Marc

Do i understand this correct, you put a shed load of tension on the stem to get it leaning the way you wanted then put the felling cuts in???? I'm not sure if i'm reading you right. Unlike Stevie, i'd of done my hinge like yours maybe not so deep, with a higher back cut this gives the piece/hinge something to dig into rather than breaking and possibly!! the but sliding off maybe unlikely but possible. In all honesty though i'd of dismantled it to below the power lines its about half a days work, or a day at a nice steady rate.

Yeah i know the attitude, i forgot this was down to recent events, perserver and hopefully thing will change for the better.

Thats just stupid ineffcient and is losing the company money, not that i care if what your saying is true they need a good hard slap and told to stand in the corner. Risk assesments take about 5 minutes before each job (this is all the paperwork we do and is only done by one person whilst others get set-up), we rarely brief those on site as that is just patronising as we all know how to do the job well, only newer workers are looked after/guided and kept an eye on to make sure they work safe and intergrate into the team. As for loler I tick my weekly inspection sheet but do not sit there and go through my kit checking every karabiner to make sure it closes properly or that any of my ropes/slings are damaged, as i do this every single day and before and during every climb, if a gate is sticky i'll clean it later (I have spares) if a rope is damged i'll retire it, again i have a spare. The paperwork for my loler takes me 5-10minutes at the end of or begining of the week, i'll note any kit retired from use or anything else as needed. I know this is not exactly in the spirit of loler, in my opinion though its enough and leaves a paper trail to prove you've been checking and retiring as needed. Its really very very simple as it should be.

I agree we work hard and the money isn't there considering the highly skilled work we do that not many are cut out for. I earn good money and happy but as always feel i deserve higher renumeration for what i do, but that wasn't what we was discussing. If attitudes toward work are to change and the industry as a whole we need to progress, we need to get better at our jobs more skilled and professionally run as a whole, maybe one day it will happen hopefully before i retire. Arborist in other countries are payed equal to that of other skilled professions.

Being stressed overworked leading to fatigue does increase the chances of you being vunerable to accident. Only this is what treework is about we work hard, get expossed to stressful situations, it up to us as individuals and as a team to limit this. Its been tougher lately, there is less money on jobs with more pressure to be productive to achieve the same targets, work hasn't been quite as fun and laid back as we push to complete jobs on time. I don't feel though that I or the teams i work with are exposed to a greater chance of injury, know your limits look out for each other and stay work safe. My opinion is injuries are caused more by unsafe working practice and poor kit, not pressure and fatigue as these are reduce when you work effciently with good kit. All the injuries I have seen or heard about are 90% down to somebody doing something wrong or bad kit, not once have i heard of someone injuring themselves because they worked to hard or was overworked (which i totally disagree with we are only flesh and bone and have limits i'll never overwork myself, but then i can be very productive by working smarter)

Thanks for posting that Dave

I think the positioner wins out as a lanyard adjuster over the cinch just! I use my lanyard as more than just a lanyard thou its also a 10m single line which can really help out on occasion getting out to those hard to reach places with a bit more ease, just gives me a few more options.

I use it on my left, i to brought this up on the forum a while back before actually buying one. I don't use the handle when using it for a lanyard, just twist the body of the cinch usually with the rope going through my little finger to help control (it was a little jerky and rapid at first!) I'll use the handle only when descending on a single line. Also found the type of rope you use plays a big part, I had 11m static rope to stiff for good control, now use 10m of ocean poly 10mm.

You going to run that in France? How is parts availibilty and sourcing blades anvils/getting them sharpened etc? When out in Germany a lot of the small outfits didn't have chippers, just trucks towing big trailers far more usefull if your work is divided up with works other than trees. They had well porganised yardds and would either burn the brash or have it biomass chipped every so often. All the cord was processed for firewood. What i'm getting at is how usefull an investment would a 5-10k chipper be for you in your market? In the U.K a chipper is essential, my experience of Europe a chipper is less an essential item.

