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I have recently replaced what I believe is a vital part of any climbers kit, and yet one which is often overlooked – the rescue knife.

After having my Petzl Spatha since buying my first ever climbing kit, and pretty well having it in my pocket since, I decided it was time to retire it and replace. I tend to keep my knife on me at all times, so it needs to serve as a functional pocket knife but also be usable in an emergency quickly and safely.

Browsing Honey Brothers, I decided to try the orange Stein rescue knife. A nice price point, and several key features that set it above the competition for me at least.

Pros:
Nice and easy one handed opening, far better than my old one due to the thumb toggle thing on top of the blade.

I’m not an expert, but the blade seems reasonably well made and sharp considering the price point. The lock for the blade seems fairly positive, and I don’t have any concerns about this slipping.

Handle is high vis orange, extremely important point to me as you’re more likely to find it when you drop it!

The whistle incorporated in the handle is a brilliant idea and probably the one feature that drew me to this knife above all others. Always there in an emergency, as well as for calling the dog back!

Cons:
No easy attachment hole suitable for a karabiner, instead it has a wire spring clip. This isn’t an issue for me, but if you’re planning on hanging it on a harness you would need some sort of cable tie or string on the karabiner to clip it into.

Overall, I’m very pleased with it and it has now replaced my old Spatha in the pocket of my chainsaw trousers. Time will tell on how it deals with being generally abused, going through the washing machine and the like, however I’m pretty confident I will still be using it in several years!

Would I buy them again: Yes
Would I recommend them to anyone else: Yes
Score out of five: Five

I was loaned a set of these teeth by the manufacturers (Magnum Alpine) to try out. They supplied six ‘standard’ and two ‘large’ teeth.

They should be used on a Rhino wheel but I had contacted them to check if they are compatible with my multi-tip wheel.

The teeth fitted ok – using the rhino keeper blocks. I have tried the multi-tip keeper blocks and they fit just as well.

The cutting performance is much better with the Rhino teeth. They demolished all sorts of stumps including holly and oak very quickly indeed. I would say the downward cutting is 2-3 faster though the slewing is probably about the same.

The teeth are a straightforward horseshoe shape about 30mm wide so they are easy to sharpen. I have only sharpened them once but the cutting afterwards is very good.

The teeth look as if they are machined rather than cast, and the keeper blocks are a very tight/precise fit.

We found the debris was cleared better by keeping a pair of old multi-tips in the two inner-most positions and running Rhinos in the other four.
Bear in mind this is running on a multi-tip wheel and NOT the Rhino – so there could be further gains with the full Rhino set up.

The cost of the Rhino teeth is about the same as multi tips but they are very easy to sharpen.

Overall I would say they cut faster (considerably), cost about the same as multi-tip and are easier to sharpen.

I recommend people to consider these teeth.
I have also recently been informed that the distribution of Rhino teeth and wheels will be through Rotatech (formerly Saturn Machine Knives).

Very cost effective and easy to use.

Out of the box I noticed marked improvements on the previous model (note also that the CS-350TES was the first top-handle I had owned). In particular, the ergonomics felt better and the chain brake was slimmed down and felt much more robust. I was initially disappointed to find a felt air filter as opposed to the gauze in the 350. However, it proved to be a very clean running saw, never accumulating much debris, even after the hardest day smashing the nastiest Leylandii. After running the saw for longer, it got better and better, having much more low end grunt and guts. Pulling at the 14 inch bar supplied was no bother, it only ever so slightly bogged down in the cut when I buried full bar in Beech.

Other noticeable improvements on the 360 were the increased throttle response and pick-up I did after running it fully. I switched to a 12 inch bar but this was solely due to personal preference. The only gripe I have with this saw, which I feel could use a bit of work, is the tuning screws being more user friendly – it would have saved me a trip to the dealer.

Having used all of the popular arborist chainsaws, I am extremely satisfied with this saw having given it hard use in a professional environment for 10 months. In an industry dominated by two “big boys” ECHO have stepped out of the shadows with an excellent product and more traditional tool. The ECHO CS-360TES top handle chainsaw easily stands up to the rivals.

You can find out more from your ECHO dealer. You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 0800 597 7777 for more information.

They’re pretty cool too. I’ve been wearing them in some pretty warm weather, and compared to the other Type Cs I have worn they breathe very well. I’m not saying they’re cooler than Type As, since no Type Cs are, but they’re definitely cooler than any Type Cs I’ve worn!

