Brushcutter

That my Fransguard V6500 i have love/hate relationship with it. As winches go its cheap and chearful with not a lot that can go wrong and its fairly easy to get apart if something does go wrong. Its only around 400kg so you don't need a meaty tractor to lug it about either. As a skidding winch you can get a fair old amount on the butt plate and its got a good old pull on it and the lower block is excellent for heavy pulls. Now the downside is that the one pictured eats cables. In 2 years it has had at least 4 cables in it at 100 quid a time. It just seems to lay it all over the drum and crush its self which leads to serious hedgehoging of the cable and lots of weak crush spots. Another bug bare is that it doesn't break band to tension the cable and keep it on for assisted felling or holding root plates still. Although newer ones seem to it could be that mine is before the time it came as standard. I'd say 700-100 quid for a good condition one would be on the money. Maybe ring AT Osbornes for a price on a new one. As for a 9 tonne winch it would probally be ok on an 85hp tractor. If you do big trees that need a tug over or some big forestry trees worth the extra cash but if you don't need it get a smaller one and spend the extra money on a good set of chains and some roller sliders and a good snach block.

Thats a nice tidy tractor and a bargin too. Get a nice Keto head for the crane and you'd have a nice one man harvesting/forwarding set up.

Its a really hard course to find. I contacted several colleges to do it been on a waiting list for years in some cases. The problem is that the material thats windblown need to be less than a year old and there be enough for 4 people to work on. Also colleges don't like running half empty courses so if they don't have 4 people but they do have material they still don't run it. I managed to arrange one through TFK forestry a little while ago they had material to do it on so i found 4 people to do it. Used ArbTalk to find them. I live in Hertfordshire and am having to go to Yorkshire to do the course.

Today Countryfile came to the estate to do a bit for the program next week. All based around stuff happening in the Chilterns. They filmed me felling a Larch tree and two of us working in the saw mill. Also some chatting about woodland management and pollarding. I didn't do that bit however. Think its out on the 14th looking forward to it going out. Rather offputting having a camera crew, sound guy, director and metering person all standing around you when your trying to fell. Andy

I ran a fruit tree pruning course last year at a beginner level and the two books i recommended were: The RFS one and The pruning specialst

A flail would do the job nicely like the ones pictured just make sure the flails are in good nick or it just makes a mess. As for a brushcutter attachment i recommend either a tri point blade or one of the new shredder blades. If you want something small try a BSC with a flail head.

I was taught that as the trunk of the tree was between you and the saw you could keep the break off and carry on limbing/moving.

Another vote for the Gransfors maul fantstic bit of kit. I also have their wildlife hatchet and a scandanavian forest axe will be joining them soon. Be a pitty to replace my Baco forest axe but its seen better days.

Husky do them for the 357 too. I've often considered getting one as they could be very useful. Downside is that you can't get right down to the ground to cut the stumps low. If you look on the saws parts list it gives you the number, take it to your dealer and get one.

I tend to use a running bowline when pulling stuff over. I've found the butterfly knot will get too tight to undo. I've got a few ropes with them still in as i can't get them undone. Again i tend to put a stick in the bowline to stop it doing up too tightly.

There were some forwarders in the classified a little while ago, worth a look. There are lots of people who make forwarding trailers with cranes but a 10 tonne trailer with crane is about 20 grand.

Where i use to work we used Corel Draw X3 to do plans for garden design and things. The guy who did use to be a pro designer though. I used for designing big written signs that we would print off on the line printer and then route into large bits of milled wood.

Tony Have you tried contacting Avice Hall over at the University of Hertfordshire. It's not a million milies from you, she may be able to help or point you in the right direction as she is the admissions tutor for postgrad studies (use to do undergrad at one point i think). Avice deals with plant diseases and epidemics, microbial ecology and she does lots of fungi forrays around the unis field station and publishes research too. You might be able to contribute to something she is doing maybe? [email protected] might be of help, can't help to ask. Andy

As little as that i'd think 6-8 would be around the right figure. I've found with firewood you only need a few crooked bendy bits to waste a whole load of space in the trailer. We get a good load of 4.2m larch saw longs on our trailer about 25. But fill it with 8' firewood and its nowhere nears as much.

I normally put up a Forest Opperations about 5 tree lengths out from the edge of the site on the footpath. Then i put tree felling in progress out a little closer say 2.5 3 lenghts out. I don't do any spraying work but i think it would be best to advise people that your doing it. I'd give your local rights of way a ring see what they want. That makes sure you're all clear then. I think i've gotten all my signs from Buxtons but all the supplyers on the side should sell them.

I'm sure it was sold too and the 200hp valtra for it too. They put it together in two days or something to take it to the show.

I saw these at A C Price at the APF and had a good talk to one of the guys about them. The do look most robust close up and have some nice features like adjustable headboards and steering drawbars. I have unfortuantly taken the price list and brosure to work so i can't tell you how much they are. From what i remember there were expensive, more than a botex at least. You do get some nice option on the crane though upto 9m reach. Its one of the 4 trailers i'm considering. the others are a botex, Kesla and the Riko ones.

hahaha. i want the one with more gbs

Get at least 1.6 tonne of pull. It's will get most things down without being overkill. Good balance between amount of pull and pounds in the bank. I had a 3 tonne one which was fantastic but i doubt i ever got to needing all 3 tonne of pull. It was kindly stolen from the back of the truck one day. I shall replace it witha 1.6t one. It was a jethoist winch rather than a proper turfor though.

Yes 4x4 is brilliant i hate 2wd tractors with a passion. A working heater is such a nice feature in the winter. IF you can get one with air con too you'd be quids in. Tractors that have been used to spread fertalizer are always a bit rusty too so be careful.

Loader tractor would be my bet. Would have a fair few hours on it but it would be the most versatile. A telehandler is a fantastic be bit of kit if you need one. 4 wheel steer is great as it a telescopic boom. But you'd be looking at spending about 15k for a half decent one. Friend spent 20k on on and the diff lock has never worked.

You do need to spend 35k on a valtra, trust me

How much money do you have for toys? My favourite woodland toy is a Valtra A92 with 6.5 tonne winch and a loader that will lift 1.8 tonne. But at nearly 35 grand its a very expensive woodland toy. Roof mounted Botex crane on a Valmet is also very helpful again very expensive. A winch is a great thing to have in the woods. As is a very good cant hook.

Yes it does. However coppice does come under an exemption if the stuff your doing is <6". But you could come undone if you remove a large volume of stuff. If in doubt always check, to be fair the FC are normally quite helpful on these sorts of matters.

I too keep a copy in the truck for the exact same reason and one at home too. Also helpful when people come upto you saying you can't do this.