MattyF

I would say there is some risk to working on them but if you can't read what it is and work the tree so there is no risk then what is the point in being in this job. But then it's reading the tree, the lime in those pictures I would not rig big off for sure unless I could wack the tops off from the pollard bowl with my topping strop old school style But none of those trees warrant a MEWP unless you have one hanging around paid for.

Just don't rig off the same stem your anchored too ....I try to never do that any way but I would climb those trees you have posted any day of the week and not give it a second thought, they look good trees to work on!

Armor prus is with out a doubt the only one worth using , I've burnt liros out in one climb.

I keep mine on for months mate until it's as burnt out and glazed as me on a Sunday morning.

The ZZ is good but it can be out performed with a well tuned VT ...it's sticking and persevering with the VT length and wrap combo that is the problem and if you crap your pants at the slightest movement or it not locking off without setting it forget about it and buy a ZZ !! I found the SJ wants to pull through slack constantly and quite hard which was a pita for reductions on broad trees , it does tend well though just too well in that situation when often you need to take a few big movements upwards on skinny branches above your anchor confidently with out being pulled back down because the slack you've pulled through has self tended.

Stick to your vt rope wrench forget about this double rope , or you can have my BB .

Would of gone down for it but got something on that weekend mate.

It has mate and its looking good. The guy reset it for me and rang the saw up after it was plugged in and handed it back with s smile on his face! I just like to save it for special occasions lol.

Had it plugged in at the dealers , saw was confused!! Massively over fuelling ....but that could of been a number of things ie the port work, have changed a few bits around the carb as was concerned about air leaks it could do with a new boot really as well, on inspection it looks ok but there could be an air leak still there , saws still running and absolutely mental although sporadically over idles I'm just not using it for heavy ringing up like over 10 litres of fuel a day jobs like I did with my standard 560 last week and it seems good.

Certainly looks a beast!!

Nice work Sam, you got some good pics as well. Tim All the ones I've seen dead or have heard of being felled dead in the UK have been down to honey fungus , they appear pretty susceptible to it , a nice light wood to move when dead but really heavy when wet!

Kiwi gap compared to petzl both cams fully open.

Tbh honest I think the CT is of dubious quality after blowing a cam spring out after only 6 months, it is a great ascender though but also looking and comparing the kiwis with the petzl they are vastly different the kiwis seem to have a much smaller gap the rope sits in to get the rope to kick out than the petzl and the cam spring is the only one out of all the ascenders I've looked at that is replaceable and not riveted in, yet to get the left footed I've ordered and try but the kiwis look really promising.

Tree stuff sells them.

Abba Take a chance on me... I really hate abba as well.

Do you think the mounting plate takes much flexibility/movement out of the boot? Looks an interesting idea though.

Getting frustrated with spiking my rope and a normal foot ascender feels obstructive as its so close to the gaff , this looks the answer!

35hp tractor is what runs our 9t machine , splitter is ancient atleast 15 years old would not like to guess how much wood it's cut, I think it's only on its second ram as well.

Cure for cancer?? Didn't help Bob Marley much.

Also shipping that's usually another £40, I've ordered on a Monday and had it by Thursday which Is impressive from across the pond and you get a load of free stickers and buffs as well.

Usually pretty quick delivery .... That's cheap as well but there will be import charges, usually about £20

Kolibbri by skylotec is a good bet. Was never a fan of the tree magic the tree motion once adjusted right has been the comfiest harness I've owned though.

4 I recon .... Last one I've broken had been so rubbed through that removing the branch supporting it caused it to fail, just coiled it up and left it on the pole. Had a lime tree quite a few years back that had a junction box and loads of wires through its crown one had grown over a wire and I did not realise ,tip rigged it and trying to pull it up and over in to the only gap in the crown it gave up very easily again due to been partially damage , client was happy the crackling on her line stopped ,I was not with the bill! Trimming a leylandii hedge with man flue I had a sneezing and coughing fit at the top of the steps using a long reach cutter the fit stopped and I reached up on full revs and cut straight through the wire I had avoided probably ten times before! Just joined that one with a coat hanger coiled as a tensioner mid line, it was still there years later. Think I did one with a cherry picker basket as well after it got caught raising street trees. First one I ever did though was fresh out of college and was told to finish off chogging down a big beech stem that the crew had spent the previous day dismantling and it turned in to an embarrassing learning curve. Turned up to an emergency call out in the dark with an ivy covered mess blocking a road ,hadn't realised it had a phone wire through so chipping up it must of ate quite a lot before we found a wire hanging out the back the machine, finished the job and spent a good few further hours in the dark and cold trying to retrieve wire off the fly wheel shaft.

Exactly!

Did your mate use the primer in the 560 ... Interesting though as on the last relatively hot day up here one of the 261's went pop whilst the 550's carried on going and I now have a tendon sticking out my hand that's probably been rattled out by the 460...