18 stoner

After just convincing Pete i was a bit too big for tip pruning, i came across these. Copper beech reduction last spring; Yes big blokes can fly, as you can see it was a massive tree; And after; Oh, how i wish i`d moved those steps before the pics:bongsmi:

Eh, which one?

Think im gonna read this again tonight, when ive got a beer in my hand:drunk: It may even lead me to change my mind.........when i can digest it:scared:

It is up to whoever is short changed to point out the error. I always check my change when its given to me, so its upto the other person to check it also. Yes i am tight:wave:

Oops, also just seen theres no need for the black carab really:confused:

Here you go telhol, this is the only pic i have of a set up of mine. The pic was taken a while ago but i use a similar setup now. I believe you are trying advancing above your hitch, you can do it with this set up but i struggle to get the loop short enough to stop "fall back" after advancing. I also have no small ring on the cambium saver, and clip a pully onto it instead. As pete says there are advantages for using a maillon, but i only use a carab. This means you can use your climbing line for an attatchment point while climbing the tree, carrying your cambium saver on your back. Then clip it onto your line when you set your anchor. This particularly helps if you have an eye on your rope that doesnt go through the small ring easily. Hope thats useful, anyway heres the pic;

I know of someone with a makita around 55cc(dont know the number) he`s had it for over 6 years with regular use and no probs at all. Not that i`d buy one tho. I know of someone just ordering a top handle... is it going to be a bad buy?

And yes, the one on the trailer is my project. Its a V8 1986 12 seat station wagon, basically everything was rotten when i got it, but has excellent running gear. This was its state about three weeks ago; I now have another chassis ready for galvanising, then the rebuilding can start:)

Ok, heres the trusty 110 double cab, my everyday workhorse- The green one!

Im with you bob, sports massage every couple of weeks or monthly is a good form of maintenance. Never tried osteopath myself so cant comment but a chiro got me going again after a fractured spine. That was also after my GP and physiotherapist gave up!

Surely telhol, you must be able to hold your weight while you tend slack...... I have just cut the small ring from my cambium saver to use a pulley all the time, and belive me i am a tad over 80 kgs:cry: but still would love less friction. Dont you agree the extra energy you use while tending slack cant be anything like the energy you save ascending the rope with less friction?

Ok, heres my cut on it; I spent nearly 20 years working for farmers in my area, thats what i see as the prime part of my life, starting off doing the lads jobs and worked my way to management position. I then went self employed around 6 years ago doing some agric jobs seasonal etc while i got my tree business going. Unfortunately, less than one year into self employment i fell off a lorry working on pea harvesters, fractured my spine and spent the next year recovering, recieving no help or even well wishes from the farming community i had worked in for so long. On return to work i progressed with my recovery as my business built up so never seeked any further work from agriculture and feel that my business is going well enough without "help" from any farmers. I am sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but i feel the farming community seem to be only happy when things are either free to them, very cheap, or better than the one the neighbour has! If they cannot get a benifit from it- sell it, throw it away, or, when it comes to staff, ignore it! So the top and bottom of it is, in my opinion, buy your own agric land, set up calf rearing, alpaca wool production, or whatever takes your fancy, then build yourself your "stock keepers cottage" and run the arb business "as a second occupation" from the same site. This can be done in a way that would cost you overall around the same money as buying an average priced family home, but with an agricultural clause. I suppose what my point is; dont rely on farmers at all, learn from them, and do as they would- after all, they are the grand masters in manipulation for their own benefit!

We get quite a lot round here, mainly on chalky soils. The wood sometimes has an intersting grain beneath the scars, but never in any big enough lumps to be worth selling!

Yeh sure kev, just thought id give you a wind before i let you know who i was:proud: Hope the job goes well kev, at least its what you really wanted to do. Very sorry for me going off topic-back to bale band:heeeelllllooooo:

Nah, hes a land rover fan! Anyone with a landy is sure to use at least 9mm blue wagon rope:wave:

Might have done Kev, its suprising how far you can see from the humber bridge! Kev, you still do a bit with your lanky mate Dave?

Nah, hes just a tight lincolnshire lad with an agricultural approach- you sould see him climb:heeeelllllooooo:

How about twenty......

No shortage round here andy! I think its partially localised how much work there is but also what work you are after. If you just want contract climbing the pays not that good generally, but if you have your own full set up and on your own,(doing small prunung jobs, hedge work, half days etc) there seems to be plenty round here. A point that definately affects prices is the clientel- they are all different! Sometimes you can get wealthy ones that will pay, sometimes them that will not. Likewise, those that dont seem so well off can either be t**ts or give you the job just because they like you- nothing to do with price. Its a massive lottery, all you can do is decide your price, what you are happy with and run with it, BUT NEVER NEVER settle for less than you feel you deserve!

For the spec, mine is a 1998 6in greenmech.

Best piece of advice i could give to someone who has stretched to buy one themselves is; Service it regularly, never hire it out unless you are with it and keep it chained to something else! I have recently been subbing out at £280 per day with mine, that goes to show how much i value mine! Dont abuse it, dont let it be abused, treat it better than the wife, and it will pay you back!

Came out at £3700 inc vat. That was with the gready boards, 3.5t upgrade, internal bed anchor points, spare wheel & bracket etc. What do you lot think to price?

Take it the spikes are on your chrimbo list? Dont worry, just ragging you, i dare say a lot more guys on here use them than admit to it, but they dont post pics of them........ Take it nice and easy, and learn safe.

Ok, started this thread a while ago and now im sorted. Found out about the atlas trailer, and it seems they are well built, chinese, ifor rip off. So, i ended up with this; Its actually a Graham Edwards 6`x10` tipper. I wanted it upgrading from standard 2700kgs to 3500kgs as i tow with a landy, so they built the chassis specifically for this trailer, upgraded axles and coupling. With gready boards it will carry 6 cube of chip. Sorted.

nice ladders.............