardwoods where there dust is a known carcinogen. Blackwood is one but there are a few others that escape me now.
I'm sure there are other Aussies here in the same boat but I'm an Asthmatic and after a day on dead Redgum I pay for it. Reddy brown phlegm is nasty


----------



## Andyshine77

Glad you're liking the 660. Man it sure looks nice and warm, it's 17F here right now and it was 3 last night, I hate the cold.


----------



## blsnelling

Only 5°F again tonight.


----------



## MCW

Not a biggy but was asked by a fruit grower I do work for if I could chop up a pretty thick, nasty, termite ridden fallen tree so he could lift it off the fence with his loader and poke it back into his lazy arsed neighbours where it came from. It's been laying there for about a year and despite numerous requests, the neighbour hadn't done a thing.
She was a pretty big old log, about 48" at it's widest point but not a tall tree. I thought at first glance it might actually be good for something but alas. It was full of termite damage and rot. Surprisingly little sand but was very hard cutting.
To start with I used the 660 with 32" bar and .404" semi chisel chain. This saw pulled it no problem at all and I am surely impressed 
It did eventually go blunt so out with the second chain, oh hang on, left the box of 96DL .404" chains on my bench :taped: I did have a 25" Hard Nose bar there with some Chinese .404" chain I was given so I got that going.
Not trying to push any Chinese bandwagon here but this chain is very very good! Anyway, all of a sudden I hit a crap filled pocket in the log. Due to the Chineseness of the situation I pushed on.

Now once I got engulfed in smoke and the chain sagged about 2" under the bar I knew she'd got a bit hot. How hot you ask? Well I burnt my hand on the chain THROUGH leather gloves (yes an actual blister plus a brown, burnt cutter imprint on the leather!) and there was bar oil boiling in the groove. Probably a bit too hot.
Anyway I pressed on with the 390XP with 28" bar until I got it stuck and had to reluctantly cut it out with my Chinese 365 that pulled the only bar I had left (32") with surprising ease.

And here be a few piccies. It was also quite hot, about 41°c (106°f) which may have intensified the heat a tad!


----------



## mdavlee

Sounds like you had a bad go at that tree. I hate when you leave the extra chain at home.:bang:


----------



## MCW

mdavlee said:


> Sounds like you had a bad go at that tree. I hate when you leave the extra chain at home.:bang:



Well I did bring a box of spare chains, but there is no way that 3/8" 84DL .050" chains are going on a 32" .404" bar 
I'm getting worse at this the more bars I have in use


----------



## rupedoggy

Not trying to push any Chinese bandwagon here but this chain is very very good! 

I seem to remember another thread where the user got a tremendious amount of cutting from his Chinese chain before he had to sharpen. We regulars gave him the Ha Ha but maybe there was something to it. Mike


----------



## MCW

rupedoggy said:


> Not trying to push any Chinese bandwagon here but this chain is very very good!
> 
> I seem to remember another thread where the user got a tremendious amount of cutting from his Chinese chain before he had to sharpen. We regulars gave him the Ha Ha but maybe there was something to it. Mike



Yeah the problem is though that one batch may be fine and the next not. The particular loops I received are performing very well. In the end though when freight is taken into consideration it is really only about 30% cheaper than Carlton so I'll stick with Carlton. If it was 1/3 the price I'd still only ever sell it to homeowners who want the cheapest possible setup they can.


----------



## imagineero

Hey Matt,
Sounds like your day was almost as bad as mine ;-)

I had a similar nasty eaten out tree to drop today. I won it on a drive by, was in someones front yard and they'd removed all the branches some years ago, and they just wanted it chunked down, no clean up or removal of wood. An old crappy euc 27" diameter 1 metre off the ground and had about 8m of trunk. Couldnt be dropped due to powerline so it was a chunker, I offered to do it for $350. Ended up being about 3 hours work which wasn't bad money for a one man job I guess, but it was full of flying ants, and some other kind of ant that kept biting me, and some other kind of insect that mistook me for a log and tried to bore into me.

Off and on showers had me completely soaked with saw dust stuck to me, and It was one of those kinds of eus that go real gummy/grabby and stick to your chain like mad. Went through a couple of 20" chains and a 36". I haven't had much luck with eucs in general, I find them hard work mostly, especially chunking down anything over about 14" in diameter. I don't know enough about species to be able to say which it was, or identify which are easier or harder to remove so I think I'll just start quoting a bit higher on eucs. 

Shaun


----------



## MCW

imagineero said:


> Hey Matt,
> Sounds like your day was almost as bad as mine ;-)
> 
> I had a similar nasty eaten out tree to drop today. I won it on a drive by, was in someones front yard and they'd removed all the branches some years ago, and they just wanted it chunked down, no clean up or removal of wood. An old crappy euc 27" diameter 1 metre off the ground and had about 8m of trunk. Couldnt be dropped due to powerline so it was a chunker, I offered to do it for $350. Ended up being about 3 hours work which wasn't bad money for a one man job I guess, but it was full of flying ants, and some other kind of ant that kept biting me, and some other kind of insect that mistook me for a log and tried to bore into me.
> 
> Off and on showers had me completely soaked with saw dust stuck to me, and It was one of those kinds of eus that go real gummy/grabby and stick to your chain like mad. Went through a couple of 20" chains and a 36". I haven't had much luck with eucs in general, I find them hard work mostly, especially chunking down anything over about 14" in diameter. I don't know enough about species to be able to say which it was, or identify which are easier or harder to remove so I think I'll just start quoting a bit higher on eucs.
> 
> Shaun



I love Eucalypts Shaun. You just never know what you're gonna get 
People look at you funny and ask why you brought 12 chains. 90% of the time you'll wreck at least 6 of them 

How's that 200T going old son?


----------



## imagineero

MCW said:


> I love Eucalypts Shaun. You just never know what you're gonna get
> People look at you funny and ask why you brought 12 chains. 90% of the time you'll wreck at least 6 of them
> 
> How's that 200T going old son?


 
Yeah, I don't know what it is with eucs... They are hard, sure... but is it just me or do they seem more prone to developing 'hard spots'? The one I did today had one side that was just way way harder than the rest of the tree, and the last few I've done have been like that. You think you've got a blunt chain, but it looks ok, and you decide to put a fresh one on anyway. But it still feels like you're getting nowhere! then you get through the hard bit and cutting speeds return to normal.... reaction wood? THey really seem to gum chains up too 

200T is still going great  can't say I'm a big fan of the powermatch bar, though I can't quite put my finger on why. 14" has been handy over the 12, but I find myself running the 12 most often, unless it looks like I'll be able to chunk down a whole lot more of the tree with the extra couple inches. Still starts up real easy and runs like mad. Stihl's got a promotion on at the moment with free beer coolers with every purchase of bar oil and 2 stroke mix, I've ended up with a few. too bad my gf has convinced me to have a year without beer 

Shaun


----------



## MCW

imagineero said:


> Yeah, I don't know what it is with eucs... They are hard, sure... but is it just me or do they seem more prone to developing 'hard spots'? The one I did today had one side that was just way way harder than the rest of the tree, and the last few I've done have been like that. You think you've got a blunt chain, but it looks ok, and you decide to put a fresh one on anyway. But it still feels like you're getting nowhere! then you get through the hard bit and cutting speeds return to normal.... reaction wood? They really seem to gum chains up too



I agree mate. The tree above had one such spot yet the chain was as sharp as new! I thought I'd hit dirt or a rock but hadn't (this was when the boiling bar oil occurred). It's happened more than once and I actually think it's got something to do with grain structure or direction.



imagineero said:


> 200T is still going great  can't say I'm a big fan of the powermatch bar, though I can't quite put my finger on why. 14" has been handy over the 12, but I find myself running the 12 most often, unless it looks like I'll be able to chunk down a whole lot more of the tree with the extra couple inches. Still starts up real easy and runs like mad. Stihl's got a promotion on at the moment with free beer coolers with every purchase of bar oil and 2 stroke mix, I've ended up with a few. *too bad my gf has convinced me to have a year without beer *Shaun




What the hell??? You've gone bloody soft mate


----------



## imagineero

MCW said:


> I agree mate. The tree above had one such spot yet the chain was as sharp as new! I thought I'd hit dirt or a rock but hadn't (this was when the boiling bar oil occurred). It's happened more than once and I actually think it's got something to do with grain structure or direction.



I think it's got to do with lean, and how much. A lot of the eucs I'm removing aren't that straight, they're leaners or twisties. It seems like it only takes a very small amount of lean for the wood on the compression side to get way way harder than the rest of the tree :-( I've put another 'tick' box on my quote form I've been developing for lean on eucs, I think I need to add a bit more in for those trees. 

I'll send you a copy of it when I'm done if you like, its helped me with quoting a lot, but maybe its getting too detailed. So many variables :-( But at least keeping track of this crap has given me some data to look back on. I've only recently started recording this crap, but its already coming in useful. Species, DBH, spread, height, if/ how it was climbed, estimated tonnage, tip fees, tanks of fuel and number of chains used and hours spent on the job means that I have a pretty good figure on how much I made per hour or per tonne after expenses for different types of trees. It's helpful to look back and see where I need to sharpen my pencil up, and the tick and flick for different types of things I need to look out for helps me when I do the on the spot quotes. 





MCW said:


> What the hell??? You've gone bloody soft mate


 
Quite the opposite mate; she keeps me well hard


----------



## MCW

imagineero said:


> I think it's got to do with lean, and how much. A lot of the eucs I'm removing aren't that straight, they're leaners or twisties. It seems like it only takes a very small amount of lean for the wood on the compression side to get way way harder than the rest of the tree



Ah ha. Sorry mate I am mainly talking about trees that are already felled. They occasionally have this mass of twisted grain where an old limb may have been. The chain just doesn't want to bite in.



imagineero said:


> Quite the opposite mate; she keeps me well hard



Marry her ASAP. Oh hang on, that's the worst thing to do.

Apparently


----------



## Stihlman441

Matt,that is one crappy looking tree mate,the chain gods love them.
When ya get some time we need to see more of that 660 in actoin.
Cheers
Andrew


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Matt,that is one crappy looking tree mate,the chain gods love them.
> When ya get some time we need to see more of that 660 in actoin.
> Cheers
> Andrew



Soon mate, soon. Had a bit too much on unfortunately but I'm itching to get it stuck in some wood too. This weekend is full but should be able to get a few trees done the following weekend.
Chain gods - they seem to desert you with wood like this


----------



## Andyshine77

Thought I'd bump this thread for all the newbies to see, as it's one of the best threads on the site.:msp_smile:


----------



## 8433jeff

Andyshine77 said:


> Thought I'd bump this thread for all the newbies to see, as it's one of the best threads on the site.:msp_smile:


 
Newbies only want rep, they don't want to see honest work.


----------



## Rudolf73

Andyshine77 said:


> Thought I'd bump this thread for all the newbies to see, as it's one of the best threads on the site.:msp_smile:


 
Yeah bumping is a good idea :msp_thumbsup:


----------



## gmax

Matt running a Oleo Mac 264F at our last GTG a few months back.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HHViSo07o1A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Thought I'd bump this thread for all the newbies to see, as it's one of the best threads on the site.:msp_smile:



Hey thanks Andy and sorry for not contributing for a while. I've had two really large dead Tasmanian Blue Gums that I'd be asked to fell but they are too large and tricky for the equipment I have. I hope to get some photos/vids of the tree crew when they knock it over as I was the middle man for the property owner. 

I'm still waiting on the companies' decision (that this thread was based on) for their next properties where the trees are even bigger and more dangerous too. There are a few runs there where I may have to drop 20-30 trees in one hit due to interlocking canopies - all with trunks around 36" or more and around 100 foot tall. On the downside there is also a younger 500 acre property where all the Casuarinas are under 12" that they "may" want knocked over. That will be 5100-S territory, OR a new MS261...maybe...



gmax said:


> Matt running a Oleo Mac 264F at our last GTG a few months back.
> 
> <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HHViSo07o1A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



I forgot that thing wasn't a powerhouse Wayne  I was leaning on it a bit too much by the look of it. We'll get some more vids when you're up in a few weeks mate, looking forward to it.


----------



## gmax

No worries Matt, you looked more comfortable using this 

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WeeGinAME2Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> No worries Matt, you looked more comfortable using this


 
I most definately did  It's amazing how you get used to the feel of a particular make/model.
When I started using the 390's my angles were all over the place despite the saws feeling good. I've only felled one tree with the 660 but despite feeling funny my angles all lined up.
By the way guys, the wood in Wayne's video is super soft (Polonia). Probably even softer than Radiata Pine - saws just eat it.

P.S. I love all the flies. They were really bad that day.


----------



## 8433jeff

Second Efco was a 71?


----------



## gmax

8433jeff said:


> Second Efco was a 71?


 
There is no second Efco, it's a Makita 6401 BB.


----------



## Andyshine77

Thanks for sharing the new video. The wood looks softer than the normal wood you guys have down under. Looks like a beautiful piece of land BTW.


----------



## gmax

Yeah it is nice land, Matt has the ideal location for a GTG, and no doubt he has some new modded chainsaws to play with . 
I like tinkering with vintage saws where as Matt is more of a speed freak :msp_biggrin:


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip].
> By the way guys, the wood in Wayne's video is super soft (Polonia). Probably even softer than Radiata Pine - saws just eat it.
> 
> [snip]



_Paulownia_ :msp_tongue: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia

I've planted one here to replace a long suffering Jacaranda (winter is too cold in my little valley here for Jacarandas to get established) but will probably pull it out as apparently borers love them. Most all the Cotton Wood I've seen around here has been riddled with borers too.
I'm amazed how well Paulownia's do in Australia considering the size of their leaves and how much moisture they must lose from them in summer.


----------



## tdi-rick

gmax said:


> [snip]
> I like tinkering with vintage saws *where as Matt is more of a freak* :msp_biggrin:



I corrected it for you Wayne.


----------



## gmax

tdi-rick said:


> I corrected it for you Wayne.


 
I have to be a little careful I'm going to see Matt in a couple of weeks and he's about a foot taller than me :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Thanks for sharing the new video. The wood looks softer than the normal wood you guys have down under. Looks like a beautiful piece of land BTW.



Hi Andy. Yeah there are a few nice spots around here to play with chainsaws. I'm also lucky that my day job as a Horticultural Agronomist means I have a lot of contacts for tree felling and wood supply. I have logs and trees spread over 100's of miles when I get a chainsaw itch 



tdi-rick said:


> I corrected it for you Wayne.



Very funny Rick  I haven't been the star performer in any circuses for at least 3 years...



gmax said:


> I have to be a little careful I'm going to see Matt in a couple of weeks and he's about a foot taller than me :hmm3grin2orange:



Hah hah. Don't let that worry you Wayne  Hey I also just organised a local client of mine who has a flat bed truck to deliver the following logs to my place before your arrival. We'll be able to cut sick, quite literally...











Do you want to know the funny thing? The guy who felled these did it all with a Stihl 009 and he even bought a 16" bar for the occasion. Where it didn't meet in the middle he towed them over with chains and his tractor.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> _Paulownia_ :msp_tongue:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia
> 
> I've planted one here to replace a long suffering Jacaranda (winter is too cold in my little valley here for Jacarandas to get established) but will probably pull it out as apparently borers love them. Most all the Cotton Wood I've seen around here has been riddled with borers too.
> I'm amazed how well Paulownia's do in Australia considering the size of their leaves and how much moisture they must lose from them in summer.



I was talking about those dreaded Polonias in Germany Rick. Not sure why you thought I was talking about trees?  My Wikipedia extract is below. You may not have seen the Polonian hidden up the tree when I felled it? They are more of a minority now as he didn't survive the fall because as mentioned, they are too soft...

*
The second largest Polonia in the world, and the largest in Europe, is the Polish minority in Germany. As many as three million people living in Germany may be of Polish descent, although the vast majority of these identify themselves as Germans. The main Polonia organization is Kongres Polonii Niemieckiej / Polnischer Kongress in Deutschland. Polish surnames are very common in Germany.*


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Hi Andy. Yeah there are a few nice spots around here to play with chainsaws. I'm also lucky that my day job as a Horticultural Agronomist means I have a lot of contacts for tree felling and wood supply. I have logs and trees spread over 100's of miles when I get a chainsaw itch
> 
> 
> 
> Very funny Rick  I haven't been the star performer in any circuses for at least 3 years...
> 
> 
> 
> Hah hah. Don't let that worry you Wayne  Hey I also just organised a local client of mine who has a flat bed truck to deliver the following logs to my place before your arrival. We'll be able to cut sick, quite literally...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you want to know the funny thing? The guy who felled these did it all with a Stihl 009 and he even bought a 16" bar for the occasion. Where it didn't meet in the middle he towed them over with chains and his tractor.


 That's a decent pile of hardwood you have there.
Cutting that lot with a Stihl 009 is doing it tough i wonder how many times he had to sharpen his chain.
The cabin at Berri is booked, my wife & kids can hang out at the swimming pool while we tear into that pile of logs, looking forward to it mate.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> I was talking about those dreaded Polonias in Germany Rick. Not sure why you thought I was talking about trees?  My Wikipedia extract is below. You may not have seen the Polonian hidden up the tree when I felled it? They are more of a minority now as he didn't survive the fall because as mentioned, they are too soft...
> 
> *
> The second largest Polonia in the world, and the largest in Europe, is the Polish minority in Germany. As many as three million people living in Germany may be of Polish descent, although the vast majority of these identify themselves as Germans. The main Polonia organization is Kongres Polonii Niemieckiej / Polnischer Kongress in Deutschland. Polish surnames are very common in Germany.*



Hahahahahaha. :msp_laugh:

Sneaky buggers, they sound nearly as bad as those Smurfs you mentioned in that oil thread the other day.
I'll take a stab and guess that there's more female Polonia's than that one girl Smurf though, those Smurfs are just plain deviants.


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> Do you want to know the funny thing? The guy who felled these did it all with a Stihl 009 and he even bought a 16" bar for the occasion. Where it didn't meet in the middle he towed them over with chains and his tractor.


 
A couple weeks ago I cut down a white pine with my Echo with a 14" bar. I nudged it over with the front end loader bucket on my sister's tractor.


----------



## MCW

Hmmm. Double post, see below...


----------



## MCW

Ah well, back again. Bummed out on the load of logs pictured above as the truck driver who I was going to get to deliver them is now flat out carting winegrapes with this year's harvest so they'll have to wait. As Wayne (gmax) will be up next weekend I decided to source a few logs from another mate's place. Not sure of the Eucalypt species apart from the fact that they are BLOODY hard.
I dropped one of these trees for this mate about probably 9 months ago and thought I'll head down with the Hilux 2WD work ute and trailer as the Hilux will handle about a 600kg heavier load than my normal Ford Ranger. Anyway, when I arrived my mate had plans to drop another couple which I hadn't banked on and to be honest hadn't actually come prepared for. I was hoping for some really nice easy horizontal log cutting...

Interesting story about the 2 dead trees in the photo below. He'd asked a local professional tree crew to trim the tops out of these trees as they were dropping a lot of leaves in his roof gutters and tainting his rain water. They are (were) very valuable trees as they provided his entire house with shade from the setting sun in our very hot summers. Anyway tree crew did this job a while ago now, got their wires crossed, and when he arrived home for lunch here they are preparing to fell them instead of prune them! Unfortunately by the time he intervened all they'd left was basically the trunks which was too much stress on them and two of the three nice, large gums died. Needless to say he was not impressed. You can actually see where the two dead trees have done their best to reshoot but with a tree that size a lot more leaf area was needed to keep them alive. The surviving tree probably only made it through due to the unusually high rainfalls we've had this season and it's smaller size...







I brought down one of my 7900's now fitted with the old pop up Makita top end. A very strong saw but still doesn't quite have the zing when it was fitted to the Makita. I think it's because I haven't fitted a 3rd port to this saw's muffler yet, unlike what Brad had done to the Makita's muffler. This had a 28" bar and Stihl RMC. The other saw I bought was the new pop upped 660 with a 32" Power Match Plus in .404" - the reason I brought it in .404" is because I expected some dirt on the grounded logs. This Power Match Plus bar has copped a hiding yet still continues to impress me. I know some guys here have said the quality varies but I have absolutely no complaints with this particular bar and it's holding up as good as any I've used.










First up I started cutting the grounded log with the 660 and noticed the chain seemed to be tightening and very dry. Ah ha, blocked oiler hole from the fine hardwood dust which happens a bit. Alas, I was wrong. Some moron forgot to tighten the oil cap properly and it had come loose and spilled it's guts down my freshly washed chaps...










Yep, good start but a quick douse with fuel and she was all clean again and good to go...






Remember, use scrench next time to avoid loosening


----------



## Rudolf73

Thats a nice 2 saw plan you have there Matt :msp_thumbup:

oh and how does the 660 compare to the 7900 ?


----------



## MCW

The first tree I felled was probably about 36" in diameter and the .404" non skip proved to be an absolute pig in wood this tough. I have never fought a saw so hard in my life as it tried to buck and grab through the cut. What would normally have been an easy fell absolutely wrecked my arms and I was sweating like a pig by the time I'd finished. It was just under 100°f today with no wind according to my mate's weather station on his vineyard. I even have a nice bruise on my right thigh where it kicked me. 3/8" would have faired a lot better here or even .404" skip. The same chains ploughed through the horizontal logs - it's the chip build up and the chain grabbing the bottom of the cut that really affects saw performance in wood this hard. If anybody here saw the amount of stalling going on, particularly with a grunty saw like this 660, they'd instantly say "Your rakers are too low" blah blah blah. Not the case at all, just super tough stuff 










Anyway, with the help of my mate's tractor and cable it went over easy...














I also had to remove a few big sheets of bark prior to cutting and there were some pretty solid spiders underneath...






I saw probably about a dozen of these and to be honest I haven't seen spiders this size in our area before. This property was by the Murray River so gather they stick to certain parts of the river system.

Funnily enough as I was cutting a few of the grounded logs later on I felt something crawl over the back of my shirt collar and try to get down my back. To say I shat myself was an understatement and I knew straight away what it was! I just knew that I couldn't slap it but also hoped that it wouldn't go down my shirt and bite me. Anyway it decided to crawl up the back of my neck and tried to get under my helmet. Luckily as I gingerly removed my helmet the big beastie hung on and went with it. The spider above with my hand in the photo was actually getting quite aggressive and rearing up on it's back legs putting on a show. The fangs were about 1/4" long...


----------



## MCW

A few more piccys of the scene 














And the quite overloaded work ute and trailer. Probably 3-4 tonne here...


----------



## MCW

And finally a few photos of the saw's filters after the day. Both the Dolmar and 660 saw the same amount of cutting. This will give you an idea of why I rate the Dolmar HD filter system so highly - it is absolutely outstanding and nothing I've seen or used comes even close. As far as I'm concerned with finer wood dust like some of ours air injection type setups actually makes things worse. By the way no dust made it through either filter system but the difference in blocking is quite obvious. Apart from the filter material itself the idea of a saw actually sucking air from where most of the dust is (ie: the Stihls and Huskys) is a flawed design. Why not suck air from the back of the saw like the Dolmar where it is mostly clean? This type of dust buildup shows up everytime I cut and the Dolmar HD setup wins consistently, by absolutely miles. Even to the point in really dusty conditions I'll only use the Dolmars now when I can...

660 HD Filter...














Dolmar 7900 HD Filter...










Oh and lucky last. Final cut of the day and had the 1 tonne log land on the bar  No damage but had to start the tractor with forks again to get my saw out.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Thats a nice 2 saw plan you have there Matt :msp_thumbup:
> 
> oh and how does the 660 compare to the 7900 ?



Heh heh. If I knew I was going to be felling I'd have brought 3 saws 

I have to be honest and this may upset a few people but the 660's just haven't done it for me yet. I don't why why as this saw does everything very well. It's got massive grunt, starts, stops, pulls like a train etc etc but it's just, and this sounds a tad gay, got no soul (awe hell, now I've done it).
Unlike my modded 390's that just crack off the throttle like a bullet, cut well, balance well etc, this thing just does everything, um, good.
I really don't know why as I'm sure this saw would impress 99% of users but to me it just doesn't press any buttons. Maybe I've been spoilt with my other saws 
To be honest when I started cutting with the 7900 today I got a smile, the 660 hasn't really done that for me yet but it will get many more chances to soften me up, I'm not giving up on it just yet.

Basically in answer to your question I'll take the 7900 anytime I need to use a bar length 32" or under. Over that the 390's get a gig.


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Heh heh. If I knew I was going to be felling I'd have brought 3 saws
> 
> I have to be honest and this may upset a few people but the 660's just haven't done it for me yet. I don't why why as this saw does everything very well. It's got massive grunt, starts, stops, pulls like a train etc etc but it's just, and this sounds a tad gay, got no soul (awe hell, now I've done it).
> Unlike my modded 390's that just crack off the throttle like a bullet, cut well, balance well etc, this thing just does everything, um, good.
> I really don't know why as I'm sure this saw would impress 99% of users but to me it just doesn't press any buttons. Maybe I've been spoilt with my other saws
> To be honest when I started cutting with the 7900 today I got a smile, the 660 hasn't really done that for me yet but it will get many more chances to soften me up, I'm not giving up on it just yet.
> 
> Basically in answer to your question I'll take the 7900 anytime I need to use a bar length 32" or under. Over that the 390's get a gig.


 
Uh ohh, I think you might have upset some 660 fans... lol. But compared the the feel of the 7900 I know what you mean, I really do enjoy running my 6401BB - they just seem put a smile on your face somehow. In saying that I'll probably still have a 660 around for those big nasty jobs like this one you did hear, but maybe i'll have to try a 390 first.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Uh ohh, I think you might have upset some 660 fans... lol. But compared the the feel of the 7900 I know what you mean, I really do enjoy running my 6401BB - they just seem put a smile on your face somehow. In saying that I'll probably still have a 660 around for those big nasty jobs like this one you did hear, but maybe i'll have to try a 390 first.



Yeah probably start an AS riot 
Seriously though it's all subjective and what I say may be completely different to someone else. I'm sure when Wayne comes up next weekend and has a crack on the 660 he'll have a different opinion to me. The 660's are a great saw, they do the job well, they just haven't excited me that much yet. I'm not a Stihl snob either, the most impressive saw I own is my 200T


----------



## gmax

Matt, I will be interested to see how your 660 compares to my 6401 BB, I'm bringing a 620 pioneer (103cc) and a mac super 250, you can run some vintage saws for a change :biggrinbounce2:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, I will be interested to see how your 660 compares to my 6401 BB, I'm bringing a 620 pioneer (103cc) and a mac super 250, you can run some vintage saws for a change :biggrinbounce2:



If you're talking just outright grunt the 660 will eat even my pop upped 7900 for breakfast but there is no question as to which saw I'd rather be running  Do you want me to organise a few gallons of diesel for your old dinosaurs?


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> If you're talking just outright grunt the 660 will eat even my pop upped 7900 for breakfast but there is no question as to which saw I'd rather be running  Do you want me to organise a few gallons of diesel for your old dinosaurs?


 
No I don't have a (comet diesel) chainsaw :msp_flapper:, but you can organize to add 2 links to a 404" chain for my super 250 :smile2:


----------



## mdavlee

That looks like some hard wood by the dust on everything. 

The 660 just doesn't seem to impress you. Some people don't like the feel of them compared to other saws like the 390 and 7900.


----------



## blsnelling

MCW said:


> If you're talking just outright grunt the 660 will eat even my pop upped 7900 for breakfast but there is no question as to which saw I'd rather be running  Do you want me to organise a few gallons of diesel for your old dinosaurs?


 
That's OK Matt, I totally understand. I personally can't fall in love with the 7900. That's what makes the world go around. As you noticed, the torque of the 660 is definately noticeable. Other saws may be faster, but not stronger.


----------



## AUSSIE1

What was the compression on the 390, something like 150psi. 660 with a popup... compression? Need to get the barrel spun on that 390 to get the comp up. 

Scored some nice logs there Matt.

Been meaning to ask you about that photo, I couldn't see what was on your helmet on this piddly phone. A very quiet and easy going spider those huntsmans.


----------



## MCW

mdavlee said:


> That looks like some hard wood by the dust on everything.
> The 660 just doesn't seem to impress you. Some people don't like the feel of them compared to other saws like the 390 and 7900.



Yeah when I felled my first tree with it a few months ago then proceeded to cut it up I was certainly impressed. I mean yesterday the 660 was pulling a 32" bar buried with .404" non skip semi chisel and that was no mean feat in wood like this. That is normally the realm of my 3120. It also pays for people to remember that a 7 pin .404" rim sprocket has a similar diameter to an 8 pin 3/8" rim. The 390's would have struggled to pull a 32" bar with .404" in timber this hard.
I suppose I've spent that much time on Husky 390's and Dolmar 7900's that my muscle memory has a hard time readjusting itself for a new saw 



blsnelling said:


> That's OK Matt, I totally understand. I personally can't fall in love with the 7900. That's what makes the world go around. As you noticed, the torque of the 660 is definately noticeable. Other saws may be faster, but not stronger.



Yeah Brad it's a tough one. Maybe if I got myself into a non stop tree felling siutation again like this thread was based on I'd have a different opinion by using it non stop. At this stage the 660's HD filtration is DEFINATELY better than the 390 HD setup on the fine stuff and it has certainly got a lot more grunt for sure but to me that's all it's got over the 390's and 7900's. Certainly no reflection on how you built the saw mate, it runs a treat 



AUSSIE1 said:


> What was the compression on the 390, something like 150psi. 660 with a popup... compression? Need to get the barrel spun on that 390 to get the comp up.



Do you want a job Al? 



AUSSIE1 said:


> Scored some nice logs there Matt.
> 
> Been meaning to ask you about that photo, I couldn't see what was on your helmet on this piddly phone. A very quiet and easy going spider those huntsmans.



Yeah there is some really nice wood mate. I've even thought I might run the mill over one and see what comes out. It will be tough as hell for a workbench or something but pretty featureless.
And apart from when they suddenly appear on the back of your neck I like these spiders. I have a few smaller versions running around the house and they don't bother Tracy or I at all. They don't make webs, stay on the ceilings and out of clothes etc, and generally keep other insects/spiders away.


----------



## 8433jeff

I have a buddy that turns white and gets away when he sees a spider here. They don't bother me. When I saw that spider, MCW, my first thought was buckshot or slug. Wow!
That does look like hard wood, hows it split?


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> I have a buddy that turns white and gets away when he sees a spider here. They don't bother me. When I saw that spider, MCW, my first thought was buckshot or slug. Wow!
> That does look like hard wood, hows it split?


 
Yeah I have a good mate who's 6'4", built like a tank, tough as hell but he turns into a 4 year old girl with spiders around 
This wood splits really well and also burns excellent in the slow combustion fireplaces we generally run in Australia. Very low ash too.


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> Yeah I have a good mate who's 6'4", built like a tank, tough as hell but he turns into a 4 year old girl with spiders around


 
About the only poisonous thing you have to worry about in northern Illinois is the brown recluse spider. I've heard of people getting very sick from them. I about freaked out when I saw the size of that spider.


----------



## mdavlee

Spiders aren't near as bad as snakes. I hate them just appearing around you. I don't mind them if I see them at 25 feet or so.


----------



## MCW

Strelnikov said:


> About the only poisonous thing you have to worry about in northern Illinois is the brown recluse spider. I've heard of people getting very sick from them. I about freaked out when I saw the size of that spider.



Yeah I've heard of the Brown Recluse. It can cause similar skin necrosis issues to our White Tailed Spiders. The spiders like the one on my helmet are relatively harmless but you'd certainly know if you got bitten. It's like a bee bite despite their size. I've been bitten by similar spiders to these as a kid collecting them.



mdavlee said:


> Spiders aren't near as bad as snakes. I hate them just appearing around you. I don't mind them if I see them at 25 feet or so.



Funny you say that mate. While I was cutting up these logs my mate killed about a 14" young Copperhead (venomous) snake trying to get under his front door into the house. Warmer weather certainly gets them moving.


----------



## parrisw

Well, if you want to see me act like a little girl, just get me near one of them spiders. I HATE SPIDERS! It creeps me out just reading that thing was on your neck!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Well, if you want to see me act like a little girl, just get me near one of them spiders. I HATE SPIDERS! It creeps me out just reading that thing was on your neck!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!



Hah hah Will. To say my butthole didn't pucker up is a lie but I knew that if I didn't slap it or get it stuck between my neck and shirt it would leave me alone. I knew instantly what it was when I felt it which was lucky I suppose or I would have probably whacked it with my hand and risked a good bite. I felt it, turned the saw off, waited for it to stop crawling up my neck, and about 20 seconds later I snapped a photo 
Hmmm, skin necrosis of the cranium, that'd look cool


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Hah hah Will. To say my butthole didn't pucker up is a lie but I knew that if I didn't slap it or get it stuck between my neck and shirt it would leave me alone. I knew instantly what it was when I felt it which was lucky I suppose or I would have probably whacked it with my hand and risked a good bite. I felt it, turned the saw off, waited for it to stop crawling up my neck, and about 20 seconds later I snapped a photo
> Hmmm, skin necrosis of the cranium, that'd look cool


 
Well, I can honestly say, I wouldn't be that calm!


----------



## Stihlman441

Looks like ya having fun there Matt,keep us posted, they look nice them 660s when there nice and new.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Well, I can honestly say, I wouldn't be that calm!



Well if it makes you feel better Will I was internally squealing like a 3 year old schoolgirl. May have even lost control of my bowels, can't honestly remember as that happens often 



Stihlman441 said:


> Looks like ya having fun there Matt,keep us posted, they look nice them 660s when there nice and new.



Will do Andrew. I may even send the 660 on an across the border tourist expedition to your ute for you to play with  That way you can determine whether a modded 660 like this is worth your while in the future. I reckon you'd fall in love!


----------



## RandyMac

spiders...LOL!


----------



## Stihlman441

Know ya talking Matt,couldnt think of anything better than have a go at that baby.Its funny yesterday i had a big stringybark to cut up and the 660 was set up in the mill so i took the 460 with a 25'' bar on it,by the end i was wishing i had taken the 660,no substertute for grunt is there.:msp_huh:


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> spiders...LOL!



Once again Randy you appear only to mock me and Laugh Out Loud. I wish you would stop thinking everybody on earth has the intestinal fortitude and outstanding genetic makeup of yourself and realise that we are not all carved from granite. Some of us get emotional sometimes with creepy hairy things...


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Know ya talking Matt,couldnt think of anything better than have a go at that baby.Its funny yesterday i had a big stringybark to cut up and the 660 was set up in the mill so i took the 460 with a 25'' bar on it,by the end i was wishing i had taken the 660,no substertute for grunt is there.:msp_huh:



No you're right, there is speed and then there is grunt. As Brad mentioned earlier this thing has serious torque but torque also equates to speed as you can push it harder and run lower rakers to some extent (although not in wood as hard as the stuff in the piccys). Although less than ideal you can lean on this thing nearly as hard as the 3120, in fact I think it would be a good race - Wayne and I may have to run one this weekend and get a vid  But yeah, I'll get it over your way one day mate and you can go nuts with it. At least I only have to send the powerhead cause you've got all the bars sorted out


----------



## Stihlman441

Thanks Matt the only problem is you may have trouble gettin it back :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Thanks Matt the only problem is you may have trouble gettin it back :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


 
Ah well, sh*t happens  I'll just search for Australia's biggest user of GB Ti bars, should lead me right to your front door 

Oh and also grabbed a short video of the larger tree above getting towed over with my mate's tractor. You can hear how hard the wood is when it hits the deck. One of the upper limbs dug itself in a few feet into relatively hard ground. My mate was actually meant to video me (I used my phone) but hit the wrong button and didn't record me doing the felling cuts - good thing in hindsight as it was quite embarrassing getting thrown around like a rag doll when the .404" bit  You'd have also seen me cop a handle in the thigh, maybe heard me swear a bit, rub my thigh for a few seconds, swear some more, then continue cutting. I was actually quite surprised how clean the backcut ended up considering the headache it gave me...



<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOQASJGmDCM?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZOQASJGmDCM?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


----------



## Stihlman441

Ya i like my Ti bars,some people like hungry jacks and others mac donalds,that gum does look a bit on the hard side,will make good firewood i bet.
I notice in your pic the extra port on the 660 muffler,does Brad make the other side bigger as well,is this the norm will his port jobs and how much more noise with this set up.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ya i like my Ti bars,some people like hungry jacks and others mac donalds,that gum does look a bit on the hard side,will make good firewood i bet.
> I notice in your pic the extra port on the 660 muffler,does Brad make the other side bigger as well,is this the norm will his port jobs and how much more noise with this set up.



Yeah it is great firewood, I've burnt it and sold it before from other trees I've felled for him and customers loved it (just so happens they were all relatives!).
You'll have to ask Brad that one re: the extra port mate but really all he's done has changed the muffler from the single port, EPA US spec muffler to the Aussie one with a bit of extra flow by removing (partly?) the internal baffling.
It is a surprisingly quiet saw though mate considering whats been done to it - way less bark (and bite to your eardrums) that either the Dolmars or Huskys. There have been times when fellling before I got the Peltors fitted to my helmet that I nearly had to run plugs and muffs with the Husky 390's. Gee they sound good though


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW, hows the fellows over on the island doing after the quake? Heard anything from them?


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Well if it makes you feel better Will I was internally squealing like a 3 year old schoolgirl. May have even lost control of my bowels, can't honestly remember as that happens often


 
Maybe a little better.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> MCW, hows the fellows over on the island doing after the quake? Heard anything from them?



I spoke to a customer of mine who is about 200 miles north of Christchurch. He said his wife is in the police force and was called down to assist. This was a few days after it happened and even then he said there were far more bodies to be found yet (which we all knew). The police and emergency services knew this despite the earlier low estimates by certain parts of the media. Pretty bad though.



parrisw said:


> Maybe a little better.



Good. I'll post one of those spiders over for you to play with


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Good. I'll post one of those spiders over for you to play with


 
YIKES! You'll probably hear me scream from all the way over there.


----------



## MCW

Have posted a few of these photos in other threads but here goes...

I was asked to drop a relatively large dead Tasmanian Blue Gum for a guy but to be honest it was a bit too risky for me. Instead I played the middle man for the property owner (who is 1800 miles away working in the mining industry) and organised a local tree crew to piece it down for me so I could clean it up on the ground. This gear is very hard, very heavy, but is excellent firewood - I was contemplating milling the main log but it had a bit too much termite damage. I may still consider it but at this stage I think I'll just lop it up into firewood.

The trunk at ground level was getting close to 55" at it's widest point.

Anyway, had a phone call from the crew this morning that they were starting and to run through exactly what needed to be done. I left work and headed out and they had already started to top it out and cable pieces down. Their truck could reach 60' and the tree was about 75' high they said.















They were using a 200T early for the smaller branches but swapped to their 260's for the branches about 12-16" in diameter. These poor little things were working hard with wood like this, even with .325" chain, and both went down in rapid succession with fuel starvation type issues. After talking to the young guy in the bucket he said they'd lucked out that morning and got the crappy saws. In all honesty they just needed some TLC and I'd think they just have blocked breathers from all the wood dust. Ah the joys of being a saw on a tree crew that doesn't care about you...
After that the guy pulled out the 660 with what looked to be about a 28-30" bar and proceeded to continue cutting the tree down in about 8' lengths.
In the meantime I'd bolted home and grabbed the new 261 and gave it to the young guy to try for a week or two. He had a smile from ear to ear and I'm pretty confident he'll look after it for me. They still had a smaller Silky Oak to drop for me as well and were looking to drive the 30 odd miles back to their depot to grab another smaller saw. None of them even new there was a 260 replacement in the pipeline (the new MS261 is yet to be really released by Stihl Australia despite appearing on their website alongside the 260 a few weeks ago).

I said to them I'd fell the stump but the young guy was keen to hack into it (emphasise *HACK*) with the 660 so I left him with it and headed back to work. After I knocked off this afternoon I headed back around around with my 390XP and MS660 to chop up some of the felled logs into firewood length rounds. I ended up using only the 390XP with a 28" bar and 3/8" Windsor 63A semi chisel non skip with 7 pin. I'd forgotten how hard stuff like this can be and for a few minutes I thought I'd whacked an 8 pin rim on by mistake as the 390 was working pretty hard but got through a fair bit of it in the end without a hiccup...










Most of his aerial cuts in the smaller stuff lined up nicely but when it came to the larger cuts with the 660 they were very messy. Not exactly sure what technique he was trying to use but I have a feeling it was just a lack of experience with trees this large and larger saws. There was very little in the way of "directional felling" employed. In saying that I have seen and checked the work from this company before and their standards are generally very high - I'm a stump whore and can't help but look at how well cuts line up from other guys involved in felling. I have even been known in the odd domestic job to cut off my stump and hide it if it is too far out of alignment  A good stump shows good work in my book and leaving a trail of miscut and badly aligned felling cuts is a bad sign showing that the operators either don't care or simply don't know what they're doing.


----------



## Stihlman441

Good work there Matt,you love that hard stuff dont ya,i dont know why ya do it to yourself.
Cheers mate.


----------



## MCW

I also had the chance to check out the new filter setup I made up for the 390XP involving the element out of the excellent Dolmar HD filter. It worked a treat and as you can see after even two tanks a fair bit of dust was sucked in. The new setup kept it all out and despite my love for the Dolmar 7900's, these 390XP's really take some beating, especially now the filter issues I've been having are sorted out. These things are a great saw 















And nothing made it through which is excellent 






However this ended up all over me and is very itchy...






When I got home I gave the 390 a quick squirt with the compressor, all the dust blew off, and she was as good as new again - this wouldn't have been the case with an oiled filter as there would be basically a wood paste stuck to it. 
I may be back there this weekend (a long weekend here  ) to get the rest of this wood and will probably have to give the old 3120 a run in the bigger log - just because I can and the old girl is feeling unloved...
I also have a few logs to mill up for guys (last count 4 people) so really should pull my finger out. A few of the Redgum slabs are for the Australian Carlton distributors, Jakmax (Welcome to JAK Max Precision Parts), for their new premises. Better keep in their good books as they're a great bunch of guys.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Good work there Matt,you love that hard stuff dont ya,i dont know why ya do it to yourself.
> Cheers mate.


 
I think I'm the only one dumb enough 

Nah seriously though, probably 90% of the trees being removed/felled in this area are dead gums from Longicorn Beetle larvae attacking them. This has been because of the drought resulting in excessive tree stress. Healthy trees are able to protect themselves by creating more sap into insect entry points essentially suffocating/drowning any attacking insects. When they're stressed they can't do this as effectively and certain species are getting absolutely massacred. Quite sad really - these same beetles are also favouring Sugar Gums and Silky Oaks. They have a wide variety of hosts and 10 years ago were unseen in our area.


----------



## Stihlman441

This Longicorn Beetle is it a long brown beetlte with lony antannae and the larve look like small grubs and some times eat just under the bark and leave nice patterns when the bark falls off.Yes they are in some of the suger gums im my area too.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> This Longicorn Beetle is it a long brown beetlte with lony antannae and the larve look like small grubs and some times eat just under the bark and leave nice patterns when the bark falls off.Yes they are in some of the suger gums im my area too.



Yep. Thats the one mate. We have two species here. There is another one called the Fig Longicorn Beetle and that little bastard will get into anything, even Citrus Trees if given the chance. The one in the top link's picture below is the exact same species giving us grief...

Forestry | Longicorn Beetles 1

http://outernode.pir.sa.gov.au/fore...actSheets/longicorn_beetles_2_bulls-eye_borer


----------



## AUSSIE1

####ing Longicorn Beetles!

Thing is Matt, my trees here aren't stressed. They get all the sunshine, water, councilling and hugging a tree can get, yet those mongrels, still chew em!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> ####ing Longicorn Beetles!
> 
> Thing is Matt, my trees here aren't stressed. They get all the sunshine, water, councilling and hugging a tree can get, yet those mongrels, still chew em!



Yeah true mate, little pricks. Not sure what species of Longicorn are giving you hell over there but here the ones attacking the Eucalypts here tend to be going for certain species that aren't native to our area and are therefore struggling a bit with the drought over the last few years.


----------



## Andyshine77

Great stuff Matt! them 390's are sweet no doubt about it.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Great stuff Matt! them 390's are sweet no doubt about it.



I love the 390's mate, every single bit of them


----------



## MCW

MCW said:


> Yeah true mate, little pricks. Not sure what species of Longicorn are giving you hell over there but here the ones attacking the Eucalypts here tend to be going for certain species that aren't native to our area and are therefore struggling a bit with the drought over the last few years.



I think I told you Al but Bifenthrin is absolutely dynamite on Beetles and Weevils. Continue to soak the areas of the tree where they're getting in. Won't affect the larvae much but will knock the sh*t out of the adults.

Anyway, have been out madly chopping up the remainder of this dead Blue Gum and carting it back to my place for firewood. It is unbelievably heavy and I've had to even cut some parts in half to easily lift them.
My dad came to help with his trailer on Saturday afternoon. He loaded some wood in amongst numerous breaks while I did the cutting - I hadn't noticed him in the background of the video but told him not to bust his arse lifting heavier bits, looks like he ignored me the old buggar. Mum would kick his butt if she knew as some of these lumps would be easily 60kg (132lbs). The cutting part was very hard work and I was sweating like a pig by the end, absolutely saturated. I cut the main log up to start with using the 3120 and 42" bar then used the modded 660 with 20" bar to block the very large rounds up. One of them fell over and it took every bit of mine and dad's muscle to lift it up again - in fact for a few seconds there I didn't think we'd be able to do it. All up this tree will have produced about 16 tonne of firewood, maybe more.
The 3120 part of the deal was easy, blocking the rest up with the 660 was not. This took ages and in about 4 hours of non stop cutting there was still some log left. The 660 ran a treat and is continuing to grow on me. The power and the ease at which it does things is quite addictive. It does like a drink though thats for sure and fuel consumption is right up there with the 3120. It was working hard though, even with a 20" bar and many cuts had the tip buried. I was leaning on it very hard 

Anyway, a few piccys of the scene...














And a video of the 3120 in action. No matter how much grunt I thought this 660 has there is no way it would catch a 3120. This thing just runs the same no matter what the bar length. With the oil boost switch on there was oil absolutely flowing off the 42" bar. This was with skip semi chisel chain and a 7 pin rim. Although heavy this thing still brings a smile to the dial and it shines in big hard stuff like this. It's out of warranty now so it may even get a port job. Al, are you there? 


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUlJfmOU5VE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## gmax

That's damn hard wood, I was imagining how long it would take with the Chinese 070 to make one cut... probably about an hour :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Stihlman441

Good stuff there Matt, at least you were in the shade dueing the video.


----------



## The Count

that looked like lots of fun; except the carrying and loading the wood part in the end.
sometimes I envy peoples that are doing this kind of jobs.
sitting in front of the computer all day, half the time I dream about the weekend when I can be outside with the saw in my hand.
cheers.


----------



## MCW

Oh and I boo booed in the video. I accidentally wrote 8 pin rim in the title. It was actually only a 7 pin rim. This saw would pull an 8 pin on this length bar though but would be working a bit too hard...




Stihlman441 said:


> Good stuff there Matt, at least you were in the shade dueing the video.



Yeah there is another massive Gum just behind the camera. I have to prune the bottom out of that one with my 40' ladder. That ladder is at least a 2 person job. No wonder my mate that I bought it off now hires equipment for taller trees. Unfortunately in my area we don't have any hire mobs that deal with high lift gear...



gmax said:


> That's damn hard wood, I was imagining how long it would take with the Chinese 070 to make one cut... probably about an hour :hmm3grin2orange:



Very hard Wayne. That Chinese 070 would have spat a rod half way through 



The Count said:


> that looked like lots of fun; except the carrying and loading the wood part in the end.
> sometimes I envy peoples that are doing this kind of jobs.
> sitting in front of the computer all day, half the time I dream about the weekend when I can be outside with the saw in my hand.
> cheers.



Yeah you're right mate except that after having to basically "force" the 660 through nearly every cut I was absolutely stuffed and panting like a dog. Just blocking up the rounds is easy when the tip is exposed but cutting along the grain in wood like this with the tip buried is quite hard work. That's why I just took my time until dad had loaded the trailer  I'm outside a lot of the time with my day job but still can't walk past any decent sized tree without some sort of assessment as to where the felling cuts should go!
When are you visiting Australia to come cutting? Welcome anytime and I'll save you some trees


----------



## The Count

Mighty generous of you but I don`t expect to be very soon.
Although after my PhD is complete I plan to relocate to another country but it will be most likely somewhere in Europe.
but who knows ?
cheers.


----------



## MCW

The Count said:


> Mighty generous of you but I don`t expect to be very soon.
> Although after my PhD is complete I plan to relocate to another country but it will be most likely somewhere in Europe.
> but who knows ?
> cheers.



What are you studying?


----------



## The Count

drought and salt tolerance in various maize hybrids
I`m at the plant physiology dept.


----------



## MCW

The Count said:


> drought and salt tolerance in various maize hybrids
> I`m at the plant physiology dept.



Cool and I'm sure that's very interesting. I studied Agricultural Science (graduated 1995) so have also done a fair bit with salt tolerance and management in tree and vine crops. You could get a job in Australia for sure if you've studied anything to do with salt or drought 
I was only doing reports for guys yesterday in regard to sodium and chloride levels in their citrus


----------



## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> I think I told you Al but Bifenthrin is absolutely dynamite on Beetles and Weevils. Continue to soak the areas of the tree where they're getting in. Won't affect the larvae much but will knock the sh*t out of the adults.
> 
> Anyway, have been out madly chopping up the remainder of this dead Blue Gum and carting it back to my place for firewood. It is unbelievably heavy and I've had to even cut some parts in half to easily lift them.
> My dad came to help with his trailer on Saturday afternoon. He loaded some wood in amongst numerous breaks while I did the cutting - I hadn't noticed him in the background of the video but told him not to bust his arse lifting heavier bits, looks like he ignored me the old buggar. Mum would kick his butt if she knew as some of these lumps would be easily 60kg (132lbs). The cutting part was very hard work and I was sweating like a pig by the end, absolutely saturated. I cut the main log up to start with using the 3120 and 42" bar then used the modded 660 with 20" bar to block the very large rounds up. One of them fell over and it took every bit of mine and dad's muscle to lift it up again - in fact for a few seconds there I didn't think we'd be able to do it. All up this tree will have produced about 16 tonne of firewood, maybe more.
> The 3120 part of the deal was easy, blocking the rest up with the 660 was not. This took ages and in about 4 hours of non stop cutting there was still some log left. The 660 ran a treat and is continuing to grow on me. The power and the ease at which it does things is quite addictive. It does like a drink though thats for sure and fuel consumption is right up there with the 3120. It was working hard though, even with a 20" bar and many cuts had the tip buried. I was leaning on it very hard
> 
> Anyway, a few piccys of the scene...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And a video of the 3120 in action. No matter how much grunt I thought this 660 has there is no way it would catch a 3120. This thing just runs the same no matter what the bar length. With the oil boost switch on there was oil absolutely flowing off the 42" bar. This was with skip semi chisel chain and a 7 pin rim. Although heavy this thing still brings a smile to the dial and it shines in big hard stuff like this. It's out of warranty now so it may even get a port job. Al, are you there?
> 
> 
> <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUlJfmOU5VE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


 
Wish I had some firewood like this laying around!


----------



## gmax

Andyshine77 said:


> Wish I had some firewood like this laying around!


 
+1 When I go and visit Matt my trailer is full of chainsaws.. no room for wood :biggrin:


----------



## Jacob J.

gmax said:


> +1 When I go and visit Matt my trailer is full of chainsaws.. no room for wood :biggrin:


 
Wayne- did you ever get your Alpina to running decent?


----------



## gmax

Jacob J. said:


> Wayne- did you ever get your Alpina to running decent?


 
Jacob, considering this piston was re-used it's running ok






<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CyHhPlR8XIU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Wish I had some firewood like this laying around!



I finished cutting it all up tonight with the 660. That is a mean saw. Ran a 32" buried with non skip semi chisel and 8 pin and did it very angrily  It's good firewood though that's for sure! Although I'd rather use the 390XP's anyday for felling this 660 is pretty hard to beat in chopping/cutting situations like this...



Jacob J. said:


> Wayne- did you ever get your Alpina to running decent?



Yeah Jacob it's a good runner mate. Very nice and very smooth saw. Leaves big holes blown in the ground from the exhaust when cutting


----------



## Eccentric

gmax said:


> Jacob, considering this piston was re-used it's running ok


 
Ouch! You were able to clean up and reuse that piston? I have a couple pistons that look like that. Not from Alpina's though. Don't know if they'd be anywhere near in spec after cleaning up however...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Leaves big holes blown in the ground from the exhaust when cutting



Remove the bar and chain and you have cool leaf blower!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Remove the bar and chain and you have cool leaf blower!



It's got a pretty cool exhaust that Alpina. Loud though but funky sound


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> It's got a pretty cool exhaust that Alpina. Loud though but funky sound


 
Leave it to the Italians to put funky into chainsaws.


----------



## gmax

Eccentric said:


> Ouch! You were able to clean up and reuse that piston? I have a couple pistons that look like that. Not from Alpina's though. Don't know if they'd be anywhere near in spec after cleaning up however...







This is how it looked after I cleaned it, I cant even find a sprocket for this Alpina, zero chance of finding another piston.
Spec? it has good compression and it runs, that's enough for me :msp_thumbup:


----------



## 8433jeff

Way to go on that piston, mang! Them Itai saws need a little ingenuity to keep them running, if only for showing off.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Leave it to the Italians to put funky into chainsaws.



Another worrying thing about this Alpina too Randy is that the second it sees a log it thinks is too hard it puts it's hands in the air and surrenders.


----------



## wyk

Just think of all the mushrooms and caterpillars you coulda carved in all that, mang.








MCW said:


> I think I told you Al but Bifenthrin is absolutely dynamite on Beetles and Weevils. Continue to soak the areas of the tree where they're getting in. Won't affect the larvae much but will knock the sh*t out of the adults.
> 
> Anyway, have been out madly chopping up the remainder of this dead Blue Gum and carting it back to my place for firewood. It is unbelievably heavy and I've had to even cut some parts in half to easily lift them.
> My dad came to help with his trailer on Saturday afternoon. He loaded some wood in amongst numerous breaks while I did the cutting - I hadn't noticed him in the background of the video but told him not to bust his arse lifting heavier bits, looks like he ignored me the old buggar. Mum would kick his butt if she knew as some of these lumps would be easily 60kg (132lbs). The cutting part was very hard work and I was sweating like a pig by the end, absolutely saturated. I cut the main log up to start with using the 3120 and 42" bar then used the modded 660 with 20" bar to block the very large rounds up. One of them fell over and it took every bit of mine and dad's muscle to lift it up again - in fact for a few seconds there I didn't think we'd be able to do it. All up this tree will have produced about 16 tonne of firewood, maybe more.
> The 3120 part of the deal was easy, blocking the rest up with the 660 was not. This took ages and in about 4 hours of non stop cutting there was still some log left. The 660 ran a treat and is continuing to grow on me. The power and the ease at which it does things is quite addictive. It does like a drink though thats for sure and fuel consumption is right up there with the 3120. It was working hard though, even with a 20" bar and many cuts had the tip buried. I was leaning on it very hard
> 
> Anyway, a few piccys of the scene...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And a video of the 3120 in action. No matter how much grunt I thought this 660 has there is no way it would catch a 3120. This thing just runs the same no matter what the bar length. With the oil boost switch on there was oil absolutely flowing off the 42" bar. This was with skip semi chisel chain and a 7 pin rim. Although heavy this thing still brings a smile to the dial and it shines in big hard stuff like this. It's out of warranty now so it may even get a port job. Al, are you there?
> 
> 
> <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CUlJfmOU5VE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Just think of all the mushrooms and caterpillars you coulda carved in all that, mang.



Well why in god's name didn't you post this photo and your handy bit of info BEFORE I carved that log into moveable pieces?


----------



## AUSSIE1

Thanks Matt, I just noticed this! Bifenthrin you say? Thanks mate, my tree's will love ya for that!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Thanks Matt, I just noticed this! Bifenthrin you say? Thanks mate, my tree's will love ya for that!



Yeah it's a common one with pest controllers Al. They'll have you believe that they walk on water and have special government clearance to access the chemicals they use but truth is 90% of the actives they use are available over the counter to anybody in one form or another. Also good around the house for nailing Millipedes, Spiders, Ants, and basically all crawling insects - for anywhere up to 3 months. We've got heaps of Geckos around our house climbing on walls so it doesn't seem to have a massive affect on anything other than insects etc - I spray it every few months around my place. Very safe for mammals unless you drink it 
There are many trade names but just look for the active Bifenthrin - about $55 odd bucks a litre which goes a LONG way. Webzone is what we have at work. It absolutely smashes beetles and weevils for weeks, even months under the right conditions...

http://www.webcot.com.au/uploads/labels/DIY Pest Control - Webzone.pdf


----------



## AUSSIE1

Yeah the millipede's are in the millions here also, so this is all good news.

I've just recently pulled another three dead trees due to those bluddy beetles!


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> Also good around the house for nailing Millipedes, Spiders, Ants, and basically all crawling insects - for anywhere up to 3 months.
> [snip]


 
and centipedes ?

Thought I was getting lucky one night a few months back.

Found it was a 6" long centipede crawling up my leg in bed :help:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah the millipede's are in the millions here also, so this is all good news.
> 
> I've just recently pulled another three dead trees due to those bluddy beetles!



Behold...



tdi-rick said:


> and centipedes ?
> 
> Thought I was getting lucky one night a few months back.
> 
> Found it was a 6" long centipede crawling up my leg in bed :help:


 
Yeah them too (seriously I've foud a fair few of them dead too from Bifenthrin). It won't help with your 9" Centipede though Rick 

Off topic (hang on, it's my thread???) but here are some up to date piccys off my front porch taken in the last 5 minutes. This copped the blower on Saturday arvo so all fresh over the last couple of days. Pretty rainfast too and this was sprayed about 3-4 weeks back. Bugs, they no likey Bifenthrin which is a synthetic Pyrethroid - different to hemorrhoids by the way...










As you'd probably have realised Al Millipedes head towards light and are mainly nocturnal little critters. If you go outside in the dark and you've had your lights on you'll find them galloping towards your house from every direction. Until I sprayed we were getting them in the house everywhere as they get under doors etc quite easily. Two days after this spray I haven't seen a live Millipede in our house since...

Oh and even more off topic. I consult for a grower with winegrapes but he asked whether this gear stuffs Mosquitos. He has a garden like a jungle and couldn't step outside without being mauled by mozzies. I said yes it stuffs all insects. Two days later he rings me and says "come and look at this". He'd retrofitted a high pressure 12v pump, a chemical tank, and a misting jet to his Stihl petrol blower. He nuked his whole place, garden, walls etc, everything. The next day he couldn't find one mozzie and has seen hardly any since. This was about 8 weeks ago.
I did the same in my shed with my blower but just taped the spray wand on and it got Bifenthrin into every nook and cranny imaginable - I haven't seen a spider since  Prior to that my shed was absolutely infested and you'd have a facefull of fresh web every day.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Yeah if that centipede traveled any further he may have realized it was only 4" going by his measuring stick! 

OK, I wonder how I'd go with the Redback's taking over my garage?


----------



## tdi-rick

Those bloody beetles have been having a go at my Sydney Blue Gums (E.Saligna) and Lemon Scented Gums (E.Citriodora) too :msp_mad:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah if that centipede traveled any further he may have realized it was only 4" going by his measuring stick!



I heard 4" is the normal radius?




AUSSIE1 said:


> OK, I wonder how I'd go with the Redback's taking over my garage?



Mate one thing for sure it smashes spiders and does so for months. When I bought my new house about 6 months ago now it had spiders absolutely everywhere, including Redbacks as it's surrounded by Mallee scrub. I sprayed it with this gear everywhere and gave it a good soaking (I put 200ml in a 15L backpack - 15L will do our whole house easily, walls, eaves etc etc).
Within minutes there were spiders literally crawling out of walls and the next day it was like a spider massacre - there were literally hundreds lying on the concrete and hanging dead from the eaves on a webs. It stinks a bit but only noticable for a couple of days - if you spray your shed just leave it open to air for a day and you're good to go. Stay out of the mist though when spraying as the solvents and stenching agent they add will give you a bit of a headache.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Those bloody beetles have been having a go at my Sydney Blue Gums (E.Saligna) and Lemon Scented Gums (E.Citriodora) too :msp_mad:


 
Your Lemon Scented's? That's interesting. They aren't touching my Lemon Scented, Spotted's or Red Spotted's.


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah if that centipede traveled any further he may have realized it was only 4" going by his measuring stick!
> 
> [snip]



But some girls seem to like it that wide ?? 



:msp_tongue: in my dreams, or would it be a nightmare ?


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I heard 4" is the normal radius?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mate one thing for sure it smashes spiders and does so for months. When I bought my new house about 6 months ago now it had spiders absolutely everywhere, including Redbacks as it's surrounded by Mallee scrub. I sprayed it with this gear everywhere and gave it a good soaking (I put 200ml in a 15L backpack - 15L will do our whole house easily, walls, eaves etc etc).
> Within minutes there were spiders literally crawling out of walls and the next day it was like a spider massacre - there were literally hundreds lying on the concrete and hanging dead from the eaves on a webs. It stinks a bit but only noticable for a couple of days - if you spray your shed just leave it open to air for a day and you're good to go. Stay out of the mist though when spraying as the solvents and stenching agent they add will give you a bit of a headache.


 
Circumference maybe?

Oh well that's good news. I'm being overtaken by Redback's especially and the black house spider. Good stuff mate.


----------



## tdi-rick

> Insects affecting spotted gum growth
> Erinose mite (Rhombacus sp. Acarina: Eriophyidae)
> 
> Sporadic outbreaks of this mite were observed in young spotted gum plantations (usually less than 18 months old) in the early summers of 1999/00 and 2001/02.
> 
> The mites are microscopic but produce highly visible blisters on the leaves. These blisters gradually become necrotic and the trees eventually drop badly affected leaves. Up to 90% of foliage can be affected on some trees.
> 
> Symptoms are most obvious from October/November to January/February. Dry conditions appear to promote the growth of mite populations. Trees usually recover, but early seasonal growth may be severely affected. Early research results indicate that there may be some differences in susceptibility between spotted gum provenances.
> 
> Management practices that promote vigorous growth, such as appropriate site selection, good weed control and fertilisation, will help to minimise the effects of this pest. However, unpredictable environmental factors, such as long dry periods, may be more important in promoting a population increase of the mite while decreasing the ability of the tree to outgrow its effects.
> Swarming scarabs (Automolus species)
> 
> These small beetles attack young plantations in swarms during late spring to early summer, particularly following rainfall. The beetles feed on the growing tips and can have severe effects on tree growth and form early in the growing season. Severe attack on very young seedlings can result in tree death. Plantations established on ex-pasture sites and/or are close to significant areas of pasture are most at risk. This is because the beetle larval stages live in the soil and feed on grass roots and soil organic matter.
> Christmas beetles (Anoplognathus porosus, A. boisduvali)
> 
> These large beetles attack young plantations in early to mid-summer, usually following rainfall. Spotted gums are moderately susceptible to attack by Christmas beetles. They are voracious feeders and can defoliate trees quickly if numbers are high. Leaves fed on by these beetles have a characteristic jagged edge with the beetles not feeding on either the midribs or leaf margins. As with swarming scarabs, plantations that are established on or near ex-pasture sites are most at risk because the beetle larval stages live in the soil.
> Insects affecting timber quality
> Longicorn beetles (Phoracantha solida, P. mastersi)
> 
> Spotted gums generally show high levels of resistance to stem borers, although there are two species of longicorn beetle that can cause damage.
> 
> The two-hole longicorn (Phoracantha solida) has attacked young spotted gums at a low incidence (range 0-9.5%) in some trial plantations. Attacks can be recognised by the cracking and swelling of bark associated with kino (resin) bleeds. 'Air' holes in the affected area indicate the presence of larger larvae. The bark around the affected area is shed exposing the sapwood and one or more oval-shaped holes that are formed when larvae tunnel into the heartwood to pupate. Holes not plugged with frass indicate that adults have already emerged.
> 
> The incidence of attack by these borers can increase if the trees become stressed due to drought, poor site selection or poor plantation management. Minimising the effects of these insects can best be achieved by promoting tree vigour through good site matching, fertilisation and thinning practices. Pruning, ideally, should be conducted during the winter months when these insects are inactive.
> 
> Older trees may be susceptible to attack by the ringbarking longicorn (Phoracantha mastersi). This species has caused considerable death of spotted gums in native forest in the Dalby area.



Might not be Longicorn, but something's had a go at some of them.
They've all been bark shedding and one shows a row of larval rows on the freshly exposed trunk.

We have quite a few other varieties, eg Leucoxlyn (sp?) that seem to be acting as sacrificials for the ones i really want to get to maturity.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> But some girls seem to like it that wide ??
> 
> 
> 
> :msp_tongue: in my dreams, or would it be a nightmare ?



Dear Rick.
Please don't let your online Google searches affect your judgement on just what the female human body can easily handle. After much study while eating Cheese Twisties I believe the internet is completely misleading in that regard...
Matt


----------



## tdi-rick

and we've bumped Matt's thread to 20 pages now :msp_thumbsup:


mmmm, twisties


----------



## tdi-rick

Oh, and seeing as you're here ATM, do you have any 058-3/8 skip in stock ?
I'll give you ring tomorrow.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Oh, and seeing as you're here ATM, do you have any 058-3/8 skip in stock ?
> I'll give you ring tomorrow.


 
No unfortunately  Reason being is that most bars over 32" where I'd start using skip are .063"

How much are you after mate? I'll get the Dremel out and take the drivelinks back .005"


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Well why in god's name didn't you post this photo and your handy bit of info BEFORE I carved that log into moveable pieces?


 
Oh, you still got opportunity, mate. That's a sand sculpture. Grab all that sawdust and some glue and get to work!


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> No unfortunately  Reason being is that most bars over 32" where I'd start using skip are .063"
> 
> How much are you after mate? I'll get the Dremel out and take the drivelinks back .005"



Hmm, maybe this is the opportunity to get a bigger saw, I have to drop and block a 40" Box soon and it'll be a bit much for 7900 methinks


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Oh, you still got opportunity, mate. That's a sand sculpture. Grab all that sawdust and some glue and get to work!



Thats a lot of glue  Will have to kidnap lots of horses and get a big cauldron going...


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Hmm, maybe this is the opportunity to get a bigger saw, I have to drop and block a 40" Box soon and it'll be a bit much for 7900 methinks



I have my 390XPG on eBay at the moment. I'd pull the auction just for you mate 

40" is child's play for your 7900 you softy...


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> I have my 390XPG on eBay at the moment. I'd pull the auction just for you mate
> 
> 40" is child's play for your 7900 you softy...


 
Trade you a 372 for that 390 straight across. I'll even throw in a sand sculpture.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Might not be Longicorn, but something's had a go at some of them.
> They've all been bark shedding and one shows a row of larval rows on the freshly exposed trunk.
> 
> We have quite a few other varieties, eg Leucoxlyn (sp?) that seem to be acting as sacrificials for the ones i really want to get to maturity.


 
Yeah right, well they are thinning out my "plantation" except for those mentioned.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Trade you a 372 for that 390 straight across. I'll even throw in a sand sculpture.



Freight on that sand sculpture could be a killer? Make it small for crying out loud.

I'd love a 372XP but the Dolmars cover that spot


----------



## AUSSIE1

I'm hitten the sack you lot, catchya's tomorrow.


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I'm hitten the sack you lot, catchya's tomorrow.



OK nanna...

Take your knitted blanky with you as well...


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> Another worrying thing about this Alpina too Randy is that the second it sees a log it thinks is too hard it puts it's hands in the air and surrenders.


 
I didn't know the French were involved in production of them.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> I didn't know the French were involved in production of them.



Didn't the French and the Italians go to the same school on battle tactics?


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> OK nanna...
> 
> Take your knitted blanky with you as well...


 
I thought that would be pop!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I thought that would be pop!



Did you wet the bed Al?


----------



## The Count

MCW said:


> Didn't the French and the Italians go to the same school on battle tactics?


 
Nella guerra d'amore vince chi fugge.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Did you wet the bed Al?



I've just recently gotten over that being a big kid n all! :msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> I've just recently gotten over that being a big kid n all! :msp_biggrin:



Gee you had some facial hair for a kid last time I saw you mate 
Been porting much old son or still flat out?


----------



## MCW

The Count said:


> Nella guerra d'amore vince chi fugge.



Sprikkinsy deutsch? (or something like that?)


----------



## The Count

it was Italian not German
but not bad with the German.
BTW, I do highly recommend you guys go see the Berlin. especially the east side.
I do understand a bit of both; actually I understand quite a lot of Italian and Spanish also; they are a lot like Romanian.
some French too. some Hungarian. and some Russian.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Gee you had some facial hair for a kid last time I saw you mate
> Been porting much old son or still flat out?


 
Mate, I haven't touched a saw or part this year! :msp_scared:

I'm not far of it though as I'm keen to arch up the 371 in some wood (maybe later today) and get stuck into some grinding. Plenty to do.
:msp_biggrin:


----------



## 8433jeff

The Count said:


> it was Italian not German
> but not bad with the German.
> BTW, I do highly recommend you guys go see the Berlin. especially the east side.
> I do understand a bit of both; actually I understand quite a lot of Italian and Spanish also; they are a lot like Romanian.
> some French too. some Hungarian. and some Russian.


 
For those that foolishly speak only English, and sometimes barely, please tell us what you said.


----------



## The Count

8433jeff said:


> For those that foolishly speak only English, and sometimes barely, please tell us what you said.


 
LOL
in the war of love, he who runs away is the winner.
that was btw of school of tactics/war.


----------



## 8433jeff

The Count said:


> LOL
> in the war of love, he who runs away is the winner.
> that was btw of school of tactics/war.


 
Somebody got that about right.


----------



## AUSSIE1

8433jeff said:


> For those that foolishly speak only English, and sometimes barely, please tell us what you said.


 
Phew, well that's ok, I peak English and Aussie! :msp_thumbsup:


----------



## porky616

MCW said:


> I have my 390XPG on eBay at the moment. I'd pull the auction just for you mate
> 
> 40" is child's play for your 7900 you softy...


 
im glad you listed ya husky and not ya 660 or i woulda had to list a kidney to buy it!


----------



## stihl_collector

AUSSIE1 said:


> Phew, well that's ok, I peak English and Aussie! :msp_thumbsup:


 

U mean Strailyan not Aussie Al.


----------



## AUSSIE1

stihl_collector said:


> U mean Strailyan not Aussie Al.


 
Well yeah........spot on with the correction. :msp_thumbup:

I just noticed I left the "S" off speak! Oh well! :msp_thumbdn:


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> im glad you listed ya husky and not ya 660 or i woulda had to list a kidney to buy it!


 
Howzit goin Porky?

Will be in Broken Hill/Silverton in September on a bike trip.


----------



## porky616

AUSSIE1 said:


> Howzit goin Porky?
> 
> Will be in Broken Hill/Silverton in September on a bike trip.


 
im doin good mate, i be here unless we are underwater by then! ya better carry a good mud tyre for a spare, mite talk matt into draggin his cuddly carcass up here at the same time and we can give the silverton pub a workout


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> im doin good mate, i be here unless we are underwater by then! ya better carry a good mud tyre for a spare, mite talk matt into draggin his cuddly carcass up here at the same time and we can give the silverton pub a workout



That sounds like a plan. Will be up there for a coupla nights at least.


----------



## Stihlman441

If the same people ran that silverton pub as back in 2007 on Melbourne cup weekend i seem to remember something about being banded for life,i think i will stay home guys.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Stihlman441 said:


> If the same people ran that silverton pub as back in 2007 on Melbourne cup weekend i seem to remember something about being banded for life,i think i will stay home guys.


 

The pub has changed hands since then.


----------



## porky616

Stihlman441 said:


> If the same people ran that silverton pub as back in 2007 on Melbourne cup weekend i seem to remember something about being banded for life,i think i will stay home guys.


 
nah new owners now, place gone down hill a bit which sucks. previous owners now have the pub around the corner from me, which is dangerous


----------



## tdi-rick

Stihlman441 said:


> If the same people ran that silverton pub as back in 2007 on Melbourne cup weekend i seem to remember something about being banded for life,i think i will stay home guys.



You do realise that they have face recognition software these days as part of the security system and the old records are just passed onto the new owners ?


----------



## Stihlman441

Goodo :msp_sad:


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> im glad you listed ya husky and not ya 660 or i woulda had to list a kidney to buy it!



Half a kidney should be fine.



porky616 said:


> im doin good mate, i be here unless we are underwater by then! ya better carry a good mud tyre for a spare, mite talk matt into draggin his cuddly carcass up here at the same time and we can give the silverton pub a workout



Keep me in on this gents. I like Broken Hill and it's only 4 hours away roughly. I'm up for a session...
You're pretty solid Aaron, I reckon you'd get through a few...
Also I don't like it when blokes call me cuddley 

Oh and just saw this, pretty funny...


SENIORS TEXTING CODE...

ATD..At The Doctors. 
BFF..Best Friend Fell. 
BTW..Bring the Wheelchair. 
BYOT..Bring Your Own Teeth. 
FWIW..Forgot Where I Was. 
GGPBL..Gotta Go Pacemaker Battery Low. 
GHA..Got Heartburn Again. 
IMHO..Is My Hearing-Aid On. 
LMDO..Laughing My Dentures Out. 
OMMR..On My Massage Recliner. 
OMSG ..Oh My! Sorry, Gas. 
ROFLACGU....Rolling On Floor Laughing And Can't Get Up. 
TTYL..Talk To You Louder.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> You do realise that they have face recognition software these days as part of the security system and the old records are just passed onto the new owners ?



Rick they don't even know what those dang 'puters are out dem parts...


----------



## tdi-rick

Stihlman441 said:


> Goodo :msp_sad:



I'm just yanking your chain Andrew 


Unfortunately the licensing rules are pretty onerous these days, at least in NSW but it hasn't got to that just yet.
Pubs and clubs have to keep an incident book and anything that happens must be entered, including all names, etc.
The local cops and licensing boys can request it at any time and regularly view the records.
Audits are very frequent, particularly if a few 'incidents' occur and which can be as mild as someone raising their voice at the bar.


FWIW I just got in from having a feed and a few drinks with a couple of mates at one of the local watering holes, the place was starting to rock as I decided it was time to go home.
I must be getting old.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> If the same people ran that silverton pub as back in 2007 on Melbourne cup weekend i seem to remember something about being banded for life,i think i will stay home guys.



Don't be stupid. I'll pick your arse up at Mildura...


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> nah new owners now, place gone down hill a bit which sucks. previous owners now have the pub around the corner from me, which is dangerous


 
So no more dragging out the V8 and giving it a run and I spose the Madmax machine has gone as well?


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> Also I don't like it when blokes call me cuddley
> 
> [snip]



Oh Puleaaase.

Mr "I click the like button on AS so I can give big burly loggers like Randy a Heart" Matt ?

You love it.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Oh Puleaaase.
> 
> Mr "I click the like button on AS so I can give big burly loggers like Randy a Heart" Matt ?
> 
> You love it.



Well Randy started it and he seems like such a lovely man Rick.

Unlike yourself 

Sorry I missed your call today mate, my Agronomist offsider resigned this morning after being poached by our opposition for $13k a year more than he was on and I spent all day with the managers to try and work out what we do. He was driven home and had his vehicle, keys etc taken off him 3 hours after he resigned. Big companies don't stuff around when you go to the opposition. Absolute madness...


----------



## tdi-rick

All cool mate, I guessed you were busy and I'll leave that corporate crap up to you.

I keep trying to resign but the arse of a boss won't accept it.
Hell, I keep asking for more $$ but my customers just laugh


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> All cool mate, I guessed you were busy and I'll leave that corporate crap up to you.
> 
> I keep trying to resign but the arse of a boss won't accept it.
> Hell, I keep asking for more $$ but my customers just laugh


 

Heh heh. Corporate crap is the operative term mate thats for sure.

Can't you just sack yourself Rick?


----------



## MCW

Ah well back out again today to the corporate farm. I had the manager ring me Thursday asking if I could come up and knock the tops of the stumps that have reshot, then spray the stumps with herbicide to stop it reshooting again.
"No problem" I said, honestly thinking that a couple of 12 hour days this weekend would get the job done.
Well wasn't I wrong. I started at 7am this morning and about 4 hours later had hardly made a dent. I think that this will probably take me weeks as many of the stumps look like a haystack and took a LOT longer to simply cut off than planned. 

Anyway, used the 660 for most of the day and also gave the 261 a run on some of the smaller stuff. Started the day by filling up my 100L 12v spray vat with a mixture of Glyphosate, Metsulfuron Methyl, wetter, and Citric Acid (to buffer the pH down), then off I went...















Oh and a quick one for the guys overseas, don't let PETA ever convince you Kangaroos are endangered out here, they're not...

Wrecked fence...






Good eating this one 






These would taste OK too if I could have caught them...


----------



## MCW

Had a few issues with the 660 today. It kept changing tune all the time and either leaning out too much (I saw up to 15,800rpm on the tacho) or too rich and I saw as low as 11,200rpm.
It looks like the H jet is moving so may have to put a tiny amount of Loctite on it to tighten it up.
Also this thing chews fuel big time but once again with modded saws you do get a lot of wood cut - this thing has a big set of hairy ones without a doubt and I was running some pretty aggressive Windsor 63A non skip semi chisel on a 32" bar with an 8 pin rim. It pulled it quite easily.
I fitted one of the motorbike tachos (as per another AS guy's thread) to the 660 but was mainly interested in the hour meter. I did make sure though that the tacho was accurate and cross checked it with my other tach - it was accurate...






I did 9 hours today and as you can see racked up 2.6 hours of run time on the 660. The 261 had about an hour on it. The rest of the time was spent spraying and driving around.


















These few took ages and were quite hard work...


----------



## MCW

Plus a few more hairy ones. I wasn't game to just dive into them as there was a high chance of either hitting something or throwing a chain. A lot of time was spent busting off the growth so I could see the trunk before cutting...


















And the little 261. Once again it didn't skip a beat. Although the difference in "stumping" speed between it and the 660 is, um, colossal 






I also am finding the balance of the 660 hard to get my head around. With the 32" bar it is quite nose heavy compared to my 390's. The 660 certainly won't be knocking the 390's off their perch as far as a well balanced felling saw goes but it is certainly a good saw when some grunt is required without the weight of the 3120. The other issue I had today is that the decomp button is popping out mid pull (maybe due to this saw's higher compression?) and basically stopping the cord dead. This tweaked an old wrist injury of mine a couple of times today which wasn't pleasant. Had to remember to drop start as little as possible...

Video uploading to Spewtoob as we speak...


