Pete Mctree

Have you felled or dismantled any trees with dieback? Working with them has made me understand that we have little choice when they are infected.

I believe so little I read in the news these days, as it is all smoke and mirrors. For example on the day that the high court ruled that Cummings and Gove had acted criminally in the awarding of contracts to close friends, the news was full of the conveniently leaked affair of fall guy Hancock. Here is an article that demonstrates the influence of the “free press”. Death of democracy perhaps? The Horrifying Rise Of Total Mass Media Blackouts On Inconvenient News Stories - by Caitlin Johnstone - Caitlin’s Newsletter CAITLINJOHNSTONE.SUBSTACK.COM Listen to a reading of this article: Two different media watchdog outlets, Media Lens and Fairness & Accuracy In...

Agreed Mick - they are the botanical version of sheep & spend there lives thinking up of creative ways to die 😆

If it poses no threat then take your time and inform the LA. what was the cause do you think? & has it affected the other tree in the picture? oh and nice positive posting Kris - don’t you have a rusting Landy to crawl under?

My background is a combination of forestry work, felling, and as a climbing arborist covering a period of over 25 years and I currently run a small contracting business engaging in both industries. During my career I have worn a large selection of chainsaw trousers from a range of brands including SIPS, Pfanner, Husqvarna, Stihl, Oregon etc. I predominantly wear type A now, but have years of experience wearing type C. My initial impression of the ECHO Pro-Tech chainsaw trousers was that they were well designed and constructed, with accurate stitching and constructed from a durable Cordura material. The zips are strong and the pockets well positioned and of a generous size. The chainsaw protection is not overly bulky and with the brand logo on the leg, they certainly look the part. One thing I would caution on when ordering is the sizing. The trousers I received were a medium. This is the size I would usually wear, but compared to other brands the sizing was certainly on the generous side. I could perhaps have even dropped a size. I would certainly recommend trying a pair on at your nearest ECHO dealer in preference to mail ordering. The cut was okay, allowing for a fair range of movement, however I did struggle when climbing and working on steep slopes where mobility is key. The lack of a formed knee shape meant that an excess of material gathered at the back of my knees, inhibiting the full range of movement. The fabric on the front of the legs does not stretch as much as some that I have worn, which does not help. In the woods they have performed very well. The resilience of the material means that after over three months of wear they still look in exceptional condition, which for a pair of trousers that retails at £169.94 inc vat is not bad at all. They have provided excellent insulation during the worst of the winter months and are surprisingly water resistance which is always a plus. Unfortunately, as soon the temperature rises, they become excessively warm. I feel that the Pro-Tech trousers would would definitely benefit from zipped air vents to the rear of the thighs or some other form of ventilation. Although they have strong and functional boot clips, the threat of tick born Lymes disease is becoming a real health issue, so the absence of gaiters means I am reluctant to wear them in rural woodland settings during warmer months. This is something I would certainly like to see addressed in a mark 2 version in the future. Additionally the rear tab designed for braces is either not compatible with my chosen braces or just does not function as intended. echo have opted for a slightly different set up here, which for me is not wide enough to carry the braces correctly and therefore causes the tab to twist and become uncomfortable. If you remove the braces, the tab still twists and can get caught in the waistband. A more conventional back piece would eliminate both these issues, or simply remove it and place the buttons on the waistband. Perhaps a pair of echo braces would change this entirely. Overall, they are a well made robust and resilient trouser. For me, they are definitely more suited to the winter months due to the points noted above. I do think they would benefit from a formed knee or material with more give, along with perhaps addressing the functionality of the brace attachments, although I do understand that these changes would probably affect what is a competitive price point. I have tried to be as impartial as possible with the review, but even with the negatives listed, echo have certainly bought a quality pair of trousers to the market, and at an affordable and very competitive price point. View full review

You done much assisted felling of big trees Paddy? Higher you tie in, the less command you maintain as the tree comes over because the winch just can’t keep up. If you put a big winch lower down, it often can keep up for a bit which is important if the tree is compromised. There is no substitute for power to command a tree to its target.

