Mike Hill

I think they leave the stumps high is because the mills won't accept butt logs with large flutes.Also in the states they "hot deck" load timber onto trucks on log landings that logs are being pulled to,so the less mess there is the better. Felling the stumps low and then trimming the ends on the hill would create hazards for the breakerouts, "hook tenders" as the "offcuts" could roll downhill towards guys working underneath. High stumps are bad news all round in a hauler crew.They hang up drags of logs going up and snag skyline and tailropes during a line shift.Stumps and even just humps in the ground hang up ropes during a line shift.

I think helping out and seeing if the career is for you is a great plan.The harder you workmeans the quicker the day will go and then you have more of a chance at having abit of a climb. Best of luck to you!

1969 SII Landcruiser engine and gearbox Rover 90 diffs Roll cage 8000lb winch Snorkel Axel breathers Currently parked in a shed at my sisters farm

The last landy I had in the UK was a 1996 110 Defender,it had covered 80 000 miles when I got it.It had lived on an estate. In one year I replaced. Gear box Front CV joint Rear wheel bearings Rear wheel seals Ball type joint that sits on the diff and is part of the suspension. I used this Landy pretty much all on road,sometimes towing a chipper. Then I returned to NZ and bought a 1986 Highlux that had done 220,000km.It had the 2.4 non turbo. I used this frequently to go hunting and general off roading.I used to drive it often on loose shingle and sand beaches,thats very hard work for a 4X4.Especially when its loaded with your mates and gear. In about eight months I had to take out the fuel tank as the filter on the end of the line had come off.And would somtimes stick over the end of the fuel line. That was it.The Hilux was used far more often off road than the Defender,it had also came off a farm.So probably had been loaded and used in 4x4 often. I like landrovers but as a first 4x4 that is mostly used on road.I'd pick a Japanese one.

Here is a web site that is New Zealand equivalent of "Ebay".On it you can see the price of house's,cars and even have a search for jobs. http://www.trademe.co.nz Here is another site that seems to be employment only. http://www.seek.co.nz For up to date foreign currency conversions of the wages and prices of items you might find.I reccomend this site. http://www.xe.com The conversions on this site are updated several times per day.

The weather is generally hotter in the North Island.But places like central Otago in the South Island can be the hottest in the country,also the coldest in the winter. "Life style" would probably be described as more "laid back".The outdoors are a huge recreation resource,skiing,fishing hunting etc.But as for accurate current comments there are some Brits on here that have immigrated recently that would provide better comments than me. The two Islands are very different.Scenery in the South is more dramatic,mountains,Fijords,huge tracts of forest.Much less densely populated.The south island is the biggest island "The mainland" but it used to only have one third the population.Things might have changed. The largest city in the South,Christchurch has only about 350 000 people.As the name suggests the architecture is very English in the center.Large Victorian parks and old buildings.Well old for NZ buildings anyway! The second largest city in the south is Dunedin,has about 115,000 people. In the north Island,the largest city is Auckland. 1.4million people Second largest city in the north island is Wellington. 500,000 people,this is also the capital. There are many towns (cities) that fall below Wellington in size,Hamilton,Taupo,Napier,New Plymouth etc. The North island is far from just all city,there are some beautiful and sparsly populated parts.Such as North land (sub tropical) and the central plateau,it looks like the highlands of Scotland.(Well from pictures of Scotland anyway). So thats my take on it anyway.Better to hear from some recent Kiwi's to get a more rounded picture.

