Another 40 year old just starting

[forestboy1978]

On 06/01/2018 at 14:01, tree-fancier123 said:

Mike Hills post was excellent advice - I would add it may be heart wrenching to do, but if you take out all the racking in your van a tracked chipper would go in between the wheel arches esp something like a TW150 VTR vari track. Search completed listings on ebay for tracked chipper - a tatty one for 7k. If you're van was emptied out you can chuck wood in there too. 200 ps should be good to pull 3.5ton plus 3.5ton trailer up hill! Ive only got the wimpy 140ps tipper version and that still pulls reasonably

I used Tony Darbyshire for training - very good knowledge level. If you've already  paid for it then too late, but I know I paid about half that for everything up to CS39 and that was even doing CS 39 twice as I cocked it up, cutting too close to body and other deadly sins.

For 7k done as individual tickets you could have them all, rigging, medium felling, windblown etc.

If you start advertising for tree work after you will definitely need to sub in or learn rigging, otherwise its trimming and felling conifers.

Spending 7k - I would spend a hundred or so on books first and know some of the techniques before you start.

Jeff Jepson - To Fell A Tree, and Tree Climbers Companion . G. F . Beranek - Fundamentals of General Tree Work ( now a £20 pdf)

Also Best Practices For Rigging in Arboriculture. Probably £100 quids worth in total and a few months time to digest it all.

Oh and just walk away from the knackered looking trees, let someone else hire a MEWP in until youve got the mark of it.

 

Only thing I thought with Mike Hills post is he was close to distorting the chipper chassis winching with all those snatch blocks. Impressive though getting a tractor out

Just measured my van. Don't have to increase wheel arches, nor remove racking. ALL tools could stay in the van even. Amazing!!! 

 

In short I could transport myself, 90% of my tools, including generator, 3 guys, the chipper and then carry away 2.5 tons of chip to waste disposal with that setup 100% legally. 

 

What I need to do is detach the trailer and weight my van with tools in it on the weight bridge to see if I can legally put a 1080kg chipper in the back including ramps. 

 

Only downside to having it instead of a trailed chipper is storage when not needed. Can't get it in the garden. Wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it at the storage yard either. 

[Dan Maynard]

Well done on the assessment.

[Rough Hewn]

Lol, well I get the impression you have to be a total numpty to fail so I kinda accepted that if I was that numptyish to fail this, I wouldn't be going any further in this profession...
 
So yeah good news. climbing and aerial rescue next;-)
 
 

Been cutting with a saw professionally for 9 years before I did my 30/31.
I was bricking it the day of the assessment too.
Look forward to reading more about your exploits hairychest.
[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[Dan Maynard]

If a tracked chipper is too much to start I suggest JoBeau M500, only 300kg, 76cm wide and drives itself up the ramps. Not got the capacity of a tracked chipper but 24hp not really a mini chipper either. I say on smaller tree and connie jobs it's no slower, and you save on dragging compared to road tow.

I bought mine as a starter chipper off a bloke who bought it as a starter chipper ....

[forestboy1978]

4 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Been cutting with a saw professionally for 9 years before I did my 30/31.
I was bricking it the day of the assessment too.
Look forward to reading more about your exploits hairychest.

Thanks Rough Hewn. I will obviously keep people updated on how things go. 

[forestboy1978]

52 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

If a tracked chipper is too much to start I suggest JoBeau M500, only 300kg, 76cm wide and drives itself up the ramps. Not got the capacity of a tracked chipper but 24hp not really a mini chipper either. I say on smaller tree and connie jobs it's no slower, and you save on dragging compared to road tow.

I bought mine as a starter chipper off a bloke who bought it as a starter chipper ....

That's a really interesting option. 117+vat per month for a new one. Definitely worth considering. If I bought it I reckon I'd keep it for a spare rather than sell it when upgrading. Not sure but seriously worth thinking about. Cheers

 

This is a great thread. 

[Rough Hewn]

Been cutting with a saw professionally for 9 years before I did my 30/31.
I was bricking it the day of the assessment too.
Look forward to reading more about your exploits hairychest.
[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

In dyslexuc with nanes

[forestboy1978]

Day 1 of climbing and aerial rescue today. Climbed about 40ft. Did a limb walk. Laid down on the limb in the sun as relaxed as anything. Utterly shocked at how little fear I had. Very aware but not scared really at all. Really surprised by myself.

 

But most importantly, enjoyed it!

Edited July 16, 2018 by forestboy1978

[westphalian]

Just out of interest what’s your fitness like upper body strength and how tall and how much do you weigh?

[forestboy1978]

I'm 6ft tall about 180lb and I don't work out so not great upper body strength but not bad for 40 cos I lift heavy shit at work.

 

Shoulders are both buggered from breaking concrete though but serve me well pulling but not pushing... hence the occupation change.