----------



## tdi-rick

I wouldn't have thought to add the citric acid, but then I'm not an agronomist either 

Glypho/Metsulf is a popular mix around here for a range of 'hard to control woody weeds'
'Spose you can't get much woodier than a stump :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## 8433jeff

Panzer seems a great herbicide name, but wouldn't sell real well in Europe, I suppose.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I wouldn't have thought to add the citric acid, but then I'm not an agronomist either
> 
> Glypho/Metsulf is a popular mix around here for a range of 'hard to control woody weeds'
> 'Spose you can't get much woodier than a stump :hmm3grin2orange:



Yeah ideal pH for Glyphosate is 3.5-4.0 with glypho stable down to 3.0. At a pH of 8.0 you have to add twice the amount of glypho to get the same results as the label. Our water here at the moment is pH 8.2 and per 1000L you only need to add 400g of Citric to drop it to about 3.8 



8433jeff said:


> Panzer seems a great herbicide name, but wouldn't sell real well in Europe, I suppose.



Genfarm is a company that deals only with Landmark (where I work). We just got bought out by Agrium which you've probably heard of.

Anyway, here be the video. This was one of the largest trees on the property...


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xY6DRhr9e_o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## The Count

just love the sky man. looks like painted.
cheers.


----------



## wyk

Nice trousers! I have to admit I sorta cringed when I saw you use that expensive bar to flip that stump top off. You want I should mail you some wedges then? 

I used a 660 a few weeks back with a 36" ES Bar and I thought it was a tad nose heavy, too. But, I sorta expected it to be. Those 390's balance nicely with a 32, uh?


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Yeah ideal pH for Glyphosate is 3.5-4.0 with glypho stable down to 3.0. At a pH of 8.0 you have to add twice the amount of glypho to get the same results as the label. Our water here at the moment is pH 8.2 and per 1000L you only need to add 400g of Citric to drop it to about 3.8
> 
> [snip]


 

Hmm, I should do a pH test of the water here sometime, we have a fair bit of dissolved limestone (CaCO3) in the river and we are only 15km from the head of it, so flows can vary from nothing (high calcium levels) to a torrent (somewhat less )

Might explain why some graziers here have somewhat mixed results at times, as most don't listen to the agronomist anyway, let alone read the tech sheet. The croppers over the range from here are a bit smarter methinks as there is a little more at stake.


----------



## Stihlman441

Thanks for sharing Matt good stuff,when brad did the muffler mod i suppose he added and extra port on the left side and opened up the original one and took the baffles out ?.When you say the H screw is moving is there no caps anymore and what do you set the w/o rpm to, a bit of that thread lock loctite will fix that.It doesn't seem to cut very well i think you should get rid of it and go back to ya proven saws ha ha (jokin):msp_biggrin:.Looks like you need an apprentice with you for a week or so giving you a hand,that stuff any good for firewood.I think i like that hour meter tac idear,so how much cut time per tank of fuel ?. 
I think you had better fix that fence before one of those endangered skippys herts them self getting through it.
Should of sprayed them when you cut them down,but then you wouldn't be getting paid the second time but.
Thanks
Andrew


----------



## porky616

AUSSIE1 said:


> So no more dragging out the V8 and giving it a run and I spose the Madmax machine has gone as well?


 
i will drop down the pub later and ask frase if he still got the hemi, theres now a madmax museum out there which is getting better by the day


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> i will drop down the pub later and ask frase if he still got the hemi, theres now a madmax museum out there which is getting better by the day


 
Good stuff Aaron, cheers mate.


----------



## parrisw

Nice work Matt. Saw cuts good, too bad it sounds like a sewing machine.


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> Nice work Matt. Saw cuts good, too bad it sounds like a sewing machine.


 
Yeah Will and the "sewing machine" tag is usually attached to a Husky! :msp_unsure:

He'll wise up soon and realize the 390 is a superior machine!


----------



## parrisw

aussie1 said:


> yeah will and the "sewing machine" tag is usually attached to a husky! :msp_unsure:
> 
> He'll wise up soon and realize the 390 is a superior machine!


 
lol, yup!


----------



## MCW

The Count said:


> just love the sky man. looks like painted.
> cheers.



Yeah today was sunny and sunburn weather - yesterday was nicer.



wyk said:


> Nice trousers! I have to admit I sorta cringed when I saw you use that expensive bar to flip that stump top off. You want I should mail you some wedges then?



Unfortunately this job is all about speed and these Pro Tops like being used as a crowbar  Wedges too time consuming (I had about 20 in the back of the vehicle) in a situation like this and the bar wasn't that expensive 
And yeah my legs do look a bit too long for my trousers...



wyk said:


> I used a 660 a few weeks back with a 36" ES Bar and I thought it was a tad nose heavy, too. But, I sorta expected it to be. Those 390's balance nicely with a 32, uh?



Yeah the 390's are a FAR better balanced saw. The 660's are tough as nails, no doubt, and this thing has grunt, but I used the 390XP today with a 32" bar and hardly touched the 660. I can tell you now my forearms are thanking me for it. The 390's balance very nicely with a 32" bar.



tdi-rick said:


> Hmm, I should do a pH test of the water here sometime, we have a fair bit of dissolved limestone (CaCO3) in the river and we are only 15km from the head of it, so flows can vary from nothing (high calcium levels) to a torrent (somewhat less )



Calicum is a biggy for stuffing up the efficacy of Glypho Rick, just like pH and the two together means you may only be getting something like 30% of the chemical's efficacy, maybe less. Any positive cations bond with the Glyphosate molecule locking it up meaning it therefore can't do it's job (Calcium, Magnesium, Iron etc). That's why you need to add something like Ammonium Sulphate PRIOR to adding the Glypho to the tank/vat which locks up these cations meaning the Glypho is available to do it's job. Amm Sul at about 0.5-1.0kg/100L is about right for our River Murray water. Even more with a lot of dissolved Calcium like some bore water around our area.



Stihlman441 said:


> Thanks for sharing Matt good stuff,when brad did the muffler mod i suppose he added and extra port on the left side and opened up the original one and took the baffles out ?.When you say the H screw is moving is there no caps anymore and what do you set the w/o rpm to, a bit of that thread lock loctite will fix that.It doesn't seem to cut very well i think you should get rid of it and go back to ya proven saws ha ha (jokin):msp_biggrin:.Looks like you need an apprentice with you for a week or so giving you a hand,that stuff any good for firewood.I think i like that hour meter tac idear,so how much cut time per tank of fuel ?.
> I think you had better fix that fence before one of those endangered skippys herts them self getting through it.



I'm not telling you anything about this saw Andrew apart from the fact that if you email/PM me you're address I'll post it to you in a few weeks and you can have a crack on it yourself  It seems to be happiest at about 13,900rpm which sounds high to me for a saw of this cc but under that it is running obviously rich and slower. I'll be keeping my two 390's as the XPG didn't sell on eBay which in hindsight was a good thing as using the 660 yesterday and the 390 today sealed the Stihl's fate unfortunately  
I'm not sure of the cut times per tank mate but I know the modded 390 was probably knocking over maybe 25-30% more stumps per tank today at a guess. With less authority though. Put it his way, the 660 was spinning a 32" bar, buried, with an *8* pin rim easier than the 390 was spinning a 32" bar with a *7* pin rim. However, the 390's will be getting a compression increase courtesy of some machine work and that will bridge the gap significantly. I mean there is only a 5cc difference which isn't much in reality.
Oh yeah and this particular patch of wood is no good for firewood. It's grown too fast and by all accounts burns burns fast and a bit too hot as well. Another older stand of Casuarinas on a different property down the road (same company though) is quite hard seems to be good firewood.



Stihlman441 said:


> Should of sprayed them when you cut them down,but then you wouldn't be getting paid the second time but.
> Thanks
> Andrew



Mate as far as I was aware they were MEANT to have all been sprayed. I think what happened was that they took that long to tow the felled trees out that they'd all reshot under the mess as they couldn't get to the trunks to spray them. Doing what I'm doing now is far more taxing than the felling part and may even take as long as the whole felling job!



parrisw said:


> Nice work Matt. Saw cuts good, too bad it sounds like a sewing machine.



Heh heh. It certainly cuts with authority no doubt about it.



AUSSIE1 said:


> He'll wise up soon and realize the 390 is a superior machine!



Put it this way Al (as you're well aware!) but I did a fair bit of wisening today after using the 390. I love these things 

I know that an even comparison in weight and balance is probably a 660 vs. 395XP comparo but the 390 hands the 660 it's butt in the overall handling and feel stakes.


----------



## MCW

Oh 390XP...

How I do love thee...







I got this 660 to to try quite simply try it under a work type situation. I did not go into it with any brand favouritism at all. One thing you cannot argue against is the absolute nuts this saw has got. In spades. It oozes out of it.
But unfortunately if I want a saw with lots of grunt and is, in my opinion, poorly balanced (compared to the 390's) I'll use my 3120.

Not taking anything away from the Stihl of course as they have a fearsome reputation but how many guys here have actually run both the 660 and 390 side by side in a work type situation and gone with the Stihl on feel alone? I know feel and balance are highly subjective but for the life of me I can't understand why anybody would think the 660 feels better? I also know there are other reasons to choose a particular saw such as dealer support and backup etc so just asking an honest question. My "pappy and my pappy's pappy ran Stihl" type answers are not the replies I'm looking for 

Anyway, a couple more happy snaps from today. I did 7 1/2 hours today and got more done than yesterday I think as I'm starting to work out a faster, more efficient routine - even though I'm being paid by the hour. Funnily enough I'm doing the East/West rows at the moment and I'd say 10% of stumps have had regrowth. For some reason nearly every single stump on the North/South rows have reshot.










Got a vid of the 390XP doing a stump so will upload that tonight. Certainly not as impressive to look at on video as the 660 but dare I say it more impressive in the flesh. The 660 is quite simply a woodchip producing whore when a video camera presents itself


----------



## porky616

right im booked in to get this kidney out matt how much for the 660? cant handle you sewing machine lovers hanging it on such a beautiful stihl:hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> right im booked in to get this kidney out matt how much for the 660? cant handle you sewing machine lovers hanging it on such a beautiful stihl:hmm3grin2orange:


 
Lol, fair comeback Aaron!


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> right im booked in to get this kidney out matt how much for the 660? cant handle you sewing machine lovers hanging it on such a beautiful stihl:hmm3grin2orange:



Hah hah. I think Andrew (Stihlman441) beat you to it, he's offering a liver as well  Nah only kidding. I'm not putting another saw on eBay. Every bastard thinks you'll pay them to take it!
I'd love to sell it to another member here, particularly guys like Andrew and yourself who already use and love the 660's but rest assured I won't get anybody entering into a bidding war.
In my view this saw is in a world of it's own just dropping into logs as it simply rips the sh*t out of them. Unfortunately for me after a few hours yesterday and today on either the 660 or 390 I can tell you my arms certainly notice it, unlike firewood cutting.


----------



## porky616

yeah well my livers not worth selling so im done:msp_biggrin:


----------



## gmax

I'm sure whoever buys Matt's 660 will be pleased, it has some serious power it nearly pulled me through the log 

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KebMnoFAV1Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> yeah well my livers not worth selling so im done:msp_biggrin:


 
Yeah mine has seen better days too. I'm not touching any alcohol until we sort out this piss up at Broken Hill


----------



## porky616

thanks wayne! im half cut and toey as a roman sandal and you post that! ah time for a cold shower


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> I'm sure whoever buys Matt's 660 will be pleased, it has some serious power it nearly pulled me through the log



Yeah but you're only a little bloke Wayne  I'm not taking anything away from this saw, it's built like a tank and has the torque of one to boot.


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> thanks wayne! im half cut and toey as a roman sandal and you post that! ah time for a cold shower



Hah hah. Haven't heard the old Roman Sandal comment for years


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> [snip]
> 
> He'll wise up soon and realize the 390 is a superior machine!



 If you only saw the SMS I received today :msp_thumbup:


----------



## AUSSIE1

On the subject of Broken Hill, Aaron I was shown an article on Silverton today in the latest 4wd advertiser (can't remember what it was called) and showed the Madmax car still out the front. Unless this is false advertising of late!

Oh OK, so no drinking till Broken Hill you say Matt?

So if you come over this way does that mean I'm to stock up on the Lavazza?


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> If you only saw the SMS I received today :msp_thumbup:


 
Hey Rick, what do you think that comment was based off? :msp_biggrin:


----------



## porky616

AUSSIE1 said:


> On the subject of Broken Hill, Aaron I was shown an article on Silverton today in the latest 4wd advertiser (can't remember what it was called) and showed the Madmax car still out the front. Unless this is false advertising of late!
> 
> Oh OK, so no drinking till Broken Hill you say Matt?
> 
> So if you come over this way does that mean I'm to stock up on the Lavazza?


 
id call it false mate, new owners have a vw beetle now dressed up to look tough out the front! frasers interceptor is in the museum undercover. whole lot of nasty went down when the pub was sold! quiet funny really


----------



## AUSSIE1

porky616 said:


> id call it false mate, new owners have a vw beetle now dressed up to look tough out the front! frasers interceptor is in the museum undercover. whole lot of nasty went down when the pub was sold! quiet funny really


 
Another Veedub to add to the Silverton collection aye?

Yeah right, drama's aye? Used to be a hoot!


----------



## porky616

AUSSIE1 said:


> Another Veedub to add to the Silverton collection aye?
> 
> Yeah right, drama's aye? Used to be a hoot!


 
whole lotta bull went on and frase got stiffed big time! mind you his new wine bar has caused quiet a stir, but i can tell ya the full story when ya up here


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Hey Rick, what do you think that comment was based off? :msp_biggrin:



I guessed as much.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> If you only saw the SMS I received today :msp_thumbup:



Heh heh. Yeah you, Al, and Wayne got similar texts mate. Just thought I'd fill you guys in with a bit of chainsaw goss 



AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh OK, so no drinking till Broken Hill you say Matt?
> 
> So if you come over this way does that mean I'm to stock up on the Lavazza?



Well actually Al I was joking. I'm on my 3rd stubby as we speak.



tdi-rick said:


> I guessed as much.



Heh heh. Correct once again Rickmeister


----------



## porky616

stubbies matt! hell im suckin on a cask of coolabahs finest! hopin to get me sum lovin tonight but expecting hot tongue and cold shoulder:msp_sad:


----------



## tdi-rick

porky616 said:


> stubbies matt! hell im suckin on a cask of coolabahs finest! hopin to get me sum lovin tonight but expecting hot tongue and cold shoulder:msp_sad:



Aaron, if it's the dude in your avatar your hoping to get lucky with, a cold shoulder is a blessing


----------



## porky616

haha rick true that! avatars for a big fella that hung round our quarry for ages till some bastard shot him! im all for culling but when your 9ft tall you get a nod and a free pass from me


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> haha rick true that! avatars for a big fella that hung round our quarry for ages till some bastard shot him! im all for culling but when your 9ft tall you get a nod and a free pass from me



Yeah I agree mate. A massive Red Roo is a pretty awesome sight.

Anyway a couple more videos. First one is of the 390XP and second one is the 660 again, including a thrown chain when it hooked a bit of dry, hard bark...


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R3ly53RLGYA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YprawJ1vV58" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one Matt,sh-t happens,ya not bad getting paid to make videos some people have good jobs.
Dont go wearing that 660 out :smile2:
Keep the vids and pics coming we love em.


----------



## willbarryrec

That 660 is a bit of a beast !:msp_w00t:
Thanks for the great pics and vid's.....I love the fact that this thread is still around!


----------



## MCW

Hey don't worry Andrew, it won't be getting worn out thats for sure  The video camera doesn't take long to set up as it's on a tripod and all I have to do is line it up and hit the button. Oh and I'm pretty well my own boss out here which is pretty cool 



willbarryrec said:


> That 660 is a bit of a beast !:msp_w00t:
> Thanks for the great pics and vid's.....I love the fact that this thread is still around!



It is most certainly a beast and not much seems to slow it down! No worries about keeping the thread updated either. Glad you're enjoying it and I certainly enjoy updating it when I can


----------



## FATGUY

looks like they both make short work of those stumps! I always love watching your vids Matt.


----------



## Strelnikov

FATGUY said:


> looks like they both make short work of those stumps! I always love watching your vids Matt.


 
Same here. I was in Australia in July 1994. Love the place. Brings back memories.


----------



## wendell

Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


----------



## parrisw

wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


 
Because he's like a little kid running around playing and having fun, and can't decide one thing from the next.


----------



## wyk

wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


 
It's a warning to the other stumps.


----------



## bcorradi

wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


Because he is getting paid for the job by the hour.


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


 
Apart from being a slack bugger, it saves on fuel and chains!

Plus he's making time to take vids and text!


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?



Because you need to get the herbicide onto the stump NOW.

If you cut two or three stumps then go back to the first, the chances of a decent uptake of herbicide is drastically reduced, almost to zero as I'm guessing the tree tries to seal itself with sap.

I'm not too clear on what action a plant takes when wounded like that, all i know is you don't have much time to get the herbicide into it.

It's what we do with woody weeds, slash with a brushcutter and paint the stump instantly.
Contractors have a spray setup on their brushcutters so that as soon as they cut they hit the wound with a squirt of herbicide.


----------



## MCW

FATGUY said:


> looks like they both make short work of those stumps! I always love watching your vids Matt.


 
Awe fanks Nik :msp_wub:

One day we WILL have beer...



Strelnikov said:


> Same here. I was in Australia in July 1994. Love the place. Brings back memories.



Yeah I like it here. Which part of Australia did you see?



wendell said:


> Matt, why do you choose to cut one stump and not the next few?


 
See below mate.



parrisw said:


> Because he's like a little kid running around playing and having fun, and can't decide one thing from the next.



Thats a bit ruff Will...



wyk said:


> It's a warning to the other stumps.



Funny 



bcorradi said:


> Because he is getting paid for the job by the hour.



That's a bit ruff too 



AUSSIE1 said:


> Apart from being a slack bugger, it saves on fuel and chains!
> 
> Plus he's making time to take vids and text!



Bloody hell Al I thought you'd understand...

Anyway...

Wrong on all counts gents. I am only cutting the stumps that have significant regrowth  Not every stump is actually alive and even then some stumps are mostly dead with only maybe 10% of the trunk still alive. This is why you see me jumping from stump to stump with no real pattern. That is the main reason I cut that large stump down so far - I wanted to see ample living wood to get maximum chemical uptake, particularly on a tree that size. There are also a number of large stumps with the smallest little tuft of growth. These stumps weren't cut but that small bit of fluff was getting sprayed. A small amount of growth cannot sustain a massive root system like these trees have so by spraying it delivers the death knock to these trees that are on their last legs and only "just" alive.
As Rick has mentioned you also need to get the chemical on within basically an hour. Once that stump gets a dry look to it it's starting to get too late for adequate uptake.



tdi-rick said:


> Because you need to get the herbicide onto the stump NOW.
> 
> If you cut two or three stumps then go back to the first, the chances of a decent uptake of herbicide is drastically reduced, almost to zero as I'm guessing the tree tries to seal itself with sap.
> 
> I'm not too clear on what action a plant takes when wounded like that, all i know is you don't have much time to get the herbicide into it.
> 
> It's what we do with woody weeds, slash with a brushcutter and paint the stump instantly.
> Contractors have a spray setup on their brushcutters so that as soon as they cut they hit the wound with a squirt of herbicide.



Correct Rick. These trees haven't got the canopy to have massive amount of sapflow because as you'd know sap flow is basically directly related to transpiration. Without a large canopy you don't get large transpiration. In fact sometimes the amount of sap oozing/running out can actually affect herbicide uptake on the odd occasion. With the added Metsulfuron these trees won't be coming back to life anytime soon and Metsulfuron is one of the best "Woody" weed killers


----------



## MCW

Back out cutting stumps again the last two days. Used the Dolmar 7900 that has been fitted with the ex Makita pop up top end and the 261.
The Dolmar is really humming with this topend and I've finally got it tuned properly where it's now rivalling the grunt the Makita had with this setup fitted. I was running both a 24" bar and a 32" bar. The 24" bar is Chinese and the chain was knock off Stihl RMC (for the record I was given these and won't be buying any). The bar showed excessive wear yesterday afternoon (Saturday) about 6" back from the nose and needed dressing. The chain seems to hold an edge OK and cuts nicely but is stretching excessively. I have to readjust it every tank and it is very close to needing a link taken out after only about 10 hours of use. Stumping is hard on chains but even then that is way too much stretch.

Ah, 7900's  A joy to use...







Some of these stumps are VERY hard work. The ones that have massive amounts of regrowth are making it very difficult and time consuming. I feel like a hairdresser having to trim everything off to finally find the stump and start cutting. It is taking a massive toll on my forearms holding the saw out at basically full arm extension. I actually ended up moving to another section with smaller stumps just to use the 261 and have a bit of a break.
The last thing I want is my forearm diameter to exceed my bicep diameter. I don't want to look like Popeye despite having a love of Spinach...

Had a funny one today where the Dolmar was flat out in the cut and I saw a dry piece of wood about 3" wide land on the chain and it came off like a bullet. I've had my face shield down a lot on this job but this one hit me in the forearm. Came as quite a surprise and went in like a dart about 1/4". I didn't know how deep it was at the time but it took a bit of pulling out. Interestingly there is now bruising around where it struck. You wouldn't have wanted that to hit you in the face or the eye if you didn't have glasses on...






I'm sure this happens to everybody but even the frugal 261 always manages to run out of fuel with one or two cuts left...






I noticed the idle on the Dolmar started to get a bit odd a few hours in this morning. It was fine at WOT in the cut with ample grunt, even on a 32" buried, yet for some reason the idle was up and down and it was even stalling when backing off from WOT.
Anyway, I decided to check the filter as it was showing the same symptoms I've seen with blocked filters and nearly fell over when I noticed the filter had popped up and it had been sucking dust for the last couple of days. I hadn't clipped it in properly last time I cleaned it and the back of the filter had about a 2-3mm gap. I remember looking at all the dust while cutting hanging around the air intake over the last few days thinking "HAHA, you'll never get through the Dolmar HD filter!".
Anyway...






There was a lot more dust than it looks and I took the photo AFTER I'd stuck my finger in the intake and scooped a massive wad out...






This had me really concerned so I pulled the top end this afternoon and there was a fair bit of dust in the crankcase but everything else engine wise looked good. I fitted a new Caber ring I had, put it all back together, and went and buried a 32" bar in a hardwood log I have here. As good as new thankfully 

Next week I'm taking the 200T to trim a few of these hairier stumps prior to getting the bigger saws out...


----------



## parrisw

Ya Matt, I've noticed you rally got to watch that back of the clip, it's popped out on me a few times putting it in, although I noticed before cutting. Glad you saw is A-OK!


----------



## wyk

If I am gonna be using a 70-90cc saw all day, I will wear one of those athletic braces on my left arm and I switch hands often during work. I have strained the tendons in both arms in the past, but it's worse in my left, so I like to play it safe nowadays. I'm just not a kid anymore.

Matt, I was limbing maybe 2 weeks ago when the 372 picked up a chunk of wood maybe 1" X 4" and flung it directly into my ankle past the chaps. I got pretty fancy with my speech at that point. I was surprised it stung so coz I had loggers on. It was even worse the next day. Took me a week to shake it off. It musta hit just right. It just happens sometimes.


----------



## parrisw

You just have to expect to get bumped up a little doing this kind of stuff. Last week I dropped a 3-400lb round on my foot, landed just behind the steel toe! OUCH. If I didn't have steel toes it would of been much worse, but it hurt good for a few days.


----------



## Stihlman441

Looks like ya been in the wars there abit Matt,a bit lucky unlucky with that filter spring depends on how ya look at it.hope the dust didnt do any long term damage.
Thanks for the pics and wright up.
:msp_smile:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Looks like ya been in the wars there abit Matt,a bit lucky unlucky with that filter spring depends on how ya look at it.hope the dust didnt do any long term damage.
> Thanks for the pics and wright up.
> :msp_smile:



Yeah I'll live mate. It was more of a warning as to why you should wear eye protection or have your face shield down. The piece of wood came off like a bullet with a fair bit of force.

I think the Dolmar will be fine although there was a bit of baked on crap on top of the piston. I removed it prior to reassembly


----------



## 056 kid

See!:msp_biggrin: those Dolmars are baaad news!


----------



## MCW

056 kid said:


> See!:msp_biggrin: those Dolmars are baaad news!


 
Nothing but trouble those things  Especially when the owner doesn't clip the filter on properly!


----------



## Stihlman441

056 kid said:


> See!:msp_biggrin: those Dolmars are baaad news!


 
Would not happen on a Stihl :msp_biggrin: (sorry cant help myself)


----------



## gmax

Stihlman441 said:


> Would not happen on a Stihl :msp_biggrin: (sorry cant help myself)


 
Looking at your sig you seem slightly biased towards Stihl :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Stihlman441

Ya funny that the first saw i ever got was a Stihl and my farther had them all his life,no real reason when ya on a good thing stick with it.A bit like Ford Holden thing i have allways worked at Ford so i drive them.Maybe if i hang around you and Matt i will get a chance to try differant breads.


----------



## gmax

Stihlman441 said:


> Ya funny that the first saw i ever got was a Stihl and my farther had them all his life,no real reason when ya on a good thing stick with it.A bit like Ford Holden thing i have allways worked at Ford so i drive them.Maybe if i hang around you and Matt i will get a chance to try differant breads.


 
There's nothing wrong with Stihl apart from the rip off prices they charge Aussies although Husky are the same, anyway your going to love that ported 660 Matt has.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Would not happen on a Stihl :msp_biggrin: (sorry cant help myself)



Actually it did. The 660 I'm sending you only has 90psi compression after I threw a handful of gravel in the intake 



gmax said:


> There's nothing wrong with Stihl apart from the rip off prices they charge Aussies although Husky are the same, anyway your going to love that ported 660 Matt has.



Yeah Stihl are good saws. Their pricing in Australia is what I don't like. Pity that 660 didn't feel as nice as the 390's  Hell it's got some balls though  As a felling saw it's nowhere near the 390's for balance but as a simple drop and chop saw it would be hard to beat!


----------



## Stihlman441

I may just check inside that 660 before i start it.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> I may just check inside that 660 before i start it.



I had to get the compression lower Andrew so you didn't hurt yourself  You may be lucky enough to get a big mofo parcel tomorrow


----------



## Stihlman441

I will be like a fat kid in a lolly shop.:msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> I will be like a fat kid in a lolly shop.:msp_thumbup:



If I ever want it back it will be like pulling a cat off a flyscreen 

Have fun with it mate. Remember I sent it registered post so it will be to my benefit if it somehow goes missing and never makes it to you  Heh heh...


----------



## gmax

> If I ever want it back it will be like pulling a cat off a flyscreen



:hmm3grin2orange:I haven't heard that one before 

This brochure came with the junk mail yesterday, I would like a 346XP but for $1299 I'll pass.


----------



## boatman

I just bought a 395xp new from the dealer for $1225. Jumping the prices up by $700? For a new style carb and ignition? I think the used saw marked just got a boost!


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> This brochure came with the junk mail yesterday, I would like a 346XP but for $1299 I'll pass.



Gee is that all? I may order half a dozen...

Leasing one looks pretty attractive although you probably have a 70% residual to actually end up owning it!


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Gee is that all? I may order half a dozen...


 
It's not surprising the Chinese saws on ebay do such a roaring trade over here.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> It's not surprising the Chinese saws on ebay do such a roaring trade over here.



Uh oh, you had to mention Chinese Saw didn't you...

Brace yourself


----------



## Terry Syd

Or you could get it for $7.82 a week - let's see, that is 3.2 years just for the principal, so it would have to be about a 5 year contract to include the interest - or a measly $2,033 total.


----------



## tdi-rick

It makes Makita/Dolmar pricing look damned impressive.

Pity their *** marketing sucks.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> It's not surprising the Chinese saws on ebay do such a roaring trade over here.


 


MCW said:


> Uh oh, you had to mention Chinese Saw didn't you...
> 
> Brace yourself



<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uFMauZgxkdY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Rudolf73

Look at those wood chips fly - what a saw!! Performance must be close to the modded dolmar/makita I'm guessing...


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Look at those wood chips fly - what a saw!! Performance must be close to the modded dolmar/makita I'm guessing...



It's right up there  Actually it runs pretty well considering. It was a full Chinese setup. Saw, P&C, bar, and chain. The chain was a bit dull and the wood bloody hard but I didn't realise the chain was a tad sad until I started cutting...


----------



## 8433jeff

Was going to ask if that was an Oregon bar, but am scared to really find out if they are making them over there also.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> Was going to ask if that was an Oregon bar, but am scared to really find out if they are making them over there also.



Um yes they are. And they're bad...

The bars I were sent are definately Oregon copies but aren't blatently labelled as Oregon. They don't wear very well either - I was sent bars from two manufacturers (A and B!) and they're both as bad as one another. Even at about USD$11-14 each for a 20-24" (up to 28") + freight they're simply not worth it. Certainly worth having a look at but the conclusion is that I can confidently say they're crap  I saw more wear in these bars in 10 tanks than I saw from my GB Pro Tops in the last two years of use - no joke...


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> Yeah I like it here. Which part of Australia did you see?


 
Wife and I went up and down the coast from Melbourne to Port Douglas. Stayed with wife's friend in Sydney. The train ride up the coast and the sailboat cruise of the Great Barrier Reef was the best part. Wanted to go up to Darwin and see the outback but not enough time.


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> Um yes they are. And they're bad...
> 
> The bars I were sent are definately Oregon copies but aren't blatently labelled as Oregon. They don't wear very well either - I was sent bars from two manufacturers (A and B!) and they're both as bad as one another. Even at about USD$11-14 each for a 20-24" (up to 28") + freight they're simply not worth it. Certainly worth having a look at but the conclusion is that I can confidently say they're crap  I saw more wear in these bars in 10 tanks than I saw from my GB Pro Tops in the last two years of use - no joke...


 
Yes, unless the top of the line Oregon stays where the cheaper Oregon lines were years ago, I'll be through with them also. Have a couple look alikes I'm running here, early results are no good.


----------



## weimedog

Tested my 272XP CS2CS build...put a few tanks thru it noodling Oak and hard maple. Ran good, nice brown plug. Think I dried out the clutch bearing..started squealing and I dumped some bar oil behind the sprocket and it shut up..other than that...four tanks of hard work!


----------



## MCW

Back out again yesterday and today cutting stumps (and tomorrow and Tuesday). Ran the Dolmar 7900 yesterday and alas, same issue with crap getting through the filter. Despite looking VERY hard I cannot see any damage to the filter material but somewhere there must be a split in the element letting garbage through. Not as bad as last time but the Dolmar was retired for today as I cut up my spare Dolmar filter adapting it for the 390XP/XPG! I won't run it again until I have a new filter for it.






I'm sure I'm not the only one here who's wondered this but how do saws know to always run out of fuel with basically one cut left? This was the last stump in this run when it ran out. Happens all the time!







One thing I have been doing the last few days is using the 200T to trim up some of the stumps making it easier to cut them off with the bigger saws. I've thrown 4 chains in the last two days trying to simply plunge longer bars into the overgrown mess hoping to find the stump! I had this happen yesterday to the 390XP with 24" Pro Top and the chain was tight. Still has me puzzled and I had to loosen the bar/chain to get it out...






One thing that never ceases to amaze me with this 200T is just how much work you can get done on one tank. It's honestly like a Ferrari with Prius economy. They are an unbelievable little saw these things and I hope to give it a couple of brothers prior to the MS201T's arrival...






There is a hell of a lot of cuts here considering it was all done on one tank of fuel...










And this is why I've also been hesitant to just jam a bar in the mess and start cutting. This pile of sand on the stump would have ruined the chain near instantly...


----------



## MCW

With both the 7900 and 390XP the last few days I've been mainly running a 32" Pro Top with Carlton A3-EP semi chisel skip and 8 pin rim. Both saws pulled it fine although after the 7900's demise yesterday I did drop the rakers a tad last night in anticipation of running it solely on the 390. Despite the worked over top end on the Dolmar with pop up and 200psi compression the difference in power between the 7900 and the modded 390XP is certainly noticable. This 7900 is certainly no slouch though and has plenty of torque, it's just that the XP has more. As I've mentioned before paper specs are only one part of the puzzle. As far as I'm concerned despite being heavier on paper the 390XP's are just as easy to throw around all day as the 7900's.






And while cutting a stump I noticed this little fella running around. He was pretty calm considering. It was only when I picked him up I realised his back half was paralysed. Despite that he was pretty mobile and looks like he is in good condition. This guy is a baby "Bearded Dragon" common to our area. They grow to maybe 20" long at most. Like me he loved the 390 











(Shameless Husqvarna 390XP plug)...










Still haven't made much of a dent in it and although quite boring I am actually enjoying the workout. Using the 200T to trim the stumps has not only made it physically easier but has also made the whole process far more efficient. Prior to the 200T it was actually quite stressful on the arms wielding a larger saw around to just cut small twigs/brush.


----------



## ChrisF

Lookin' good, matt!

I'd love to grab a 200t one day, even for ground work. (Yes, the tophandle. Yes, on the ground.)


----------



## MCW

ChrisF said:


> Lookin' good, matt!
> 
> I'd love to grab a 200t one day, even for ground work. (Yes, the tophandle. Yes, on the ground.)



WHAT??? A 200T FOR GROUND WORK??? THAT'S CRAZY TALK - YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF!!!

One thing you do have to be careful of though (and this is why most injuries occur to the left forearm/hand with TH saws) is that it's easy to just reach in front of a running chain with the left hand to pull a stick/branch out the way. The more you do it the more blasé you can become. All the talk of injuries from kickback with these saws is utter BS, it's sticking your hand in the way that does the damage.

Seriously though they are awesome little saws in a tree or on the ground. I can see why many guys have given up on modding them, they're an angry little hotrod straight from the factory. I want to get a couple more and just leave them in the cupboard in their box - hopefully they'll breed.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> WHAT??? A 200T FOR GROUND WORK??? THAT'S CRAZY TALK - YOU'LL KILL YOURSELF!!!
> 
> One thing you do have to be careful of though (and this is why most injuries occur to the left forearm/hand with TH saws) is that it's easy to just reach in front of a running chain with the left hand to pull a stick/branch out the way. The more you do it the more blasé you can become. All the talk of injuries from kickback with these saws is utter BS, it's sticking your hand in the way that does the damage.
> 
> Seriously though they are awesome little saws in a tree or on the ground. I can see why many guys have given up on modding them, they're an angry little hotrod straight from the factory. I want to get a couple more and just leave them in the cupboard in their box - hopefully they'll breed.


 
I wouldn't say its utter BS Matt. It's happened, a member here a few years back took one right across the face, he survived but severely injured and I think many years to recover, and he'll never be the same again. The picture he posted was absolutely sickening. The problem like you say is its easy to let go from the front handle, and then if you do have kickback its very hard to control with just your right hand, and also your chain brake wont function like it should without your hand there to trip it.


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice pics there Matt,and i see you have a new mate,there the best mates to have they dont drink all ya beer and look at ya missis.


----------



## 056 kid

Hey, your saws look like they have some work on them:rolleyes2:


----------



## blsnelling

Cool pics there Matt.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> I wouldn't say its utter BS Matt. It's happened, a member here a few years back took one right across the face, he survived but severely injured and I think many years to recover, and he'll never be the same again. The picture he posted was absolutely sickening. The problem like you say is its easy to let go from the front handle, and then if you do have kickback its very hard to control with just your right hand, and also your chain brake wont function like it should without your hand there to trip it.



In theory that is true Will but there are just as many sickening photos from kickback where guys are using rear handled saws - every saw has the capacity to injure you and I bet the guy you're talking about was in a position he shouldn't have been in. The saw wouldn't have been at fault but I bet the finger was pointed at the fact it was top handled. Arm or leg injuries are understandable, but there are absolutely no excuses for wearing a modern saw in the face as far as I'm concerned. Sure it can and will continue to happen, but the saw style can't be blamed. For example any time I have cuts by my head it is two hands only and this practice would be enforced the world over by any training groups - I know it's easy to say that sh*t happens and people will use one hand but they simply shouldn't be when cutting in a position like that.
It's a simliar scenario with some groups trying to ban assault rifles. It's not the rifles fault that it can do the damage, it's the operator or the "nut behind the butt".
Not meaning to start an argument Will but many people on AS have said the kickback risk is higher on top handled saws but in practice and in my experience that's simply not the case. The "Theoretical" risk is higher if you look at saw geometry etc but in practice it doesn't quite work that way - it's important to remember that the owner's manual also states that it is a two handed saw (heh heh).
The 200T in my case is a gutsy little saw but it pays to remember they are still only a 35cc saw - I've had some good kickback with it and although I'm no weakling, it's not that scary and easily controlled, unlike bigger saws like the 3120. When somebody has kickback on a 200T that hits them in the face while they're cutting at waste height is when I'll consider the potential may be higher 

All I have to now remember is never to injure myself with my 200T and if it hits me in the face I had better keep quiet 



056 kid said:


> Hey, your saws look like they have some work on them:rolleyes2:



Yeah I bought some spray on woodchips and some pre made dust. I didn't even leave the couch to get them dirty.



Stihlman441 said:


> Nice pics there Matt,and i see you have a new mate,there the best mates to have they dont drink all ya beer and look at ya missis.



Well he probably would have looked at my missus had she been there but I wouldn't have felt too threatened seeing the poor little guy was a paraplegic. An able bodied lizard would have been a different story...



blsnelling said:


> Cool pics there Matt.



Thanks Brad. All taken on my phone  It's about the only good feature on it (Nokia N97)


----------



## CentaurG2

Never like to use the 200t on the ground and do so only rarely. The handles are too close together and I find them awkward especially when compared to a good limbing saw like a 346xp. While powerful, the little 200t are only 35cc. They get really hot with long sustained cuts. You can see smoke and smell them cooking which I think leads to an early grave for them. Very expensive saw to burn up on the ground but to each his own.


----------



## MCW

CentaurG2 said:


> Never like to use the 200t on the ground and do so only rarely. The handles are too close together and I find them awkward especially when compared to a good limbing saw like a 346xp. While powerful, the little 200t are only 35cc. They get really hot with long sustained cuts. You can see smoke and smell them cooking which I think leads to an early grave for them. Very expensive saw to burn up on the ground but to each his own.


 
It does depend what you're using them for. Long sustained cuts isn't ideal but just trimming up like I did is fine. There are hundreds of 200T's used on the ground in my area, mainly for orchard pruning, and the only time I've heard of one getting toasted is when some brain dead hobo straight gasses them.
You're right though, the handles are close and after using a rear handled saw it's easy to "over reach" if you're not thinking straight and grab the chain


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> In theory that is true Will but there are just as many sickening photos from kickback where guys are using rear handled saws - every saw has the capacity to injure you and I bet the guy you're talking about was in a position he shouldn't have been in. The saw wouldn't have been at fault but I bet the finger was pointed at the fact it was top handled.


 
Yep totally true Matt. I was just saying is all. I've been known to let go of my 200 as well, but never up in a tree when its in front of me. And I think that's what happened to him, and he didn't have his face shield down 

Thing is, not sure if you've ever climbed or not, but when you do, sometimes you make cuts when the saw is right in front of you, when I do this, I make sure its below my face, that's where you have the best control of it is when its right in front and where you have the most strength and control in your arms.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Yep totally true Matt. I was just saying is all. I've been known to let go of my 200 as well, but never up in a tree when its in front of me. And I think that's what happened to him, and he didn't have his face shield down
> 
> Thing is, not sure if you've ever climbed or not, but when you do, sometimes you make cuts when the saw is right in front of you, when I do this, I make sure its below my face, that's where you have the best control of it is when its right in front and where you have the most strength and control in your arms.



Yeah sorry about getting on my high horse Will 

Climbing? Maybe a few stairs here and there but that's about it at this stage  Got the spurs, harness etc but need some better gear. I've been onto Shaun (Imagineero) who said he'll help me out when I finally get my climbing butt into gear. He's been working for a tree crew in Sydney and been doing heaps of climbing lately. He's even offered me a "training course" if I can get over his way at some stage. Maybe I'll frighten myself or maybe I'll love it. I think spur climbing would be more my cup of tea, not swinging around on ropes.

I know where you're coming from regarding saw placement. That is a very important thing with any saw. It can't get you if you're not in it's way. Very similar to keeping a loaded gun pointed in a safe direction - minimise any risk.


----------



## MCW

As mentioned I've spent the last 4 days just cutting and spraying stumps. A few more photos from the last few days...















Managed to snap a chain again today mid cut and once again busted straight through the tie strap as per previous breakages. This time it was on the 390XP with oiler flat out so certainly not due to heat or a lack of oil. In fact the chain was hardly warm.










I replaced the chain and as always it's important to avoid your previous cut if part of the busted chain is missing. Last thing you want to do is wreck a new chain by hitting an embedded piece of the old chain in your last cut...






Also noticed a lot more lizards around today. I think that word may have gotten out from my crippled lizard friend and they've come for a look at the 390XP - I'm sure that's the case, I mean lizards must love saws too?










Funnily enough they all seem to be giving me the evil eye. They have that look about them which says "If I was 100kg bigger you'd be my lunch"...

Also had the manager come and grab me yesterday for about 1/2 hour as the company want a couple of larger trees dropped on the property where their main offices are. One is a quite large dead gum with maybe a 48" trunk and the other is a very messy and shaggy Norfolk Island Pine with about a 36" trunk - there is also a chance that my Mk I eyeball trunk diameter measuring device is wrong. They may be smaller or maybe larger although I doubt they'd be larger than that - I already know that I'll be using the 3120 and 42" bar on the gum. It looks very hard stuff, just like the last gum I chopped up with the big Husky. I'll get some pics up soon but will drop them in a few weeks. Will also get vids up when I drop them, the fiancee has already been booked as camera woman!

The Norfolk Island Pine will be tight. It will show just how good I am at measuring (or how bad I am!) as I've measured it to pull up about 6 feet short of some orange trees. The manager said it doesn't matter if I flatten a couple of orange trees or even take out the compound fence! That is certainly not on the agenda and to be honest they are both relatively easy fells in my book. If the pine's wood looks OK I may even get it put aside for milling.

Once again the gum has died from Longicorn Beetle attack. The little bastards strike again...


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice pics of your seadlings growing there mate,do ya have to water them much haha.
Those rows are endless are ya getting on top of it.
I dont think there is anything wrong with ya chains mate,you can see how much sh_t gets under them and something has to give.
Just and idear to have a go at,when i cut stringy as you brake throw the blocks when your bucking the bark fibres clag up your chain and sprocket and stop things rotating,i have found full chisel chains do help in this regard,dont know what you are using champ.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice pics of your seadlings growing there mate,do ya have to water them much haha.
> Those rows are endless are ya getting on top of it.
> I dont think there is anything wrong with ya chains mate,you can see how much sh_t gets under them and something has to give.
> Just and idear to have a go at,when i cut stringy as you brake throw the blocks when your bucking the bark fibres clag up your chain and sprocket and stop things rotating,i have found full chisel chains do help in this regard,dont know what you are using champ.



Hi mate. Slowly making a dent in my seedlings  Put in about 24 hours over the last 4 days. Rain made me pull the pin Saturday and Sunday and I had to drop in at work this morning for an hour or so to do a few things. I was hoping to do 10 hours a day but realised there is not enough light in the day when you also have other stuff to do - oh and the fact that a couple of mornings I slept a bit later than planned!
Hey these chains have copped a hiding mate and they have been getting worked pretty well non stop. For a while I though to myself "Why is it always GB/Carlton A1-EP semi chisel breaking" then it dawned on me that it's basically all I've used on this job. The fact that I also run pretty aggressive raker heights and powerful saws also adds to the chain stretch. I checked this particular broken chain though and all rivets were still pretty tight so I just whacked a new DL in it tonight and she'll be good to go next time.
I have run some full chisel doing this stumping but it really struggles. There is a lot of sand and dirt that has been pushed up into the bark by the loader when they were shunting the logs around. Also I've found that the sides of the full chisel cutters bite more into the sides of the cut when the weight of the stump drops down. This stalls the saw then I have to manually lift the stump to get the bar out probably 50% of the time - unlike the semi chisel where I can keep pivoting the saw the whole way out of the cut then simply slide the top of the stump off.

And yeah Stringybark is some ugly stuff on chains and sprockets. Like you I've found full chisel works better on this stuff and in Tassie most loggers are running .404" to help clear the fibres out of the cut.


----------



## Stihlman441

Just looking back at that broken chain when you say you run agressive rakers how agressive are we talking about ?.
I hope you are not starting to talk to them lizards to much.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Just looking back at that broken chain when you say you run agressive rakers how agressive are we talking about ?.
> I hope you are not starting to talk to them lizards to much.



Well I don't measure them in thou so can't really give you a number. Now this is where it gets sad but I pretty well just eyeball them! I know that as far as setting them with a File-O-Plate I prefer to go under File-O-Plate settings by about double the plate thickness. I wouldn't recommend this on smaller or gutless saws though. They get a bit grabby. I get it wrong occasionally though and it's instantly obvious the second you start cutting  Thats when I file in or grind in even less hook to compensate for my stupidity...

Oh and I'm not talking to those pesky lizards but they keep talking to me...


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah sorry about getting on my high horse Will
> 
> Climbing? Maybe a few stairs here and there but that's about it at this stage  Got the spurs, harness etc but need some better gear. I've been onto Shaun (Imagineero) who said he'll help me out when I finally get my climbing butt into gear. He's been working for a tree crew in Sydney and been doing heaps of climbing lately. He's even offered me a "training course" if I can get over his way at some stage. Maybe I'll frighten myself or maybe I'll love it. I think spur climbing would be more my cup of tea, not swinging around on ropes.
> 
> I know where you're coming from regarding saw placement. That is a very important thing with any saw. It can't get you if you're not in it's way. Very similar to keeping a loaded gun pointed in a safe direction - minimise any risk.


 
Naa, didn't think you were on a high horse Matt, after all, every accident is usually avoidable, just have to be thinking right. 

So far I do spur climbing, its definitely a workout, and I've only peed my pants a few times.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> So far I do spur climbing, its definitely a workout, and I've only peed my pants a few times.



Well I'm in for a treat then as I pee my pants at ground level most days...


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> Well I'm in for a treat then as I pee my pants at ground level most days...


 
yer ground crew got raingear?


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Well I'm in for a treat then as I pee my pants at ground level most days...


 


RandyMac said:


> yer ground crew got raingear?


 
h aha ha ha ha. 

I think I saw a tear trickle down Matt's leg.


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Well I'm in for a treat then as I pee my pants at ground level most days...


 
Like you ever wear pants...we've seen the videos...


----------



## porky616

Stihlman441 said:


> Just looking back at that broken chain when you say you run agressive rakers how agressive are we talking about ?.
> I hope you are not starting to talk to them lizards to much.


 
not sure bout his rakers being nasty but the chain he sent me drew blood on contact! dam that thing got some point on it!


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> yer ground crew got raingear?


 
Lucky I AM my crew so get to give myself a golden shower most days.
Stings the eyes but quite refreshing...



parrisw said:


> h aha ha ha ha.
> 
> I think I saw a tear trickle down Matt's leg.



You wouldn't see it as you'd have your eyes shut 



wyk said:


> Like you ever wear pants...we've seen the videos...



I do honest. The videos you refer to was because I was young and needed the money...



porky616 said:


> not sure bout his rakers being nasty but the chain he sent me drew blood on contact! dam that thing got some point on it!



Wait till you cut with that chain mate. It's got that much hook it will stall the saw on contact  There is a reason you got it for thrown in for free  By they way, although it's Husky labelled chain it's actually made by Oregon and is basically LGX. Just remove a bit of the hook and it will cut fine, except it will only do it for a few seconds in your dirty hard crap!


----------



## porky616

its all good matt, i might save it i reckon lawns almost due for a trim!


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> its all good matt, i might save it i reckon lawns almost due for a trim!



Maybe you can manicure your nails Aaron?


----------



## MCW

Back again. Been sick the last week or so and although still working have gotten home and just sat in the couch. Starting to feel better though and the best therapy is to simply go cutting again!
Anyway I picked up my new Stihl HT131 Pole Saw last Friday (it was on order) and used it a bit on the weekend. It's the first 4 Mix motor I've ever heard and it sound's like absolute crap! One thing for sure though is that it has some serious torque for a pole saw. It came with a 12" bar and picco chain. I did have to raise the idle a bit though as it kept on stalling. I used it to trim the bottoms out of the two larger trees I mentioned above that the company wants me to drop. I had the new pole saw buried in some of the Gum's lower branches and it ate them up easily. I'm impressed. I wasn't impressed by the USD$1500 price though but they are one of the best pole saws around. I also considered an Echo but the local dealer is a bit of a peanut.

One of the trees is a relatively large and gnarly Norfolk Island Pine and the other is a dead Gum, once again killed by Longicorn Beetles. The 3120 and 42" bar will be used for the Gum, it's hard stuff.

I'll have to look out for falling branches with both trees, in particular the Pine as it has branches hooked into a neighbouring Poplar...

The Gum...











The Norfolk Island Pine...










Trimmy trimmy (this is my escape path! It still needs further cleaning)...






I also had to cut the top of the Pine off of the neighbouring fence...






Wear a helmet! At least when I get killed by a branch my head will be intact...






Is it bad to drop trees on Good Friday? I hope not as that is when these are getting felled.


----------



## Stihlman441

Wear a helmet! At least when I get killed by a branch my head will be intact...

Nice one mate.....
Them are some crap lookin trees there champ,they must be payin ya good mate or your a little on the silly side.
That gum looks like hard as kineda stuff.
Have fun and keep that helmet on.
Andrew


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Wear a helmet! At least when I get killed by a branch my head will be intact...



I joke about it to my missus that if I die when I'm felling at least I'll be wearing a helmet so I can have an open casket at my funeral 

As far as helmets go I remember my dad had a saying from Vietnam about the steel helmets. "They'll slow an AK47 bullet down about 50mph before it goes through your head and out the other side".



Stihlman441 said:


> Them are some crap lookin trees there champ,they must be payin ya good mate or your a little on the silly side.
> That gum looks like hard as kineda stuff.
> Have fun and keep that helmet on.
> Andrew



Yeah they're pretty easy fells actually. Both trees are relatively symmetrical and quite simple. You can basically put them wherever you want. That Pine will take a lot of cleaning up though. It will be one of the most feral trees I've ever had the pleasure/displeasure of felling.
The gum is certainly hard which is why I've already got the 3120 setup with 3/8" semi chisel skip and ready to go. I think the 42" will pull up just short but the less time I spend dropping it the better. I was contemplating the 390XP and 36" bar but if this stuff is as hard as I think it will be I'd have to baby the 390 through it.


----------



## willbarryrec

> That Pine will take a lot of cleaning up though.



Pardon my asking but how will you or do you have to clean that pine up?

I can't remember if you said if you had a chipper somewhere in this thread and i know you just mentioned that you work alone.

That tree just looks like a huge mess as soon as it hits the ground.:msp_scared:

Here's hoping you can drop it and haul ass out of there!


----------



## MCW

willbarryrec said:


> Pardon my asking but how will you or do you have to clean that pine up?
> 
> I can't remember if you said if you had a chipper somewhere in this thread and i know you just mentioned that you work alone.
> 
> That tree just looks like a huge mess as soon as it hits the ground.:msp_scared:
> 
> Here's hoping you can drop it and haul ass out of there!



Hi Mate. I don't have a chipper but luckily the bulk of the cleanup will be done by this company's employees. All I'll have to do is cut it into movable chunks and limb it  The larger parts of the trunk will be moved by tractor and forks. Phew...

And yeah it will have limbs and garbage going everywhere when it hits the deck.


----------



## 8433jeff

I will request a video of the ensuing carnage when you drop that pine, Matt. 

The picture in my head has the last branch falling about 5 seconds after the trunk hits the dirt, and the dust and tree bits cloud blowing away slowly, large enough to be picked up on the weather radar.

Only good things happen on Best Friday, mate. All Fridays are good.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> I will request a video of the ensuing carnage when you drop that pine, Matt.
> 
> The picture in my head has the last branch falling about 5 seconds after the trunk hits the dirt, and the dust and tree bits cloud blowing away slowly, large enough to be picked up on the weather radar.
> 
> Only good things happen on Best Friday, mate. All Fridays are good.



Yeah I'll do my best to get a video of it  It is dusty that's for sure and soft as butter. Quite a crappy old tree actually. Hope the weather holds up and it isn't too windy.


----------



## willbarryrec

> Hi Mate. I don't have a chipper but luckily the bulk of the cleanup will be done by this company's employees. All I'll have to do is cut it into movable chunks and limb it The larger parts of the trunk will be moved by tractor and forks. Phew...
> 
> And yeah it will have limbs and garbage going everywhere when it hits the deck.



Nice..Can't beat other folks cleaning up the carnage! 



> 8433jeff
> 
> I will request a video of the ensuing carnage when you drop that pine, Matt.



I'd like to second that!
I want to hear those Huskys sing.:msp_laugh:


----------



## Strelnikov

That Norfolk Island pine reminds me of a big old dead white pine I dropped at my sister's place. When it hit the ground the shattering branches reminded me of a dropped glass breaking into smithereens. I cleaned it up the best I could but I told her I would need a garden rake to clean up the rest of it.


----------



## MCW

willbarryrec said:


> I'd like to second that!
> I want to hear those Huskys sing.:msp_laugh:



The 390XP can do the singing and I'll leave the 3120 for the lower manly type vocals 



Strelnikov said:


> That Norfolk Island pine reminds me of a big old dead white pine I dropped at my sister's place. When it hit the ground the shattering branches reminded me of a dropped glass breaking into smithereens. I cleaned it up the best I could but I told her I would need a garden rake to clean up the rest of it.



Yeah this thing will make one hell of a mess. Will also have to block a neighbouring road off from both ends for safety reasons. The tip of this thing should pull up about 1-2 yards short of some young orange trees if my hillbilly measurements are accurate


----------



## MCW

Back again. Was meant to have posted this last night and the video this morning but once again I forgot to disable a function on a Download Manager I run on my computer. The mongrel turned off my computer at midnight when I had a few hours left of uploading on Youtube - now I have to start again  I'll get it up later and repost.

Anyway, all went well, didn't squash anything or kill anybody!
The gum didn't end up as hard as I thought and the crusty Pine ended up a real mess as expected...

The Gum...






My better half - she loves helping out and did the videoing...






The crappy Norfolk Island Pine. The wood in this was feral and very dusty. I feel sorry for you guys in the US etc cleaning up felled Conifer type trees. These things suck! Give me harder Eucalypts anyday...


















Stump not too bad...






For those wondering what the little Husky is doing there it's a 353 and I bought it off a guy the other day for a steal. It had only seen about 6 tanks and as expected the guy had no idea. The saw was like new however apart from some scratches on the clutch cover due to some "sideway's balance" issues which I take it to simply mean it falls over easily! The 18" bar had been overheated (but is still servicable) and the safety chain was that blunt it wouldn't cut butter. It came fitted with .325" chain and a spur sprocket plus a spare safety chain. I chucked the safety chain and fitted it with Carlton K1 semi chisel.
Nice little saw to use, very well balanced (Sawtroll will be all over this one!), lightish, and gutsy.
To the best of my knowledge the only difference between the 353 and the 346XP is the Piston and Cylinder but if that's not the case please chime in.

My intial dislikes are...

1) Filter area shocking and worse than the 5100-S. It also blocks up just as quick. However it does stop the finer dust without being oiled, unlike the 5100-S.
2) Solid rod throttle linkage feels wierd in use as everytime you pull on the saw during a cut the throttle trigger goes in and out, fighting against your finger! A throttle cable would be much better.
3) The bar tensioner is a bit of a stupid idea with the screw being part of the tensioning stud.
4) Clutch cover a very "busy" affair with a lot of gear jammed in there.
5) Outboard clutch means that the clutch cover and chip ejection areas are very tight. Just today while cutting off some smaller stumps the chips completely locked up the chain a few dozen times around the sprocket - this doesn't happen unless the saw is on it's side.
6) It doesn't seem to oil very well however this may be specific to this saw. I ran fuel mix through the oiler today in case it needed flushing but it made no difference.
7) Although not a biggy it's a real mongrel to clean. I have never seen a saw with so many nooks and crannies in my life. There are about 2,000 places for woodchips and oily garbage to hide and unless you clean it well with the compressor the weight savings over a 5100-S or MS261 are null and void as it would hold an extra 5 pounds of crap over it's dry weight!

Other than that it starts extremely well, seems pretty fuel efficient, and has pretty good power for it's size however I think it would struggle with 3/8" chain. Tough call but I think I'll sell this and keep the 5100-S although I know they're not necessarily in the same class.


----------



## RandyMac

Nasty pine, I would have set fire to it, burnt in place.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Nasty pine, I would have set fire to it, burnt in place.



That is their plan Randy old son. I cut it up into moveable parts so they can push it into a heap. I was going to take the wood from the gum as it would make excellent firewood but unfortunately the Social Club for this company are having a bonfire night soon and have put first dibs on it. The bastards...

Also the whole bottom of the tree is one big burl. Possibly from being smacked numerous times by a line trimmer when it was younger. That explains it's fat bum. I may even steal some of it when they're not looking


----------



## RandyMac

I kinda figured you for a fat bum fancier.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> I kinda figured you for a fat bum fancier.



Yeah I've been trying to spoon feed Tracy pure lard to fatten her up but unfortunately she has sharp nails and is a pretty tough farm girl, hence she is staying slim...


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> Yeah I've been trying to spoon feed Tracy pure lard to fatten her up but unfortunately she has sharp nails and is a pretty tough farm girl, hence she is staying slim...


 
I heard you could get somewhere with a plantain.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> I heard you could get somewhere with a plantain.



I just Googled "Plantain" and for those that aren't aware they are a type of banana.
Not sure where you're heading with this Randy but I'm interested in what you have to say


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> I just Googled "Plantain" and for those that aren't aware they are a type of banana.
> Not sure where you're heading with this Randy but I'm interested in what you have to say


 
They are the bananas you deep fry and cover with powdered sugar.

Oh my, what could you be thinking?


----------



## ChrisF

RandyMac said:


> I heard you could get somewhere with a plantain.


 
And people say thread derailings are bad!


----------



## 8433jeff

This ones not quite off the track yet.
Randy had two good ideas, the burn in place and the plantain.
They are a delicious treat, and somewhat addictive.
The OP isn't off track, its his thread.
But he place he was agoing is on a different side of the tracks, one we shouldn't throw stones at here on the glass internets.
You might hit me.


----------



## Andyshine77

Matt you best keep that 353 now!!:msp_biggrin: The 353 is one of my all time favorite saws, no way would I ever trade it for 5100. I've ran and own both and in my environment I can run a 353/346 for a month without cleaning the filter, not so with the 5100. Keep it for a while you'll grow to love it, trust me.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> They are the bananas you deep fry and cover with powdered sugar.
> 
> Oh my, what could you be thinking?



Well Randy a deep fried and sugar coated banana is all news to me old son 



ChrisF said:


> And people say thread derailings are bad!



No this is nothing 



8433jeff said:


> This ones not quite off the track yet.
> Randy had two good ideas, the burn in place and the plantain.
> They are a delicious treat, and somewhat addictive.
> The OP isn't off track, its his thread.
> But he place he was agoing is on a different side of the tracks, one we shouldn't throw stones at here on the glass internets.
> You might hit me.



I didn't know where I was going as I'd never heard of a plantain. Google mentioned nothing about deep frying or sugar  It's only natural to think of the worst with Randy around!



Andyshine77 said:


> Matt you best keep that 353 now!!:msp_biggrin: The 353 is one of my all time favorite saws, no way would I ever trade it for 5100. I've ran and own both and in my environment I can run a 353/346 for a month without cleaning the filter, not so with the 5100. Keep it for a while you'll grow to love it, trust me.



It is a nice little saw for sure Andy, especially limbing etc but as you're aware the good old air injection systems seem to make matters worse when it comes to finer wood dust but they work a treat with big fat woodchips 


Finally I got the video uploaded  And before anybody asks yes the chain is sharp. You can even hear Tracy spitting some wood dust out!


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wwJ2-qUZ5YY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## RandyMac

Here ya go old son. Nothing dangerous.
Plantain Recipes


----------



## Strelnikov

Nice video, thanks!


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Here ya go old son. Nothing dangerous.
> Plantain Recipes


 
Beef filled Bananas? Cool 



Strelnikov said:


> Nice video, thanks!


 
No worries


----------



## ChainsawmanXX

Get a Belt Matt, you wont need to be reaching for you pants so much 
Cheers on that fall Bud, Got some Bronze here for ya!


----------



## MCW

ChainsawmanXX said:


> Get a Belt Matt, you wont need to be reaching for you pants so much
> Cheers on that fall Bud, Got some Bronze here for ya!



Hah hah  I wondered when somebody was going to say something about that! Unfortunately these pants although comfy don't have belt loops. They have a habit of creeping down at the worst moments, generally when a video camera is around. May have to get some braces


----------



## ChainsawmanXX

MCW said:


> Hah hah  I wondered when somebody was going to say something about that! Unfortunately these pants although comfy don't have belt loops. They have a habit of creeping down at the worst moments, generally when a video camera is around. May have to get some braces


 
I wear Blue jeans all the time, as far as i can remember its always been overalls and jeans! haha 
I have noticed something seems like all trees in AU Looks burnt? Whats up with that?


----------



## wyk

Nice goin, Matt. You survived another day. I do think I may need to send you some bigger wedges, tho.  It's also different seeing you use a hammer and not an axe. Are axes banned along with assault rifles now? Stay outta trouble!


----------



## MCW

ChainsawmanXX said:


> I wear Blue jeans all the time, as far as i can remember its always been overalls and jeans! haha
> I have noticed something seems like all trees in AU Looks burnt? Whats up with that?



Yeah I don't mind denim jeans but they get too hot I've found and I struggle to find one with long enough legs. My guts to leg ratio is all out of whack... 
As far as the trees looking burnt I agree. Not exactly sure why but must have something to do with the sap staining the wood or something. A few of the gums I've dropped lately have looked the same.



wyk said:


> Nice goin, Matt. You survived another day. I do think I may need to send you some bigger wedges, tho.  It's also different seeing you use a hammer and not an axe. Are axes banned along with assault rifles now? Stay outta trouble!



Yeah haven't died yet  Nah don't need bigger wedges mate. I had 7 1/2", 10", and 12" wedges in the vehicle but they were simply not needed. The first wedge I whacked in the gum was a chewed up 7 1/2" and the next four were 5 1/2". It's easy to over wedge things. it's a bit like people using a 36" bar where a 24" bar will do. The trees that I dropped in Tasmania that were getting up around 150+ foot needed nothing more than 7 1/2" wedges. The size of the wedge needed is directly proportional to the amount of weight you have to shift and how hard you can hit it  Apart from my 12" wedges they all have 1" of lift - the 12" wedges have 1 1/2". I also use a mini sledgehammer simply because I don't really need an axe plus I can get more force using one of these. Both of the trees in the video were pretty symmetrical. The only real reason I needed more than one wedge in the gum was due to the size of the hinge I left. I didn't want to leave too little (just in case!) with a boat shed etc behind me and an expensive irrigation flow control meter 

Where you do need longer wedges is where you are trying to fell a big tree against it's lean. Many people would be surprised at just how much of a tree you can drop with a 5 1/2" wedge if you hit it hard enough


----------



## tdi-rick

I used to wear Wranglers when working cattle etc, but they restrict me too much so I've gone back to King Gee/Yakka/Bisley/Rivers drills.

I was wearing jeans today and nearly did myself a mischief jumping a barbed wire fence :msp_scared:

Would have cleared it easily in drills or shorts.


----------



## Terry Syd

As an imported Yank, I used to wear jeans all the time. Now I find that Hard Jakkas do me just fine for most of the year - and I never wear holes in the knees because there aren't any. Of course, I have to use the 'sock savers' to keep the crap out of my boots.

And if I could jump over a fence anymore, I'm sure I'd do it a lot more gracefully wearing the shorts.

When in Rome....


----------



## MCW

If I could I'd wear elastic waisted shorts forever closely followed by tracksuit pants!
Come to think of it I have had a few Walmart emails lately...

By the way Rick, a man of your age jumping a barbed wire fence in shorts could be dangerous. Things get saggy in Summer so I'm told


----------



## zogger

*No jeans for me*

After losing stuff-like my *wallet*-found it eventually, thankfully- out of jeans pockets bounding around on the tractor I switched entirely to military surplus or military style pants with buttons on the pockets and cargo pockets. Works much better on the farm here, plus I can carry more stuff. And no matter how hot it gets, no cutoffs or shorts, too many pickers and insects that can sting, etc.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> By the way Rick, a man of your age jumping a barbed wire fence in shorts could be dangerous. Things get saggy in Summer so I'm told



It's autumn and I'm in the hills remember, oh, and King Gee shorts aren't Stubbies 

For those wondering what we are talking about, King Gee and Hard Yakka cotton drill work shorts are legendary tradie and farm wear here and in NZ, with the traditional Stubbies brand short having taken on mythical status since being introduced in 1972, being the preferred short of labourers and long distance truck drivers. 

*A warning for our conservative North American viewers*

_If you aren't used to seeing grown men wearing shorts that can define a man's religion, look away NOW._

Stubbies. (modelled by our old mate, Hoges,before the botox and facelift)







and a pair of Yakka drills.


----------



## 8433jeff

Them are short shorts. Somebody dressed like that around here, if I dropped my wallet I would kick it to the other side of the street before I picked it up.
Not saying you Aussies are that way, just saying thats who wears them here.
They would be cooler. I wouldn't have the fortitude to wear them here. Or the inclination.


----------



## wendell

I think I'd look really good in a pair of those. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## 8433jeff

wendell said:


> I think I'd look really good in a pair of those. :hmm3grin2orange:


 
My mind will never be the same. You could run the Jonny in them down at tlandrums, them rebs would appreciate fine fashion there.


----------



## Terry Syd

If you think those Stubbies look like short shorts, you should see the Gawd damn 'Speedos' that pass for a man's bathing suit.

I remember on R&R back in 1970 I went on a Harbor cruise (with local sheilas and beer on board). When we got to the cove to do some swimming, they opened up this box of 'bathing suits' for us - the damn things looked like 'G' strings you would find in a strip joint.

We took one look at them and said "no way!". The girls laughed and said that we Yanks always said that, but always ended up wearing them - have a few more beers.

Sure enough, after a few more beers, some bloke finally said "fork it" and got into one. We had a great time, but nobody took any pictures.


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> If you think those Stubbies look like short shorts, you should see the Gawd damn 'Speedos' that pass for a man's bathing suit.
> 
> [snip]



hahahaha, 'budgie smugglers', 'dp's' (#### pokers), call em what you will, it's what most of us used to wear to go swimming in a pool to do laps, (still have mine here) but not really considered cool at the beach these days.

I remember a few posts on Pirate a few years back where one of the Aussies posted some photos where they were fabricating a buggy frame in his workshop and most of the lads had Stubbies on with their tackle almost falling out of the legs.
The US boys were agog


----------



## Terry Syd

After you posted that picture of Hoges in the Stubbies, I was worried you might post a picture of a bloke in Speedos - you could get the forum shut down by doing that.


----------



## Macclay

Hey Matt, pretty cool thread, i've surfed through most and enjoyed your stuff, couple of things, I will use my 200 for ANYTHING, felling, pruning, sucker cutting, I love 'em. Heaps of grunt and quick to sharpen. Earlier this year i had tendered a job for ARTC that involved increasing line of sight for train drivers at rural crossings, needless to say the majority of trees were casurinas, thankfully it was cut and leave, just slash 'em down a bit if they were biguns to keep ol mate farmer happy. Quite a few sites were previously done and it was just a lot of regrowth/suckers, one in particular had hundreds of the little [email protected]@rds, they all had to be poisoned. I got jack of spraying each and every one of these little stumps, so i tipped out my bar oil and poured in straight roundup!! away i went choppy choppy. Well i went back a fortnight ago to check the results and what do ya know, worked a treat! prob around the 90% mark.:cool2: not as cheap as my usual bar oil but saved a heap of time, oh and no residual effect on the saw either,gotta love the 200's.


----------



## MCW

Rick please stop talking about budgie smugglers. It could get the whole of Arboristsite shut down by the feds 



Macclay said:


> Hey Matt, pretty cool thread, i've surfed through most and enjoyed your stuff, couple of things, I will use my 200 for ANYTHING, felling, pruning, sucker cutting, I love 'em. Heaps of grunt and quick to sharpen. Earlier this year i had tendered a job for ARTC that involved increasing line of sight for train drivers at rural crossings, needless to say the majority of trees were casurinas, thankfully it was cut and leave, just slash 'em down a bit if they were biguns to keep ol mate farmer happy. Quite a few sites were previously done and it was just a lot of regrowth/suckers, one in particular had hundreds of the little [email protected]@rds, they all had to be poisoned. I got jack of spraying each and every one of these little stumps, so i tipped out my bar oil and poured in straight roundup!! away i went choppy choppy. Well i went back a fortnight ago to check the results and what do ya know, worked a treat! prob around the 90% mark.:cool2: not as cheap as my usual bar oil but saved a heap of time, oh and no residual effect on the saw either,gotta love the 200's.



Yeah as you've probably guessed I use my 200T for everything as well. Cool idea on the Glyphosate but I hope you rinsed out your case well with water? Glypho is a pretty corrosive acid and chews out metal like there is no tomorrow.
The species of Casuarina that sucker make a real mess. They just don't seem to stop!


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Rick please stop talking about budgie smugglers. It could get the whole of Arboristsite shut down by the feds
> 
> 
> 
> [snip]



or worse, picketed by Fred Nile :msp_ohmy:


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> or worse, picketed by Fred Nile :msp_ohmy:



Don't tell me that old buggar is still alive???


----------



## Terry Syd

I've known Fred for about 15 years - still don't trust the bugger. Seems like all the successful politicians are the same. Now take that Bob Brown fellow, that last name could just as well be his politics if he could find a constituency that would vote for it.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> I've known Fred for about 15 years - still don't trust the bugger. Seems like all the successful politicians are the same. Now take that Bob Brown fellow, that last name could just as well be his politics if he could find a constituency that would vote for it.



Good old Bob Browneye. Now there's a trustworthy character...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Don't tell me that old buggar is still alive???



He's still in the NSW Upper House !

One of his staffers got pinged for web surfing p*rn late last year on a parliamentary computer.
They claim it was for 'research purposes only' 

Chainsaw content.

I broke one of my spikes on Saturday (at the weld) 
I was too heavy handed reefing the saw out of a pinch


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I broke one of my spikes on Saturday (at the weld)
> I was too heavy handed reefing the saw out of a pinch



Bloody knuckle dragging baboon...


----------



## tdi-rick

We better be a little careful, I don't want this thread to go to the Political forum, I don't really want to have to ask for the key into there, it scares me too much :msp_scared:


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Bloody knuckle dragging baboon...





Gorilla, please.


----------



## Terry Syd

Don't worry, the discussion about Brown is all about loggin' trees - heck, you should see his office, he has this big 4' by 8' picture of clear fell logging in Tasmaina.

We should all get together some time over a few beers and I will tell you guys some real chit about Ozzie politics. Good thing I spent some time in a combat zone, otherwise it would scare the crap out of me.


----------



## tdi-rick

Mmmm, beer :msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Gorilla, please.



Ahem...

Bloody knuckle dragging rock ape 



Terry Syd said:


> Don't worry, the discussion about Brown is all about loggin' trees - heck, you should see his office, he has this big 4' by 8' picture of clear fell logging in Tasmaina.
> 
> We should all get together some time over a few beers and I will tell you guys some real chit about Ozzie politics. Good thing I spent some time in a combat zone, otherwise it would scare the crap out of me.



I think we'll need more than beer Terry


----------



## Terry Syd

I make my own vodka. When Rick sends me the disc on identifying eucalyptus trees, I will return a bottle of my home brew.

A fine drop, made from dextrose sugar to minimise excess broken chains, the 'head' removed to eliminate the methanol and then soaked for three days in activated charcoal. If Rick approves of the drop, I provide unlimited bottles as we dive deep into the bowels of the cesspool of illusions.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> I make my own vodka. When Rick sends me the disc on identifying eucalyptus trees, I will return a bottle of my home brew.
> 
> A fine drop, made from dextrose sugar to minimise excess broken chains, the 'head' removed to eliminate the methanol and then soaked for three days in activated charcoal. If Rick approves of the drop, I provide unlimited bottles as we dive deep into the bowels of the cesspool of illusions.



You should have asked me Terry. The original Euclid disc is mine yet it seems to have spawned numerous copies  I'll accept only a mere 3 bottles of your finest Vodka  I do indeed love Vodka...


----------



## Terry Syd

PM me your address.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> You should have asked me Terry. The original Euclid disc is mine yet it seems to have spawned numerous copies  I'll accept only a mere 3 bottles of your finest Vodka  I do indeed love Vodka...



hahahaha, that disc keeps having kittens 

My burners on the fritz ATM so I have to see my neighbour and doco/video maker mate to help out.
I've already bribed him with a copy too


----------



## Terry Syd

Y'all better hurry Rick, there's three bottles headin' out West tomorrow.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> PM me your address.



Nah that's OK Terry. I'll need a liver transplant at this rate


----------



## Terry Syd

Don't cost me much, and you can save some for friends when they come over. Make up some story about how it was distilled from chainsaw droppings.

I'll send one to Rick as soon as he sends me a PM of his address.


----------



## Terry Syd

You're only getting one bottle Matt. The bloody packaging and post costs were more than 10 times what it costs me to make the stuff.


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> You're only getting one bottle Matt. The bloody packaging and post costs were more than 10 times what it costs me to make the stuff.



Maybe save your $ till we all have a GTG Terry ?

I have a disc here to send tomorrow


----------



## Terry Syd

PM your address, I pop another bottle in the mail tomorrow.

If we have a GTG, it would be better if a couple of you blokes sampled the brew just to make sure it was fit for consumption. I'd hate to bring a dozen litres of the stuff and nobody would touch it.


----------



## wendell

Somehow, I don't see that being a problem. :msp_tongue:


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Nah that's OK Terry. I'll need a liver transplant at this rate


 
I think MCW is trying to say he may prefer something that has soaked in an oak barrel for 10 years first.  I know _I_ would.


----------



## ChipMonger

Matt-

I just watched the video of you dropping the dead gum with the 3120 and 42" bar...Looks like you could sit on that saw and it would laugh it you! lol. It appears to have a TON of grunt behind it...Did you send it off to Mr.Snelling for special treatment?:msp_thumbup:

Paul


----------



## gmax

That 3120 is stock.


----------



## stihl 440

gmax said:


> That 3120 is stock.


 
My thaughts as well...lol


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> You're only getting one bottle Matt. The bloody packaging and post costs were more than 10 times what it costs me to make the stuff.



Nah that's fine Terry. I know what Australia Post charges mate even for small parcels. They need some competition like the US has...



wyk said:


> I think MCW is trying to say he may prefer something that has soaked in an oak barrel for 10 years first.  I know _I_ would.



Good old Oak Barrels 



ChipMonger said:


> Matt-
> 
> I just watched the video of you dropping the dead gum with the 3120 and 42" bar...Looks like you could sit on that saw and it would laugh it you! lol. It appears to have a TON of grunt behind it...Did you send it off to Mr.Snelling for special treatment?:msp_thumbup:
> 
> Paul



Hi Paul.
As Wayne mentioned above the saw is completely stock. It is the Australian version though so has the 12,000rpm limiter compared to the US delivered 3120's 9,800 (odd) rpm limit (my apologies to everybody for any other comments I've made that the Aussie version has a 12,5000rpm limiter - I was wrong  ).
The other thing that made it look as if it had even more grunt than it really has is that 50% of the cutters had been removed. The chain I ran in the video is normally reserved for milling and in all honesty didn't supply as much load to the saw as it looked. It is certainly a gutsy saw though. 20" bar or 60" bar, it pretty well pulls them all the same  Likes to drink lots of fuel though...


----------



## RandyMac

what do you fellers have for brown liquor?


----------



## Terry Syd

I've done brandy from grapes and it still comes out clear. Perhaps I need let some distillate sit in some oak chips to pick up a bit of color and taste.

As far as commerical hard liqours, we have them all here. Every ANZAC Day I have a couple of shots of Jim Beam after the march - kinda a tradition with my mates.


----------



## gmax




----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> what do you fellers have for brown liquor?


 
Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlua old son (not). Good to see you here again Randy 
We pretty well have what you have mate - Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker Scotch, Brandys, Rums etc.
We do however have a native rum called Bundaberg Rum. This is generally drunk by the unemployed or other "assets" to society and quite simply makes people fight lots (I'm ducking as we speak if there are any Bundy drinkers here!)...



Terry Syd said:


> I've done brandy from grapes and it still comes out clear. Perhaps I need let some distillate sit in some oak chips to pick up a bit of color and taste.



Maybe the clear colour is simply pure Ethanol? 



Terry Syd said:


> Every ANZAC Day I have a couple of shots of Jim Beam after the march - kinda a tradition with my mates.



Good onya Terry  All servicemen have my utmost respect.



gmax said:


>



Thats not Liquor Wayne!!! Good stuff though  Especially now the weather is cooling down...


----------



## Stihlman441

gmax said:


>


 
A day cutting wood then a few of them,cant be beatin, what more could ya wont.


----------



## Terry Syd

Kahlua? I make a drop using Colombian Coffee that is better than the original. If you had said something previously, you could have had that in the mail.

I guess we'll have to have a GTG for everyone to sample some goodies and then rate them - probably won't be able to get it right on the first go, but we can keep repeating the experiment until we get it right.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Kahlua? I make a drop using Colombian Coffee that is better than the original. If you had said something previously, you could have had that in the mail.
> 
> I guess we'll have to have a GTG for everyone to sample some goodies and then rate them - probably won't be able to get it right on the first go, but we can keep repeating the experiment until we get it right.



You seem to be getting more legendary by the minute Terry 
GTG sounds good. We'll have to sort something out. I'll start loading up on logs...


----------



## RandyMac

I love my whiskey and favor Beam. Vodka is good, I had a Russian buddy who had all kinds of flavored stuff, the black pepper cuts through the cold.
That Bundy must be like malt liquor, a nasty beer like fluid, very rank, mule piss.


----------



## porky616

let me finish this rum off matt and take out my good tooth and tie me mullet back then we best step outside


----------



## tdi-rick

As for Whisky I was into Scotish single malts, but haven't had one for a long time.

Actually, untill 6 months ago I hadn't had a drink for a bloody long time, but I'm onto a third (or is it fourth ?) mug of red (cab/merlot) tonight


----------



## tdi-rick

and i resemble that remark about rum ! 

When I was young and silly Bundy OP, then Inner Circle 33 OP was the tipple of choice


----------



## RandyMac

porky616 said:


> let me finish this rum off matt and take out my good tooth and tie me mullet back then we best step outside


 
take a vid of that


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> That Bundy must be like malt liquor, a nasty beer like fluid, very rank, mule piss.



You've drunk the sh*t Randy??? Obviously you have!!!



porky616 said:


> let me finish this rum off matt and take out my good tooth and tie me mullet back then we best step outside



Remember to punch the missus in the eye and kick the dog on the way out to your rusty Commodore with the hotwired ignition...



tdi-rick said:


> Actually, untill 6 months ago I hadn't had a drink for a bloody long time, but I'm onto a third (or is it fourth ?) mug of red (cab/merlot) tonight



Your 3rd cask you mean Rick?