Can still carry more than a transit then 😆

Cooper being his usual smiley self

I use semi-chisel working with the skidder, for the reason that it keeps cutting longer when dulled & it is easier to put an edge back on it in a rush. Helps to have a decent size saw too to keep powering through to finish that last log. Not ideal cutting and often harder on the saw, but needs must. I keep my felling chains separate as they would be dulled in seconds cutting that crappy stuff.

Are you using one system as a backup & the other for working off, or are you using them both for work positioning? Are you likely to take an uncontrolled swing if you loose your footing or are cutting in such a way that there is a potential to damage one of your lines? Lots of questions that go beyond a set of rules & regs. You need to apply common sense to any approach in interpreting them

I use a double bevel file for the square ground & sharpen from the inside out. I know it’s not recommended, but it gives the best results for me. It was hard to get my head around initially, but worth the work as the performance is second to non.

I find Oregon good chain, it seems to loose it’s edge quicker than the Stihl which is much harder steel and when damaged is harder sharpen. I run both and mix and match depending on use. I predominantly use full chisel as the performance is far superior, however if I am dealing with dirty timber eg that has been skidded, I keep a couple of loops of semi-chisel in the truck as it is so much more forgiving. Gets silly though - I had 3 saws on-site today. A felling saw with 20” stihl square ground full chisel, a second felling saw with a 25” Oregon square ground full chisel for the bigger stuff and a third saw with 25” Oregon semi chisel on the landing for cross cutting. After 11 hours onsite, there was a big pile of chains for sharpening after tea this evening ( they needed a tin of Guinness each though 👍)

FISA is exclusively forestry is it not? as for jobs for the boy, we already have a mandate for 5 yearly refreshers - who do you want to do them?

I think withholding payment until you discuss the issue may be prudent. I would ask for repair and then pay in full on completion - avoid the “just keep the money and sort it out yourself” scenario.

If you want the damage repaired simply ask. I would not ask for insurance details directly, I would politely ask for the repairs to be made. They may choose to pay out of there pocket as opposed to claiming on insurance.

A little bigger than 3t but I was looking over this kranman machine the other day - looks really well made. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/490850988872441/?ref=product_details&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks&tracking={"qid"%3A"6966883848302782881"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"232007832006038458"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A232007832006038458%2C\"target_type\"%3A6%2C\"primary_position\"%3A0%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A2436764173720354816%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A501%2C\"value\"%3A0%2C\"upsell_type\"%3A21%2C\"grouping_info\"%3Anull}"}

Priced a job many years ago in a thunderstorm- fell all marked pines. Saw the half a dozen and priced for a couple of days. I did not walk further through the property to find the other dozen 🙁 got out of jail by there being an Arctic full of timber !!!

I’m another who thinks it is a nice saw as it’s light & the pick up is great, but not found it as usable as a decent modded 461. Perhaps it’s the way the power is delivered or simply familiarity- I’m no expert

If you get a double cab, your front axle is usually overweight if you don't have a good dump before leaving the yard !

Thought you would use repurposed series IIA bumpers, with whitworth threaded hand forged lugs eh Kriss .? ..... don’t bother answering 😑

He will love that - bet he sits in his yurt to listen to it. Better ambiance

Why not get a 36” and then buy a 48” with a sprocket nose afterwards. If your going to buy a big saw you need to use it and sometimes on hard timber like beech it is nice with a 36”

42” is a real push for the saw on normal jobs- chain needs to be perfect & operator really gentle. 36 works well & it rips on a 30”. Sorry not used one milling, but I thinks chain selection will be critical

If a customer is not willing to pay for TM then I am not interested in working for them. It for our safety in the end- I give them a quote for the treework & a separate quote for the TM which has to be paid prior to commencement. We are too weak as an industry when it comes to such things.