Forest or arb?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

My arb mate very occasionally comes in the woods with me; spends all his time on his arse! Then I get dizzy putting a choker up an edge tree

[Steve Bullman]

Having done both, I would say hand cutting is consistently harder work than Arb, however a slippery tall ash reduction in the rain is harder than felling a few easy trees in a plantation.

 

That about sums it up

[Jimmay]

Started out doing arb and woodland management before meeting some old school foresters, made me realise how terrible my cuts were. One year on working with them and I am involved in far more forestry and enjoy it far more. My cuts are better and I'm much quicker...the old boy still shows me up every day though. 😄

[Logrover]

I was a groundsman and ran a small arb business for around 8 years, then moved north and went into cutting on piece work. I gave up piece work as all decent wood goes to harvesters so too hard to make a living in cocktail sticks and poor estate woods. Arb stuff i find boring and tedious, hedges etc but the money is there!

packed up my job in peat bog conservation this friday actually to go back into the woods cutting for a good contractor on a day rate. arb is tiring, forestry is far harder. BUT I love being in the woods and il be working with new forwarders and harvesters not the old osa i was in my previous job.

Looking forward to it

The arb stuff is fairly simple but the problem with it is people....can i have 3 inches more off etc etc. Nothing beats a coffee sat on a felled tree on a frosty morning in the woods.

[Jackalope]

Arb or forestry, when explaining im a hand cutter not a tree surgeon I use the comparison of Vets & Doctors, similar, but vastly different really.

 

As for sharpening & cuts,

Its my fuel im burning so a sharp chain is essential if it gives me 5 mins more cutting per tank- not to mention being easier on the arms!

When it comes to cuts all you have to do is look at the 'rate my hinge' thread. Alot of Arb guys with 30 inch bars felling 30 inch trees.... get a forester and usually it'l be a bore and sweep with an 18inch bar!

[steve collins]

Forestry, i know 3 handcutters in their 70s who are still going strong and a lot of retired climbers in their 40s, id say you get about same money in both

[mattyboy]

I started in forestry hand cutting clear fell spruce and you sure do learn the advantages of a super sharp chain (saves arm/wrist/hand ache and fuel) and a to fell a tree. Great basis to go onto arb where you can take your time a bit more. Amazed at the number of arb guys who cannot sharpen a chain properly or not at all and have to take it home to sharpen on the bench!

[Mull]

Reading this thread, the two professions seem like chalk and cheese, completely different ball games and hard to make comparisons, apart from the fact they both involve saws and trees, forestry many trees a day, arb not many trees a day, forestry means sharp chain crucial, arb not so much?

[castanea]

Forestry is tougher and you get to fell more trees in a better environment with less people moaning at you about minor bullsh*t. Rough terrain and a consistently gruelling pace to maintain.

 

Arb work seems more about the detail. A natural look, an artistic vision and an athletic ability within the tree along with a more complex understanding of rope work and rigging practices.

 

Both the barber and the hairdresser have their merits.

[Steve Bullman]

forestry means sharp chain crucial, arb not so much?

 

I don't think thats right at all...confused why people are mentioning this. If my chain isn't 100% I stop and sharpen it regardless of what sort of work im doing.