Chris Sheppard

Spoke to Ben at Yorwoods and the Yorkshire Burners cooperative doesn't exist in the same way as it once did but he did give me a couple of leads. Cheers Charlie, that sounds promising. Are you on the stand at the APF this time?

I'd have thought any electric circular saw is going to be as noisy (or noiser) than sawing with a petrol saw. 4 cube isn't a lot - surely it's got to be better to make a bit of noise with a saw you already have than it is to spend money on a saw thats still going to make a lot of noise?

Hi Jamie, PM replied to

If there's no points then for 25% over the limit I think you've done pretty well. I picked up 3 points a couple of years ago and was livid at first (I'd had 11 years point free), but ultimately I was over the speed limit, excuses or not. I'd have done the course if I was offered it but had to settle for the fixed penalty and points - that in itself has made me more aware of my speed coming into town etc so the course shouldn't be too bad. What's annoyed me the most though in my case was that a few months after, where I was caught now goes 60, 40, 30 (rather than 60, 30) and I would have then been in the 40 instead of in the 30 and been OK.

We've one load of Scots Pine 3.75m left over on a job that were supposed to be going into Taylormade as sawlogs but seem to have an aversion to leaving - they've been down a minimum of 6 months and are from approx 6" up to about 18/20" TD (but mainly sub 15" or so). It'd be a shame but if anyone fancies some nice straight processor grade pine firewood (or some actual sawlogs!) then let me know. It's just outside York and we can give details of a local haulier.

We've one load of Scots Pine 3.75m left over on a job that were supposed to be going into Taylormade as sawlogs but seem to have an aversion to leaving - they've been down a minimum of 6 months and are from approx 6" up to about 18/20" TD (but mainly sub 15" or so). It'd be a shame but if anyone fancies some nice straight processor grade pine firewood then let me know. It's just outside York and we can give details of a local haulier.

I've recently picked up some ongoing work in an area of woodland I did some work in a few years ago that should be a nice little project with no real time constraints that I can pretty much drop onto when it's a bit quieter. It's a steepish valley with what should make a really nice crop of larch before too long, but has a good amount of smaller hardwoods in amongst it that are to be dealt with. There'll be a reasonable amount of decent hardwood but there's also a good amount of undersized stuff that I'd like to extract a value from, other than the usual firewood for ourselves. I've had machinery round the site in the past but it's probably going to be a much more lower impact approach than last time, with the tractor and trailer only coming in occasionally when really needed and trying to get away from just rattling out wood to roadside. Anyway, what I'm considering is a bit of charcoaling (as there's a reasonable priced kiln just come up a few miles away) but don't know whether I'd have the time/inclination at the moment to try and retail it or deal with smaller wholesale orders - other than bioregional, does anyone know of any other big buyers? Also, has anyone had much luck with selling firewood in billets? Every man and his dog sells logs round us and they are mostly far too cheap to make it worth doing so I'm weighing up other options. Maybe even wholesale bulk?

I like that - first attempt or not it's better than I could do

Reckon a 560 would be a better saw to go for - probably be a fair bit wicker than a 570 as well as better handling. Though either would be better than one of those stihl things you like

Compared to the 357, the 550 is lighter and more flickable and will do a similar job. The 560 feels lighter than the 357 and will knock th socks off the 357. I've had a 550 since May (I think) and it's been good - handles similar to a 242 but with shedloads more grunt so is ace for thinning. Do still fancy a 560 but the 372 is still running strong. Mine's been primarily on a 13" bar but had a 15" on it for a few days felling some bigger sycamore and it handled it fine. I'm sure it would pull an 18" to a point but if I needed an 18" bar I'd be reaching for a bigger saw anyway, especially a the handling would more than likely be all wrong too.

Not used one but pretty sure they're more of a semi pro saw rather than a full time pro saw.

They are some cool photos Matt

We're told she's all Siberian - Photo doesn't really show but shes only as tall as a good size springer. I do really like the look of the malamutes though She's really unfit so at the mo isn't taking a whole lot of tiring out but am sure that will change once she starts to lose some weight. She's really alert but so calm too - she's not very vocal and even other dogs don't really bother her, the german shepherd next door that tries to eat it's way through our fence doesn't exist as far as she's concerned!

She's from racing parents but has never been harnessed yet - hopefully we might get a bit of gentle pulling out of her before she's too old. Weighed her today @ 38kg - we knew she was massively over weight when we took her on but looks like she needs lose about 10kg or so

That looks quite a useful tool - it only made £510 last time round and I was half kicking myself for not looking into it a bit more.

Doncaster might be the one at Armthorpe - haven't been for a long long time but it used to be pretty good - fast and smooth with some huge tabletops. think they still do open practce days too.

After a lot of deliberating we've now got a new addition. Only got her yesterday but she's settling in pretty well so far.

They're usually enduro type terrain but shortish laps (maybe 20 min or so per lap) and you don't have timecards. Usually about 3 hour or so race with a lemans style start where you all have to run and jump onto your bike - be a good intro into enduro from MX. have a look at for some dates in the north east NEEC - NORTH OF ENGLAND ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP- Events Calendar Camphill was last weekend and that was always a nice easyish course.

If it's a fairly level site that you can ride round well enough on the tractor, taking into account you're doing it all by hand, I'd be cutting to approx 1m lengths, splitting down into billets with a wedge and sledge hammer (sycamore really isnt bad to do that with) and then lead them out of the wood either on a trailer or on a linkage mounted rack. Can either dry in the wood or on a stack elsewhere but then can be sat into a rack (like a buckingham type thing) and crosscut with the chainsaw when dry (or drier anyway).

I used to do a bit when I was still at school but was never fast enough to be any good. Got into hare and hounds and some proper enduros and then foot and mouth came along and I got rid of my bike then. Just recently decided to get back into bikes again after 12 years or so and really want to get my test passed so I can get a half decent machine for on the trails too. Hopefully get CBT done in the nextcouple of weeks and can let my firebreathing 12hp DR 125 loose

That's where you've been hiding - playing with the new truck When's the demount camper body getting put on

Simple answer regarding brash - do as little as possible! Your time's better spent on other things. If you're clearfelling there's half a chance you can fell it in such a way the brash is already mostly in rows so any extra tidying needed prior to planting would be minimal.

I agree, birch is definitely underated - we ended up with several hundred tonne to fell last year and it was nice stuff to handle and the brash rots away to nothing in no time. Always surprises me how many people turn their nose up at it.

One Estate I worked on used to plant a lot of southern beech - it does grow fast but it doesn't like the wind. We used to end up clearing loads of blown ones but to be fair it was nicely processor sized when it blew. Gairly hairy branch wise though so not the nicest stuff to do a lot of.