Amelanchier

That wouldn't be an access hire company near me would it Steve? We long lease a Z20 on a Cabstar from them and have been running it on red for about two years now. Taxed as plant as well i think. Apparently as its a dedicated platform and can't be seperated into vehicle and platform its classed as self-propelled plant. Weird but legal. All their fleet of truck-mounts including the 26m mounted on a 7.5 are all on red. Not sure about the 3.5t bit, I have a crap post '97 licence and as such am limited to 3.5t gross, which is handy as that's what the cabstar is... 3.5t dead.

I always enjoy bringing the newly qualified CS31s over to the dark side of 'arb-felling'. Felling at waist height and all that.

Just thought I'd stick a link to my other post here in case no-one scrolls to the bottom of the index page! http://www.arbtalk.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7048#post7048 Hope it doesn't clash with Rollers bash/demo, its on the last weekend of April.

The instrument in question was a tensiometer which measures water potential. This is a measure of the water retained in the soil after it has drained of gravitational water (which is what you measured with the infiltration hole). It can give you pretty nicely defined data to make decisions on irrigation. More useful as a preventative tool though IMO, as using an expensive bit of kit to prove the soil is dry is a bit pointless when all the leaves have scorched and wilted during a heatwave! Lime is an agricultural term for various calcium or magnesium based compounds. So its possible that these could be present in your site but don't rule out also sodium. The gritter lorries fave. Its incredibly hard to alter soil pH by increasing acidity. The only way is to incorporate large amounts of peat. Which would be bad news for the rootzone as you trundle through it with a rotovator!! mulching could work at a stretch. Thing is if you change the soil pH you change the biological profile. So the organisms that like the alkaline soil will die, which is bad for the soil nutrient cycle, catch 22. As for the metal binding - chlorosis theory, I'm afraid the only way to find out for sure is to take soil and foliage samples and send them off to the FC at Alice Holt for analysis. http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/fr/INFD-5UWEY6

I'd assumed that once the section was in motion, the groundy would let it run all the way to the deck. The section would swing out and hit the floor before it could swing back in. If that's the case, then the position is fine, number of wraps to let it run is fine, top anchor never sees any real load and is fine, everythings fine. What's not fine is that there aren't enough cups of tea in that picture. Trees nearly done, fell the stick out, get the tea in.

Also the load would be transferred to the line with little or no peak loading, esp. if you had a tagline to control the swing. Better for your "cycles to failure" and all that guff. Its just a nice way to work.

I totally agree about the price and the breakdown of the most expensive cost, tis a great shame. I'm assuming the hydraulic winch must be mounted though, to a vehicle? I've carried the GRCS through houses. Point taken about cost-to-power ratio though! The other thing to watch out for is, in-experienced operators putting too much tension in systems. So easy to do, I've had people tension up speedlines til the host tree started bending and cracking! Its hard for them to make the mental leap that rope and GRCS can be like steel cable and tractor winch when the systems right. Oh and ropes glazed on the drum because people have tried to crane up section that haven't been cut through correctly.

Place I've been mostly working at for the past 4 years, we start at 7.30 and allegedly finish at 16.30 but its more like 17.30. There's an hour off in there somewhere for lunch.

Quite a bit mate, at least once a week. We use it for a range of uses, from assisting felling to tensioning speedines. Used it the other day to move a stem from one side of a fence to the other after felling. Last year I had a nice day throwlining deadwood in sweet chestnuts in a habitat area and using the GRCS to pull it off. And when it comes to storm damage and hung up trees, beats a Tirfor anyday I suppose its just one of those things you use if you have. Its there for all my dismantles. If I left it back at the yard, I'd need it for sure.

Ha, a pox on your porty!! Dirty little offcut from a scaffolding pole. Shady little cambium abuser. May all your portys react with aluminum and develop corrosion. Adieu

Ha, it happens to us all mate. The key to pH sampling is to average the soil. pH value will vary quite substantially in most soils, especially in the topsoil, so you need to even out the variance. All depends on your site. In the past, I've taken 15-20 small (25-50g) samples from around a tree in a spiral pattern from the base using a soil corer (but you could use a trowel). You need to sample the subsoil as topsoil pH levels are highly variable and change throughout the year. So the depth of your sample depends on the depth of your topsoil but its usually below 20cm. Watch out for roots! Take your samples stick them in a big bucket, mix them up then use your pH kit on that. Or send it all off to a Uni lab and charge the customer!! As for drainage or soil infiltration, you're pretty much spot on. Depends on whether you need specific of rough data out of the operation. Rough data - I would dig a hole say 20cm wide and 50cm deep, chuck a bucket of water in and time how long it takes to soak into the soil. If it does. Specific data - I use an engineers soil corer to make a hole of about the same size, but the corer volume is known so an exact(ish) calculation of infiltration can be made. I then cross reference this with known values in a nice fat soil book. Again you need to dig several pits to get a clear and un-biased picture of the site. An often overlooked aspect of our work but absolutley critical. Tree / soil conflict can be the cause of so many problem, espicially for exotics.