----------



## gmax

I seemed to have accumulated 8 bottles of bourbon .. I must make an effort to drink it


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> I seemed to have accumulated 8 bottles of bourbon .. I must make an effort to drink it


 
Just use it to fuel some of your old saws


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Just use it to fuel some of your old saws


 
The fumes would smell nice!


----------



## RandyMac

My downfall was cactus whiskey aka tequila, bad news all 'round, swore off it. I do know Carlo Rossi and the Gallo Bros.
Been busy enough lately to preclude any more than a shot or two.


----------



## gmax

RandyMac said:


> My downfall was cactus whiskey aka tequila, bad news all 'round, swore off it. I do know Carlo Rossi and the Gallo Bros.
> Been busy enough lately to preclude any more than a shot or two.


 
I'm sure your liver is grateful :biggrin:


----------



## porky616

i only drink the red bundy now, nice and smooth over ice 2 glasses empties the bottle and finishes me just nicely.
its the bourbon that makes me fight, last time i had a skin full i picked a fight with meself!


----------



## Terry Syd

Bundy OP - On cross-country motorcycle trips I used to have a bottle of the stuff and some cans of evaporated milk. The bottle and cans were strong enough that they wouldn't break in a crash, and the smooth drinking 'Bailey's like' mixture was strong enough to make you feel like you had a crash.


----------



## RandyMac

I don't get mean and fight anymore, just shoot offenders in the leg and have done with it.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> 
> 
> Your 3rd cask you mean Rick?



With my bloodlines it's actually flagons, but don't let on


----------



## RandyMac

gmax said:


> I'm sure your liver is grateful :biggrin:


 
Yeah, I'm sure about that, I hit it pretty hard last winter on the days off, dead out on the couch, with the dogs.


----------



## porky616

tdi-rick said:


> With my bloodlines it's actually flagons, but don't let on


 thems be plagons were i is from, i prefer silver handbags they easier to carry and dont cut when ya fall over


----------



## RandyMac

LOL
I know someone that sat down hard on a pocket flash, they haven't done it since, it almost had him singin' tenor.


----------



## tdi-rick

porky616 said:


> thems be plagons were i is from, i prefer silver handbags they easier to carry and dont cut when ya fall over



I nearly said plaggons Aaron, but thought our OS readers wouldn't understand (not that they understand much of the chit we carry on with anyway )


----------



## wyk

tdi-rick said:


> As for Whisky I was into Scotish single malts, but haven't had one for a long time.
> 
> Actually, untill 6 months ago I hadn't had a drink for a bloody long time, but I'm onto a third (or is it fourth ?) mug of red (cab/merlot) tonight


 
I love all liquids toasted and malted. My drinks of choice are about any bourbon, the peaty Scotch's, and for beer it would be Smithwicks(although it should be called Smithwyks) - Guinness, Newcastle Amber Brown Nut Ale etc. Preferably with a Lucky Strike. Mmmm.... Lung and Liver Cancer never tasted so good.


----------



## wyk

RandyMac said:


> I don't get mean and fight anymore, just shoot offenders in the leg and have done with it.


 
If it weren't for all those 6 cube saws, you could more easily chase folks around with one then...


----------



## Strelnikov

I dunno about the boughten stuff but I'm having some homemade crab apple wine right now that is really pretty good. Too bad I can't send some down under, I've got about 30 gallons of the stuff put away from last fall and it's starting to get really good...


----------



## AUSSIE1

wyk said:


> I love all liquids toasted and malted. My drinks of choice are about any bourbon, the peaty Scotch's, and for beer it would be Smithwicks(although it should be called Smithwyks) - Guinness, Newcastle Amber Brown Nut Ale etc. Preferably with a Lucky Strike. Mmmm.... Lung and Liver Cancer never tasted so good.


 
Didn't you say you were heading over to Ireland?

Would be a shame to be a nondrinker in those parts of the world!

I like to make myself a batch of Irish cream occasionally. The problem is, without preservatives it has to be consumed readily. :msp_w00t: Nothing like a pot or pint with ice!  It's got me going! I'll have one tonite!


----------



## wyk

AUSSIE1 said:


> Didn't you say you were heading over to Ireland?
> Nothing like a pot or pint with ice!  It's got me going! I'll have one tonite!


 
Pot with a pint of ice?! You stoned already? I'd rather have some munchies instead.

Yep, Ireland is the plan. Headed back again. Gonna try and slow my drinking down this time. It's expensive there nowadays to enjoy fine liquor.


----------



## AUSSIE1

wyk said:


> Pot with a pint of ice?! You stoned already? I'd rather have some munchies instead.
> 
> Yep, Ireland is the plan. Headed back again. Gonna try and slow my drinking down this time. It's expensive there nowadays to enjoy fine liquor.


 
Nah man, you must be pissed, a pot OR a pint!


----------



## wyk

AUSSIE1 said:


> Nah man, you must be pissed, a pot OR a pint!


 
I'll drink to that. Cheers, Mate!


----------



## MCW

Gee gents, all the alcohol talk may put me back in rehab 

Anyways, have been at it again for about 40 hours over the last couple weeks.
Have now finished one half of the property and am starting to make a dent in the other, equally large side. This side however has smaller (on average) stumps.
Also went back to the scraggy row to finish some stumps off but also decided to drop a few more of the trees that were left there.







Fair few tricky ones here and a lot of canopies hooked together. These were the trees I left last time as I had assessed them as being too difficult at the time. Was using the pop upped 7900 for the stumping and the 353/5100-S for the felling side of things as most of the cutting was in small wood.
The 353 is certainly a nice little saw but has one major flaw in situations like this...






That's right, outboard clutch and apart from cracking the clutch there was no way to get the bar off due to a pinched tip. Ah well, just use the 5100-S and cross my fingers that the little Husky doesn't get squashed! It was fine and fell out the cut as I dropped 4 limbs all at once.










I'd been using .325" semi chisel on both the 5100-S and 353 as the Husky came with .325" when I bought it. Not too bad for limbing etc but once again when the going gets tough .325" just won't hold up. 
I have come across a few runs of smaller trees where Termites have moved in dragging sand and crap all through the stump and under the bark.
It makes short work of 3/8" semi chisel, that'll own .325" which doesn't stand a chance.










After using the pop upped 7900 with the now sold Makita's top end I think I've finally nailed it with the tuning etc. It's running as hard (or harder) as ever since I pulled the top end and rebuilt it with a new Caber ring. Compression feels stronger too although I haven't tested it yet but doubt the guage will show higher numbers than on the Makita (200psi).
I also received 3 new HD filters from Kyle at Edge & Engine (great service once again mate) after the last one was obviously leaking somewhere - despite looking very hard I never found where it was damaged. Once again nothing has gotten past this setup since running a new filter  I also got from Kyle some Forester and Dolmar work gloves. Both are great gloves and well made.

I'd also forgotten just how good the little 5100-S is. It is a great little saw and is substantially more gusty than the 353. Out of the three 50cc saws I own I would rate them as follows...

1) MS261
2) 5100-S
3) 353

The 261 hasn't seen much work lately as I've been using the 353 just to see what all the fuss is about with the balance etc (same as 346XP). Certainly nicely balanced but all three 50cc saws I own balance well in my opinion.


----------



## gmax

Wow you sure had the 353 jammed pretty bad.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Wow you sure had the 353 jammed pretty bad.


 
Yeah  These trees are loaded in so many different directions it's near impossible to work out. I've had branch loads on the tree I'm cutting be influenced by another one 3 trees away just by how the canopies are interlaced. Fun for all mate


----------



## MCW

I love chainsaws and tree felling but the best news ever is that they nailed Bin Laden!!!

Suck sh*t you piece of trash...

Good stuff US forces  Pity we couldn't film his beheading and run it on Al Jazeera...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I love chainsaws and tree felling but the best news ever is that they nailed Bin Laden!!!
> 
> Suck sh*t you piece of trash...
> 
> Good stuff US forces  Pity we couldn't film his beheading and run it on Al Jazeera...


 
Won't need a BBQ where he's goin!


----------



## Terry Syd

You guys really need to get up to speed on Osama Bin Forgotten. Here's a link that has lot of information about his death back in 2001

Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government | WHAT REALLY HAPPENED


----------



## wyk

Terry Syd said:


> You guys really need to get up to speed on Osama Bin Forgotten. Here's a link that has lot of information about his death back in 2001
> 
> Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government | WHAT REALLY HAPPENED


 
Yup. The current one was grown in a laboratory with the DNA they found previously. Sort of like on _The Island_ with Scarlet Johannsen. Mmmm...Scarlet... er..where was I? Yeah, he's a test tube baby grown in a lab. This means Trump is gonna demand his birth certificate now. It also means Apple can now turn off that stupid GPS tracking/logging thing in their software now that they finally caught Bin Laden(but gave the credit to US Spec Ops).

So, yeah...inboard clutches... next time just put a face cut all down the row, start a short back cut on then all - just enough to fit a wedge in. Pound the hell out of that wedge. Tie a rope to the tree in the middle and pull on it with a jeep. Voila! All down, pas du problem.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> You guys really need to get up to speed on Osama Bin Forgotten. Here's a link that has lot of information about his death back in 2001
> 
> Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government | WHAT REALLY HAPPENED



Why is that more credible than today's stories Terry? Is it because it has "WHAT REALLY HAPPENED" on the end of the link? That looks like a very credible non biased website too run by mentally stable individuals.

It depends on what side of the pro or anti US fence people are sitting as to which stories they choose to believe. Just stick what you want to find in Google, it'll be there.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Scarlet Johannsen. Mmmm.
> So, yeah...inboard clutches... next time just put a face cut all down the row, start a short back cut on then all - just enough to fit a wedge in. Pound the hell out of that wedge. Tie a rope to the tree in the middle and pull on it with a jeep. Voila! All down, pas du problem.



Scarlet...

Yeah anyway, the old Domino trick wouldn't work with these unfortunately as I'd end up with a number of limbs in the orange orchard next to it. It'd be OK if these trees actually had real trunks


----------



## AUSSIE1

Scarlet? Marathon runner that girl with lungs like that and add those lips and she's a champion balloon blower upperer!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Scarlet? Marathon runner that girl with lungs like that and add those lips and she's a champion balloon blower upperer!



Pity she's ugly though Al...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Pity she's ugly though Al...


 
Well your entitled to your opinion there fussy fella!


----------



## Terry Syd

Sheesh, last time I send you a bottle of booze. I'm still trying to figure what side of that binary argument you place me - pro/anti?

Matt, I took the 'Red Pill' a long time ago and I have to keep reminding myself that other people are still caught in the Matrix - it does cause friction at times. No offence was meant.

If you think that webpage is over the top, you wouldn't want to spend a night drinking with me telling you stories that aren't open source information. - Let's get back to telling chainsaw stories.


----------



## Eccentric

MCW said:


> Gee gents, all the alcohol talk may put me back in rehab
> 
> Anyways, have been at it again for about 40 hours over the last couple weeks.
> Have now finished one half of the property and am starting to make a dent in the other, equally large side. This side however has smaller (on average) stumps.
> Also went back to the scraggy row to finish some stumps off but also decided to drop a few more of the trees that were left there.
> 
> 
> Fair few tricky ones here and a lot of canopies hooked together. These were the trees I left last time as I had assessed them as being too difficult at the time. Was using the pop upped 7900 for the stumping and the 353/5100-S for the felling side of things as most of the cutting was in small wood.
> The 353 is certainly a nice little saw but has one major flaw in situations like this...
> 
> 
> 
> That's right, outboard clutch and apart from cracking the clutch there was no way to get the bar off due to a pinched tip. Ah well, just use the 5100-S and cross my fingers that the little Husky doesn't get squashed! It was fine and fell out the cut as I dropped 4 limbs all at once.
> 
> 
> I'd been using .325" semi chisel on both the 5100-S and 353 as the Husky came with .325" when I bought it. Not too bad for limbing etc but once again when the going gets tough .325" just won't hold up.
> I have come across a few runs of smaller trees where Termites have moved in dragging sand and crap all through the stump and under the bark.
> It makes short work of 3/8" semi chisel, that'll own .325" which doesn't stand a chance.
> 
> 
> 
> After using the pop upped 7900 with the now sold Makita's top end I think I've finally nailed it with the tuning etc. It's running as hard (or harder) as ever since I pulled the top end and rebuilt it with a new Caber ring. Compression feels stronger too although I haven't tested it yet but doubt the guage will show higher numbers than on the Makita (200psi).
> I also received 3 new HD filters from Kyle at Edge & Engine (great service once again mate) after the last one was obviously leaking somewhere - despite looking very hard I never found where it was damaged. Once again nothing has gotten past this setup since running a new filter  I also got from Kyle some Forester and Dolmar work gloves. Both are great gloves and well made.
> 
> I'd also forgotten just how good the little 5100-S is. It is a great little saw and is substantially more gusty than the 353. Out of the three 50cc saws I own I would rate them as follows...
> 
> 1) MS261
> 2) 5100-S
> 3) 353
> 
> The 261 hasn't seen much work lately as I've been using the 353 just to see what all the fuss is about with the balance etc (same as 346XP). Certainly nicely balanced but all three 50cc saws I own balance well in my opinion.


 
Great stuff. As for that pinched Husky.........you could always break or cut the chain if you're worried about smashing the powerhead when you fell the tree with your other saw. A new chain's a lot cheaper than a new powerhead. Just keep a set of bolt cutters in the truck.


----------



## tdi-rick

Eccentric said:


> Great stuff. As for that pinched Husky.........you could always break or cut the chain if you're worried about smashing the powerhead when you fell the tree with your other saw. A new chain's a lot cheaper than a new powerhead. Just keep a set of bolt cutters in the truck.



and it's not like Matt's short of a loop.

He probably has more chain in stock than the importers


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> If you think that webpage is over the top, you wouldn't want to spend a night drinking with me telling you stories that aren't open source information. - Let's get back to telling chainsaw stories.



Sorry Terry and I didn't mean to come across as abrasive either. I know you were only talking about Bin Laden's death and the proposed date variations so sorry about jumping on my high horse.
I'm just used to butting heads with people that think the moon landing was staged in Hollywood and that George W Bush was personally flying all four planes on 9/11. There are various levels of the Matrix too Terry and anybody caught in the so called "Matrix" isn't necessarily wrong. There are dodgey things going on all around us with every government in the world, that's just life. Some of us have the ability to decipher the pieces of pie we get fed and come out with a pretty logical and informed outcome. Others just eat all the pie and go back for seconds 
Yup. Chainsaw stories 



Eccentric said:


> Great stuff. As for that pinched Husky.........you could always break or cut the chain if you're worried about smashing the powerhead when you fell the tree with your other saw. A new chain's a lot cheaper than a new powerhead. Just keep a set of bolt cutters in the truck.



Good idea but wasn't worried about smashing the powerhead. It's a Husky, they like getting busted and hit by trees. Oh and I've got damage insurance on all my saws 



tdi-rick said:


> and it's not like Matt's short of a loop.
> 
> He probably has more chain in stock than the importers



Not anymore mate. I haven't bought any chain for ages and am slowly chewing through what I have. I was getting a bit excited there for a while and knocking on 3,500 feet. Down to just over 2,000 feet now I think.


----------



## Terry Syd

No problem Matt, let me know what you think of the vodka. Yeah, you have to watch out for disinformation on the 'net as 80% of counter-intelligence work is disinformation. A lot of people get sucked into it and make fools of themselves.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> No problem Matt, let me know what you think of the vodka. Yeah, you have to watch out for disinformation on the 'net as 80% of counter-intelligence work is disinformation. A lot of people get sucked into it and make fools of themselves.



Hey thanks Terry I hadn't realised you'd actually sent some! I agree on the web disinformation. I also don't trust the mainstream media as far as I can kick them. You've got overexcited journos straight out of university who are like leg humping little poodles when it comes to running a story.
My best mate who was in the Aussie SAS in both Afghanistan and Timor used to love the newspapers I'd send him. Basically every story about what the Aussie SAS were up to in Afghanistan was incorrect. Not for operational security reasons, but because the media was that desperate for a story they'd make crap up.


----------



## Terry Syd

You're telling me? I was up to my butt in operations in 'Nam and I would read about them in the 'Stars and Stripes', a military newspaper put out by the armed forces - it was like something put out by Walt Disney. Then I would read about the same action from an American newspaper - and I swear it was written by drugged up Martians trying to sell a story for more dope.

Edit: As far as Aussie journos, I can remember talking to a Sydney Morning Herald hack outside of court one day. We got onto 'gun control' and what was going on. He said something like "I agree with everything you're saying, but you have to remember that we write for editors that can change anything, further, we have mortgages and kids in school. A lot of the time we tell ourselves that one of these days we will make it right, but one of these days is always in the future."


----------



## 8433jeff

Terry Syd said:


> You're telling me? I was up to my butt in operations in 'Nam and I would read about them in the 'Stars and Stripes', a military newspaper put out by the armed forces - it was like something put out by Walt Disney. Then I would read about the same action from an American newspaper - and I swear it was written by drugged up Martians trying to sell a story for more dope.
> 
> Edit: As far as Aussie journos, I can remember talking to a Sydney Morning Herald hack outside of court one day. We got onto 'gun control' and what was going on. He said something like "I agree with everything you're saying, but you have to remember that we write for editors that can change anything, further, we have mortgages and kids in school. A lot of the time we tell ourselves that one of these days we will make it right, but one of these days is always in the future."


 
One of these days is the next time I'll buy a paper.
Its a pity that they are not making it, but thats an industry that did in themselves in my opinion. I don't know that the internet will ever be the watchdog the newspapers were years ago.


----------



## wyk

8433jeff said:


> One of these days is the next time I'll buy a paper.
> Its a pity that they are not making it, but thats an industry that did in themselves in my opinion. I don't know that the internet will ever be the watchdog the newspapers were years ago.


 
The internet is far superior than the media was decades ago. You have access to instant updates, 24/7, all over the world, from hundreds of different sources, some of which are privy to very private/secret information. 

The only problem: with signal, comes noise. The SNR is potentially much lower than ever before. That has changed nothing, though. One always needed to be discerning and critical of ones sources. That will never change. I've always kept it in mind what is most important to the sources I may get my information from. That usually gives you a good idea what their bias may be. It works fairly well with people as well. We all have our bias.

The older I get, the easier it is to discern the difference between good and bad. And more profoundly, the older I get, the more difficult it has become to discern the difference between good and bad. No, that's not a typo.


----------



## MCW

Back again guys. Nothing much happening in the world of cutting and have simply been continuing on my way with the stumping side of things. Probably about 80% of the way through it now and nothing exciting has happened as they all look the same! Have been using the pop upped 7900 and it is certainly a weapon. I am a big fan of this saw and it is running stronger than ever. I've pretty well nailed the tune and it is right on the heels of my modded Husky 390's, at least up to a 32" bar anyway.
I've been playing with the little Husky 353 as well and it is a great little saw but I found it just needed a bit more pep. I played with the tune which improved things but decided to mod the muffler yesterday and install an extra port. I didn't go nuts with the port and it's probably only about 15mm x 10mm. It made a hell of a difference though and actually didn't make the saw much louder from a user's standpoint. Tracy said it sounded a lot louder from the sidelines though. The throttle response is now extremely snappy and it has obviously more power. I may be hard to please but I am very impressed with this thing now! As Andy said I would be (he's obviously pyschic. Maybe even pyschotic?  )...







My fresh high temp black muffler paint lasted, oh, about 12 seconds...






Decided to fell one of the trickier trees left in the ugly row mentioned earlier. Took about 15 minutes as there were a lot of interlaced branches that needed clearing out first. All done with the 353 and .325" semi chisel.


















Big hinge left but it goes to show that no matter what some people think you cannot get some things to go where they don't want to go. This 18" limb was leaning heavily to the left side. It played ball till it reached about 45° but once the hingewood lost it's integrity the main limb of this tree snapped it clean off and went where it wanted (to the left), just brushing the fence luckily but probably 6' left of where I wanted it. I did actually think this may happen and should have videoed it, it was good to watch!






I've also been given the go ahead to start on those bigger trees as per earlier posts on the other property. Some of the heavy leaners on the boundaries will have to be topped by a local tree crew with their 60' bucket truck. It is my job to tell them what to do! I am catching up with the owner of the tree business on Wednesday to tell him what to do - he didn't sound too impressed on the phone. Too bad! I'll get some photos and vids up over the next month and some of these trees are pretty large and tricky.


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice pics as normal Matt
Is that where ya keep your vodka in that esky ?.
Cheers


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice pics as normal Matt
> Is that where ya keep your vodka in that esky ?.
> Cheers



I keeps the Vodka stored in my tummy.
By the way, Terry's Vodka is good stuff  Thanks Terry


----------



## parrisw

Nice work Matt, 353 is a good saw. I really like my 357, that size of saw is great to work with. 

About the tree crew, some people just don't like to be told what to do!


----------



## MCW

Also got an interesting email from a US business I've previously done business with. The owner is a really nice guy but here is what he had to say when I asked what GB Ti bars he had in stock (with the high dollar I thought I'd do some bar poaching - not the first time I've imported GB bars cheaper than my cost here)...

*Hi Matt,
Good to hear from you. Well, wish I could help you out but I don't have any of those on hand. In fact, we are just about clean out of GB product. The US distributor dropped GB this year and liquidated all GB product. Whatever they had left at the end of March they sent back to GB. We currently have no distributor to supply GB product. With all the flippin manufacturers settin up shop in China, its frustrating trying to keep a dependable quality product available at a competitive price.*

It sounds like GB is in more trouble in the US than it is in Australia?


----------



## Stihlman441

Mmmm i may have to stock up.


----------



## wendell

I want to offer all of you guys an apology this morning. I was remiss yesterday in not wishing you all a very happy 214th anniversary of the first Merino sheep being brought to Australia.

I trust you all had quite the celebration! :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## 8433jeff

wendell said:


> I want to offer all of you guys an apology this morning. I was remiss yesterday in not wishing you all a very happy 214th anniversary of the first Merino sheep being brought to Australia.
> 
> I trust you all had quite the celebration! :hmm3grin2orange:


 
Thanks for the smile, Captain Farmer.


----------



## wendell

It must have been quite the party. Not a one of them has made it back online. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> I want to offer all of you guys an apology this morning. I was remiss yesterday in not wishing you all a very happy 214th anniversary of the first Merino sheep being brought to Australia.
> 
> I trust you all had quite the celebration! :hmm3grin2orange:


 


wendell said:


> It must have been quite the party. Not a one of them has made it back online. :hmm3grin2orange:



Well thankyou. It is a massive day in Australia, even bigger than Christmas. Reason us Aussies haven't been online is because the phonelines and internet have been down as everybody has been busy congratulating each other.
Cars are driving around with little sheep flags on their aerials, there have been street parades, even "Catch the greasey shaved sheep" competition although we got that idea from New Zealand.
Although unsure I'm pretty sure they must have brought in a second Merino sheep at the same time, could be wrong though.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Well thankyou. It is a massive day in Australia, even bigger than Christmas. Reason us Aussies haven't been online is because the phonelines and internet have been down as everybody has been busy congratulating each other.
> Cars are driving around with little sheep flags on their aerials, there have been street parades, even "Catch the greasey shaved sheep" competition although we got that idea from New Zealand.
> Although unsure I'm pretty sure they must have brought in a second Merino sheep at the same time, could be wrong though.



Yeah but we don't go as far as the Kiwi's once the sheep is caught!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah but we don't go as far as the Kiwi's once the sheep is caught!



Oh? Um, yeah, of course we don't Al...

Although it is cold up in those hills where you live


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Oh? Um, yeah, of course we don't Al...
> 
> Although it is cold up in those hills where you live


 
Yeah it is cold up here in the hills mate, so your right, I don't shear them......they are Wiltshire's! :msp_wink:


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah but we don't go as far as the Kiwi's once the sheep is caught!


 
Aren't you guys born with Velcro mitts and gumboots?


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> Aren't you guys born with Velcro mitts and gumboots?


 
Oh Will, you owed me one I guess! :msp_tongue:

The gumboots are for the gumboot throwing competitions! :msp_thumbup:


----------



## tdi-rick

Last week one of the foreign workers from a foreign owned cattle station nearby was waiting at the local general store for one of the Aussie farm hands.

He was running late and my mate that runs the place said that Paul must have found a girl on the way into town.
The conversation went like this.

"Oh, no, he would not be with a girl"

"Well he must have found a sheep"

"What ?"

"A sheep" 

"What ?" 

"He's found a sheep, he's rooting a sheep"

"What, like jiggy jiggy ?"

"Yeah, jiggy jiggy" 

" Noooo, he wouldn't, you don't, that's just wrong, nooo" 

A short while later Paul the Aussie farm hand walks in.

"Where have you been Paul ?" 

"I found a cute sheep on the way in and stopped for a #%^*" 

"Noo, you didn't, did you ?" 

"Yeah, I have a pair of velcro gloves in the ute, I grab 'em and.."

"No, really ? you have gloves ? can I see the gloves ?" 

"You can't have 'em, but I could probably lend 'em to ya" :hmm3grin2orange:

You couldn't have scripted it better if you tried, but God only knows what stories are going back to Asia about the depraved Australians


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh Will, you owed me one I guess! :msp_tongue:
> 
> The gumboots are for the gumboot throwing competitions! :msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

As mentioned earlier I pulled the lid on my modded 390XPG to have a look at what I could do in regard to increasing compression after deciding to sell the 660 and keep this saw. In the process I luckily found a split intake boot so got Brad to order me a new one from the states (thanks Brad  ). Anyway, I wrecked the base gasket and thought "Ah well, I'll run it without one".
Unfortunately what I found by doing this was NO squish. The saw could turn over but the piston was "just" tapping the squish band. I finally found enough time yesterday to make it over to my mum and dad's place and sort out a .020" pop up on dad's lathe. Unfortunately his lathe chucks weren't quite deep enough to allow the jaws to fully grab a solid part of the piston. He has an old Hercus lathe from just after WW II.
A winegrape grower that I do work for has a fair setup in his shed (lathe, mill etc) and is an extremely handy and cluey guy when it comes to machining. I rang him this morning and as it was raining here he was doing some work in his shed anyway so he said he'd do it straight away. It took him about 15 minutes, if that. He didn't charge me either! He appreciates my help with Agronomic advice he said - greatly appreciated.
We were aiming for a .020" popup but ended up with a .019" popup - still OK...just 

He was also extremely keen to know why the hell I was doing it! I had to talk modded saws for a moment and think I lost him 







The most interesting thing was his lathe which I'd seen before but never taken much notice of. It is a solid piece of German equipment and was built in 1956. It's been refurbished though but it very accurate. Over a 600mm shaft he made there was only .00025" runout according to his Mitutoyo guages which isn't too bad in my book 

Guys like Nik and other machinists here will probably feel all warm and fuzzy seeing a unit like this still at work - only 4 were ever brought into Australia...














Despite the current digital and electronic age this thing has all the bell's and whistles on it.

When I got home from work I fitted the piston and top end all back together and started the saw - I haven't touched the tune for now but the throttle response is completely different to before and it's noticably harder to pull over. I'm yet to check the compression but it was previously pulling about 150-155psi and I'd hope to see in excess of 180psi now but not sure what to expect. I also went out the shed and buried a 32" bar with 8 pin to the hilt in some very hard wood. It pulled it easily whereas previously it wouldn't have pulled it quite as well. Compression = torque in my book.


----------



## Andyshine77

I love seeing old machines, they just don't make things like that anymore.

The popup looks great Matt, very clean looking work. A popup that size should add a good 10/15 psi, so you will likely see 160/165.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> I love seeing old machines, they just don't make things like that anymore.



Yeah it's a beautiful piece of equipment mate and you're right, they certainly don't make machines like this anymore. The photos honestly didn't do it justice as they were taken on my phone in a poorly lit shed.



Andyshine77 said:


> The popup looks great Matt, very clean looking work. A popup that size should add a good 10/15 psi, so you will likely see 160/165.



So what you're saying Andy is that I should have knocked .020" off the cylinder base and made a bigger popup to get 180psi?


----------



## Stihlman441

Ha Matt i cant beleave it thats the same VDF lathe thats in the Geelong Ford Toolroom,i have spent many hours bent over one of those.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ha Matt i cant beleave it thats the same VDF lathe thats in the Geelong Ford Toolroom,i have spent many hours bent over one of those.


 
Awesome!!! I'll tell this guy that, he'll be stoked! He's got a Chinese 3 jaw chuck on it that he wants to get new jaws for so I emailed a photo of the Chinese writing on it to my Chinese mate to see what he can come up with


----------



## Stihlman441

I dont work up in that area anymore but i will see if i can get a pic or two of it.On that one was a collet chuck,three and four jaw chucks and one for soft jaws which you bored out to fit any dia of work,or and a face plate as well so you can clamp any shapes to.Allso had two fixed steady rests and a traveling one as well we used a lot to make long lead screws and shafts,i was a machinest for 20 odd years in the Toolroom.


----------



## parrisw

Nice work matt, but one thing, it looks like the sides of the pop-up are square. If so they shouldn't be, it disrupts flow across the piston, I set my cross slide to 60° and taper the pop-up sides.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Nice work matt, but one thing, it looks like the sides of the pop-up are square. If so they shouldn't be, it disrupts flow across the piston, I set my cross slide to 60° and taper the pop-up sides.



Hi Will.
In the photo it does seem hard to tell but yes the sides of the pop up are tapered. It runs a treat - gave it a run tonight again after work.


----------



## gmax

Matt, have you done a compression check since installing the popup?


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, have you done a compression check since installing the popup?



No not yet Wayne. I'll get onto it soon as have Thursday and Friday off so will spend 4 days cutting  May even have time for a compression check somewhere in the middle as I plan on using the XPG.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Hi Will.
> In the photo it does seem hard to tell but yes the sides of the pop up are tapered. It runs a treat - gave it a run tonight again after work.


 
Sweet! From the pic it did look square. Sorry anyway, carry on!

I've done some machine work for a guy on a few 390's, and I know one of them came in with some pretty stout compression, I went a little more on the popup at .035, and he said it was around 190psi.


----------



## FATGUY

MCW said:


> As mentioned earlier I pulled the lid on my modded 390XPG to have a look at what I could do in regard to increasing compression after deciding to sell the 660 and keep this saw. In the process I luckily found a split intake boot so got Brad to order me a new one from the states (thanks Brad  ). Anyway, I wrecked the base gasket and thought "Ah well, I'll run it without one".
> Unfortunately what I found by doing this was NO squish. The saw could turn over but the piston was "just" tapping the squish band. I finally found enough time yesterday to make it over to my mum and dad's place and sort out a .020" pop up on dad's lathe. Unfortunately his lathe chucks weren't quite deep enough to allow the jaws to fully grab a solid part of the piston. He has an old Hercus lathe from just after WW II.
> A winegrape grower that I do work for has a fair setup in his shed (lathe, mill etc) and is an extremely handy and cluey guy when it comes to machining. I rang him this morning and as it was raining here he was doing some work in his shed anyway so he said he'd do it straight away. It took him about 15 minutes, if that. He didn't charge me either! He appreciates my help with Agronomic advice he said - greatly appreciated.
> We were aiming for a .020" popup but ended up with a .019" popup - still OK...just
> 
> He was also extremely keen to know why the hell I was doing it! I had to talk modded saws for a moment and think I lost him
> 
> The most interesting thing was his lathe which I'd seen before but never taken much notice of. It is a solid piece of German equipment and was built in 1956. It's been refurbished though but it very accurate. Over a 600mm shaft he made there was only .00025" runout according to his Mitutoyo guages which isn't too bad in my book
> 
> Guys like Nik and other machinists here will probably feel all warm and fuzzy seeing a unit like this still at work - only 4 were ever brought into Australia...
> 
> Despite the current digital and electronic age this thing has all the bell's and whistles on it.
> 
> When I got home from work I fitted the piston and top end all back together and started the saw - I haven't touched the tune for now but the throttle response is completely different to before and it's noticably harder to pull over. I'm yet to check the compression but it was previously pulling about 150-155psi and I'd hope to see in excess of 180psi now but not sure what to expect. I also went out the shed and buried a 32" bar with 8 pin to the hilt in some very hard wood. It pulled it easily whereas previously it wouldn't have pulled it quite as well. Compression = torque in my book.


 
very nice work sir!


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Sweet! From the pic it did look square. Sorry anyway, carry on!
> 
> I've done some machine work for a guy on a few 390's, and I know one of them came in with some pretty stout compression, I went a little more on the popup at .035, and he said it was around 190psi.



Hmmmmm. .035" you say Will? May have to pay my machining mate a visit again 



FATGUY said:


> very nice work sir!


 
Thanks Nik  I'm sure you'd have spent some time on lathes like that over the years?


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Hmmmmm. .035" you say Will? May have to pay my machining mate a visit again
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Nik  I'm sure you'd have spent some time on lathes like that over the years?


 
Yep, that brings it slightly under the .100" crown though, and you'll have to machine the base.


----------



## FATGUY

MCW said:


> Hmmmmm. .035" you say Will? May have to pay my machining mate a visit again
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Nik  I'm sure you'd have spent some time on lathes like that over the years?


 
Honestly, less than you might think. The *vast *majority of the work I do is CNC. I did more mork on manuals as an apprentice than as a journeyman.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Yep, that brings it slightly under the .100" crown though, and you'll have to machine the base.



Yeah that'd be right Will. I've been talking to Al, very helpful 



FATGUY said:


> Honestly, less than you might think. The *vast *majority of the work I do is CNC. I did more mork on manuals as an apprentice than as a journeyman.



Understandable mate. You've love this old German beast even more than I thought then


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah that'd be right Will. I've been talking to Al, very helpful


 
 GET-ER-DONE!


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> GET-ER-DONE!



On the cards mate  Al just needs to find enough time to sit in his shed with his grinder and do some more aggressive port extensions for me! I can get the machining done at my end.


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> GET-ER-DONE!



Get into him Will!



MCW said:


> On the cards mate  Al just needs to find enough time to sit in his shed with his grinder and do some more aggressive port extensions for me! I can get the machining done at my end.


 
More aggressive port extensions? Hmmmmm I better do a little reading first Matt!

:msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Get into him Will!
> 
> 
> 
> More aggressive port extensions? Hmmmmm I better do a little reading first Matt!
> 
> :msp_thumbup:



Sorry old son. What I meant was get half smashed before you start porting. It seems to have worked with your 371 

And Will doesn't need to be cyberbullied into cyberbullying me either...


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> More aggressive port extensions? Hmmmmm I better do a little reading first Matt!
> 
> :msp_thumbup:



I think he's getting 'port extensions' mixed up with the 'hair extensions' he's getting done Al


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I think he's getting 'port extensions' mixed up with the 'hair extensions' he's getting done Al


 
The only hair extensions I'm getting done Rick is on my cheeks so I can attempt to look even half as cool as Randy. Problem being is they had to take every bit of body hair I had to get remotely close to enough. I won't sleep for months after some of those procedures and I'm already getting chaffing...


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> On the cards mate  Al just needs to find enough time to sit in his shed with his grinder and do some more aggressive port extensions for me! I can get the machining done at my end.



 What happened with the Makita AL was doing?



AUSSIE1 said:


> Get into him Will!



:msp_biggrin:


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> I think he's getting 'port extensions' mixed up with the 'hair extensions' he's getting done Al


 
I hear the only hair extensions not needed are pubic!


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> What happened with the Makita AL was doing?
> 
> 
> 
> :msp_biggrin:


 
I need a chassis before I can do any more Will. I only have the barrel kit.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Sorry old son. What I meant was get half smashed before you start porting. It seems to have worked with your 371



You forgot to mention I was blind.............so I was "blind" and "blind"!
:msp_thumbup:


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> I need a chassis before I can do any more Will. I only have the barrel kit.


 

That'd be the orange one sitting here beside my blue one :redface:

Email me your address Al, can't recall if you already did but I lost everything in my inbox last weekend and still haven't recovered it yet.


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> I hear the only hair extensions not needed are pubic!




ewwwwww :msp_ohmy:


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> I need a chassis before I can do any more Will. I only have the barrel kit.


 
That could pose a problem.


----------



## Terry Syd

Matt, the Vallorbe files arrived today, thanks.

While I was waiting for the distiller to get up to temperature I set down and inspected the various files.

The Vallorge and Stihl files appear to be made by the same manufacturer. They both have the same pattern, but the Vallorbe files are 4.75mm in diameter and the Stihl are 4.85mm.

The Save Edge files have the most aggressive pattern and are 4.75mm in diameter.

The Husky files have the smoothest pattern and have a diameter of 4.65mm.

I expect that the Husky files are designed for use in the 'Roller Guide' and that is why they give the best hook of all the files.

I tried making up my own chain with different angles than the factory. Good thing I used a worn out chain - it was a disaster. It didn't cut any better than the factory angles and looks down right ugly. It will now be retired as a 'stump' chain. Back to the drawing board...


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> Matt, the Vallorbe files arrived today, thanks.
> 
> While I was waiting for the distiller to get up to temperature I set down and inspected the various files.
> 
> The Vallorge and Stihl files appear to be made by the same manufacturer. They both have the same pattern, but the Vallorbe files are 4.75mm in diameter and the Stihl are 4.85mm.
> 
> The Save Edge files have the most aggressive pattern and are 4.75mm in diameter.
> 
> The Husky files have the smoothest pattern and have a diameter of 4.65mm.
> 
> I expect that the Husky files are designed for use in the 'Roller Guide' and that is why they give the best hook of all the files.
> 
> I tried making up my own chain with different angles than the factory. Good thing I used a worn out chain - it was a disaster. It didn't cut any better than the factory angles and looks down right ugly. It will now be retired as a 'stump' chain. Back to the drawing board...


 
If you want to make a really fast chain Terry you have to go square 

Having said that, I haven't attempted one yet 

From what I've seen, Oregon files, or at least the ones I've used are Vallorbe too.
I believe the Save Edge blanks come from Portugal and are finished in the US and not sure who makes Huskies files ?

BTW, Vallorbe list two cuts available in their catalogue for their round chainsaw files, a fine (DX) and 2nd cut (MDX)


new nickname for Matt, 

The Dealer.


----------



## Terry Syd

I'm using a Narrow Kerf bar and there is no square chisel available for it. Even if it was available, I wouldn't use chisel for the wood I cut, however I wouldn't mind making up a fast chain for the occasion chainsaw race I have with my mates.

The Oregon 95VP and VPX has a 30 degree top plate angle and the Woodland Pro has a 35 degree top plate angle. I was attemping a 35 degree angle on the Oregon chain with the 10 degree down angle - the straps were all carved up when I finished. I should be able to do a better job with the Woodland Pro chains I have.

I'm now running an 8 pin on this saw and still using a 5 degree cutting angle. I figure my smart arse mate with the 365 is toast.


----------



## RandyMac

AUSSIE1 said:


> I hear the only hair extensions not needed are pubic!


 
Merkin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Stihlman441

How do ya get a job as a merkin.


----------



## RandyMac

Stihlman441 said:


> How do ya get a job as a merkin.


 
Don't shave for a couple months, use conditioner. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> What happened with the Makita AL was doing?


 
Al had a Workplace Safety representative come around and said he can't drink while porting. Work stopped immediately...



AUSSIE1 said:


> I hear the only hair extensions not needed are pubic!



Keeps the kneecaps warm Al.



AUSSIE1 said:


> You forgot to mention I was blind.............so I was "blind" and "blind"!
> :msp_thumbup:



Blind in all 3 eyes? AWESOME!!!



Terry Syd said:


> Matt, the Vallorbe files arrived today, thanks.
> 
> While I was waiting for the distiller to get up to temperature I set down and inspected the various files.



No worries Terry  Thanks for the, ahem, furniture polish 



tdi-rick said:


> If you want to make a really fast chain Terry you have to go square












tdi-rick said:


> new nickname for Matt,
> 
> The Dealer.










RandyMac said:


> Merkin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



So what you're trying to say Randy is that you're facial hair is really...

Um...

Well...

That is the coolest thing ever


----------



## MCW

Was back out again today for a few hours tidying up the few remaining stumps. Basically got it all done in a couple of hours and the property manager asked me to drop a gum they had near the compound which was growing over a 15" irrigation mainline (PVC).
Not too hard but I hadn't actually brought any wedges or felling gear with me so for now just cleaned it up a bit around the base and dropped one side out of it...


















I also managed to "semi" throw a chain. This was a real bastard and had locked up that hard on the 7900 that I couldn't undo the bar tensioner screw to loosen the chain. The other issue was that despite removing both bar nuts I still couldn't get the clutch cover off as the bar tensioning pin was jammed tight in the bar due to the extreme tension. It took me about 15 minutes and much swearing to fix and I had to lever the clutch cover off with a scrench. Funnily enough nothing was damaged but I've never had something like this happen before 










I have to contact the manager of the other property tomorrow and will likely start out there this weekend


----------



## tdi-rick

and a damned fine furniture polish it is too


----------



## MCW

I also picked up a saw from a mate on Tuesday (similar chainsaw business to me) that had died after I'd fitted a 76cc 372XP BB kit to it.
Funnily enough both saws had died in quick succession while the two owners were cutting firewood and both had 76cc BB kits I'd fitted. I'd also tuned them properly as well.

Anyway my mate had played with them both and managed to get one running. I grabbed the other one off him (as I was interstate for work and not far from him) and pulled the muffler when I got home later that evening - as expected it was a torched P&C. I rang my mate and told him to pull the muffler on the other saw and low and behold that had the crap scored out of it too despite running and starting.

Despite what the owners have said it is quite obviously no oil in the fuel. When you have two saws go down one after the other on the same batch of fuel it generally means something is seriously wrong.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> and a damned fine furniture polish it is too



One of the best furniture polishes I've never polished the furniture with


----------



## RandyMac

Nah, pubes and chin hair are structurally different, although a stray beard hair can look suspicious and it depends on where found.
So, MCW, no luck with the thigh ticklers?


----------



## Terry Syd

Well, since it has past the test of interested parties, if we ever have a GTG I'll bring a dozen bottles of the furniture polish to distribute around to anyone that wants to properly finish the rounds they cut.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Was back out again today for a few hours tidying up the few remaining stumps. Basically got it all done in a couple of hours and the property manager asked me to drop a gum they had near the compound which was growing over a 15" irrigation mainline (PVC).
> Not too hard but I hadn't actually brought any wedges or felling gear with me so for now just cleaned it up a bit around the base and dropped one side out of it...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [snip]



What sort of gum Matt ?

You have flowers, caps and leaves, there's no excuse you know :msp_tongue:



A beautiful massive gum that stood on the western side of the local primary/infants school was dropped and chipped last year and I've always wondered what it was as the heartwood was a lovely deep yellow.
I mentioned it the other day at lunch with friends and my mates son who goes to the school quickly said "Tasmanian Blue Gum" 

Hmm, there are some mates of it's across the highway in a park so i finally stopped the other day and grabbed some leaves and capsules.

Well, it looks like the arborist's might have gotten it wrong, it isn't E. Globulus, it's E.Globulus subs. Bicostata or as the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens prefer, E.Bicostata as they reckon it's a different species to E. Globulus.
We'd call it a Southern or if you are south of the border, Victorian Blue Gum.

SWMBO has now decided it's her favourite Gum so I'll have to plant some and it may be native to here as I think a big tree in the back of the neighbours is one too.
Geez i love this disc Matt and Al. :msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Nah, pubes and chin hair are structurally different, although a stray beard hair can look suspicious and it depends on where found.
> So, MCW, no luck with the thigh ticklers?



Nah no luck mate. Doctor said if I keep taking horse steroids orally, rectally, and intravenously I'll grow more than just awesome sideburns...



Terry Syd said:


> Well, since it has past the test of interested parties, if we ever have a GTG I'll bring a dozen bottles of the furniture polish to distribute around to anyone that wants to properly finish the rounds they cut.



Maybe we can run the saws on it Terry? Be like a shot of 50% Nitro 



tdi-rick said:


> What sort of gum Matt ?
> 
> You have flowers, caps and leaves, there's no excuse you know :msp_tongue:



Not sure what sort of gum mate however I failed to identify a gumnut at 300mph off the 7900 that hit me in the top lip and stung like all hell. Certainly made the eyes water.

You're right about Euclid. It has the capacity to put a few tree know-it-alls back in their place.


----------



## Eccentric

Stihlman441 said:


> How do ya get a job as a merkin.


 
That can be easy, as long as you're not picky about who you're working for. I'll bet if you're big and harry enough you could get a job working for Rosie Odonnel without much competition for the possition!:jester:


----------



## 8433jeff

Can't imagine any competition for that position, or the missionary, or reverse cowboy, or any position involving Rosie, except executioner.

Did I just type that out loud?


----------



## AUSSIE1

8433jeff said:


> Can't imagine any competition for that position, or the missionary, or reverse cowboy, or any position involving Rosie, except executioner.
> 
> Did I just type that out loud?


 
She could do with a Brazilian all the way up to her neck! :msp_scared:


----------



## Terry Syd

My first thought when I looked at the picture of the Merkin, was 'how does she keep it in position?' - then I formed an analogy to how a thumbtack stays in position and decided I didn't really want to know.


----------



## Eccentric

Now that is just all kinds of wrong. I'm amused by the pic, but can't bring myself to click "like" when it has *anything* to to with that skanky, evil broad. Best use of photoshop I've seen for a while mate!


----------



## MCW

Eccentric said:


> Best use of photoshop I've seen for a while mate!



Al is a Photoshop guru when it comes to assembling hot chicks for his own perusal. Such as above...


----------



## RandyMac

Time for a classic beauty, to dispel that evil.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I also picked up a saw from a mate on Tuesday (similar chainsaw business to me) that had died after I'd fitted a 76cc 372XP BB kit to it.
> Funnily enough both saws had died in quick succession while the two owners were cutting firewood and both had 76cc BB kits I'd fitted. I'd also tuned them properly as well.
> 
> Anyway my mate had played with them both and managed to get one running. I grabbed the other one off him (as I was interstate for work and not far from him) and pulled the muffler when I got home later that evening - as expected it was a torched P&C. I rang my mate and told him to pull the muffler on the other saw and low and behold that had the crap scored out of it too despite running and starting.
> 
> Despite what the owners have said it is quite obviously no oil in the fuel. When you have two saws go down one after the other on the same batch of fuel it generally means something is seriously wrong.


 
Ouch that sucks!


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Ouch that sucks!



Yeah these two guys have tried to pull the wool over my mate's eyes in regard to this issue. One even told him that his saw was still on the original tank of fuel it was supplied with despite showing signs it had done a fair bit of cutting since it was sold.
Them's the breaks when you sell saws etc  I'm sure Stihl, Husky, and other dealers have seen it all.


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Yeah these two guys have tried to pull the wool over my mate's eyes in regard to this issue. One even told him that his saw was still on the original tank of fuel it was supplied with despite showing signs it had done a fair bit of cutting since it was sold.
> Them's the breaks when you sell saws etc  I'm sure Stihl, Husky, and other dealers have seen it all.


 
My local lawnmower dealer has an average of 2 Victa's a week come in that have been straight gassed.
He doesn't mind, it's good for business


----------



## AUSSIE1

Terry Syd said:


> My first thought when I looked at the picture of the Merkin, was 'how does she keep it in position?' - then I formed an analogy to how a thumbtack stays in position and decided I didn't really want to know.


 
It all works well till ya fanny fart!


----------



## Terry Syd

The Yanks probably won't understand your comment - a 'fanny' in America is what you sit on.


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> The Yanks probably won't understand your comment - a 'fanny' in America is what you sit on.



Which is why I love US based boards with US English word censors.

We can get away with so much more naughty stuff


----------



## Terry Syd

When I was in the Army, the strangest colloquialism I heard was some good ol' boys from down South talking about going out on the weekend and getting themselves some 'cock'. 

Yes, they were talking about women, but damn if I could figure out how that term was derived.

I once helped a Vietnamese guy with translating a written legal advice he had received. He had his book out for translating, but couldn't understand it. I took a look at the advice and some idiot had used the phrase 'it's in the bag'. The poor bloke was trying to do a literal translation and getting nowhere. I picked up his dictionary found the Vietnamese equivalent of the word 'colloquialism' and cleared it all up.

Considering how many different cultures use these forums, I'm surprised more misunderstandings don't happen.


----------



## parrisw

Terry Syd said:


> The Yanks probably won't understand your comment - a 'fanny' in America is what you sit on.


 
I knew what that means! But do you know what EH means?


----------



## wendell

Excelsior Henderson


----------



## FATGUY

parrisw said:


> I knew what that means! But do you know what EH means?


 
I do


----------



## MCW

Heh heh. My mate who was in the Australian SAS in Afghanistan had a few funny stories regarding the American Special Forces units they were working with.
The Aussies here would understand but in typical Aussie fashion these guys would wake up in the morning and say to their mate "Good morning coc*breath", "How you going dic*head?" etc etc.
My mate reckons they used to laugh their heads off when the Americans would come over all concerned and say "Dude, I thought that guy was your buddy?".

Anyway, knocked over the last tree today on the property I've been working on for over 1 1/2 years.
Also cleaned up the rest of the gum that was growing over the 15" irrigation mainline. I also hit a tree sap mainline which absolutely covered me in Treacle like sap. I've seen sap but this was something else. To give you an idea of just how large these sap pockets are this log is around 16" in diameter...















I think I'll have to boil the MS261 and 7900 to get the crap off! The 261 was running a 17" bar and RSC chain. It ate this wood which wasn't overly hard but hard enough. It would make good firewood and I cut it into lengths for one of the company's employees to grab.

Simple tow over this one and just as I thought the ute had bogged and I wasn't going to get it with the first tug she fell over.


















Also chewed into the stump a bit so it would soak up a reasonable amount of herbicide...






I'm still suitably impressed with the pop up top end on the 7900. It is making noticably more power than it did when fitted to the Makita and will run a 32" bar with non skip semi chisel and an 8 pin rim quite easily in this wood. As mentioned if it's not up there with my modded 390XP's it's damn close! Oh and the filter is better so it's back to being my "go to" saw again.


----------



## MCW

I also knocked over the last trees in the "Row From Hell". They'd been in and cleaned it up with the loader which made it easy for me to get in and and access the last few remaining trees. It also made it possible to get the ute in and a rope to tow the leaners over...














Lot of stress on this one. I roped it off and ended up with about the best result I could have gotten - dropped it along the treeline...










I was meant to start on the other property this weekend but there is another hold up as they decide what they're going to do to clean up my mess as I go. I'm yet to burst the bubble of that particular property's manager but I've already discussed it with the overall manager and these trees won't be coming down individually. They are simply too large and dangerous with interlocking canopies to fell one at a time which would make it easier to clean up.
For one you'd never be able to drop one tree at a time without either hanging it up or wearing a monster branch in the head. I'll be dropping these in runs like dominos and ensure I'm well out of the way of any hang ups  Should be starting there in about a fortnight I'd say.


----------



## MCW

Back again. Started on the other property this morning and arrived at 7.15am. Temperatures were just on 0°c so freezing. Sun was only just up here in North Eastern South Australia. This property is only about 10 minutes away from the Victorian/New South Wales/South Australia border junction.






I am also cleaning out the bottoms of the trees with the 200T/Husky353 to access the trunks for felling.
Cleaning up is far harder than I imagined and extremely time consuming. A lot of the lower branches are embedded in the piles of needles making them difficult to drag out. Even gaining access to some trunks is a struggle. There are also a number of "suckers" that have to be removed to gain access.










Yep. Thats a trunk back in there that I have to fight my way into


----------



## MCW

Some of these 40 odd year old trees are quite sizeable. This is the 390XPG and 32" bar next to one of them. The XPG decided to die on me shortly after (fueling issue) so started using the pop upped 7900 again. As mentioned this thing is that close to the modded Husky 390's it's not funny. It was easily running a non skip semi chisel 32" bar with 7 pin rim buried in this relatively hard wood...






And cut and wedged ready to drop...






Messy...














And the first tree of the day - it wasn't that tall and was more of a shrub - still enough to jam my bar though. The wood in this particular Casuarina was very soft and despite being wedged it still managed to jam the bar - I removed the powerhead and later on recut another scarf above this one and felled it with the lean. Look at the crap in the clutch cover - it was absolutely rancid...






And the view on the way out of the row I was working on...






Slow going - in 5 hours I think I only dropped about 13-15 trees.
Also got some videos which I'll upload later on.


----------



## parrisw

That looks like hard work Matt! Having to clear that much around the trees must be a pain. I like Doug firs that don't have any branches for oh??? about a 100'


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> That looks like hard work Matt! Having to clear that much around the trees must be a pain. I like Doug firs that don't have any branches for oh??? about a 100'



Yeah Will. I was spoilt on the last property as some other guys cleaned all the bottoms out


----------



## pgg

OMG! that 200T wasn't used on the GROUND was it? How did you survive?? LOL


----------



## MCW

pgg said:


> OMG! that 200T wasn't used on the GROUND was it? How did you survive?? LOL



Actually mate I was too scared to use it at ground level. I was just trying to act cybertuff by putting it in the photos and making out I was skilled enough to use it without climbing gear and 14 Arborist certificates 

I tell you what though old son, these little things absolutely kick butt for pruning around the bases of trees like this.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah Will. I was spoilt on the last property as some other guys cleaned all the bottoms out


 

Hmmm, some other guys cleaned your bottom?



MCW said:


> Actually mate I was too scared to use it at ground level. I was just trying to act cybertuff by putting it in the photos and making out I was skilled enough to use it without climbing gear and 14 Arborist certificates
> 
> I tell you what though old son, these little things absolutely kick butt for pruning around the bases of trees like this.


 
200T's are wicked for anything! Really great at the chipper too, for a quick trim on something that wont quite fit!


----------



## Andyshine77

I hate having to cut shrubs and small branches for an hour just to get to the trunk. This isn't common in my area, but it does happen and when it's poison sumac, the next week or so isn't all that fun.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Hmmm, some other guys cleaned your bottom? 200T's are wicked for anything! Really great at the chipper too, for a quick trim on something that wont quite fit!



Yeah they cleaned about 7,800 bottoms!
200T's are one impressive little saw 



Andyshine77 said:


> I hate having to cut shrubs and small branches for an hour just to get to the trunk. This isn't common in my area, but it does happen and when it's poison sumac, the next week or so isn't all that fun.



Yeah it sucks. I had to sit and have a breather after fighting my way into the trunks a few times. Apart from snakes, scorpions, and spiders we're lucky around here as far as stinging plants go.

You're right about that little 353 too Andy - great little saw, especially after a muffler mod


----------



## Andyshine77

MCW said:


> Yeah they cleaned about 7,800 bottoms!
> 200T's are one impressive little saw
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah it sucks. I had to sit and have a breather after fighting my way into the trunks a few times. Apart from snakes, scorpions, and spiders we're lucky around here as far as stinging plants go.
> 
> You're right about that little 353 too Andy - great little saw, especially after a muffler mod


 
I told you the 353 is a killer little saw. From the sound of it I much prefer the poisonous plats compared to the creepy crawlies you guys have. We do have spider and snakes, but up here they're for the most part harmless.


----------



## pgg

here we are pruning pines, lots of PITA little branches and green shoots down low, this ones a cut-down ported 335, one and a half pounds lighter than a stock 200T with pretty much equal power, nice and agile, the safety nazis will be clucking like old hens LOL


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----------



## MCW

pgg said:


> here we are pruning pines, lots of PITA little branches and green shoots down low, this ones a cut-down ported 335, one and a half pounds lighter than a stock 200T with pretty much equal power, nice and agile, the safety nazis will be clucking like old hens LOL



Madness. You'll kill yourself you silly fool!!!

Nice work by the way...


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> I told you the 353 is a killer little saw. From the sound of it I much prefer the poisonous plats compared to the creepy crawlies you guys have. We do have spider and snakes, but up here they're for the most part harmless.


 
I'll take the creepy crawlies anyday Andy


----------



## Terry Syd

Matt, you have obviously never been hit by the 'Sticky Bush' up in Queensland. I'll take a Bull Ant's sting rather than that SOB.


----------



## pgg




----------



## masculator

Terry Syd said:


> Matt, you have obviously never been hit by the 'Sticky Bush' up in Queensland. I'll take a Bull Ant's sting rather than that SOB.



I'll avoid both thanks!!!

That pine pruning job reminds me of one I did a few years back ran a pair of 009L top handle stihls. They were great little saws, mine often got used cutting up sleepers for firewood (redgum and iron bark) and felled many blackwoods up to 20 inches in diameter.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Matt, you have obviously never been hit by the 'Sticky Bush' up in Queensland. I'll take a Bull Ant's sting rather than that SOB.



Is that also called "Wait-A-While"?
We have nothing like that here


----------



## Terry Syd

Sorry Matt, it was the 'Stinging tree' or Gympie Gympie. Here's a blurb on it -

Gympie Gympie: Once stung, never forgotten - Australian Geographic

I got whacked by one near Townsville. I thought I had been bit by something poisionous in the knee and hand. 

If a Bull Ant bites you, it is instantaneous. You yelp, then jump back and look for that SOB and stomp his azz into the ground. Then for the next 10 minutes you stomp around in pain cursing and crushing any other Bull Ants that appear. The pain resolves to a discomfort and you go on your way.

The Stinging tree is subtle. You get hit, walk a few paces and the burning starts, then after 5 minutes of increasing pain you wonder if you should get to a doctor, it continues to get worse for about 30 minutes - that is a long 30 minutes of increasing pain, minute by minute - you wonder if the pain will ever top out. During that time your lymph nodes swell up so that, in my case, the nodes in my armpits and groin were affecting the use of my limbs, and I had a long way to walk to get back to civilisation.

I could still feel where I got hit six months later when I went into cool water.

Definitely not on the 'must do' list for Australian adventures.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Is that also called "Wait-A-While"?
> We have nothing like that here


 
Might be.

I remember my mate telling me of the bloody 'wait-a-while' after doing his army reserve training at Cannungra and the Border Ranges.

Reckoned it was bloody awful stuff.


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> Sorry Matt, it was the 'Stinging tree' or Gympie Gympie. Here's a blurb on it -
> 
> Gympie Gympie: Once stung, never forgotten - Australian Geographic
> 
> I got whacked by one near Townsville. I thought I had been bit by something poisionous in the knee and hand.
> 
> If a Bull Ant bites you, it is instantaneous. You yelp, then jump back and look for that SOB and stomp his azz into the ground. Then for the next 10 minutes you stomp around in pain cursing and crushing any other Bull Ants that appear. The pain resolves to a discomfort and you go on your way.
> 
> The Stinging tree is subtle. You get hit, walk a few paces and the burning starts, then after 5 minutes of increasing pain you wonder if you should get to a doctor, it continues to get worse for about 30 minutes - that is a long 30 minutes of increasing pain, minute by minute - you wonder if the pain will ever top out. During that time your lymph nodes swell up so that, in my case, the nodes in my armpits and groin were affecting the use of my limbs, and I had a long way to walk to get back to civilisation.
> 
> I could still feel where I got hit six months later when I went into cool water.
> 
> Definitely not on the 'must do' list for Australian adventures.


 
Another compelling reason not to live in the Tropical north :msp_ohmy:


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Another compelling reason not to live in the Tropical north :msp_ohmy:



I've got a book called "Parasite Rex" which is all about human parasites. Many people would be sh*t scared of the tropics after reading that book


----------



## Stihlman441

MCW said:


> Some of these 40 odd year old trees are quite sizeable. This is the 390XPG and 32" bar next to one of them. The XPG decided to die on me shortly after (fueling issue) so started using the pop upped 7900 again. As mentioned this thing is that close to the modded Husky 390's it's not funny. It was easily running a non skip semi chisel 32" bar with 7 pin rim buried in this relatively hard wood...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And cut and wedged ready to drop...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Messy...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the first tree of the day - it wasn't that tall and was more of a shrub - still enough to jam my bar though. The wood in this particular Casuarina was very soft and despite being wedged it still managed to jam the bar - I removed the powerhead and later on recut another scarf above this one and felled it with the lean. Look at the crap in the clutch cover - it was absolutely rancid...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the view on the way out of the row I was working on...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Slow going - in 5 hours I think I only dropped about 13-15 trees.
> Also got some videos which I'll upload later on.


 
Ha champ i am thinking ya need a good 660 for those bigger stuff and the back cut looks a little low but wtf would i know ?.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## Terry Syd

That's OK, the backcut is 8 inches high on the other side of the trunk, so it averages out...


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ha champ i am thinking ya need a good 660 for those bigger stuff and the back cut looks a little low but wtf would i know ?.:msp_biggrin:



Nah don't need a 660. Be OK for just cutting the logs into firewood but balance is up the creek for this job  The power would be nice in a 390's body though. However I'm working on that and pretty sure my 390XPG will give that 660 a run for it's money soon. There's only 4cc difference 
Backcut was certainly a bit low on that one though Andrew (well spotted ya smarty!). Not a biggy though. Although I aim for the perfect cuts I've long since realised that slightly low or slightly high is OK. When you come in at the same level as the face and leave too little hinge is where the real trouble starts


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> That's OK, the backcut is 8 inches high on the other side of the trunk, so it averages out...



Heh heh. In this case it actually wasn't but I know what you mean


----------



## David (saltas)

Terry Syd said:


> Sorry Matt, it was the 'Stinging tree' or Gympie Gympie. Here's a blurb on it -
> 
> Gympie Gympie: Once stung, never forgotten - Australian Geographic
> 
> I got whacked by one near Townsville. I thought I had been bit by something poisionous in the knee and hand.
> 
> If a Bull Ant bites you, it is instantaneous. You yelp, then jump back and look for that SOB and stomp his azz into the ground. Then for the next 10 minutes you stomp around in pain cursing and crushing any other Bull Ants that appear. The pain resolves to a discomfort and you go on your way.
> 
> The Stinging tree is subtle. You get hit, walk a few paces and the burning starts, then after 5 minutes of increasing pain you wonder if you should get to a doctor, it continues to get worse for about 30 minutes - that is a long 30 minutes of increasing pain, minute by minute - you wonder if the pain will ever top out. During that time your lymph nodes swell up so that, in my case, the nodes in my armpits and groin were affecting the use of my limbs, and I had a long way to walk to get back to civilisation.
> 
> I could still feel where I got hit six months later when I went into cool water.
> 
> Definitely not on the 'must do' list for Australian adventures.



The stinging tree has a heart shaped leaf the bit that does the stinging is tiny hollow spikes
Best way to get them out is stickying plaster
Cold helps, but a warm shower will remind you were you got hit

There is a "urban legend" at lavrack baracks that some marine whiped his arse with a leaf from a stinging tree up hear the tully jugnle training area and was never seen again. 



tdi-rick said:


> Might be.
> 
> I remember my mate telling me of the bloody 'wait-a-while' after doing his army reserve training at Cannungra and the Border Ranges.
> 
> Reckoned it was bloody awful stuff.


 


tdi-rick said:


> Another compelling reason not to live in the Tropical north :msp_ohmy:


 
Imagine you are riding your dirt bike quite fast on a old forestry logging road and you come round the corner and you hit a bit of wait a while. at speed it just peels the flesh of you kinda like a saw would






While this part looks bad enough 






This bit that has hold of the bush tucker man id the most dangerous the layer cane is strong thin hard to see and has claws lik a cat all the way along this thin stem



MCW said:


> I've got a book called "Parasite Rex" which is all about human parasites. Many people would be sh*t scared of the tropics after reading that book



dont be trash talking were I live :msp_angry: until You guys have been riding or fishing with me and a some mates.:msp_tongue:


----------



## promac850

I have already decided I will not visit the tropics... 

Especially after seeing the show 'Monsters inside me'

Sick bastards them parasites are... 

Best way to avoid most parasites are to be sure food is cooked thoroughly... especially meat/poultry/seafood. There are lots of them in food in general, so undercooked stuff should be avoided.

Some just get into ya through the water, or simply soil.


----------



## Terry Syd

Take a can of Skoal with you. The nicotine kills the intestinal parasites.


----------



## WKEND LUMBERJAK

Terry Syd said:


> Take a can of Skoal with you. The nicotine kills the intestinal parasites.


 
MYTH OR FACT old timers here usedto worm horses with plug tobacco.


----------



## parrisw

Man all you Aussies. If it isn't the killer bugs, the dam plants will get ya! Your convincing me to never want to go there! 

The worst thing I can think of that we got here as a plant is, Devil's Club, they are covered in spiny thorns that break off very easily and go right into your skin, then they fester up like crazy, you got to dig them out of your skin, they wont come out like a splinter. A guy at work hunts allot and fell off a log into a patch of it!! OUCH!


----------



## promac850

Geez... that must explain why the Aussie land was used to hold prisoners way back when... all of those plants and #### probably killed more than a hand full of the original prisoner population down there.


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> Man all you Aussies. If it isn't the killer bugs, the dam plants will get ya! Your convincing me to never want to go there!


 
Oh don't be woos Will...........we'll give ya big stick to protect yourself.

You have to look at it on a positive side. Take a look at the king brown and tiger snakes. Some of the worlds most venomous and fastest. You get quite fit from them chasing you around all day, take Cathy Freeman the Aboriginal runner for instance.

Have a look at the Aboriginal dance, it's derived from a walkabout through a bullant nest.


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh don't be woos Will...........we'll give ya big stick to protect yourself.
> 
> You have to look at it on a positive side. Take a look at the king brown and tiger snakes. Some of the worlds most venomous and fastest. You get quite fit from them chasing you around all day, take Cathy Freeman the Aboriginal runner for instance.
> 
> Have a look at the Aboriginal dance, it's derived from a walkabout through a bullant nest.


 
LOL, that's pretty funny! Yes I'm a wuss, when it comes to creepy crawlies!


----------



## MCW

Well it looks as if my fellow Aussies have done the same for Australian Tourism as Hitler did for world peace 
I'll be on Hamilton Island for a week in December. Is that tropical???

Anyway gents. I did a video up on Sunday night (a simple felling compilation) and uploaded it but AS looks to have been down for a day and a bit so couldn't link it.
Here she be...


<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d2bsKV2ghCI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Nothing real fancy. I'll be back there again this Saturday to fell a few more but this depends on the wind. I pulled the pin on Sunday when this video was done as the wind was getting a bit too unpredictable. With canopies like these Casuarinas they really catch the wind and if you try to get too cocky you'll lose one for sure. The first three trees in the video that I dropped all together were felled into the wind - it wasn't easy getting that first one started. Winter is a funny time here and unlike in Summer when we nearly get 100% northerly direction winds in Winter they spin around all over the shop.

*Andrew:* The second tree in the video is the bigger one with the low backcut. The first tree was actually meant to knock it over and that particular bigger tree was meant to knock the tree over in the background. Plan failed as you can see  The tree in the background was the heavy leaner with my 24" Pro Top stuck in it! I ended up felling that particular tree with it's lean back towards the camera. If you listen carefully at 0:47 you can hear me swear when I dead centred the leaner with the bigger tree yet it didn't fall over and release my bar/chain. Sorry about the language if you can hear it - I didn't realise it had come though on the audio until after I'd edited the video and uploaded it to Youtube. My apologies  My failed plan with the leaner took another 1/2 hour to fix as after my failed domino attempt the area around my stuck bar was like a tree limb warzone.


----------



## porky616

i may have missed the answer to this question along the way but is there a reason for not taking out the tree stump and all?


----------



## Stihlman441

Looks like your having fun there champ,do you feel bad when they pay you for doing that.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> i may have missed the answer to this question along the way but is there a reason for not taking out the tree stump and all?



The main aim of this so called project (the company's words not mine) is to get rid of the trees first and to kill off the stumps to stop them sucking water from the orchards. They've spoken about removing the stumps but their loader hasn't got a hope and it isn't cost effective to get an excavator in. The stumps aren't actually in anybody's way so they'll probably remain there for a very long time.

Did you get time to fit the BB kit mate? If so what do you think?



Stihlman441 said:


> Looks like your having fun there champ,do you feel bad when they pay you for doing that.:msp_biggrin:



Yeah I feel really bad  You'd feel awful too 

Mate I love it. The stumping was a bit boring but I love the felling bit


----------



## porky616

time!!! hell i need more hours in the day! busier than a one armed bahgdad brickie at the moment. friday night with a carton i think will be the go, mechanic at works gonna fit it and tune it for me saturday morning, not real happy with the last bloke who "tuned" it for me, think his tacho and ears may have been broken. then its all go for the weekend got 7 ton to cut and deliver. lucky its a long weekend


----------



## David (saltas)

I was playing this video at work straight from you tube and did not notice the colorful language.

That said I just turned the volume up and her indoors herd it from upstairs:hmm3grin2orange:

procreate me :jester:


----------



## David (saltas)

porky616 said:


> time!!! hell i need more hours in the day! busier than a one armed bahgdad brickie at the moment. friday night with a carton i think will be the go, mechanic at works gonna fit it and tune it for me saturday morning, not real happy with the last bloke who "tuned" it for me, think his tacho and ears may have been broken. then its all go for the weekend got 7 ton to cut and deliver. lucky its a long weekend



You need to update your location to QUEENSLAND


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> time!!! hell i need more hours in the day! busier than a one armed bahgdad brickie at the moment. friday night with a carton i think will be the go, mechanic at works gonna fit it and tune it for me saturday morning, not real happy with the last bloke who "tuned" it for me, think his tacho and ears may have been broken. then its all go for the weekend got 7 ton to cut and deliver. lucky its a long weekend



I'd whack it all together if you were closer. Feel like a 4 1/2 our drive old son? 



saltas said:


> I was playing this video at work straight from you tube and did not notice the colorful language.
> 
> That said I just turned the volume up and her indoors herd it from upstairs:hmm3grin2orange:
> 
> procreate me :jester:



My bad...
I watched the video a couple of times after editing and didn't notice. Then I uploaded it and watched it on Youtbe with headphones on and I thought "Uh oh".

Foul mouthed trailer trash - they're everywhere...


----------



## David (saltas)

I had some fun showing a tafe Hort student that has done a tafe maintain and operate chainsaw course RTC2304A he finds any excuse to get a saw out at every opertunity, He is a silly South African and he might make a good saw monkey, cause I'm to old and sore to start climbing trees for a living (and a little heavy)

I showed him this old video  as a aspirational tool

[video]http://www.youtube.com/user/mattward74#p/u/42/zTryU_lE4cg[/video]


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> I showed him this old video  as a aspirational tool
> 
> [video]http://www.youtube.com/user/mattward74#p/u/42/zTryU_lE4cg[/video]



Who's that showoff idiot?


----------



## David (saltas)

Doh that is felling

I need to start showing him tree monkey work

I showed him the 60" bar cutting a 16" tree and a shrub four feet away.

Looked like you nearly got a hernia as you fine tuned the notch with that .....uhmmm flexible bar


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Doh that is felling
> 
> I need to start showing him tree monkey work



One thing I can guarantee is that you'll never see any tree monkey videos from me


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> One thing I can guarantee is that you'll never see any tree monkey videos from me


 
You and me both

Thats why I need a tree monkey


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> Who's that showoff idiot?


 
Wow, that guy's good! Is that his audition tape for AxMen: Australia? :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## promac850

saltas said:


> You and me both
> 
> Thats why I need a tree monkey


 
Sorry I can't help... I'm only a shop monkey...


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Wow, that guy's good! Is that his audition tape for AxMen: Australia? :hmm3grin2orange:



Well he seems to have the swearing worked out


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Who's that showoff idiot?


 
Nice.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Nice.



How's things Wesmonster? Hope you've got all those Irish sorted out?


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> I showed him the 60" bar cutting a 16" tree and a shrub four feet away.
> 
> Looked like you nearly got a hernia as you fine tuned the notch with that .....uhmmm flexible bar



Don't be silly. If you'd have thought about it for a moment you'd have realised the 3120 has an outboard clutch so is therefore superbly balanced. Same basic design principle as the 346XP


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Don't be silly. If you'd have thought about it for a moment you'd have realised the 3120 has an outboard clutch so is therefore superbly balanced. Same basic design principle as the 346XP




You have been brain washed by saw troll

Look a gain at the video you can see the back of you pants getting hungry


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> You have been brain washed by saw troll
> 
> Look a gain at the video you can see the back of you pants getting hungry


 
Getting hungry is a change. Normally they're falling down


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> How's things Wesmonster? Hope you've got all those Irish sorted out?


 
Been mostly been spending my time eating, smoking, and drinking. Not a whole lot has changed except the view. It's been great to see some old friends again, though. I lived here previously for more than a year, so being back feels fairly natural. Well, until they ask you to take a safety course so you can work on construction sites as a sawman. A park as a construction site, really? Yeah, it's different here. They act like there's a shortage of Europeans and each one must be treated as a rare commodity as far as health and safety go. If you ask me, we are all in need of another world war. This time I am making wagers, though.


----------



## MCW

Back again gents.
We have a long weekend here but sadly I've only been able to fit in one day of cutting due to a wedding (not mine) and a mate of mine coming to visit that I haven't seen for a long time.

Had a phone call from the manager/worker on this property the other day and it looks like he's done a bit of felling for me. He was very apologetic about "cutting my lunch" (his words). Quite funny actually as he had a guy there with a 25 tonne excavator doing some other work and asked if he'd like to come and push some trees over. This guy has a smaller Farm Boss Stihl with 20" bar (not sure of the model) and said it was working it's arse off on trees like this. I wasn't there to see it but by all accounts with a few very poorly aligned cuts the excavator had no issues pushing over some of the heavy leaners I had to leave last visit.

Anyway, have a few photos and a couple of vids. I dropped a few trees without a problem but as is typical this time of year the wind started to pick up about 8am which made some trees more difficult than others. I also failed to see an irrigation valve as it had a very small Casuarina tree growing around it. I only noticed it AFTER I'd aligned the felling cuts. With some hesitation and some careful "Mark I" eyeball measurements I proceeded to fell the tree and missed the valve by a bee's willy. In all honesty I was lucky...







This was another run of large trees - the boundary tree rows aren't half the size the North/South centre rows are...










The 390XPG was running fine again (not sure what was up last weekend). It only dawned on me Saturday morning that I hadn't touched the tune on it since I bought it off Brad - even though I'd given it a bit of a pop up. It was revving to 14,000rpm and stalling too easily for a saw this size - in all honesty the pop upped Dolmar had more torque. After dropping the revs to 13,600rpm it has a lot more torque and way faster throttle response. It's now a completely different saw and far more usable with longer bars and grabbier chain...














I also decided to cut down 1/2 a stump to make it easier to fell one half of a bifurcated tree. Verticle cut first which wasn't an issue. Of course while not concentrating on the horizontal cut so I can remove part of the stump it dropped on the chain at full noise. Those who have used powerful saws and had the TOP of the chain bite will realise you simply don't want any part of your body in the way when the saw tries to eject itself at warp speed out of the cut back at you. I copped the handle fair in the guts and it reminded me of my 3120 in Tasmania when it nearly crippled me. This hurt too and it took a few minutes of me doubled over to get back to work. You can see in the photo where the chain grabbed and bit into the wood...






That hurt, lots and still does 2 days later.

There is also some really nice grain in some of these trees. Pity it's not good for much. For the first time ever I actually saw water SQUIRTING out of one of my felling cuts. I wish I'd have videoed it...


----------



## MCW

And a couple of videos. The first one isn't anything fancy and likely to be quite boring for some. It's basically just me walking along under the trees explaining what I planned on doing with each tree.
It also pays to note that things didn't go to plan. The bifurcated tree at 1:50 of the first video was meant to be easy. What I failed to do however with the right hand trunk was follow through with my backcut. This meant that half of the tree fell slowly, too slow, and got hung up. If I'd have hung in there and kept cutting it would have built up enough speed to push through and hit the deck. This one stuff up meant my whole felling plan had to change.
In the second video you can just see the hangup second tree from the right. You can also see the big interlaced limb from the first video snap off and swing from the tree it was stuck in.
As many of you would be able to tell I also got a bit excited with the depth guages on the chain I was using, meaning the poor Dolmar was making far harder work of it than it should have been 


<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qGSi3dKneN4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The noise these trees made when they fell was extremely loud. It sounded great  Unless you're a greenie, then it was the sound of murder...

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c52ee024QTI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

EDIT: Wayne what the hell are you doing still up at 1:10am? I just got back from a wedding so have an excuse


----------



## gmax

Code:


EDIT: Wayne what the hell are you doing still up at 1:10am? I just got back from a wedding so have an excuse


Matt, like you said it's a long weekend 

Do you like my new Stihl ?







The only thing it's missing is compression


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, like you said it's a long weekend
> 
> Do you like my new Stihl ?



No I don't. Can I touch it one day?



gmax said:


> The only thing it's missing is compression



Wayne, compression is a highly overrated part of the internal combustion engine. Please stop making excuses as to why your Stihl won't start...


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> No I don't. Can I touch it one day?
> 
> 
> 
> Wayne, compression is a highly overrated part of the internal combustion engine. Please stop making excuses as to why your Stihl won't start...


 
Compression might be overrated but it sure helps, new caber rings are on the way from Greece, the old beast should be running next week


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Compression might be overrated but it sure helps, new caber rings are on the way from Greece, the old beast should be running next week



So what is it? An older 200T prototype? It also looks as if you only have to wear an earmuff on your right ear.


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> So what is it? An older 200T prototype? It also looks as if you only have to wear an earmuff on your right ear.


 
An old 56cc 08S ,no need for earmuffs


----------



## NORMZILLA44

MCW, I found this thread late I guess, but very interesting. Impressive too. Thats some real good production man! Nice vide'os, nice stuff! Norm.................


----------



## tdi-rick

gmax said:


> Code:
> 
> 
> EDIT: Wayne what the hell are you doing still up at 1:10am? I just got back from a wedding so have an excuse
> 
> 
> Matt, like you said it's a long weekend
> 
> Do you like my new Stihl ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The only thing it's missing is compression


 
There's a really nice 08S on one of the neighbouring farms here Wayne.
All complete including badging.

Bought new by the family in about '72 they think and still gets used regularly.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> An old 56cc 08S ,no need for earmuffs



Cool bananas!



NORMZILLA44 said:


> MCW, I found this thread late I guess, but very interesting. Impressive too. Thats some real good production man! Nice vide'os, nice stuff! Norm.................



Thanks mate


----------



## gmax

Now Matt, save some wood for next weekend, don't cut up everything in sight until I get there :msp_smile:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Now Matt, save some wood for next weekend, don't cut up everything in sight until I get there :msp_smile:


 
Whoops, too late


----------



## Stihlman441

Ha there Matt
Nice vids, i even got a mensoin haha i think you are having way to much fun to be healthy.:msp_smile:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ha there Matt
> Nice vids, i even got a mensoin haha i think you are having way to much fun to be healthy.:msp_smile:



Yeah mate, thought I'd throw your name in there  I'm not healthy anyway


----------



## wendell

:wave::bday:Happy Queen's Birthday!!!:bday::wave:


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> :wave::bday:Happy Queen's Birthday!!!:bday::wave:




Sniff. Thanks. Sniff Sniff...


----------



## wendell

You're welcome! I would've sent a present but I didn't know what was appropriate for such a holiday.

