Dom

I purchased a tw150 second hand from a timberwolf dealer about 18 months ago. It made a horrible grinding noise as we finished chipping yesterday, and noticed the rotor bearing housing was smoking, so I took it to the nearest TW mechanic.

I've been told that it looks like the bearings were removed in the past with a gas torch rather than a press, and this has caused the damage to the rotor, and over time has broken the new bearings.

Is this something that the dealer I purchased from should have picked up on and rectified before selling me the woodchipper? What would be my best course of action?

Thanks

If you find a place that wants lots of chip, please let me know! A large part of my work is in Ashtead, and usually have to unload at Mid Surrey Farm.

On behalf of a good friend and colleague, I'm looking for a climber to help out with work in Hampshire and Surrey areas.

Good rates of pay, and flexible days. Climbing for a small but busy owner-run tree firm, carrying out varied domestic work, to replace lead climber, who left recently to go travelling.

Must have own transport.

Call for more details - 07725 634157

email [email protected]

or email Alasdair Marr directly at [email protected]

Kev I think it was £600 all in.

Alright Mr Currie,

Try Max at Mid Surrey Farm, in Epsom. Cheaper than I expected last time I asked about one, and a nice guy too. 020 8393 1095

The second is a European Hackberry, Celtis australis, and the third is Ostrya. But the first one is a bit trickier. I think it might be Sophora japonica, although the leaflets aren't opposites. Mysterious

Not that anyone in their right mind would want to in this day and age (hopefully).. but, if a tree of this size needed to be felled, (maybe if it had sprung up out of a patio, or the customer didn't like the shade, or the leaves..) would we do it any differently from the age-old way of using a two man handsaw? Or is there a big enough secret industrial chainsaw somewhere to manage it?

I've always found an old axe is best, to slice it into lumps that can be eased out with a good strong trenching spade. Sharper the better.

I'd have been careful, sounds like you might've been in a little bit of shock. Good idea to have a bunch of sugary crap to raise your blood sugar a little after something like that. But what do I know, I'm no doctor, just a simple tree chopper

On the flipside... About six years ago I changed from a lanyard to a wire core flipline with a rope grab and a nice heavy steel snap hook. I find it easier to push over and through forks, it feels sturdier, and it doesn't flop about as much as a bit of rope would. I think it's all about finding out what works best for you, I still know good climbers who only use both ends of their rope and somehow never use a seperate lanyard.

Got some nice 4-5ft lengths of box about 10inch diameter, but with quite bad splits. Few lumps of laburnum lying around as well, let me know if you're down in Surrey with a trailer.

I'm loving mine, plenty of power, and the bar sticks out further than on a 200t, so a 14" bar is actually 14".

Fuel and oil filler holes are too small though, does anyone know which oil filler spouts for combi-cans fit the holes?

Feels nice and solid, well balanced. Only other thing is the exhaust comes out at a different angle to the 200t, so have to consider positioning slightly more to avoid a face or leg full of hot air. Oh and the off switch is the opposite way round to the 200t which takes a bit of getting used to. Still love it though.. much cheaper, and with a warranty. Stihl have lost my favour lately.

Really enjoying the new echo (350tes?). Also been using the 260 for a couple of years now, it's like the cheaper AMA saws but better build quality. Both are a joy to use, and the larger echo really has some grunt to it. Won't be going back to Husky or Stihl, Echo make some great tools, and they have 2 year warranties. It's a no-brainer for me now.

I've heard that 90% of stag beetles in UK are in Surrey and London, South of the river. Have seen a couple today, often see them here, and see them fighting quite often too.

Have used the groundsman 2stroke oil for a few years now, seems better than a lot of more expensive branded oils.

I find holly burns great green, never checked the moisture content myself, I assumed it would be lower than 30%.. Also I find Robinia takes years to dry properly.

Jon, will try and take a photo this week if I get a moment. And yes, not the most ideal for horizontal pulls, mine has bent a little now, and wouldn't want to overdo it and pull it clean out of the ground, but has been a lifesaver at times when I've had nothing else I could possibly winch from.

I've got a 6ft metal corkscrew made of inch thick steel, I can twist it into the ground and hey-presto, I've got an instant ground anchor. My other tip is wearing THICK gloves with those pesky steel cables, have had a few nasty slices from sharp loose threads.

Have only done it as an absolute last resort, when there's been no other way of safely removing a branch. Wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

Found a perfectly preserved owl inside a rancid waterlogged cavity on an ash, that had since sealed up, so there was no oxygen inside. The owl could've been there for quite a few years before I found it. Same tree had red ants, wood ants, old bees nest and old wasps nest as well as woodpecker holes and squirrels dreys.

Other than that, dead pigeons seem to be popular in conifer hedges this year.

All the good climbers who are reliable and work efficiently day in day out, and can turn their hand to any tree are already employed, by bosses who are eager to keep them on board. The "financial crisis" of recent times I think has made people more wary of changing jobs, and it's partly a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

And the climbers with itchy feet who don't want to stay in their secure jobs for a long period of time will start up on their own with their own van and chipper, and then can't work as an affordable employee for the established smaller firms due to their newly increased overheads.

I think we are and have been heading towards lots more very small arb businesses starting up, while the largest companies at the moment will become bigger, and a lot of the established mid size businesses will suffer, losing domestic work to start ups with lower overheads.

Metcheck.com is my favourite, although as with any weather forecast it's very often totally wrong..

I've reduced a large Robinia by about 30%, only to find out that it fell down of its own accord on a calm day about two weeks later.

I've been using standard vegetable oil for the past 2 or 3 years, saves me an absolute fortune, only time I use thicker chain oil is if I have a big bar on the 66 so it doesn't fling off the chain so easily.

The higher I go, the tighter I hold on. Simples.