Tom D

heights don't bother me much, I used to get disco leg when I started but that was more when felling tops out and dropping big limbs. heights alone have never been a problem. Not that I haven't been beaten, last year I had to remove a hanger from a lime, it was tall and positioned on a banking so the branch I had to walk was about 90' from the ground, I just couldn't walk all the way out on it, it was wet and slippy and angled downwards, I couldn't bum shuffle out as I needed to be standing to reach the hanger. I got it down in the end by one handing the topper and removing the branch it was hung on. i think acclimatisation is important, i free climbed some big trees as a kid, 60 - 70 footers right to the top, higher than I would go now probably! but then I only weighed 6 stone then. find a nice clean tall tree and climb it (with another climber there as well). if you are scared spend some time up there get used to the feeling, then when you are back on the job it won't seem as bad. The highest I have climbed is 180' i wasn't scared but it was a shock when I saw someone on the ground and realised just how high that is, 15 storeys at least. really glad i did it, I doubt i'll ever work on a tree that big.

ram doesn't look fat enough to me..

have you tried checking the "govenor" on the carb? It should allow the engine to reach max revs under no load but dump more fuel in when under load. If you watch the side of the carb (if visible) while someone else operates the machine, when loaded you ought to see it move, if it is stuck try some WD40 or similar.

Well worth having, you can nominate executors who will handle the will, so you can pick someone who will know how to dispose of your business for the maximum reward. The last thing I want is my family being ripped off by someone telling them that my valtra is only worth £10k for example.

You've done a crane dismantle. I only did my first one the other day LOL Got 2 more to do now though:001_smile:

Will Aid This month you get good deals on wills and it goes to good causes. Worth thinking about, especially if you have kids, even more so if you aren't married. We're doing ours tomorrow. A friend of my wifes lived with her long term partner, he died suddenly, without a will. His family took the house and all the stuff that they had bought together, it was really nasty, they kept turning up and helping them selves to things from the house, sending solicitors letters to get her evicted from her own home..... it only costs a few quid and could save your family loads of heartache if you croak.

Nice work Rab, bet you glad you got that new chipper.

That's not off roading! pic 6 looks just like my drive. Lol. TD Tree & Land Services Ltd.

These are the vids only 2 pics,wrong way up..... TD Tree & Land Services Ltd.

I started on a blakes too, however there are much better hitches out there, this would suit you perfectly I think, once dressed and set it performs like the blakes but never sticks and is easier to advance, no need to change your climbing style. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/climbers-talk/21327-dave-rich-howard-knut-combo-treeflex-mod.html

i wouldn't worry too much about the size of your team, its more important making more money. If you do lots of small jobs having 2 2man teams may make sense, but if you do more larger jobs having 3 men and a machine for moving timber may be more profitable. I bought a wee tractor and loader a few years ago, it cost £16k, it has made me loads of money, on the right job it does the work of 4 men, and is a hell of a lot cheaper, 1 man would cost more than 16k in 1 year. i would try and make sure that your turnover per man is in the £35-50k range, pereferably nearer 50.

A couple of wee nicks with a silky, only hospital trip was when I caught my wrist between the cowling and the fins on the flywheel of a bandit 90. its a heavy flywheel and it was pretty sore. nothing broken just a couple of days off.

If you have a landrover and want a more comfortable seating position, cut some spacers out of 20mm od tube and fit under the seat, about 50mm at the front and 25mm at the back, fit longer bolts and you are sitting slightly higher and the whole seat is supporting your weight as opposed to just your bum with your knees in the air. worked well for me, those with a different build may not agree.

:lol: I used to take an easy week just after new year and service everything. landy , van, tractor, chipper, stumpy, trailers and everything, haven't found the time this year so things just get done when I can. Should really try and get back to a regular thing thjough.

Congratulations, enjoy a bit of time off and look after them both.

:lol:

It would probably only work with those plug grown trees, I reckon bare root broadleaf whips would get stuck in the tube.

I like the way the crane sits off to one side. She seems to go along nicely, remember to check the oil occasionally:sneaky2:

Naa, Dadio wouldn't have used a forestry winch, he'd have 6 pulleys, a chevvy and 200m of baler twine. Don't know why it didn't embed.: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml96Nzgsm-4&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Andrew fells a big top out - YouTube[/ame]

You can't beat a messy yard, I still know where everything is though.. TD Tree & Land Services Ltd.

Just too tall to fit in, Andrew felled it up the stem instead. TD Tree & Land Services Ltd.

Nice work. some quality felling.

I keep meaning to take my binos with me to get a better look at stuff like that.

Get a machine. you won't regret it. The difficult part is deciding which machine.... I took out 4 big black pines last year, there was a long drag and a narrow gate. A local hire company gave me a self loading tracked barrow for £60 delivered. I felled the sticks and ringed them up, then driving the barrow up to the end of each stick I knocked rings, too big to lift, in turn over on to the loading shovel and the loader flipped them into the barrow, it held about 6 at a time and saved loads of time, and high tipped into the trailer. probably knocked 5 hours off the job. for £60!!! Its a no brainer.

I climbed a 90' beech today, installed with the big shot, got to top and realised that I was anchored to a bit like that, it was fine....I put the ropeguide in when I got there though...