Speaking of which, you guys sure have a lot of holidays! :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> You're welcome! I would've sent a present but I didn't know what was appropriate for such a holiday.
> 
> Speaking of which, you guys sure have a lot of holidays! :hmm3grin2orange:



Common misconception, you probably have more than us 

Public holidays - Leave - Fair Work Ombudsman

Public holidays in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The big difference is annual leave, here it's generally four weeks.


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> I would've sent a present but I didn't know what was appropriate for such a holiday.



Actually cold hard cash is generally the accepted gift on such an occasion. Folding stuff, 3 figures...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Actually cold hard cash is generally the accepted gift on such an occasion. Folding stuff, 3 figures...



That's OK, but which one of us is going to own up to being "A Queen" ?


----------



## David (saltas)

Gmax you got any spares for the 08s

I have a mate that uses a 08's nice.

It is a nice saw does not rev a lot but it does cut well.

His has some silver duct tape for the hole ..... in the top of the ........ cover ......... for the....... um......pull start... I think


----------



## gmax

saltas said:


> Gmax you got any spares for the 08s
> 
> I have a mate that uses a 08's nice.
> 
> It is a nice saw does not rev a lot but it does cut well.
> 
> His has some silver duct tape for the hole ..... in the top of the ........ cover ......... for the....... um......pull start... I think


 
Sorry, I need spares myself, a starter & top cover, I fitted the new rings today compression is now 140 LB, should go higher after a few tanks of fuel.
Not bad saws although stock running 404" chain is a little ambitious.


----------



## David (saltas)

The chain and bar only look wrong cause you know its a 50cc saw

You should try it with the stock .404 it will surprise you

Those things were hire company pigs for years indestructible

Those same motors were used on the post hole diggers so you know they have lots of torque.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> That's OK, but which one of us is going to own up to being "A Queen" ?



I was young and needed the money.


----------



## David (saltas)

Handi Mat the rent boy


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Handi Mat the rent boy



Got a job now mate and my grubby past is behind me


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Got a job now mate and my grubby past is behind me


 
I'm sure it was behind you.. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## David (saltas)

gmax said:


> I'm sure it was behind you.. :hmm3grin2orange:



I ass umed he had it all in hand (handi matt) :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> I'm sure it was behind you.. :hmm3grin2orange:


 


saltas said:


> I ass umed he had it all in hand (handi matt) :hmm3grin2orange:



Hmmm. Cyberbullying - it exists...

By the way Salty it would seem you accidentally put a space in assumed.


----------



## David (saltas)

I have forgotten what was this thread about


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> I have forgotten what was this thread about


 
I can't remember either. Ah well, my thread, we can write what the hell we want 

UNLESS it is a direct attack on me or is making fun of my sordid past...


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> I can't remember either. Ah well, my thread, we can write what the hell we want
> 
> UNLESS it is a direct attack on me or is making fun of my sordid past...


 
Then I have nothing to say.


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> I can't remember either. Ah well, my thread, we can write what the hell we want
> 
> UNLESS it is a direct attack on me or is making fun of my sordid past...


 
It was about whether Matt should carry a hatchet or a hammer.


----------



## FATGUY

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g-45xNr-udU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> It was about whether Matt should carry a hatchet or a hammer.



Thor wasn't a p*ssy and he carried a hammer...



FATGUY said:


> <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g-45xNr-udU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Good old Pogues


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> I can't remember either. Ah well, my thread, we can write what the hell we want
> 
> UNLESS it is a direct attack on me or is making fun of my sordid past...


 
So, how long did you live in Thailand?


----------



## NORMZILLA44

How's that job going Matt? Or have you finished? Not sure if I missed it in youre thread, but what do you do with all the wood, and brush on this Job? Norm...........


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> So, how long did you live in Thailand?



You should know Randy. You had the Ping Pong Peep Show next to me for a few months. You were my idol and the best shot I've ever seen...



NORMZILLA44 said:


> How's that job going Matt? Or have you finished? Not sure if I missed it in youre thread, but what do you do with all the wood, and brush on this Job? Norm...........



No not finished yet Norm. The property manager is getting a hell of a lot of trees down though with his saw and the 25 tonne excavator that has been there. I doubt upper management would actually agree with what he's doing as the cost of running that excavator wouldn't be cheap. Still a fair few to go but I honestly think he'll get this excavator to hang around for a while and he'll probably end up knocking over more trees than I will.

Everything here is being piled up and burnt. Despite it being green it is actually burning quite well. The wood is honestly not much good for anything. Casuarina spp. are actually an extremely hard (one of the hardest Australian timbers) and is highly sought after for furniture etc. Unfortunately these particular trees and all the trees on the other property have grown that fast that they have lost basically all desirable properties.


----------



## RandyMac

Yeah and I am still disappointed that we weren't able to get that free throw league going. It was entertaining enough, too bad the a/c wasn't up to the task of clearing the air.


----------



## imagineero

hey matt, 
i carry a hammer too but I've been looking at hatchets a lot lately. Gransors Bruks makes some incredibly nice hatchets... the wildlife hatchet or mini forest axe would probably be a go'er. Downside (and upside?) is that they can me made sharp enough to shave with. About $180 too, but so nice to use. I used a friends wildlife hatchet a couple times and it was very tempting to just not return it.

More sensible would probably be one of the smaller fiskars hatchets. Just as much weight in the head but a lighter handle, and you wont cry when it gets all ugly. The metal isn't as good as the gransfors, seems a bit soft to me actually.... but they can be made sharp. They're sharp enough(and blunt enough not to cut you) off the shelf to go good for wedge purposes. 

I think I'll have to buy all 3


Shaun


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Well good looking job so far! Looks like a few I had, but mine were smaleer, but man that brush pile's up fast! Excavtor's aren't cheap, but in the right hand's should make quick work of that brush for you. My first though was man, gonna be alot of brush to drag LOL! Surprised me though thought aussie's always wore short's LOL! You guy's have my respect, a very tough breed. About my biggesst passion in life is running my boar dog's. When I saw how you guy's do it Bull Arab's, short's, and a knife. Big boars. Respect is due for sure! You guy's also do some monster tree cutting. Have some big Eucalyptus in spot's here, and that take's a tough cat as well! Good thread, nice picture's Like to see more NORM...............


----------



## Terry Syd

Here's a tip I got from a local boar hunter that I now use in the bush. The hunter had one of his dogs get a bad cut so the bloke pulled a small container of dental floss (sterile thread) out of his pocket. He had a curved needle inside the container. He threaded the needle with the dental floss and knitted up his dog. The dog just stood there without a whimper.

I've used the dental floss trick to repair pack harnesses, darn torn clothing, but thankfully I've not had to stitch myself up in the bush. - a neat item that doesn't take up any room and you can always floss your teeth anytime you want.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Never heard that about the floss, good idea. I have used fishing line, works great. Super glue believe it or not, and recommended by vet's. For bad severe bleeding, Celox coagulating powder, made from natural enzyme's that the body produce's, should be in everyone's first aid kit. Developed for the military on the battefield. It even works for arterial wounds. Glad I've never had to use it though.


----------



## David (saltas)

Pig hunters around here use large dogs (pig dogs) mastiff, great Dane, wolf hound, etc. they bread in what they need more speed, muscle etc

There are large boars 180kg plus (400 lbs) no guns only dog and a knife 

Vet supplies will sell staple guns online so thats what most pig hunters up here use


----------



## NORMZILLA44

We use the staples, when we can. We hunt the steep mountain country, and get some big boars, and they are all runner's. Just carry a pistol or two for back up. Havent used it in quite awhile.


----------



## MCW

I ended up phoning the main manager today in regard to this excavator practice. It's not the fact that there is an excavator invoved, but the fact that the guy doing the cutting really has no idea of the proper techniques involved when doing tow or push over felling. The position he is placing his cuts is actually quite dangerous and he's lucky to have not had a tree come over on the excavator yet. In saying that though the excavator is probably getting over 3 times the trees that I am yet would be costing 5 times as much (at least).

I also met up with Peter (fatkoala) today. He reads AS a lot but I don't think has ever posted. Really nice guy and he bought my 5100-S off me plus had a play with my other saws - they were the first lot of modded saws he'd used - I think he enjoyed them and know he liked the little Dolmar. What I didn't realise is that he's a climbing arborist with his own business and only an hour and a half away. We don't have any climbers here so I said I'd keep him in mind for some tree jobs in the area. If the local guys can't fell it at ground level safely or get their high lift trucks in there they won't touch it. Oh and Peter also agreed with my above statement about improper cutting techniques with this excavator scenario.



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Well good looking job so far! Looks like a few I had, but mine were smaleer, but man that brush pile's up fast! Excavtor's aren't cheap, but in the right hand's should make quick work of that brush for you. My first though was man, gonna be alot of brush to drag LOL! Surprised me though thought aussie's always wore short's LOL! You guy's have my respect, a very tough breed. About my biggesst passion in life is running my boar dog's. When I saw how you guy's do it Bull Arab's, short's, and a knife. Big boars. Respect is due for sure! You guy's also do some monster tree cutting. Have some big Eucalyptus in spot's here, and that take's a tough cat as well! Good thread, nice picture's Like to see more NORM...............



Thanks mate. I actually put a tree over the fence today into the neighbour's property  Wayne (gmax) got it on video but I had everything setup and was trying to fell it into a pretty stiff headwind. Got a sudden large gust from the South which tore off the hinge and over she went, the wrong way  I wear shorts maybe 9 months of the year but when working with these trees I've found I get the absolute crap scratched out of me so wear long pants and long sleeve shirts now. I've got some really good scars on my legs from dead sticks - they dig in pretty deep when dry.
I'd rather sit back and shoot pigs, although no gutless wimp, there is no way in hell I'm going to run in on a wild boar and stick it with a knife, no matter how good my dogs are! In fact doggers are causing a few issues in our region as guys are getting into national parks as they can hunt quietly but illegally. Some are also losing their dogs. Next time they see them they're attacking local farmer's sheep.
I'll continue to keep this thread updated 



imagineero said:


> hey matt,
> i carry a hammer too but I've been looking at hatchets a lot lately. Gransors Bruks makes some incredibly nice hatchets... the wildlife hatchet or mini forest axe would probably be a go'er. Downside (and upside?) is that they can me made sharp enough to shave with. About $180 too, but so nice to use. I used a friends wildlife hatchet a couple times and it was very tempting to just not return it.
> 
> More sensible would probably be one of the smaller fiskars hatchets. Just as much weight in the head but a lighter handle, and you wont cry when it gets all ugly. The metal isn't as good as the gransfors, seems a bit soft to me actually.... but they can be made sharp. They're sharp enough(and blunt enough not to cut you) off the shelf to go good for wedge purposes.
> 
> I think I'll have to buy all 3
> 
> 
> Shaun



Yeah Shaun. I was at the Sunraysia Agricultural Field Days the other week and the local Stihl dealer had a Swedish guy in their tent selling hand forged and genuinely shaving sharp axes. Beautiful pieces of work but a tiny little hatchet was $70. Their full size axes and log splitters were $290. I was tempted, REALLY tempted. The Swedish guy worked for the company that makes them - nice guy and we had a good chat.
They had genuine American Hickory handles but unlike any I've ever seen. They were really pale, very light, and quite flexible. He said that the typical Hickory axe handles you see are crappy grades of wood - they only use the best grade of Hickory on their tools.
I already have a good Swedish made full size axe but if I was back at that Field Day again tomorrow I'd buy one of these for sure...

Oh and it looks like one of the trees I felled did a bit of subterranian irrigation damage  They had to whack a joiner in. This was where a pretty big tree got dropped and I wouldn't be surprised if this pipe was actually speared by a branch that snapped and dug in a bit too deep.


----------



## gmax

I was with Matt today watching him at work he dropped about 30 trees, all went well apart from one the wind caught, I'll upload some video tomorrow night.
Then we went back to matt's place & gave some of my old saws a run, next time I'll wear my ear muffs before I run my whitehead logger, I couldn't hear my GPS on the way back to the caravan park :msp_biggrin:

Thanks Matt it was a good day, just having a few bourbons before I head home tomorrow.


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> I was with Matt today watching him at work he dropped about 30 trees, all went well apart from one the wind caught, I'll upload some video tomorrow night.
> Then we went back to matt's place & gave some of my old saws a run, next time I'll wear my ear muffs before I run my whitehead logger, I couldn't hear my GPS on the way back to the caravan park :msp_biggrin:
> 
> Thanks Matt it was a good day, just having a few bourbons before I head home tomorrow.



My pleasure once again Wayne. I have no dramas with you uploading a video of a failed felling attempt - sh*t happens and you sometimes can't help wind gusts like that 

That Whitehead is insane - no wonder you're partially deaf. It was actually really hurting my ears, even 30 foot away. Good job on restoring it but if any guys in the old days used that thing without hearing protection they must be stone deaf by now...


----------



## gmax

Here's a video of Matt at work yesterday, I'll upload some more later.

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ERiSr8eCYlM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## porky616

was up mennindee yesty for look about and noticed all the casurinas that have been planted on blocks and boundaries. they all under 6" at the butt and now that we have water im sure they will grow fast. at least untill the south aussies throw a tantrum and we have to give em all our water


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Here's a video of Matt at work yesterday, I'll upload some more later.
> 
> <iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ERiSr8eCYlM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Hah hah. Take that neighbour's fence...

Basically I tried to tip a tree into a strong headwind when it was already pushing into the neighbouring tree. Then I ran too many wedges too close to the hinge and just as she was about to go where I wanted that side gust came along.
Always pays not to "overwedge" a tree in tricky conditions, it puts too much stress on the hinge. If I showed a photo of the stump it looked perfect but with all the wedges instead of tipping the tree it actually tried lifting it instead  Bye bye hinge integrity...
The wind finished it off but could have been avoided on my part.

That sucked. Good to see you put the old Chinese 365 and BB kit having a run at the end though


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> was up mennindee yesty for look about and noticed all the casurinas that have been planted on blocks and boundaries. they all under 6" at the butt and now that we have water im sure they will grow fast. at least untill the south aussies throw a tantrum and we have to give em all our water



They'll pay later for planting those bloody trees!

Menindee Lakes are actually under Murray Darling Basin Commission control now it's cracked 610 odd gigalitres so NSW can't touch it 

Water, what water? Queenslanders flog it all...


----------



## Stihlman441

Good one guys thanks for sharing :msp_thumbup:


----------



## porky616

MCW said:


> They'll pay later for planting those bloody trees!
> 
> Menindee Lakes are actually under Murray Darling Basin Commission control now it's cracked 640 odd gigalitres so NSW can't touch it
> 
> Water, what water? Queenslanders flog it all...


 
funniest one i heard was someone whacker in sa parliment wanted us to pump water from our res back into the darling as our res was over flowing then the same whacker wanted us to store more water to stop flooding, but i reckon all these trees and new owners of tandou orchards will take care of any spare water


----------



## MCW

porky616 said:


> funniest one i heard was someone whacker in sa parliment wanted us to pump water from our res back into the darling as our res was over flowing then the same whacker wanted us to store more water to stop flooding, but i reckon all these trees and new owners of tandou orchards will take care of any spare water


 
Mate there are nutjob knowalls everywhere when it comes to the Murray Darling system. The guys in the lower lakes blame us in upper South Australia, we blame Victoria, they blame NSW etc etc when in all honesty everyone has a finger in it, some more than others. Evaporation is the biggest water user in the whole system by absolute miles. I've been to countless conferences and was an accredited government funded drought counsellor a few years ago with my previous job. Pain in the arse. Even worse with Penny "What Went" Wong in parliament...


----------



## Terry Syd

You should have seen some of the humungous dams that were holding water for the cotton fields outside of Bourke. If anyone in South Australia was wondering where the water in the Murray Darling system was, it wouldn't have taken a detective to figure it out.


----------



## MCW

Anyway a quick video of my new 40 tonne log splitter that I assembled and got going this morning. The wood I was splitting is some of the nastiest hardest gear I've seen. As you can see when it finally splits it's like a gunshot going off. It burns brilliantly though. I also don't like tapping the hydraulic lever like I was but I wasn't game to lay into it in case a piece flew off and killed my dad in the background 


<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Oyoy3J4XshQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Terry Syd said:


> You should have seen some of the humungous dams that were holding water for the cotton fields outside of Bourke. If anyone in South Australia was wondering where the water in the Murray Darling system was, it wouldn't have taken a detective to figure it out.



Yeah Terry. There was some full on immoral crap going on up north. Biggest issue was that most of the water usage was only regulated on the outfeed side. No limit on storage capacity and evaporation and leaching wasn't monitored.

Another good one was the non irrigated tree plantations for pulp/chips. Timbercorp etc stated that because they weren't irrigated they had no impact on the Murray Darling basin. What was found out later is that they were stopping up to 2 megalitres a hectare of rain run off from entering the system.


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Anyway a quick video of my new 40 tonne log splitter that I assembled and got going this morning. The wood I was splitting is some of the nastiest hardest gear I've seen. As you can see when it finally splits it's like a gunshot going off. It burns brilliantly though. I also don't like tapping the hydraulic lever like I was but I wasn't game to lay into it in case a piece flew off and killed my dad in the background
> 
> 
> <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Oyoy3J4XshQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


 
That is definitely some hard wood! Sorry to see the splitter a bit worse for wear. I think the chinese slightly under engineered it... Looks like it may need a bit more steel lol. I wonder what the sellers response will be.


----------



## gmax

Some more video from yesterday, that's bad luck about the splitter ,I wonder how accurate the 40 tonne rating is :msp_unsure:

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/86otcnEhP0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good stuff Matt. sorry about the bad luck on that tree. That stuff has happened to us all once or twice. As all of us know, it's not alway's a perfect scenario, with tree work. Nice spliiter. It pisses me off when I hear about irresponsible hunter's, well not even hunter's-poacher's. They give responsible one's like us a bad name too. The make people gun shy of all. I especially dislike the one's that have no regard for there dog's, and treat them like they are disposable, make's me sick. I know I love my dog's. That saw on the bottom, the 3120 like to see a pic or two of that in some big wood. Last year was the first time I really got into Eucalyptus. It make's a man out of you. What is the toughest you guy's have? I believe the one's here are the bluegum. Seen some iron bark here. Not sure, but is that cider gum? The iron bark? I know the bluegum is tough. Burned real good though. Be safe with that wind man, take care Norm...........


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Some more video from yesterday, that's bad luck about the splitter ,I wonder how accurate the 40 tonne rating is :msp_unsure:
> 
> <iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/86otcnEhP0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



More footage of Chinese saws Wayne! First my 365 and BB kit then your 070 "copy" with 090 top end. Beastly...



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Good stuff Matt. sorry about the bad luck on that tree. That stuff has happened to us all once or twice. As all of us know, it's not alway's a perfect scenario, with tree work. Nice spliiter. It pisses me off when I hear about irresponsible hunter's, well not even hunter's-poacher's. They give responsible one's like us a bad name too. The make people gun shy of all. I especially dislike the one's that have no regard for there dog's, and treat them like they are disposable, make's me sick. I know I love my dog's. That saw on the bottom, the 3120 like to see a pic or two of that in some big wood. Last year was the first time I really got into Eucalyptus. It make's a man out of you. What is the toughest you guy's have? I believe the one's here are the bluegum. Seen some iron bark here. Not sure, but is that cider gum? The iron bark? I know the bluegum is tough. Burned real good though. Be safe with that wind man, take care Norm...........



Hi Norm.
Yeah I hate guys too that treat their dogs as disposable tools - I know a few that do.
Yeah I've had that happen a few times with these trees as I'm generally cutting in all conditions - things like that aren't a big problem out where I generally cut but in a domestic situation 110% care is taken.
The toughest wood here is generally the Mallee species or Box species. This varies on the area they are grown though as well and the rainfall in that area.
Bluegum is tough stuff and as you said, excellent firewood.
I've got a few pics and vids of my 3120 and 60" bar earlier in this thread which has gotten quite long now


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good deal. I will go back through the pages, and look see. I am with ya on the 110 percent care on the domestic job's. I agree. I do like youre thread, because I like to see a guy with knowledge doing what we love, and taking pride in his work, and good picture's too!:msp_smile:


----------



## NORMZILLA44

P.S. I gotta find out the story, behind the pic, of you make kitty scared? Me, and my girlfriend love that. Is that your'e cat?


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> P.S. I gotta find out the story, behind the pic, of you make kitty scared? Me, and my girlfriend love that. Is that your'e cat?


 
No not my cat - I hate cats 
I got that picture in an email years ago. I was laughing my head off when I saw it so put it as my Avatar on AS


----------



## tdi-rick

Terry Syd said:


> You should have seen some of the humungous dams that were holding water for the cotton fields outside of Bourke. If anyone in South Australia was wondering where the water in the Murray Darling system was, it wouldn't have taken a detective to figure it out.



Google Cubbie Station.

The name alone is enough to raise the hackles of any NSW irrigator. 
Their Qld. iirigation licence entitles them to 460,000 megalitres, equivalent to all NSW South Western irrigation entitlements.

[edit] older article on Cubbie and water. One of the few press articles I've read that addresses the evaporation issue of large, shallow dams. http://www.melaleucamedia.com/01_cms/details.asp?ID=257


----------



## Andyshine77

That wood looks crazy hard!! Nice looking splitter, however I could see the beam bending under load a bit, maybe 40T is a bit too much for the materials used.


----------



## 8433jeff

Anybody down there ever have the fixed wedge style, or do you have the same problem with the end bending or tearing?


----------



## Rudolf73

8433jeff said:


> Anybody down there ever have the fixed wedge style, or do you have the same problem with the end bending or tearing?


 
The majority of the imported splitters we get here have the wedge on the hydraulic cylinder so that it can also be used in a vertical position. Having a decent fixed wedge however would be stronger than the plate.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> The majority of the imported splitters we get here have the wedge on the hydraulic cylinder so that it can also be used in a vertical position. Having a decent fixed wedge however would be stronger than the plate.


 
I can't find the pics Matt had of the splitter but I think from memory it will stand up.

It wouldn't be hard to reinforce that plate. The only issue is it would end up a little longer for when you ran it in the stand up position. You could run it up on some blocks or alter the axle height or pivot point if it would allow.


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> I can't find the pics Matt had of the splitter but I think from memory it will stand up.
> 
> It wouldn't be hard to reinforce that plate. The only issue is it would end up a little longer for when you ran it in the stand up position. You could run it up on some blocks or alter the axle height or pivot point if it would allow.


 
Yeah, it seems to be a horizontal/vertical position splitter. I agree it definitely needs reinforcing underneath, but as you said it will effect the height in the stand up position. 

Maybe Matt should burn softer wood instead


----------



## gmax

It's a horizontal/vertical position splitter, here's the link

PETROL LOG SPLITTER - 40TON » Paramount Browns'


----------



## tdi-rick

8433jeff said:


> Anybody down there ever have the fixed wedge style, or do you have the same problem with the end bending or tearing?



As Rudy said, we tend to use vertical splitters as any decent sized timber is too damned heavy to lift into a cradle.

I've split some 36-40" White Box (e. albens) rounds and I could barley tip them on edge to roll to the splitter.

As Matt said somewhere yesterday, most of our Eucs sink instead of float, even when seasoned and bone dry.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Google Cubbie Station.
> 
> The name alone is enough to raise the hackles of any NSW irrigator.
> Their Qld. iirigation licence entitles them to 460,000 megalitres, equivalent to all NSW South Western irrigation entitlements.
> 
> [edit] older article on Cubbie and water. One of the few press articles I've read that addresses the evaporation issue of large, shallow dams. The rise and rise of Cubbie Station



Uh oh, you mentioned Cubbie Station. Wash your mouth out...

Good article though Rick and spot on. Absolutely no boundaries those guys. I've even had Victorian irrigators say that all water is wasted once it hits the South Australian border - sad part is they meant it too.



Andyshine77 said:


> That wood looks crazy hard!! Nice looking splitter, however I could see the beam bending under load a bit, maybe 40T is a bit too much for the materials used.



It is crazy hard mate but I'm sure my little Chinese friends never anticipated wood like this stuff...



Rudolf73 said:


> Maybe Matt should burn softer wood instead



Good idea Rudy. Now I just have to find some softer wood...





tdi-rick said:


> As Rudy said, we tend to use vertical splitters as any decent sized timber is too damned heavy to lift into a cradle.
> 
> I've split some 36-40" White Box (e. albens) rounds and I could barley tip them on edge to roll to the splitter.
> 
> As Matt said somewhere yesterday, most of our Eucs sink instead of float, even when seasoned and bone dry.



Yeah mate I found that I started in the vertical position but it was hurting my back constantly bending over. I found it easier to lift the odd 50-60kg lump onto it horizontally because at least you were then working at waist height.

I also found this in one of the wood pieces! A very old hand forged nail  I came extremely close (as you can see) to wrecking a chain. Only "just" missed it...


----------



## Terry Syd

Wow, how close can you come to an 'oh chit' moment.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


>



A bit close, but a miss is a miss :msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Wow, how close can you come to an 'oh chit' moment.



I only went "Oh Chit" yesterday when I was splitting this piece and saw it. I do remember seeing a grey streak of colour running through the log when I ws blocking it up and knew it must have had some metal in there somewhere. Didn't realise I'd gotten this close to it 



tdi-rick said:


> A bit close, but a miss is a miss :msp_biggrin:



True true. Certainly non calculated though.


----------



## Andyshine77

Looking at at the splitter a bit closer, it appears to be similar in design as the splitters Northern Tool sells. NorthStar Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitter  37-Ton, 270cc | Log Splitters | Northern Tool + Equipment


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Looking at at the splitter a bit closer, it appears to be similar in design as the splitters Northern Tool sells. NorthStar Horizontal/Vertical Log Splitter  37-Ton, 270cc | Log Splitters | Northern Tool + Equipment



That is certainly a similar looking design Andy but WAY better than what I have. Far more nifty features and a real Honda to boot


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I have had some real near misse's, as well. I remember a tree job me, and my partner had. Some of the rounds were about four foot plus. We ripped, and quartered a few. My buddy was cutting with his 660, brand new chain I might add. Made a noise I can't describe. Somehowe a 40d nail was in the round. Tree grew around it. It was all over for that one. But have made many cut's like your's, and missed alot of thing's purely by chance.


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> I have had some real near misse's, as well. I remember a tree job me, and my partner had. Some of the rounds were about four foot plus. We ripped, and quartered a few. My buddy was cutting with his 660, brand new chain I might add. Made a noise I can't describe. Somehowe a 40d nail was in the round. Tree grew around it. It was all over for that one. But have made many cut's like your's, and missed alot of thing's purely by chance.


 
Yeah I've been pretty lucky Norm. I've hit a few steel stakes that trees have grown around and wrecked a few .404" chains but apart from sand etc I haven't had too many issues.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good deal! Keep us posted!:msp_smile:


----------



## MCW

Just a quick update on what I've been up to or lack thereof 
Haven't done any more felling as I am waiting on what the corporate farm wants to do in regard to using a non caged excavator to push improperly cut trees over. I spoke to the main manager and the farm's project manager about some of the felling procedures an employee on this property that I mentioned is using and am yet to hear back. They are downright dangerous practices and comes back to the old saying that the only thing more dangerous than someone who doesn't know what they're doing is somebody who "THINKS" they know what they're doing.

One thing I have done though is enrolled for my felling ticket with a Forestry training group. I am going to do the following courses as they become available as they are done in groups of four trainees...

FPIHAR2202A Harvest trees manually (Basic) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.
FPIHAR3202A Harvest trees manually (Intermediate) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.
FPIHAR3212A Harvest trees manually (Advanced) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.

Some people may ask why as I have no intention of working in forestry but to me it is quite simply the experience at the hands of proper trainers. I was speaking to Andy Cusack who is the manager of the training organisation and he was an extremely interesting guy to talk to ( Staff Profiles « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc. ). He was also very keen to see guys that are interested yet not intending to work in forestry.
The basic course involves trees around 24", the intermediate course involves trees up to about 40", and the advanced course involves trees over that size. He was pretty quick to ask what experience I had and was very interested to hear what I've been up to. We were on the phone for quite a while. Unlike the large tree felling course I did in my area I will actually learn a lot from these instructors, unlike the local course I did where I knew far more than the instructor did.

You do need your basic chainsaw competency certificate which I already have and it isn't really cheap. All up the 3 x 3 day courses will exceed $3000 in fees alone (not including accomodation and meals etc as the courses are held anywhere from 3-5 hours away from where I live). The closest forestry to me where accreditation like this can be used is in the Adelaide Hills about 3 hours away. These are basically all softwood Pinus radiata plantations, mostly mechanised.
The basic course can be run in the Adelaide Hills (3 hours away) and the intermediate and advanced courses are run down around Mount Gambier in the south east of South Australia which is about 5 hours away.
I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll also be doing a fair bit of milling over the next few months so will get some photos of that too. All Redgum.

I stuck my foot in my mouth today as I was in at the chemist's and I heard him asking a fellow customer whether he knows anybody that does milling locally. I came over afterwards and said I have a mill and can do up to about 52" and asked what he intended to mill? He said he has a pile of old Box fence strainer posts at home and his wife wants them milled so he can make a table out of it for her...
I might as well have volunteered to mill some concrete posts as not only are these things as tough as steel, but also full of sand. I think I'll have to bail...


----------



## Stihlman441

Good one Matt thanks for the update, i would love to do those feling courses but the money is a bit out of my reach bugger.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Good one Matt thanks for the update, i would love to do those feling courses but the money is a bit out of my reach bugger.


 
It's out of my reach too mate but hey, you only live once  
Biggest issue I'll face is not so much the felling side of things but the theory as I am certainly not familiar with the processing side at all. It will be very interesting though.

Oh and I put a bloody Bronzewing Pigeon straight through a 3 week old $250 Hella HID spotlight on front of the work ute. Pretty pis*ed about that - those things are like bricks with wings...


----------



## Stihlman441

Talking about processing i have been lucky enough to do a deal on a HUGE suger gum platasoin that will take two of us years harvest.
A 261 is looking good for this,most of the trees are about 18'' and the odd one 25'' to 28''.
I notice you have larger felling spikes and a roller chain catcher on yours dont suppose you have the part numbers champ ?.


----------



## tdi-rick

I missed out on doing my RFS saw course a bit over a month back.

I wanted to do the cross cut and felling on the same weekend and they won't let me. (It never hurts to ask, though)
The training co-ordinator is trying to get me into another course somewhere else in the state.
At least it doesn't cost us for this (except time and travel) but i have to re-qualify every two years :bang:

The advanced fire line felling course is by invitation only, 3 or 4 instructors per pupil.

[edit]

and bail on that milling job, trust me, you don't want to be cutting those old crappy posts up....


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Talking about processing i have been lucky enough to do a deal on a HUGE suger gum platasoin that will take two of us years harvest.
> A 261 is looking good for this,most of the trees are about 18'' and the odd one 25'' to 28''.
> I notice you have larger felling spikes and a roller chain catcher on yours dont suppose you have the part numbers champ ?.



Good stuff on that plantation mate  Ideal firewood size. Hey as far as my 261 spikes go they are actually designed to fit the MS361. All you need to do is to drill out the 261's clutch cover (the casting indentations are already there) and get some longer bolts.



tdi-rick said:


> I missed out on doing my RFS saw course a bit over a month back.
> 
> I wanted to do the cross cut and felling on the same weekend and they won't let me. (It never hurts to ask, though)
> The training co-ordinator is trying to get me into another course somewhere else in the state.
> At least it doesn't cost us for this (except time and travel) but i have to re-qualify every two years :bang:
> 
> The advanced fire line felling course is by invitation only, 3 or 4 instructors per pupil.
> 
> [edit]
> 
> and bail on that milling job, trust me, you don't want to be cutting those old crappy posts up....



Sounds good Rick. When I asked about this course the guy tells me that he knows the Riverland quite well and said "I'm not sure where we'll find any larger trees to run the training on?". I told him that was never my intention and I don't mind travelling to the courses. He thought that was just dandy 
And yeah mentally I've already bailed on those posts...


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> It's out of my reach too mate but hey, you only live once
> Biggest issue I'll face is not so much the felling side of things but the theory as I am certainly not familiar with the processing side at all. It will be very interesting though.
> 
> Oh and I put a bloody Bronzewing Pigeon straight through a 3 week old $250 Hella HID spotlight on front of the work ute. Pretty pis*ed about that - those things are like bricks with wings...


 
I learned a few things from a b and c rated faller back in the early 90's(though I don't recall if they were actually rated as such back then since it was the Cal DOF). I still keep in touch with those guys. Anywho, I had to take a few courses when I landed in Ireland simply to be insurable. Without a CS-30 and CS-31 cert, very few companies can insure you. The course was 1 week, with a cost of E675 plus a cert fee of E300. ASAP, I will be in for the CS-32 and 33 courses as well as the blow down courses. Here is Kevin Birchall with Tree Care Ireland showing how to do a split level cut on a Scots Pine:

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g6VKQTGtohQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, getting a little OT, have you seen the JM 42" Tsumura/Stihl bar special this week ? 
Trav needs a new bar to replace that GB he just bent up 

My repairer mate here's just emailed me asking should he get one for his 075, I just told him to get the bar then he can get an 084/088/880


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Matt, getting a little OT, have you seen the JM 42" Tsumura/Stihl bar special this week ?
> Trav needs a new bar to replace that GB he just bent up
> 
> My repairer mate here's just emailed me asking should he get one for his 075, I just told him to get the bar then he can get an 084/088/880



Yeah Rick. I have 5 of them in stock that I bought during their last special about 9 months ago. They were even cheaper then 
Bloody nice bars. I've got a 44" hard nose GB Ti bar here that might tickle his fancy instead 
They're large Stihl mount though, not SN/660 mount (damn it, I'm like a nutter computer nerd that can only talk in code except that I can only talk in GB bar mounts)...


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> I learned a few things from a b and c rated faller back in the early 90's(though I don't recall if they were actually rated as such back then since it was the Cal DOF). I still keep in touch with those guys. Anywho, I had to take a few courses when I landed in Ireland simply to be insurable. Without a CS-30 and CS-31 cert, very few companies can insure you. The course was 1 week, with a cost of E675 plus a cert fee of E300. ASAP, I will be in for the CS-32 and 33 courses as well as the blow down courses. Here is Kevin Birchall with Tree Care Ireland showing how to do a split level cut on a Scots Pine:



Hmmm. I love the little bar  I am surprised though that he let the trainees stand directly behind the tree, despite it's small size.
Small trees are tricky though, not much room to work in. If you ever come across a tree that small Wes may I suggest just headbutting it over - leave the saw in the vehicle...


----------



## Stihlman441

MCW said:


> Yeah Rick. I have 5 of them in stock that I bought during their last special about 9 months ago. They were even cheaper then
> Bloody nice bars. I've got a 44" hard nose GB Ti bar here that might tickle his fancy instead
> They're large Stihl mount though, not SN/660 mount (damn it, I'm like a nutter computer nerd that can only talk in code except that I can only talk in GB bar mounts)...


 
Dont suppose ya got a GB Ti 50'' sprocket nose for large Stihl mount gust laying about ?.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good stuff, Matt just wanted to say hello to you, and the Aussie gang. I still enjoy the thread keep it going! That course look's cool. I like to check thing's out, and ask other opinion's even if it is something I know already. It is nice to see how other people do stuff. It's funny we get into alot of unique hazard, tree situation's. I work for county road's. I have been there ten year's. I have talked to guy's that have been there thirty, and never any saw course's, tree's stuff or anything. They recently brought the Dept. Of forestry in for a basic saw class. It was better than nothing for some of these guy's. Luckily the yard's have had a guy or two in each yard who come's from a saw background. When I moved to the yard I am in over a year ago, my boss put me in charge of saw maintenance, shop reapir need's, part's, and all of the tree work. At least the guy's I work with I have seen they are smart enough, to be scare'd, and get ahold of me to size it up. I have seen some real dice'y stuff, during the storm's out there. We get into alot of tree's that have alot of tension, and or almost alway's have phone line's under them. I have learne'd to read the pole's for tension. Seen a few guy's earlier in my career almost lose there head. Like you said Matt, the guy's who think they know are the worst! Talk later have a good one Fella's:msp_thumbup:


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Hmmm. I love the little bar  I am surprised though that he let the trainees stand directly behind the tree, despite it's small size.
> Small trees are tricky though, not much room to work in. If you ever come across a tree that small Wes may I suggest just headbutting it over - leave the saw in the vehicle...


 
Nah, what ya can't see is the fact all the canopies are intertwined. Here's an example of how unlikely that pine was to fall on one of us:

I did threaten to push a few over by hand. They are heavier than they look(but MUCH softer than they look - Scots pine is a worthless wood!):

YouTube - ‪Brian, The Tractor‬&rlm;

YouTube - ‪The Big Push‬&rlm;


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Dont suppose ya got a GB Ti 50'' sprocket nose for large Stihl mount gust laying about ?.



Nah sorry old son, outta luck.


----------



## stihl 440

MCW said:


> Just a quick update on what I've been up to or lack thereof
> Haven't done any more felling as I am waiting on what the corporate farm wants to do in regard to using a non caged excavator to push improperly cut trees over. I spoke to the main manager and the farm's project manager about some of the felling procedures an employee on this property that I mentioned is using and am yet to hear back. They are downright dangerous practices and comes back to the old saying that the only thing more dangerous than someone who doesn't know what they're doing is somebody who "THINKS" they know what they're doing.
> 
> One thing I have done though is enrolled for my felling ticket with a Forestry training group. I am going to do the following courses as they become available as they are done in groups of four trainees...
> 
> FPIHAR2202A Harvest trees manually (Basic) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.
> FPIHAR3202A Harvest trees manually (Intermediate) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.
> FPIHAR3212A Harvest trees manually (Advanced) « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc.
> 
> Some people may ask why as I have no intention of working in forestry but to me it is quite simply the experience at the hands of proper trainers. I was speaking to Andy Cusack who is the manager of the training organisation and he was an extremely interesting guy to talk to ( Staff Profiles « Logging Investigation and Training Association Inc. ). He was also very keen to see guys that are interested yet not intending to work in forestry.
> The basic course involves trees around 24", the intermediate course involves trees up to about 40", and the advanced course involves trees over that size. He was pretty quick to ask what experience I had and was very interested to hear what I've been up to. We were on the phone for quite a while. Unlike the large tree felling course I did in my area I will actually learn a lot from these instructors, unlike the local course I did where I knew far more than the instructor did.
> 
> You do need your basic chainsaw competency certificate which I already have and it isn't really cheap. All up the 3 x 3 day courses will exceed $3000 in fees alone (not including accomodation and meals etc as the courses are held anywhere from 3-5 hours away from where I live). The closest forestry to me where accreditation like this can be used is in the Adelaide Hills about 3 hours away. These are basically all softwood Pinus radiata plantations, mostly mechanised.
> The basic course can be run in the Adelaide Hills (3 hours away) and the intermediate and advanced courses are run down around Mount Gambier in the south east of South Australia which is about 5 hours away.
> I'm really looking forward to it.
> 
> I'll also be doing a fair bit of milling over the next few months so will get some photos of that too. All Redgum.
> 
> I stuck my foot in my mouth today as I was in at the chemist's and I heard him asking a fellow customer whether he knows anybody that does milling locally. I came over afterwards and said I have a mill and can do up to about 52" and asked what he intended to mill? He said he has a pile of old Box fence strainer posts at home and his wife wants them milled so he can make a table out of it for her...
> I might as well have volunteered to mill some concrete posts as not only are these things as tough as steel, but also full of sand. I think I'll have to bail...


 
It may seem like an expensive price...but how expensive is life?....i dont believe you can buy it. I believe your a smart man to take the course...it may seem like a steep price but i bet you learn a tremendous amount while you are there and alot about safety. Some people dont have the luxury to be taught like i was...it may be free...but so are the A$$ chewins...it may have seemed pointless when they where yelling back then but now i know those guys where right....they where doing it to keep me safe. And it worked...and i prolly wouldnt have listened quite as well if they didnt make me know that they MEANT what they where talking about. The guys that taught me alot really took pride in how they taught someone and how they cut and taught someone the same things....they didnt want to go through all the work and teach someone how to cut and how to do it safely...and then see them get killed or hurt for any reason. Life is more important that ANY piece of wood hitting the landing...if its you are the tree comming out i want it to be you.


----------



## MCW

stihl 440 said:


> It may seem like an expensive price...but how expensive is life?....i dont believe you can buy it. I believe your a smart man to take the course...it may seem like a steep price but i bet you learn a tremendous amount while you are there and alot about safety. Some people dont have the luxury to be taught like i was...it may be free...but so are the A$$ chewins...it may have seemed pointless when they where yelling back then but now i know those guys where right....they where doing it to keep me safe. And it worked...and i prolly wouldnt have listened quite as well if they didnt make me know that they MEANT what they where talking about. The guys that taught me alot really took pride in how they taught someone and how they cut and taught someone the same things....they didnt want to go through all the work and teach someone how to cut and how to do it safely...and then see them get killed or hurt for any reason. Life is more important that ANY piece of wood hitting the landing...if its you are the tree comming out i want it to be you.



Thanks for the response mate.
To me it will be like a $3000 holiday except I'll come out of it wiser and won't be 20kg fatter 
I've done a reasonable amount of felling but in all honesty what I've done is relatively simple in comparison to what some of the forestry guys do. There are many more tricks of the trade I want to learn, regardless of whether I ever use them or not 
Another interesting thing is that a part of the business that will train me is involved in investigating felling accidents and deaths. These guys know their stuff.


----------



## stihl 440

MCW said:


> Thanks for the response mate.
> To me it will be like a $3000 holiday except I'll come out of it wiser and won't be 20kg fatter
> I've done a reasonable amount of felling but in all honesty what I've done is relatively simple in comparison to what some of the forestry guys do. There are many more tricks of the trade I want to learn, regardless of whether I ever use them or not
> Another interesting thing is that a part of the business that will train me is involved in investigating felling accidents and deaths. These guys know their stuff.


 
No problem...i believe you are 100% right on to want to learn new tricks even if you think you will never use them...but i bet you will...it seems like whatever you learn in the woods you will use again somewhere else on another tree...even though you thaught that you would never use it again...you eventually do.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good stuff, Matt. I hope for report, and full story of your'e class, Looking forward to it in your'e thread.


----------



## MCW

Just had to tell a funny story I heard today from a customer interstate. He bought a 365/372 muffler off me on eBay about a month ago and rang today wanting another one. He runs a tree crew in the ACT and has been cutting chemically killed Willow Trees away from a lake's edge with his 372XP. They run a few of these saws and apparently one muffler was due for a replacement then yesterday the muffler came loose on his other 372XP, fell off, landed on the running chain, and shot it about 5 metres out into the lake where it sank within seconds. I laughed my head off and luckily he thought it was funny too. Not sure how a muffler managed to get that loose considering those things have at least 4 bolts to come loose 

Oh and the basic forestry felling course is being run on the 9th and 10th of August so will keep this thread updated with the goings on. Other than cutting a few things with my 353 I haven't touched a saw in weeks  I have split about 15 tonne of wood though after finding bastard termites in my pile of logs - two different species as well  A solid soaking in Bifenthrin will stuff 'em...


----------



## tdi-rick

You go get those little white fella's Matt.

I know it isn't good for my karma but, hey, I'm only human.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> You go get those little white fella's Matt.
> 
> I know it isn't good for my karma but, hey, I'm only human.



I *AM* a white fella Rick... That little line makes you sound like a tribal elder standing on a hill overlooking the first fleet's arrival 

Oh I also got an abusive eBay message today because a kit I posted 3 business days ago hadn't made it from country South Australia to country Western Australia. I rang her and she seemed nice - in the background I could hear her husband egging her on to have a go at me cause APPARENTLY it only takes 4 days for him to get stuff from China.
Ah well, they're out there, lurking everywhere...


----------



## Terry Syd

Matt, I'm soooo glad I don't have to deal with the public anymore. I even get the willies when I have to go off the mountain and do some shopping in Port Macquarie. 

One of these days I'm going to have to return to Los Angeles for family business - I don't know if I can carry that much valium on an aircraft.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I *AM* a white fella Rick... That little line makes you sound like a tribal elder standing on a hill overlooking the first fleet's arrival


 
Oh yeah, he's white Rick! Enough evidence by the Text's I receive!


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Matt, I'm soooo glad I don't have to deal with the public anymore. I even get the willies when I have to go off the mountain and do some shopping in Port Macquarie.
> 
> One of these days I'm going to have to return to Los Angeles for family business - I don't know if I can carry that much valium on an aircraft.



I'm getting the same Terry. My mate who was in the SAS has basically turned into a hermit. He hates any major dealings with the real world at the moment and we've discussed at length how our abilities to handle BS is getting less and less as we get older - this is a common theme with basically all of my mates who are what most people would class as successful and well adjusted individuals. I used to turn and walk away but now I just want to lay out some of the idiots I have to deal with clean on their arses...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh yeah, he's white Rick! Enough evidence by the Text's I receive!



Waddat Al? Dats not clicket bruz...


----------



## Terry Syd

"He hates any major dealings with the real world" - that's the rub, it ain't the real world.

A 'Nam vet I know once said he wanted the capacity to shoot any SOB that got within 100 meters of his property. The last time I saw him he had extended that to 300 meters. I expect he is up to 600 meters by now.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> "He hates any major dealings with the real world" - that's the rub, it ain't the real world.
> 
> A 'Nam vet I know once said he wanted the capacity to shoot any SOB that got within 100 meters of his property. The last time I saw him he had extended that to 300 meters. I expect he is up to 600 meters by now.



Yeah mate, I agree on the "real world" comment. Unfortunately from what I've seen with 90% of the younger generation (under 25's) that I know they are nearly genetically and socially engineered to be sh*t eaters and think it's normal. Although off topic (oh hang on, it's my thread  ) I'd hate Australia to have another war like WWII in it's current state. 50% of young males would be too pi*s weak to fight, 5% would fight, and the other 45% would be fighting on our enemies' side or making them coffee and cups of tea...

So what you're saying is your mate had a .22, then went to a .223, and has now bought a .308?


----------



## Terry Syd

He was already up to .308 - it was the range markers he was nailing to the trees around his place that gave his game away.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Waddat Al? Dats not clicket bruz...


 
Aint me, was ma udda brudda from udda mudda...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Aint me, was ma udda brudda from udda mudda...



Ah dat udda brudda from anudda mudda??? Hang on, dats me???


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Ah dat udda brudda from anudda mudda??? Hang on, dats me???


 
Whoa......ma brudda! Same mudda?


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Whoa......ma brudda! Same mudda?



Nah bruz da udda mudda. Youse me cuzz but, mabs me bruz too bloke.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Nah bruz da udda mudda. Youse me cuzz but, mabs me bruz too bloke.


 
Oh.....arr....same fudda?


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh.....arr....same fudda?



Don't madda who our fudda is coz we all bruddaz bruz.


By the way, I bid on that awesome chainsaw that Shaun linked us to on eBay 

Hand Powered Chainsaw (eBay item 260819242359 end time 27-Jul-11 04:29:38 AEST) : Home Garden

I've gonna pimp it and muffler mod it. Might change the angles and hook on that chain too.


----------



## billyj

hahaha looks like that would be the perfect saw to give people when they ask to borrow your chainsaw


----------



## MCW

billyj said:


> hahaha looks like that would be the perfect saw to give people when they ask to borrow your chainsaw



I'm sure they'd still manage to straight gas it and sieze it up


----------



## MCW

For interest's sake I've attached the unit descriptions for the felling training I'm undertaking. A lot more there than I thought! (reminds me of uni  ) These are draught copies at this stage but gives an idea of what to expect. These draughts (if approved I presume) will each take the place of two current courses called "Fall Trees Manually" and "Harvest Trees Manually"...


----------



## wendell

About time you all start posting again. I was jonesing for my daily Aussie fix! :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> For interest's sake I've attached the unit descriptions for the felling training I'm undertaking. A lot more there than I thought! (reminds me of uni  ) These are draught copies at this stage but gives an idea of what to expect. These draughts (if approved I presume) will each take the place of two current courses called "Fall Trees Manually" and "Harvest Trees Manually"...


 
If you don't have to remove your clutch, I am gonna write Oz a strongly-worded letter!


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> About time you all start posting again. I was jonesing for my daily Aussie fix! :hmm3grin2orange:


 

Wendell, if you really need a fix of absolute shi...err, southern hemisphere chat, check out the 'All Aussie dribble thread'. It's a sticky above, and dribble is the right word


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> I *AM* a white fella Rick... That little line makes you sound like a tribal elder standing on a hill overlooking the first fleet's arrival
> 
> Oh I also got an abusive eBay message today because a kit I posted 3 business days ago hadn't made it from country South Australia to country Western Australia. I rang her and she seemed nice - in the background I could hear her husband egging her on to have a go at me cause APPARENTLY it only takes 4 days for him to get stuff from China.
> Ah well, they're out there, lurking everywhere...


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh yeah, he's white Rick! Enough evidence by the Text's I receive!


 


MCW said:


> Waddat Al? Dats not clicket bruz...


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Aint me, was ma udda brudda from udda mudda...


 


MCW said:


> Ah dat udda brudda from anudda mudda??? Hang on, dats me???


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Whoa......ma brudda! Same mudda?


 


MCW said:


> Nah bruz da udda mudda. Youse me cuzz but, mabs me bruz too bloke.


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh.....arr....same fudda?


 


MCW said:


> Don't madda who our fudda is coz we all bruddaz bruz.
> 
> 
> [snip]



I get the same texts Al, so is it about here where I get my mob to contact the mob down SA way to visit a little property near Loxton to see if it's true there's a sacred site there and viable for a land claim ? 
Even comes with firewood 


[edit] Of course i'd be something like 98% white fella, but that's beside the point, or seems to be for most anyway.


----------



## FATGUY

AUSSIE1 said:


> Whoa......ma brudda! Same mudda?


 


MCW said:


> Nah bruz da udda mudda. Youse me cuzz but, mabs me bruz too bloke.


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh.....arr....same fudda?


 


MCW said:


> Don't madda who our fudda is coz we all bruddaz bruz.
> 
> 
> By the way, I bid on that awesome chainsaw that Shaun linked us to on eBay
> 
> Hand Powered Chainsaw (eBay item 260819242359 end time 27-Jul-11 04:29:38 AEST) : Home Garden
> 
> I've gonna pimp it and muffler mod it. Might change the angles and hook on that chain too.


 
so I'm sitting her reading this aloud in my best pseudo-Australian accent, tryin' to figure out exactly what you guys just said


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> About time you all start posting again. I was jonesing for my daily Aussie fix! :hmm3grin2orange:



Yeah I've been slack 



tdi-rick said:


> I get the same texts Al, so is it about here where I get my mob to contact the mob down SA way to visit a little property near Loxton to see if it's true there's a sacred site there and viable for a land claim ?
> Even comes with firewood
> 
> 
> [edit] Of course i'd be something like 98% white fella, but that's beside the point, or seems to be for most anyway.



Sacred sites everywhere here Rick. I found a chicken bone in my neighbour's garbage so laying claim to his wheelie bin.



FATGUY said:


> so I'm sitting her reading this aloud in my best pseudo-Australian accent, tryin' to figure out exactly what you guys just said



We're not sure either Nik.


----------



## wendell

tdi-rick said:


> Wendell, if you really need a fix of absolute shi...err, southern hemisphere chat, check out the 'All Aussie dribble thread'. It's a sticky above, and dribble is the right word


 
I tried Rick but I quickly OD'd. I got through about 20 posts and still had no idea what the hell you were talking about. Kinda like my first time in the 5 Word Thread. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## wendell

Matter of fact, I tried again today with the same result. :help:


----------



## tdi-rick

FATGUY said:


> so I'm sitting her reading this aloud in my best pseudo-Australian accent, tryin' to figure out exactly what you guys just said


 


MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> 
> We're not sure either Nik.



Nik, you're using the wrong accent bro 

Al and Matt are talking pseudo indigenous English/Aussie


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> Matter of fact, I tried again today with the same result. :help:



Sorry mate, I'm not surprised but I really can't help either


----------



## FATGUY

tdi-rick said:


> Nik, you're using the wrong accent bro
> 
> Al and Matt are talking pseudo indigenous English/Aussie


 Well thank you for the clarification kind Sir.


----------



## David (saltas)

*This bloke used to work with us*

Listen to this for the correct accent



‪King Billy Coke Bottle Pet Mud Crab‬&rlm; - YouTube


----------



## 8433jeff

wendell said:


> I tried Rick but I quickly OD'd. I got through about 20 posts and still had no idea what the hell you were talking about. Kinda like my first time in the 5 Word Thread. :hmm3grin2orange:


 
You Aussies will have to pardon my mate Wendell, as he's used to a much more distinct North Pole accent. Now if you were all elves, he'd be hip to your slang.


----------



## FATGUY

saltas said:


> Listen to this for the correct accent
> 
> 
> 
> ‪King Billy Coke Bottle Pet Mud Crab‬&rlm; - YouTube


 
lol, that guy's hillarious! Excellent delivery!


----------



## Terry Syd

I liked the goat story - ‪King Billy Cokebottle (Goat)‬&rlm; - YouTube


----------



## AUSSIE1

Terry Syd said:


> I liked the goat story - ‪King Billy Cokebottle (Goat)‬&rlm; - YouTube



.....

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YGnPbKbuqfU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GGZ3kaAfQJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I alway's grew up thinking people from California spoke perfect english, and accen't were in other state's, and countri'es. That was before I moved to Cazadero, funny thing it is less than an hour from where I was raised untill age 13. LOL! Some oakie's Oaky to the bone:crazy1:


----------



## wendell

I was traveling this weekend so was unable to wish you all a Happy Picnic Day and Bank Holiday.

My apologies. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> I was traveling this weekend so was unable to wish you all a Happy Picnic Day and Bank Holiday.
> 
> My apologies. :hmm3grin2orange:



Which state mate ?
Picnic days, bank Holidays etc are usually state based award days


----------



## wendell

Oops, didn't know I had to be so specific. I was just trying to be friendly. :msp_confused:


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> Oops, didn't know I had to be so specific. I was just trying to be friendly. :msp_confused:



It just took me by surprise as no-one told me I could've downed tools for the day 

I thought I'd missed out, but unfortunately if I down tools on a Public Holiday I still don't get paid.
The joys of self employment


----------



## wendell

I certainly understand how that goes. I'd sure love a paid holiday!


----------



## NORMZILLA44

What's up Aussie brother's! Hello from the redwood country.


----------



## Rudolf73

NORMZILLA44 said:


> What's up Aussie brother's! Hello from the redwood country.


 
Just enjoying the nice warm winter weather, how are things in Cali ?


----------



## Stihlman441

Whats the go with owh weather one day its that windy it would blow a dog of his chain, then freeze ya ass off the next and then today 22 deg C swettin ya ring out cuttin wood.Supposed to rain the next three days,cant win.:msp_mad:


----------



## Rudolf73

Stihlman441 said:


> Whats the go with owh weather one day its that windy it would blow a dog of his chain, then freeze ya ass off the next and then today 22 deg C swettin ya ring out cuttin wood.Supposed to rain the next three days,cant win.:msp_mad:


 
Move up to Queensland Andrew, nice and warm


----------



## Stihlman441

Im thinking wont sell much wood in Queensland but.:msp_w00t:


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> I was traveling this weekend so was unable to wish you all a Happy Picnic Day and Bank Holiday.
> 
> My apologies. :hmm3grin2orange:



Well I must truly apologise Wendell, apparently Monday was indeed a Bank Holiday in New South Wales (NSW, my state) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

I was blissfully unaware as the blood su.... er, lending institutions have closed most rural branches here so i have to do my banking through a sub branch at the Post Office.
At least _they_ were open as most all rural branches are now privately run.

The Picnic Day was in the Northern Territory (NT) 

Cheers, from an amazingly warm for winter Upper, Upper Hunter Valley, where it topped out at 22*C here today. (6* above average)


----------



## tdi-rick

Stihlman441 said:


> Whats the go with owh weather one day its that windy it would blow a dog of his chain, then freeze ya ass off the next and then today 22 deg C swettin ya ring out cuttin wood.Supposed to rain the next three days,cant win.:msp_mad:



Was on the phone to Matt today and i think he said it was 28* there


----------



## MCW

Yeah I was wearing my undies today mate  Stupidly warm for this time of year - must be the dreaded global warming 
Spoke to Customs today and rang Rick as well (who seemed to know already the smart mongrel!) and despite talk of the import limit being dropped to $500 it is still quite solidly $1000. Dandy that 
I'll get a few photos up soon of some of the other felling jobs I've been doing - nothing exciting but keeps the thread ticking over I suppose. Felling course next week so will certainly update a few things then.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> Move up to Queensland Andrew, nice and warm


 
And in summer Rudy?


----------



## David (saltas)

it will be even more perfect in summer


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> And in summer Rudy?


 
Have a summer house in Tasmania, I hear they have some nice trees also 

But here where I am in Toowoomba its not so bad actually, in summer its gets to about 35C max and around 0C minimum in winter. Humidity isn't so bad either.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> Have a summer house in Tasmania, I hear they have some nice trees also
> 
> But here where I am in Toowoomba its not so bad actually, in summer its gets to about 35C max and around 0C minimum in winter. Humidity isn't so bad either.


 
35/0 yeah??? Get's hotter and cooler here..

Got an address at the Tassie house avail please mate?


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> Snip...
> 
> Got an address at the Tassie house avail please mate?


 
Haha if only I had one Al, I think a log cabin in Tassie would be real nice though.


----------



## tdi-rick

Up on the Downs is one place in Qld I could live.

I've been in Toowoomba when it was nearly snowing


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Have a summer house in Tasmania, I hear they have some nice trees also
> 
> But here where I am in Toowoomba its not so bad actually, in summer its gets to about 35C max and around 0C minimum in winter. Humidity isn't so bad either.



Yeah Tassie does certainly have some nice trees 

Have a few photos of the weekend's work. I was asked by the overall group manager to go to a different property this time which is a much younger orchard with only small Casuarina windbreaks. Basically the manager wanted a few areas felled to improve vehicle access between patches of the same citrus variety - this simply improves efficiency when picking and moving picking bins around. Easy job, under an hour and probably about 8 trees per spot in 4 areas. The 261 and Stihl RSC was used and on a few occasions I had the thing actually cutting through sand so I could stump them down low enough to not interfere with vehicle movement. Full chisel and dirt does not mix. By the time I'd finished with less than 1/4 tank of fuel the chain was shot. Quick grind when I got home and all was good...











One of the areas where I cleaned up the smaller trees. I also had to avoid dripline while cutting...






Later that day (Sunday) I headed back out to the other property about 50km away but only knocked over about 5 trees before I called it quits. The employee who got excited and dropped the remainder of the N/S rows has really made by job difficult. Due to a strong N/W wind that came in about 2 minutes after I arrived I had to head home as it was getting too dangerous and difficult. If he had have left a few bloody N/S trees left I could move around depending on the wind.
For example this quite large tree had 3" of wedge lift yet still refused to topple into the slight headwind and against a reasonable lean - to make it easier to drag these trees out they all have to be felled in a specific direction. I had to bore cut a bit of the hinge to finally get it to go over. I pulled the pin after this one as without a lie there would have been over 100 wedge strikes to topple it - with a good flu kicking in I was well and truly stuffed and even had the next day off work I was that stiff and sore. After this tree dropped I sat down and took about 10 minutes to recover. This is the first time ever that I've had to whip out 12" wedges, double stack them, yet still not get the tree over!














The worst bit was that when I was pulling the saw out of the bore cut I clipped both wedges with the chain and shot them both out the back of the cut - the tree just sat there into a slight headwind with a gaping backcut yet no wedges to hold it. To say I shat myself was an understatement as I was expecting a gust of wind to hit it head on any second and have it topple over backwards, shearing the hinge off completely in the process. Luckily it decided to fall the right way as I scrambled to get more wedges into the backcut...


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Yeah Tassie does certainly have some nice trees
> 
> Have a few photos of the weekend's work. I was asked by the overall group manager to go to a different property this time which is a much younger orchard with only small Casuarina windbreaks. Basically the manager wanted a few areas felled to improve vehicle access between patches of the same citrus variety - this simply improves efficiency when picking and moving picking bins around. Easy job, under an hour and probably about 8 trees per spot in 4 areas. The 261 and Stihl RSC was used and on a few occasions I had the thing actually cutting through sand so I could stump them down low enough to not interfere with vehicle movement. Full chisel and dirt does not mix. By the time I'd finished with less than 1/4 tank of fuel the chain was shot. Quick grind when I got home and all was good...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> One of the areas where I cleaned up the smaller trees. I also had to avoid dripline while cutting...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Later that day (Sunday) I headed back out to the other property about 50km away but only knocked over about 5 trees before I called it quits. The employee who got excited and dropped the remainder of the N/S rows has really made by job difficult. Due to a strong N/W wind that came in about 2 minutes after I arrived I had to head home as it was getting too dangerous and difficult. If he had have left a few bloody N/S trees left I could move around depending on the wind.
> For example this quite large tree had 3" of wedge lift yet still refused to topple into the slight headwind and against a reasonable lean - to make it easier to drag these trees out they all have to be felled in a specific direction. I had to bore cut a bit of the hinge to finally get it to go over. I pulled the pin after this one as without a lie there would have been over 100 wedge strikes to topple it - with a good flu kicking in I was well and truly stuffed and even had the next day off work I was that stiff and sore. After this tree dropped I sat down and took about 10 minutes to recover. This is the first time ever that I've had to whip out 12" wedges, double stack them, yet still not get the tree over!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The worst bit was that when I was pulling the saw out of the bore cut I clipped both wedges with the chain and shot them both out the back of the cut - the tree just sat there into a slight headwind with a gaping backcut yet no wedges to hold it. To say I shat myself was an understatement as I was expecting a gust of wind to hit it head on any second and have it topple over backwards, shearing the hinge off completely in the process. Luckily it decided to fall the right way as I scrambled to get more wedges into the backcut...


 
Your a determined man

Next you will be putting a scissor type porta power in the back cut


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice work there Matt looks like fun.
The joys of working alone,its nice to have a good mate with you at times like that to help out,its safer and ya can have a chuckle at the end if all goes well.:msp_rolleyes:
I have been cutting with a mate for awhile know and its good,we learn off each other and its good fun and there is allways a bit of shannaningons going on.
Today we were pulling bad back leaners away from one of those stone walls using the landcruser and a cable,its a team work thing.

Cheers champ


----------



## wendell

It may just be the angle of the picture Matt but it appears you have your top wedge stacked directly on top of the bottom one. Much better to angle them about 45 degrees offset from each other so they aren't as likely to shoot out.


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Your a determined man
> 
> Next you will be putting a scissor type porta power in the back cut



Am looking at adapting a 25 tonne barrel jack 



wendell said:


> It may just be the angle of the picture Matt but it appears you have your top wedge stacked directly on top of the bottom one. Much better to angle them about 45 degrees offset from each other so they aren't as likely to shoot out.



Hi mate. Yeah just the camera angle that makes them look directly on top of one another. Funnily enough no matter how hard I try it's actually very difficult to hammer wedges in and have them stay on top of one another. They always seem to shoot off on an angle regardless


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Am looking at adapting a 25 tonne barrel jack


 
Are you going to turn the back cut into a large notch to get the jack in their?


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Are you going to turn the back cut into a large notch to get the jack in their?



Yeah I was going to Tek Screw the top of the jack above the backcut then Tek Screw the bottom of the jack below the backcut and try that approach 

Heh heh. I'll just box out the back of the tree to fit it in.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Rudolf73, The weather couldn't be better. Fog in the am sun come's out, sunny and warm nice breeze. Fog in the evening. Awesome Love the thread Matt!


----------



## MCW

Back out cutting again today and made it to the property at about 8.30am. I also had the filthiest, crappiest cup of Macca's coffee I've ever had. I tuffed up though and drank it as I run on caffiene in the morning. Nice cool weather but once again a strong Northerly sprung up again and put a bit of a stop on the row I intended to fell. Instead I trimmed out the bottoms with the 200T and felled a few smaller ones along the way...











The little 200T is a weapon for stuff like this.
I also had my first ever barber chair. It was a slow affair and was simply caused by me swinging a heavy side leaner around with a very closed face cut. Idea was to shut the face and pop it off the stump. It had other ideas and the hinge had more integrity than I thought  Not a biggy and I was well out the way. It split with about as much force as a wet chopstick...










I then swapped to a larger run of trees where there was an open area to the south. There were a few sizeable trees in this lot and the Dolmar and 24" bar performed well as always. Have I mentioned I love the 7900's elsewhere in this thread? Yeah, I think I have...










I also must have held the 7900 a funny way when moving around as I had a molten lump of my chaps stuck on the muffler and a new hole in them dammit...


----------



## MCW

I had other plans for this tree and it was leaning heavily to the right whereas I wanted to send it left. I intended to knock it over against it's lean with a larger tree from the right but just managed to brush it. I was way off. I ended up cutting another scarf and sending it with it's lean.






I decided to head along a row next to some Avocados where for some reason heaps of suckers have shot up. The 200T was perfect once again. My aim was to send some of the smaller stuff down the middle of the Avocado rows and the neighbouring Persimmon rows. Smacked a few Avocados off and did some impromptu pruning of a Persimmon tree with a wayward Casuarina but otherwise all good. Some of these were ugly...


















I then had to do a runner back to the ute and pack some of the more susceptible gear inside the ute (boxes of chains, chaps etc) in a hurry as it started to absolutely pi*s down with rain.
Saws got a bit wet but they'll live. I'd just about had enough for the day anyway and did 6 1/2 hours...










And the road on the way home...






I'll be out there again tomorrow and have conned Tracy into coming out and taking a few videos.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> I also had the filthiest, crappiest cup of Macca's coffee I've ever had. I tuffed up though and drank it as I run on caffiene in the morning.
> [snip]


 
A little tip mate.
When at Macca's the only safe way to have a coffee is a Mocha, unless you know the 'barista' (and I use that term loosely) most haven't even done the in store coffee training and the rest don't take it in or care.

I only trust one barista at any macca's in Oz (she is a real barista and made me a damned good latté on Thursday night) and FWIW I don't trust their beans anyway.

Coffee snob ? moi ?


----------



## Rudolf73

I think Macca's has a new policy where they give you a free one if the last coffee was bad. And they reckon their so called baristas are being retrained also. Hopefully its better than the first lot of 'training'.


----------



## gmax

I got tired of paying for crap coffee :msp_smile:






Good equipment and fresh beans if you want decent coffee


----------



## tdi-rick

Rudolf73 said:


> I think Macca's has a new policy where they give you a free one if the last coffee was bad. *And they reckon their so called baristas are being retrained also*. Hopefully its better than the first lot of 'training'.



I should move this to the dribble thread, but that statement is disingenuous at best, a triumph of marketing over substance.

Lets just say that I 'know' the above mentioned barista 'very well' (yes, in the biblical sense) and no extra training has happened since the current ad campaign started for anyone that they are aware of. 

The roast has changed recently too, the beans are oily and don't smell 'right'. Oily beans aren't good.

FWIW the best coffee we've both had recently, and a good chance for the best ever was at a hip little café in Byron called 'Bay Leaf' 
They roast their own beans across the road from the café and the macchiato I had was probably the nicest coffee I've ever sipped.
I coffee'd and ate there for four days straight. I could wax lyrical, I truly was in raptures. :biggrin:

OK, I'm a nut, but I take my coffee seriously...


----------



## tdi-rick

gmax said:


> I got tired of paying for crap coffee :msp_smile:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good equipment and fresh beans if you want decent coffee



OK, best take this to the dribble thread but what grinder do you have and what's that machine ?


----------



## gmax

The coffee machine is a "Vibiemme Domobar Junior" and the grinder is a "Anfim (ECA) Best Chrome", both are Italian made.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> A little tip mate.
> When at Macca's the only safe way to have a coffee is a Mocha, unless you know the 'barista' (and I use that term loosely) most haven't even done the in store coffee training and the rest don't take it in or care.
> 
> I only trust one barista at any macca's in Oz (she is a real barista and made me a damned good latté on Thursday night) and FWIW I don't trust their beans anyway.
> 
> Coffee snob ? moi ?


 


Rudolf73 said:


> I think Macca's has a new policy where they give you a free one if the last coffee was bad. And they reckon their so called baristas are being retrained also. Hopefully its better than the first lot of 'training'.



Ain't no Baristas in the Drive Thru  They've had to have changed their beans though - prior to the last few months at least their drive thru coffee was palatable. It is now absolutely crap instead of mostly crap.

Oh and Wayne makes one of the meanest cappucinos I've ever had. Damn near worth the 3 hour drive


----------



## tdi-rick

Oh Matt, you're almost asking for it by buying a 'coffee' at the drive through.

You may as well buy a packet of No Doze at the Chemist if you only need a caffeine hit


----------



## AUSSIE1

gmax said:


> I got tired of paying for crap coffee :msp_smile:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good equipment and fresh beans if you want decent coffee


 
Oh Wayne that is beautiful......

Good thing we don't have a coffee machine thread as I'd only have a pic of my peculator to offer!


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Oh Wayne that is beautiful......
> 
> Good thing we don't have a coffee machine thread as I'd only have a pic of my peculator to offer!


 

Ditto Al, but I still love my little Italian stove top model.


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Ditto Al, but I still love my little Italian stove top model.


 
I recently bought a new stove top in stainless and even though it's not made in Italy, it's a damn fine percolator. I looked at some $100 plus jobs and I couldn't see them being worth that much extra against this $35 jobby.
:msp_thumbup:


----------



## wendell

I like coffee.

My french press just broke though and trying to decide what I'm going to do next. We were doing cold brew coffee for a while but it was too much hassle and although it has a lot less acid, it also loses some taste.

I have two friends with Moccamasters and although the coffee they make is amazing, I can't justify $300 for a coffee maker.

I am leaning toward one made in Japan. Looks like a good compromise.


----------



## parrisw

gmax said:


> I got tired of paying for crap coffee :msp_smile:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good equipment and fresh beans if you want decent coffee


 
Nice machine! I love coffee too. My uncle is right up there with it. He has a coffee site that is world known. Check it out. 

Welcome to Canada's original coffee website


----------



## parrisw

wendell said:


> I like coffee.
> 
> My french press just broke though and trying to decide what I'm going to do next. We were doing cold brew coffee for a while but it was too much hassle and although it has a lot less acid, it also loses some taste.
> 
> I have two friends with Moccamasters and although the coffee they make is amazing, I can't justify $300 for a coffee maker.
> 
> I am leaning toward one made in Japan. Looks like a good compromise.


 
If you want one of the best Drip Machines, get one of these. The Life and Times of the OCS-8 and OCS-12 Coffee brewers

They cost about $160 here, but most likely cheaper in the USA.


----------



## wendell

Thanks, Will. Looks like a good machine. The 12 cup is $190 on Amazon.


----------



## parrisw

wendell said:


> Thanks, Will. Looks like a good machine. The 12 cup is $190 on Amazon.


 
OOO, little more then I thought. Maybe check for local dealers.


----------



## gmax

parrisw said:


> Nice machine! I love coffee too. My uncle is right up there with it. He has a coffee site that is world known. Check it out.
> 
> Welcome to Canada's original coffee website


 
Thanks Will, I will


----------



## parrisw

gmax said:


> Thanks Will, I will


 
:msp_thumbsup:


----------



## David (saltas)

buy good coffee beans


grind them fresh







Then brew it 






Stainless Steel double walled like a thermos


If you don't like it you know who to blame and what to do about it.

SWMBO is getting better, not before time.


----------



## wendell

Hey Saltas, I have that same grinder.


----------



## Terry Syd

Hopefully my coffee plantation (all four bushes) will produce enough quality beans to keep me in coffee. There seems to be a bit of art in fermenting the beans and then roasting them. I'm probably going to have a few disgusting cups of coffee before I get it right.


----------



## David (saltas)

four I have only one aribica but it should be more vigorous up here


----------



## AUSSIE1

Dave, what's regarded as "good" beans?


----------



## David (saltas)

Coffea arabica......robusta are cheap and used to cut the price by blending.

Localy coffee dominion (local boutique roaster) are the source of the best beans.

I plan to use the dry prepossessing of the beans then remove the pulp roast etc.

Like terry said I think I will be drinking some ordinary stuff befor I put anyone outa bussiness.

Kopi Luwak is too vairable as you have no idea which trees the civets have been feeding and can be arabica, robusta, liberica, excelsa or other beans eaten by the civets

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the more expensive but consistent


----------



## Nardoo

Hey Saltas, we use a coffee pot like that every day. Here it is with a half cooked leg of (very) young sambar my dear wife is roasting this evening. When I finish this Guiness it will be ready to eat, mmm! Then coffee. I just love the weekend.






Al.


----------



## Terry Syd

My favourite coffee is Columbian. It is only lightly roasted, so there more 'coffee' taste. I don't care for the dark roasted blends. Another thing I found out while researching is that the darker the beans are roasted, the less caffine they contain.


----------



## gmax

Terry Syd said:


> Hopefully my coffee plantation (all four bushes) will produce enough quality beans to keep me in coffee. There seems to be a bit of art in fermenting the beans and then roasting them. I'm probably going to have a few disgusting cups of coffee before I get it right.


 
I thought about growing my own beans but it's to cold and windy over here, I might buy bulk green beans and have a go at roasting them, it's a fair bit cheaper buying green beans rather than roasted ones.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I like the light roast's as well. I love coffee, goe's hand in hand with everything I do. Some more nice cutting Matt.


----------



## gmax

Sorry Matt for taking your thread off track.. just having a coffee break :big_smile:


----------



## tdi-rick

Norm and Wendell, we take our espresso so seriously here Starbucks tried to muscle into the oz market but within a few years shut up shop and went home with their over-roasted, poorly extracted filth (is that too strong ? :msp_unsure
The little, already established independent cafés and roasters actually brought down one of the big boys with a better product. 

A PR release at their departure stated something like "we underestimated how sophisticated Australian coffee culture was..."


----------



## wyk

Matt wanders off for a couple of days and looks what happens.

Starbucks is for beatniks! That's why I get my coffee to go.  Not like there's a place to sit down if I wanted to - it's full of people using it as a home office...I'm sorry, I mean beatniks using it as a place to sit and sell drugs on craigslist.


----------



## tdi-rick

wyk said:


> Matt wanders off for a couple of days and looks what happens.
> 
> [snip]



Matt mentioned crap coffee, I just ran with it


----------



## gmax

tdi-rick said:


> Matt mentioned crap coffee, I just ran with it


 
Yep! it's a marathon now.. it serves him right for leaving his thread untenanted for so long :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Matt mentioned crap coffee, I just ran with it


 
Yeah........this is what you get for admitting to consuming a Maccachino!


----------



## David (saltas)

Poor matt

In his defence KFC, Hungry Jacks(burger king),etc all sell some thing like the floor sweepings from the international roach company and call it coffee, so I do have some sympathy for him trying to get a cuppa from Maccas.

However I seem to recall this is not the first time he has raised the maccas coffee issue, so pfhiiiit the tread was hijacked


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Oh Matt, you're almost asking for it by buying a 'coffee' at the drive through.



Some of us don't have all day to laze around with their favourite baristas Rick 



Terry Syd said:


> Hopefully my coffee plantation (all four bushes) will produce enough quality beans to keep me in coffee. There seems to be a bit of art in fermenting the beans and then roasting them. I'm probably going to have a few disgusting cups of coffee before I get it right.



Just buy a few of those little animals Terry that eat the beans and poop em out. By the way, don't send me any to try if you go down that path 



gmax said:


> Sorry Matt for taking your thread off track.. just having a coffee break :big_smile:



No worries Wayne. I dare not get nasty in case you never make me another cappucino 



wyk said:


> Matt wanders off for a couple of days and looks what happens.



I checked twice and thought that I'd somehow logged into "Beans 'r Us".



gmax said:


> Yep! it's a marathon now.. it serves him right for leaving his thread untenanted for so long :hmm3grin2orange:



If I didn't have this bloody "server too busy" crap pop up every time I bloody log on I'd have gotten here in time to talk chainsaws. Anyway...



AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah........this is what you get for admitting to consuming a Maccachino!



Rick's gay barista comment a while back should be harder to shake off Al


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Poor matt
> 
> In his defence KFC, Hungry Jacks(burger king),etc all sell some thing like the floor sweepings from the international roach company and call it coffee, so I do have some sympathy for him trying to get a cuppa from Maccas.
> 
> However I seem to recall this is not the first time he has raised the maccas coffee issue, so pfhiiiit the tread was hijacked



Yeah last time I mentioned that Macca's drive thru coffee was OK in this thread there was a riot  It's got a LOT LOT worse since then though. It used to be OK at our local Maccas. Now it is absolute filth.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Agreed. Even the gay barista comment a while back will be hard to shake off Al



True, true...I nearly dropped a reference about his "mate" earlier when the opportunity arose but didn't get around to it.


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah........this is what you get for admitting to consuming a Maccachino!


 
I think I need a Maccachino after all this coffee talk :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Yeah last time I mentioned that Macca's drive thru coffee was OK in this thread there was a riot  It's got a LOT LOT worse since then though. It used to be OK at our local Maccas. Now it is absolute filth.


 
See Matt was trolling his own thread, he knew there would at least be a riot


----------



## AUSSIE1

Hey Rudy, that Stihl scoot doesn't look too bad, but it would vibrate too much!


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> See Matt was trolling his own thread, he knew there would at least be a riot



What you on about? I don't live under a bridge?

Troll Dolls are awesome though...

Oh hang on a minute, some chainsaw stuff from today...

Decided to thread a tree between some Persimmons...







Sort of ended up where I wanted it. No Persimmons were harmed in the making of these photos...






However I did completely flatten one poor Persimmon tree today with a very large Casuarina with a side lean. I actually expected to hit it and the poor thing was smashed down to ground level 
Got some good video too but won't be able to get it up till the end of the week as I'm away and it's probably a day of uploading...


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> Hey Rudy, that Stihl scoot doesn't look too bad, but it would vibrate too much!


 
Nahh, I'm pretty sure it has spring AV mounts lol. But hopefully it won't be as bad as the old 'Milwaukee vibrators' aka Harley Davidsons...


----------



## wendell

and now, back to coffee.

When I lived in Idaho, a guy moved to town who had grown up on a coffee plantation in Africa and opened a coffee shop where he did all of his own roasting. His distaste for Starbuck's was strong! The Starbuck's taste that they have convinced Americans is good is from them burning their beans because they roast in such large batches.

So, I only make me own and speaking of which, my coffee is ready.


----------



## wyk

At least ya didn't hit the well. Too bad no persimmons were hurt. Those are messy things.


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> True, true...I nearly dropped a reference about his "mate" earlier when the opportunity arose but didn't get around to it.


 
WHAT!!! Matt likes a gay barista?


----------



## Hddnis

wendell said:


> and now, back to coffee.
> 
> When I lived in Idaho, a guy moved to town who had grown up on a coffee plantation in Africa and opened a coffee shop where he did all of his own roasting. His distaste for Starbuck's was strong! The Starbuck's taste that they have convinced Americans is good is from them burning their beans because they roast in such large batches.
> 
> So, I only make me own and speaking of which, my coffee is ready.