You don't need the info there to have it passed fit for use by an approved loler inspector, it may of become unreadable, but anyone fit to inspect climbing gear should still be able to pass it fit for use or not without it.

O'k rather than make you work for it i'll tell you, its on the left leg loop. Not that you really need the info thats there, as long as its yours and you listed when it was put into active use that should be enough, i just log the serial number so that i can identify as mine as most climbers i work with have one.

O'k rather than make you work for it i'll tell you, its on the left leg loop.

it is there just not where you'd expect it to be!

Thats harsh, most of the Stihl dealers i'd deal with would replace the earth wire for the few quid the part costs, it only take 5 minutes. Same with the throttle and choke rods (which are coloured! to make it easy to know how they go back in).

good job sjh, what a great beech tree hope it can be retained

There are lots of ways to get into this industry, i myself just started out as a self employed labourer back in late 2006 dragging brush, handling lowering lines, hedgecutting, fetching coffee,,,, general dogs body or stick bitch. I thought about doing an intensive course it was just the cost no way could i afford it, so i just worked away when ever i had spare cash i put myself through a unit or bought kit, every weekend i could i got into a tree and practiced moving about the crown, i found forums like this one and would follow discussions, look at pictures and ask stupid questionsn. Every oppertunity I had to climb or fell something i would throw myself at often going past my comfort zone. It was hard over the last 3 years i've worked at over 12 companies in the quest to push myself to get every climbing oppertunity i could and learn through watching/observing others. I've found it a satisfying experience to progress my career from stick bitch to freelance climber myself, for me i want to be the best treeworker I can once i've achieved that i'll progress my knowledge further on tree biology, although the vast majority of my work is safety and tree health orientated already. I personally can't see how you can learn about the structure of trees and how they respond untill you've had the practical hands on experience getting close and personal with trees. In short I can see college has its place, only tree work is an intensly practical profession the class room is no substitute for hands on experience.

I've just seen davids list, he has Kreztmaria duesta, i believe that is the same as Ustilina duesta. I come across this one a lot it can be a nasty one.

Inonotus hispidus Inonotus dryadus Ganoderma spp. Ustilina deusta Meripulus Armilaria (honey fungus) Laetiporus Piptoporus betulina Polyporus squamosa Phellinus No particular order, the spellings are probably wrong, but these are some of the most common fungi i encounter.

Nice pictures treewiz.

I think the MS390 is a cracking saw for what it is, but i'd say it would not put upto daily use and abuse especially several hours at a time! Thats a massive amount of time for any saw to be used daily.

Who said my back was up:001_tongue: I thought your post was intresting i tend to overlook the use of a timber hitch in preference of bowlines and cow tails, I read no negativity in your post, and take nothing posted on these forums to heart.

And what do you know about tree work eh Bob how long you been out of college hmm? opps:blushing: I forgot when you started climbing manilla flavoured ropes was the order of the day,,,,, probably. I myself have never used a timber hitch aloft, only ever using it to secure a rope brake to the base of a tree as it requires less length to tie than a cows tail. I've also never used a whoppie or loopie in heavy rigging. Maybe i should start using a timber hitch more as it doesn't reduce the strength of the line as much, only i've always found a half hitch or 2 precceding a bowline enough of a security myself, and just prefer a bowline as it just seems easier and less chance of messing it up but thats probably just me (mental note to self start using a timber hitch) The first time i saw Mikes vid I saw lots of things i thought were peculiar to the stratergies i would normally use or see used by others, at the same time I saw someone who is at ease with what he is doing and performed a nicely executed take down. So why bother criticising his methods? I for one prefer a cows tail for securing the pulley, it just feels better and for me at least is easier to adjust and tie tight, i'd also have less slack. But what do i know i have the least practical experience garantued than anyone else here but i hope to learn more through discussion.

Oh well then i've lost all respect for you:001_tongue:

If Blake is who I think he is, then he knows his stuff and i respect the points he is raising and the work he does for uktcc:thumbup1: And yes thats Qtip in the pic, i'm much better looking.

Forgot to add the picture