Welcome Paul! The big takedowns arn't the norm,but they are the most memorable! I am supprised that you were earning $800 post tax per week,thats the highest wage I have heard of in the NZ Arb scene.That is me presuming you were climbing and not in a management type role.I worked and grew up in the South Island,so don't have a good idea of the wages or work that you get in Auckland. I returned to Christchurch to work in 2003 after nearly five years in the Uk and Europe.My biggest supprise,contraray to Pauls experiance was how much more everything cost than in the UK.Although I was earning more units of currency,I had to pay more for everything. Car cost more Rent more Food more I also worked for a company that did street and park trees in Christchurch in the summer of 2006.I was getting $20 per hour,that is considered a good wage in Christchurch but probably not enough to save enough for a house now,as banks are asking a 20% deposit. At the moment Petrol is over $2 per liter (cheapest its been in 3 years) Average nation house price $375000 (does seem abit high to me) There are alot of houses cheaper than the above,but commuting 60km per day would get expensive fast. Also in the market I worked in,there was an absence of small jobs.Kind of like the 60quid fell,or Privit prune.New Zealanders have a "do it yourself" attitude and off they go to the dump with the Tree on the Trailer. Also in the South Island there is a stong firewood market,so you could be dismantling a really nasty Macrocarpa for not a hell of alot more than its inhearant firewood value if you were working for a private company like I was in 03. As Paul pointed out in his freindship with older Brits that had moved out and arn't going back.These people may well have arrived in NZ flush with Sterling and could afford a nicer house in an area more pleasent than what they left. I knew a few younger people from the Brittish Isles who had immigrated to NZ and either left or moved to Aus.The ones that went back to the UK missed their family's and the ones that went to Aus didn't like the weather or felt the wages were too low in NZ. At the end of the day, you would move to NZ for the lifestyle change.It might be to your liking or not. "But you never know untill you try":001_smile:

I was given a Mouse that rides a tredmill when you plug it into a USB port. I shot it.

Is the "Taper lock" the peice of metal that sits in the slot on the shaft? Or the Circular disc that has the three grub screw holes in it?

No,am based in Norway. I had to order from the Uk.The parts cost alot,but the local bearing guys are pretty hopeless.

Ok So I have drifted the taper all the way back in its key way.I'll wind the screw into the "blind hole" as much as I dare.And Then I think I'll use a puller on the pully,and give it some taps with a polymer hammer. thats tomorrows job! thanks guys!

I am replacing the bearings on the Jensen 528T,I am unsure on how to get the pulley off the rotor shaft.There is a place that sits inside the pulley with two grub screws with Allen heads but a hole that is empty. On the other side of the pulley is a taper that sits in a slot,the other end of this taper is visable from the side of the pulley where the holes for the grub screws are. I tapped the taper back and removed both grub screws,then wound one into the blind unoccupied hole.It didn't budge.I havn't used a puller yet or any heat and wonder if I am on the right track removing the pulley? Any help appreciated. Thanks

Welcome to the forum Larry! I don't think there has been a worse time to enter this industry.As it has been said before that you might want to wait a year before commiting to any training,but volunteering with a tree firm for a few days would give you a taste of the industry. If your dead set on leaving the service then fair enough.A year using your existing skills with a private company overseas might give your finances an added boost and a few months between tours to try somthing new. Best of luck to you in whatever you choose!

Here are a few pictures of a winch I saw trying to pull a 400ton motor boat towards the water.The boats owner was there and told me of the vessels weight.The Winch actually used more oil than Diesel,I saw them top off the oil twice while I was watching.They had a tripple purchase arrangement and children underneath the vessel greasing the bearers that the boat was sitting on. Grim.

When felling a tall Tree in a out of town part or Norway.Note that it might be the local ,"lets improve our TV reception by all putting our arials up that tree" Tree.Felling out a big top and ripping cables of houses a street away and up the Hill is funny untill the owners come out.

How many hours has the engine done mate? Are you getting a waste gate control fitted to the Turbo or is it a new special unit?

Would you be upset if I bought along a pocket Telly?

Sorry to hear that Dave.Hope the Mog comes back better than ever mate!

If you are running your own outfit then you really have to love it!

Try it out if you can mate,offer to work for experiance.Call everybody in the phone book and explain the situation to them. You don't know untill you try!

Never wash your "Swanni" in a washing machine,you probably never actually need to wash one.If you get really foul stuff on one,crease it over at that point and give it a quick blast with a hose.Over the years they get pretty crusty,but that adds to the water repellencey.

Hmmmm.

If that was my Video,it would have had fast paced "rock n roll" music and I would have been wearing an American Flag bandanna.

The Limb was very long with a few targets below.There were also Trees to each side and the very end of the branch (couldn't swing anything). Everything had to be lowered down directly beneath the branch.Took a bit of time to set up the pulleys but rigging the branch off was fairly quick.

Looks like a great dog mate! I had a Boxer when I was a kid,loads of fun,loyal and a heart like Lion.