Where abouts in ID?


Some of the best coffee I ever savored has been from small shops in Idaho that roast their own beans. Nothing I've had in Seattle or Portland or San Fran comes close the full, rich flavors at those small shops in ID. 



Mr. HE


----------



## Terry Syd

Matt, missed your comments about the coffee pooping animals. In South America I think they are recovered from goat droppings. A mate of mine re-visited Viet Nam after 40 years and the Vietnamese had coffee beans that were 'dropped' by another animal. Anyway, he brought me back a small bag to try. 

I think it may have had a smoother taste, but I didn't have the 'un-pooped' beans to compare them to.

I think I will just ferment them for a couple of weeks in the shed.


----------



## wendell

Coeur d'Alene


----------



## Hddnis

wendell said:


> Coeur d'Alene


 


I've got to do more looking around in that part of the state. Beautiful up there, business just doesn't take me there often enough, so I guess I'll have to go on vacation or something.:msp_wink:



Mr. HE


----------



## parrisw

wendell said:


> Coeur d'Alene


 
Cool, we were there last year. I never went to any coffee shops though. 

We did a trip to Silverwood Theme park.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Doe's look like you are having fun with what you do Matt!


----------



## 8433jeff

saltas said:


> Coffea arabica......robusta are cheap and used to cut the price by blending.
> 
> Localy coffee dominion (local boutique roaster) are the source of the best beans.
> 
> I plan to use the dry prepossessing of the beans then remove the pulp roast etc.
> 
> Like terry said I think I will be drinking some ordinary stuff befor I put anyone outa bussiness.
> 
> Kopi Luwak is too vairable as you have no idea which trees the civets have been feeding and can be arabica, robusta, liberica, excelsa or other beans eaten by the civets
> 
> Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is one of the more expensive but consistent



I like cats.

I don't like coffee.

I think I would hate cat ###t coffee.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Some of us don't have all day to laze around with their favourite baristas Rick



I don't, I just sleep with her 





> Rick's gay barista comment a while back should be harder to shake off Al


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> True, true...I nearly dropped a reference about his "mate" earlier when the opportunity arose but didn't get around to it.



Haven't seen him for a while, but he does make a mean brew.


----------



## tdi-rick

wyk said:


> At least ya didn't hit the well. Too bad no persimmons were hurt. Those are messy things.


 
I don't care too much for the commercial versions but love the old, sloppy astringent varieties.


----------



## Bermie

Those casuarinas sure are paying the bills! How long has that job been going now?

As for coffee, I can't get over that even a cup of bog standard flat white is like $3.20 in Oz...even gas station coffee in BDA is only $1.50!

So far in Tassie, the best cup of coffee on the road is at a truck stop halfway between Ross and Launceston at Epping Forest...I like it strong, not flimsy coffe coloured hot water. They also do an awesome egg, bacon and cheese on a roll!

The 260 is going great guns...thanks again Matt!


----------



## wendell

parrisw said:


> Cool, we were there last year. I never went to any coffee shops though.
> 
> We did a trip to Silverwood Theme park.


 



Hddnis said:


> I've got to do more looking around in that part of the state. Beautiful up there, business just doesn't take me there often enough, so I guess I'll have to go on vacation or something.:msp_wink:
> 
> 
> 
> Mr. HE


 
It is very beautiful and I do miss it. Was hoping to make it out there this year to see our friends out there but it didn't work out.


----------



## mesquite dog

Well, I have been reading this thread as time allows for a couple of days now and have but one thing to say....MCW, you totally rock!!!  This is without a doubt the most interesting and entertaining thread on this and probably any other site around. I tip my hard-hat to you sir, keep up the good work and be safe! :msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> At least ya didn't hit the well. Too bad no persimmons were hurt. Those are messy things.



Yeah they are already a bit of a "has been" variety. Not much money in them now. They are also quite variable depending on season and fertiliser inputs. One minute they taste nice with soft edible skin and the next season it's like biting into a rhino's arse. Well I think that's what it would be like 



parrisw said:


> WHAT!!! Matt likes a gay barista?



I'm not lucky enough to even know a barista Rick  I don't live in the land of café.



Terry Syd said:


> Matt, missed your comments about the coffee pooping animals. In South America I think they are recovered from goat droppings. A mate of mine re-visited Viet Nam after 40 years and the Vietnamese had coffee beans that were 'dropped' by another animal. Anyway, he brought me back a small bag to try.
> 
> I think it may have had a smoother taste, but I didn't have the 'un-pooped' beans to compare them to.
> 
> I think I will just ferment them for a couple of weeks in the shed.



For hygiene's sake Terry you could always just eat the beans yourself. At least you know what the hell you've been eating 



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Doe's look like you are having fun with what you do Matt!



Thanks Norm. It will be a sad day when it's all done and that won't be far away.



tdi-rick said:


> I don't care too much for the commercial versions but love the old, sloppy astringent varieties.



Not many left Rick apart from backyards. Good for jam etc from memory.



Bermie said:


> Those casuarinas sure are paying the bills! How long has that job been going now?
> 
> As for coffee, I can't get over that even a cup of bog standard flat white is like $3.20 in Oz...even gas station coffee in BDA is only $1.50!
> 
> So far in Tassie, the best cup of coffee on the road is at a truck stop halfway between Ross and Launceston at Epping Forest...I like it strong, not flimsy coffe coloured hot water. They also do an awesome egg, bacon and cheese on a roll!
> 
> The 260 is going great guns...thanks again Matt!



Hi Fiona.
Great to hear the 260 is paying for itself. Hope you've been busy down there and managed to find heaps of tree work. Elizabeth Town Café between Devonport and Launceston has the best coffee I've tried in Tassie. Banjo's bakery chain also pretty good.
The job has been going now for basically 2 years I think. Still loving it and yeah the money is handy and has certainly helped fund my CAD disorder 



mesquite dog said:


> Well, I have been reading this thread as time allows for a couple of days now and have but one thing to say....MCW, you totally rock!!!  This is without a doubt the most interesting and entertaining thread on this and probably any other site around. I tip my hard-hat to you sir, keep up the good work and be safe! :msp_thumbup:



Hi mate.
Glad you're enjoying the thread. I've enjoyed adding bits and pieces as I've gone along as much as you guys have enjoyed reading it. Without feedback like yours I'd have stopped adding stuff ages ago


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> WHAT!!! Matt likes a gay barista?


 
Sorry Will I missed this. No twas TDI-Ricky!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Sorry Will I missed this. No twas TDI-Ricky!



Phew, thanks Al...
Also those new 372 BB kits are on their way! Keep your eyes open Will


----------



## MCW

Hi peoples.
Just a bit of interesting information from this forestry course I did over the last couple of days. I've outlined a few interesting points from the course below...

Firstly I was unaware that all forestry saws and SES/CFA/CFS saws used in forests (emergency services) in Australia are meant to be legally heat tested and accredited. Any point on the saw that exceeds 340°C is against regulations and cannot be used - large fines apply. If used and the operator starts a bushfire they are unlikely to be covered by any insurance.

The new Stihl 441 M-Tronic saws that the training organisation were sent for testing by Stihl were returned as they did not meet the standards and were too hot, indicating lean running and cannot be retuned without Stihl tech help by all accounts. Although it sounds simple I wonder whether these saws will comply with EPA regs if richened up to cool them down?

Husqvarna saws also have a habit of cracking this maximum temperature however this is due to them being set too lean (in Australia) from the factory. The 3120's with a fixed H jet are the worst offenders apparently as they cannot be richened up (easily) to run cooler.

It is very rare for a factory supplied and tuned Stihl to crack the magic 340°C, apart from the 441 M Tronic.

In forestry any changes made to chains OUTSIDE of factory specs are not on in Australia and are against regulations. My 7900 bucked a bit during a bore cut and the instructor was straight onto it. He knew the rakers were too low immediately and I was not allowed to use my saw with that particular chain again (RSC with rakers about .035") - I had to buy a new chain that afternoon (he has a race 084 with tuned pipe - nice guy and knew his stuff when it came to chains and all other saw related things!). The only .050" 3/8" chain I could buy from a local dealer that afternoon (to satisfy their factory spec chain requirements) was Oregon 72DP semi chisel with the bumper links - similar deal as the LPX Sawtroll raves about here on AS. I stand corrected regarding the Oregon chains like these and it cut EXTREMELY well and very smooth (sorry Sawtroll but it's STILL low kickback chain  - apologies and it impressed me a LOT). The "ramps" are quite low so actually would not interfere with shorter cutters and lower raker height after extended chain use and sharpening. Even the instructors were impressed that it was semi chisel and extremely impressed with how well it cut on my modded 7900 with 8 pin and 17" bar. It bore cut beautifully.

He also picked up on my downward facing 3rd exhaust port on the 7900 and said that would be banned in forestry as well due to a fire risk. He's correct and I have lit up bark before on longer sustained cuts - I'll order a new muffler and run two larger exhaust ports as this 3 port idea has bugged me for a while now. He loved the 7900 though and was very impressed as were the rest of the trainees. The saws they supplied were a 441 and 362 - both unimpressive saws as far as I was concerned and I used both. The 362 was a hard starter, even when warm. He said that if Dolmar built a decent 90+cc saw they would have been more popular in Australian Forestry.

There is also a 3 year limit from date of manufacture on helmets - mine was 2 months out of date so I couldn't wear it and that evening bought a new Husky helmet (and the DP chain) which is very nice - my fat head didn't like the supplied Stihl helmets and I ended up with a headache at the end of the first day due to two small lumps on the straps digging into the back of my head. The Husky muffs are also a lot better and the Husky helmet was $60 cheaper than the Stihl!

Every single piece of equipment these guys have is Stihl for one simple reason. They are given it all for free! They used to use a few Huskys and Stihls and were running Oregon bars and chain. Stihl Australia came along and told them that if they used Stihl everywhere they would be supplied it all for nothing. It was like one big Stihl advertisement but as the instructor said it saves their training organisation 10's of 1000's of dollars a year. Smart move on Stihl's part and when the other trainees are calling full chisel chain "Super Chisel" and semi chisel "Micro Chisel" you can see how well Stihl's advertising works.

You must wear high vis clothing!

You must put out "Tree Felling In Progress" signs.

We only dropped self sown Pines in a swamp area neighbouring Radiata pine plantation woodlots (mechanically harvested). No biggies here and only up to maybe 24" max. All cuts on single stemmed trees were as low as possible. Being used to hardwoods I was absolutely amazed how the hingewood on these trees hung on all the way to the ground and had to be trimmed off in 90% of cases. Probably the saddest bit of news I heard was that only 16 manual fallers remain in the area. I think they used to have 400 in the late 80's until harvesters came along.

A few piccys...











Over she goes...










Stuart Rayson the instructor (30 years felling experience in hardwoods and softwoods + saw racing!) giving us some crosscutting tips...


----------



## MCW

A Stihl 066 sectioned up as a training aid back at LITA's office. One of the newer instructors ran an 066 for years in hardwood plantations, still owns it, and has already weighed up what parts are useable 














A loop of new Stihl RSC with a cutter on backwards. This is the second time Stuart has seen this recently. Apparently John (the other instructor) was borecutting and having all sorts of trouble. Then this was discovered upon closer inspection...






Stuart is a big fan of Carlton chain, used to use LM when he was racing, and was extremely pis*ed off when I told him that Carlton had discontinued making skip chain.

A boxed out pine and a sawn off branch used to turn a log over - interesting but in this case didn't work as the small flexible branch snapped. A bigger branch we used also snapped with 4 of us heaving on it.







And a new gadget from Stihl which I believe hasn't seen the Australian market yet. The one sent for testing was in .325" but it files the cutters and does the depth guages all in one pass. Interesting unit - one of the trainees had a little Husky 345 with only half sharpened .325" chain and we tried it on that. Worked a treat and the little Husky impressed everybody!
The "flat" file for the depth guages isn't actually flat as you'd expect. It has a square profile. Not sure of price but I bet it will be expensive.


----------



## young

*@MCW*

so were you there to help teach the class?


----------



## MCW

young said:


> *@MCW*
> 
> so were you there to help teach the class?



No I was there as a student. Although I have reasonable experience in a specific tree type I took on a feller's course to gain more experience, a broader range of cuts in different tree species, and proper training. This course was just the basic one - I am doing the intermediate course at the end of September, then I want to do the advanced course. Funnily enough basically 90% of the trees I have felled in this thread qualify as advanced and a number of them would be classed as actually too dangerous to fell in a forestry situation.
I asked the trainer about the advanced course and they rarely run them anymore as they cannot find large enough, non protected tree species. I emailed LITA tonight and sent some photos of the Casuarinas in this thread as I may end up doing one on one training on this actual property to gain my advanced certification.


----------



## porky616

no more carlton skip hell id better get a roll or two on hand


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Those new 372 BB kits are on their way! Keep your eyes open Will


 
Good stuff mate. I'll do one and get it back to you.


----------



## Rudolf73

Very interesting Matt as always :msp_thumbup: I'm hoping to do one of those courses someday also - always up for learning news way of doing things especially if it involves chainsaws  

How did you find the 441 compared to your 7900?


----------



## Stihlman441

Good stuff there Matt,looks like you are having fun,keep it coming.

With those Stihl combo cutter raker files a mate has one and they do work well i think he payed $70 for it but i dont think the 7/32 files will fit being bigger than the smaller Stihl 13/64 files are loose in the frame so they rotated for even wear.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> How did you find the 441 compared to your 7900?



opcorn:


----------



## 8433jeff

Good stuff, Matt, thank you for sharing.


Please, when time permits, more if you have any.


----------



## Andyshine77

Good deal Matt. I've wanted to take a class like for a few years now, I have a lot to learn when it comes to felling.

Not surprised the 362 was unimpressive, without retuning them they're way too lean out of the box, much like your 261.


----------



## wendell

So, Al, I've been wondering...

Why did Cam Donald get banished from your sig?

And why no love for Cadel Evans?


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> So, Al, I've been wondering...
> 
> Why did Cam Donald get banished from your sig?
> 
> And why no love for Cadel Evans?


 
Cam came second! :msp_thumbdn:...................not really........a bluddy great effort around that street circuit. :msp_thumbsup: I took it down because the race had run.

Cadel? Bluddy champion but no motor in his cycle...............he shaves his legs and wears tight lycra!


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I alway's look forward to this thread, Matt, and my Aussie brother's!


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> [snip]
> 
> Cadel? Bluddy champion but no motor in his cycle...............he shaves his legs and wears tight lycra!



One huge motor in his chest though


----------



## David (saltas)

tdi-rick said:


> One huge motor in his chest though


 
bet you ride your mountain bike downhill too


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Very interesting Matt as always :msp_thumbup: I'm hoping to do one of those courses someday also - always up for learning news way of doing things especially if it involves chainsaws
> 
> How did you find the 441 compared to your 7900?



Yeah the courses are very interesting Rudy and good for that little bit of extra knowledge. The basic course is generally quite lame on many techniques however due to the combined experience of all 4 trainees we delved a fair way into some of the intermediate course's techniques.

Power wise I thought the 441 was a bit of a slug and pretty bulky for a 70cc saw. Using both, even without my experience and fondness of the 7900, I'd take the 7900 anyday. Unless you're a Stihl fan, then of course you'd take the 441 and call the 7900 a piece of crap  I found it an uninspiring saw considering one of the other trainees had a stock 044 that was whooping it's butt. In the hand I'd take the 362 anyday over the 441 despite my lack of fondness for the 60cc class.

The instructors however are very fond of the 441 and mentioned that they have seen them routinely outcut the 460's just by torque alone. They said that many loggers prefer them over the 460's due to a wider, more useable torque band. I'd still take a 440 or 460 anyday 



8433jeff said:


> Good stuff, Matt, thank you for sharing.
> 
> 
> Please, when time permits, more if you have any.



No worries 



Andyshine77 said:


> Good deal Matt. I've wanted to take a class like for a few years now, I have a lot to learn when it comes to felling.
> 
> Not surprised the 362 was unimpressive, without retuning them they're way too lean out of the box, much like your 261.



Yeah Andy the lack of performance does seem to be a common thing with the stratos until they are retuned.


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Yeah Andy the lack of performance does seem to be a common thing with the stratos until they are *ported*.


 
Fixed.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Fixed.


 

Bahahahaha...


----------



## tdi-rick

saltas said:


> bet you ride your mountain bike downhill too



As fast as I'm game but I'm no Downhiller


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I have a older 044, and a newer 372. The 441 has not impresse'd me that much my 044 has more torque, and snap and way more nimble, and balance'd. I agree the 441 may vibrate slightly less, but my 044 never vibrate'd much anyway LOL! If they didn't come back out with the 440, and I was shopping for a 70cc saw new. It would be the 372 hand's down over the 441. The 460 is very popular here most guy's in my area pick that over all in the 70plus class. I would love to try a 7900 alway's heard the dolmar's were great runner's. I wonder why they never really took off around here. For year's it was almost dominate'd by Stihl, but husky was around too. Now I think pretty even sale's wise. All the course's sound great, and sound's like you are enjoying youre'self Matt! Good deal


----------



## MCW

Back again guys. Spent about another 13 hours on both Saturday and Sunday out felling again. Saturday morning was a shocker and I simply couldn't line up my cuts no matter how hard I tried. For some reason about midday I managed to get my act together. Funny thing was that my backcuts were parallel but my face cuts were off angle. I must have had my tongue on the wrong side or something.
I'll show a few piccys of some of my "new" cuts after the course and I made it my plan to not use any bar over 20" on the weekend to hone my skills. I can tell you this now, I'm not as good as I thought I was! When you're running bars at only half the tree width (or less) I found I actually had to really think about alignment - you'll see in some of the following photos that although angles are "OK", they are far from perfect.

The following cut can be used for trees where the diameter is over twice bar length. Quite simply you cut the face, then bore in from the front at backcut height. You then do your backcut as per normal. Very handy in some circumstances although I'd be more inclined to just pull out a larger bar - that defeats the purpose though!











The next cut is one I have found extremely handy and useful. Basically cut your face (not literally) then do half the backcut. Hammer a wedge in this half then cut the other half of your backcut "just" above the wedge. Then hammer another wedge in this cut. This then gives you the ability to get double the wedge lift without double stacking. These types of cuts are the ones where you need to have a nicely setup chain. I have been getting too aggressive with my everyday work chains and found that these boring type cuts get a bit too kicky and nasty (READ: DANGEROUS!) with my current chain setup. I spent about 4 hours Sunday evening grinding back a lot of my chain's cutters to match their raker height. My days of running super aggressive chains while felling are over.






















The thin piece of wood left between the wedges is sheared off easily.

Also it pays to keep an even loading on the saw. As I've spun the saw around here doing the backcut you can see how I've gotten lower as the cut has progressed.


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one Matt
I like that double wedge trick,is the bottom one the last cut ?.

If your not going to use those super aggressive chains anymore you may as well go back to stock saws.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

I also gave the little 353 a good run on Saturday with an 18" bar and .325"semi chisel. I am really liking the .325" in clean wood, particularly for limbing etc. I even used the little saw for felling some pretty large trees. Slowly does it but it certainly does it easy. This is a great little saw and hasn't missed a beat - not once. A wise man once told me "don't sell that saw, I love mine". I can't remember who he was but he has a beard (Hi Andy!). I'm glad I listened to whoever this wise man was as this saw is awesome and could honestly be the death of my 261. In fact I am seriously contemplating a 346XP as my 261's replacement in the future.






I even tried my hand at some tree jacking with a 20 tonne squat bottle jack I bought for $99. I jacked some pretty large heavy leaners over against their lean. Wedging would have been tiresome and very difficult with trees of this size and weight distribution. The jack did it easy. I ended up using it 4 times on the weekend. I boxed this tree out and felled it with the 353 










I also jacked this heavy bifurcated tree over and it dead centred the neighbouring stump and split clean down the middle. A family of rats fell out!














I think they were in shock as there was two adults and 4 younger ones. It took them a while to get their bearings and run off...


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one Matt
> I like that double wedge trick,is the bottom one the last cut ?.
> 
> If your not going to use those super aggressive chains anymore you may as well go back to stock saws.:msp_biggrin:



Well actually mate that's a funny one. The manual we were given doesn't have this cut in it but it does have a similar type cut in it stating that your bottom cut (the release cut) is the last cut. In this case the top cut is the last cut in my photos and it's important not to cut OVER the wedge or you run the risk of jamming your bar.

As far as my chains go you'll notice in a lot of my videos that as this thread has progressed my saws have been bogging and stalling more and more. I've basically gotten my chains that aggressive that they are starting to cause issues and have lost their speed unless just plain old crosscutting or limbing. I thought about it after this forestry course and can't remember the last time I used a File-O-Plate! From now on most of my chains will be set up properly as even my modded 390's have struggled to pull some of my later "work" chains efficiently. In an outright firewood race they'd do fine but in felling they are causing me a few issues. In fact I hereby declare I am starting up my own "RAKERS ANONYMOUS" help group. I may be the only one there however...


----------



## AUSSIE1

Yeah the double wedge is a beauty.

A 346 would be handy around the yard here also for the twice a year pruning.

The jack is a great idea. I've thought of this method when there is the potential of a widow maker when hammering wedges into a dead very limby stringy/pep.


----------



## MCW

You can see in these images where I didn't line up my facecut properly. At the time I though I had but the cuts were full of woodchips (always clean your facecut out and inspect properly!). You do not want to see this as the second this small cut closes, unlike a proper facecut, you risk snapping all the hingewood and losing control of the tree. This is why all cuts should meet perfectly (in most cases).










I also had a hangup which was due to this tree (one part of a bifurcated trunk) falling too slowly and not building up enough momentum to break through the neighbouring tree. This took a good 30 minutes to get down and in the end all was good. By the way if this had happened in forestry you would not be meant to touch it and it would have to be removed mechanically! This forestry course opened my eyes a lot in the world of forestry rules and regulations. I ended up scarfing the main stump to over 50% of it's diameter then doing a backcut with the 390XPG and 32" bar - cuts over 50% aren't recommended but in this situation meant I didn't have to stand behind the stump hitting wedges in to make it go over. The further away the better...






A couple of other piccys...






I love you 7900 






And some Avocados I knocked off last weekend when I brushed a neighbouring tree with a small Casuarina limb. The foxes had been eating them!


----------



## MCW

All I have left is the southern boundary now on this property. Although many of these trees are still quite large they will be some of the toughest to drop safely and where I want them. This run has some tricky ones - the tree in the image is just over 100' tall (measured courtesy of my Leica LRF800 laser rangefinder) and a double leader (bifurcated). Both trunks are large and just too low and too wide to drop in one piece. I sized it up and I think I'll be able to drop both halves where I want them...



















Also had some pretty thick fog heading out on Sunday morning. We don't see much fog here...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah the double wedge is a beauty.
> 
> A 346 would be handy around the yard here also for the twice a year pruning.
> 
> The jack is a great idea. I've thought of this method when there is the potential of a widow maker when hammering wedges into a dead very limby stringy/pep.



Yeah the jack worked great mate. Just have to weld a larger plate to the top and I'm all set


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Yeah the jack worked great mate. Just have to weld a larger plate to the top and I'm all set


 
A bit of plate with 13mm of pipe welded to it to fit over the top. Then you can keep it as a std jack. Another piece that you have to carry I spose.


----------



## MCW

I also had to tackle probably the ugliest tree I'd seen on the property. It was a triple leader with all main limbs intertwined. I had to cut out the side of one branch so that the neighbouring branch could be dropped safely. I left this to start with as it was too windy but came back later. I wrote "leave" on it in case the farmhand came along with his Stihl Farmboss and decided to play "I'm Alogger" again...










Cut out one part of the trunk and scarf it...










Wedge it...






And bingo. One part out of three taken care of...


----------



## MCW

Now to scarf the other third to send it with it's natural lean. I needed this to shear off the hingewood quickly and roll off the neighbouring trunk. I cut a shallow face but the 7900 managed to cut clean through the hinge so it rolled off nicely. This tree wasn't so much dangerous as tricky - like a puzzle!










No hinge left here thanks to the 7900 and some nice cutting Carlton A1-EP semi chisel...






And this is what was left. A heavy leaner that I honestly thought would shear through it's hinge and end up out left in the Avocados. I aimed it further right of where I though it would end up but the hinge hung on and it swung the whole way around to where the face was pointing!






I cut the stump down to gain a nice workable height to attack the last part of the tree...






I was aiming for the gap just left of the trunk...






But it went about 5 metres further right than I thought. The hinge was pretty solid too.










I also have a few good videos to upload but at this stage I am having nothing but YouTube grief. I've tried the latest versions of Firefox and Google Chrome but have failed now about 10 times only hours in. May have to split it and keep my fingers crossed...


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> A bit of plate with 13mm of pipe welded to it to fit over the top. Then you can keep it as a std jack. Another piece that you have to carry I spose.



I was thinking that as well Al but I reckon I'll weld it straight on top or I WILL lose it guaranteed


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I have learne'd over the year's, and was lucky to have been shown by a good friend, and hell of an old growth faller, some hand filing trick's. He would watch me on the raker's, and stop me if to many swipe's saying flat even stroke's all even. And don't let em get to hungry. I had alot of trial, and error along the way, and tosse'd a few chain's too. I eyeball them with a flat file, and just swipe them accordingly. I am close to perfection with the handfile. Took alot of year's. Good stuff again Matt!


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I was thinking that as well Al but I reckon I'll weld it straight on top or I WILL lose it guaranteed


 
Weld nipples all over it so it will bite or use some checker plate.


----------



## wendell

Congratulations to Marcos. It was good to see him get his first win. Pretty exciting race.


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> Congratulations to Marcos. It was good to see him get his first win. Pretty exciting race.


 
Yeah Steve, put him on a street circuit and he's hard to beat.


----------



## promac850

AUSSIE1 said:


> Weld nipples all over it so it will bite or use some checker plate.


 
Nipples? These ones? I didn't know you can weld these nipples... they ain't steel, are they?


----------



## Rudolf73

promac610 said:


> Nipples? These ones? I didn't know you can weld these nipples... they ain't steel, are they?


 
She has nice hair... haha. We can always rely on you for good pics Promac :msp_thumbup:


----------



## wendell

Kyle, I don't know how you haven't been sent to camp yet. :msp_scared:


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Can she run a saw? I need another partner LOL!


----------



## wendell

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Can she run a saw? I need another partner LOL!


 
The Norm & Sam Logging Company isn't going to work out?


:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## promac850

Thanks go to Darin, Wampum, Trimmmmed, and the rest of the great super moderators for not sending me to band camp. 

I don't know why they haven't sent me, I am sure glad I haven't been sent there... I hear it's very scary... :msp_scared:


----------



## tdi-rick

promac610 said:


> Nipples? These ones? I didn't know you can weld these nipples... they ain't steel, are they?



and did you realise that what you fella's call zerks, we call nipples ? 
So the young lass in that pic has a nice set of zerks ??

naah, doesn't have the same ring


----------



## Andyshine77

This thread never disappoints, it just keeps getting better.

Matt I think the one cut you did with the double wedge and stepped double back cut is a great idea. Glad you're liking the 353.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Goodnight brother's from down under.


----------



## tdi-rick

'night Norm.

Mid arvo here on the East Coast.


----------



## MCW

promac610 said:


> Nipples? These ones? I didn't know you can weld these nipples... they ain't steel, are they?



Legendary performance old son. With nipples like that I'd probably keep a spare set handy.



Andyshine77 said:


> This thread never disappoints, it just keeps getting better.
> 
> Matt I think the one cut you did with the double wedge and stepped double back cut is a great idea. Glad you're liking the 353.



Yes Promac's nipple picture has completely undone the previous posts in this whole lengthy thread. In fact I now can't even remember what the hell this thread was about? I didn't edit the picture out in my quote as I thought 4 nipples on the same page is better than two...
Oh and the 353 is an awesome little saw Andy. Thanks for making me keep it 

Oh and I nearly forgot... a video 


<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yPAB0SoAxNI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Thanks for the vid Matt good stuff.
Did ya find the wedge from the second tree.
I found this funny i was felling sugar gums the other day and my youngest daughter was with me and when i was doing the angled down wegde cut she said the fine saw dust looked like kooskoos.
Keep up the good work and i still think you are having way to much fun to be healthy.
Tell ya misses she does a good job with the camera.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Thanks for the vid Matt good stuff.
> Did ya find the wedge from the second tree.
> I found this funny i was felling sugar gums the other day and my youngest daughter was with me and when i was doing the angled down wegde cut she said the fine saw dust looked like kooskoos.
> Keep up the good work and i still think you are having way to much fun to be healthy.
> Tell ya misses she does a good job with the camera.



Yeah mate the wedge was about 20 metres away! Ask your daughter to try eating some of that Redgum dust - it may change her mind a tad 
By the way I am having fun but far from healthy. Just got told that I need to do a heap of exercises to strengthen my lower left back which is affecting my right shoulder - my right shoulder was rebuilt a long time ago but has set itself forward in the socket leading to a bursitis (Shoulder Bursitis | Rotator Cuff Tendonitis) - it is bloody painful but I am glad it's not some sort of premature joint wear of some sort. I can't put my right arm behind my back very far. Also found that my right wrist pain is due to excessive forearm tension (from you guessed it - chainsawing  ). Dammit. I thought a few shots of cortisone would fix everything but now I have to exercise. I hate exercises from the physiotherapist. Oh and my left forearm hurts from similar tension...

Oh and the missus likes coming chainsawing. I left the 261 for her Sunday afternoon to trim some trees in our yard and told her NOT to even start it without chaps. I snuck in our back entrance without her seeing me just as she exited my shed with the 261 and NO CHAPS!!! It was like catching a kid in the cookie jar


----------



## Stihlman441

I know all about the rotator cuff mate,when i came a gutser off the quod bike i broke the skapula bone know has pins in it and pulled all the rotator cuff mussels off.I had a year off work and i have never ever been in so much pain in all my life and the months of physio and lived on endone and tramadol pain killers and was off my face half the time.So mate i know all about your trubles,its not to bad know but i dont think it will ever be right ever again.
My physio the prick would say hello Andrew im going to hert you today,and he allways did.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> My physio the prick would say hello Andrew im going to hert you today,and he allways did.



Yeah mine too, and he's a good mate of mine the bastard! I swear he worked for Saddam in a torture chamber or something. I know I'll never be 100% but will be happy to make it to 20%


----------



## Terry Syd

If chicks really do dig scars, I should have got laid a lot more than I did.

I like my doctor. When we first met, he took a look at the list of injuries and operations I've had and mused to himself, "hmm, a life well lived". - And I'm paying the price for it now.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> If chicks really do dig scars, I should have got laid a lot more than I did.
> 
> I like my doctor. When we first met, he took a look at the list of injuries and operations I've had and mused to himself, "hmm, a life well lived". - And I'm paying the price for it now.



Yeah the old chicks dig scars theory doesn't seem to have worked for me Terry. Although I do have one good chick so better not get "dug" too much - she arrived before 90% of my scars but luckily she isn't the one who scarred me


----------



## billyj

you blokes lucked out, when i shattered my leg my phisio, was a blonde stunner.....


----------



## MCW

billyj said:


> you blokes lucked out, when i shattered my leg my phisio, was a blonde stunner.....



Stop poking your nose in here mate, I know you're just here for the nipples  Lucky mongrel. Did you contemplate breaking your other leg?


----------



## billyj

i think i considered it briefly but decided i did a convincing enough job the first time


----------



## Rudolf73

Went to the chiro today to try and get my back working again and I will gladly go again on thursday - it will be worth the visit  haha


----------



## tdi-rick

Rudolf73 said:


> Went to the chiro today to try and get my back working again and I will gladly go again on thursday - it will be worth the visit  haha



Didn't happen without pics 

and the same goes for Billy


----------



## billyj

could be hard since i havent seen the phisio in about 18 months now


----------



## Rudolf73

tdi-rick said:


> Didn't happen without pics
> 
> and the same goes for Billy


 
Very true Rick, but she will probably cancel the the appointment if I take a camera long


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> The Norm & Sam Logging Company isn't going to work out?
> 
> 
> :hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


 
Hahahaha.....that gets laf of the month, lol! :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

billyj said:


> i think i considered it briefly but decided i did a convincing enough job the first time



Pfffft. That's only a flesh wound


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> . Also found that my right wrist pain is due to excessive forearm tension (from you guessed it - chainsawing  ). Dammit.


 
Ok, not I'm not sure I believe you on why you have right wrist pain Matt. ???????????? After seeing those nipples, probably aggravated it again EH? :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## promac850

Stihlman441 said:


> I know all about the rotator cuff mate,when i came a gutser off the quod bike i broke the skapula bone know has pins in it and pulled all the rotator cuff mussels off.I had a year off work and i have never ever been in so much pain in all my life and the months of physio and lived on endone and tramadol pain killers and was off my face half the time.So mate i know all about your trubles,its not to bad know but i dont think it will ever be right ever again.
> My physio the prick would say hello Andrew im going to hert you today,and he allways did.


 
At least your physioprick was honest with you... I know for sure I'd rather that they tell me that I may/will experience some pain rather than say "Nothing is going to hurt, you'll be fine..." every time they torture you... at least you had a warning... if you didn't like it, you'd have punched the guy and walked off... slowly, but deliberately...

But you kept going back...


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Ok, not I'm not sure I believe you on why you have right wrist pain Matt. ???????????? After seeing those nipples, probably aggravated it again EH? :hmm3grin2orange:



Well the nipples certainly didn't help Will  That's only about the 2,000th time somebody has said that about my right wrist, even my physio brought it up! I'm starting to think that they may be right...
I do have a larger right arm and was going blind until my eye laser surgery. Haven't had the hairy palms but maybe the hairs never got the chance to grow?


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Shiat brother's! Page 2 no, back to the top! Top of the chart's page 1!


----------



## wendell

Something seems to be missing.


----------



## promac850

wendell said:


> Something seems to be missing.


 
AUSSIE1... yes, he is missing... 

Will nipples get him back in here?

Or were you referring to my slightly dumb ass?


----------



## wendell

promac610 said:


> AUSSIE1... yes, he is missing...
> 
> Will nipples get him back in here?
> 
> Or were you referring to my slightly dumb ass?


 
Actually, my senility was rearing it's ugly head. I thought Darin deleted your pic but today slipped by so quickly, I forgot that was yesterday.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Still around...Trying to fix this ####en piece oh #### new ####in phone... grrrr! :bang: 

Place those nice piccy's in the Aussie thread Pro.


----------



## tdi-rick

wendell said:


> Actually, my senility was rearing it's ugly head. I thought Darin deleted your pic but today slipped by so quickly, I forgot that was yesterday.
> 
> You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.



Change your page preferences mate 

Can't recall how many posts to a page I have, (50 ??) but PM610's QT is still on this page for moi


----------



## Rudolf73

AUSSIE1 said:


> Still around...Trying to fix this ####en piece oh #### new ####in phone... grrrr! :bang:
> 
> Place those nice piccy's in the Aussie thread Pro.


 
Lol, what kind of phone did you get Al?


----------



## wendell

tdi-rick said:


> Change your page preferences mate
> 
> Can't recall how many posts to a page I have, (50 ??) but PM610's QT is still on this page for moi


 
I'm already at 100. I just scrolled up to 3 this morning and thought it was gone. When I saw the Shop Monkey wasn't banned, I went up further. Those are a really fine example of God's (or a plastic surgeon's) handiwork.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Atta Boy's!


----------



## David (saltas)

Matt

One thing has been bugging me about this thread. What species are you cutting down


----------



## David (saltas)

In my humble opinion 

They are not 

Allocasuarina distyla
Allocasuarina fraseriana
Allocasuarina humilis
Allocasuarina lehmanniana
Allocasuarina verticillata
Allocasuarina nana
Allocasuarina luehmannii
Casuarina equisetifolia subsp. Incana
Casuarina glauca
Casuarina obesa


----------



## David (saltas)

they are Unlikely to be


Allocasuarina verticillata
Casuarina junghuhniana
Casuarina oligodon
Casuarina grandis


----------



## David (saltas)

slight chance they might be

Allocasuarina fraseriana
Casuarina pauper

maybe


----------



## David (saltas)

Likely
Casuarina cristata
Casuarina cunninghamiana
Casuarina equisetifolia subsp. equisetifolia.


----------



## David (saltas)

Key to the species 
1	Ridges narrow, prominently angular, occasionally flat in Casuarina equisetifolia but then densely hairy on ridges as well as in furrows; teeth 6–10, withering or not withering	2
1*	Ridges wide, flat or slightly rounded-convex or with a median groove; teeth 8–20, mostly withering	3
2	Branchlets and cones more or less densely and obviously hairy; teeth 6–8, not withering; cone body 10–20 mm long, 10–13 mm diam., with acute bracteoles; samara 6–8 mm long	Casuarina equisetifolia
2*	Branchlets and cones sparsely and minutely hairy; teeth 8–10, withering; cone body 7–14 mm long, 4–6 mm diam., with broad-acute bracteoles; samara 3–4 mm long	Casuarina cunninghamiana
3	Teeth 12–20; ridges smooth, flat or slightly rounded-convex; cones 7–10 mm diam. with thin, broad-acute bracteoles 2.0–2.5 mm wide and with only 1 obvious striation; samara 3.5–5.0 mm long	4
3*	Teeth 8–13; ridges minutely roughened, flat or with a median yellowish groove (often masked by wax); cone body 10–16 mm diam. with thick acute bracteoles 3.5–4.0 mm wide and with several obvious striations; samara 5.5–10.5 mm long	5
4	Teeth on young permanent shoots long-recurved	Casuarina glauca
4*	Teeth on young permanent shoots appressed or slightly spreading	Casuarina obesa
5	Teeth erect, appressed, 8–12, 0.5–0.7 mm long; articles 0.6–0.9 mm diam., somewhat waxy, occasionally sparsely hairy; teeth on new shoots erect to somewhat spreading	Casuarina cristata
5*	Teeth spreading to recurved, 9–13, 0.8–0.9 mm long; articles 1.0–1.8 mm diam., strongly waxy, densely and very shortly hairy; teeth on new shoots spreading	Casuarina pauper


----------



## David (saltas)

This should make the 100th page if I can still count:redface:


----------



## wyk

Prolly Douglas Fir...


----------



## tdi-rick

saltas said:


> Likely
> Casuarina cristata
> *Casuarina cunninghamiana*
> Casuarina equisetifolia subsp. equisetifolia.



I think Matt mentioned way back they may be these......



or maybe Doug-Fir....


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Matt
> 
> One thing has been bugging me about this thread. What species are you cutting down


 


saltas said:


> Likely
> Casuarina cristata
> Casuarina cunninghamiana
> Casuarina equisetifolia subsp. equisetifolia.



THE MIDDLE ONE THE MIDDLE ONE!!! 
Plus some other ones then there was this other funny one then another funny looking suckering thing. Oh with the odd Huon Pine in there. I cut a Lemon tree up too. And an orange tree as well. And a possum, can't forget the possum.


----------



## wendell

saltas said:


> This should make the 100th page if I can still count:redface:


 
Doesn't appear so. Just getting to the end of page 15. :biggrin:


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Yep page 100, and back to the top, page 1!


----------



## MCW

Back again gents.
Haven't done any more felling as I had a phone call from the main manager who has put a halt on things for now. Apparently they had budgeted a set amount for the tree felling and removal on this property but after having their citrus severely damaged by hail the other week they have cut all unnecessary costs for now. No more felling on that particular property until further notice. I'm actually looking forward to a break to catch up on other things 
They are looking at felling more trees on another couple of properties in the meantime so I may not get as big of a break as I thought. That should only be a few days though...

Have been running the 353 and the HT131 pole saw around my place this weekend cleaning up some of our messy mallee scrub. Both of these units are very impressive. The Stihl HT131 has got nuts a plenty. Sounds and smells funny though as all 4 Mix motors do


----------



## RandyMac

*Bummer Dude*


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> *Bummer Dude*



Don't worry yourself Randy. I'll find more trees, I promise!
I was going to get a video today of the pole saw cutting some 3" dead Mallee limbs but in all honesty it wouldn't have rated well.


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Don't worry yourself Randy. I'll find more trees, I promise!
> I was going to get a video today of the pole saw cutting some 3" dead Mallee limbs but in all honesty it wouldn't have rated well.


 
Those pole saws go alright, I have cut up to 12" branches without to much hassle. Dead mallee would give it a work out though...


----------



## RandyMac

MCW said:


> Don't worry yourself Randy. I'll find more trees, I promise!
> I was going to get a video today of the pole saw cutting some 3" dead Mallee limbs but in all honesty it wouldn't have rated well.


 
Shoulda done one. We coulda rated you on speed and style, then bemoaned your choice of brand and made unsavory comments about your manhood based on the length of your blade.


----------



## MCW

I told a few of you guys that I'd torn my medial ligament off my right knee. Turns out that after a second opinion I haven't so don't need to wear the brace anymore! Knee a bit weak and heavily taped but should be good to go in a few weeks 



Rudolf73 said:


> Those pole saws go alright, I have cut up to 12" branches without to much hassle. Dead mallee would give it a work out though...



Yeah mine has a 12" bar and runs it fine. It would do a 16" bar quite easily as well. I dropped a big limb of a Cedar for a guy that was about 18" in diameter. Pretty tough to do felling cuts 12 feet above your head - I did but they weren't pretty  Oh and dead Mallee is tough. I dropped a dying one in our scrub with the 7900 last weekend and thought the chain was blunt. I wish I'd have taken a photo of the stump prior to it drying out and cracking - it looked like glass and the grain was beautiful.



RandyMac said:


> Shoulda done one. We coulda rated you on speed and style, then bemoaned your choice of brand and made unsavory comments about your manhood based on the length of your blade.



Well dammit man I'm gonna do a vid ASAP.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

View attachment 195925
View attachment 195926
View attachment 195927
View attachment 195928
I have to break out the pole saw quite often. I know what you mean on the overhead cut's. Took an Oak down friday. It was alot of pole saw work, and I am sore in my shoulder's.One limb was 16 in plus I think. Trie'd a couple time's, and couldn't get it. I just could not reach if from ther other side. So I threw a rope in the tree, and pulled that piece away from the vineyard fence, and just fell it. Man alot of running around for one guy LOL! Brought the dog's this is one of our hunting ranche's, they love to go and I am sure they enjoye's watching me scramble around. Enjoy the break Matt


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> View attachment 195925
> View attachment 195926
> View attachment 195927
> View attachment 195928
> I have to break out the pole saw quite often. I know what you mean on the overhead cut's. Took an Oak down friday. It was alot of pole saw work, and I am sore in my shoulder's.One limb was 16 in plus I think. Trie'd a couple time's, and couldn't get it. I just could not reach if from ther other side. So I threw a rope in the tree, and pulled that piece away from the vineyard fence, and just fell it. Man alot of running around for one guy LOL! Brought the dog's this is one of our hunting ranche's, they love to go and I am sure they enjoye's watching me scramble around. Enjoy the break Matt



Hey good pictures Norm. I like the old pole saws but I get a sore neck easily looking up all the time 
Thanks.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Thank's Matt, and yep I get sore too. Get to eat alot of saw dust too. Pole saw work is definatetly hard work. I have to switch off right, and left handed to give my arm's, and shoulder's a break. I still get sore, and tire'd!


----------



## promac850

I is are done reckoning dat dis heer threed is a good'un... 

Anything else to say MeowCussWadspitter? :jester:


----------



## MCW

promac610 said:


> I is are done reckoning dat dis heer threed is a good'un...
> 
> Anything else to say MeowCussWadspitter? :jester:



Gidazz bruz. I lykes it tooz. Nuttin left ta says.


----------



## MCW

Just a quicky mainly for the benefit of Rick. I fitted a Husky roller chain catcher to my 7900 the other week and forgot to post photos. The spikes I rigged up to fit it ages ago are Husky HD and they were as hard as all hell. After moving house I haven't been able to find my ARTU bits to drill any high tensile steel so gave a carbide tile/glass drill a go. I have a new friend  It absolutely chewed through the spike but had to be careful not to bust it up on breakthrough.
This roller catcher setup clears noodles way better than the old setup - I've heard 7900's called "Noodle Monsters" before but to be honest they're the worst saws I own for clearing noodles...


----------



## Terry Syd

Thanks for the heads-up on a roller guide. I mentioned in the Aussie thread about possibly using longer spikes to help keep the clutch cleared of noodles, but after looking at the distances required I figured I would loose too much useable bar length.

Then I spotted the lower bolt that attached the spikes. Hmm, maybe something could be constructed at that point to clear the noodles. I was thinking through several permutations of 'blocks' and the like, but didn't like the physics if it took an impact by the chain. I never considered a roller chain guide. I think that could be do-able.

Thanks Matt.


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, which Husky model ? 390 ?

and is it normally mounted in double shear, or only single shear as you've done above ?


----------



## MCW

Thanks Terry 



tdi-rick said:


> Matt, which Husky model ? 390 ?
> 
> and is it normally mounted in double shear, or only single shear as you've done above ?



Hi mate. These are simply the OEM Husky HD double spike kit that fit the 365-390 models. Nothing fancy but the 2nd best set of spikes I've used behind the stock MS660 spikes.


----------



## tdi-rick

Not the spikes, the roller


----------



## Rudolf73

tdi-rick said:


> Not the spikes, the roller


 
The husky roller is only supported on one side Rick.


----------



## tdi-rick

Rudolf73 said:


> The husky roller is only supported on one side Rick.


 

Looks like i'll be ordering a couple


----------



## 8433jeff

Rudolf73 said:


> The husky roller is only supported on one side Rick.


 
Only one ring, only one side, thats how huskaroo rolls.


----------



## Rudolf73

tdi-rick said:


> Looks like i'll be ordering a couple


 
Yeah, they work alright. Some guys have fitted the stihl roller to dolmars but I think they have to be shortened a little to fit.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Looks like i'll be ordering a couple


 
Don't order any mate, I'll send you a couple of Chinasaw versions...


----------



## AUSSIE1

tdi-rick said:


> Not the spikes, the roller


 
Yeah Matt!


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> The husky roller is only supported on one side Rick.


 
Yeah Rick!


----------



## AUSSIE1

8433jeff said:


> Only one ring, only one side, thats how huskaroo rolls.


 
Yeah Rudy!


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Matt!


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Rick!


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Rudy!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Matt!


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Rick!


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah Rudy!


 


tdi-rick said:


>



You cyberbullying pack of bastards...

Have you two no bounds??? This is MY THREAD!!!


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> You cyberbullying pack of bastards...
> 
> Have you two no bounds??? This is MY THREAD!!!


 
You tell them Matt :msp_laugh:


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> You cyberbullying pack of bastards...
> 
> Have you two no bounds??? This is MY THREAD!!!


 


Rudolf73 said:


> You tell them Matt :msp_laugh:



Yeah 



































:msp_unsure:


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> You tell them Matt :msp_laugh:


 

Thankyou for the support Rudy. I've going to give Rick and Al a bit of time out in the "ignore them" corner...


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Thankyou for the support Rudy. I've going to give Rick and Al a bit of time out in the "ignore them" corner...


 
I think AS server errors may do that for you - and just ignore all of us.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Thankyou for the support Rudy. I've going to give Rick and Al a bit of time out in the "ignore them" corner...



No more bloody St Lucy's for you then young fella


----------



## MCW

Oh and a guy in our local town messaged me on eBay last night about a 066/660BB kit. I caught up with him today and the mongrel picked up both a good 066 that has an inlet manifold leak (it would seem) and an MS650 for $900 on eBay. The MS650 has a dodgey helicoil in the sparkplug hole. I hate him.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> No more bloody St Lucy's for you then young fella



St Who?


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Oh and a guy in our local town messaged me on eBay last night about a 066/660BB kit. I caught up with him today and the mongrel picked up both a good 066 that has an inlet manifold leak (it would seem) and an MS650 for $900 on eBay. The MS650 has a dodgey helicoil in the sparkplug hole. I hate him.


 
Mann, how did I miss that... my collection is missing a good 660 lol


----------



## tdi-rick

Check yer bloody Gmail account


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Mann, how did I miss that... my collection is missing a good 660 lol



He won't part with the 066 thats for sure!


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Check yer bloody Gmail account



Me or Rudy? I ain't got diddley from ya. Just sent ya an invoice though


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Me or Rudy? I ain't got diddley from ya. Just sent ya an invoice though



You, sent an email at 15:50 today. 
Al should have got it too.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> You, sent an email at 15:50 today.
> Al should have got it too.



Ah ha!!! Yeah I did get that one mate but was at work and canned it quick. Nice set of lungs  Not fake!


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Originally Posted by tdi-rick
> You, sent an email at 15:50 today.
> Al should have got it too.
> Ah ha!!! Yeah I did get that one mate but was at work and canned it quick. Nice set of lungs Not fake!



Rick 
You have my email address and I will be "not happy jaaaaann" if you done add me to the mailing list in future.


----------



## Rudolf73

saltas said:


> Rick
> You have my email address and I will be "not happy jaaaaann" if you done add me to the mailing list in future.


 
Lol, sounds like a good mailing list.


----------



## tdi-rick

saltas said:


> Rick
> You have my email address and I will be "not happy jaaaaann" if you done add me to the mailing list in future.



Incomiiiiiiiiiiiiing !


----------



## tdi-rick

Rudolf73 said:


> Lol, sounds like a good mailing list.


 

PM your email addy


----------



## tdi-rick

saltas said:


> Rick
> You have my email address and I will be "not happy jaaaaann" if you done add me to the mailing list in future.



BTW, your name caused some consternation here when someone saw it on that last email.


----------



## David (saltas)

tdi-rick said:


> BTW, your name caused some consternation here when someone saw it on that last email.


 
I'm Intrigued by that, please tell me more


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> Ah ha!!! Yeah I did get that one mate but was at work and canned it quick. Nice set of lungs  Not fake!


 
What?!? I've got Gmail and I didn't get an e-mail of any lungs! :bang:


----------



## AUSSIE1

Rudolf73 said:


> You tell them Matt :msp_laugh:



Fairdinkum, Randy! What's Matt's pet name for ya...........Candy? :hmm3grin2orange:



tdi-rick said:


> No more bloody St Lucy's for you then young fella



And they are real! She IS a sweetie. Those beauties will end up around her knees if she keep that up!


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> What?!? I've got Gmail and I didn't get an e-mail of any lungs! :bang:


 
What's Gmail Steve?

Better go back and give the email some more analysis!


----------



## tdi-rick

saltas said:


> I'm Intrigued by that, please tell me more


 

Well, you share your name with two family members of someone else who lives here 

It was a case of "whoa, who's that !"


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Nothing special, not a giant old growth our Euc, but I am alway's proud to tell friend's about my good friend's, and partner's who make me proud. John parmeter is one of my oldest friend's going on 25 year's. He is 150 feet up in this redwood, and two other best friend's where there. Jesus is in the pic standing with the gear on, he has alot of natural climbing ability, and alway's free climbed oak's and similar tree's. Our last job I felt it was important to get him the right gear, and John to show him the rope's. I knew the redwood would be all John because it was tall. But Jesus got to watch, and practice on a neighbooring fir tree, and learne'd alot friday night. My other friend present was Bob jenning's viet nam vet, and a dear friend, alway's there thick or thin no matter the job, or no matter what. We are a small band of best friend's who do everything together. Hunt, cut wood, tree work, hang out, you name it. I am proud to have frind's like them, and wanted to show ya Aussie brother's! Norm...................


----------



## Stihlman441

You guys after a 660 or 066 a mate has 2 x 660 and a 066 and is thinking of selling one of them,one of the 660s is a US model and is in mint nick.He is over seas for the next two weeks but after that i can talk to him if anyone is interested.:smile2:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> You guys after a 660 or 066 a mate has 2 x 660 and a 066 and is thinking of selling one of them,one of the 660s is a US model and is in mint nick.He is over seas for the next two weeks but after that i can talk to him if anyone is interested.:smile2:



I bags the 066  or one of the 660's.

Oh hang on, I had one arrive the other day. Cancel that order Andrew, I'll keep the one I have now


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> I bags the 066  or one of the 660's.
> 
> Oh hang on, I had one arrive the other day. Cancel that order Andrew, I'll keep the one I have now


 
Nice! haha


----------



## Stihlman441

Ya cant trust some people a.
Have ya run it yet ?.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Ya cant trust some people a.
> Have ya run it yet ?.



Nah not yet mate. Haven't had time. Will get some logs here ASAP and go nuts


----------



## MCW

Back again. Things have been very quiet on the chainsaw front of late but finally got the time to trim up a Bougainvillea for my Aunty and Uncle. This job has been on the agenda for months and finally found half a day to do it.
I wish I was more of a gardener because I would have realised that a Bougainvillea has big spikes like roofing nails and is a complete bastard of a tree/bush/vine/satan's favourite plant or whatever the hell it is. If I'd have known this I would have bailed long ago.
Anyway, the Stihl HT131 pole saw has basically paid for itself again. In fact I'd say if I had to pick two saws I own that have paid for themselves faster than any other saw I bought it would be my 200T and this pole saw.
This Bougainvillea was intertwined, layered, interlaced, you name it. I started slow but in the end simply wielded the pole saw like a machete while oozing blood out of about 20 puncture wounds in my legs, back, neck, arms and hands. I was also fully clothed with good gloves and had a spike come clean through the sole of my boot. They are nasty.
What was meant to be an hour job ended up 3 1/2 hours. Give me spiders and snakes anyday, this plant was evil. Even Box Thorn removals are a walk in the park compared to this. You can see my uncle on the roof trying to clear some of the limbs off but because they were all clumped together it was like trying to move a 200kg lump of velcro. He gave up quick smart. I'd already done a bit of pruning prior to this first image...







First to hollow out underneath to get some working space. This was wall to wall spikey crap prior to this photo. The 200T was being flung around like a hedger in here, the poor little thing...






























Gardenering contractors can have this stuff - give me felling or firewood cutting anyday. I don't think I've ever felt so beaten up in that amount of time.

I also feel very ashamed to have posted photos of an abortion style plant like this...


----------



## tdi-rick

Hahaha, I really like Bougainvillea, from a distance 

Luckily we can't grow it here, a touch too cold.



[edit]BTW, lucky you mentioned the adjustable anvil and I hadn't thrown the box out yet, it was caught up in the packing :msp_unsure:


----------



## Rudolf73

Haha that is a nasty bush/plant for sure. My grandfather got sick of his one day and hooked it up to his Audi with a snatch strap... problem solved


----------



## AUSSIE1

Nice looking cottage Matt


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> [edit]BTW, lucky you mentioned the adjustable anvil and I hadn't thrown the box out yet, it was caught up in the packing :msp_unsure:



Phew - lucky 



Rudolf73 said:


> Haha that is a nasty bush/plant for sure. My grandfather got sick of his one day and hooked it up to his Audi with a snatch strap... problem solved



Mate if I could have fitted a vehicle in there that is EXACTLY what I would have done. Problem is that it's actually the neighbours plant. The old nanna neighbour heard the chainsaw running and came over to the fence. I just ignored her and kept cutting as I only touched what was on my side but rest assured she didn't look too happy. The weight of all the branches and leaf material was about ready to tear the gutter off and was also rusting the hell out of it.



AUSSIE1 said:


> Nice looking cottage Matt


 
It's actually an old coach house mate - the main house is even nicer. We're not in an old area by any means in the grand scheme of things but this house is one of the older ones still standing in our district. I think early 1900's or something.


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Nice looking cottage Matt


 
I was thinking the same Al.

I've always loved the different stone used in SA and Vic to here.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I was thinking the same Al.
> 
> I've always loved the different stone used in SA and Vic to here.



We had a lot of Mount Gambier Stone carted in for building here early last century. Insulates really well and if you haven't seen it is more like an aerated limestone. I'd hate to see the cost of building a house out of it now. Most of the other stone is just local stuff. Not even sure what it is to be honest but by hell it's hard if you try to drill it - even rotary hammers don't like some of it. An impact hammer drill just smokes the bit up on it  My old man calls some of it Bluestone but not sure if that's just a local common name or the real name.


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, when my uncle lived in Adelaide when I was a kid he called the local stone Bluestone.

Hell, I just remembered the last time I was in Adelaide was for the GP in '91 :msp_ohmy: That was a good week  (and long after my Uncle had moved back here)


----------



## Hddnis

Looks like a nasty sticker bush for sure. We used to plant stuff like that on coorporate campuses when we wanted to stop people from cow-trailing across lawn and landscaping. They learned to use the concrete sidewalks.

Trimming was always a pain. We used pole saws, power pruners, extended hedge shears, anything that got us farther away. Then we often would just run the mower over it to chop it up and then rake up like mulch. Have to be careful which mower, you need one with foam filled tires or your day will kinda deflate.




Mr. HE


----------



## David (saltas)

We got thousands of bougainvillea up here, even the thorn-less ones have some thorns.

I had a neighbour that was a rude bustard so I decided to plant a screen a long the fence so I could not see so much of him.
The first time he ever spoke to me was he marched up and abused me for parking my Ute in the street in front(I did this once) of my house, because it made it harder for him to park his 4 ton truck, "I had to use reverse".

I went to the nursery I had to choose bougainvillea with out without thorns. I chose thorns.:hell_boy:

Fast forward a couple of years day he put up a for sale sign; so I went and cut it all down. I wanted to start with fresh slate with the new neighbour.

I used black BOC welding gloves and secateurs.

bougainvillea grow very well up here, they need very little water, make an excellent security fence and have flowers


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Matt that stuff look's like a bad dream. I agree with you on the pole saw's. One of the best tool's ever invented.


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Matt that stuff look's like a bad dream. I agree with you on the pole saw's. One of the best tool's ever invented.



Yeah if I had to get up close and personal with this stuff I'd have been wrecked - as it is I look like I've been fighting with a mountain lion 

Oh and to top the day off I just had some guy complaining about my postal charges on some rim sprockets on eBay despite postage being clearly marked as free. I wonder where some of these guys come from...


----------



## NORMZILLA44

LOL! Some guy's would biatch if you gave em a million buck's free, and clear.


----------



## MCW

Just a quick vid gents.
This was taken on the same weekend as my 201T/200T video cutting up a Pink Gum log. This wood has very similar characteristics to Red Gum. If I'd have known the grain was going to be so nice I'd have milled it instead.
First saw is the 201T, second saw is the 390XP (ported), and my little 353 Husky also gets a gig. It was one of those days where I just couldn't read the log. So obvious on camera and makes me wonder what the hell I was thinking, especially when I got the 390XP stuck...


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/87yQlEN_y0I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Nice grain...


----------



## Terry Syd

That is beautiful wood! I can understand why you wish you had milled it instead.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> That is beautiful wood! I can understand why you wish you had milled it instead.



Yeah mate, very nice. I brought it all home with me and a few bits will be donated to an older guy I know who does wood turning. He'll love it.


----------



## 8433jeff

Thanks for the video. It happens, usually all at once like that.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> Thanks for the video. It happens, usually all at once like that.


 
Yeah I'm glad I got that out the way. Now it should be at least, um, another 5 minutes before I get my next saw stuck


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/87yQlEN_y0I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
> 
> 
> Nice grain...



You whacker! You'd never, ever see me stuck a saw or three! :msp_wink:

Yeah that pink stuff would look nice as a kitchen benchtop. Beaut character :msp_thumbup:


----------



## s219

A couple weeks ago I was cutting with several relatives and neighbors to clear a road. Within the space of about 10 minutes, three of us got our saws stuck and had to get cut out by someone else. It was a bit comical, like taking turns. We're lucky we didn't all get stuck at once -- none of us had extra bars nearby.


----------



## millpro

Some pine and poplar southeastern Tennessee. Headed to my woodmizer mill to be cut up for a pole barn. I love my job and husqvarna saws. 257/262xp 261/262xp


----------



## Rudolf73

Haha Matt, I know that feeling... a while ago I was cutting a 16" branch and the makita got jammed 4 inches in, totally unexpected the way the tree was lying and goes to show that sometimes you just can't predict all the forces in the log. That's why I always take several saws with me also, saves changing bars, etc. Where's masculator when you need him, he never gets a saw stuck


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> You whacker! You'd never, ever see me stuck a saw or three! :msp_wink:



I was just gonna come in and clean tackle the log over but waiting for that knee recon and thought I might twist it again...



Rudolf73 said:


> Haha Matt, I know that feeling... a while ago I was cutting a 16" branch and the makita got jammed 4 inches in, totally unexpected the way the tree was lying and goes to show that sometimes you just can't predict all the forces in the log. That's why I always take several saws with me also, saves changing bars, etc. Where's masculator when you need him, he never gets a saw stuck



Stuff like this happens sometimes mate  I could have just grabbed a wedge out the ute and hammered it in there but couldn't be stuffed! Old Muscleyator would have lifted the log with one hand while removing the saw with the other. As for me I could do that too, if I wanted. I just didn't want to.


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I ws just gonna come in and clean tackle the log over but waiting for that knee recon and thought I might twist it again.



Don't worry mate, I'm the jam master king!


----------



## MCW

AUSSIE1 said:


> Don't worry mate, I'm the jam master king!



I have to say I had a pretty good record until this point. Now I have to start again. I am used to getting saws stuck in standing trees though


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Matt, good stuff I had a bad day once I got the 660, and 044 pinched in a 5 foot madrone. Had to cut em both out with my buddie's 046. I should have wedged a piece or two, but got in a hurry. Took a few tree's out yesterady had our hand's full usuall needed more help, and there is alway's more brush than expected when they hit the ground, but I always like a good challenge. I was in the middle of an undercut my 660 chain flew off, and hit me in the jewels. Never had that happen before, no cut's or anything but put me on a knee for a time out LOL!


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> I was in the middle of an undercut my 660 chain flew off, and hit me in the jewels. Never had that happen before, no cut's or anything but put me on a knee for a time out LOL!



Can't say I've ever copped a chain in the testycoolies  Ouch! Chalk that one up to a freak accident I reckon Norm.


----------



## David (saltas)

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Matt, good stuff I had a bad day once I got the 660, and 044 pinched in a 5 foot madrone. Had to cut em both out with my buddie's 046. I should have wedged a piece or two, but got in a hurry. Took a few tree's out yesterady had our hand's full usuall needed more help, and there is alway's more brush than expected when they hit the ground, but I always like a good challenge. I was in the middle of an undercut my 660 chain flew off, and hit me in the jewels. Never had that happen before, no cut's or anything but put me on a knee for a time out LOL!


 
Norm we have a funny game called cricket.

One of the protective devices a batsman wears is a "BOX" you may wish you had been wearing one


----------



## MCW

Had the next stage of the forestry course I've been doing for 3 days earlier this week. We managed to get into some taller Pinus radiata between 35 and 40 metres tall (100-120'). Most of these were going to the mill so had to be felled properly and in the proper direction.
There were three students including myself. One of them was a firewood cutter who is also starting a tree felling business. Nice guy, keen as mustard, and a very fast learner. The other guy was also a good bloke but actually works in the coal mines in Queensland on $150k a year. He had a Husky 575 and 395XP. Both of which wouldn't cut for crap (saws were OK just poor chain sharpening). He was one of those people who had everything. He even had a pair of New Zealand made logging boots with spikes (or whatever they're called). They were brand new and very nice. He asked what logging boots I wore - he was shocked when I told him I wear Blue Steel protective toed work boots. All he could talk about was Ax Men from the telly which pretty well summed up where his knowledge came from. He seemed to think that anybody who felled trees would have to wear logging boots  Like I said nice guy but pretty clueless.

Anyway, just to get it off my chest the only trainee to send one of the trees heading to the mill the WRONG way was me! I never ever mark the tree where my backcut is meant to finish. Stuart the instructor (top bloke) was getting the other guys to mark the sides of the trees (a small vertical cut) as he knew I'd done a fair bit of felling. I thought I'd try to mark the sides of the tree too. Of course where I marked the tree was EXACTLY in line with the back of the facecut, not 2 odd inches behind it.
I began merrily cutting the backcut completely oblivious to my normal felling routine and before I knew it the thing fell out to the right at about 45°. I had basically no hinge left! It took me a couple of minutes to work out how the hell I'd made such a stupid error then it dawned on Stuart that I'd marked the trunk wrong. Anyway, he thought it was funny but then proceeded to buck up the log in the proper lengths for the mill as it was laying across other logs. It would have made the others difficult to drag out with this one laying across them.
Anyway, here's the piccys of the stump and tree...














I used my modded 7900, 8 pin rim, and 20" bar for the first day with near new RSC. I learnt by my past mistakes and left the rakers untouched. On the 2nd and 3rd day I used my modded 390XP with the same setup.
Interestingly LITA (the training organisation) had just received two brand new 660's. They were first started Monday morning by the two other guys. They seemed to be running pretty crap but by about the 3rd tank they had started to lean out a bit and produce a bit more power. These two saws were also fitted with RSC and 20" bars but 7 pin rims.
One thing I noticed was just how much bloody fuel these 660's used. It was insane. I thought my ported and pop upped 660 was a fuel hog - maybe because Brad had gone a bit too nuts on the mods. Now I know that even stock these things are absolute fuel pigs. Without a word of a lie we were going one for one as far as the trees go and when the 660's were empty both my Dolmar and 390XP had half a tank left. Both of my modded saws were running absolute rings around these two 660's performance wise as well so how the hell they can chew so much fuel is beyond me. I found them really loud too with the Aussie spec dual port muffler.

The other guys had a run on my 390XP and were very impressed. Stuart the instructor cut up a windfallen largish pine and said it was like wielding a lightsabre and that he may just keep it. He's also a Stihl fan  He also then proceeded to rub it in that when saws cut like that why the hell would I drop the rakers so far like I had in the previous course. He's a funny guy but correct...

The thing I like about Stuart is that he's not too cocky or pigheaded. He said that he's even learnt a few tips and tricks from watching me. Not as many as I've learnt from him though. 

One thing I did forget to keep doing in these pines is cutting wing cuts in to help stop fibre pull. Never done these before and in general felling probably won't use them in 99.9% of cases...


----------



## MCW

A few more photos...






























The Coal Miner, aka "Logger Man" using my 390XP...


----------



## Rudolf73

Interesting read as always Matt. Its good to hear that you have such a good instructor, I really dislike the 100% OH&S types who have to do everything and I mean everything by the book and can't even take a joke on a good day. I know safety is important, but so is reality. To bad I'm not in SA any more, would really like to do a course like that at some stage.


----------



## MCW

We also managed to fit in on the last morning a quick pole saw course. I was asked if I'd like to do it and of course said yes. I didn't learn anything but it is another qualification that I haven't got. We were using the Stihl HT131, exactly the same pole saw I own.
One thing I hadn't seen before was the back brace/harness for use with these pole saws. They are awesome and I've already ordered one. Even at the full 3.8m extension the load it takes off of your arms is unbelievable. Anybody who has used one of these saws for any length of time will know exactly what I mean. They are hard work no matter how tough you think you are...


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Interesting read as always Matt. Its good to hear that you have such a good instructor, I really dislike the 100% OH&S types who have to do everything and I mean everything by the book and can't even take a joke on a good day. I know safety is important, but so is reality. To bad I'm not in SA any more, would really like to do a course like that at some stage.



I know what you mean mate. Stuart is one of those guys who's done the hard yards and realises that not all things have to be done by the book. As long as our technique was correct we were free to do whatever cuts we saw fit. If they weren't appropriate in that case Stuart was onto us straight away. He quite often stands a few metres away with a long stick to tap you with if he sees you doing something wrong. He was also all over us if we didn't look up. "Look up, bloody look up" was a common sound from him throughout the day. Once again he's right and it's something I have to remember to do more often. I always assess the trees prior to felling but quite often forget to check again part way through the cut - thngs can often change above you without you knowing.
Another interesting thing he told us was that he assessed a "professional" feller the previous week from interstate. He failed him! I wish I'd grabbed some photos of this guy's stumps as Stuart pointed out where he'd been instructing him. To give you an idea of how bad this guy was he was failed after only 5 trees!!! Once again this just goes to show that no matter how much felling or experience a person has doesn't necessarily mean they know what the hell they are doing. I quite often get my back up when I hear people associate years on the job with knowledge or expertise. In my experience, even outside of trees, I've found this not to be the case more often than not.


I also grabbed a photo of Stuart's work vehicle. It's a Ford Falcon ute with canopy. If anybody ever stole this vehicle they'd think it was christmas when they cracked into the back of it. It's got everything!!!
Here there are 2 x MS660's, 2 x MS441's, an MS261Q (the "Q" version has the chain brake on the rear handle and is as gay as AIDS), 2 x MS362's, a new MS241C M-Tronic (great saw as per my other thread), plus one other saw that I can't remember. Oh and a HT131 pole saw. It has a slide out work bench that sharpening vices are bolted to. Great setup.










Here are just a few other piccys of the other bloke who was handy with a saw. He's the one in the MS241 video. Funnily enough he knew my name because he's bought some rim sprockets off of me a few weeks ago on eBay. It's a small world. He was using the MS261Q here. The pressure you need to apply on the rear handle of these things to keep the stupid handle chain brake from activating is quite high. It's also a pain in the arse to file as you can't spin the chain without grabbing the rear handle at the same time. When activated it also doesn't kick the chain brake in instantly like hitting the front handle or inertia activation. In fact I don't think saving your face/head is it's actual intention - I could be wrong.


















I took the photos in an area where we could do what we wanted. The coal mining guy was about 200m away receiving further training and we had a free run here. The other guy decided to try a swinging dutchman like he'd read in a manual and that Stuart had shown us earlier. He stuffed it and hung the tree up. I ended up knocking it down with another larger pine. She was well and truly stuck too. Luckily I nailed it with a pretty big pine or we'd have had two trees hung up. The first tree ended up taking the load of the larger tree for a few seconds before snapping clean in half. She was hung up good and proper


----------



## MCW

More piccys...


























The next stage is the last one and is the Advanced course. After discussing it with LITA we will probably hold it in February sometime at the property I've been working on with the larger Casuarinas. I have to work out the final details with the property managers but a number of guys are keen to participate as few Advanced Qualification opportunities exist. By all accounts not too many people have the higher certification in Australia.

Another thing I realised as well is that in softwoods I found it difficult to feel exactly where my bar was. In the hardwoods I've been falling there is a distinct "bump" as your cuts meet. You know where to stop. In these pines I had issues with overcuts and undercuts - I had to concentrate 110% to avoid this. Undercuts are OK and easy to clean up - overcuts are nasty and really play with your angles, direction etc. They are also time consuming to correct. In a general falling situation a small overcut isn't too bad (up to maybe 25mm on larger trees) but should be avoided nonetheless - however in forestry this leads to fibre pull which is not good. Every cut has to be aligned perfectly not only for production and safety but because those stumps are assessed and criticised by everybody who walks past them


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> We also managed to fit in on the last morning a quick pole saw course. I was asked if I'd like to do it and of course said yes. I didn't learn anything but it is another qualification that I haven't got. We were using the Stihl HT131, exactly the same pole saw I own.
> One thing I hadn't seen before was the back brace/harness for use with these pole saws. They are awesome and I've already ordered one. Even at the full 3.8m extension the load it takes off of your arms is unbelievable. Anybody who has used one of these saws for any length of time will know exactly what I mean. They are hard work no matter how tough you think you are...
> 
> 
> Matt, that brace/harness looks good, lugging around a pole saw gets tiring, I might look at getting one of those


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, that brace/harness looks good, lugging around a pole saw gets tiring, I might look at getting one of those



$250-300 Wayne


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> $250-300 Wayne


 
Bugga, oh well I might find a used one


----------



## NORMZILLA44

As alway's Matt great stuff! Yeah I will hopefully write that off as a freak accident too. Shoulda seen the look on my buddy's face's. Salta's the cup wouldn't be a bad idea. Who in the world ever thought you could get cup checked by a saw. Matt those 660's are thirsty. I wonder if, and how newer one's could be worse? You definately have a great arsenal. I have eyeballed those saw models you have for year's. Never had the opportunity to run a Dolmar, or a 390xp. I have run 288's, and loved them so Im sure a 390 would feel great to me.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Good stuff Matt.

That's prime pine. Doesn't get any better. Would be great "peeler/vernier" wood ( for ply wood) due to the lack of "eyes" and straightness generating excellent profits. Surprising they let you loose in there with chainsaws. Were you expected to cut them up into particular lengths, ie peeler here in Vic is cut to 5.1m. You could pump out 500 plus tonne in that paddock in a day easily. 

:msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> As alway's Matt great stuff! Yeah I will hopefully write that off as a freak accident too. Shoulda seen the look on my buddy's face's. Salta's the cup wouldn't be a bad idea. Who in the world ever thought you could get cup checked by a saw. Matt those 660's are thirsty. I wonder if, and how newer one's could be worse? You definately have a great arsenal. I have eyeballed those saw models you have for year's. Never had the opportunity to run a Dolmar, or a 390xp. I have run 288's, and loved them so Im sure a 390 would feel great to me.



You're missing out Norm  Out of all of the larger forestry type saws I've used my favourites are the 7900's and 390XP's. It's a classic tale of good balance too. On paper the 390XP is heavier than the 7900 yet after throwing both around all day felling you don't notice the extra weight of the 390XP. They are an excellent saw.



AUSSIE1 said:


> Good stuff Matt.
> 
> That's prime pine. Doesn't get any better. Would be great "peeler/vernier" wood ( for ply wood) due to the lack of "eyes" and straightness generating excellent profits. Surprising they let you loose in there with chainsaws. Were you expected to cut them up into particular lengths, ie peeler here in Vic is cut to 5.1m. You could pump out 500 plus tonne in that paddock in a day easily.
> 
> :msp_thumbup:



There was a bit of negotiation going on from Stuart to get us in there and as you mentioned there is a fair bit of money involved. What surprised me was that that whole block is to be manual felled despite harvesters being able to do it easily - Stuart couldn't work this out and the interesting thing was that the guy on the saw who was coming in to do it is crap.
We just dropped them mate - the only one that got bucked up was the one I put the wrong way. On one tree I went into "Casuarina Mode" and had it on the ground in under a minute. Of course there was a small uncut section that pulled a wad of fibre straight out the guts of the tree about 4" deep - Stuart cut the pulled section off the stump and hammered it back into the hole it had made out the base of the log. I gather he didn't want it seen in case someone cracked the sads  I slowed down after that...


----------



## parrisw

Great stuff Matt. Wish there was something like that around here that was affordable.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Great stuff Matt. Wish there was something like that around here that was affordable.


 
Do you mean the courses Will? The Basic cost me $400 and the Intermediate and Pole Saw cost $850. I think the Advanced will be up around $850 as well. I doubt I'll get a discount for providing the trees to run the course


----------



## Stihlman441

Good job there bloke and well done,i wish i was there but some things are to hard.
With them 660 liking a drink that can be a good thing ya get a spell more offen.That 660 BB kit one ya did for me i have been getting 25 to 30 mins blocking Stringbark per tank.
Know that your all edgamakated there is no excuses for crappy back cuts ect a.
I notice in the 660s they are using that blue Stihl oil,what did ya think of that smoky smelly bern ya eyes sh-t.

Keep up the good work


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Good job there bloke and well done,i wish i was there but some things are to hard.
> With them 660 liking a drink that can be a good thing ya get a spell more offen.That 660 BB kit one ya did for me i have been getting 25 to 30 mins blocking Stringbark per tank.
> Know that your all edgamakated there is no excuses for crappy back cuts ect a.
> I notice in the 660s they are using that blue Stihl oil,what did ya think of that smoky smelly bern ya eyes sh-t.
> 
> Keep up the good work



I just won't post photos of any more bad backcuts etc  Unfortunately concentration is the key and I have trouble remembering my own name some days 
As far as that blue oil I didn't get much of a sniff. I'm currently into a 20L of AGIP Semi Synthetic after using the blue ALCO (Jakmax) fully synthetic. It smells like bubblegum


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> [snip]
> I'm currently into a 20L of AGIP Semi Synthetic after using the blue ALCO (Jakmax) fully synthetic. It smells like bubblegum



Agip make a good two stroke brew.


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Do you mean the courses Will? The Basic cost me $400 and the Intermediate and Pole Saw cost $850. I think the Advanced will be up around $850 as well. I doubt I'll get a discount for providing the trees to run the course


 
I spoke with the BC forestry and safety guys - if you can not challenge their course for a fee of $1,400, you must take the faller training course. It is 1 month long, does not include room or boarding, and the fee is $10,000.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Agreed Matt. Missing out I knew with the introduction of the 390, it would gain quite a following as the 288 has. After all there is a reason it was brought back I say. Some guy's forgot about the 288, with the new 390 I guess. But the 288 is still a top runner. Maybe the 390 is lighter? But watched it since it first came out put a smile on my face, because that was on saw they never should have dropped. I know the 385 is outstanding too never ran one, but heard they put a heavier flywheel for the 390 some said the 385 had a hair under for torque. Cant swear by it but had heard that a few time's. Intead of discontinuing top model's the maker's should just revise, and upgrade.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Do you mean the courses Will? The Basic cost me $400 and the Intermediate and Pole Saw cost $850. I think the Advanced will be up around $850 as well. I doubt I'll get a discount for providing the trees to run the course


 


wyk said:


> I spoke with the BC forestry and safety guys - if you can not challenge their course for a fee of $1,400, you must take the faller training course. It is 1 month long, does not include room or boarding, and the fee is $10,000.


 
Yes Matt I do. For what I do though, I know enough, but I would always like to know more! LOL. There is nothing like that around here. Like WYK said, you can challange the faller's course but cost allot to just do that, and I know I wouldn't pass. This is why I like working with my friend as much as I can. He's a certified Faller, and owns his own tree service, and he is very good.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> I spoke with the BC forestry and safety guys - if you can not challenge their course for a fee of $1,400, you must take the faller training course. It is 1 month long, does not include room or boarding, and the fee is $10,000.



There are extra units to do as well as far as the production side of things go - I'm just doing the felling side of things. For instance I would also have to do a crosscut unit, plus another three units in regard to bucking, limbing, thinning etc etc for the mill. As far as the felling side of things go though it is all the same - the extra training comes for when the tree is on the ground. $10,000 is a pretty solid fee though - apart from maybe becoming a qualified arborist AND doing the above felling courses I doubt I could get anywhere near fees of $10,000 though. In saying that though I doubt any of our forestry courses apart from maybe in Tasmania (rapidly changing with the greenie movement) would ever tackle trees as large as Canada and the PNW. Our biggest trees are around the same size as their biggest trees but ours are fully protected and only dropped when dangerous with a LOT of paperwork and legislation involved.
If I had the money and time I'd love to have a crack at the BC course - whether I passed or not I'm sure I'd learn more than any other course in the world.



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Agreed Matt. Missing out I knew with the introduction of the 390, it would gain quite a following as the 288 has. After all there is a reason it was brought back I say. Some guy's forgot about the 288, with the new 390 I guess. But the 288 is still a top runner. Maybe the 390 is lighter? But watched it since it first came out put a smile on my face, because that was on saw they never should have dropped. I know the 385 is outstanding too never ran one, but heard they put a heavier flywheel for the 390 some said the 385 had a hair under for torque. Cant swear by it but had heard that a few time's. Intead of discontinuing top model's the maker's should just revise, and upgrade.



