> although that bar was only just long enough!
A big difference I noticed: all the new Stihls (and other saws) seem to be sold with longer bars in other countries, especially in the US. Must be a male thing
Just kidding.
Most people seem to prefer shorter bar lenghts over here.
> I'd say the wedging is more precautionary to prevent sit back and have them
> in place for when the strap is cut so you can hammer away if need be.
Yup. It's an instructional video for classroom use, so they of course selected an extra nice tree and did everything according to the book even though the wedge wasn't needed in this case.
> Same goes for the tongue and groove technique.
Funny, when I posted that video on a German site several people found that one too complicated.
> Also, what's your background,
I'm not a professional, I just enjoy felling trees.
> what's the industry like in Germany and who are the main retailers.
Stihl is clearly leading, then Husqvarna, Dolmar, Solo, in that order. All the other brands are pretty rare over here, since three of those chainsaw manufacturers are located in Germany. And then there are those 99 bucks Made in China tree insulters, usually seen in the hands of home owner amateurs who need to trim a branch or two.