Both of these points are apparently due to the “TrioStrand” technology which (I’m told) is a unique way the chain blocking material is constructed, making it thinner and lighter than usual.

They look the part too. Hi vis marking on the lower legs, and black and bright green in colour. I prefer a close fit, and these are snug. Not baggy, but not constricting. Similar in fit to the HiFlex, or maybe a touch snugger.

The bootlace hooks on the inside lower leg are an interesting feature. Designed to stop your trouser legs riding up and filling your boots with sawdust. To be honest I’ve not used them, since I don’t have this problem, but its a nice touch (you can always cut them off if you don’t like them).

One thing that made me grin is the pockets. There are loads! Eight in total (two back, two front hip, left thigh, phone pocket above right knee, two right thigh). I don’t own enough to fill all those! Perhaps a touch excessive for me, but thats just my preference. 6 of these pockets are close-able, so sawdust isn’t too much of an issue, and the phone pocket above the right knee is very useful.

They seem very durable so far (a must in a pair of saw trousers). No rips or snags yet, and I don’t go easy on trousers. The seams look well stitched, and theres a tough kevlar like material on the front shins and ankles, great for if you’re a bit clumsy on spikes like me!

Overall I really rate these trousers, and I’ll be replacing them when they’re retired (hopefully not for some time yet). Great looks, comfort and practicality, for a pretty reasonable price! Arbortec have really listened to when people want on this one. My favourite pair so far. Still not sure what I could put in eight pockets though!

Recently new to the market is the Husqvarna battery powered arborist saw.  Battery powered chainsaws have been around several years now and are not something I have any experience with prior to this, so I am writing this review with nothing to compare it to on performance but its petrol engine counterpart.

Having said that, it’s important to realise that this saw serves a different purpose from a petrol saw, and whilst it can carry out some of the same tasks, it is ideally suited to lighter pruning works.  I have carried out a few small dismantles with this saw just to see what it could do, and on a performance basis, the saw held its own very well.  The main issue with removals, or any larger branch removal is of course the added drain on the battery.  On a 50ft Sycamore I was able to dismantle the tree with 2 batteries, compared to 2 batteries lasting me the better part of a day on light pruning work.

There are a couple of features with this saw that make it desirable to use.  Firstly the reduced noise.  It still does produce enough noise to require ear protection, particularly if you are using it any length of time, but on lighter pruning tasks where the majority of the work was carried out with a hand saw, and using the battery saw for the odd larger limb, I found it unnecessary.
Secondly, the on off button rather than a pull start.  When I first picked up the saw, this was pointed out to me as a labour saver, and to be honest I scoffed at this, commenting that I have never had an issue pull starting a saw before.  In practice however, it makes a refreshing change when you are out on a limb, in an awkward position, and all that’s needed is a single press of a button to be in business.  This has become something I now miss when I am using a petrol saw,.  That, along with the reduced noise actually make me look forward to the jobs I can use this on.

The overall ergonomics of the saw are pretty much spot on.  It has the same 2 attachment points that are on the T540XP, the belt eyelet I have become particularly fond of for quick one handed stowing of the saw.
The keypad which I briefly mentioned above, is mounted conveniently to the side of the handle and is easily reachable with your thumb.  This has 2 settings.  Standard and economy(or savE).  In practice I have only used the economy mode once, finding the reduced chain speed effected the quality of a target pruning cut.  Standard setting on the other hand produces chain speed nearly comparable to the
T540XP, with only a slightly slower pick up time.   As well as its primary function, for safety the chain break also cuts power to the motor.
The oil tank has a handy flip-up cap.  Its worth mentioning that it is very easy to forget to fill the oil when you are not going through the usual process of topping up with petrol…something to be cautious of.
The Li-ion battery itself slides in to the rear of the saw and has 2 clips working independently of each other.  Its important to make sure both these clips engage properly and the battery is secure prior to use.  I have heard one report of the battery coming out, but I haven’t been able to replicate this and I suspect the battery wasn’t clipped in properly in the first place.  To remove the battery, both clips need to be pressed in simultaneously and the battery pushed through from the other side.

Based on my limited knowledge of its predecessors, this saw would seem quite a step forward.  With the increase in technology and batteries getting smaller and more powerful all the time, the battery powered market will be well worth keeping an eye on in the future.  If you are considering one of these saws now then you need to take a look at the type of work you are doing.  This certainly isn’t a primary arborists saw, but to complement a range of tools, then this saw most definitely has its place and will remain in my line up.