I've never run a 385 but I know Al has ported and fitted a 390 top end to his 385 and said similar porting to the 390 top end didn't yield the same results as the 385. It would seem that the 385 may have more left in the tank as far as mods go than the 390. The 288's have a good reputation though for sure.



parrisw said:


> Yes Matt I do. For what I do though, I know enough, but I would always like to know more! LOL. There is nothing like that around here. Like WYK said, you can challange the faller's course but cost allot to just do that, and I know I wouldn't pass. This is why I like working with my friend as much as I can. He's a certified Faller, and owns his own tree service, and he is very good.



Yeah that's a lot of coin. In all honesty I'm mainly doing my felling courses for the qualifications. Although I've learnt a few things along the way most of it is outlined in forestry manuals etc and is standard practice. The main thing I've learnt is that softwoods and hardwoods are different in the way they need to be cut and the things you can do to alter their fall. A softwood's hinge will hang on, allowing fancier cuts like Swinging Dutchmans etc. If you try the same cuts on our hardwoods they'll shear clean off and go where they want anyway. I rate myself as a pretty good chopper in those Casuarinas I've been felling however I looked VERY average when I started dropping the Pines on these courses. Due to the speed that my saws were going through the softer wood my cuts were getting away from me as I wasn't paying enough attention. It's good to be able to work with mates like yours who know what they're doing. Unfortunately there are a lot of guys around who think they know what they're doing and other gullible people unfortunately believe them - you just have to surf Youtube.


----------



## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> That is beautiful wood! I can understand why you wish you had milled it instead.


 


AUSSIE1 said:


> Yeah that pink stuff would look nice as a kitchen benchtop. Beaut character :msp_thumbup:



Just a quick one gents. I made up an impromptu chopping board the other night and have been wiping it with olive oil. Has come up nice making me even more angry that I didn't mill that log. Hand planed and sanded so a bit wobbley on the flat benchtop. I'm in the market for a decent thicknesser now! Some may say wobbley is dodgey craftmanship, I say it's got character


----------



## Rudolf73

Looking good Matt! 

Chainsaw mill or freehand?


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Looking good Matt!
> 
> Chainsaw mill or freehand?



Freehand with 32" bar on the 390XPG then out with the good old Bosch plane. Then a bit of a Bosch Orbital sander. A few more end cracks have appeared since this photo but nothing major. The missus thought it was a lovely gift - I was just giving her the hint to cook me more food


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Yeah that's a lot of coin. In all honesty I'm mainly doing my felling courses for the qualifications. Although I've learnt a few things along the way most of it is outlined in forestry manuals etc and is standard practice. The main thing I've learnt is that softwoods and hardwoods are different in the way they need to be cut and the things you can do to alter their fall. A softwood's hinge will hang on, allowing fancier cuts like Swinging Dutchmans etc. If you try the same cuts on our hardwoods they'll shear clean off and go where they want anyway. I rate myself as a pretty good chopper in those Casuarinas I've been felling however I looked VERY average when I started dropping the Pines on these courses. Due to the speed that my saws were going through the softer wood my cuts were getting away from me as I wasn't paying enough attention. It's good to be able to work with mates like yours who know what they're doing. Unfortunately there are a lot of guys around who think they know what they're doing and other gullible people unfortunately believe them - you just have to surf Youtube.


 
Yes, oh boy do I ever know that! I run into people all the time working on cars for a living, that think they know what they are talking about. 

Here is my friend up a tree, I'm the guy at the end of the rope!

[video=youtube;rMXnaTy00Fg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMXnaTy00Fg[/video]

He taught me how to climb too. Its funny, I actually feel more comfortable climbing a tree to take it down, then actually felling one.


----------



## AUSSIE1

Aldi have hardwood chopping boards for $25 that don't wobble Matt!


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> I've never run a 385 but I know Al has ported and fitted a 390 top end to his 385 and said similar porting to the 390 top end didn't yield the same results as the 385. It would seem that the 385 may have more left in the tank as far as mods go than the 390. The 288's have a good reputation though for sure.



No I haven't changed the durations whatsoever as yet Matt. I did a little widening and port matched it then assembled it for the run in period to see where it's at.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Cool cutting board Matt! Agreed 390 bad ass! 385 too. Parrisw cool video man, been at the end of the rope many times. Fall em too, no climbing for me LOL! My two good buddy's climb. I love this thread!


----------



## blsnelling

MCW said:


> I've never run a 385 but I know Al has ported and fitted a 390 top end to his 385 and said similar porting to the 390 top end didn't yield the same results as the 385. It would seem that the 385 may have more left in the tank as far as mods go than the 390. The 288's have a good reputation though for sure.


 
This last 390 I did changed that for me. I always thought the same before. I'm now getting results on a 390 like I have with a 385, probably more.


----------



## parrisw

blsnelling said:


> This last 390 I did changed that for me. I always thought the same before. I'm now getting results on a 390 like I have with a 385, probably more.


 
Well, do tell Brad, we want to know.


----------



## blsnelling

parrisw said:


> Well, do tell Brad, we want to know.


 
Before we have a 385/390 buildoff???:msp_tongue:


----------



## parrisw

blsnelling said:


> Before we have a 385/390 buildoff???:msp_tongue:


 
Yes.


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Just a quick one gents. I made up an impromptu chopping board the other night and have been wiping it with olive oil. Has come up nice making me even more angry that I didn't mill that log. Hand planed and sanded so a bit wobbley on the flat benchtop. I'm in the market for a decent thicknesser now! Some may say wobbley is dodgey craftmanship, I say it's got character



I would like to hear from others, I don't use olive oil it goes rancid

Matt router a slot through the middle of the end grain on the two ends of the cutting board you can inlay some wood to stop the end s from splitting, I like to use a contrasting colour.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Yes, oh boy do I ever know that! I run into people all the time working on cars for a living, that think they know what they are talking about.
> 
> Here is my friend up a tree, I'm the guy at the end of the rope!
> 
> He taught me how to climb too. Its funny, I actually feel more comfortable climbing a tree to take it down, then actually felling one.



He looks like a midget 



AUSSIE1 said:


> Aldi have hardwood chopping boards for $25 that don't wobble Matt!



Yes. Thankyou Alistair for your wise, yet seemingly sarcastic little comment...



saltas said:


> I would like to hear from others, I don't use olive oil it goes rancid
> 
> Matt router a slot through the middle of the end grain on the two ends of the cutting board you can inlay some wood to stop the end s from splitting, I like to use a contrasting colour.



I'm not sure what oil to use but any that tend to oxidise are the ones to avoid. This whole shebang took about 25 minutes so I'm not getting too excited about it. My missus wanted a chopping board so I snuck down the shed and before she knew it I presented her with one. Despite being cracked, wobbley, and potentially rancid in a few weeks bulk Brownie points were had. Gotta get 'em while ya can...


----------



## AUSSIE1

MCW said:


> Thankyou Alistair for your wise, yet seemingly sarcastic little comment...



Sarcastic? Me? :msp_w00t: I'm just jealous! You know, I know you did a good job. :msp_thumbup:


----------



## billyj

the best thing for putting a finish on chopping boards is parafin as its non reactive and doesnt go rancid. but most oil coatings will wash off after a few uses leaving the timber bare which is fine

heres a couple of quick ones i knocked up last year, not sure what the timber is( if anyone knows please tell) but it was just pieces of a small log we were gonna use for firewood at tallarook vic, once i saw the grain i freehanded a few small boards. ive included raw pics and pics after given a couple of coats of parafin


----------



## AUSSIE1

Hey Billy that's really nice timber with plenty of character.

Tallarook has blue gum, stringy, blackwood, black and silver wattle and river tea tree.


----------



## MCW

OK Billy. You win...


...for now 

My next chopping board will cop Castrol TTS...


----------



## AUSSIE1

I remember the Tallarook pub. You'd be driving along out in the bush and around the bend there stood this old pub built in the 1800's. Nothing else about. Great old pub. They pulled it down to build this resorty bloody thing!


----------



## s219

saltas said:


> I would like to hear from others, I don't use olive oil it goes rancid.


 
My wife, who would know about these things, buys a clear food-safe mineral oil for her cutting boards. I don't know where she buys it, but the bottle says "butcher block oil".


----------



## NORMZILLA44

View attachment 203410
View attachment 203411
I posted thes on the Growing up in the redwood's thread, but wanted to share em with you brother's! A falling job from 1986. My good friend Will. I moved to Cazadero in 1987 when we first met. I learned alot about saws, and running dog's from him. His two sons grew up to be two of my best friends, and we have done alot together. Tree work as well. The boy in the pic is Brian he moved to Oregon, and became on heck of a timber faller. His older brother John still live's near me, and we still do alot together. Tree work, and running dogs.


----------



## Strelnikov

s219 said:


> My wife, who would know about these things, buys a clear food-safe mineral oil for her cutting boards. I don't know where she buys it, but the bottle says "butcher block oil".


 
I replaced my wife's old cutting board with a piece of oak treated with mineral oil and it has worked fine for her, going on several years now.


----------



## wyk

I almost signed up for it. But I wanted to spend some time in Europe before I got too old  So, instead, I spent the 10G's and ended up in Dorset.

I hadn't cut a lot of hardwoods in a long time. So, I had a bit of a learning curve here when I first started. You really can't get too fancy with your hardwood cuts. And unlike most tall firs that tend to lazily let go, I have had a few large Ashes that were in a huge hurry for a jump and pulled a LOT of fiber. Er.. Fibre. 

Taking down an Ash - YouTube go to 0:30 

I am cutting thin on the far side so she'll come more towards the camera to save a fence. The backtrack is there because the boss told us to put it there when the land management asked us to put that particular ash down - she really wasn't needed. Well, it works, but look at all that cracking and pulling and you can hear the ash do a lot of complaining. A Fir would have held on longer and not pulled any fiber at all. That Ash has a 4' crack in it. It's only gonna end up as firewood and maybe axe handles, but it still doesn't look good when ya do that.

WYK



MCW said:


> If I had the money and time I'd love to have a crack at the BC course - whether I passed or not I'm sure I'd learn more than any other course in the world.
> 
> Yeah that's a lot of coin. In all honesty I'm mainly doing my felling courses for the qualifications. Although I've learnt a few things along the way most of it is outlined in forestry manuals etc and is standard practice. The main thing I've learnt is that softwoods and hardwoods are different in the way they need to be cut and the things you can do to alter their fall. A softwood's hinge will hang on, allowing fancier cuts like Swinging Dutchmans etc. If you try the same cuts on our hardwoods they'll shear clean off and go where they want anyway. I rate myself as a pretty good chopper in those Casuarinas I've been felling however I looked VERY average when I started dropping the Pines on these courses. Due to the speed that my saws were going through the softer wood my cuts were getting away from me as I wasn't paying enough attention. It's good to be able to work with mates like yours who know what they're doing. Unfortunately there are a lot of guys around who think they know what they're doing and other gullible people unfortunately believe them - you just have to surf Youtube.


----------



## MCW

Back again gents.
Haven't been doing a hell of a lot of chainsaw work lately as I've been flat out so any spare time has been spent around the house.
I had a client of mine ask me yesterday to knock over an "Athol Pine" for him so I decided to do it after work before sunset. I got there just after 6pm. Turns out his "Athol Pine" was actually a Redgum. I asked why he'd said it was a Pine and it was because he thought it would be illegal to fell (he's a bit of a joker this guy). In reality it wasn't as the row of Redgums here was planted by the original land owner after the 1956 flood so not naturally occurring - in our area they are therefore legal to fell.
The worst part was that I expected a crappy small Athol Pine and only brought the little 241C and 7900 with 20" bar. If I'd have sighted the tree prior I'd have brought the 390XP and 32" bar.
He only wanted one half dropped as a winegrape irrigation sensor of his was having trouble sending it's signal back to the base station at his house - it's line of sight was getting blocked by this tree.
It was on a fair slope so I cut down the middle between the two halves then felled it as per normal with a plunging backcut. Somewhere in the middle I hit something nasty and the near new RSC went off the cut immediately with some pretty funky cutter damage. I swapped to some Carlton A1-EP semi chisel and had another go at it with no issues. Once it started to move I was out of there as there was a lot of interlocked branches in the canopy. Those who have worked or spent a lot of time around Redgums will know that these things drop big, heavy branches at the drop of a hat. A houseboat on the river in my region was completely written off a year or two ago with a load of Netballers on it enjoying their end of year trip when a massive branch fell on the front of the boat. Luckily they were out the back! It is well known in our area (and others) that in hot weather you DO NOT camp, park your car, or sit under Redgums. As the sap expands with the hot weather they will just shed big limbs like there is no tomorrow. While out fishing on the Murray River here in my boat I've seen limbs up to 3' in diameter just crash to the ground. Redgums don't often get very tall, maybe 100' at the most, but they do have some super fat trunks and big limbs.
Anyway it went where I wanted (which was pretty easy) and then I got stuck into cutting it up a bit with the little 241C Babytronic. This is an awesome little saw. This grower also has a big loader with a 5 tonne lift capacity so the log that was left will be milled later. The part of the trunk I cut off was probably about 2' in diameter, maybe slightly larger...














And a nice sunset...






Plus the little 241 video...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LUtGaleuKB4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This little saw is awesome and has appealed to me instantly, unlike the MS261 I owned which I gave a number of chances but sold it in the end.

The other part of my "Today's Job" (ie: my real job) is looking for and recommending controls for little bastards like these...

Katydid nymphs that damage young citrus fruitlets. These have been going nuts over the last few weeks and causing big issues and lots of damage...






And native Spined Citrus Bug nymphs in Lemons. They stick their proboscis into the fruit to feed on it so it looks fine on the outside but goes brown on the inside. They love Lemons...






Exciting stuff huh?


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> Once it started to move I was out of there as there was a lot of interlocked branches in the canopy. Those who have worked or spent a lot of time around Redgums will know that these things will drop big, heavy branches at the drop of a hat. A houseboat on the river in my region was completely written off a year or two ago with a load of Netballers on it enjoying their end of year trip when a massive branch fell on the front of the boat. Luckily they were out the back! It is well known in our area (and others) that in hot weather you DO NOT camp, park your car, or sit under Redgums. As the sap expands with the hot weather they will just shed big limbs like there is no tomorrow. While out fishing on the Murray River here in my boat I've seen limbs up to 3' in diameter just crash to the ground. Redgums don't often get very tall, maybe 100' at the most, but the do have some super fat trunks and big limbs.
> Anyway it went where I wanted (which was pretty easy) and then I got stuck into cutting it up a bit with the little 241C Babytronic. This is an awesome little saw. This grower also has a big loader with a 5 tonne lift capacity so the log that was left will be milled later. The part of the trunk I cut off was probably about 2' in diameter, maybe slightly larger...



Those redgums can be dangerous for sure, back went I was working in SA one of the guys parked a tractor under a nice big red gum and not long after that it dropped a 2' branch on the tractor and trailer. The panels on the tractor needed replacing but the trailer was flat... even the rims where squashed. Its a wonder OH&S hasn't gone around and put "caution falling objects" signs on all those trees... that should keep them busy for long enough and out of our hair :msp_biggrin:

The baby-M is going well to, amazing how well it cuts that hardwood. I would like to see how it compares to your 353, probably not as snappy but close I would think.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Those redgums can be dangerous for sure, back went I was working in SA one of the guys parked a tractor under a nice big red gum and not long after that it dropped a 2' branch on the tractor and trailer. The panels on the tractor needed replacing but the trailer was flat... even the rims where squashed. Its a wonder OH&S hasn't gone around and put "caution falling objects" signs on all those trees... that should keep them busy for long enough and out of our hair :msp_biggrin:
> 
> The baby-M is going well to, amazing how well it cuts that hardwood. I would like to see how it compares to your 353, probably not as snappy but close I would think.


 
Yeah they drop a lot of limbs for sure. Below the other Redgums at this guy's place lay a truckload of good wood that had simply fallen out of the canopy over just the last few years.

I agree on the 241 vs. my 353. My 353 has been muffler modded and that made a fair bit of difference and stock I reckon it'd give a it a good run for sure, probably beat it actually.
Put it this way, I do not regret selling the 261 at all. I still miss my 5100-S though, I should have kept that thing in hindsight


----------



## David (saltas)

Nice post Matt.

I'm interested in your IPM for the hopper grass and the fruit stinger 

What's an athel pine?.......Oh. I looked it up a fire resistant tree that drops salts on the ground.

Did you prune the co-dominant stump or leave it as shown in picture?

Their used lots of exemptions for clearing 20m,30m or even 100m for (c)

(a) an access trail,
(b) a cut-line for stock movement,
(c) a firebreak,
(d) a road,
(e) a telephone line or cable,
(f) a power line or cable,
(g) a drain to a water storage,
(h) a bore drain,
(i) a pipeline,
(j) an irrigation channel.

Until the legislation was repealed. 

A farmer I know up north bulldozed a whole block in the 50's with a baby dozer, He dug a whole and burred the dozer when it was done cause he hated it so much.........anyway he cut a drain in a perfectly straight line and made a perfectly square dam, fast forward some unistudents doing an internship for DERM came onto the property mumbled a bit about the environment and left.

He got a letter saying the natural stream an lagoon with remnant vegetation was now protected part of the national park 20 klms away and was an important remnant wildlife corridor.

They only stopped burning the sugar cane 15 years ago, He still gets his blood up about that and it was 12 years ago now


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I love this thread, and to be honest got to missing my down under brothers!


----------



## Andyshine77

Matt that 241 looks like a killer little saw, wish they sold them here.


----------



## Stihlman441

If ya pay you to can have one.


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> I'm interested in your IPM for the hopper grass and the fruit stinger



Spinetoram at 20ml/100L 



Andyshine77 said:


> Matt that 241 looks like a killer little saw, wish they sold them here.



Yeah they really are a little rocket Andy. Until I used these M-Tronic stratos the standard unmodified stratos had simply not impressed me one little bit apart from an abundance of torque - in many ways this extra torque didn't actually make them faster as they had very sluggish throttle response over a standard non strato saw of similar cc. I've seen with stock 441C videos that the M-Tronic system really has taken the stratos to the next level. I'd love to try a 576A-T Husky but I have that class locked down with the 390XP's and Dolmar 7900's and won't change them for quids at this stage...


----------



## AUSSIE1

She surly slices slickly sunshine!


----------



## David (saltas)

AUSSIE1 said:


> She surly slices slickly sunshine!



This is not the five word thread

spinosad is what I have been using on Bactrocera tryoni, nice to know what you use; as always 

You got me thinking
I went all off label (APVMA)
(yes I know better, Yes I did a risk assesment and some reasearch and some controls)
I have been experimenting with readily available acids to drop pH of water for glyphosate
I have not found a home owner readily available acid that has not worked, I was interested in unintended reactions

Nothing is surviving treatment so far................


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> This is not the five word thread
> 
> spinosad is what I have been using on Bactrocera tryoni, nice to know what you use; as always
> 
> You got me thinking
> I went all off label (APVMA)
> (yes I know better, Yes I did a risk assesment and some reasearch and some controls)
> I have been experimenting with readily available acids to drop pH of water for glyphosate
> I have not found a home owner readily available acid that has not worked, I was interested in unintended reactions
> 
> Nothing is surviving treatment so far................



P.S. The below text IS NOT chainsaw related  I spend too much time at work...

Spinetoram is the new synthesised version of Spinosad (trade name Delegate or Success NEO). Spinosad (Success or Success 2) always had a good kill but was not persistant enough under high pressure so pests would quickly reinhabit sprayed areas. I was involved in citrus trials on Spinosad just prior to it hitting the market about 7 odd years ago. Dow have extended the UV stability of Spinetoram over Spinosad so instead of just a couple of days control you'll now get 7-10, depending on the pest. Under extremely high pressure though I doubt I'll recommend it - quite often the ideal IPM scenario isn't suited to the growers budget or spray program.

Spinetoram is only one of many insecticides I recommend but due to it's price is sometimes shunned by growers - it has it's place but quite often doesn't have a broad enough spectrum for the pests that need controlling. The price has come back though since Dow synthesised it.

Just this week depending on other pests I've recommended...ahem...

Methidathion for Kelly's Citrus Thrip (nasty and VERY dangerous chemical and on the US dirty dozen list - however it is very persistant and work's a treat. Has one of the lowest mammalian LD50's on the market). Syngenta recently announced that they have stopped manufacturing of their Supracide due to US environmental pressure. Farmoz however still manufacture their Suprathion from start to finish. It is one of the few products on the market that really has no alternative in certain situations.

Actara for Kelly's Citrus Thrip in Lemons. Gives about 6 weeks control but on thrips only.

Chlorpyrifos at 1/2 rate (50ml/100L) + Summer Oil at 0.5% in Citrus where both Katydid, Light Brown Apple Moth, AND Mealybug are present. Without the Mealybug you'd leave the oil out.

Prodigy in winegrapes for Light Brown Apple Moth. This is an IGR and gives 3 weeks protection against both eggs and all larval stages. Excellent product and only works on Lepidoptera larvae/eggs.

Dipel (Bacillus thuringiensis) for Light Brown Apple Moth in citrus and winegrapes.

Applaud for Mealybug in Table Grapes (an IGR by Dow). Dow make excellent stuff and one of the few manufacturers where there is no BS with their products, along with Sumitomo. They all work exactly as designed.

Unlike some other chemical companies with original on patent products Dow And Sumitomo don't claim that their products will cure cancer, help global warming, or have a pH stability range from -5 to 40  

I go off label every single day mate. There are a lot of things that work and can be used in combination despite what the product labels say. Last season I had to tell a guy to combine a tankmix of both Chlorpyrifos and Methidathion for a range of pests. Chlorpyrifos smashes Mealybug whereas it won't touch Californian Red Scale yet Methidathion smashes Red Scale yet Mealybug laugh at it. No single chemical on the market will adequately control both pests. It worked an absolute treat (never heard of this mix being used before) and basically birds were dropping out the air as they flew over stone dead (not really but you get my drift).
I didn't want to use this mix as their were a number of beneficial ladybeetle species in the patch after an earlier aphid infestation. Unfortunately sometimes you have to think of the grower and getting him a maximum return for his product before thinking of the beneficials present  They do reinhabit faster than many organic greenies claim though.

I also had a funny one today - a guy has been using and recommending to his mates dishwashing liquid as a herbicide surfactant claiming it was cheap and works. I told him that his mix was full hillbilly spec. He waffled on about how cheap it is but got put back in his place when I told him the per hectare cost of a specifically designed non ionic surfactant (about 30c/ha). That shut him up quick smart as his dishwashing liquid didn't look so cheap then. I'm sure the lemony scent of his glyphosate mix smelled lovely though  As far as acids to buffer pH down Anhydrous Citric Acid is about as cost effective as you'll get at about $0.40/ha in horticulture (350L/ha approx) or $0.08/ha in broadacre applications (about 70L/ha). Cheaper than dirt nearly


----------



## deye223

all good stuff matt i like reading this sort of thing one of those chemical companys must have its fingers in a lot of pies sumitomo make tyers as well, well i think they do ??


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> all good stuff matt i like reading this sort of thing one of those chemical companys must have its fingers in a lot of pies sumitomo make tyers as well, well i think they do ??



Yeah mate. Basically all these companies have their fingers in all sorts of pies. I mean Bayer make all sorts of nasty insecticides, fungicides etc etc yet also make pregnancy multivitamins for women! They also have a massive hold in animal health and make indigestion tablets (Rennie).
Sumitomo and Dow mainly focus on what are called proprietary products which means they developed them and they are still on patent so can't be knocked off and copied.
The profits made by on patent chemicals is absolutely huge and margins are quite often 1000% or more (no joke!).
Once these chemicals come off patent (5 years from memory) the margins drop to about 20% for the chemical companies who start to make the generic copies of the original - still good money though.


----------



## blsnelling

Wow! That little 241 loves to run. She doesn't mind you leaning on it one bit!


----------



## deye223

blsnelling said:


> Wow! That little 241 loves to run. She doesn't mind you leaning on it one bit!



yes whats that, dust on his 200t and it aint sawdust


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> P.S. The below text IS NOT chainsaw related  I spend too much time at work......
> 
> (all excellent stuff)
> 
> $0.40/ha in horticulture........... or $0.08/ha.... . Cheaper than dirt nearly



Were do you get dirt for horticulture for @ $0.40/ha...............:hmm3grin2orange:

Thanks again for you excellent and detailed reply

I'm only teaching back yarders and have a small market garden to teach with and am able to many cultural methods that are not workable in a commercial environment.

I don't have the big two trying to buy the whole crop for $1/tonne and then tell you only half of it is good enough to retail and then sell it for $10/kg

I keep telling the students don't grow the $1/kg stuff grow the $5~$10/kg stuff at home :msp_rolleyes:


----------



## AUSSIE1

saltas said:


> This is not the five word thread.



Stiff ####!


----------



## Aussie Dave

MCW said:


> P.S. The below text IS NOT chainsaw related  I spend too much time at work...
> 
> Spinetoram is the new synthesised version of Spinosad (trade name Delegate or Success NEO). Spinosad (Success or Success 2) always had a good kill but was not persistant enough under high pressure so pests would quickly reinhabit sprayed areas. I was involved in citrus trials on Spinosad just prior to it hitting the market about 7 odd years ago. Dow have extended the UV stability of Spinetoram over Spinosad so instead of just a couple of days control you'll now get 7-10, depending on the pest. Under extremely high pressure though I doubt I'll recommend it - quite often the ideal IPM scenario isn't suited to the growers budget or spray program.
> 
> Spinetoram is only one of many insecticides I recommend but due to it's price is sometimes shunned by growers - it has it's place but quite often doesn't have a broad enough spectrum for the pests that need controlling. The price has come back though since Dow synthesised it.
> 
> Just this week depending on other pests I've recommended...ahem...
> 
> Methidathion for Kelly's Citrus Thrip (nasty and VERY dangerous chemical and on the US dirty dozen list - however it is very persistant and work's a treat. Has one of the lowest mammalian LD50's on the market). Syngenta recently announced that they have stopped manufacturing of their Supracide due to US environmental pressure. Farmoz however still manufacture their Suprathion from start to finish. It is one of the few products on the market that really has no alternative in certain situations.
> 
> Actara for Kelly's Citrus Thrip in Lemons. Gives about 6 weeks control but on thrips only.
> 
> Chlorpyrifos at 1/2 rate (50ml/100L) + Summer Oil at 0.5% in Citrus where both Katydid, Light Brown Apple Moth, AND Mealybug are present. Without the Mealybug you'd leave the oil out.
> 
> Prodigy in winegrapes for Light Brown Apple Moth. This is an IGR and gives 3 weeks protection against both eggs and all larval stages. Excellent product and only works on Lepidoptera larvae/eggs.
> 
> Dipel (Bacillus thuringiensis) for Light Brown Apple Moth in citrus and winegrapes.
> 
> Applaud for Mealybug in Table Grapes (an IGR by Dow). Dow make excellent stuff and one of the few manufacturers where there is no BS with their products, along with Sumitomo. They all work exactly as designed.
> 
> Unlike some other chemical companies with original on patent products Dow And Sumitomo don't claim that their products will cure cancer, help global warming, or have a pH stability range from -5 to 40
> 
> I go off label every single day mate. There are a lot of things that work and can be used in combination despite what the product labels say. Last season I had to tell a guy to combine a tankmix of both Chlorpyrifos and Methidathion for a range of pests. Chlorpyrifos smashes Mealybug whereas it won't touch Californian Red Scale yet Methidathion smashes Red Scale yet Mealybug laugh at it. No single chemical on the market will adequately control both pests. It worked an absolute treat (never heard of this mix being used before) and basically birds were dropping out the air as they flew over stone dead (not really but you get my drift).
> I didn't want to use this mix as their were a number of beneficial ladybeetle species in the patch after an earlier aphid infestation. Unfortunately sometimes you have to think of the grower and getting him a maximum return for his product before thinking of the beneficials present  They do reinhabit faster than many organic greenies claim though.
> 
> I also had a funny one today - a guy has been using and recommending to his mates dishwashing liquid as a herbicide surfactant claiming it was cheap and works. I told him that his mix was full hillbilly spec. He waffled on about how cheap it is but got put back in his place when I told him the per hectare cost of a specifically designed non ionic surfactant (about 30c/ha). That shut him up quick smart as his dishwashing liquid didn't look so cheap then. I'm sure the lemony scent of his glyphosate mix smelled lovely though  As far as acids to buffer pH down Anhydrous Citric Acid is about as cost effective as you'll get at about $0.40/ha in horticulture (350L/ha approx) or $0.08/ha in broadacre applications (about 70L/ha). Cheaper than dirt nearly



Interesting stuff Matt,you lost me though
Back in the day,Lemat and endosulfan where the go to for earth mite in canola....kill whoever was using it as well if you wernt carefull!
Nice running saw too. 

Cheers Dave


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Wow! That little 241 loves to run. She doesn't mind you leaning on it one bit!



Yeah Brad it likes to run thats for sure. I'd love to have compared it with an MS240 just to see how much difference the strato and M-Tronic setup made. I'm thinking lots...



deye223 said:


> yes whats that, dust on his 200t and it aint sawdust



Nah I think the 200T is safe. My little Husky 353 is quivering though 



saltas said:


> Were do you get dirt for horticulture for @ $0.40/ha...............:hmm3grin2orange:
> 
> Thanks again for you excellent and detailed reply
> 
> I'm only teaching back yarders and have a small market garden to teach with and am able to many cultural methods that are not workable in a commercial environment.
> 
> I don't have the big two trying to buy the whole crop for $1/tonne and then tell you only half of it is good enough to retail and then sell it for $10/kg
> 
> I keep telling the students don't grow the $1/kg stuff grow the $5~$10/kg stuff at home :msp_rolleyes:



Yeah you are 100% correct mate. What we do in commercial horticulture is most certainly not suited to smaller market/backyard gardens etc in the majority of cases and vice versa. People that think they can grow commercial yields organically and sustainably are also playing with something other than their organics handbook 
Your price analogy is spot on sadly...



AUSSIE1 said:


> Stiff ####!



That's seven S's in a row Al. Outstanding...



Aussie Dave said:


> Interesting stuff Matt,you lost me though
> Back in the day,Lemat and endosulfan where the go to for earth mite in canola....kill whoever was using it as well if you wernt carefull!
> Nice running saw too.
> 
> Cheers Dave



Good old Lemat and Endosulfan  A lot was used this year for mouse bait by mixing with grain and icing sugar. Illegal of course but farmers couldn't get other baits...
Endosulfan is heavily restricted now and the last organochlorine on the Australian market. Same group as DDT, Aldrin, Dieldrin, Heptachlor etc but nowhere near as bad - unless you are a frog or fish...


----------



## RandyMac

Hey Matt!
Did ya ping pong and trapez parlor get flooded in Ban'kok?


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Hey Matt!
> Did ya ping pong and trapez parlor get flooded in Ban'kok?



A little bit Randy but luckily me ladeez wuz filled with ping pong balls and floated to safety


----------



## RandyMac

Good Deal Matt!
I figured ya woulda withdrawn to avoid getting wet.


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Good Deal Matt!
> I figured ya woulda withdrawn to avoid getting wet.



Yep just tied a few ladeez together to form a raft and all was dandy...


----------



## NORMZILLA44

I like that Matt, Hillbilly spec know it well, not on my end of course LOL!


----------



## MCW

Nothing major but I asked to clean up a few windfallen and dead eucalypts at the corporate farm in one of their small woodlot areas. I kept the very good and hard firewood  They have a number of these woodlots over the property to help keep the water table down. Without these salt tolerant and deep rooted trees the lower areas of this property would be nothing but a rancid puddle.
Got a load of wood and a few videos. My fiancee came to help and being off a farm she loves manual labour and getting her hands dirty - bit of a bonus really! It was 37°C when I did this on Sunday or just under 100°F. I got a bit of a sweat up 
Once again I need to go to "Raker's Anonymous" with the RSC chain on my 7900. Despite what I've previously said I got excited on the grinder and dropped them too far.....again..... One day I'll learn...







Plus a video of the 7900. This thing really does put a smile on my dial every time...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PPrvYk7id7c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I also used the little 241C but the upload to Spewtube dropped out part way through. Still an impressive little weapon...

I also took a video of me changing a chain with the saw on it's side. I also posted this on another thread as some of the guys there couldn't understand how somebody could do it. I'm that used to doing it like this that to leave a saw sitting upright is actually quite awkward for me. In fact I think this way is much faster...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YDzYV5ORMzM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'll include the 241C video when it finally gets completed. I saw a guy's upload speed report from the US the other day from Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test and near died. He had a faster upload than I had download. I'd have these videos uploaded in minutes at that speed


----------



## deye223

don't see to many chips matt sharpen ya chain . oops i'm an ozzy what was i thinking


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> don't see to many chips matt sharpen ya chain . oops i'm an ozzy what was i thinking



I think there was a couple chips there  Maybe...


----------



## deye223

me 460 is like that go to low with the rakers and when the 1st dawg touches the log shes bogged


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> I also took a video of me changing a chain with the saw on it's side. I also posted this on another thread as some of the guys there couldn't understand how somebody could do it. I'm that used to doing it like this that to leave a saw sitting upright is actually quite awkward for me. In fact I think this way is much faster...



Yeah I do it both ways depending on the bar length but a saw on its side makes it easy. I have seen some chainsaw 'racers' do it the same way. Here is an example, about 2:07 in.

[video=youtube;5rKvvn9DKe8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rKvvn9DKe8[/video]

When I visit Germany I would like to shake her hand...


----------



## deye223

Rudolf73 said:


> Yeah I do it both ways depending on the bar length but a saw on its side makes it easy. I have seen some chainsaw 'racers' do it the same way. Here is an example, about 2:07 in.
> 
> [video=youtube;5rKvvn9DKe8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rKvvn9DKe8[/video]
> 
> When I visit Germany I would like to shake her hand...



i would like to shake xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx think i'll shutup before i get i trouble


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> The Global Broadband Speed Test[/url] and near died. He had a faster upload than I had download. I'd have these videos uploaded in minutes at that speed













so how did you do?


----------



## MCW

Here be the video of the 241C...
Although the root ball was still in the ground I was being very careful not to cut the wrong branches off and potentially roll the tree onto me. That be bad...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cZxqcVQYjvo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



saltas said:


> http://www.speedtest.net/result/1580278725.png
> 
> so how did you do?







I cracked 6Mbps the other night. The upload speed isn't great but I am a fair way from the exchange...


----------



## willbarryrec

Hey thanks for the vids.!

That 241 looks like a great little saw.

Thanks to your talking them up so much and your videos of them I am now sinking time and money into fixing a saw that was dropped out of a tree and then run over by a truck  but was free to me..A 200T:msp_biggrin:

Keep it up down there!


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Gald you resurfaced again Matt! Not that I forgot about you, been busy with my Hillbilly spec:msp_thumbsup: God I love that! I am burning some Euacalyptus in the stove right now. After the harder cutting, heavier loading, and over all more work, I remember with all the heat, no ash, and coals for day's it's worht it Tan oak used to spoil us, you could split it with an axe. Me liking the Euac!


----------



## parrisw

saltas said:


> http://www.speedtest.net/result/1580278725.png
> 
> so how did you do?



Here is mine. Not as good as I thought, but ok I guess. I guess I could pay for the better connection, but I don't really need it.


----------



## MCW

willbarryrec said:


> Hey thanks for the vids.!
> 
> That 241 looks like a great little saw.
> 
> Thanks to your talking them up so much and your videos of them I am now sinking time and money into fixing a saw that was dropped out of a tree and then run over by a truck  but was free to me..A 200T:msp_biggrin:
> 
> Keep it up down there!



Good old 200T's  It didn't happen until you have pics and videos! They are a great little saw and this 241 isn't far behind it for it's intended purpose. It performs a lot better than it's 42.7cc would suggest and I'd take one anyday over an MS261...



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Gald you resurfaced again Matt! Not that I forgot about you, been busy with my Hillbilly spec:msp_thumbsup: God I love that! I am burning some Euacalyptus in the stove right now. After the harder cutting, heavier loading, and over all more work, I remember with all the heat, no ash, and coals for day's it's worht it Tan oak used to spoil us, you could split it with an axe. Me liking the Euac!



Are you Full Hillbilly Spec Norm or just partly?  Yeah many of the Eucalyptus species are in a different league as far as firewood goes mate.



parrisw said:


> Here is mine. Not as good as I thought, but ok I guess. I guess I could pay for the better connection, but I don't really need it.



You've spanked me on the upload Will


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> You've spanked me on the upload Will


----------



## 8433jeff

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1583299229.png

I thought mine was about average, but way slower than others, I see. But a _bit_ faster than some.


----------



## wendell

Has this become mandatory?






Wife and son are also online at the moment but that is still pretty pathetic.


----------



## blsnelling




----------



## AUSSIE1

Eat your heart out guys!


----------



## AUSSIE1

This is using my phone as a modem on the lappy. :msp_w00t:


----------



## Stihlman441

This is me


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> This is using my phone as a modem on the lappy. :msp_w00t:



Cool, wonder what my phone will do.


----------



## wendell

blsnelling said:


>



You suck!


----------



## AUSSIE1

wendell said:


> You suck!



I can get open speeds like that of Brads for another five bucks but after what we pay for home phone line rental, calls and internet etc, I start to wonder if we should run everything off the mobile phone. :msp_confused: It would work out cheaper.


----------



## 8433jeff

AUSSIE1 said:


> I can get open speeds like that of Brads for another five bucks but after what we pay for home phone line rental, calls and internet etc, I start to wonder if we should run everything off the mobile phone. :msp_confused: It would work out cheaper.



Got rid of the land line a while back, I haven't had anything but a cell for almost 6 yrs. now. Internet is from the cable company, and am thinking satellite dish real hard right now.


----------



## AUSSIE1

8433jeff said:


> Got rid of the land line a while back, I haven't had anything but a cell for almost 6 yrs. now. Internet is from the cable company, and am thinking satellite dish real hard right now.



Well after doing some more research it makes even more sense. The wife can get a smart phone on a great plan at a total way less than the home package.

Mine is claimed under my business.

5 mb is plenty fast enough that I can see for my requirements.


----------



## gmax

:msp_sad:


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


>





wendell said:


> You suck!



You beat me to it Wendell but Brad - yes you do indeed suck. I mean I know you are a computer programmer and all but you still suck...



AUSSIE1 said:


> This is using my phone as a modem on the lappy. :msp_w00t:



That's a quick upload Al 



gmax said:


> :msp_sad:



Hah hah Wayne


----------



## MCW

Back again. Just realised that Brad's stupendous internet speed is ONLY faster than 61% of the US!!! WTF???

Anyway, on Wednesday our region was hit with a storm of a magnitude that many of the locals, including myself, haven't seen before. I took a video on my phone through the front window of my work and you can hear the wind howling. I drove home during the tail end of it in 4WD at 60kph and was nearly underwater the whole way. We had something like an inch of rain in 10 minutes. Our area really isn't used to quick rain like that...
Anyway it caused a lot of damage, particularly in a few towns about 80-100km away. What you can see in the video is nothing compared to what hit in the other towns further west...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K3twR28aaCE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You can hear a guy I work with say "turn your phone off" because he knew all too well that winegrape growers would start ringing non stop to ask what to do and what fungicides to spray. They did start calling within minutes of this video...

While I was driving around for work I took a few happy snaps of some of the damage. Now guys who have been through tornadoes, hurricanes etc will laugh at this but for our region this sort of damage is unheard of...










Flat road signs...






And the Waikerie Golf Club...






I dropped in to see one of my mates who is the greenskeeper and I couldn't get over the damage. I was going to have a relatively quiet weekend but considering nearly everbody in our region has a chainsaw with a 20" bar or less I ws asked to help out with my larger saws. I spent yesterday and today at the golf club just cutting, cutting, and more cutting. Some of the larger gums were actually quite tricky and would have been extremely dangerous for most of these guys who have never done anything other than prune a citrus tree with a chainsaw.






When I cut this one the trunk I cut shot straight up (it had a bifurcated trunk). I actually used the 3120 and 42" bar on this one despite holding the 390XPG and 32" bar in the photo...










Here is one of my mates standing next to a fallen Gum. You can see why so many fell over as there is a sheet of Limestone rock only about 20" under he ground. They didn't really have a very deep root system. In saying that though many large trees in soft sand were also blown clean over. There are farmers in our area that have had the tops blown off of their grain silos and can't find one anywhere! There was also massive damage to the riverfornt areas with some very old and iconic River Red Gums destroyed. There was also a guy riding around the golf club on a motorbike looking for his pet pig. He was really upset actually and said it likes bread so if we see it lure it in with bread and lock it in a shed or something and call him...






Anyway I'm off to bed and won't be back on AS for a few days. Getting my knee operation tomorrow. Hopefully they don't get the forms mixed up with an amputation procedure or something...


----------



## RandyMac

Holy Cow!
Quite the mess, should bring you some sawchain sales.


----------



## 8433jeff

Matt, the astonishing thing to me is not the damage, we see that on the news all the time here from tornadoes or straight line winds, as you thought. 

How the #@$& do you trees that size on 20" of topsoil? And how have they lasted this long?


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Holy shiat! What a mess, glad you made it okay man. Great pictures. Nothing that exciting here just cleaned out my shed, and fired up my saw's.View attachment 207012
View attachment 207013


----------



## Rudolf73

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Holy shiat! What a mess, glad you made it okay man. Great pictures. Nothing that exciting here just cleaned out my shed, and fired up my saw's.View attachment 207012
> View attachment 207013



That short pole saw looks interesting Norm


----------



## NORMZILLA44

You are the first person to notice that Rudolf. Its a echo kind of a minature version of my bigger echo ppt261. I found it brand new on closeout at a true value hardware. At first did not know if I would use it, but you know I wanted it for the collection. Turns out it is great for my girlfriend to use around the yard, cutting brush, and branches. It is also safe to use one handed extended in front of you. I have found it quite handy for cutting block's, and kindling. When I am building kennells, or fence around the yard, it takes place of my skill saw, and often I love it 125 bucks brand new. P'S it was listed as a orchard pruning saw, and I think intended for small apple, walnut, and pear trees to be able to trim from a orchard ladder.


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## David (saltas)

Matt 
You got any work for a chainsaw operator that is used to cyclone clean up


----------



## MCW

RandyMac said:


> Holy Cow!
> Quite the mess, should bring you some sawchain sales.



They did indeed bring some sales Randy. On Sunday I drove into town from the golf course to grab some lunch and one of the locals said the two chainsaw dealers in town had sold completely out of chain (I'd say he meant common chain types).
I dropped in to the Stihl dealer on the Saturday morning and he had sold every single saw he had in stock within two days.



8433jeff said:


> Matt, the astonishing thing to me is not the damage, we see that on the news all the time here from tornadoes or straight line winds, as you thought.
> 
> How the #@$& do you trees that size on 20" of topsoil? And how have they lasted this long?



Most Eucalypts are absolute masters at gathering moisture. If they find a source of water they'll be all over it. They are great for tearing through pipes and infiltrating septic systems etc. Due to the surrounding greens and fairways being irrigated these trees have sent out lateral roots up to 30 metres or about 100'. As far as staying standing they have lasted that long simply through a complete lack of storms like the one we saw


----------



## MCW

Uploaded a video overnight cutting up one of the larger gums that blew over. I love the way the stumps stand back in their holes a lot of the time 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JOIaiUHwtJE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## Stihlman441

Nice work there Matt that tree may shoot and keep growing.
Looks like ya need a hand up there mate,but the 7 or 8 hr drive is the problem.


----------



## Andyshine77

WOW that was a hell of a storm!! I wanted to say a tornado did the damage, but you can see all the trees went down in one direction, straight line winds I would assume.


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## NORMZILLA44

Awefull quite around here Aussie brothers. Are the storms over?


----------



## blsnelling

Wow, what a loss! Stay safe out there Matt.


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Awefull quite around here Aussie brothers. Are the storms over?



They don't care that some trees fell over Norm  The storm here only lasted about 30 minutes and was over.



blsnelling said:


> Wow, what a loss! Stay safe out there Matt.



All good Brad. Copped a branch in the arm and got some bruises and scratches from that (I got in the wrong position and misread some limb loading). I copped your ported 390XPG at full noise in the shin with a kickback out of the cut. The handle hit me at full pelt (NOT the chain!) and if I could have breathed I'm sure I'd have sworn  Good bruise for sure...

Now I've had my knee cartilage fixed on Monday where they also found I had a completely torn ACL so that was great news upon waking up from an anaesthetic  Now I have to book another appointment and lose about $5,000...


----------



## Aussie Dave

MCW said:


> They don't care that some trees fell over Norm  The storm here only lasted about 30 minutes and was over.
> 
> 
> 
> All good Brad. Copped a branch in the arm and got some bruises and scratches from that (I got in the wrong position and misread some limb loading). I copped your ported 390XPG at full noise in the shin with a kickback out of the cut. The handle hit me at full pelt (NOT the chain!) and if I could have breathed I'm sure I'd have sworn  Good bruise for sure...
> 
> Now I've had my knee cartilage fixed on Monday where they also found I had a completely torn ACL so that was great news upon waking up from an anaesthetic  Now I have to book another appointment and lose about $5,000...



Hell not good! Take it easy mate

Cheers Dave


----------



## David (saltas)

Sorry to hear about your ACL but it is kinda B.S. that your surgeon did not know before going in. 
A torn ACL is easy to diagnose with nothing more technical than two hands to yank your knee about and some eyes to see with, glasses may be required by the completely blind. 
test
[video=vimeo;4679520]http://vimeo.com/4679520[/video]
surgery
[video=youtube;kNvtEMTF6YE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNvtEMTF6YE[/video]

Happy days


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> Sorry to hear about your ACL but it is kinda B.S. that your surgeon did not know before going in.
> A torn ACL is easy to diagnose with nothing more technical than two hands to yank your knee about and some eyes to see with, glasses may be required by the completely blind.
> test
> 
> Happy days



Well aware of the tests. Truth is that two physios (one being a good mate), two GP's, and two surgeons both checked my right knee and compared it to my left knee over the past 3-4 months since I injured it. Both had the same amount of play. Turns out I have a completely torn ACL in my left knee as well from a cricket injury about 9 years ago that nobody realised until the last few days. They all just thought I had more play than normal in my knees which sometimes occurs. I also had far less play than typical from an ACL tear. Sh*t happens unfortunately and I learnt a long time ago to get more than one opinion when it comes to many medical issues. Ah well, at least they didn't have to amputate


----------



## David (saltas)

trying to make a saturday night ####y knee joke but cant.


LOL seems I did John Black man has been censored


----------



## David (saltas)

All of the busted ACL I have seen football and motorbikes probably had the beejesus stretched out of the other three ligaments too


----------



## Stihlman441

Matt i have said this before and i will say it again i dont know how your misses puts up with you.:jester:


----------



## MCW

saltas said:


> trying to make a saturday night ####y knee joke but cant.
> 
> 
> LOL seems I did John Black man has been censored



John Blackman is/was a crack up...



saltas said:


> All of the busted ACL I have seen football and motorbikes probably had the beejesus stretched out of the other three ligaments too



Lucky I did my knee at karate during a flying roundhouse snap kick in the half pike position after a triple backflip then...



Stihlman441 said:


> Matt i have said this before and i will say it again i dont know how your misses puts up with you.:jester:



She doesn't have a choice Andrew


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good deal Matt. Glad you are ok, please tell me the prognosis is the same for the 390. Bruised as well?


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Good deal Matt. Glad you are ok, please tell me the prognosis is the same for the 390. Bruised as well?



Um no Norm. 390XP fared extremely well. Swedish Plastic vs. Aussie Shinbone = Shinbone lost...

The foot bruising is from fluid buildup after my knee operation on Monday - 390 bruise is up my shin a bit. It did actually smart a tad and is what happens when you pinch the top of the chain at full noise on a powerful saw and get a body part in the way. Strong forearms and a solid grip can help combat a nose strike and vertical kickback - no amount of gym work, protein shakes, or horse steroids will pull up a horizontal kickback in a powerful saw. It's just a lot simpler to get body parts into a better position and concentrate on proper cutting techniques


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice,i think ya need some of that green paste (dont know how ya spell it) bute we use on horses.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice,i think ya need some of that green paste (dont know how ya spell it) bute we use on horses.:msp_biggrin:



I had to laugh. I've gone into theatre for my knee op and I've got a big scrape down my right arm and bicep plus a sizeable bruise from a branch that hit me from the golf club. I've got this big bruise on my shin standing out like dog's nuts etc etc.
The surgeon and nurses seemed more interested in those than my knee 
We sell a lot of horse linament and ointment to people at work. It's good stuff and cheap compared to pharmacy stuff.


----------



## Stihlman441

Gee mate you get knocked around at work,lucky your chainsaw hobby is safer.:msp_wink:


----------



## parrisw

Nice bruise Matt. I was flushing a few stumps the other day at a friends with the Makita and a 28" bar and it wouldn't go through the stump all the way so had to work my way around and I tell ya it was like riding a freaking bucking bronco with the bar wanting to pinch all the time at the end of the day my arms and shoulders were quite sore.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Gee mate you get knocked around at work,lucky your chainsaw hobby is safer.:msp_wink:



Sadly all the injuries I've basically had have happened outside of work...


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Nice bruise Matt. I was flushing a few stumps the other day at a friends with the Makita and a 28" bar and it wouldn't go through the stump all the way so had to work my way around and I tell ya it was like riding a freaking bucking bronco with the bar wanting to pinch all the time at the end of the day my arms and shoulders were quite sore.



I'm hearing ya Will. The second that bar tip gets buried it all changes...
I've had saws, bars, and chain setups that are like an angel to use until you bury that tip. Then they become possessed in seconds...

P.S. Andrew, I'm off to the inlaw's farm in a second to go shooting for a few days


----------



## Stihlman441

Thats NOT what ya tell um.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I'm hearing ya Will. The second that bar tip gets buried it all changes...
> I've had saws, bars, and chain setups that are like an angel to use until you bury that tip. Then they become possessed in seconds...



YUP! LOL. I went over there with the intention of just bucking up logs for firewood, then he asks " hey can you take down those ugly stumps"!! GRR, I said I wish you would of asked that before I came over, I would of brought the 395 with 36"bar.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> P.S. Andrew, I'm off to the inlaw's farm in a second to go shooting for a few days



Cool, that sounds like fun. I just finished working on my pellet gun. Fun to shoot, do a little pest control.


----------



## deye223

just a quick vid of blocking up some stringy blocking stringy - YouTube
should raise a comment of MCW cheers


----------



## wyk

parrisw said:


> YUP! LOL. I went over there with the intention of just bucking up logs for firewood, then he asks " hey can you take down those ugly stumps"!! GRR, I said I wish you would of asked that before I came over, I would of brought the 395 with 36"bar.



I've been there. I brought an ms361 to a rancher that knew the rancher I was working for. While I was there, he asked me to take down a 200 year old Maple. Of course I did it.  The MS361 was not happy at all.


----------



## parrisw

wyk said:


> I've been there. I brought an ms361 to a rancher that knew the rancher I was working for. While I was there, he asked me to take down a 200 year old Maple. Of course I did it.  The MS361 was not happy at all.



LOL, some people just don't understand.


----------



## AUSSIE1

parrisw said:


> Cool, that sounds like fun. I just finished working on my pellet gun. Fun to shoot, do a little pest control.



They'd put us away if we shot the neighbours Will.


----------



## parrisw

AUSSIE1 said:


> They'd put us away if we shot the neighbours Will.



LOL, some neighbors are considered pests, however I have very good neighbors and would like to keep it that way. I'm thinning the population of House Sparrows, they are not native and are very bad for other native birds, they kill the babies and will evict them from their nests.


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> should raise a comment of MCW cheers



Your Stringybark has very thin bark and your dog needs to go on a diet 
Other than that all good 



parrisw said:


> LOL, some neighbors are considered pests, however I have very good neighbors and would like to keep it that way. I'm thinning the population of House Sparrows, they are not native and are very bad for other native birds, they kill the babies and will evict them from their nests.



Sparrows suck. I spent my entire childhood shooting those things with an Air Rifle.
Ah those were the days (not that long ago) where you could walk down the road with a slug gun and not have a neighbour call the Star Force/TRG/SWAT etc etc.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Your Stringybark has very thin bark and your dog needs to go on a diet
> Other than that all good
> 
> 
> 
> Sparrows suck. I spent my entire childhood shooting those things with an Air Rifle.
> Ah those were the days (not that long ago) where you could walk down the road with a slug gun and not have a neighbour call the Star Force/TRG/SWAT etc etc.



Ya, they don't come out much in the winter now. But got 3 of them today.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Ya, they don't come out much in the winter now. But got 3 of them today.



They are extremely smart now after being touched up for many many years. There are a lot of them in townships now and they seem to enjoy jumping around on people's car grills picking off squashed bugs. 
The first good air rifle I had was for my 13th birthday and was a Spanish made Norica Model 80 in .177". Highly underrated and not very expensive at the time but that thing nailed a massive amount of pest birds and rabbits. Even a few feral cats. I think it was only rated to about 650fps. My newer model Diana 350 Magnum is around 1200fps with light pellets but half the gun as far as I am concerned.


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> They are extremely smart now after being touched up for many many years. There are a lot of them in townships now and they seem to enjoy jumping around on people's car grills picking off squashed bugs.
> The first good air rifle I had was for my 13th birthday and was a Spanish made Norica Model 80 in .177". Highly underrated and not very expensive at the time but that thing nailed a massive amount of pest birds and rabbits. Even a few feral cats. I think it was only rated to about 650fps. My newer model Diana 350 Magnum is around 1200fps with light pellets but half the gun as far as I am concerned.



In the summer they are all over my back yard, unfortunately I didn't have this gun shooting that well in the summer, I just tuned it up the other day, and now shoots amazing. They wont have a chance now. European starlings need to go down too.


----------



## parrisw

Check this guys Youtube channel out for some serious Air guns, and lots of vids taking out pest's.

EdgunUSA's Channel - YouTube


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Check this guys Youtube channel out for some serious Air guns, and lots of vids taking out pest's.
> 
> EdgunUSA's Channel - YouTube



Have you ever used an air rifle like that and had to pump it up with a manual pump? You'll sell it in 10 seconds or go looking for a guy who can recharge scuba tanks.
Those things although fancy and gutsy are an absolute nightmare. I have two mates and an uncle who have bought that style of gun and sold it to go back to spring powered air rifles. They are also very loud if you crank them up, right up there with a rimfire.



parrisw said:


> European starlings need to go down too.



Yeah Starlings suck. I nailed 67 once with one shot from a 12 guage loaded with 32 gram Size 7's when they sat along the top of an old fruit drying rack (mesh)


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> Have you ever used an air rifle like that and had to pump it up with a manual pump? You'll sell it in 10 seconds or go looking for a guy who can recharge scuba tanks.
> Those things although fancy and gutsy are an absolute nightmare. I have two mates and an uncle who have bought that style of gun and sold it to go back to spring powered air rifles. They are also very loud if you crank them up, right up there with a rimfire.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah Starlings suck. I nailed 67 once with one shot from a 12 guage loaded with 32 gram Size 7's when they sat along the top of an old fruit drying rack (mesh)



No I haven't used pellet guns like that, ya you'd need a scuba tank, the manual pump looks very lame. Killer guns if you can deal with that. Mine's a springer, always works.


----------



## Stihlman441

The Gamo CFX does the job.


----------



## parrisw

Stihlman441 said:


> The Gamo CFX does the job.



Nice!!


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Your Stringybark has very thin bark and your dog needs to go on a diet
> Other than that all good
> 
> 
> oh matt i'm disapointed you didn't notice me stump must have been a good one or you would have raged me about it HAHAHA opcorn:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> The Gamo CFX does the job.



Gamo make good air rifles. My dad has the same one as yours in .177" - if I ever get another one it'll be in .22

EDIT: Actually dad's is a break barrel. Are those Sportsmatch mounts? If so they are an absolute wotk of art those things. I had a set but sold them to my dad for his Gamo as my Diana can't hit sh*t with a scope on.



deye223 said:


> oh matt i'm disapointed you didn't notice me stump must have been a good one or you would have raged me about it HAHAHA opcorn:



Look back through this thread mate. I have you well and truly covered in the dodgey stump stakes


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Look back through this thread mate. I have you well and truly covered in the dodgey stump stakes



with mat jumping to conclusions and ..........With all that exercise that knee will be rehabilitated in no time. :tongue2:


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Matt, my buddy had a scuba tank style. He shot a bird out of a tree in his neighboor's yard, while his neighboor was watering his plant's He never knew what happened. A little sound work was done to the gun, and we were concealed of course. Im with ya Will, stump's are handled best with bigger saw's.


----------



## Nardoo

Matt,
I use a tuned Weihrauch HW-80 about every single day. The rabbits around my place drive me mad digging in the garden. Old Nell loved to retrieve them but she has gone to a duck swamp in the sky now. Waiting for me I hope.
Gives the Indian minahs buggery too.






Al.


----------



## MCW

Nardoo said:


> Matt,
> I use a tuned Weihrauch HW-80 about every single day. The rabbits around my place drive me mad digging in the garden. Old Nell loved to retrieve them but she has gone to a duck swamp in the sky now. Waiting for me I hope.
> Gives the Indian minahs buggery too.
> Al.



The HW80 but in particular the HW80K version were high on my wish list as a teenager. If I remember correctly the HW80K was one of the first spring air rifles to crack the 1000fps mark.
I may be wrong but after seeing the accuracy (or lack thereof) from the ultra high velocity air rifles in .177" I'll be choosing .22" with my next purchase  I simple don't think the .177" pellets can handle those velocities and I've tried about 20 types. The RWS and H&N pellets seem the best but still far from acceptable.


----------



## Nardoo

I must be older than you Matt as it was all Dianas (Gecados) when I was a kid! This HW80 is in .22 and I chronied the heavy H&N FT trophy pellets at 840 fps. It has a full Macarri tune kit to get the power yet is still very shootable -noticably less vibration that standard.
I have a couple of tuned Cometa 400's for my boys in .177 and had to resort to the very heavy H&N barracuda pellets to get good accuracy. I think they are the pellets the guys who run the big Dianas use.

All good fun for us grown up kids!

Al.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Great picture Al, I love the dog, and hunting with dog's. Hope the Aussie brotherhood had a great thanksgiving!


----------



## Terry Syd

Norm, you would fit in real good over here in Oz. The pig hunters out west would never pick you for a Yank until you spoke - Although you would have to leave the sidearm at home.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Thank's Terry, make's me proud to be close to the Aussie breed! I do get tired of packing the pistol, and thought about leaving it, but that will be the day i need it I guess. I am a blade man myself.


----------



## David (saltas)

everyone up here are dogs and knife only............some times tree climbing is required


----------



## NORMZILLA44

The pistol is a technicality, as Knive's are not allowe'd for hunting in CA. So the story goe's the bowie, is for skinning, and clearing the trail of brush. And the machette JR. I carry, is for back up in case I lose the baled, or dull it. Follow me:msp_biggrin:


----------



## David (saltas)

I grew up with working dogs collies and kelpies on the grandparents sheep and cattle farm.

Most popular dogs up here are blue/red healers ( I am constantly surprised when I see them out side of OZ) and PIG dogs.

PIG dogs are a mix of what ever the breeder has access to the is big, strong ,fast. You see all sorts greyhound, mastif, wolf hound great dane, bull terrier, staffie, bull arab, stag/ grey .........................

The common feature is they are almost all brindle or brindle/pie-ball and look like that have been on sterroids :msp_rolleyes:


Pig Dog Supplies Hunting Dog's Breast Plates

Breastplate armour or collars are used by all as although they are rare but we do get 140KG (308 lbs) Pigs
some of the more serious hunters have staple guns for stitching their dogs back together


----------



## NORMZILLA44

A good friend, and mentor, now gone brought back some Heeler's about 25-30 year's ago. He saw them in Modoc, near the oregon border, while on a Mule deer hunting trip. Joe was a pig dog man, and saw them work cattle, and new they would make out for a hog dog. They beacme a big hit fast, and still are. He really started the heeler, and Catahoula in my area. The Catahoula, Mcnab, Border collie, Kelpie, Heeler, and Black mouth Cur, and of course Bull dog's. Are the common thing here. My two brother's Tanner, and Jack are 3/4 Balck mouth Cur, and 1/4 walker hound. My biggest two hobby's you guy's may have guessed, are my dog's, and my saw's. Some day's for my today's job version we may go for a boar hunt, and come back for some tree work, and wood cutting. On one of our hunting ranche's.


----------



## David (saltas)

Norm you would have a blast over here

you could take a step up and we could take you out in a small aluminium boat (tinnie) and catch croc twice the length of the tinnie.
If that dont get the blood pumping nothing will.

Last croc I caught was we were crossing a saltwater creek up to almost our armpits in the water and we grabed a baby only 13 inches long, It started quacking and Kenny was "shut that thing up or mom will looking for it", I got bit by it shutting it up, did not care at the time as it wasmuch better than what mom was gonna give me.

That crocodile is now in a resort/zoo at Airlie Beach Club Crocodile Airlie Beach Resort Accommodation, Queensland Australia


----------



## NORMZILLA44

With christmas around the corner, been thinking alot of friend's. Realized it has been quite here, and I miss hearing from my friend's down under! I hope all is well mate's, and a big hello from me to you!


----------



## blsnelling

Hey Matt, how's it going in the land down under? How's that little MS241 doing?


----------



## Stihlman441

Matts stihl around i think he has a lot on with work and his many broken parts of his body.


----------



## David (saltas)

I got an email from him today so he is still alive, you most likely got it too


----------



## Stihlman441

Yep got it too.


----------



## MCW

Hi Gents.
Still alive and kicking (although it hurts to kick with my bung knee - thanks for reminding me Andrew!).

The little 241C hasn't done much lately Brad - it's still an awesome little saw though. In fact apart from starting a few saws here and there I haven't done much cutting since my last few posts here from that storm. That was right in the middle of a crazy period for me and spending some time on the saws was great therapy. I've also managed a few days at the in-law's farm nailing rabbits with nearly all my rifles. They've been unloved too just like my saws lately. I managed to score three lots of two with one shot which always makes me smile...

100gn Nosler Ballistic Tips from a .25/06 do a lot of damage to small, thin skinned animals  Even two in a row...

Sorry I haven't been around on AS much lately guys. Things are starting to quieten down at last in my day job so you should start to see me around here more.
Once again like last season we had some massive disease outbreaks in winegrapes which went against all disease modelling so it threw the whole industry into turmoil.
I won't go into it too deeply but there are set temperatures, rainfall amounts, leaf wetness, soil wetness times etc etc that "supposedly" need to be met for diseases such as Downy Mildew to kick in. Massive amounts of this disease kicked in throughout the region when only a few of these criteria had been met and caught everybody off guard including myself. Needless to say I have been questioning the disease model for Downy for a number of years now however this season a lot more people have started to question it and rightly so - it is outdated and flat out wrong under some circumstances such as high spore load periods.
What this meant was that I was absolutely inundated with phonecalls all hours of the day from concerned growers and I didn't have time to scratch myself. I think the record was 60 answered calls in a day with a lot also going through to messagebank. A number of these calls were also coming from our opposition's clients as well which makes me laugh. It wasn't unusual to have 8 or 9 voice messages pop up while I was on one call. I ended up doing 80+ hours a week and putting my phone(s) on silent from 5pm to 8am to stop myself literally going nuts  Worst thing was that a few growers got hold of my personal phone number as well and started sharing that around to other growers. They got told quick smart...
Talking on the phone so much meant I couldn't use both hands to do pest checks in Citrus which are vital that time of the year so I got further and further behind there as well - not sticking to an agreed, regular 2 week cycle could end in tears, or more than likely court as a breach of contract. I ended up buying a Bluetooth ear piece and why the hell I didn't think of this earlier is beyond me - this saved literally hours and hours a day, plus helped me from frying my right ear. With the Bluetooth ear piece I leave my phone in my pocket but swap it from side to side so I don't get any overgrown and lopsided testicles 
I'll be honest in saying things were getting on top of me and the only focus I had for nearly 2 months was my day job. AS, tree felling, and unfortunately even my own chainsaw business had to take a back step. 
Although good for business we are picking up more and more new winegrape clients at my work chasing agronomic advice. Some of these are quite sizeable, multi million dollar vineyards so it's not as easy as saying "Sorry mate but I'm too busy". If I wasn't the only Agronomist I would have handled it a lot better. Unfortunately qualified agros are basically impossible to find in Horticulture. Some of these growers had massive disease problems last year so were/are chasing my advice on how to combat it. Quite often they know what they are doing but are after reassurance.
Diseases such as Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, and Botrytis are still moving along but I'm over the hump for now at least.

Anyway, I promise I'll get some more stuff up as I've been asked to drop a large windrow of gums and can use the guy's tractor forks plus take the wood. There would be a few hundred tonne there at least of good hardwood.

Have a good Christmas everybody


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## Stihlman441

Good one mate ''swap it from side to side so I don't get any overgrown and lopsided testicles ''

You would almost be at that age wear ya dont need um anyway,they just hang around like balls on a xmas tree. Matt.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## David (saltas)

Its not the xmas decorations he is worried about 

With two ####y knees he cant afford the extra weight on one side or he will be walking in circles all the time chasing his own tail


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## WidowMaker1

id be worried ...look at molly meldrum he fell of the roof while Xmas decorating, and he's in a coma .lol ....i bet he was thinking about ####y knee and playing with his xmas balls :msp_ohmy:


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## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Good one mate ''swap it from side to side so I don't get any overgrown and lopsided testicles ''
> 
> You would almost be at that age wear ya dont need um anyway,they just hang around like balls on a xmas tree. Matt.:hmm3grin2orange:



Yeah thanks Andrew. I'm not sure anybody would appreciate wrinkled and hairy christmas decorations hanging off their tree 



David (saltas) said:


> Its not the xmas decorations he is worried about
> 
> With two ####y knees he cant afford the extra weight on one side or he will be walking in circles all the time chasing his own tail



Good point and one I had overlooked 



WidowMaker1 said:


> id be worried ...look at molly meldrum he fell of the roof while Xmas decorating, and he's in a coma .lol ....i bet he was thinking about ####y knee and playing with his xmas balls :msp_ohmy:



Molly may have been playing with some other bloke's balls while up the ladder too...


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## 8433jeff

Merry Christmas to all you blokes down under, from not snowy or very cold:msp_thumbup: Minnesota.


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## deye223

gday matt good to see ya still kicken opps forgot that hurts HAHA hope alls well


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## NORMZILLA44

Good deal brother's! Good to see you all! One of my favorite crowd's, and threads!


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## David (saltas)

Merry Christmas Norm to you your family and the dogs


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## wyk

[video=youtube;fYiEFGieP6s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYiEFGieP6s[/video]


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## WidowMaker1

hey matt ..merry xmas mate ,hope ya have a good one ...stay safe and keep them VB's flowing


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## NORMZILLA44

A very merry Xmas to the down under, brother's! I just saw on the new's people running around in the heat in short's in aussie land?? Warm eh?


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## Terry Syd

It'll be about 30C today, I have to mow the lawn - summer has arrived.


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## Rudolf73

Yeah its a bit cloudy here in Vic at the moment - a good time to buck some trees I think :greenchainsaw:


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## NORMZILLA44

It's amazing the difference in weather in different part's of the world. When do you guy's get cold winter weather?


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## Rudolf73

NORMZILLA44 said:


> It's amazing the difference in weather in different part's of the world. When do you guy's get cold winter weather?



Our winter months are June, July and August Norm. Hope you got some nice winter weather for Christmas :smile2:


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## NORMZILLA44

Yeah we have had frost here for about a month. Been in the 20's lately July and August are hot weather months for us, usually 90's, and 100 degree weather. I dremed of alway's having a white Christmas won't forget my first one in Montana when I was a little boy. Froze my ass off, and enjoyed watching the snowflakes from inside by the fire. It's not like the movie's making a snowman, and running around in the snow LOL! That wind kicked up, and it was like 60 below. Indoor's was good for me!


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## WidowMaker1

NORMZILLA44 said:


> It's amazing the difference in weather in different part's of the world. When do you guy's get cold winter weather?


 Mid July is middle of winter down under, Mid January = Mid summer ...The temp varies considerable depending where in Oz you live tho ....where I live (Far south coast of N.S.W. about 10km as a bird fly's from the pacific ocean) it never gets below 3deg C*( 38deg F*) and in summers it can extremely hot and dry! In drought conditions ,In 2004 summer heat wave ..the temp gauge hit 58deg C* in the shade (136deg F*) and she blow up .lol ..damn birds where falling out of the sky dead, and livestock just collapsing dead that summer ...


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## NORMZILLA44

Wow that is hot man. I have seen boar hunting in the snow new zealand I think? That's good stuff thank's for the info. I alway's like to learn what goes on in other part's of the world.


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## WidowMaker1

yeah no worries Norm... its very much like california weather (summers) where I live on the Far south coast of OZ ....can have very hot summers (severe heat waves) and severe bush fires, very hot strong winds from the west ...a lot like the Santa Ana winds. I volunteer with the Rural Fire Brigade, a few of the local boys actually go over to Cali when your getting the bad Wildfires there, just the same as we get some of the boys from cali fire brigades over here helping us ...


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## NORMZILLA44

Very interesting, and OZ has alway's fascinated me. I love the land, and the wildlife, and the big Eauc's. Never been there but like what I have seen.


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## WidowMaker1

its a great country Norm (big bloody Island ) I wouldn't want to live any where else ....would love to see the US tho mate ,you have some awesome country side over there, always wanted to visit the west coast and fell some of them huge red ceders ...International travel is only a dream these days but.


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## Terry Syd

Norm, I'm a former Yank that immigrated to Oz in Feb 1982, coming up on 30 years this year. I've lived and traveled all over the U.S. There are some great places in the States, but just too damn many people.

I remember flying into Oz on R&R back in April 1970. We came over the Tip of Cape York while the sun was rising over the Pacific. I looked down and it was 45 minutes of jet travel before I saw a road. I thought - now this place has some elbow room. Hitch-hiked through Oz in 1974 and made the decision to emigrate in 1978. It's a great place with a lot of convict blood in the people that keeps them cynical of government.


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## David (saltas)

*local weather*

Townsville weather - local weather forecast


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## NORMZILLA44

Widowmaker, and Terry great stuff brother's! I have alway's been a fan of the Aussie crowd, and this thread as you all know. You also know I am a die hard Boar dog man. My favorite Board dog web hand's down, is the one down under Boardogs.com. Been a viewer of that longer than I can remember. Got to see alot of your'e country through there eyes. Thae band I run with here, we saw together, run our dog's together, and anything in between. A rugged breed I like to think we are similar cloth with the aussie's. We were raised in the mountains.


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## WidowMaker1

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Widowmaker, and Terry great stuff brother's! I have alway's been a fan of the Aussie crowd, and this thread as you all know. You also know I am a die hard Boar dog man. My favorite Board dog web hand's down, is the one down under Boardogs.com. Been a viewer of that longer than I can remember. Got to see alot of your'e country through there eyes. Thae band I run with here, we saw together, run our dog's together, and anything in between. A rugged breed I like to think we are similar cloth with the aussie's. We were raised in the mountains.


 I hear you mate, rough and tough country to the bone brother, just give me the mountains to roam, and leave the city bull#### and politics for the idiots ...bloody love going out pigging out the back of the farm in the swamps ... I use a Compound Bow and take my German shepherd Riva out ...:msp_thumbsup:


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## belgian

Terry Syd said:


> I remember flying into Oz on R&R back in April 1970. We came over the Tip of Cape York while the sun was rising over the Pacific. I looked down and it was 45 minutes of jet travel before I saw a road. I thought - now this place has some elbow room. Hitch-hiked through Oz in 1974 and made the decision to emigrate in 1978. It's a great place with a lot of convict blood in the people that keeps them cynical of government.



I visited Oz for business in the early nineties and remember travelling long distance over KL Malaysia down to Melbourne. From the moment I saw that coast line of Oz, it took another 4 bloody hours of travelling on that long distance flight before hitting the tarmac in Melbourne.... 
Too bad I was not able to visit the inland....Melbourne and Sydney were not my favorite places though, never seen so many nationalities and mixed couples concentrated on a single spot.


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## Terry Syd

Yep, it's a big place. There's only something like 200 square miles difference between the continental United States and the continent of Australia. There's more people in the Los Angeles basin than in all of Oz.

As you noticed, a lot of immigrants from diverse places around the world. Just about every country town has a Chinese restaurant, although our little village has a Thai restaurant. In Sydney, I've eaten everything from spicy African and South American dishes to stodgy Russian fare.


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## MCW

Merry Christmas everybody and sorry for the late response. Been away at the outlaw's farm for the chrissy break with no internet access. Shot a few bunnies, roos, and foxes. I did cut up a windblown pine with the 7900 and 241C but really nothing to rave about. All done in about 10 minutes. Just had to cut it small enough for the father in law to shift with the tractor.
Nailed one stupid fox with a 100gn Ballistic Tip from the Tikka T3 .25/06 that pretty well gutted the poor buggar. That was the only hunting photo I got and a bit too gory to post. Rabbits still in plague proportions down there but was pretty warm and windy so the rabbits were holed up most of the day and extremely jumpy. Last time I was down there I nailed about 120 and they were as dumb as dog sh*t. I think I got maybe 30 this time.
I tried those new Winchester Powerpoint .22LR hollow points in 42 grain. No different to the 40 grainers apart from being more expensive...

Pretty hot here over the New Year's break...

Renmark weather forecast, Bureau of Meteorology Warnings & rainfall

We've had temperatures here from -11°C to 48°C in the last few years. I remember playing cricket in 48°C about 15 years ago before they stopped playing sport above 36°C. Most lame arsed decision I've ever seen and turning society and the young ones into soft co*ks. Hot dry heat doesn't worry me. Give me 48°C and 20% humidity anyday over 35°C and 90% humidity 

Some interesting piccys for you guys.

This is what -11°C does to orange trees  This was 5 years ago now...







(The ice was actually caused by overhead irrigation. Less damage is caused to trees and fruit if covered in ice funnily enough as water only freezes to around 0°C. Damage to fruit only starts at -2°C. The extra weight of the ice quite often snaps limbs...)

About 5 weeks after...






And about 13 weeks later. These trees still have not fully recovered 5 years later...


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## Terry Syd

Glad to see you back Matt, we kept your thread warm while you were away.


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## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Glad to see you back Matt, we kept your thread warm while you were away.



Thanks Terry  How's that Chinasaw going? Got it pulling 20HP yet?

Oh and a few more piccys...

A photo of the back of my work ute with I think 29 cartons at this stage of Crown Lager as a chrissy present for my clients at work. There were 38 to start with. One guy was nice enough to bring his carton back as none of his family drinks. We were happy to stick a carton of Crownies in the fridge for our own consumption 






I also managed a pretty tight group with my fiancee's cousin's kid's NERF gun. Pretty good 6 shot group for 4 metres offhand 










Needless to say the 5 year old owner of the gun thinks I'm an absolute shooting legend now...


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## David (saltas)

my place is nerf gun central

I need to get some pics or video

These are the ones corbin has


























Two of these






and some others

[video=youtube;Z6pYHd777-g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6pYHd777-g&feature=related[/video]

battery must be flat in that video shoots 180 RPM but can be modded to 500RPM and from 25 rounds to 100 rounds


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## Stihlman441

Nice one Matt, i was playing with the same nerf hand gun the other day they go allright.:smile2:


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## NORMZILLA44

Widowmaker, I figured I would run in to a fellow Boar man in this thread sooner or later. I think there is one or two in oz LOL! German shepards are great dog's. Merry xmas to you also Matt, it's been awhile nice picture's! Weird the ice on the tree's. The nerf gun is good stuff, I used to shoot those, to, funny even though not a real gun, I found they can still hone a guy's shooting skill's, and serve as practice.


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## David (saltas)

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one Matt, i was playing with the same nerf hand gun the other day they go allright.:smile2:



I did a robin hood and shoot the back of the dart stuck on the mirror ...........
I was using the laser of the recon rifle so that was cheating a little


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## NORMZILLA44

Will, Parissw linked me one of the posts page 46 with the spiders, and no thanks! But speaking of today's job how are we my brothers? Been almost a month, and way too long without checking in, and saying hello!


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Will, Parissw linked me one of the posts page 46 with the spiders, and no thanks! But speaking of today's job how are we my brothers? Been almost a month, and way too long without checking in, and saying hello!



Hi Norm.
Hey all well here mate. My day job has slowed down heaps but now we are in the guts of Summer and running between 36°C and 45° so too hot to really run the saws much. I've also got my first kidlet due in about 4 months so really need to get some work done on the house. Over the last few years I've been working that many weekends that I haven't had time to do things around the place that I should have.
Hope all well at your end too Norm and I haven't forgotten about this thread, I just haven't had anything to contribute 
I may even go through my videos sometime soon and upload a few that nobody has seen before.


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## Terry Syd

"I may even go through my videos sometime soon and upload a few that nobody has seen before."

Good stuff, always wanted to see that video of you in the chicken suit at the buck's night.


----------



## David (saltas)

Terry Syd said:


> "I may even go through my videos sometime soon and upload a few that nobody has seen before."
> 
> Good stuff, always wanted to see that video of you in the chicken suit at the buck's night.



Dammm He has not loaded that one up to You tube yet or photobucket, Tell me more!


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## MCW

Terry Syd said:


> Good stuff, always wanted to see that video of you in the chicken suit at the buck's night.



Damn hackers cracking into my server!!! I was young and needed the money dammit.


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## MCW

Just a quick one guys on felling insurance out of interest. With my previous job felling those Casuarinas the company's insurance covered me. Now that the job is nearly done, I've been asked to take on a few more windbreak jobs alongside powerlines with no real urgency for private properties. I'm going to try and get a fair bit of it done when it cools down. It won't be necessarily difficult but if something does happen to go wrong I'd rather not have a $15,000 bill from the electricity trust.
My work is associated with WFI Insurance but unfortunately they offer no felling insurance of any kind. I chased up a whole heap of providers with no luck. Anyway, a mate in NSW has a policy from Elders (now QBE) that he has had for years. I got his policy number and went to the local Elder's Insurance agent who had a confused look on his face. Turns out that a policy such as my mate's has long gone (probably why my mate's insurance agent told him to never, ever let it lapse!). My mate has NO qualifications at all.
Well after about 10 minutes he found the type of felling insurance I asked about which was excellent. Except it only covers me to 3.5 metres!!! Wow. Awesome. Anyway I told him I actually have felling qualifications if that helped so he took a copy of my card (little plastic card from LITA). I also told him that 3.5 metres of coverage is basically useless for anybody. As far as I remember that policy is more aimed at just gardening contractors who prune the odd tree. He made a few more phone calls up the chain and a few days later they've magically endorsed my policy to 40 metres 
$1275 a year with a $500 excess. I was actually quite surprised but I still have a few other things to talk to the guy about when he gets back from holidays in a few weeks - he said there are a few "clauses" and I don't think he means Santa Clause. If you're a qualified arborist or operating out of just a bucket truck it's quite easy to get insurance, ground felling in a domestic situation apparently not.


