Steve Bullman

GA Plant and Tool Hire in Swindon have become the first company to take delivery of a brand-new EVO 165P SUB-750 woodchipper from GreenMech. Delivering the performance required by domestic and small commercial contractors, the EVO also meets the spec for Owner/Director Angus Lacy-Hulbert when it comes to ease of maintenance, ensuring the machine is serviced and ready for tight hire turnarounds. With a 3” chipper on their hire fleet previously, Angus spotted the gap for a larger, road-tow machine and sought advice from local arborists on the options available. “We naturally gravitated to GreenMech. Being British engineered and backing up good product with local service and support is an ethos we like to follow ourselves” explains Angus, who established GA Plant and Tool Hire five years ago. A demonstration of the new 6” SUB-750kg EVO 165P sealed the deal and it was delivered by their local dealer, GA Groundcare, in September 2020. “One of the major plus points was the ease of maintenance – the EVO has centralised greasing points which keeps the ongoing maintenance quick and simple. We also purchased the blade sharpening unit which means we can sharpen the blades as and when required, in-house, dramatically reducing downtime between hires. Being sub-750kg was critical for our largely domestic client base, delivering powerful performance in a package that can be towed on a standard car license.” Within a week of delivery, the EVO 165P SUB-750 was out on its first hire – a domestic customer with 12 conifers to process. “Incredibly, the client completed the whole job in under an hour! They returned the machine with the biggest grin, complimenting it not just on performance but how simple and user-friendly it was to operate.” The GreenMech EVO series sets a new standard for torque, bite and throughput to deliver exactly what is demanded by today’s industry professionals. Originally launched in road-tow format, the EVO 165D was joined by the fixed-track EVO 165DT in Autumn 2019 and then by a higher 45hp Limited-Edition option. The newest SUB-750 machine combines all of the proven EVO performance with a powerful yet economic 37hp B&S Vanguard petrol engine. Angus concludes, “Together with performance, back up support is also incredibly important for us – our machines ultimately make no money if they’re out of service. Ashley at GA Groundcare is just down the road and is always on the end of the phone, even at weekends, with helpful support and advice if we need it"

ECHO has introduced a new professional chainsaw, the CS-7310SX, which is the largest in the current range and features a low emission, premium-grade 73.5cc engine with an output of 4.1kW. A heavy-duty, rear handle chainsaw the CS-7310SX is part of the ECHO X Series which designates it as a best-in-class product and as such it’s packed with features designed to increase the productivity of the professional user. ECHO says they have built this for the many arborists and landscapers using these types of saws regularly to fell large trees. They add that the professional-grade ECHO 2-stroke engine is designed and manufactured in Japan to the highest possible standards, delivering powerful cutting with low emissions and noise levels. There is no question it generates massive torque and provides exceptional cutting performance for heavy-duty felling. And yet it is a lightweight and well-balanced saw, weighing in at only 6.8kg (dry weight) and featuring an ergonomic and robust construction to meet the challenges of professional felling and forestry work. ECHO X Series products are often industry-leading in terms of power and performance and the CS-7310SX lives up to this reputation with a tradition of testing in the most extreme conditions to ensure flawless operation. For the professional who relies on their tools day in and day out the saw is packed with beneficial features. A magnesium starter housing more efficiently disperses heat generated by the engine and the G-Force air pre-cleaner reduces its exposure to dirt and debris. Together with the centrifugal separation dust-free system that means less maintenance and longer life. Starting is easy with the decompression valve and the heavy-duty aluminium handle has a secure rubber grip offering reduced vibration in the hand. Drop prevention nuts to the side casing mean the nuts can’t be lost during maintenance. Dual bumper spikes give you better control when sawing through stumps and thicker branches, while a rotating plastic chain catcher protects the user from potential injury and prevents chain damage. Fuel level is easily monitored with the translucent fuel tank. Weighing up the CS-7310SX you can say it is a true professionals’ saw backed by the ECHO reputation for durability built-up over 70-years of manufacturing. The saw comes with a 2-year professional or 5-year domestic warranty. Find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer. You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information

Congratulations from Arbtalk to David Humphries for winning the London Tree and Woodlands Individual Commitment Award. David has been a member here on Arbtalk from almost the beginning and I don't believe theres many people who frequent these forums both past and present, that haven't taken away some valuable knowledge that he has imparted on us. His knowledge and advice has always been given freely, always going above and beyond to provide in-depth answers to anyone that has asked. One thing that has always impressed me with David(on top of his general enthusiasm) is his organisational skills. Time and time again he revives posts from several years previous, with follow up images and information on previous work he has been a part of. Personally, I struggle to pull up my own threads from a week ago! We've been fortunate enough to have some very valuable contributors over the years to this forum, but I believe its fair to say David has always stood out when it comes to his fungi knowledge, and his general conduct on the forum. Seeing his passion here over the years, it is of no surprise that he won this award, and i'm sure it won't be the last he wins. Well done David, and thank you on behalf of everyone at Arbtalk!