arboriculturist

Look ok and the free carriage is a bonus. Start a bio thread oil if you get time - plenty out their use is for the saws. Can't stop now as finally got some timber and need to drive the forklift and load the deck. ?

I like the side graduations. Just need to find a decent Bio chain oil to fill it and look after your health. Waiting on a price from Kilworth Machinery on have bio in a RCA 480 Plus - i'll post the Oil spec. when I hear back.

Under the Town and Planning Act Local Authorities have a duty to protect trees in relation to development. You are required to have a BS5837 tree survey before any operations on site commence - has this been carried out?

Ooh that's good news then. It would be good to hear of more people proactively adopting bio in their machinery. ?

I think strained 'old chip frying oil' used as a fuel and a formulated bio hydraulic oil are oceans apart though.

I wouldn't say that vegetable oil is aggressive in any shape or form, in cosmetic people rub it all over themselves and seem to survive. The bloke I know has a massive fleet and has contracts with the EA and he has no issues. I would speak to someone who has a fleet running on bio. ?

I agree, 35 takes some beating. Basic overhaul on a 35x is peanuts compared to anything else.

I forgot about your post here - did you speak to your engineer about the pto gearbox? Have you no spare tractors is that why you use the 35 as well as the great fuel economy? Putting hours on an expensive tractor not good surely. In another post you said: The conveyor is self tensioning so if you think you'll ever want a longer one I would get it and remove sections to shorten it as needed. The 35 is only just enough power, arguably not enough with the 12 way splitter so I wouldn't add anything else myself. I agree, and I plan to buy the 16 way also !

Just checked - there is an option with Tajfun to have a bio machine - I'll go for that. Is it worth getting the longer conveyor option do you think? Last question - they give the option of having an integral fan run off the machines internal pump - do you think the 35x will cope with it - not sure how it ups the required hp as they don't mention that? They quote 35hp and as you know the 35 has nearly 45. Thanks

If you do any river work EA and the Rivers Authority will insist all machines are on bio. Some large hire companies have bio machines in their fleet - such as plant force. It is extremely expensive and you are best to buy the few gallons you need of someone who buys in bulk in IBC's. I would love to have it all our gear on it, but at present with the state of the industry etc. it won't be soon. Saying that, when we switch to a Tafjun 480P it's chain cutting and I am uncertain if it utilises HYd. oil like yours. gdh will know. I know a plant man who may sell you some near Wrangaton. ?

Importing Kiln Dried is the main issue - that could never be justified. The thing is we have been air drying wood for thousands of years, so I would say it's working quite well. We all know any fire / woodburners can running at an acceptable efficiency with wood at 25% MC. The original HETAS Woodsure certification supported this and still does accredit producers as such. Then a bunch of bureaucrats after 57 meetings decided to move the goal posts - One such meeting went like this :"Oh look, it says here in these 3 woodburning stove manuals, you must only burn 100% hardwood at under 20% MC, so it must be right . Let's put 20% in that box then, that should be alright". So here we are faced with another fiasco like the RHI, Biomass power station subsidies and all other so called renewable energy initiatives - going backwards. Wether the latest MC controls ever become law who knows and only the buying public can decide if small firewood business are able to survive economically. Should an Act be passed there will still be hundreds of thousands of Tree Surgeons, Farmers etc. selling firewood from green to dry and that will never change.

I actively try to educate all the customers not to buy kiln dried for all your reasons and all the other environmental reasons everyone knows about. There are only 2 positives about kiln dried wood. 1 - It burns well (some claim too well) and 2 - It makes money for those who import it. In order to be able to buy it you need the finances available and many smaller businesses are unable to finance the purchase. You also need the access for an arctic and equipment to handle. Those 2 factors combined knock out the majority of the smaller businesses. A business close to me has given up selling kiln dried. Customers are beginning to realise the only difference between kiln and air dried is that air dried is far better value. ?

£ 90 - is that for Hardwood ?

I know of really established business been around for decades who can't get roundwood. If you haven't the capital to invest in large stocks when it does become available it's not sustainable. It seems that it comes along in large infrequent chunks and you need to be ready to buy as much as you can possibly afford when it does. If you live in an affluent area perhaps move into gardening, well paid on your own and far less stress and take on just the smaller tree works, they pay the best anyway. ?

Got one of these - 1.2 tonne payload - absolutely invaluable. We use it for extraction, winching, towing chipper in woodland - you name it, it does it. Low ground pressure, low impact, reverse up 60 degree slopes (stated in manual),diesel, economical, low maintenance, ROPS, move it on a transit size vehicle or trailer. Goes well with a 1.5 tonne steel track mini digger with grip talon on the woodland. Could easily fit bolsters but haven't bothered. 13k new but there are decent ones around for 6-7K.

Oh - and as I have said before believe it or not Hardwood 'is' going for biomass also !!!

" If demand is crazy as it sounds I can't see softwood supplies lasting long either" EXACTLY !!! 'At the moment' the closest Biomass Stations are at Bournmouth, Southampton and there are several at Bristol. Even at those locations this is having a severe impact on softwood from the South West. I paid for 2 loads 2 weeks ago - 50T and found that it had all been taken up there and the worst of it, is that timber was 5 minutes from where I live. Of course you get the usual 'cock and bull story' and 'we'll get you some more out'. Guess the level of impact that will be felt when they build the 1st Biomass Plant in the South West. As one or 2 have said, relying on Firewood alone as an income is going to be high risk. It all rather depressing for those of us who have spent years building up sizable businesses often at a loss in the early years. Something is already giving - as some firewood retailers have already decided to pack it in. If you are in a very affluent area then things could be less gloomy, but our retail prices will have to rise again next year without question.

I take your point - yes give them all the Sitka and leave the good stuff for us. You hit the nail on the head - RHI.

Nothing against Sitka, it's just terrible Firewood, whereas 2 other softwoods I can think of are excellent. ?

Sweet Chestnut ticks all the boxes. As you say Oak without Maint. is a non starter. Tillhill planted 150 acres close to me 20 years ago, 2 years maint. then nothing. The brambles grown right over and full of budleja, willow etc. Not a pretty sight!

The thing is, i'm not sure if your customers would appreciate 'Spruce' being delivered. There is no way I would touch Spruce, way to fast burning, produces zero ash. 100 acres of Hardwoods yielding 1 tonne acre average on a 15 - 20 year rotation may be workable - forgetting the Oak unfortunately, as has to be fast growing species. Alder, Chestnut etc. ideally get Big J to coppice at 6 - 8" dia. to avoid replanting, adding in some Birch. They all produce nice straight stems. Maybe something to think about. We all need to think about planting trees if we have land.

Do you agree you will get about 1 tonne of product per acre per year? I don't think you will have a great response seeking roundwood in your area sadly.

Short across the 2 large solenoid terminals using an old screwdriver or similar. If motor works check that the small wire connected to solenoid becomes live when someone operates the tipper switch - just use a 12v bulb inline for this. (Earth bulb and small wire to bulb). If bulb lights I would strip solenoid.

Has your Ash trial plantation all died? When I saw it about 3 years ago after Lara's wedding it was badly affected.

Have you tried by-passing the solenoid ?