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## deye223

hey matt ran into the felling instructors no probs for advanced ticket got more BIG trees than they no what to do with


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## AUSSIE1

Sounds like a hefty premium Matt??? Can claim it i spose! I've learnt that it's best to go with a company that recognises your industry otherwise it's too risky.


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## MCW

deye223 said:


> hey matt ran into the felling instructors no probs for advanced ticket got more BIG trees than they no what to do with



Yeah thanks mate. I missed one with forestry guys in the Adelaide Hills early December when I was on Hamilton Island. The training mob are getting more and more access into forestry blocks now so easier to run advanced courses.



AUSSIE1 said:


> Sounds like a hefty premium Matt??? Can claim it i spose! I've learnt that it's best to go with a company that recognises your industry otherwise it's too risky.



I don't think it's too bad mate. That's $10 million of cover. It seems pretty hard to find somebody who not so much recognises the industry but recognises ground felling. Not one guy in the local tree crews has any qualifications outside of a bucket truck. I think it's a basic pruning and lopping certificate or something. I just have to make sure that all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed


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## David (saltas)

My home and contents insurance has gone up from $990.00 to over $5000.00 per year


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## deye223

whats the justification for that


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> My home and contents insurance has gone up from $990.00 to over $5000.00 per year



I was going to like your comment but thought I'd better not.
That sounds steep - my contents is well over $100k but I think our total bill is about $1250 a year from memory.


----------



## David (saltas)

*house and contents*

I have been shopping around.

There is no good reason property insurance has gone to hell after what happened last year cyclones and floods.

With a $1000 dollar excess and a exclusion from flood cover, (it wont happen, and down stairs is cement blocks and tiles) I got a quote of $2600 after I dropped contents to $50K and Dropped a $100k of the house, The reduced cover will not build a new house but it would cover the materials and keep us in food while I rebuilt it myself

I have bee through a 1 in a hundred year flood back in 1998 and my house did not flood, Down stairs all the doors have a 100 mm sill under them so any run off water does not blow in.

I know some on who is with in a 100 meters of the 1 in a hundred flood, storm surge model and they cant get any insurance under $9600 for house and no contents if they want contents it is double that.


----------



## MCW

Well I finally pulled my finger out and uploaded a few older videos. The first one is of the LITA Intermediate Forestry course down at Mount Gambier a while back. Just shows the other two trainees running the MS660's and the MS261Q. The second video is of Stuart (the instructor) running my 390XP on a windblown pine. He loved it and being a Stihl man that always makes me smile. The videos were taken on my phone so not the best...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9oZD8_h4KvE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kSbqe39NUMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## wyk

That's a lot of powerhead for that bar in pine. er.. Jeffrey Pine is it? I see they are making you cut very close to the ground, too. Prolly want as much sap on yer bar as possible, I guess


----------



## deye223

nice vids matt thanks


must be back to normal i tryed to put a couple of vids in the same post the other day but no go mastermind had the same trouble too cheers


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> That's a lot of powerhead for that bar in pine. er.. Jeffrey Pine is it? I see they are making you cut very close to the ground, too. Prolly want as much sap on yer bar as possible, I guess



Not sure mate but I think it's Pinus radiata. It is certainly a lot of powerhead but the other guys were running the training company's 660's so had to whip something out to knock them off (well actually even the 7900 was flogging them which is what I used the first day - second and third day the 390 got a run). I was actually told to bring a bar with a max length of 18" which is standard practice during training. It's pretty easy to drop a 24" tree with a 32" bar and technique is what they're looking at here. The 660's getting used were running 20" bars so thats what I stuck on. As far as cutting close to the ground that's what was required here due to these heading for the mill. Stumps had to be a low as possible so machinery can move easily over it when dragging the logs out plus to get as much useable wood as they can.
The tree getting cut with the 261 was in a self sown area so these were a free for all and any cuts or stump height could be used.



deye223 said:


> must be back to normal i tryed to put a couple of vids in the same post the other day but no go mastermind had the same trouble too cheers



I haven't posted any videos for so long that I haven't seen any major issues for a while.


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Not sure mate but I think it's Pinus radiata. It is certainly a lot of powerhead but the other guys were running the training company's 660's so had to whip something out to knock them off (well actually even the 7900 was flogging them which is what I used the first day - second and third day the 390 got a run). I was actually told to bring a bar with a max length of 18" which is standard practice during training. It's pretty easy to drop a 24" tree with a 32" bar and technique is what they're looking at here. The 660's getting used were running 20" bars so thats what I stuck on. As far as cutting close to the ground that's what was required here due to these heading for the mill. Stumps had to be a low as possible so machinery can move easily over it when dragging the logs out plus to get as much useable wood as they can.
> The tree getting cut with the 261 was in a self sown area so these were a free for all and any cuts or stump height could be used.



Yeah. I experienced the same in Ireland and England. Shorter bars and more cuts, and cutting very close to the ground so the forwarder could get in there. And then there was stacking the wood... ugh... 

It's where I also learned how to cut a tree down that was a bit more than twice the bar length. I have felled hundreds of trees of all types that were 18-30" with a 16" bar. It's annoying(and I eventually got a longer bar and used my own saw), but you learn a lot. During my certs, we had to bring a saw no larger than 50cc and a bar no longer than 15" and then cut 18-20" trees with several types of lean and several types of cuts. Good times. The only problem I have with the 'european way' is their reliance on bars/levers and small face cuts in the name of safety. I prefer a larger face cut and letting the tree do the work for me, even if it is a bit more dangerous.


----------



## MCW

wyk said:


> Yeah. I experienced the same in Ireland and England. Shorter bars and more cuts, and cutting very close to the ground so the forwarder could get in there. And then there was stacking the wood... ugh...
> 
> It's where I also learned how to cut a tree down that was a bit more than twice the bar length. I have felled hundreds of trees of all types that were 18-30" with a 16" bar. It's annoying(and I eventually got a longer bar and used my own saw), but you learn a lot. During my certs, we had to bring a saw no larger than 50cc and a bar no longer than 15" and then cut 18-20" trees with several types of lean and several types of cuts. Good times. The only problem I have with the 'european way' is their reliance on bars/levers and small face cuts in the name of safety. I prefer a larger face cut and letting the tree do the work for me, even if it is a bit more dangerous.



I know what you mean. After the intermediate course I dropped a few bigger Casuarinas with the little 353 Husky and 18" bar. Unfortunately though in the real world it's also about efficiency and dropping bigger trees with small bars is all good fun and great for technique but it's not good for productivity.
Like you I've seen some serious "overcutting" of trees with some of the European forestry guys that I think is mostly unnecessary. If you or I get squashed by a tree by cutting a larger face only THEN will I call it dangerous


----------



## parrisw

MCW said:


> I know what you mean. After the intermediate course I dropped a few bigger Casuarinas with the little 353 Husky and 18" bar. Unfortunately though in the real world it's also about efficiency and dropping bigger trees with small bars is all good fun and great for technique but it's not good for productivity.
> Like you I've seen some serious "overcutting" of trees with some of the European forestry guys that I think is mostly unnecessary. If you or I get squashed by a tree by cutting a larger face only THEN will I call it dangerous



Matt do you use your sights when felling a tree with a bar that's smaller then the trunk when you have to attack it from both sides? I find it helps me get the first cut lined up even if you pick a far off point and line up your sight to that from both sides it pretty much gets you bang on, so your first cut is even all the way across.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

WYK and Matt good stuff, as for the bigger face it's what I was always taught and the euro style I have seen is real good, but man they don't understand our PNW applications. I am amazed how many guy's only know of or hoe to do a conventional face. Even the forestry crews here. The Humbolt is the safest on steep ground. The bigger face will steer that tree the best, and close last laying that tree closer to the ground. I know probably preaching to the choir LOL! And it always amuses me how big safety is today, yet they want low stumps. Too me I always saw that as unsafe practice, not only is it harder on your back, and knees, but you know how many guy's have been cracked, or slipped trying to get up and run from a branch. And its aa lot harder to watch the top and look up whil bent over or kneeling down. I have never agreed with that practice, and though not a production faller I will cut my stumps down once the tree is down. Good point on those sights Will I know I use them all the time I was taught too. Matt and all good to see you, and I really enjoy this thread! Hope you don't think I was directing that at you guy's just giving my two cents on styles. And I agree I am not a short bar guy. I use the one I can reach through or get the most from, that offers good balance, and can be packed all day. I run 28, 32, 34,


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## parrisw

Well said Norm! I don't like short bars either. Though I run 24" allot on my 70cc saws, great for firewood when the wood isn't too big.


----------



## HorseFaller

For my stihls the shortest is 28". The huski is small wears a 14" or a 16" not sure haven't run it in awhile.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Thanks Will, I run a 24in on a 365 at work, for a lot of brush clearing I admit it has grown on me. Not a bad bar at all. My 70cc had all come with the 28 and I was pretty close to a 24 I figured. Never had enough money to buy extra bars, just extra saws with different bars LOL! No its funny how that worked out though. I think the 70cc saws were made to wear a 24-28 man makes em shine! And a dream for firewood for me. Funny my 34 on the 2101 has grown on me, feels good on that saw. Had a 36 on my 660, and I felt clumsy I am too short for a 36, weird the 34 feels better, only 2 inch difference. I really like a 28 too Horsefaller, and fits me good. My buddy John thinks I would be well suited with a 30 inch bar. My plan when I get cash is to switch to the Stihl es light, and or husky techlite. Because of this site, and another with good tips from friends. I recently got a 32 in for a work saw, at my job it is a es light I fell in love big difference better balance too. My plan at home is to keep the 34 hang it on the wall to have as a back up bigger bar, and switch all to the lighter bars, and I am going to re-evalute sizes. Always figured it wasn't worth replacing all just to give or take a couple inches. But going light has a ton of benefits and while I am there, it would be the time to re-size as well.


----------



## HorseFaller

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Thanks Will, I run a 24in on a 365 at work, for a lot of brush clearing I admit it has grown on me. Not a bad bar at all. My 70cc had all come with the 28 and I was pretty close to a 24 I figured. Never had enough money to buy extra bars, just extra saws with different bars LOL! No its funny how that worked out though. I think the 70cc saws were made to wear a 24-28 man makes em shine! And a dream for firewood for me. Funny my 34 on the 2101 has grown on me, feels good on that saw. Had a 36 on my 660, and I felt clumsy I am too short for a 36, weird the 34 feels better, only 2 inch difference. I really like a 28 too Horsefaller, and fits me good. My buddy John thinks I would be well suited with a 30 inch bar. My plan when I get cash is to switch to the Stihl es light, and or husky techlite. Because of this site, and another with good tips from friends. I recently got a 32 in for a work saw, at my job it is a es light I fell in love big difference better balance too. My plan at home is to keep the 34 hang it on the wall to have as a back up bigger bar, and switch all to the lighter bars, and I am going to re-evalute sizes. Always figured it wasn't worth replacing all just to give or take a couple inches. But going light has a ton of benefits and while I am there, it would be the time to re-size as well.



If you like light try the stihl superlight bar its more money but well worth it. At my pro shop they run about $130. At work we only run 32" bars all Windsor and Oregon. Heavy stuff, the superlight is about a third and stiffer then the Oregon reduced weight. My boss flips me #### when he sees me run my own stuff at work. I told him if his stuff wasnt crap i would run his. He says he doesnt want to have to pay to replace my stuff when it wears out. I told him he will do it even if i have to just charge to his account anyways. Not really

But stihl/still a great bar well worth the money by far. Two fallers down the road use them also and love them. Them and I wont buy anything else now(well unless its the right price of course)


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Right on my friend, and yes the se light is the one I was refering too, that I got for work. Love it I think I will run it on my husky's too, and just get the adapter. Funny stuff about your boss LOL!


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Matt do you use your sights when felling a tree with a bar that's smaller then the trunk when you have to attack it from both sides? I find it helps me get the first cut lined up even if you pick a far off point and line up your sight to that from both sides it pretty much gets you bang on, so your first cut is even all the way across.



Hi Will. No I don't as a rule. I use it for lining up the face on the first cut but just go by feel and the good old Mk II eyeball on the second cut (Mk I eyeball was pre laser surgery ). When felling softwoods with a sharp chain and powerful saw I've found I get the odd overcut when I'm not careful 



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Hope you don't think I was directing that at you guy's just giving my two cents on styles.



Not at all Norm 
I've used a 32" bar a lot but more so for speed and productivity, not because it's always needed. The windbreak felling I was doing is completely different to what most people do though. In this large Casuarina job I did I used a 24" bar for probably 60% of the work, a 32" bar for 30%, and smaller saws and/or a 20" for the remainder. I still have around 300-400 trees left on that job and should get to them over the next 4 months I would think. Looking forward to cranking the saws up again in anger 

I can't remember if I mentioned it in this thread or not (it's gotten too big!) but the highest average trees felled per hour was actually with my 5100-S and 18" bar (3/8") which worked out to 155 trees. They only maxxed out at about 20" though! Selling that 5100-S is the dumbest saw move I've ever made 

I wish Stihl would make their lightweight bars in a Husky mount though - they look like really nice bars. I'd have thought it would be good advertising and smart business sense on their part but alas, typical Stihl stubborness...

"If you vant our bars you vill buy our Stihl saws yes?".

Um no Mr Stihl, I won't...

I could run an adaptor but my stubborness will exceed Stihl's on this one...


----------



## Hddnis

Just been reading through this page and thought I'd pop in with some ideas. I try to minimize time at the base of the tree, kind of consider it a kill zone, where I'm trying to kill the tree and, it's trying to kill me.

Some trees need wedging, levers, jacks, explosives, etc. But if a little bigger face will cut your time in the kill zone down by a few seconds it can be safer. 

We use that while climbing too. Our face cut on a big evergreen stem as we are blocking it down will often be halfway or even more of the diameter. If your tree is 40" in diameter and you can only drop a 48"-72" chunk of it this lets gravity do a lot of the work while still giving good control. Pounding wedges or trying to push against your flip line and saddle, while hanging 60' in the air, brings a whole bunch of risks. 




Mr. HE


----------



## Hddnis

MCW said:


> ...
> I wish Stihl would make their lightweight bars in a Husky mount though - they look like really nice bars. I'd have thought it would be good advertising and smart business sense on their part but alas, typical Stihl stubborness...
> 
> "If you vant our bars you vill buy our Stihl saws yes?".
> 
> Um no Mr Stihl, I won't...
> 
> I could run an adaptor but my stubborness will exceed Stihl's on this one...






You really should consider the adapter. It is the ultimate way of sticking it to German haughtiness. 

I didn't think I would like adapters, but I put one on my ported Echo 4600 because I really like how the saw cut. I've been sold on adapters since then, I forget they're even on the saw. I make my own, using a drill press and angle grinder, so the fit is really tight. I make them out of an old solid bar. So far I've only cut a few inches off the end to make several adapters.



Mr. HE


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> [snip]
> 
> I wish Stihl would make their lightweight bars in a Husky mount though - they look like really nice bars. I'd have thought it would be good advertising and smart business sense on their part but alas, typical Stihl stubborness...
> 
> "If you vant our bars you vill buy our Stihl saws yes?".
> 
> Um no Mr Stihl, I won't...
> 
> I could run an adaptor but my stubborness will exceed Stihl's on this one...



I sink you should try some stihl light bars Matt, they are awesome 

(brad is selling a 28" for $65 - half price)


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Good stuff Matt. I agree it would be better buisness to market both popular brands in Stihl es light. Don't know why they are so hard nosed. My saw shop friends sell over 250k in Stihl equipment on a good year. They were smart enough to fight tooth and nail with Stihl so the could get Husky, and echo under the same roof too. And they work on everything. They are then penalized by Stihl and not allowed what I think the gold rank? Whatever you can sell at the lowest price for. So the rental yard down the street has the rating because they are Stihl exclusive, so they can undercut the saw shop who has been there since 1974 or 77. Yet the rental yard on a good year sells 20 k worth, and most of that is not pro models either. Kind of angers me with Stihl kind of arrogant. Hddnis I agree may have to look in to them adapters myself, great bars. Rudolf I was eyeballing that bar of Brads too, great price.


----------



## WoodChuck'r

Hey Norm. 

Long time no see buddy.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Just thinking of ya! Headed your way! Site that is!


----------



## MCW

Hddnis said:


> Just been reading through this page and thought I'd pop in with some ideas. I try to minimize time at the base of the tree, kind of consider it a kill zone, where I'm trying to kill the tree and, it's trying to kill me.
> 
> Some trees need wedging, levers, jacks, explosives, etc. But if a little bigger face will cut your time in the kill zone down by a few seconds it can be safer.
> 
> We use that while climbing too. Our face cut on a big evergreen stem as we are blocking it down will often be halfway or even more of the diameter. If your tree is 40" in diameter and you can only drop a 48"-72" chunk of it this lets gravity do a lot of the work while still giving good control. Pounding wedges or trying to push against your flip line and saddle, while hanging 60' in the air, brings a whole bunch of risks.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mr. HE



I agree. I've often cut past the 50% mark on well balanced trees so that the trees own weight fells it 



Hddnis said:


> You really should consider the adapter. It is the ultimate way of sticking it to German haughtiness.
> 
> Mr. HE



Thanks mate. I have actually tried them and do like them. Hell, I even own them  However I'm going to be as stubborn as Stihl on this one 



NORMZILLA44 said:


> Good stuff Matt. I agree it would be better buisness to market both popular brands in Stihl es light. Don't know why they are so hard nosed. My saw shop friends sell over 250k in Stihl equipment on a good year. They were smart enough to fight tooth and nail with Stihl so the could get Husky, and echo under the same roof too. And they work on everything. They are then penalized by Stihl and not allowed what I think the gold rank? Whatever you can sell at the lowest price for. So the rental yard down the street has the rating because they are Stihl exclusive, so they can undercut the saw shop who has been there since 1974 or 77. Yet the rental yard on a good year sells 20 k worth, and most of that is not pro models either. Kind of angers me with Stihl kind of arrogant. Hddnis I agree may have to look in to them adapters myself, great bars. Rudolf I was eyeballing that bar of Brads too, great price.



Stihl being bastards to deal with? Tell me it isn't so  I've heard some horror stories from Stihl dealers on this one. Including some very successful Stihl dealers.


----------



## Hddnis

One thing I should mention here...

When climbing and blocking down the face cut I use is almost always a Humbolt type. It makes it so the wood from the face cut tends to fall free on its own and also keeps the block from jumping back or rolling to the side as the face closes. It is rare a block wants to do those things, but trees are weird sometimes and you have to think a step ahead of them. Face cut can be alot more open too, to control spin on the dropping piece and help to keep it in the drop zone.





Mr. HE


----------



## David (saltas)

*Rare lemonade lemon tree seeds you get 12 seeds*

Matt


Rare lemon tree seeds only $15 for a dozzen

RARE LEMONADE LEMON TREE SEEDS YOU GET 12 SEEDS citrus | eBay

sheeit I'ma gonna stop them kids from spitting them seeds out and sell em on flea bay


----------



## Rescue1

Awesome pics and good job..


----------



## Stihlman441

I see the 241 CM is on the Ozzy Stihl web site.


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> Matt
> 
> 
> Rare lemon tree seeds only $15 for a dozzen
> 
> RARE LEMONADE LEMON TREE SEEDS YOU GET 12 SEEDS citrus | eBay



Dude. I'm gonna have to buy 100's of them and put Coca Cola out of business  They obviously haven't heard of rootstocks.



Rescue1 said:


> Awesome pics and good job..



Thanks mate 



Stihlman441 said:


> I see the 241 CM is on the Ozzy Stihl web site.



Yeah been on there for a while mate. RRP$1249 last time I looked.

Dug another video out of the archives. This is of the pop upped 7900, 28" bar, non skip Windsor 63A semi chisel, and 7 pin rim. This was one tree that I should have jacked - my missus thought it was funny though and I was puffing like a Billy Goat at the end. I was always good at smacking boundaries in Cricket but this was beyond a joke  I have struck very few trees that have taken this much work to get over. What you didn't see was an extra trip to the ute for more wedges. It had WAY more weight than I thought. Green Casuarina is some heavy sh*t...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-tCJ2GrbPEY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Thanks mate i had a little chuckle or two,ya worked for your money on that one champ,maybe ya nead a bigger hammer.


----------



## David (saltas)

That tree looked like it might have been leaning back a wee little bit, of course it could just be the video  
your camera person is better than mine.

Rare, bovine manure every Bunnings in Australia is stocking them and the over a dollar a seed bit was well rude. 
I have been teaching seed collection as part of the nursery work for providing natives for revegetation works.

Root stock I had not even gotten that far, but you made me laugh.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Thanks mate i had a little chuckle or two,ya worked for your money on that one champ,maybe ya nead a bigger hammer.



A bigger hammer would have simply wrecked my wedges faster 



David (saltas) said:


> That tree looked like it might have been leaning back a wee little bit, of course it could just be the video
> your camera person is better than mine.
> 
> Rare, bovine manure every Bunnings in Australia is stocking them and the over a dollar a seed bit was well rude.
> I have been teaching seed collection as part of the nursery work for providing natives for revegetation works.
> 
> Root stock I had not even gotten that far, but you made me laugh.



The lean wasn't too bad but there was a lot of branches on the back side of it (hah hah, I said backside ). I've underestimated the weight of these things a few times. If I'd have jacked it she'd have been over in minutes. I think all told this tree was about a 15-20 minute exercise if I include walking to the ute for more wedges, wiping the sweat from my eyes, clutching my chest, puffing on my Ventolin, and having CPR administered by the missus...
Maybe the rootstock and Lemonade tree are genetically engineered to emerge from the same seed, already grafted? I wonder whether they have bubbles when you juice them? I need more information David, this could be a bonanza!


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Maybe the rootstock and Lemonade tree are genetically engineered to emerge from the same seed, already grafted? I wonder whether they have bubbles when you juice them? I need more information David, this could be a bonanza!



I nearly....... never mind
That is gold we are gonna put schweppes out of business


----------



## Strelnikov

Anything going on Down Under? Been a while since we've heard from MCW...


----------



## Stihlman441

Im thinking he dont like us anymore.


----------



## Strelnikov

No he's a good mate... just making sure he's okay.


----------



## AUSSIE1

I heard Matt sold everything saw related and is now into teaspoon collecting. He is trying to break the world record for how many spoons he can hang off his face. With a noggin like that I think he's on a winner.


----------



## Stihlman441

I have been talking to him he is all good,having internet problems.:msp_scared:


----------



## AUSSIE1

Stihlman441 said:


> I have been talking to him he is all good,having internet problems.:msp_scared:



Out where he is, he isn't peddling fast enough!


----------



## Aussie Dave

I heard hes been trying to get his 7900 to run.been working on it 20 hours a day for the last week and is to ashamed to tell us.


----------



## tdi-rick

AUSSIE1 said:


> Out where he is, he isn't peddling fast enough!



Hahahaha, cruel, but fair


----------



## Strelnikov

Stihlman441 said:


> I have been talking to him he is all good,having internet problems.:msp_scared:



Internet problems can be dealt with... Some other kinds of problems not so sure...:censored:


----------



## Strelnikov

Aussie Dave said:


> I heard hes been trying to get his 7900 to run.been working on it 20 hours a day for the last week and is to ashamed to tell us.



Well at least he doesn't give up.


----------



## Aussie Dave

Strelnikov said:


> Internet problems can be dealt with... Some other kinds of problems not so sure...:censored:



???????????????????????????????????????????


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Been too long Aussie brothers, Hello down under


----------



## deye223

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Been too long Aussie brothers, Hello down under



gday norm


----------



## tdi-rick

Strelnikov said:


> Internet problems can be dealt with... Some other kinds of problems not so sure...:censored:



Nothing a broad spectrum antibiotic couldn't fix, I'm sure :msp_biggrin:


----------



## RandyMac

tdi-rick said:


> Nothing a broad spectrum antibiotic couldn't fix, I'm sure :msp_biggrin:



Must be that dammed rash Matt picked up in Thailand. I told him a 1000 times, don't be picking up pingpong balls off the floor.


----------



## AUSSIE1

RandyMac said:


> Must be that dammed rash Matt picked up in Thailand. I told him a 1000 times, don't be picking up pingpong balls off the floor.



Oh, he's been sending you SMS's too aye?

"looked like a lady,
walked like a lady,
talked like a lady,
kissed like a lady,
it was only when we went to her place and she reversed the car into the garage on the first attempt i thought, " hang on a minute!!!!""

After the kiss I doubt it would have stopped him!


----------



## MCW

Hi peepholes 
Well well, look what happens when I can't get online! I'm now a bonafide spoon collector (thanks Al, big money in spoons ) and have a nasty rash (I *HAD* one Randy, the cream you told me about worked a treat!).
My home PC is still stuffed after my pregnant fiancee moved the desktop from the now converted baby's room and tried to hook up a wireless network adaptor. Whatever happened has been very very bad and for the life of me I can't get it to detect the wireless network with either the internal network adaptor or the new USB one. I'm gonna have to call in the big guns and get an IT guy in.
Also my fiancee's POS Toshiba laptop just dumped a reply that I'd been typing for about 45 minutes. Needless to say I had to go and take a few deep breaths before I put my fist through it - I honestly nearly snapped which I haven't done in years. Computers have a real ability to fire me up  This is the reason why I haven't been using her laptop to get on AS as it always stuffs something up and has trouble connecting. Needless to say this is a late model, top of the line Toshiba too...
I can't access AS from my work laptop either so although I've been seeing all of the emails come through flagging subscribed threads I haven't been able to reply.
I've also been flat out at work as Agrium (our new owners from the US/Canada) are very aggressive in the way they want to take on opposition companies. We have been instructed to "smash" one particular opposition company which we have been doing very successfully offering free agronomic/technical advice in exchange for business. Unfortunately this is taking up a LOT of my time so haven't had much of a chance to get on the saws for a while now. I'm currently working for some pretty large clients involving around $12-15 million of sales a year.

I am also definately suffering from Lackohuskyitis...

I do have some more felling work coming up though plus have had a few guys asking me to mill some Redgum logs for them. I'll get some pics up and some videos.
Take it easy gents and I'm pumping this reply out before it shi*s itself again


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> ... my pregnant fiancee ...



Internet problems LOL now we know what you've *really* been up to.


----------



## MCW

Strelnikov said:


> Internet problems LOL now we know what you've *really* been up to.



Unfortunately that happened about 7 months ago PRIOR to internet problems


----------



## Bigdgb

MCW said:


> Unfortunately



Woh M

do not let her see that you said that!:msp_scared:


----------



## deye223

opcorn:


----------



## MCW

Bigdgb said:


> Woh M
> 
> do not let her see that you said that!:msp_scared:



She doesn't read AS.


I hope :msp_scared:


----------



## 8433jeff

You've been single for a long time, whats a few more years?


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> You've been single for a long time, whats a few more years?



Good point although I've been going out with Tracy for 16 years now. That means I was single for 22 years. Better get out before the next 6 years or she'll have the majority vote 

Oh and I'll be doing some more felling in the morning so will get some piccys and videos up.


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> ... Oh and I'll be doing some more felling in the morning so will get some piccys and videos up.



Can't wait to see them, love your pics and videos.


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> Got point although I've been going out with Tracy for 16 years now. That means I was single for 22 years. Better get out before the next 6 years or she'll have the majority vote
> 
> Oh and I'll be doing some more felling in the morning so will get some piccys and videos up.



And you think you are not married. Gotta love them silly Aussies.


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> Got point although I've been going out with Tracy for 16 years now.



Thank goodness you're not rushing into anything.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> And you think you are not married. Gotta love them silly Aussies.





wendell said:


> Thank goodness you're not rushing into anything.



Hah hah. Yeah it's a funny one. A lot of people think you have to be married to live a happy life. We'll be together forever and will definately get married one day - its just for now we have more important priorities. I love her to bits. I mean she's a farm chick, a good shot, likes chainsaws, gets her hands dirty, enjoys loading wood (it's "good exercise" apparently!) and has a good sense of humour. Even if I upgraded to a younger model I'd never find one like her.
If I look at relatives and friends I would say that getting married has a 40% chance of making you unhappy


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> Hah hah. Yeah it's a funny one. A lot of people think you have to be married to live a happy life. We'll be together forever and will definately get married one day - its just for now we have more important priorities. I love her to bits. I mean she's a farm chick, a good shot, likes chainsaws, gets her hands dirty, enjoys loading wood (it's "good exercise" apparently!) and has a good sense of humour. Even if I upgraded to a younger model I'd never find one like her.
> If I look at relatives and friends I would say that getting married has a 40% chance of making you unhappy



Starting a saw has a 50-50 chance of making you a mechanic instead of a lumberjack. All kinds of things have chances of making you the opposite of what you thought. You found the one, but its like renting your favorite saw. Buy the damn thing already.

Before you are buying an antique, because they are _always_ cheaper here.


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> Starting a saw has a 50-50 chance of making you a mechanic instead of a lumberjack. All kinds of things have chances of making you the opposite of what you thought. You found the one, but its like renting your favorite saw. Buy the damn thing already.
> 
> Before you are buying an antique, because they are _always_ cheaper here.



Actually I'm quite happy with how I am and so is Tracy. Getting married (which I will do one day for sure) won't make either of us any happier or less happy.
It will make some of the legal things easier though 
I'd better not tell Tracy I need to buy her. That'd start an argument as I wouldn't be able to afford her


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> ... I mean she's a farm chick, a good shot, likes chainsaws, gets her hands dirty, enjoys loading wood (it's "good exercise" apparently!) and has a good sense of humour. ...



You've definitely got a keeper!!!


----------



## Dennis Cahoon

Only problem is the AVmounts start to where out......hahahahahaha!......can't beat a tight set of mounts.....Well, unless your AVmounts are looser than hers.......hahahahahaha!


----------



## MCW

Dennis Cahoon said:


> Only problem is the AVmounts start to where out......hahahahahaha!......can't beat a tight set of mounts.....Well, unless your AVmounts are looser than hers.......hahahahahaha!



She's a lot fitter than me Dennis  I've only got 4 months on her but she looks 10 years younger. All those skin care products over the years really start to take affect about now


----------



## wendell

Dennis Cahoon said:


> Only problem is the AVmounts start to where out......hahahahahaha!......can't beat a tight set of mounts.....Well, unless your AVmounts are looser than hers.......hahahahahaha!



Is there anybody but me who wonders if Dennis is always half in the bag when he posts, if he actually thinks he is funny or if he is just a flaming #######?

Should we start a poll?



Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha


----------



## l3lue

MCW said:


> Actually I'm quite happy with how I am and so is Tracy. Getting married (which I will do one day for sure) won't make either of us any happier or less happy.
> It will make some of the legal things easier though
> I'd better not tell Tracy I need to buy her. That'd start an argument as I wouldn't be able to afford her



I have to agree with the fact that getting married won't make you any happier 

I have been very happily Unmarried to the same woman for 28 years , And see no reason to change things


Good luck !!!


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Is there anybody but me who wonders if Dennis is always half in the bag when he posts, if he actually thinks he is funny of if is just a flaming #######?




He does seem to hahaha a lot. Maybe he's actually a dentist with a leaking nitrous oxide bottle in his office?


----------



## MCW

Got back out to another one of the corporate properties this morning to fell part of a eucalypt windrow. Nothing large here or overly tricky. The maximum tree diameter was about 20" with a few leaners in amongst them. It was more of a case of looking up and trying not to hang them up in each other. I went through first and dropped the easy ones then reassessed the others working out which ones I could "domino" into others to help push them where I wanted them to go. In the end I had a 3500kg rope off the back of the ute and swung about 8 trees around on the rope to avoid sending them over the citrus orchard. Unlike softwoods if you try to get tricky on hardwoods like Eucalypt they'll sheer through the hingewood and go where they want anyway.
Piccys...











Messy in the middle...






Speaking of hangups!










Part way through...






This was the biggest tree there...






And my little Husky 353 exhibiting that famous sideways balance that Sawtroll talks about (Hi Sawtroll!)...






Oh hang on, the 390XP has fallen over too and that's an inboard clutch. Must have been my driving instead...

Also note the missing screw from my 7900's front muffler port. I only noticed this when I got home later! Another self tapper and all was good.


----------



## MCW

Simple case of running a rope off of the back of my ute and swinging heavy leaners around on the rope. If I was doing this to heavier trees I'd have used chains and not rope. This is a handy little trick to get trees going where they don't want to go. 






A wind also came up which really didn't help much and it caught me out on a couple of trees where I got the 7900 stuck and had to cut it out with the little 353 - the trees were too small to get a wedge in behind the bar and I couldn't be stuffed doing any fancy boring cuts etc. The more hingewood left on eucalypts the better (and safer). I decided to run a loop of new Carlton full chisel on the little 353. Up until today I've been running Carlton semi chisel. I have to say that out of the box I'm not a big fan of Carlton LM full chisel. It seems to need a bit of work to get it cutting properly unlike Stihl RSC or Oregon LGX. I was running RSC on the 7900 with an 8 pin rim and a well used yet still like new GB Pro Top in 20" 72DL 3/8" .050".
The little Husky had a GB Powertech (solid but fixed sprocket) in 18" .325" 72DL .050" with an 8 pin rim. Great little saw this thing and one of the reasons I'd like to get my mitts on a 346XP one day.

Ended up dropping 60 trees in about 90 minutes. Most of them basically felled themselves with a few quick cuts...






Oh and I found the stench in my shed finally after laying some baits that got absolutely mauled. I'm gonna call this guy "Roborat" as he knocked down quite a bit of strychnine wheat I laid out. Normally if mice or rats eat strychnine baits they get about 18" away at best. He was on the other side of the shed and had come back twice for a feed...






Sad part is I only found him by tracking the blowflies 

I have a video too (nothing special) but will get it up ASAP.

Oh and I thought I'd put up some Google Earth images to show you guys the area of these properties. I've been working in the red areas and today was where the red arrow is. The Casuarina windbreaks stand out as darker, thicker lines of trees...






The last property was here where the larger Casuarinas were...






The first properties were here. I have also outlined other windbreaks that I have felled for them. The only North/South or South/West windbreak that wasn't felled is higlighted in green. There was about 8,000 trees felled in this image alone...


----------



## 8433jeff

Now that was nice, some perspective for us. Thought maybe you had felled all the trees within a days drive lol. 

I always like the satellite pictures. I work with farmers applying fertilizer and lime, most now own GPS steering units, so their rows are straight, but often do not follow contours or the fence rows any more. Did the same earlier when drilling in the quarries, our boss decided that the quarry faces would all be on compass headings of 45 degree increments. Had a few customers that protested.


----------



## Strelnikov

Some great pics there. What's that curving light blue strip in the upper left corner of the first Google Earth pic? Is is a river? Looks like some very interesting terrain indeed.


----------



## Stihlman441

Good stuff as usual there Matt,got a nice bit of firewood there.


----------



## MCW

And the video. Nothing fancy and unedited. My usual camera wielding fiancee couldn't make it 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wE50YRYAVXc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



8433jeff said:


> Now that was nice, some perspective for us. Thought maybe you had felled all the trees within a days drive lol.
> 
> I always like the satellite pictures. I work with farmers applying fertilizer and lime, most now own GPS steering units, so their rows are straight, but often do not follow contours or the fence rows any more. Did the same earlier when drilling in the quarries, our boss decided that the quarry faces would all be on compass headings of 45 degree increments. Had a few customers that protested.



Actually all the properties I've worked on are within 40 minutes of where I live. Basically all of our farmers here are running auto steer and GPS ground correction too 



Strelnikov said:


> Some great pics there. What's that curving light blue strip in the upper left corner of the first Google Earth pic? Is is a river? Looks like some very interesting terrain indeed.



That blue strip is the Murray River, Australia's biggest river and the only reason these larger horticultural plantations exits in this area due to the water supply.



Stihlman441 said:


> Good stuff as usual there Matt,got a nice bit of firewood there.



Good old firewood  Sorry Andrew but unlike yourself I haven't got 500 tonne split and ready for winter  I'll leave this wood for the companies' employees if they want it. Bringing a trailer load back 40 minutes really isn't worth it for me as I have a whole lot of wood a lot closer than this I haven't picked up yet.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Great stuff Matt. We have swung and bull roped many trees, works really good! I was also impressed with your google earth detail. I use that all the time. REP sent down under


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Great stuff Matt. We have swung and bull roped many trees, works really good! I was also impressed with your google earth detail. I use that all the time. REP sent down under



Thanks Norm. Good old Google Earth  Pity a lot of their maps here are so old...


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> Thanks Norm. Good old Google Earth  Pity a lot of their maps here are so old...



Well, it's not like the earth is changing all that fast.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

LOL! There is another map site. I will find out but Jeanie's dad and I, as we were having easter brunch, were admiring the clarity, and quality as we zoomed in on local marijuana patches in the hills above.:msp_w00t:


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Well, it's not like the earth is changing all that fast.



Hah hah true true. Unfortunately a lot of things on the earth are changing fast  I mean all those Casuarina windbreaks are still standing


----------



## Rudolf73

Try nearmap.com, their maps are updated regularly and usually a bit clearer than google... but this may be different in your area.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Try nearmap.com, their maps are updated regularly and usually a bit clearer than google... but this may be different in your area.



Not even birds fly over our area Rudy  Don't you have to pay for these ones mate?


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Not even birds fly over our area Rudy  Don't you have to pay for these ones mate?



Yes you can pay to get more features on it, but the is a "private use" button at the bottom of the page which is free. My mate from the council got me on to it and I have found it very helpful with ummm 'observing' the neighbours. haha



I just checked your area and it seems to be an old map too . You might have to get you own satellite Matt... I hear they are quite affordable these days.


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Yes you can pay to get more features on it, but the is a "private use" button at the bottom of the page which is free. My mate from the council got me on to it and I have found it very helpful with ummm 'observing' the neighbours. haha
> 
> 
> 
> I just checked your area and it seems to be an old map too . You might have to get you own satellite Matt... I hear they are quite affordable these days.



Don't tell me the truth but just for now I'd like to imagine that your neighbours are swedish backpackers who sunbake nude a lot...

As far as the satellite goes I may have to smash open the piggy bank and start talking to the Russians...


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Don't tell me the truth but just for now I'd like to imagine that your neighbours are swedish backpackers who sunbake nude a lot...
> 
> As far as the satellite goes I may have to smash open the piggy bank and start talking to the Russians...



Ahhhh yes swedish backpackers... hey that reminds me, I do have swedish friend in town somewhere :msp_biggrin:


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Don't tell me the truth but just for now I'd like to imagine that your neighbours are swedish backpackers who sunbake nude a lot...
> 
> As far as the satellite goes I may have to smash open the piggy bank *and start talking to the Russians...*



They'd be a better bet than Kim Jong-un ATM.

He appears to have a few bugs in his delivery system.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

MCW said:


> Thanks Norm. Good old Google Earth  Pity a lot of their maps here are so old...


 I have noticed too some areas around here you can almost read car license 
plates the satelite in that area is so good. And some well good but not that good, and won't zoom as far.


----------



## MCW

NORMZILLA44 said:


> I have noticed too some areas around here you can almost read car license
> plates the satelite in that area is so good. And some well good but not that good, and won't zoom as far.



I know what you mean Norm. Most of the cities are ultra high definition. You can actually see on some Google maps where the HD and standard def overlap - big difference.


----------



## NORMZILLA44

It was funny that weekend, county all the plants:hmm3grin2orange: Could not believe it how easy it was to see with a satelite, and how clear. But like you mentioned too some areas need to be updated. Obviousily the one we were watching with the plants, we must not be the only ones watching:hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

Back again. Managed to finally get my mill sorted out for the 60" bar again (I'd previously had the 42" rails on it) as I'd been asked to mill up a heap of Redgum logs for a winegrape client of mine. I'd also had another winegrape client hit me up for a decent Redgum slab to put above the fireplace in his new house. I had to rush it a bit as I am getting my right ACL done in my knee this Thursday so will be out for a bit.
I spent a couple of nights setting it all up after work and modifying it a bit. I'd previously had issues with it moving from the vibration during the middle of a slab no matter how tight you did it up. It still needs some extra bolts to lock it and stop it from moving up/down. The last slab had a 4mm difference from one end to the other due the the setup shifting despite doing it up with a max setting on the Hitachi 18v impact wrench. It's actually a GB double ender mill designed for dual powerheads but I'm only running my single 3120 on it. I couldn't afford to run two!
The bar is an odd one and is an older style (now discontinued) GB Ti Roller Nose in .058" - with these bars the actual base of the drivelink is meant to run on the roller and they seem to be designed for .404" only. I've run a number of these bars in 3/8" 25" and within seconds they start smoking the tip up as the tiestraps end up running on the nose rails instead of the drivelinks bottoming on the roller. The only fix is to either run .404" (not ideal for milling) or grind the rails back to suit the 3/8" chain at the nose.
I had a Carlton ripping chain already setup for the bar in non skip and decided to make a couple of extras in 188DL. Interestingly I threw the original chain later in the day on the LAST slab and damaged a few drive links. It was then that I found the original chain was bloody 190DL and I'd miscounted it and made 2 x 188DL instead. Regardless of what people may think even 1DL short on a 60" bar means the bastard WILL NOT FIT  This meant I had to make the original chain useable again which took probably 30 minutes in failing light.
I actually brought my cordless Hitachi 5" grinder with a 1mm cutoff disc as I thought I "may" have to turn the chain into a skip sequence but the 3120 pulled it fine and it was clearing chips well and leaving a very nice finish.
I got my dad to come and help. I'd forgotten just how hard this thing is to push through wood. All up we were milling for nearly 9 hours. I was going to stick this in the milling forum but a fair few people read this thread so I thought I'd stick it here instead! The widest cut we made was about 44" and the max cut of this mill with this setup is a measured 54.75".







Auxillary oiler setup fitted which I changed the position of soon after this photo to the other side of the nose on the chain's outfeed side. For those not familiar wth the 3120 it comes with an "oil boost" lever. When switched on this thing will pump out ample oil, even on a 60" bar - it positively slings it off the end like a 390XP will do to a 20" with it's oiler flat out. On a different bar an auxillary oiler "may not" be necessary (even though I'd still run one as long bars are not cheap!) but these roller nose bars have a habit of toasting themselves if they don't get enough oil and milling is tough on bars too, especially in dead Redgum.






Some piccys..














The largest log here with some beautiful wood in it. The standard aluminium rails I have are 3m long and I also have 2 x 1.5m extensions that can bolt on. They align perfectly. In this photo the rail length is 4.5m with one extension fitted.










I have some videos too and will upload them soon.


----------



## MCW

And some may call it cheating but I brought the grinder and 2.5kva generator. There is NO WAY I'm filing 190DL of non skip chain. Stuff that for a joke! The weight of the generator held the 1" MDF down nice and tight...






Redgum dust? Yeah it IS as nasty as us Aussies make it out to be. I had to clean the filter(s) four times but this was only due to a very welcome and strongish wind. It gets everywhere. When I jumped in the shower later that day the floor of the shower turned brown instantly...






The 3120 is a strong saw and even stronger after I recently added another muffler port. On the longest slabs (about 3.6m) it was using about 3/4 of a tank of fuel per slab.


----------



## Stihlman441

I likey likey the grinder set up mate i have seen it all know.


----------



## Bigdgb

Hi Matt
nice job, BTW why do you not like .404 for milling?
I run .404 full skip on the 090 milling with a 48" bar so for no probs


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> I likey likey the grinder set up mate i have seen it all know.



Lazy or cunning. I'll let you be the judge old son


----------



## MCW

Bigdgb said:


> Hi Matt
> nice job, BTW why do you not like .404 for milling?
> I run .404 full skip on the 090 milling with a 48" bar so for no probs



Not a biggy mate just a bit harder work for the saw and a bit rougher finish, that's all. Main reason is that a 7 pin .404" rim is the same diameter as an 8 pin 3/8" rim. I actually ran the last few slabs with an 8 pin rim to take up some chain slack and it pulled it fine but I'd rather let the 3120 have it a bit easier. I also have a 60" GB Ti bar that does run .404" but I don't run that in the mill.
Oh and I didn't have any .404" chain in .058"


----------



## Strelnikov

Great stuff MCW, thanks for posting!


----------



## Bigdgb

Oh and I didn't have any .404" chain in .058" [/QUOTE]


LOL I am sure you could get some cheap from Riverland Chain


----------



## MCW

Strelnikov said:


> Great stuff MCW, thanks for posting!



No worries mate 



Bigdgb said:


> LOL I am sure you could get some cheap from Riverland Chain



Yeah but then the poor guy from Riverland Sawchain would have to hang onto the other 90' for ever as nobody else would be silly enough to run .404" .058" 

The milling video. Quite a non event really 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tU8iWj5Q9h8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Oh and the video of the 390XP. I love these saws 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vj5uNEKCgVU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Head down ass up there champ,i hope ya didnt wear ya old man out.

I just love Redgum NOT. 

That 390 has got a bit of poke.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Head down ass up there champ,i hope ya didnt wear ya old man out.
> 
> I just love Redgum NOT.
> 
> That 390 has got a bit of poke.



Hah hah. Yeah the old man was feeling it the next day but he does pretty well for 67. In saying that my right shoulder was a bit sore the next day too 
Redgum. Beautiful wood in every way except when you're cutting the crap.
As far as the 390XP she runs really well and has ample grunt in wood like this. The chain was cutting nicely though and it doesn't take much more off the depth guages to start bogging the poor thing down and making it look gutless. Chain setup has got a lot to do with how a saw performs as most people would know.


----------



## MCW

Well I was moping around at home suffering from a severe dose of Lackochainsawitis so despite my recent knee op decided to head up to a guy's place who wanted some old Peppertree stumps cut off. All he has is an MS250 with an 18" bar. He'd pruned all the smaller stuff off. I knew they'd be pretty dirty and was very close to cracking the clutch on the 3120 and fitting a .404" rim and 44" GB Ti bar but decided to leave the 3/8" rim on there from milling and run a 36 and 42" 3/8" bar instead. This turned out to be not a very smart move as the sand and termite dirt in these things ended up wrecking 3/8" chain quick smart.
The 390XP was fitted with a 32" bar and when that got blunt I swapped out the blunt chain and replaced it. All in all I ended up chewing out 5 chains from 32" to 42".






390XP with 32" GB Pro Top...






3120XP with 36" Carlton bar (rebadged Oregon Power Match Plus)...






One of the stumps. This things was full of dirt and absolutely wrecked a new chain - it was smoking at the end.










These things had a fair bit of weight in them being green. The guy on his tractor didn't even realise he was driving along with his rear right wheel a foot of the ground (diff lock on). I just missed a photo of it.






You'll probably notice that some of the scarfs are past 50% of the trunk diameter. This is so they'll fall over themselves without wedging. You wouldn't want to do this on a full sized tree although I have done it once earlier in this thread with a hangup. It is too difficult to wedge a short, thick stump over with no real weight up top to get it moving so I let gravity and simple physics take over 

I was there for about 4 hours and also felled a dead gum about 24" which I cut up into smaller bits for his elderly father-in-law to use as firewood. Needless to say the old knee was a tad stiff by the end of it as my chaps wouldn't go over the brace so the brace came off. My specialist would be so proud of me - not...


----------



## 8433jeff

Its called therapy, and sometimes the mind needs it more than the body...if your almost ms. lets you get away with it, you are golden.


----------



## tdi-rick

Matt, when dry it's as light as Balsa.

Makes good kindling, burns easily and HOT.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Matt, when dry it's as light as Balsa.
> 
> Makes good kindling, burns easily and HOT.



Yeah I thought that would be the case mate. Some of the dead parts were certainly lightweight.
I had the oilers wound up on everything and had absolutely no sap issues. Funnily enough the guy's MS250 bar was covered in chewing gum like sap. I remember another member here saying that he'd had sap issues when cutting Peppertrees so I kept that in mind but all good.


----------



## tdi-rick

I threw some old Ironbark onto the coals tonight and couldn't get it going, so went out and grabbed some Peppercorn I have in the wood pile, placed beside the big lump of Ironbark and a few minutes later off it went.

SWMBO tried to kill herself a few years back by hitting a big branch on an old tree here with the ROPS on the tractor.
It's kept us in firestarter ever since


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> I threw some old Ironbark onto the coals tonight and couldn't get it going, so went out and grabbed some Peppercorn I have in the wood pile, placed beside the big lump of Ironbark and a few minutes later off it went.
> 
> SWMBO tried to kill herself a few years back by hitting a big branch on an old tree here with the ROPS on the tractor.
> It's kept us in firestarter ever since



"Sent from my humpy via clapping sticks"

Bahahahahahahahaha...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> "Sent from my humpy via clapping sticks"
> 
> Bahahahahahahahaha...



Only the best tech here brudda, none of that unreliable i-phone and Tapatalk nonsense


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Only the best tech here brudda, none of that unreliable i-phone and Tapatalk nonsense



Well it was good enough to keep a 40,000 year old network running


----------



## Strelnikov

Wife's friend from Sydney arrived in Chicago today to stay with us for a couple weeks but unfortunately she didn't bring any news from MCW. So what's going on down there?


----------



## gmax

Strelnikov said:


> Wife's friend from Sydney arrived in Chicago today to stay with us for a couple weeks but unfortunately she didn't bring any news from MCW. So what's going on down there?



Matt doesn't have any time for chainsaws these days....he's too busy changing nappies! :msp_tongue:


----------



## tdi-rick

gmax said:


> Matt doesn't have any time for chainsaws these days....he's too busy changing nappies! :msp_tongue:




Nappie's = diaper's for our friends in NA


----------



## MCW

Strelnikov said:


> Wife's friend from Sydney arrived in Chicago today to stay with us for a couple weeks but unfortunately she didn't bring any news from MCW. So what's going on down there?



I'm 1100km from Sydney. I'm surprised your wife's friend didn't know what I've been up to 



gmax said:


> Matt doesn't have any time for chainsaws these days....he's too busy changing nappies! :msp_tongue:



Actually all going pretty well from a nappy front. I certainly now appreciate the testing, design, and engineering put into the good old Huggies disposable nappy though. Those things can take a hiding.
I'll be back on the saws soon so will get a few more piccys/videos up


----------



## Strelnikov

MCW said:


> I'm 1100km from Sydney. I'm surprised your wife's friend didn't know what I've been up to ...



No problem I'll tell her to pay more attention to what's going on down there.:msp_wink:


----------



## MCW

Back again gentle mens (and ladies?).
Haven't been on the saws much lately and have been suffering mentally because of it!
Anyway, I got a call from the main property manager where I felled the Casuarinas in this thread asking if I could take a look at a few trees for them. They were around an old property manager's house that hasn't been lived in for some time (there are a LOT of properties in this company).
He called me and said there was a Pawlonia that was easy and a large Norfolk Island Pine about 40m tall and 2m thick. Normally when people give estimations such as these they really mean 20m and a 1m trunk. In this case with he wasn't "too" far off the mark. As yet I haven't properly measured the height of the tree but it would be very close to 40m tall (130') and the trunk diameter is just over 55" at about 1m off the ground so a couple of feet off the mark as far as his diameter although it is about 2 meters wide at ground level. It has got a fair bit of canopy mass and has a small amount of weight back over the house. I was asked to assess this tree to gve them a few options. As long as I can get a chain up the tree and attach it to their loader it will be fine (wind permitting). Another thing to watch for with trees like this that have a large canopy is moisture. Recent rainfall in a tree like this can easily add a few tonne to it's total weight.
If a chain and loader was not available I'd be calling a contract climber I know in Melbourne who has bought a lot of gear off me over the years to come and do the job with me being his groundie. In a domestic situation I would be calling this guy up from Melbourne with no questions asked but in this case the house is insured with nobody living in it, I'm insured by the companies' cover, and I have appropriately sized machinery to help.
There was another Norfolk Pine removed right next to this main tree a while ago and the local tree crew used a crane and charged $2500 to remove it. The crane hire was $1000 by itself and by all accounts the whole job was a joke with stuff ups the whole way through. This particular tree was only about half the size of the one I've been asked to fell.
The funniest part is that they want me to fell it straight over the orchard. The particular type of Navel Orange in the neighbouring patch is basically worthless in the current market so no great loss if I smash a few trees. There was even word from the main manager that he doesn't care if I take the house out. I don't really want that on my resume though!
Anyway, a few piccys with videos to come...

The large Norfolk Island Pine...







The crusty Pawlonia...






Plus a Poplar I dropped as well...






Mega crusty trees these things...






The stump (Andrew wins with his pine stump)...










Funniest part with the poplar was that the lady neighbour was out emptying her bin. As I was smacking wedges into it I could see her looking around wondering what the noise was. When it hit the deck it made a fair bit of noise and I saw her nearly fall over in fright. She was about 100m away but it still gave her a shock...

Plus a photo of a Radiata Pine that blew over and took some powerlines down a few months back. The electricity guys trimmed the top out of the tree and fixed the lines. Upon inspection I found it was still just a bit too close for comfort without some extra trimming so I came back the following day and cleaned the balance up a bit with the HT131 pole saw. It was then easy to swing away from the lines (gotta love these softwoods and how easy they are to swing around on the hinge!)...






I took a lot more pictures of this pine and the cleanup but didn't realise at the time that my crappy Nokia phone's camera memory was playing up. A heap of photos weren't saved 

I also cleaned up a small and scraggly cedar with Wayne's (gmax) Dolmar 6400. I fitted my original Snelling ported 7900 top end to it plus a HD filter kit so decided to give it a run on this tree. It's still running pretty rich until the ring seats properly. I have a video of this uploading too.


----------



## parrisw

Great work matt as usual. Good stuff. You managed to get some time away from the little one to do some tree work.


----------



## Stihlman441

Good to see ya getting back on the bike champ,that stump wasnt to bad.:biggrin:


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Great work matt as usual. Good stuff. You managed to get some time away from the little one to do some tree work.



Thanks mate and I did manage to escape for a few hours. It's all money so handy after having a little tacker 



Stihlman441 said:


> Good to see ya getting back on the bike champ,that stump wasnt to bad.:biggrin:



Stump was OK I suppose mate but you have set a lofty standard lately!


First video is a quick walk around the area I have to drop these trees in. Bit easier to explain in a video than a heap of pictures. In all honesty the camera doesn't do the Norfolk Island Pine's size any justice. When you are standing under it there is a fair bit of canopy above your head. It should be fun but whenever you're dropping bigger trees like this where property can get damaged the old butthole does tend to pucker up a tad...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ghOQ0zsayTs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This saw is Wayne's (gmax) Dolmar PS6400. I fitted the original 79cc ported top end to it that I got from Brad Snelling. It's still running too rich but this is fine as I fitted a new ring so it will help to bed it in. It's actually running richer in the video than I would have liked and didn't pick up on the smoke until I watched the video. It let out a squeal in the clutch area towards the end of the video which you can see me checking out. It definately needs new clutch springs and I think that is what the noise was...I hope 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EKp6M2KZ_Bw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Last video is a crappy Poplar that they asked me to fell. I trimmed the bottom out with the 200T and I didn't realise till halfway through that there was dirt and other garbage everywhere. By the end the 200T was hardly cutting. It didn't want to start the other month and I started to panic as it's the first time this saw has missed a beat since the dealer replaced the carby. Upon closer inspection the choke rod had popped off so after a quick bend with the pliers and reattaching it all was good.
I felled it with the 390XP into a slight cross wind. I was a bit worried about any back lean so was a bit more cautious than usual, especially with the way I did my backcuts and wedging.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CdqIMMFf4_0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## gmax

Matt, I hope 6400 hasn't busted another clutch spring, when I first got it I found a busted clutch spring rolling around behind the clutch drum which also snapped
part of the oil pump drive.
It sounds nice though :msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, I hope 6400 hasn't busted another clutch spring, when I first got it I found a busted clutch spring rolling around behind the clutch drum which also snapped
> part of the oil pump drive.
> It sounds nice though :msp_thumbup:



You didn't happen to use an old washing machine spring to fix it did you Wayne like that old Mobilco?  Something definately started squealing in the clutch area so will check it out when I get time. I even had a few new Dolmar stickers here for the clutch cover so jammed one of them on for good measure.
She'll sound even better once it's leaned out a bit mate!


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice work as usual there Matt,that 390 sounds a bit goodly.


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> You didn't happen to use an old washing machine spring to fix it did you Wayne like that old Mobilco?  Something definately started squealing in the clutch area so will check it out when I get time. I even had a few new Dolmar stickers here for the clutch cover so jammed one of them on for good measure.
> She'll sound even better once it's leaned out a bit mate!



I was all out of washing machine springs..I used one from a tumble dryer .
Thanks for the sticker, Kyle was out of stock of those when I last made an order.


----------



## Bigdgb

Good work old mate


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice work as usual there Matt,that 390 sounds a bit goodly.



It does sound good mate. For some reason it sounds better when you're not actually running it.



gmax said:


> I was all out of washing machine springs..I used one from a tumble dryer .
> Thanks for the sticker, Kyle was out of stock of those when I last made an order.



Good job mate  No dramas on the sticker. It needed a tart up.



Bigdgb said:


> Good work old mate



Thanks old son. I edited out the part when I crushed half the house, took down more powerlines, threw a chain and cut my leg, and the bit where I copped a falling branch on the noggin. I love these video editing programs, they can make people actually look quite capable


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> It does sound good mate. For some reason it sounds better when you're not actually running it.
> 
> 
> 
> Good job mate  No dramas on the sticker. It needed a tart up.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks old son. I edited out the part when I crushed half the house, took down more powerlines, threw a chain and cut my leg, and the bit where I copped a falling branch on the noggin. I love these video editing programs, they can make people actually look quite capable



[email protected] at that rate youll get a job with SAMARAS :waaaht:


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> [email protected] at that rate youll get a job with SAMARAS :waaaht:



Only if I'm lucky Darren, only if I'm lucky...


----------



## parrisw

Just wondering if you helped the neighbor clean out here underwear?


----------



## blsnelling

Lookin' good Matt. Sounds like the 390's still running good for you. I just got a second one myself.


----------



## MCW

parrisw said:


> Just wondering if you helped the neighbor clean out here underwear?



Nah Will I couldn't catch her mate. She took off pretty quickly 



blsnelling said:


> Lookin' good Matt. Sounds like the 390's still running good for you. I just got a second one myself.



It hasn't missed a beat Brad. I'm lucky I didn't have it a few years ago when I started the main Casuarina job as my CAD would suggest I'd own a dozen by now. You'd have been a busy boy (well even busier I meant!).
I love my Dolmar 7900's (if you hadn't guessed ). If/when Dolmar bring out a 90cc version of the 7900 maybe, just maybe, this 390XP will have something to worry about. I doubt it though! They are an excellent saw in so many aspects it's not funny. Oh and good job on the porting too  As mentioned earlier a good testament to your work on this saw is absolutely flogging a couple of stock, new MS660's in performance while using nearly half the fuel


----------



## MCW

Got a call from the property manager at the "Kangara" farm where I dropped that windrow of eucalypts earlier in this thread (a few months ago).
The decision has been made to drop the East/West Casuarina windbreaks on this farm with the rest likely to be dropped later. Firstly I have to drop about 250-500 trees so we can work out costings for the rest of the farm and then budgeting can be done and signed off on by upper management.
These trees were only planted in 2006 and the largest may have a 10" trunk and 30' tall. The vast majority would be about 8" trunk and 20-25' tall.
The scary part is how many of these trees there is and how boring the job will be 

For example (and yes they are two different rows - there are 9 of these in total)...











These particular rows are dead straight and 4860m or 3 miles long (2430 trees). There are 7 of these rows the same length. A couple of them are shorter at 4200m or 2.6 miles long (2100 trees).
Therefore total number of trees not including the North/South rows is approximately 21,210 
Certainly not big saw territory and one of these new 550 Auto-Tune Huskies look the goods at this stage - jobs like this help fund my CAD  Until I make that decision I'll run my Husky 353 with the MS241C as a backup.
The base of the trees are easily accessible and at this stage and I would expect a felling rate of at least 110 per hour. I managed an average of 110 an hour earlier in this thread on slightly larger trees with the now sold 5100-S. I miss that saw


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one mate,i can be hired.:msp_smile:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one mate,i can be hired.:msp_smile:



Top of the list old son but unfortunately you'd have to do a chainsaw competency course and small tree felling certificate (up to 20m) minimum to comply with OH&S and insurance


----------



## Stihlman441

Happy felling,cut ya legs off at the knees save ya bending down.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Happy felling,cut ya legs off at the knees save ya bending down.



Luckily all waist height. Well sort of luckily.

There won't be too many exciting videos coming out of this lot 

It will give me an opportunity for a tree domino world record, if there is such a thing


----------



## Stihlman441

The hard part is fighting ya way in to the trunk.:msp_mad:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> The hard part is fighting ya way in to the trunk.:msp_mad:



Actually mate they're pretty good. They had one of these machines run down each side nearly level with the trunk last year  Easy access.










These things are a weapon for sure and are used a lot in fruit tree pruning.


----------



## 8433jeff

MCW said:


> Actually mate they're pretty good. They had one of these machines run down each side nearly level with the trunk last year  Easy access.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These things are a weapon for sure and are used a lot in fruit tree pruning.



The design engineer must have worked for Dr. Suess in an earlier life.
Did that thing take the competency test and pass the little tree feller course?


----------



## MCW

8433jeff said:


> The design engineer must have worked for Dr. Suess in an earlier life.
> Did that thing take the competency test and pass the little tree feller course?



Actually they are relatively common machine out here and these particular ones are made in Israel from memory. The guy who owns them is also a client of mine and runs a lot of citrus as well. He also sells the US made Air-O-Fan horticultural spray units which I have done a lot of trial work on. They are an awesome unit.

Welcome to gallardservices.com.au


----------



## splitpost

MCW said:


>



looks like a good job for a dozer


----------



## Graham99

I guess you could get somebody to drive the ute, and then have the passenger stick the saw out the window. Works fine as long as the trees fall away from the ute. Or build a bracket with a deflector and the saw built in, and then put it on the bullbar :msp_biggrin:

Or we can have an aussie GTG :msp_biggrin: We could run a book on how far the 4620 would get before it fell apart lol

Graham


----------



## husq2100

I thought Slash pine was much more like Radiata???


----------



## Tazfreak

MCW said:


> Sadly they'll be pushing/dragging it into piles and burning it. Bit of a waste but to be honest the vast majority of it is garbage. I saw a few growth rings today just over an inch apart. They've grown too fast to be much good for anything. I saw $$$ from firewood originally but it can stay there now as far as I'm concerned.
> With legal liability etc they can't just let any man or their dog on the place to cut and take it either.
> Some of the piles will be well worth cracking the marshmallows out for



stockpile the trunks for firewood,here in n.s.w wood fired pizza shops will pay premium $s for dry,split she'oak,$450 plus per tonne.bakers say it,s the best fuel of all for their ovens.I supply a couple of these shops.The biggest stands of river she,oak in the world grow near Bega along the river,some 8 to 15 feet dia' 40 minutes from me at Narooma.It would be a waste to just push it up and torch it,if it was near here i could sell every stick :msp_thumbsup:


----------



## MCW

splitpost said:


> looks like a good job for a dozer





rogue60 said:


> i was thinking the same thing, job would be done in a day or 2....why did they plant them so close to the citrus the roots would be over there getting all the good stuff...



Guess what? I mentioned the same thing. Problem is that they have irrigation lines, control valves, electrical cabling etc etc plus the final mess to clean up. Last time they tried a dozer it basically caused more damage than it fixed as these things have a fair root mass to them even at this young age. Been there, tried it. They also had a massive mulcher go over a few lines of trees as a trial too. The mess created was massive. What they are going to do is have me fell them all on top of one another then burn them. This also takes care of reshooting stumps. This turned out to be the most efficient thing to do on the other properties although the size of the original trees also scalded a number of citrus trees.
I'm the last resort 



Tazfreak said:


> stockpile the trunks for firewood,here in n.s.w wood fired pizza shops will pay premium $s for dry,split she'oak,$450 plus per tonne.bakers say it,s the best fuel of all for their ovens.I supply a couple of these shops.The biggest stands of river she,oak in the world grow near Bega along the river,some 8 to 15 feet dia' 40 minutes from me at Narooma.It would be a waste to just push it up and torch it,if it was near here i could sell every stick :msp_thumbsup:



As mentioned they've grown too fast. Many people had the same assumption about this gear for firewood but it burns like crap. Biggest problem is that most people have never seen what native species grow like on close to 400kg/ha of fertigated Nitrogen per year - the original aim of the property was to get these windbreaks growing as fast as they possible could to protect the young citrus trees from wind damage. The windbreaks alone on the original property were receiving 700 megalitres of irrigation a year (that's a sh*tload of water and a sh*tload of fast growth when combined with 400kg/ha of actual Nitrogen in 12 months). The end result isn't pretty and the timber didn't end up like any Casuarina you've seen - it was more like Pine and burnt like it too. The exact same species grown under low-moderate rainfall with no fertiliser inputs are very high value and sought after.
Some of the 40 year old trees weren't too bad but most of the trees in the original part of the thread were only 19 years old. I know what slow grown Casuarina burns like - it's excellent and I've been burning some tonight. It's even better than Redgum.
Sure you didn't make a typo with the 8' to 15' diameter comment? If not I want photos


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> I'm the last resort



:taped::taped::taped:


----------



## splitpost

MCW said:


> Guess what? I mentioned the same thing. Problem is that they have irrigation lines, control valves, electrical cabling etc etc plus the final mess to clean up. Last time they tried a dozer it basically caused more damage than it fixed as these things have a fair root mass to them even at this young age. Been there, tried it. They also had a massive mulcher go over a few lines of trees as a trial too. The mess created was massive. What they are going to do is have me fell them all on top of one another then burn them. This also takes care of reshooting stumps. This turned out to be the most efficient thing to do on the other properties although the size of the original trees also scalded a number of citrus trees.
> I'm the last resort
> 
> 
> 
> As mentioned they've grown too fast. Many people had the same assumption about this gear for firewood but it burns like crap. Biggest problem is that most people have never seen what native species grow like on close to 400kg/ha of fertigated Nitrogen per year - the original aim of the property was to get these windbreaks growing as fast as they possible could to protect the young citrus trees from wind damage. The windbreaks alone on the original property were receiving 700 megalitres of irrigation a year (that's a sh*tload of water and a sh*tload of fast growth when combined with 400kg/ha of actual Nitrogen in 12 months). The end result isn't pretty and the timber didn't end up like any Casuarina you've seen - it was more like Pine and burnt like it too. The exact same species grown under low-moderate rainfall with no fertiliser inputs are very high value and sought after.
> Some of the 40 year old trees weren't too bad but most of the trees in the original part of the thread were only 19 years old. I know what slow grown Casuarina burns like - it's excellent and I've been burning some tonight. It's even better than Redgum.
> Sure you didn't make a typo with the 8' to 15' diameter comment? If not I want photos



oh right, yeah didn't think about all that infrastructure amongst them..................then your gonna be bloody busy mate


----------



## MCW

rogue60 said:


> looks like slash pine i dont know but it sore looks like a conifer and they only sit on top of the grownd and are very easy to push over....an old Hilux would do a good job of taking them out lol...



Yeah they're not a conifer but a native hardwood as you probably know already.



splitpost said:


> oh right, yeah didn't think about all that infrastructure amongst them..................then your gonna be bloody busy mate



Well went out yesterday and dropped about 150 trees in an hour with the little Husky 353 and 18" .325" bar with Carlton full chisel. At this stage this is simply a trial so that they can budget etc. Looks like they'll crank up on the rest of them next April from what I was told today. Oh and they are only going to drop every second row for now as well so only about 11,000 trees


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> Yeah they're not a conifer but a native hardwood as you probably know already.
> 
> 
> 
> Well went out yesterday and dropped about 150 trees in an hour with the little Husky 353 and 18" .325" bar with Carlton full chisel. At this stage this is simply a trial so that they can budget etc. Looks like they'll crank up on the rest of them next April from what I was told today. Oh and they are only going to drop every second row for now as well so only about 11,000 trees



No problem, you will have those trees down in 73.333333 hours :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Rudolf73

gmax said:


> No problem, you will have those trees down in 73.333333 hours :hmm3grin2orange:



That's only a few days Matt...


----------



## Tazfreak

MCW said:


> Guess what? I mentioned the same thing. Problem is that they have irrigation lines, control valves, electrical cabling etc etc plus the final mess to clean up. Last time they tried a dozer it basically caused more damage than it fixed as these things have a fair root mass to them even at this young age. Been there, tried it. They also had a massive mulcher go over a few lines of trees as a trial too. The mess created was massive. What they are going to do is have me fell them all on top of one another then burn them. This also takes care of reshooting stumps. This turned out to be the most efficient thing to do on the other properties although the size of the original trees also scalded a number of citrus trees.
> I'm the last resort
> 
> 
> 
> As mentioned they've grown too fast. Many people had the same assumption about this gear for firewood but it burns like crap. Biggest problem is that most people have never seen what native species grow like on close to 400kg/ha of fertigated Nitrogen per year - the original aim of the property was to get these windbreaks growing as fast as they possible could to protect the young citrus trees from wind damage. The windbreaks alone on the original property were receiving 700 megalitres of irrigation a year (that's a sh*tload of water and a sh*tload of fast growth when combined with 400kg/ha of actual Nitrogen in 12 months). The end result isn't pretty and the timber didn't end up like any Casuarina you've seen - it was more like Pine and burnt like it too. The exact same species grown under low-moderate rainfall with no fertiliser inputs are very high value and sought after.
> Some of the 40 year old trees weren't too bad but most of the trees in the original part of the thread were only 19 years old. I know what slow grown Casuarina burns like - it's excellent and I've been burning some tonight. It's even better than Redgum.
> Sure you didn't make a typo with the 8' to 15' diameter comment? If not I want photos



Reference Forest Trees Of Australia,nelson csiro.page 96,97,98 shows old growth river she oaks the size mentioned. when clearing these big oaks local contractors used cat 7s,8s with rippers some were so big.


----------



## MCW

Tazfreak said:


> Reference Forest Trees Of Australia,nelson csiro.page 96,97,98 shows old growth river she oaks the size mentioned. when clearing these big oaks local contractors used cat 7s,8s with rippers some were so big.



Are there still any there that size? Also are they talking individual trunk diameters in the book or the width of the entire trunk mass where it exits the ground?

A single trunked Casuarina with a 5m diameter would be a weapon for sure


----------



## Graham99

gmax said:


> No problem, you will have those trees down in 73.333333 hours :hmm3grin2orange:



Maybe some primer cord would speed that process up somewhat. You'll need a few km's of it though, and probably shouldnt be recommended on a chainsaw forum.


----------



## Tazfreak

MCW said:


> Are there still any there that size? Also are they talking individual trunk diameters in the book or the width of the entire trunk mass where it exits the ground?
> 
> A single trunked Casuarina with a 5m diameter would be a weapon for sure



YES,measured at waist height they are big trees,they are found along river flood plains,Are now protected species,some were trees when captain cook landed here.trunk dias as big as any tree i,ve seen in35 years in forestry.not height wise, but girth with huge buttress fluted trunks.If you were to be contracted to take them down you, and youd be using big saws,really long bars and have alot of work in front of you.


----------



## MCW

Tazfreak said:


> YES,measured at waist height they are big trees,they are found along river flood plains,Are now protected species,some were trees when captain cook landed here.trunk dias as big as any tree i,ve seen in35 years in forestry.not height wise, but girth with huge buttress fluted trunks.If you were to be contracted to take them down you, and youd be using big saws,really long bars and have alot of work in front of you.



Monsters 
If you ever get the chance for some photos please post them here.


----------



## lumberjackau

Matt, are those stumps being sprayed after you cut them?

Will


----------



## MCW

lumberjackau said:


> Matt, are those stumps being sprayed after you cut them?
> 
> Will



No these ones aren't going to get sprayed mate. The most efficient way to kill them in this situation is to fell them all on top of one another as per previous property, then light them up once they've dried out a bit. Less garbage to clean up plus it kills the stumps off 99% of the time.
On the original property I had to respray a fair propertion of the stumps that reshot and this alone ended up costing the company basically the same amount of money as felling them to start with. The burning option that came in late on that property saved 1000's of dollars.


----------



## MCW

Short video from a while back. A mate took it on his iPhone hence the dodgey format. I was going to domino the whole row but the last dozen or so trees fell over prematurely 
I'd forgotten about this one and he stuck it on a memory stick for me last week.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/doeUtwWW9B0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

Back again peepholes. Haven't been doing too much exciting cutting lately but have finished the smaller Casuarinas for this year at least. The property intends to burn them where they fall but don't want anymore cut down until next year as the fireban starts soon in South Australia. They want all felled trees to be dry enough to burn prior to the ban kicking in next month.
Am uploading a video of the little Stihl MS241C at work in these smaller trees and it is a weapon for sure. I pulled the .325" 7 pin rim off and replaced it with an 8 pin and with the torque of the M-Tronic it hardly slowed down under load at all. It was probably "slightly" slower with the bar buried but noticably faster on any wood 8" or less.
Anyway here are a few photos of some of the damage 

Miles and miles of trees...











Here's the little beast...






Have to miss irrigation valves again. There are also control lines and other goodies strewn amongst the tree rows...


----------



## MCW

I also had to cut up a few larger Redgum logs in a guy's backyard. He bought two Chinese saws off of eBay with 24" bars to tackle them but both saws stopped running after a few hours and he hardly made a dent. I was originally under the impression he wanted the whole lot blocked up but in the end he only wanted me to cut them as per the photo. It's actually right in the middle of town and he paid $22,000 to have 5 large Redgums removed with a tree crew and crane a fair few years ago. The 44" GB Ti .404" bar pulled up about a foot short on the 3120. Pretty big logs and even bigger considering where the trees were. The log in the background is a lot larger than the one I cut. I've fitted the 60" bar for that one. I had a few upset elderly neighbours giving me daggers as I hooked into it midday on a Sunday when they were out having a cup of tea in their backyard. An extra muffler port on the 3120 didn't help either...
I wanted to mill these logs but no cigar. The property owner had promised them as firewood to his elderly father and there was no way I could convince him otherwise. Quite disappointing as solid Redgum logs like these are very hard to find around here without major termite damage.






He'd done a bit of a butcher's job on the end...






3120's and .404" make piles of woodchips fast...










Getting off track I also bought a pressure washer off of a member here (Stihl dealer). Has a Subaru/Robin OHC motor. Way more grunt than I planned. I was washing the work ute and it stripped some of the logo off the side plus it chewed into the tyre and also ripped some of the concrete up in my carport when I tried to wash an old oil stain off. The pencil jet is nasty. I ended up swapping to a 15° fan jet to stop wrecking everything...


















I also cleaned my BBQ with it and it blew grease off that a hammer and chisel wouldn't have shifted.


----------



## gmax

Matt, that's a fair size lump of wood, shame you couldn't mill it such a waste just to burn it :frown:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> Matt, that's a fair size lump of wood, shame you couldn't mill it such a waste just to burn it :frown:



Yeah it's certainly a shame mate. The log in the background which I'll get stuck into later is about 7-8' at it's widest point. I tried to convince him and even offered to swap it for loads of pre split wood but no way was I going to change his mind.


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice Redgum bloke,take some splittin that lot.
I have a Redgum felling job coming up 22 of them and they are large (the 50'' bar will be required) were get this they have been dead before he took over the farm in 1967.He has asked me to fell them and cut the trunks into lenghts so he can move them to a fenced off animal reserve thing he is making not far away.Then the stumps will be bulldozed out,he wont sell me any of the wood or let me mill it.:msp_thumbdn:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice Redgum bloke,take some splittin that lot.
> I have a Redgum felling job coming up 22 of them and they are large (the 50'' bar will be required) were get this they have been dead before he took over the farm in 1967.He has asked me to fell them and cut the trunks into lenghts so he can move them to a fenced off animal reserve thing he is making not far away.Then the stumps will be bulldozed out,he wont sell me any of the wood or let me mill it.:msp_thumbdn:



Has he got permits to drop them mate? Best to make sure before you start.


----------



## Stihlman441

MCW said:


> Has he got permits to drop them mate? Best to make sure before you start.



I did ask that,he has some deal going with the local Land Care group,he has made 2 of these wild life reserve areas all ready.
Then he gets permits and i shoot his roos so work that out ?.


----------



## deye223

Stihlman441 said:


> I did ask that,he has some deal going with the local Land Care group,he has made 2 of these wild life reserve areas all ready.
> Then he gets permits and i shoot his roos so work that out ?.



hey andrew it's 00:28 and me and the young bloke just got back from shooting from a place the same
been cuting red gum this arvo and tonight shot his roos and fox's that live in his wildlife reserves he's got about 200 ha
worth all over his place 
why put them in to breed crap and then pay me to shoot em, oh well i get pocket money and keeps me of the couch.
speeking of which just put a barreled action in that thumb hole stock i posted a couple of week ago man it shoots nice
litle 1/2" clusters at 120Y cheers


----------



## MCW

Oh and the video...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yBOdhwxnURk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice work champ your allmost getting good at that.:smile2: How did ya get the wind to go the way ya wont.:msp_rolleyes:
Im liking the pants holder uppers,very pro looking.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice work champ your allmost getting good at that.:smile2: How did ya get the wind to go the way ya wont.:msp_rolleyes:
> Im liking the pants holder uppers,very pro looking.



Yeah I thought I'd better run Stihl braces when using the 241 or it might crack the sooks and lop my leg off. Actually I replaced my strap on chaps with a pair of Canadian made Jakmax protective trousers and they are "slightly" loose. Plus the braces hold them up and stop woodchips sneaking in and getting all over your nutbag  Best bloody decision I've ever made. I hadn't realised just how much of a pain in the arse strap on chaps are. I got a pair of summer weight ones as the winter weight pants would have you sweating to death in minutes unless cutting in the snow


----------



## MCW

Back again homies.
Well when it doesn't rain it pours. All of a sudden I've had more tree work than I know what to do with and actually had to palm one job off as it would have meant taking a week off from my day job in the busiest time of our year.
I had a call from one of the property managers at the last minute requesting that I partially cut down 10,000 Tangelo trees as they want to graft them to a new Mandarin variety. Unfortunately the guy who does the grafting is in town and caught them on the hop. One of the pruning contractors gave him a quote that was through the roof so he asked that I do the job at their rates as he knows my saws will be way quicker. Unfortunately one of the guys at my work has been diagosed with prostate cancer and is off for treatment on Monday so I had to decline as we are already understaffed. I would have made about $3000-3500 in 6 days. Bummer...
Anyway, I was back out at the neighbouring property to the one above and got stuck into the last remaining row of the larger Casuarinas here - I dropped maybe 120 in 6 1/2 hours and there are still a fair few to go but many of these will have to have their tops trimmed with a high lift truck before I can fell them. They have massive leans and there is no way you'll get them to go where you want unless the tops are knocked out of them. I had a pretty strong Westerly/South Westerly wind which was ideal and it helped immensely in getting these trees over the way they had to go.
I decided to fit out a new 24" Tsumura with a .325" nose and tried a loop of Carlton K3C semi chisel with a Stihl 9 pin rim. I ran it on the pop upped 7900 and it cut really well. Unfortunately .325" in this particular situation was getting blunt far too quick so although it was a good thing to try I'll go back to 3/8" in future once this loop is worn out.
I also ended up running a 32" 3/8" bar on both the 7900 and 390XP for the rest of the felling. The larger trees in the video were super hard and as hard as any of the Casuarinas I've cut. There is a video coming of the 390XP with a 32" buried and it is really working hard. Way harder than it normally would and this was with non skip semi chisel and a 7 pin rim.
Apart from maybe getting my mitts on a new Husky 550XP I'm really happy with my current saw lineup and really don't want to change anything.
I have basically all bases covered now with 2 x Stihl 200T's, a Stihl HT131 Pole Saw, the little Stihl MS241C, a Husky 353, 2 x ported Dolmar 7900's, a ported 390XP, and the muffler modded 3120.
I'm getting the 390XP video done up as we speak and I was hoping to have these uploaded earlier in the week. Unfortunately something went astray with my video editing program (Cyberlink Powerdirector 9) so had to upgrade to the latest Version 11 which solved the problem (for $150 dammit ). I still use basic old Windows Movie Maker for the titles but that program is crap with HD videos in my book.
Anyway here are some piccys. Tracy came out on the camera while Zoe was asleep under some Avocado trees in her pram. I was hoping to get more videos but unfortunately babies need to be fed and have nappies changed. Who would have thunk it 











390XP with 24" Chinabar...











