O.C.G.D. Thread, part two

Score!
Keep the air filter clean, chain sharp, run non ethanol fuel and a good mix, I like Stihl synthetic, and she’ll go for decades.
 
For sure she’s an oldie but a goodie. Metal riveted tag on the cover marks it as an earlier one. My 026 is plastic tag.
 
I think I found my sharpening issue. I thought it used a 5/32 file, but I was looking at some unrelated stuff this morning, and it turns out it calls for 3/16. Details, eh? :^D I just went out and used my 13/64 on it, and that left a nicer profile. It's too early for running saws, so I can't try it, but I'm hoping that works well enough. I don't want to add a new file on top of everything else. The difference between 3/16 and 13/64 is less than 13/64 and 7/32 the differences are exactly the same, and people use 7/32 on 3/8 chain, so maybe it'll be alright.

edit:
corrected math
 
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You need to right sharpening tool for the chain.
A 3/8, 0.050 will start at 13/64", and need a 3/16 part way through (and you can use a larger raker offset), possibly down to 5/32" by the time you're down to a tiny triangle left of the cutter, when down to the "witness mark", at which point you may have gone from 0.025 to 0.040" raker offset in softwoods, less in hardwoods.
 
The 026 is usually .325 pitch chain so 3/16 is the correct file.
Also a note about oiling...my 026 was one of those where the oil pump is always running, even at idle...so when you give it the gas after it idles for a while it would burp a glob of oil off the chain. You can tell when you take the bell housing off the clutch if there is no little notch on the edge...you have a constant oiler.
 
2012 Bandit 65XP with a few factory upgrades, most substantial of the upgrades are a 9”x 12” infeed chute instead of the usual 6”x12” and a 32.5 horsepower Kubota gas instead of the usual 25 hp Kohler. Auto feed works, about 900 hours, 2 new sets of knives and a new spare belt, and I know the previous owner was meticulous about maintenance and not beating on his gear. Still just a 6” chipper, but she’ll definitely chip a full 6” and eat up branch unions and tangly stuff like locust.

It’s a really sad reason it was for sale in the first place. Bought it from another arborist who works at the same plant as me and also climbed on the weekends. More a workplace acquaintance than friend, but damn good fella all the same. This guy was in fantastic shape, great climber and weight lifter without an ounce of fat on his body, mid 40s now I guess but looked like he was 20 something. This past winter he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and it’s been kinda downhill. I didn’t pry much into his treatment but I don’t think the future is bright for him. I’m happy I was in a spot to meet their asking price and they didn’t have to settle up with a Craigslist joker trying to get it for less than it’s worth.

It was his brother who handled the sale, and he definitely got me thinking about something. He said the guy worked his normal shift at the plant and it just became routine to do tree work every Saturday and Sunday. Raised his rates here and there to make it all worth his time and was making killer cash, but basically still working 7 days a week. These days he’s wishing he could have a few of those weekends back. I was able to keep the tears away until the drive home anyways. Fuckin heartbreaking seeing him and his family going through this. I’ll give his machine a good home, and try to keep remembering that there’s much more to life than work and money.
 
Everyone says that, but conveniently forgets the reason they were working in the first place was for their family. I do need to take more time off sometimes tho, and spend it more productively.
 
Depends. Some people just go after more money, Bigger house payments, bigger car payments, upgraded hotel rooms on vacation... Stuff that doesn't matter much in the big picture.

Money's easy to get. Time's absolutely limited. Planning for a grand retirement you may never reach is foolish. I could have literally doubled the money I've made by making different decisions in life. That would have meant working lots of overtime, working out of state, and being a gypsy jumping from company to company... I'd have missed my daughter growing up, worked my ass off, and had slightly nicer stuff and a fat bank account for... I don't know what. Big numbers to count I guess.

I wouldn't change a thing that significantly affected my bottom line. If I could go back, I'd do things exactly the same way.
 
lxskllr said:
Depends. Some people just go after more money, Bigger house payments, bigger car payments, upgraded hotel rooms on vacation... Stuff that doesn't matter much in the big picture.

Money's easy to get. Time's absolutely limited. Planning for a grand retirement you may never reach is foolish. I could have literally doubled the money I've made by making different decisions in life. That would have meant working lots of overtime, working out of state, and being a gypsy jumping from company to company... I'd have missed my daughter growing up, worked my ass off, and had slightly nicer stuff and a fat bank account for... I don't know what. Big numbers to count I guess.

I wouldn't change a thing that significantly affected my bottom line. If I could go back, I'd do things exactly the same way.
Click to expand...

Let me suggest, even though it may seem immodest, that some of you newer and younger members read through this thread, when you have some spare time. Some of the advice I shared here is dated; real estate prices, interest rates, potential returns on investments. But with the exception of real estate markets, not by a whole lot, really. I think the core theories on how to get where you want to be in life financially are as solid as ever.


I'm willing to try to answer anyone's questions, if I can. I'm also looking forward to any fresh input from others...I'm not the only one who made cogent points in the original thread. That can happen still, I am sure.
 
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That looks a lot like my 6" Chipstar...you will do ok with it.
We need a ❤️ emoji in the reaction menu...
 
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