If this lasts as long as my zubats it’s 10/10 from silky, especially with the new sheath design.
I shall keep you all updated….
I think silky have done it again!

Following 6 months of extensive use of the T540, please read on for my views on the saw.

Firstly, after what was widely regarded as a disappointing top handled chainsaw in the 338xp, Husqvarna have certainly gone all out in totally redeveloping their new offering from scratch.  The fact that they kept us waiting what seemed like an age for this saw hopefully means all the teething problems we have come to expect with new products have been mostly ironed out……read on and see.

From the very first time I picked up the T540, it felt right.  The balancing, probably one of the first things you notice with a top handled saw is spot on…at least with the 12” bar I have been using.  The looks of the saw itself look both sleek and robust at the same time.  I am certainly no chainsaw technician, so the focus of my review will be on the practical application of the saw and on a few of the nice little touches that make the saw stand out from the crowd for me.

Saw attachment point and belt eye-let:
The T540 has what looks like 2 attachment points, but its important to note that only the metal point is to be used as the main attachment.  There is an additional plastic eye which it’s sole use is for attaching to a harness tool hook.  I use a Petzl caritool, and stowing the saw onto the caritool after use couldn’t be easier.  This has become one of the features I miss most when using other top handled saws.

Auto return stop switch:
Another handy little feature thats taken for granted is the auto return stop switch which basically does what it says.  In practise I did find myself constantly knocking the engine off during use at first, but this issue eventually disappeared as I became more familiar with the machine.

Visible fuel level:
The T540 has a useful fuel level situated on the petrol tank so the user can see at a quick glance how much fuel is remaining.  Not an essential feature in a saw but useful all the same.

Individual grip size:
To my knowledge, no other saw comes with 3 different sized grips to choose from.  Is it necessary?  Probably not, after all we have managed pretty well without them up till now….but it is a nice edition in my opinion.

Basic maintenance:
Short of changing chains, and blowing out the air filter, I have had very little to do to this saw, and as I said previously I am no chainsaw technician.  Worth mentioning though is the captive side casing nut which totally eliminates those annoying moments scrabbling round in the dirt for lost side casing nuts.  Access to the air filter is nice and simple as you’d expect.

Autotune:
This is a bit of an unknown quantity in my eyes.  I do not have any understanding of how it works, all I know is it does work….will it in another 6 months?  Time will tell.  It was interesting when first starting the saw up, listening to the saw tune itself.  This did take a few minutes in the first instance, and over the course of the first week the engine did seem to stutter here and there, mostly first thing in the morning.  I am assuming this was all part of the breaking in process  as these symptoms have all disappeared now and the saw runs consistently well.  One thing I have noticed in general running, is that the saw doesn’t seem to stay warm as long as other models, for example if left on the harness for 10 minutes between cuts I do find I need to give it a little choke when starting….again, not an issue at all really, more of an observation.

So how well does it run?
The most important question of all!  I picked up my T540 a couple of weeks prior to the storms of October, so after a relatively casual couple of weeks doing smallish takedowns and prunes the saw was well and truly thrown in the deep end.  Anyone who has done storm work knows the importance of a fast cutting saw, and the T540 cut every bit as fast as I could have hoped, wether on small limbs 3-4” or larger limbs guide bar length and longer.  Rather than switching to a bigger saw for the thicker diameter stems,  I actually found myself using the saw for longer due to the ease with which it handled timber approaching twice the guide bar length.
As the weeks went on I pushed the saw harder still, keen to find its breaking point.  One particular job that stands out was the removal of two 100ft Poplars.  Both trees had a fair spread on them, and were cut and drop which gave me a great opportunity to really test out what grunt the saw actually had.  A few of the limbs were approximately 18” diameter(one and a half times guide bar length) and extending horizontally approximately 40ft.  Under normal circumstances I would have perhaps removed some end weight to reduce the chance of splitting, but in order to really see what the saw was capable of I opted to tackle them with the 540.  With the correct cuts in place, and myself positioned safely, all that was left was to see if the saw had the grunt and speed to get through the timber without the limbs splitting…which it did very comfortably.

So in answer to the question, If you are looking for a top handled saw that has the grunt to get the job done, then yes the T540 XP will not let you down.  I will look forward to revisiting this review 6 months from now to hopefully give a more insightful opinion on the autotune feature as well as the saws general longevity.

Looking for a saw for lighter pruning work?  The 540 is more than light and compact to use on pruning jobs, but for that occasional use, be sure to read my review on the T536 Li XP