As I've mentioned before you always have to be careful with these things where they have bifurcated trunks. I've been lucky (and also very careful and cautious) but this tree split on the way over. If I'd have cut much higher I may have had the back half of the tree crack off and come over, potentially on me...






And the video...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/itX-YEhTJ3I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Looks like fun champ,i like the Stihl orange shirt very classy.:biggrin:


----------



## Rudolf73

Stihlman441 said:


> Looks like fun champ,i like the Stihl orange shirt very classy.:biggrin:



Yeah and they match those awesome suspenders :msp_thumbsup:


----------



## Stihlman441

I notice a fair amount of side ways flex in that Tsumura bar there bloike,are the .325 bars thinner or whats the go,funny how ya dont see these things when you doing the felling a.:msp_unsure:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Looks like fun champ,i like the Stihl orange shirt very classy.:biggrin:





Rudolf73 said:


> Yeah and they match those awesome suspenders :msp_thumbsup:



Yeah I thought I'd better wear the Stihl braces as I was running the Dolmar and Husky so had to cover all bases. I didn't want to get anybody offside 

Oh and the orange hi vis shirt is unfortunately an OH&S requirement.



Stihlman441 said:


> I notice a fair amount of side ways flex in that Tsumura bar there bloike,are the .325 bars thinner or whats the go,funny how ya dont see these things when you doing the felling a.:msp_unsure:



This is actually a dedicated 3/8" bar mate except that I whacked a .325" nose on it. I also noticed a slight bit of flex in the video too so funny you mention that. I didn't notice it when actually running the saw and it's certainly not moving around in the cut which is always an issue. I know my older 60" GB Ti roller nosed bars are crap when it comes to felling as they have about as much structural integrity as a wet noodle. The new orange Ti's are as solid as a rock.


----------



## MCW

And the 390XP video. I couldn't be buggared hammering in wedges with the larger backward leaning tree so used the others to knock it over.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5iyc0lYJEvk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## David (saltas)

Suspenders are awesome

I wear them all the time better than showing your plumbers crack any day


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice :msp_thumbup:


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> Suspenders are awesome
> 
> I were them all the time better than showing your plumbers crack any day



Normally I wouldn't care about my plumber's crack but the laser hair removal wasn't as successful as I'd hoped.


----------



## splitpost

mcw said:


> normally i wouldn't care about my plumber's crack but the laser hair removal wasn't as successful as i'd hoped.



w........t..........f?


----------



## MCW

splitpost said:


> w........t..........f?



Whoops. I forgot to put a smiley face at the end of the laser removal comment 
I actually wax...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Whoops. I forgot to put a smiley face at the end of the laser removal comment
> I actually wax...



Mate, I am impressed as only a _real_ man could wax, mardi gras time excepted....:hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Rudolf73

I know a very nice hairdresser in SA who also does hair removal, just in case you want to explore your options Matt...


So nice in fact, she even offered to help me with firewood this one time, but we never got around to that


----------



## Pagie

With wax with live bees in it....


----------



## Rudolf73

Pagie said:


> With wax with live bees in it....



No that could potentially be painful


----------



## splitpost

MCW said:


> Whoops. I forgot to put a smiley face at the end of the laser removal comment
> I actually wax...



ahrrright,thought something wasn't right with that


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> I know a very nice hairdresser in SA who also does hair removal, just in case you want to explore your options Matt...



I actually know a chick who used to be the chief waxer at a large business in Adelaide.
I've heard some stories best left untold. Like that 73 year old grandma and mother of 7 who came in for a full brazilian...


----------



## gmax

MCW said:


> I actually know a chick who used to be the chief waxer at a large business in Adelaide.
> I've heard some stories best left untold. Like that 73 year old grandma and mother of 7 who came in for a full brazilian...



No doubt about it, being a waxer can be a brutal job.. :monkey:


----------



## MCW

gmax said:


> No doubt about it, being a waxer can be a brutal job.. :monkey:



Some of her waxing stories in regard to South Australia's top models were quite refreshing however I near needed therapy after the 73 year old story.


----------



## MCW

Just realised that it has been nearly 3 months since I last posted something here. Thought I'd better pull my finger out!
Well actually things have been pretty quiet from a tree point of view.
Anyway a guy contacted me who has a fair bit of river frontage and also has some pretty large dead Redgums that he wanted cut up and slabbed after hearing I have a mill. I think he has his mind set on a big Redgum table. I'll also be keeping a fair few for myself.
Cracked the 3120 out on a pretty sizeable log and for some reason I got my sizing completely out of whack. I checked these a few weeks ago from a distance when driving past in my ute and actually thought they were, ahem, about 3 foot round. It was considerably less than the actual size.
When I carried my 7900 with 32" bar over to the standing Redgum it actually threw me off for a second as I didn't realise it was so bloody big.
Anyway, got stuck into it and it fell over in the direction of the face cut so that's always a positive. It had a fair lean so was only going to go one way. It was also a very solid tree and there will be a fair few good slabs come out of this one - basically every Redgum I've seen of this size has had a hollow centre from termites and/or rot. Even some of the main branches are easily large enough to slab. I also had to do a runner after this tree hit the deck as I got swamped by bees. Luckily I pulled a 100m time getting back to the ute similar to Usain Bolt and didn't get hit. All I'll say is I am very lucky to have not had the snot stung out of me as I had a swarm around my head and they swamped the ute when I jumped back inside. One got in with me but was quickly despatched with a gloved hand. I had to leave the 7900 sitting on the stump and the property owner collected it for me last night. It's probably already on eBay...
Here be some videos  I'll add some pictures later as either Photobucket or my internet connection playing up.

3120 with 44" bar...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XFgbom4qllw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

7900 and 32" bar...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qLQ2GiStid0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one Matt,two of my pet hates Redgums and bees.:frown:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one Matt,two of my pet hates Redgums and bees.:frown:



Mate these bees came out of nowhere. Tree hit the deck and I was walking around it for about a minute then BANG. I'd like to say I cracked the 100m in about 10 flat but probably only reached a top speed of about 8kph  Lucky I didn't blow a knee out actually...


----------



## bezza1

what is this a husky man using stihl suspenders ???
great job mate :freaked-out:


----------



## MCW

bezza1 said:


> what is this a husky man using stihl suspenders ???
> great job mate :freaked-out:



Hah hah. I have to be honest here but Stihl certainly make the best accessories - I also don't know any good Husky dealers outside of Mount Gambier and Tassie. Our two local guys are a joke and hardly even have a saw on the shelf anymore. They're too busy selling Yamaha motorbikes and boats. When they do have a saw on the shelf it's lucky to be over 40cc and certainly not a pro saw.
Also I'm not necessarily a Husky man as all of my favourite small saws are Stihl. I just like the Huskys over about 50cc (as well as the Dolmar 7900's). I've owned 660's and they had plenty of nuts but they had crap balance when falling compared to the Husky 390XP's and used nearly twice the fuel. The 660's had a bit more grunt but not enough to make them avoid getting sold. Tough yes, reliable yes, good reputation yes (amongst those who haven't used anything else!), overrated, um, yes (in my opinion).
I just wish Husqvarna would come out with a filter system as good as the Dolmar HD setup or the Stihl HD2  Maybe one day...


----------



## bezza1

MCW said:


> Hah hah. I have to be honest here but Stihl certainly make the best accessories - I also don't know any good Husky dealers outside of Mount Gambier and Tassie. Our two local guys are a joke and hardly even have a saw on the shelf anymore. They're too busy selling Yamaha motorbikes and boats. When they do have a saw on the shelf it's lucky to be over 40cc and certainly not a pro saw.
> Also I'm not necessarily a Husky man as all of my favourite small saws are Stihl. I just like the Huskys over about 50cc (as well as the Dolmar 7900's). I've owned 660's and they had plenty of nuts but they had crap balance when falling compared to the Husky 390XP's and used nearly twice the fuel. The 660's had a bit more grunt but not enough to make them avoid getting sold. Tough yes, reliable yes, good reputation yes (amongst those who haven't used anything else!), overrated, um, yes (in my opinion).
> I just wish Husqvarna would come out with a filter system as good as the Dolmar HD setup or the Stihl HD2  Maybe one day...


hahaha just giving ya #### mate lol i do like my huskys too but work for stihl so im keen on them to i priced a hd2 filter the outer day it was $ 51.63 on my trade price damm im not gonna have one for a while how did ya go with the rims and chain ??? 
keep on cutting mate


----------



## 7sleeper

Great videos! But where is the part with the run away? Now that would have been funny!

7


----------



## MCW

bezza1 said:


> hahaha just giving ya #### mate lol i do like my huskys too but work for stihl so im keen on them to i priced a hd2 filter the outer day it was $ 51.63 on my trade price damm im not gonna have one for a while how did ya go with the rims and chain ???
> keep on cutting mate



Express posted today old son.



7sleeper said:


> Great videos! But where is the part with the run away? Now that would have been funny!
> 
> 7



Well actually I shot off out to the side. I honestly felt like I was pulling about 40kph at the time but the reality caught on film showed maybe 04kph. Not having run much for a while after needing a few knee surgeries really showed


----------



## 7sleeper

MCW said:


> Express posted today old son.
> 
> 
> 
> Well actually I shot off out to the side. I honestly felt like I was pulling about 40kph at the time *but the reality caught on film* showed maybe 04kph. Not having run much for a while after needing a few knee surgeries really showed



WE WANT PROOF!  Come on show us your Usain Bolt move.... :msp_tongue:

7


----------



## MCW

7sleeper said:


> WE WANT PROOF!  Come on show us your Usain Bolt move.... :msp_tongue:
> 
> 7



Well did you hear about that magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Sunday in Indonesia?


----------



## 7sleeper

MCW said:


> Well did you hear about that magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Sunday in Indonesia?



I thought I felt some vibrations just recently..... :hmm3grin2orange: and I thought it was only the diarrhea that I am suffuring from at the moment. otstir:

7


----------



## MCW

7sleeper said:


> I thought it was only the diarrhea that I am suffuring from at the moment. otstir:
> 
> 7



Just eat a few kilograms of cornflour to thicken things up


----------



## MCW

Hi again gents.
When it rains it pours. Had two different property managers call me last Friday asking me to fell more Casuarinas. Neither of them had any idea that the other had called.
One is at a new property where they want all of their older Casuarianas (around 40-50 years old) felled to once again stop root intrusion into the orchard. There are some big trees in this lot. I pruned out the bottoms of one run with the 200T again (I love this little saw!) and then started felling them. In all honesty it got hotter than I thought and cracked 40°C in the shade by the time I pulled the pin around lunchtime. I hadn't checked the weather for a few days and it became quite uncomfortable in the end as humidity was right up too. I knew it was hot when all my plastic jerry cans blew up and rolled over in the shade due to excess pressure.
I didn't fell any of the big ones just yet but will get into them over the coming weeks. I used the new 550XP with .325" semi chisel and an 8 pin rim. The bar was actually something I made up from a few different bars. I had nothing in stock in UHL mount over 18" in .325" with a removeable nose so welded together both a .050" GB Pro Top (17") in HV mount and an old UHL mount .050" GB Hard Top I had here. As others have said before on AS the new GB nose sprockets are all coming in orange like the Ti bars have.
The total bar length came to around 21" and the little saw pulled it fine with no problems at all.







The only problem I did have which I've read about on AS recently is the odd one can be a ##### to start when warm. Mine is no exception. With the starting switch always on (you push it down to stop the saw then it pops back into the start position) you then pull it out and up for choke. It also has a priming bulb and decomp. What I found was that it wouldn't start when hot so you'd have to choke it, prime it, give it a couple of pulls, then pull it's arse off until it eventually fired - then it would burble and fart around until it cleared it's throat then you'd have a little hotrod again. All in all a great little saw but an overcomplicated starting procedure - I may have got one of the saws with a dodgey fuel breather - not sure. The M-Tronics are far more user friendly in this case and will continue to idle on choke until you hit the throttle which disengages the choke and away you go.










I also had issues with the Jakmax alloy wedges. Yes I was hitting them hard as there were some heavy leaners that needed some input but luckily I had my face shield down when a few of these bits flew off. Easy way to lose an eye. As Neil (ausneil) has said the Stihl alloy wedges are the best, but at $45 each they can stay on the Stihl shelf thanks.










I also threw a chain on the 200T which well and truly hooked the chain catcher. Dammit. I've got Bennn*e here to order me some more...






Also as much as I love the 200T's they do have their limitations. This tree is a monster, has a heavy lean over the orchard, and will be getting jacked over. I really couldn't be arsed hammering wedges in for two hours to get it over. Will be fun though!!!






Didn't take any videos but will be sure to on my next outing...


----------



## deye223

got a heap of these coming if you need a decent wedge matt


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> got a heap of these coming if you need a decent wedge matt



Yeah they're good wedges mate for sure. I looked at getting some in a while ago but a bit too spendy at the rate I chew them up.
I might be in touch to grab a couple off you if you want to sell any  The good thing with these allow wedges is that they don't bind in our hardwoods like some of the plastics have a tendency to do. They also have 1.5" of lift which comes in handy. Most plastics have 1" of lift except for the 12" ones that have 1.5". Only problem with the alloys is that you can't double stack them.

EDIT: Actually I think I now remember why I didn't buy any. From memory they are double taper and can't be stacked easily.


----------



## xtremez

deye223 said:


> got a heap of these coming if you need a decent wedge matt



Have you tried those yet or will this be the first go 'round? They look pretty effective was thinking about picking some up.


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Yeah they're good wedges mate for sure. I looked at getting some in a while ago but a bit too spendy at the rate I chew them up.
> I might be in touch to grab a couple off you if you want to sell any  The good thing with these allow wedges is that they don't bind in our hardwoods like some of the plastics have a tendency to do. They also have 1.5" of lift which comes in handy. Most plastics have 1" of lift except for the 12" ones that have 1.5". Only problem with the alloys is that you can't double stack them.
> 
> EDIT: Actually I think I now remember why I didn't buy any. From memory they are double taper and can't be stacked easily.



nope they are single taper i have stacked them the head is a bit differant ya got to hit them with a spliter or 
your mash hammer, will post a pic when it lets me



xtremez said:


> Have you tried those yet or will this be the first go 'round? They look pretty effective was thinking about picking some up.



been useing the for about 8 or 9 months best ABS plastic wedge on the market


----------



## Natty Bumppo

I only read the first and last pages of this thread, so apologies if this has already been posted.

When I lived in the Florida Keys, Casuarina was known as Australlian pine and was considered an invasive, pest species. There's no shortage of these in south Florida. I assume they're not so reviled in Australlia. Heard at the time they were used as windbreaks on many Pacific islands when the U.S. military was staging there during and after WWII.

Great work, mate. It's more than I'd care to take on by myself!


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> nope they are single taper



Are you sure? The photos you posted look like double tapered wedges to me. Sadly though with my luck I'll chew the end clean off of one 2 seconds after I buy it. When you're running heavy leaners and getting the odd pinch you don't always have the luxury of extra space for wedging away from the chain. 
Dammit...



Natty Bumppo said:


> I only read the first and last pages of this thread, so apologies if this has already been posted.
> 
> When I lived in the Florida Keys, Casuarina was known as Australlian pine and was considered an invasive, pest species. There's no shortage of these in south Florida. I assume they're not so reviled in Australlia. Heard at the time they were used as windbreaks on many Pacific islands when the U.S. military was staging there during and after WWII.
> 
> Great work, mate. It's more than I'd care to take on by myself!



They certainly can be an invasive tree no doubt and some of the species are worse than others. They are good in drought conditions (like most Australian species) and are used in windbreaks a lot because they are fast growers. Unfortunately this excessive vigour has caused issues in these orchards which is why they want them all removed.
As far as work goes I actually class it as paid entertainment  It gives me a good break from my pain in the arse day job.


----------



## deye223

unless you are talking about the first 1/2 an inch they stack good just bang a single wedge in to open the 

kerf a tad


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Are you sure? The photos you posted look like double tapered wedges to me. Sadly though with my luck I'll chew the end clean off of one 2 seconds after I buy it. When you're running heavy leaners and getting the odd pinch you don't always have the luxury of extra space for wedging away from the chain.
> Dammit...
> 
> thats why i hate wedging small trees
> 
> that last pic was of a 7.5" and a 10"


----------



## Stihlman441

I made some short fat assed Alloy wedges for small trees.


----------



## deye223

Stihlman441 said:


> I made some short fat assed Alloy wedges for small trees.



Pics when ya can please


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> unless you are talking about the first 1/2 an inch they stack good just bang a single wedge in to open the
> 
> kerf a tad



I know what you mean mate but being double tapered means that they're not actually designed for stacking although you can do it. You'll generally find the single tapered wedges are designed with ridges on one side and "hooks" on the other so one side grabs the wood and the other side slides freely against the other wedge. The alloys are good for opening up closed backcuts where everything has pinched shut like a bank vault as they are sharp and will cut fibres if need be. Then you can get a couple of single tapers in easily for stacking if you need to.
When I say single taper it means one side is 90° to the back whereas a double tapered wedge has both sides angled to a single point. The double tapered wedges are a lot easier to get into tight spots though. 
The alloys are good because they don't bend at the tip under heavy loads and they are narrow with good lift. Apart from the alloy falling apart like in my case


----------



## MCW

Oh and here is how I made the bar up. I didn't weld over the bar groove/rails and the ends butted up together perfectly with no gap between the rails. Easier than I thought actually and also left the bar very strong. Nothing fancy used, just a 130A DC arc welder. I'll be using this trick to convert a few Tsumura hard nosed bars I think 



















Stihlman441 said:


> I made some short fat assed Alloy wedges for small trees.



Out of a new Ford Ranger alloy head?


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Oh and here is how I made the bar up. I didn't weld over the bar groove/rails and the ends butted up together perfectly with no gap between the rails. Easier than I thought actually and also left the bar very strong. Nothing fancy used, just a 130A DC arc welder. I'll be using this trick to convert a few Tsumura hard nosed bars I think
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> yes having a bub in the house has its advantages like all the formula tins i got 3 billy lids so have used heaps
> 
> over the years HAHA


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> I know what you mean mate but being double tapered means that they're not actually designed for stacking although you can do it. You'll generally find the single tapered wedges are designed with ridges on one side and "hooks" on the other so one side grabs the wood and the other side slides freely against the other wedge. The alloys are good for opening up closed backcuts where everything has pinched shut like a bank vault as they are sharp and will cut fibres if need be. Then you can get a couple of single tapers in easily for stacking if you need to.
> When I say single taper it means one side is 90° to the back whereas a double tapered wedge has both sides angled to a single point. The double tapered wedges are a lot easier to get into tight spots though.
> The alloys are good because they don't bend at the tip under heavy loads and they are narrow with good lift. Apart from the alloy falling apart like in my case



got it single taper one side longer than the other


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one with the bar there champ.
I think ya shed needs a clean out bloke.
I see you have some new package Carlton chain,is the chain as good as the old stuff ?.
Sorry mate but i cant say them new Huskys are very peritty.:msp_smile:


----------



## NORMZILLA44

Matt, and down under brothers. Been awhile glad to see this thread and crowd resurface:cool2: Always enjoy it, and the company. Those hard head wedges posted above. Im really liking em, and worth the extra money. You can beat the hell out of them, and when you hit them they actually move as hard as u hit em.


----------



## MCW

Hi Norm 



Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one with the bar there champ.
> I think ya shed needs a clean out bloke.
> I see you have some new package Carlton chain,is the chain as good as the old stuff ?.
> Sorry mate but i cant say them new Huskys are very peritty.:msp_smile:



Yeah mate the shed definately needs a clean out. As far as the Carlton goes it's just the boxes that have changed. Everything else is the same.
I sort of agree on the looks - I think they were trying for the whacked out space type look.


----------



## Rudolf73

Nice job on the hybrid bar there Matt. 

Just thinking out loud here... that vertical weld on the bar will create a HAZ (heat affect zone) in the direction of the weld and maybe be prone to bend right there. In that case I would suggest a dog/shark tooth weld as shown in the sketch below. This should improve bending strength in that region, but it creates a bit more work. 

Also a fun project: Do up both methods on some old scrap bars and then bend them in a vice to see which one holds up better... just in case you get bored one Sunday evening


----------



## deye223

NORMZILLA44 said:


> Matt, and down under brothers. Been awhile glad to see this thread and crowd resurface:cool2: Always enjoy it, and the company. Those hard head wedges posted above. Im really liking em, and worth the extra money. You can beat the hell out of them, and when you hit them they actually move as hard as u hit em.



yes norm thats one of the things i like the most about them 

they drive better than an alloy wedge just make sure that you

hit'em square


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Nice job on the hybrid bar there Matt.
> 
> Just thinking out loud here... that vertical weld on the bar will create a HAZ (heat affect zone) in the direction of the weld and maybe be prone to bend right there. In that case I would suggest a dog/shark tooth weld as shown in the sketch below. This should improve bending strength in that region, but it creates a bit more work.
> 
> Also a fun project: Do up both methods on some old scrap bars and then bend them in a vice to see which one holds up better... just in case you get bored one Sunday evening



Hey I agree 100% Rudy and I certainly didn't overlook this fact. Sadly shark toothed type cuts aren't possible on the good old drop saw :msp_tongue: However I did stick it in the vice afterwards and trust me, bending it under normal use won't be happening.


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Hey I agree 100% Rudy and I certainly didn't overlook this fact. Sadly shark toothed type cuts aren't possible on the good old drop saw :msp_tongue: However I did stick it in the vice afterwards and trust me, bending it under normal use won't be happening.



Yeah true, it would take some time with the 4 inch. But it is on the far end of the bar which has less chance of bending. 

How about some fine wet and dry and some polish though... :msp_razz:


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Yeah true, it would take some time with the 4 inch. But it is on the far end of the bar which has less chance of bending.
> 
> How about some fine wet and dry and some polish though... :msp_razz:



Never bent a bar in the middle and only ever trashed a tip. As far as polish etc goes I'm not one of those prissy blokes who would polish it up like a mirror then get it diamond encrusted just to impress the masses :biggrin:
Just like my saws. If 120psi can't get it off it's bloody we'll staying there.


----------



## tdi-rick

It may not bend but it can go 'snap'

When I made my modded dogs the standard Makita ones are heat treated/hardened, and I used 4130 annealed sheet for the extended spike and did a (bodgy) oxy weld to join.

They went 'snap' when I dogged them in on the second or third cut as I hadn't tempered them.

Re-welded, and a backyard heat treat/quench/temper and they've been fine since.


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> It may not bend but it can go 'snap'
> 
> When I made my modded dogs the standard Makita ones are heat treated/hardened and I used 4130 sheet for the extended spike and did a (bodgy) oxy weld to join.
> 
> They went 'snap' when I dogged them in on the second or third cut as I hadn't tempered them.
> 
> Re-welded, and a backyard heat treat/quench/temper and they've been fine since.



Don't be silly Rick. The chain will hold it together. Where do you come up with this nonsense?
Oh and I did quench this bar. That's one thing I did do. I'll get back to you after a few thousand trees.


----------



## tdi-rick

D'oh, you're right Matt, I forgot about the chain.........

If you keep calling it a 'saw' without the 'chain' prefix my poor old head just doesn't picture it properly and I go all to pieces......


----------



## Rudolf73

Have you MM'd the 550 yet Matt?


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Have you MM'd the 550 yet Matt?



Not yet Rudy and not sure if I will. First thing I have to sort out is why the bit*h is hard to start when it's hot. There are currently a few threads going in regard to this.
I know everyone says it's a worthwhile mod though so will see what happens. At the moment I'm more than happy with it's performance, when it starts...


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Not yet Rudy and not sure if I will. First thing I have to sort out is why the bit*h is hard to start when it's hot. There are currently a few threads going in regard to this.
> I know everyone says it's a worthwhile mod though so will see what happens. At the moment I'm more than happy with it's performance, when it starts...



I read somewhere that you can get something like 20% improvement on the 550 with a MM which is great for such a simple mod. 

Hopefully you get that starting sorted out and then I might buy one too someday :rolleyes2: but I have to shift some 346's before that happens...


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> I read somewhere that you can get something like 20% improvement on the 550 with a MM which is great for such a simple mod.
> 
> Hopefully you get that starting sorted out and then I might buy one too someday :rolleyes2: but I have to shift some 346's before that happens...



20% gain is a frightening thought mate. I'm not joking when I say this thing has crazy grunt for a stock saw and all through the rev range too. The other good thing is it's throttle response. For a stock, out of the box saw it reminds me of a 200T which says something.


----------



## David (saltas)

matt 
if it is hard to start when it is hot it could be wanting some air
try lifting the idle speed and see what happens


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> matt
> if it is hard to start when it is hot it could be wanting some air
> try lifting the idle speed and see what happens



Hi Dave. There are a few threads on the go at the moment and may be a faulty tank breather. Will wait and see.


----------



## tollster

I've been stumped all day!


----------



## MCW

Back again. Did a bit more cutting on the weekend. 
Didn't drop too many but did have a few heavy leaners that caused a number of problems. I also threw a chain in a plunging bore cut which caused a few issues. Interestingly I've heard of a few people that don't believe you need to install the rivets in bar noses as the chain holds the nose in. I'd like to know how they intend to get the nose out of a cut if they throw or break a chain as the nose will most certainly stay in there.
Anyway, there were a few larger trees in this lot but the wind was coming from the right direction which helped a lot.
The cheaper alloy wedges I have simply aren't up to the task of hardwoods and heavy hitting. Check out the air bubbles in the alloy!!!






I threw one chain on the 390XP as mentioned above and as per normal the rim sprocket chewed a few drivelinks off...






Because the bar and chain was stuck in the cut I had to remove the powerhead and finish the backcut with the 7900. This was a heavy leaner so therefore I was plunging the middle then cutting the holding wood at the back to avoid a potential barber chair.






This was the largest tree I felled for the day. I was giving some Oregon square chisel semi skip a run on the 32" bar. It cut OK however the non skip equivalent on a 24" bar with 8 pin rim cut like lightning in comparison. I was actually quite disappointed in how beaten up this chain was out of the box. The cutting edges had copped a fair few dings. You can see how bad the edges are even on the photos taken on my phone. Still cut well though despite this damage...














This tree caused a few problems. It had a heavy lean back over the orchard so I tried to knock it over with neighbouring trees while leaving a solid lump of hingewood. All 3 attempts glanced off the side so in the end I had to fall it with the lean down the access track. Not what I wanted to do...


----------



## David (saltas)

I cant work this picture out


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> I cant work this picture out



Yeah sorry Dave. The bar is on upside down


----------



## David (saltas)

MCW said:


> Yeah sorry Dave. The bar is on upside down



lol

It looks like some advance cutting technique were the is no back cut

It looks like two very large face cuts back to back


----------



## scallywag

Is that some type of Sheoak or Bulloak your cutting there?


----------



## MCW

David (saltas) said:


> lol
> 
> It looks like some advance cutting technique were the is no back cut
> 
> It looks like two very large face cuts back to back



No old son it is simply camera trickery  The facecut on this same tree was in this photo...







Also this is a video I took of me missing my last opportunity to bowl the heavy leaner over. I should have aimed a bit further to the right but thought I'd hook it on the way past and didn't want to go too far to the right and lay it over the track. Sadly I ended up having to fall it down the track anyway 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M7F8XUohoAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## MCW

scallywag said:


> Is that some type of Sheoak or Bulloak your cutting there?



Spot on mate. Casuarina (not sure which species as there have been a few different ones on this company's properties).
Commonly known as Sheoak.


----------



## scallywag

Met a bloke one time that prized Bulloak for Banjo fret boards, nice stuff the heart wood and hard!


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> No old son it is simply camera trickery  The facecut on this same tree was in this photo...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also this is a video I took of me missing my last opportunity to bowl the heavy leaner over. I should have aimed a bit further to the right but thought I'd hook it on the way past and didn't want to go too far to the right and lay it over the track. Sadly I ended up having to fall it down the track anyway
> 
> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M7F8XUohoAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



which vid glasses are they matt there better than the cheapy ones i got


----------



## MCW

scallywag said:


> Met a bloke one time that prized Bulloak for Banjo fret boards, nice stuff the heart wood and hard!



Yeah in dry grown conditions without irrigation this stuff is like cutting steel. Unfortunately these have been fed a fair bit of water and fertiliser over the years so not really good for anything, even firewood. They have grown too fast.


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> which vid glasses are they matt there better than the cheapy ones i got



Heh heh. Don't tell OH&S but I was actually holding my phone in my left hand while belting wedges in with my right hand 
I have been thinking of getting some video glasses though.


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Heh heh. Don't tell OH&S but I was actually holding my phone in my left hand while belting wedges in with my right hand
> I have been thinking of getting some video glasses though.



they ain't all they are cracked up to be FOV is to narow because we 

look with our eyes and not our face the vid glasses are allways looking 

in the wrong place


----------



## Hddnis

That cast wedge is something. I thought I was looking at some broken concrete at first glance.:msp_scared:

I had to weld a broken crankcase casting a couple weeks ago that was almost that bad. It welded bad, ended up fluxing it and then running hot and dirty to get a good layer to build on. Took about half a rod just to get the porosity filled. I hate this cheap azz cast stuff that is being sold these days. Companies that turn out turds like that should be ashamed of themselves.



Mr. HE


----------



## MCW

Also heres a video driving around showing the trees I have to fell. The early morning commentary revealed a croaky voice 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cFkTL-t_xJE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Hddnis said:


> That cast wedge is something. I thought I was looking at some broken concrete at first glance.:msp_scared:
> 
> I had to weld a broken crankcase casting a couple weeks ago that was almost that bad. It welded bad, ended up fluxing it and then running hot and dirty to get a good layer to build on. Took about half a rod just to get the porosity filled. I hate this cheap azz cast stuff that is being sold these days. Companies that turn out turds like that should be ashamed of themselves.Mr. HE



Yeah it was a shocker. However $45 for a Stihl alloy wedge was a tad steep. I have 4 of these wedges left so when they've fallen apart I'll use something differerent.


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice,looks like ya need a mate to help out.


----------



## Rudolf73

MCW said:


> Also heres a video driving around showing the trees I have to fell. The early morning commentary revealed a croaky voice
> 
> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cFkTL-t_xJE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Nice accent Matt :msp_wink:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice,looks like ya need a mate to help out.



I sometimes think you're in the same boat old son.



Rudolf73 said:


> Nice accent Matt :msp_wink:



Thanks Rudy. I was going for the more sophisticated and educated accent but ended up with a hungover smoker's voice suffering from the flu. Sadly I wasn't hungover, don't smoke, and wasn't ill...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> Thanks Rudy. I was going for the more sophisticated and educated accent but ended up with a hungover smoker's voice suffering from the flu. Sadly I wasn't hungover, don't smoke, and wasn't ill...



Would you like me to do the commentary/voice overs old son ? 
Shame is I can only do the educated accent, I'm totally uneducated.
Or I have a mate here that has a voice and a half, a deep baritone and with that GPS polish.
It'd take your vids to the next level. 




I have to say I dig the husky voice, I think I could turn. :monkey: 


hahahahahahahahaha


----------



## Hddnis

tdi-rick said:


> Would you like me to do the commentary/voice overs old son ?
> Shame is I can only do the educated accent, I'm totally uneducated.
> Or I have a mate here that has a voice and a half, a deep baritone and with that GPS polish.
> It'd take your vids to the next level.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have to say I dig the husky voice, I think I could turn. :monkey:
> 
> 
> hahahahahahahahaha




Stay strong brother, go listen to your GPS, it will steer you straight. (Set it to female voice first)



Mr. HE


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> Would you like me to do the commentary/voice overs old son ?
> It'd take your vids to the next level.



What do you charge?



tdi-rick said:


> I have to say I dig the husky voice, I think I could turn. :monkey:
> hahahahahahahahaha



I wasn't using the Husky at this point Rick. Or the Stihls or Dolmars. You could turn to Huskys if only you'd break out of your current Makita mindset.


----------



## tdi-rick

Hddnis said:


> Stay strong brother, go listen to your GPS, it will steer you straight. (Set it to female voice first)
> 
> 
> 
> Mr. HE




Sorry, my bad, I forget we're reaching a global audience here.

GPS in this context means Great Public Schools, ie. the elite _Private_ schools where it can cost upwards of $30,000/yr to send your kid/s.

I grew up surrounded by neighbours that sent their kids to these schools, one of my best mates went to one as did a lot of my friends/associates where I live now but moi, I'm public school through and through 
Generally one acquires a polished and indeed sometimes plummy accent when attending these schools, moreso the _gals_ than the blokes though.
I just had a Mum that was a stickler for correct pronunciation so now all the snobs around here think I'm one of them but can't quite work me out. I love it. hahahaha 

Now talking GPS navigators, a mate a few years back bought a Merc SLC and you should've heard the English, but even better French voices in his GPS.
Ooh la la, I was in luurve, couldn't understand a word she was saying with my schoolboy French, but she sounded _hot_ :msp_wub:
I'm a sucker for a plummy English accent in a girl too, something like how Rachel Ward sounds


----------



## Rudolf73

I'm pretty sure you can get Nigella Lawson on satnav too, she has a pretty good English accent...


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> What do you charge?



Mates rates, or a Cutty Cutty Longtime Chain, whichever's the cheaper.



> I wasn't using the Husky at this point Rick. Or the Stihls or Dolmars. You could turn to Huskys if only you'd break out of your current Makita mindset.





I know, I know, but my OCD won't let me mix blue and Orange, as much as I love Orange saws


----------



## tdi-rick

Rudolf73 said:


> I'm pretty sure you can get Nigella Lawson on satnav too, she has a pretty good English accent...



Yep, sounds pretty good to me too.

Have you ever noticed that they never shoot Nigella from bum on or even show her derrière at all ?

Apparently it's in her contract according to an English friend of mine who also has a great accent and who is also very cute and has a very cute sister in the UK TV industry. 

Sigh. I know too many cute girls.


----------



## Rudolf73

tdi-rick said:


> Yep, sounds pretty good to me too.
> 
> Have you ever noticed that they never shoot Nigella from bum on or even show her derrière at all ?
> 
> Apparently it's in her contract according to an English friend of mine who also has a great accent and who is also very cute and has a very cute sister in the UK TV industry.
> 
> Sigh. I know too many cute girls.



Yeah now I think about it, it's always a front on camera shot... interesting...


P.S. I know a Russian TV presenter by the name of Olga, but don't let the name put you off :msp_biggrin:


----------



## deye223

tdi-rick said:


> Yep, sounds pretty good to me too.
> 
> Have you ever noticed that they never shoot Nigella from bum on or even show her derrière at all ?
> 
> Apparently it's in her contract according to an English friend of mine who also has a great accent and who is also very cute and has a very cute sister in the UK TV industry.
> 
> Sigh. I know too many cute girls.



have a look at her now she's lost a lot of weight and this girl is 50 years young


----------



## MCW

tdi-rick said:


> something like how Rachel Ward sounds



That's my mum Rick. Tone it down a bit old son.



tdi-rick said:


> Mates rates, or a Cutty Cutty Longtime Chain, whichever's the cheaper.



Cutty cutty not cheap mate. $2 chain but $500 worth of 3rd world filing.



tdi-rick said:


> I know, I know, but my OCD won't let me mix blue and Orange, as much as I love Orange saws



Just shut one eye mate, you'll be fine.


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> That's my mum Rick. Tone it down a bit old son.
> 
> 
> 
> she must have been at the top of the ugly tree when she droped you , oops my bad :big_smile:


----------



## MCW

Plus a video of the 7900. Chinese semi chisel funnily enough 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ASa7k6lObfI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



deye223 said:


> she must have been at the top of the ugly tree when she droped you , oops my bad :big_smile:



That's a bit asrh Darren. Crikey...
I've just passed this on to my solicitor...


----------



## Stihlman441

Wish i was there Matt,the sh_t is right up with the best things in life.
That Dolmar sounds half good mate.


----------



## Rudolf73

Stihlman441 said:


> Wish i was there Matt,the sh_t is right up with the best things in life.
> That Dolmar sounds half good mate.



Don't get him started on the Dolmars...  

I wish mine sounded so good.


----------



## tdi-rick

MCW said:


> That's my mum Rick. Tone it down a bit old son.
> 
> 
> 
> [snip]



and I said she sounds nice 

But your Dad isn't Bryan Brown so....?

......oops, sorry :taped:


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> That's a bit asrh Darren. Crikey...
> I've just passed this on to my solicitor...



come on matt it's not my fault that it was such a tall tree :msp_tongue:


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Wish i was there Matt,the sh_t is right up with the best things in life.



If you leave at 2am mate you'll be here mid morning 



Stihlman441 said:


> That Dolmar sounds half good mate.



You should hear the other half.



Rudolf73 said:


> Don't get him started on the Dolmars...
> 
> I wish mine sounded so good.



Crikey Rudy. All I said once was that they are good saws and stuff.



tdi-rick said:


> But your Dad isn't Bryan Brown so....?
> 
> ......oops, sorry :taped:



Bryan Brown is fine. Bob Brown would be a worry...



deye223 said:


> come on matt it's not my fault that it was such a tall tree :msp_tongue:



Strike 2....


----------



## Stihlman441

MCW said:


> If you leave at 2am mate you'll be here mid morning
> 
> 
> 
> Dont tempt me my freind,anyway havnt got enough ammo loaded.:msp_ohmy:


----------



## MCW

Because I start my new job on the 25th of March and am on "holidays" until then I decided to head out today and knock over a row of Athol Pines for the same company with the Casuarinas. They are along the top of a cliff overlooking the River Murray and Lock 4. Apparently they want them cleared so they can sell the blocks of land - they'll go for a high price here but despite the beautiful river views there is actually no river access - unless you want to rope down 30m to reach the water  Not a good place for kids...

It was raining and I only used the 200T. First up I had the new(ish) Stihl 3/8"LP full chisel chain on a 14" E Light bar. In this timber it cut like crap. Simply didn't want to bite in. When I swapped to Carlton N1 semi it was a different ballgame. On another note I got Bennn*e to grab me some 7 tooth spur sprockets (standard is 6 tooth) and this thing is now even a bigger weapon that it was before. After a couple of hours I was saturated, covered from head to toe in wood dust, and had to head off. The little 200T is also a mess and I'll have to blow it off before I use it again. It has rained lightly all day with some heavy showers and is the first rain we've had for nearly 5 months.
My chaps are still saturated which should be fun when I head out again in the morning. All I got was this photo out the ute window in the rain. I will have to leave a few trees in the middle as they are surrounded by powerlines and leaning towards them. Anybody who has cut these crappy things before will know that their hinge integrity is like a stick of chalk. They'll just let go whenever they feel like it so you just have to send them where they are leaning...


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Dont tempt me my freind,anyway havnt got enough ammo loaded.:msp_ohmy:



I've got heaps


----------



## deye223

MCW said:


> Strike 2....



i'm trying to get back in the dugout .......... and buy the looks of it the tree must have had rough bark had to be 
ironbark yippy strike 3 i'm out of here

Originally Posted by MCW
Anybody who has cut these crappy things before will know that their hinge integrity is like a stick of chalk. They'll just let go whenever they feel like it so you just have to send them where they are leaning...

sounds like the poplar over here britle as buggery


----------



## MCW

deye223 said:


> i'm trying to get back in the dugout .......... and buy the looks of it the tree must have had rough bark had to be
> ironbark yippy strike 3 i'm out of here



I'll let you off for now mate as you thanked me for putting you onto the Tsumura bars 



deye223 said:


> sounds like the poplar over here britle as buggery



WAY worse than Poplar mate. Never had any tree species come close to this crap. Really salty too so as the rain was running out of the canopy onto my face it was stinging my eyes as well.


----------



## Andyshine77

Glad to see some new videos Matt!! Your 7900 still sounds good BTW.


----------



## MCW

Andyshine77 said:


> Glad to see some new videos Matt!! Your 7900 still sounds good BTW.



Hi Andy 
Yeah the old 7900 is still going strong. Still over 200psi compression too. Hasn't missed a beat.


----------



## Stihlman441

MCW said:


> I've got heaps



Got any .17 Ackley Hornets,.243s,.270 WSMs


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Got any .17 Ackley Hornets,.243s,.270 WSMs



Got some air rifle pellets 
You'd better start reloading more old son.


----------



## Stihlman441

How did you know im the oldest son.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> How did you know im the oldest son.



Well you're somebody's son and you're old  Anyway stop bloody typing and start reloading. I'm sick of the excuses...


----------



## Stihlman441

Im at work young fella.


----------



## MCW

Back again gents.
Have been relatively busy in the last week. If I haven't been cutting trees I've been babysitting while Tracy has gone to work.
Anyway I finished up at one of the properties earlier this week and then shifted back out to Kangara (around 40km away) where they have around 40,000 smaller trees to potentially drop. Because I have a few weeks off before I start my new job and can therefore drop a lot more trees than they thought and the property manager had to contact the overall farm(s) manager to ensure their budget would extend far enough to allow so many trees to be felled. It's not only my cost to the company but they also have to allocate staff to clear irrigation lines etc etc.

Anyway I have a few pictures and videos here from the previous property with the larger trees. On another note the little 550 has now settled down and the warm/hot start issues have disappeared. It's probably had close to 25-30 tanks through it now. I gave it a bit of a hillbilly muffler mod which made a massive difference as Brad Snelling has mentioned. These things have crazy power for 50cc and why anybody would want to modify them further than the muffler is beyond me. There is one thing though that is really pis*ing me off with this saw and that is the felling spike. It is absolute crap. This is one area that Stihl has got sorted and even my 200T's have far better spikes. Every tree in Sweden must have a 10" diameter and be perfectly round. On many trees here with funny shaped trunks the spike simply had nothing to bite on - because the case and muffler are hitting the tree I have paint coming off the case, a bent muffler, and even the spark arrestor screen has hooked on something and bent that too - if anybody knows of an OEM HD spike set for this saw please let me know. I nearly modified a set of 365-390 OEM HD spikes the other day but realised they'd be just a bit too big for a small saw like this. Those that think you don't need spikes on a saw used for falling are tugging themselves. They are very important for lining up cuts accurately (and therefore safely) and also help a lot with fatigue as you can lock the saw into the trunk and pivot it on the spikes. Without spikes cuts will wander and you have to physically push the saw through the cut while keeping the bar lined up to ensure your cuts end up in the right spots. Everybody knows what problems can arise with inaccurate cuts.

I also gave the little MS241C a run with a 16" GB ArborTech bar in 3/8"LP. It cuts well but simply wouldn't stay sharp long enough and was a bit too underpowered in trees this big and hard. For those not familiar with the ArborTech range they are a solid replaceable nose bar that are very affordable. Great little bar.






I also got lucky the other month and picked up 3 old saws for $150. One was a Sachs Dolmar 115i which needed a few parts but was a good runner in very good condition. They're around 50cc and have a lot of power for a saw designed (I think?) in the mid 80's. I also picked up a similar Dolmar made McCulloch which Wayne (gmax) bought off me for $50.
I also got an 026 which needed a few parts. Bennn*e got me a set of larger spikes for it and I already had an aftermarket muffler to suit. It needed a new 44mm piston and rings which I had here already (luckily as I was meant to get sent 44.7mm kits!). I'm also waiting on a new carby as it had some rust in it plus was erratic when tuning. One minute it would run well and next minute it was like the choke had come on. When it was running well it was a top little saw and like a mini 044. I would rather have an 026 anyday over an MS261 as they have a bit of character and their throttle response reminds me a lot of a Husky. They're really easy to throw around as well.






On the 550XP I was running a 20" 3/8" bar with a 7 pin rim and it was doing it easily. I have to be honest though that against all popular opinion on the 550 I am finding it a nicer saw to use with .325" and an 8 pin rim. So far it seems to be cutting faster than 3/8" although as always .325" doesn't wear as well. In dirtier conditions I'd run 3/8" for sure. This is a photo with the 3/8" bar...






This row was quite crappy and caused all sorts of issues with hangers, intertwined canopies, and of course the old stuck saw(s) trick. I got a few stuck here and there is a good reason why I prefer inboard clutches in situations like this. You can pull powerhead off easily!!! I had the 550 stuck in this photo and with no other real option left the saw there and bowled it over with a neighbouring tree. Luckily the Husky survived without a hitch and I cut it out with the 200T. Took a bit of work to actually find it...






These are the sort of crusty trees I was dealing with. A different species to the others but still a Casuarina...










I also cut this dead one a bit higher to avoid a Gecko hiding in a crack...






Some of you guys would have already seen this video in the All Aussie thread but this is something you try to avoid. I was doing the backcut on a heavy leaner with the 550 knowing it would come back hard but I wasn't quite quick enough. It snapped shut like a bank vault on the bar. I grabbed the 7900 to fall it with the lean and as luck would have it a crack shot up the trunk and jammed the 7900 in the new face cut (not ideal as I was trying to get all the trees falling in a Westerly direction to make it easier to tow out butt end first). There are a few things I'd have done differently here but hindsight is a wonderful thing and I was lucky to not have a couple of crushed saws. I hope you enjoy the thrilling commentary. I was using much harsher language in my head and this happened with only 10 trees left on this property to do (for now)...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BDm8uYuhcvw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Understandably I didn't make this video "public" on Youtube as I am sick to death of know all dic*heads trying to educate everybody. I had one guy the other day have a go at me about safety because I was using my 241 above shoulder height and didn't have my face shield down. Despite not actually breaking any of the current Australian safety rules as I was wearing protective eyewear (required with face shield up) - cutting above shoulder height is not actually against any OH&S rules however it isn't recommended for inexperienced operators. I checked this guy's comment history and every single comment he'd made was about chainsaw safety. He must have had too much time on his hands.


----------



## MCW

This was a photo of the aftermath of the above video. The bar on the 7900 ended up OK...






One thing you have to be constantly aware of with these trees is bifurcated trunks (or dual leaders as some people call them). With these it isn't uncommon for trunks to part ways as they go over (you can see one split in half in the above "Stuck Saws" video).
I always have to be aware of this and definately finish my final cuts AWAY from the danger side and out from under any lean (when possible).






I also had Ben (Bennn*e) come up to visit last weekend so he came with me to knock a few trees over. The ones in the following video had been left as earlier on the wind wasn't favourable and they had a relatively heavy lean over the neighbouring orchard.
I was actually intending to jack over the larger tree but with such a big canopy and such a strong wind (perfect in fact!) the jack wasn't necessary and it went over without a hitch. You can see it split when it hits the deck. This is probably the largest Casuarina trunk I've cut on any of the properties...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xVZ_wSgQZss" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I then headed out to a property called Kangara where they want me to fell a lot of smaller Casuarinas. Maximum trunk diameter in these runs was maybe 10-12".
I ran both the 550XP and 241C. The 241C, despite a lot less power, turned out to actually be 10% faster overall than the Husky in this situation. Fuel economy was the main deciding factor and with a possible 5-6 minute turn around walking back to the vehicle to refuel and then moving the vehicle to a closer position you can see how the little Stihl came out on top. It's also a lot nicer to use than the Husky in this type of job however there are many situations I'd rather be using the 550.

There were 95 trees felled here on one 241 tank 






I also fashioned up a tow hitch vice setup a number of years ago that I never got around to using. It works well although it was designed for my old Hilux and didn't have enough extension to clear the Navara's tailgate.










I also had to pull the pin early as my cheap arsed Forester chaps came apart at the seams (for the 4th time in a different spot!) and of course with damaged PPE I had to head home to get them fixed. As Murphy would have it my Nissan Navara went into limp home mode 1km from my house and Nissan Roadside Assist came and picked it up. Because my new work vehicle hasn't arrived yet and this is the only transport I have this stopped me cutting for 1 1/2 days. Turned out to be a fault with the Cruise Control and a bad signal being sent to the drive by wire throttle position sensor. Disconnected the Cruise Control and all is good.

This is why you don't buy cheap chaps...






Even though the Navara died this would have cost me around 3-4 hours of work therefore cancelling out their intial cheap price. I ordered a new set of Stihl protective trousers immediately and will use these Foresters as a spare.


----------



## MCW

This is a map of the current property. Each block is around 200m square so with tree spacings being 2m apart there are 100 trees per run. I was working in the bottom right of this map.






There are around 2600 trees allocated on the map so far but in reality it is only 3-4 days of solid work at an average of just on 100 trees down an hour.
The biggest issue at the moment is the heat. We've been up around 40°C (100°f+) and I have been sweating like a pig. I drank 6 litres of water the other day in 5 hours and was still severely dehydrated. Every single bit of clothing was saturated and the flies out here are shocking although they don't give me much grief when actually felling, only when I've stopped.


----------



## Rudolf73

Excellent write up Matt, as always. You should have been an author or something haha.

What did Ben think of the 390? 

Also what happened to the Nav?


----------



## MCW

Rudolf73 said:


> Excellent write up Matt, as always. You should have been an author or something haha.



You know those 50 Shades Of Grey books Rudy?



Rudolf73 said:


> What did Ben think of the 390?
> 
> Also what happened to the Nav?



Benny has an 066 with a BB kit thats a good runner and as yet I don't think he's had a play on the 390. The one saw he was impressed with though was the 7900. I think I may be able to turn him 
Because the Navara's cruise control is an aftermarket Autron unit still under warranty I'm getting the guy who installed it to check the cruise next week. I've had this particular Nissan dealer blame other things before to try and get out of warranty claims so we'll see what happens. Unless a plug wire has come loose on the cruise it is highly unlikely to be the cruise control's fault. The control unit is now completely unplugged and bypassed so if we have the same issue reoccur it can't be the cruise control.


----------



## porky616

towbar mounted vice eh, not bad idea at least you would face plant it before ya knees hit it :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## MCW

Back again folks.
Despite not posting much lately I have spent a reasonable amount of time on the saws but mainly with the smaller Casuarinas as outlined above. I wanted to fell all the trees on the map prior to starting my new job on the 25th of March and still had around 700 odd left come Easter. I ended up getting my brother to come with me on Easter Monday as I require a spotter on this property if there are no employees working.
Having my brother there to move the vehicle up etc helped massively and I ended up dropping the remaining 700 trees in just on 5 hours. Despite only using smaller saws this is the highest number of trees per hour I've ever averaged (140/hr). I think my previous high was with my old Dolmar 5100-S early on in this thread at 120/hr. I used the 241C for the most part but ran the 550XP for around 100 of the larger trees.
One issue I have found and I've mentioned this elsewhere is that Husky filtration compared to the new Stihl HD2's is utter crap. The Casuarinas above are coated in dust due to the amount of machinery travelling up and down the tracks. The 241C's filter stopped the lot - the Husky let a massive amount through and they are now being oiled to stop it. Husqvarna need to play some serious catch up with their filters. The photos below show the Stihl with around 10 times more hours on it than the Husky. Remember too that a lot of this is REAL dust, not wood dust. This gear will end up causing premature wear. All Husqvarna have to do is run a dry paper element like the Dolmar HD or Stihl HD2 - it's not that hard or expensive!

MS241C





550XP












I also had to drop a boundary row of Eucalypts for a winegrape grower just down the road from my place. All I had to do was drop them and it took 2 1/2 hours. Nothing really tricky or overlay large. The guy got his son who was on holidays to cut the rest up with an 024 and 18" bar. Probably took him all week.














There was some good firewood in this lot for the owner.


----------



## MCW

I finally got out yesterday to drop that big Norfolk Island Pine that was mentioned earlier in this thread.
Beautiful tree and a shame but these things just get bigger and bigger then start dying when they hit about 50-70 years old. This tree was in prime condition. The local tree crew wanted $2500 to take this tree down WITHOUT getting rid of the wood. It took us around 11 minutes to get it on the ground and another 2 hours of cutting to limb it and cut it into pieces around 1-1.5 tonne for the loader to shift it. These guys have their own Vermeer chipper so they are going to clean up the smaller stuff this week.
All went well and the 390XP pulled the 36" bar and full chisel skip chain without a problem at all. It was a new Carlton A3LM chain and it was throwing some nice fat chips.

This was the tree...





In the video I disappear for a bit behind the tree but this was cutting the jack hole and I used a 20t bottle jack to get it over. We hooked a tractor up and chains for safety and we preloaded the chain before I started cutting but otherwise the jack and a few wedges did it easily considering it was leaning backwards a small amount.

















<object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sNB0oE8dyj0?version=3&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sNB0oE8dyj0?version=3&amp;hl=en_GB&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>


----------



## bezza1

how hard was ya heart pumping when that bastard started falling ???
great job mate


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice work there young fella.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## bezza1

looks like he went behind the tree and took a leak half way through the job :msp_biggrin:


----------



## MCW

bezza1 said:


> how hard was ya heart pumping when that bastard started falling ???
> great job mate



Nah all was good mate. When you're under trees this size you don't actually get to see the best part of the action 



Stihlman441 said:


> Nice work there young fella.:msp_biggrin:



Fanks old son 



bezza1 said:


> looks like he went behind the tree and took a leak half way through the job :msp_biggrin:



How did you know?


----------



## 7sleeper

bezza1 said:


> looks like he went behind the tree and took a leak half way through the job :msp_biggrin:



Also known as "MCW Weedkiller", guarenteed effect should the saw not work! And on this spot nothing will ever grow again... 

7


----------



## MCW

7sleeper said:


> Also known as "MCW Weedkiller", guarenteed effect should the saw not work!
> 
> 7



If I don't drink anything for a few days the weeds die even faster


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> If I don't drink anything for a few days the weeds die even faster



If you'd use your zipper you wouldn't have to replace your chainsaw trousers as often.


----------



## 7sleeper

reindeer said:


> If you'd use your zipper you wouldn't have to replace your chainsaw trousers as often.


Zipper's are known to be dangerous....



7


----------



## MCW

Been a while since I posted in this thread.

The first thing I'd like to say is that I'm pretty pis*ed off that since the hack all the Youtube links for videos I've posted in this thread are down. EXTREMELY pis*ed off. A lot of time was spent posting in this thread and it has been running over many years. The videos are all still on Youtube so not sure what has gone on. The photos are still up though but they only tell part of the story 

Anyway have been continuing on felling Casuarinas for the same company and still a long way to go. Nearly all the larger trees are down so am now into the smaller Casuarinas which are actually quite boring and mundane. I loved felling the larger trees 

Total tree count now is up over 40,000 and with the smaller trees like in the photos below I'm averaging around 80-90 an hour with the little 241C. Most of my time is spent hacking my way through lateral limbs to get to the trunk. The 241C is a great little saw and even stock it impresses me every time I use it. The 550XP's starting issues I mentioned earlier have somehow fixed themselves and apart from the poor filtration in dust and the lame arsed spike it is also a great little saw. I keep it as my backup on this job in case the 241 has an issue - which I doubt it will. As mentioned earlier despite the 550XP having a lot more power than the 241C the little Stihl is actually getting around 10% more trees down in the same time period through fuel economy alone.














I also had another funny thing happen. An old guy brings me this absolutely pristine 038AV saying it won't start on choke. He's been priming it with fuel in the carb to start for months. He'd had his local Stihl dealer look at it and they said "It's just an old saw, things like that happen". Anyway it turns out that the filter mounted choke wasn't working and a new filter fixed the problem. Unfortunately the nylon oil drive gear off the clutch was worn that much it was about to pack it in. I told this old bloke that he'd need new gears and at the same time I also converted it to a rim drive setup for him. $160 later and it's all good. Anyway he decides to cut a tree down and it sits back on the bar (Wedges? What are they?) and instead of trying to free it he's just sat on the throttle with the clutch slipping. The result is below and now he needs another $120 odd in parts. He's well aware that it was his fault. It takes a fair amount of heat to do this


----------



## MCW

Oh and also dropped a tree for my mum and dad in their back yard. If it wasn't family I would have left this one as it was tight but in the end it went where I wanted with some rope and a winch to hold it in line and I didn't wreck anything. I trimmed as much as I could with the HT131 pole saw but found that the trunk was rotten about 80% of the way through. I should have plunge cut it to check but ah well, all good in the end. I was lucky that I folded the clothesline up to start with or it would have been destroyed. I knew it would be close but not as close as it ended up being


----------



## Stihlman441

Nice one bloke.
Ya the pics vids thing is crap for sure,same thing happened in my thread.


----------



## MCW

Stihlman441 said:


> Nice one bloke.
> Ya the pics vids thing is crap for sure,same thing happened in my thread.



The video thing sh*ts me.


----------



## MCW

Brush Ape said:


> Just whip it out the side.



It was cold that day and wouldn't reach...


----------



## SawTroll

MCW said:


> Been a while since I posted in this thread.
> 
> The first thing I'd like to say is that I'm pretty pis*ed off that since the hack all the Youtube links for videos I've posted in this thread are down. EXTREMELY pis*ed off. A lot of time was spent posting in this thread and it has been running over many years. The videos are all still on Youtube so not sure what has gone on. The photos are still up though but they only tell part of the story
> 
> ......



The software change after the hacking actually was what "killed" so much of the good stuff on here, not the hacking itself.


----------



## MCW

SawTroll said:


> The software change after the hacking actually was what "killed" so much of the good stuff on here, not the hacking itself.



Good point Niko and I'm sure you are correct. It's a real shame as anybody who reads a lot of the older threads won't get the full story with video links being down.
Hope all going well over there in Norway? Warming up yet?


----------



## SawTroll

MCW said:


> ....
> Hope all going well over there in Norway? Warming up yet?



Yes, it has been warming up some, but there still is some snow that needs to melt - as a lot fell in the later part of the winter.
I am still waiting for my ancle surgery though....


----------



## 7sleeper

This is one of my all time favorit threads here on AS!



MCW said:


> It was cold that day and wouldn't reach...


If you have problems, just tie a knot....



7


----------



## blsnelling

Hey Matt, I know it would be a lot of work, but you can now edit all of your old posts. It's really not that bad to go back and fix the links. Maybe do a page at a time.


----------



## MCW

blsnelling said:


> Hey Matt, I know it would be a lot of work, but you can now edit all of your old posts. It's really not that bad to go back and fix the links. Maybe do a page at a time.



I was thinking that Brad. Pain in the bum but doable.


----------



## wendell

Hi, Matt.


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Hi, Matt.



How they hanging Wendell? Hope all well?


----------



## wyk

SawTroll said:


> Yes, it has been warming up some, but there still is some snow that needs to melt - as a lot fell in the later part of the winter.
> I am still waiting for my ancle surgery though....



Was 25C/75 here the other day. The locals said it was "brutal".


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> How they hanging Wendell? Hope all well?


Well, outside of getting divorced and having to start over from scratch, not too bad.


----------



## RandyMac




----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> Well, outside of getting divorced and having to start over from scratch, not too bad.



Bummer! Hope you're all on top of it again then.


----------



## wendell

It'll be alright. Looks like the house is finally selling so that'll help.

I need to move to Australia.


----------



## MCW

wendell said:


> It'll be alright. Looks like the house is finally selling so that'll help.
> 
> I need to move to Australia.



Yes. Yes you do need to move to Australia  We have beer. And wood. Dust and flies too but don't let that bother you.


----------



## wendell

MCW said:


> Yes. Yes you do need to move to Australia  We have beer. And wood. Dust and flies too but don't let that bother you.


I do have a friend who is working hard to get me to move to the Philippines. There are days.....


----------



## koomie

Hey Randy that Leigh Hart playing ping pong is a kiwi bloke. He's bloody funny!


----------



## wyk

MCW said:


> Yes. Yes you do need to move to Australia  We have beer. And wood. Dust and flies too but don't let that bother you.



Notice he didn't mention "Australians" there...


----------



## MCW

reindeer said:


> Notice he didn't mention "Australians" there...



Valid point. I'll take that on board


----------



## Stihlman441

reindeer said:


> Notice he didn't mention "Australians" there...


 
You got a problem with Australians then mate.
Dont come down here then there is heaps of us.


----------



## wyk

Stihlman441 said:


> You got a problem with Australians then mate.
> Dont come down here then there is heaps of us.



I thought it was mostly Asians and Irish... They're STILL making Australians?!


----------



## Termite

MCW said:


> Yes. Yes you do need to move to Australia  We have beer. And wood. Dust and flies too but don't let that bother you.


 All those things are fine but your gun laws, NO..


----------



## MCW

Termite said:


> All those things are fine but your gun laws, NO..



You had to rub that in didn't you  That's the one main reason I'd move to the US.


----------



## Termite

MCW said:


> You had to rub that in didn't you  That's the one main reason I'd move to the US.


It is a reason worth moving for. However, if we aren't vigilant we will be in the same boat as you. 
Not to get on a rant but a lot of our murders happen in gun free zones, like military bases, court houses and schools. 
The US is like the 100th country on the list of countries with the most murders. 
I am going to stop now.


----------



## MCW

Don't stress mate. I know a fair amount about what's gone on in the US with the various shootings. I've supported the US in a lot of anti gun arguments with people I've met. 
As hard line as it may sound don't give an inch as the government will take a mile. After the Port Arthur massacre in Australia we all thought that just military style semi autos would get banned. In the end they took sporting clay guns, .22's, you name it.


----------



## SawTroll

MCW said:


> Don't stress mate. I know a fair amount about what's gone on in the US with the various shootings. I've supported the US in a lot of anti gun arguments with people I've met.
> As hard line as it may sound don't give an inch as the government will take a mile. After the Port Arthur massacre in Australia we all thought that just military style semi autos would get banned. In the end they took sporting clay guns, .22's, you name it.



People that didn't grow up with guns never learn that the people are the killers, not the guns. It is more or less the same everywhere - just to differnt degrees. 

....and then there is the ever-present feeling (or worse, pretention) of "doing something" - without actually doing anything, among polititians etc.....


----------



## Matt81

SawTroll said:


> People that didn't grow up with guns never learn that the people are the killers, not the guns. It is more or less he same everywhere - just to differnt degrees.
> 
> ....and then there is the ever-present feeling (or worse, pretention) of "doing something" - without actually doing anything, among polititians etc.....



That is the point exactly. If all people see is what the news shows them, for example, current destabilisation in Iraq or a shooting in the US or wherever then they will always associate guns with bad things happening. 

A gun is a tool just like any other. It serves a purpose and carries out a job. Around here where i live we need them. We are used to having them around from an early age. It does not mean we are all redneck loonies who go around shooting anything that moves! Being around them from an early age creates an appreciation and respect for the weapon, not just a fear from the bad things we see from guns with the news media.
Farmers around here (and everywhere) have to have them for pest eradication (foxes, kangaroos and feral cats and dogs) plus for their own animals in case of sickness or if you need to kill an animal to eat.



MCW said:


> Don't stress mate. I know a fair amount about what's gone on in the US with the various shootings. I've supported the US in a lot of anti gun arguments with people I've met.
> As hard line as it may sound don't give an inch as the government will take a mile. After the Port Arthur massacre in Australia we all thought that just military style semi autos would get banned. In the end they took sporting clay guns, .22's, you name it.



Many more people get killed around here from being hit by cars but i haven't heard a word from any politicians about cars getting banned anytime soon! We all got scammed after the Port Arthur massacre, like you said Matt we all thought AR style semi auto's were going to be banned but they ended up taking a really over the top hard line. I personally had to part with a WWII vintage Lee enfield .303 bolt action and a really nice old Spanish side by side 12 gauge that had been in the family for over 50 years. All for nothing if you ask me. Just so a few of the anti-gun scare mongers can sleep a bit better in their beds!


----------



## MCW

Matt81 said:


> That is the point exactly. If all people see is what the news shows them, for example, current destabilisation in Iraq or a shooting in the US or wherever then they will always associate guns with bad things happening.
> 
> A gun is a tool just like any other. It serves a purpose and carries out a job. Around here where i live we need them. We are used to having them around from an early age. It does not mean we are all redneck loonies who go around shooting anything that moves! Being around them from an early age creates an appreciation and respect for the weapon, not just a fear from the bad things we see from guns with the news media.
> Farmers have to have them for pest eradication (foxes, kangaroos and feral cats and dogs) plus for their own animals in case of sickness or if you need to kill an animal to eat.
> 
> 
> 
> Many more people get killed around here from being hit by cars but i haven't heard a word from any politicians about cars getting banned anytime soon! We all got scammed after the Port Arthur massacre, like you said Matt we all thought AR style semi auto's were going to be banned but they ended up taking a really over the top hard line. I personally had to part with a WWII vintage Lee enfield .303 bolt action and a really nice old Spanish side by side 12 gauge that had been in the family for over 50 years. All for nothing if you ask me. Just so a few of the anti-gun scare mongers can sleep a bit better in their beds!



Why did you lose the .303 and side by side shotgun? They weren't banned?

I don't know one single gun hater that grew up with guns. I know a few people that hate guns as a cover for animal liberation though.


----------



## Terry Syd

Crikey Matt, don't bring up the Port Arthur Massacre of you might get me involved with this thread.


----------



## Matt81

MCW said:


> Why did you lose the .303 and side by side shotgun? They weren't banned?
> 
> I don't know one single gun hater that grew up with guns. I know a few people that hate guns as a cover for animal liberation though.



Beats me. I took them along with me with some others for a mate who was in hospital at the time and his were definitely banned. They looked at them all and told me they were taking all of them. I know they were not on the banned list but honestly there wasn't much i could do at the time. Other people i know a few towns over brought their shotties along and were told to keep them. I still feel a little disgruntled about it still now.


----------



## MCW

Matt81 said:


> Beats me. I took them along with me with some others for a mate who was in hospital at the time and his were definitely banned. They looked at them all and told me they were taking all of them. I know they were not on the banned list but honestly there wasn't much i could do at the time. Other people i know a few towns over brought their shotties along and were told to keep them. I still feel a little disgruntled about it still now.



They may not have been registered? Either that our they were on a hit list or something due to prior offences.


----------



## Terry Syd

Or else it was a 'not safe keeping' charge. 80% of my firearm cases were confiscation under the not safekeeping laws. Gawd, I could tell you some horror stories of people loosing their firearms because of some minor infringement. Plus, they were banned from having a firearm license for 10 years because of the infringement.

Near as I can tell it really pissed people off and gave them a resolve to act outside the 'system'.


----------



## Termite

The liberal agenda will never end. Logic and the facts are irrelevant. Gun control, global warming, free everything it is a religion to them.

If cattle are bad for the environment because of the methane gas they produce. Then by killing all those millions of buffalo, did we not help the environment?


----------



## kevin j

I hope U S readers are paying close attention to Aussie history
Lot of pols here with that intent. 
Remember November
Crucial elections. 
K


----------



## Matt81

MCW said:


> They may not have been registered? Either that our they were on a hit list or something due to prior offences.



I think that may be it. There were a lot of armed holdups, around here and Wollongong and Southern Sydney, and the sawnoff shotguns were in the news a heck of a lot around the time.

Doesn't explain the 303 though?


----------



## wyk

Termite said:


> The liberal agenda will never end. Logic and the facts are irrelevant. Gun control, global warming, free everything it is a religion to them.
> 
> If cattle are bad for the environment because of the methane gas they produce. Then by killing all those millions of buffalo, did we not help the environment?



The Indians,whom your home state is named after, would prolly think differently.


----------



## wyk

Termite said:


> The liberal agenda will never end. Logic and the facts are irrelevant. Gun control, global warming, free everything it is a religion to them.
> 
> If cattle are bad for the environment because of the methane gas they produce. Then by killing all those millions of buffalo, did we not help the environment?



But the fact remains that you are 20X less likely to be murdered by a firearm in OZ than in the US...


----------



## Terry Syd

Wes, you have been reading too much MSM propaganda. The homicide rates for country people in the States and Oz is roughly the same. It is in the big cities with gang populations fighting over turf that the rate sky rockets.

Matt, I'm reluctant to do it, but I'll post a link to that thread I did on Port Arthur, but only with your permission. I know how some people freak out, you know, the ones that can't see up from down. LOL

EDIT: I'll save Matt the grief in his thread and refer to a link to it in the Aussie Dribble Thread - http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...e-dribble-thread.175005/page-617#post-4479142

If you are going to discuss it, do it in the Dribble Thread.


----------



## Termite

I just went to the Aussie Dribble thread. Good lord you Aussies do go on and on!


----------



## wyk

Homicide rates my be similar, hell if I know what those are, but I didn't quote those. I quoted murders by firearms, mostly just to incite ya


----------



## wyk

And speaking of inciting. WTF went on in Brasil!?!?!?!


----------



## Terry Syd

Termite said:


> I just went to the Aussie Dribble thread. Good lord you Aussies do go on and on!




Aw, you think that is bad, you should see what happens when they get a belly full of piss (beer) in them. Its like the monkey cage at the Zoo. Screaming at each other, beating on their chests - then they finally settle down and start picking lice off of each other.


----------



## MCW

Just remember though that gun related deaths that are quoted in the US include murders, suicides, burglars shot by homeowners, criminals shot by police etc. Statistics from other countries generally only included firearm related murders - comparing numbers directly across the globe is not always a good idea. For example if we decided to choose figures just from Western Sydney at the moment with a high middle eastern population you'd find we are worse than the US. There is no doubt that there are some issues with mass shootings in the US but the media make it sound like it's worse than Somalia or Iraq.
I'd rather not wreck this thread with gun debates so if anybody wants to start a thread in another section I'm more than happy to let rip there. 
The way the media carry on regarding US gun laws the general public think you can walk in and buy an M60 off the shelf.


----------



## Matt81

Apologies for derailing the gun control "rant" but some of us have been doing some work. 
I am glad to be sitting down writing this as i am buggered. Even my hands are sore as i type. I wasn't supposed to be working today but i had a ton of stuff to get finished. We had finally cleared our backlog of emergency callouts with all the strong winds we have been having. It has been a hectic last 3 weeks is all i can say. 

Since it is school holidays at the moment we have been doing a lot of large dangerous removals at many schools due to the litigation issue that has surfaced again in the media recently. It has really snowballed since the child died from getting hit by a falling branch a while back. Around our area they have really been savage but very random in their assault on tree removal. Trees that were not in high pedestrian areas or near buildings and had not been given any priority by ours or any other arborists reports were labelled for removal, while trees that were labelled by us as medium to high priority removals, due to proximity to high traffic areas and visible damage and defects were left completely alone. WTF?? Some of these trees had to be seen to be believed. 30m eucalyptus with a 30 degree lean over an often frequented basketball court that has visible collar rot and evidence of white ant infestation is left to stand, while the 2 adjacent trees that are in a low traffic area and are visibly more healthy are removed? I know that the department of education are running scared and simply responding to this assault of litigation by simply deciding that removing any and all trees they see fit is in the long run cheaper for them than loosing court cases due to students or teachers suffering serious injury or death. Again it is a case of bureaucracy gone mad. One of the high schools we have been working at just looks crap. Like a concrete jungle. We have removed so many trees that it looks almost complete devoid of life. If many of these trees had been better cared for and maintained while growing almost many of these problems could have been avoided. Some trees we have removed are over 100 years old and the schools are left with ugly and barren concrete landscapes, as obviously these trees cannot be replaced in the short term. Due to the threat of litigation the schools probably will not be allowed to replace these removed trees with anything larger than shrubs. 

This was me at a local school 5 minutes away from where i live, working today clearing up the mess of a couple of medium diameter eucalyptus that we dropped a few days before. To the left of shot alongside the euc trunk next to my ute is the schools sports field. Both these tree had a significant lean towards the sports field. Both had advanced collar rot and extensive black ant nests that had hollowed out many large branches. They also had white ant damage in the cores of the trunks. Unusual as white ants and black ants are usually not found in similar parts of the tree. The termites however had moved on and only left the evidence of their presence.




Easy to see the extent of the rot in the tree from this shot. This one was infested with massive nests of small black ants.




No, before anyone asks, i did not fell it with the 346XP!  I was using the stump as a work bench as she's not oiling properly at all and in this tough hardwood i was cooking the chain. Lucky i spotted it straight away and switched to the more ruggedly reliable Dolmar. I will have to pull the Husky apart and see whats up. It has started leaking bar oil when sitting since i got home also. Probably where the oil lines join the pump i am guessing?
We had a bloke we know come with a tilt tray to collect the trunks as it was just too time consuming for me to cut it all up. He has done this sort of thing for us many times before. He broke his winch cable trying to get the trunk section in front of the stump onto his truck. He was not a happy camper is all i can say. His language would have made a sailor blush. I let him be as i had nothing to offer to improve his mood. 
A lot of core rot visible in the trunks here. Some large branches were really hollowed out, some around 80% hollow.




Nothing to do with the job really, just a shameless plug for Treestuff and the awesome Dolmar 5105!! It saved my bacon as if i continued with the 346XP i would have toasted a few chains and bars with it's refusal to oil today.
I had my climb helmet on the whole time i was cutting as it was bloody windy and my head was freezing with just a cap on. Might have looked like a sunny day but it was only around 10 degrees C max all day. Add in the wind chill factor from the southerly wind coming off the snowy mountains and it was chilly to say the least! Just glad to have it done. Not sure what we are going to do about the trunks but that isn't my worry. I guess i will find out soon enough.


----------



## wyk

FTFY


----------



## Matt81

reindeer said:


> FTFY



Ha ha! Good one that is just what i needed! 

As it was the 28" bar on the MS660 was even woefully inadequate. Due to the irregular shape of the tree i had to make 2 scarves, one on either side of the trunk. A 50" would have been nice but the 660 would have given up in that wood! 
Sparks were flying from the bar and even with a freshly ground chisel chain the sawdust was coming out like powder. It blunted real quick. It was green wood but i had to swap out to a semi chisel just so i had a sharp chain for the back cut.


----------



## wyk

Yeah, just don't put oil in it next time you use it. It's a mess fixing it afterwards


----------



## Matt81

reindeer said:


> Yeah, just don't put oil in it next time you use it. It's a mess fixing it afterwards



Ha ha! I would like to see how long it would have lasted with no oil in it! Don't think I'll be trying that somehow!

I won't be using it at all until i get a chance to pull it apart and fix it. There was hardly any oil getting onto the bar and in this kind of wood having none or inadequate oiling will cook the chain and bar real quick.
Too nice a saw to neglect it like that. Plus they are not made any more, so more of an incentive to not do something stupid.


----------



## Matt81

This was a branch off another gum we removed at another school we were working at. This branch was around 8" diameter. More than big enough to kill someone if it snapped. This branch was over a high pedestrian area. Black ants had created many nests in this tree. You could smell them from a distance even before we had started cutting. Many large and long overhanging branches were severely hollowed out from the ants. This here is just one branch and it was not even the worst we found. There was only about 2 times the bark thickness of wood, at the thinnest spot, left in this branch!


----------



## Matt81

Here was an emergency callout we had this week that simply amazed me! The owner had cut a tree root clean through for reasons unknown.  The tree, a small spruce, was in a raised garden bed so the soil was not very stable anyway to support a tree this size. Due to the garden wall the root system was unable to grow evenly also. We had been having 60+ kph winds (40 mph) and when we got there the tree was simply rocking back and forth about 2 meters (6 feet) at the very top. Damn lucky it had not snapped and fell on their house. Also the power cable running from the street was directly under this tree and the tree was touching the power cable as it was rocking. It it had snapped or we had miscalculated something we would have had a live 240v high amperage cable laying on the ground where we were working. A big thanks to the owner for their intelligence in cutting this root! 





Here you can see the garden wall cracking from the movement of the tree. The lean can be easily seen too. The power cable that runs to the house can be seen to right alongside the trunk. The entire root ball was lifting as the tree was rocking! 



Our machine only just reached! Because the driveway was so narrow we could not get closer to the tree because the stabilisers for the cherry picker would not fit.
The top was all done with a polesaw and just very small pieces were cut until we got the height down. Then we removed the upper branches to minimise the sail area the wind was hitting. Then it was blocked down in small sections with the wood and lower branches thrown back towards the camera away from the power cable. All is well that ends well, but damn! Are some people stupid. It would have reached their house with no trouble, and taken out their power also!
I really wonder if they wanted the tree gone and rather than go through council to get approval and have to wait, they cut the root said it was an accident and then cry EMERGENCY so we have to come and cut it down straight away! 
Crazy logic if you ask me! Surely no one could be that dumb?


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## splitpost

you could pull up at the local cafe and grab a thickshake,burger and chips and a box of shotshells maybe a few packets of 22lr as well for under $20 ,those days are long gone

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## Pagie

I was going through my ammo locker the other day and found some 22 rimfire with a price of $1.70 from Kmart.


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## Jimbo209

Terry Syd said:


> Hopefully my coffee plantation (all four bushes) will produce enough quality beans to keep me in coffee. There seems to be a bit of art in fermenting the beans and then roasting them. I'm probably going to have a few disgusting cups of coffee before I get it right.



How are the plants going now I've recenty started(<6m) buying green beans but to make it from pot to cup would be amazing as well


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## Terry Syd

Apparently coffee bushes respond well to some extra nitrogen fertilizer, so I used some around the bushes. Crikey, I'm going to have enough coffee beans for the next few years just off of one year's harvest. I could have gotten away with just two bushes.

It is a pretty bush with small white flowers for someone that is into landscaping. The beans would be an extra bonus.


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## Jimbo209

Terry Syd said:


> Apparently coffee bushes respond well to some extra nitrogen fertilizer.


What sort of climate are they in, and how much sun and the like 

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## Terry Syd

It doesn't frost where the bushes are and the climate would be temperate/sub tropical. I'm on the NSW coast west of Port Macquarie up on the Comboyne Plateau - 2,000'/600 meters. Even though it is now winter, the bushes are still throwing out blooms. - Maybe I used too much nitrogen LOL!

Another fellow tried growing coffee up here, but his plants were too exposed to the wind. Coffee bushes apparently need a bit of protection from the wind, so mine are down the side of my house with a wind fence at one end and an Olive and Macadamia tree at the other end. They get full sunshine during the summer, but during the winter the roof line cuts off most of the sunlight, but the bushes still get some sunlight on the top of the bushes.

I got the soil pH too high for the first year (I got too generous with the wood ash and it hit a pH of 7). That stunted the bushes for the first two years (leaves dropped off and they looked dead) So I've brought the pH back down to 5.5 with sulphate of ammonia and urea - both of which have heaps of nitrogen.


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