I judge the climbing part of an Arb comp in Norwich running on the last weekend of April. http://www.ukgamefair.co.uk/comp.html Open to all, novices and experts. Prizes sponsered by arbtalk.co.uk and arbjobs.com, so you know its all good! Here is the official blurb... "This is a fun competition for all tree climbers and cutters from beginners to die-hard arborists and foresters past their best. The plan for the weekend is to have fun and get as many tree folk together for a bit of a chin-wag etc. If you would like to have a go then please fill in the enrolment form to reserve your place and post, e-mail or fax it back to us ASAP - this will give us some ideas of numbers. Entry into the competition entitles you to free entry into the show for yourself and one other. If you would like to make a weekend of it there is free camping on site with the rest of us tree folk. Trophies and prizes will be awarded to winners of each class: Novice, Open and Senior. There is a special prize for the combined winner of the Climbing and Chainsaw Events. Simulated Work Climb Two competitors at a time will climb around one big tree against the clock, trying to get to all targets in their half of the tree. Climbers will start at the bottom of the tree and make their way up pre-installed lines to the top target, then down to get as many of the remaining targets around their half of the crown before heading down to the ground to land on the last target and unclipping to stop the clock - as easy as that! Rules: All PPE will be scrutinized prior to the climb and must pass. Any known climbing system may be used. Climbers must be attached to the pre-installed line at all times. To score at each target the climber must strop in before touching the target within the taped markers (this will be clearer on the day). All climbers must maintain the climbing system so as to limit slack in their climbing lines. Points: Each Climber will be awarded points for the number of targets touched and for the speed of the climb. Points will be deducted for any unsafe climbing or failing to strop in at each target point. Timing: It is expected that each climbing pair will take approximately 30 minutes to complete the tree. All climbers must report to the Marshal no later than 0900hrs on each day of the Competition for briefing and kit check. Climbers will then be given a number and start time. Further instruction will be sent with tickets nearer the date. For further details contact Tony at [email protected] Chainsaw Competition Bar & chain change, simulated fell and precision cross cut. The competition will include various disciplines from the world championship for loggers. The competition is intended as nothing more than a bit of fun between chainsaw operators. The events will include: i) Bar and chain. ii) Simulated felling and snedding. iii) Precision cross-cutting. The rules will be as close as possible to those of the world championship for loggers. Copies of these may be obtained by contacting via E Mail either: Andy Campbell or Chalky White [email protected] All candidates must report to the Marshal no later than 0900hrs on each day of the competition for briefing. Further instruction will be sent with tickets nearer the date. We hope that a few people will take part and say again that it is intended as an opportunity for likeminded people to get together and have some fun with the tools of our trade!" Come along, bust out your skills, have a laugh, have a beer & win a prize sponsered by arbtalk.co.uk and arbjobs.com 2008 Enrolment form for cutters and climbers competition.doc

I love my GRCS. Just can't beat the options it gives you. Which is really what the games all about isn't it? Choosing the best options and getting it all done safely and efficiently. I'll bomb down chunks with the best of them, but where poss. we'll stick the GRCS on a nearby tree (or building pillar!) and use it to pull off nice big lumps cut with snipe cuts. Don't do too much vertical section lowering unless the tree's got a lean or there are services underneath. Did some nice big poplar bits leaning over a footpath. Took the groundy a while to get dialled in, but then we were on fire. That GRCS bollard is amazing. I can't stand port-a-wraps. Totally craze me. Can't find all the slack in the system, they smack aginst the tree, the diameters too small, the groundies struggle to lose the hockle. Hate them. Anyway, to my mind, its best to have all the options for each section that you can. Then you can choose. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything is a nail.

Ha, round here the customers ask for it and pay very well for it. Everybody wins. Nice cuts dude.

Here's my Generic Risk Arse-ssment. Its designed to go hand in hand with a site specific job sheet, with lovely little boxes to tick. I'd put that up if my laptop hadn't hidden it... I've got some other great docs I would love to post but I'll have to check copyright... I think Steve would get into trouble if I just stuck half the AA's back catalouge, my degree course handouts and several British Standards on his site! 'course you could always pm me. nudge nudge wink wink. STC Generic Risk Assessment.pdf

Nice idea Lee. I'm in, depending on date and I'm up for a bit of climbing also Steve.

Not necessarily so. Depends on your tree officer and your council. We've got councils here currently arguing internally between departments about tree retention leading to utter comedy on the jobsite. Leaning doesn't mean dangerous, in any assessment. If a leaning tree is counted as dangerous then we must remove all leaning limbs, as they themselves often lean away from vertical more than the tree itself. Misc. provisions is only used very rarely. round here at least and usually for really, REALLY crap hazard trees.

I'm with bowline, Chalky is the man. Based near Fakenham. Alex, the chap registered here, also does training/assessing, not sure if he does chipper/stumpy. Best PM him.

I concur, maybe this should be in the lounge but its all part of this whole politics-by-opinion-poll **** don'tcha think. We asked 100 people ' what would make you vote for us?' and they said...

Yeah true. I don't even bother with gloves these days. Flesh heals, gloves go in the bin. Lowerings a different story...

My take on it is that, if you take that chainsaw and stick it in your leg. You'll go to a state funded hospital where you'll recieve free healthcare (NHS jokes aside). Afterwards you might be on the sick/dole until you healed. All paid for by the government (crap government jokes aside). Its in their interests to dissuade you from taking those liabilities / freedoms. I would like to burn brash though.

I know some people who think they can free climb safely now... I think its intended to spread the impact over a larger surface area, reducing the damage. You'll probably still break bones and bleed internally and all that. Its those little knocks though, I keep smashing my elbow on the tree/platform when starting a big saw. That stuff might stop it. Broke my finger last year, kept me out of the trees for 6 weeks, a d3o glove might have been the answer. Idiots are idiots with safety gear or without. Oh and it looks like it might be quite expensive!

Have you seen this D3o stuff? http://d3olab.com/ Could be seeing it one day in your arborwear trousers and stretch-air jacket to protect you when you smack into the tree after missing that big swing!! Or on a pair of gloves for chipping deadwood. Aaahhh that lovely feeling when a piece traps your hand against the infeed chute and pummels it as the blades shake it back and forth... It'll be in the shops this winter.

I do the odd bit of vigilante formative pruning and tree stake removal when no one's looking. Stealth planting is a bloody good idea. Nice pics BigA, I wish I'd get that kind of work.

I'll wear anything you want baby, just don't buy any more sambucas...