Tom D

Put it this way, I wouldn't want to take it all away in a transit. People often over estimate the weight of timber, the owner thought it would be 50ton +. While that tree was huge, it will only contain around 25-30 ton of timber and maybe another 3 of 4 of brash. To put that in context its a whole artic load of timber. I have felled a few trees around that size, that was perhaps the biggest. It is only about 20 man hours for the whole job though thanks to having two tractors and a big bonfire for the brash.

This large beech was a difficult fell, there was a historic well just to the left in the first pic one of the stems was weighted in that direction. We strapped her up with 4 5 ton ratchet straps, and put the gob in, and then I knew that no matter what we did it was going to do its own thing. As I was cutting the gob water was coming out, once I got it out I could see the inclusion, no way it was going to hold. So I had a problem, the three stems were each going to go their own way, one of which was weighted in the direction of this ancient well. I couldn't just bore in at the sided as the bar on the saw wouldn't reach in the middle, so I had to bore through the middle of the precious hinge. Then bore in at each side and come back leaving 3 straps one on each included section, she made a few noises as I was cutting. Then the dilemma, which side to cut first? as soon as I severed any of the 3 sections it was going to go on its own, so I decided to do a dual fell, me on the 66 and Andrew on the 385, we lined up at different heights and realised that even with a 36" and a 28" bar we were 2' short of overlapping, so another boring cut through the back was required she made more ominous cracks as I did this, then we both put both our saws in the bored out cut at the back and went for it. I had told Andrew not to run if it made some noise, only when he saw it move, we kept cutting while the tree popped and banged then she started to go, 4 5ton ratchets popped like garden twine, but... they held just long enough to hold it together for it to miss the well. So we sacrificed 4 ratchet straps but she's down. here's some pics.

Just to be clear, there is no roofmount crane out there that would lift that log! It was put onto the trailer by a 14ton excavator, and that couldn't lift it either! we lifted one end, reversed the trailer up to it and then lifted the other end and wriggled it on. To give you a sense of scale the load bed on that trailer is 14' by 6'4".

He He he...

Lifted it in one!

What is the definition of "on the ground" I find a rear handle much more comfortable to use for sending and cutting up behind a chipper, but if I am pruning I use a 200T, and that is all pruning wether on the ground or while climbing. Although if you can't quite reach with the 200the 36"bar on the 66 can be handy for those higher ones.

It might have to be! I have a 16 tonner on site now, the driver isn't sure.... we'll see.

That thread didn't even make sense. good riddance. Having a go at students suggests to me that the OP is a student...

It still won't take this though will it?

A track barrow is the best option, you can hire one from £40-60 a day, you will shift 10 times what you will carrying it out.

I cut this for you yesterday J, if you like I can bury it, collect in 5000 years. Its a nice stick BTW clean for the first 5m.

The most you can earn cutting down a tree solely depends on how much the owner of the tree is prepared to pay for the job. You may subby to a firm who pay £180 a day, but they may loose loads of work to another firm who only pays £80 a day... It is the customer who ultimately dictates wages. The correct answer to your question is as much as you can without loosing work, try putting your rates up by a fiver a day, you get 25 extra a week and it won't seem too bad to your employers.

always have, always will...

always have, always will...

always have, always will...

chicken of the woods, I picked it nice and fresh, it was delicious.

chicken of the woods, I picked it nice and fresh, it was delicious.

Can you tell what it is?

Can you tell what it is?

Exactly, if you want a mog get one. And make the effort to find the work to keep it busy. just remember they are not cheap to run, tyres will be £££'s each.

Exactly, if you want a mog get one. And make the effort to find the work to keep it busy. just remember they are not cheap to run, tyres will be £££'s each.

I doubt people would pay much for a mog and chipper, a mog with a good long reach crane on the other hand...... but then I can hire a 20ton metre hiab lorry for £40 an hour so there isnt a huge market there either. If you want a mog get one, they are cool. Your local competitors arent going to want to put work your way, especially if you have a mog which gives them an inferiority complex..

I doubt people would pay much for a mog and chipper, a mog with a good long reach crane on the other hand...... but then I can hire a 20ton metre hiab lorry for £40 an hour so there isnt a huge market there either. If you want a mog get one, they are cool. Your local competitors arent going to want to put work your way, especially if you have a mog which gives them an inferiority complex..

There is more than one way to skin a cat, when I had moved into our current house I spent a lot of time working on the house and only went out to work when the money ran low. It worked really well and saved us a fortune in tradesmen. Do what works for you but I'll bet that you would be a lot better off if you just charged more. If you think you can't charge more, try it, you might be surprised. If you are making furniture perhaps you could change the way you sell or market your stuff. Two tables that took the same amount of time and skill to make could be selling at wildly different prices, why? Because one maker has found a way in to a market where people are prepared to pay good money and the other sells his stuff for less than it cost hime to make. I'm noo expert but If I have one piece of advice it is this: know your weaknesses and be honest about them, that way you can either train and improve your performance or hire someone else to do that for you. Go pick the brains of posh furniture sellers and ask for their advice on what sells best and how to sell it. I often ring up people out of the blue and just chat, they are normally more than happy to help...

There is more than one way to skin a cat, when I had moved into our current house I spent a lot of time working on the house and only went out to work when the money ran low. It worked really well and saved us a fortune in tradesmen. Do what works for you but I'll bet that you would be a lot better off if you just charged more. If you think you can't charge more, try it, you might be surprised. If you are making furniture perhaps you could change the way you sell or market your stuff. Two tables that took the same amount of time and skill to make could be selling at wildly different prices, why? Because one maker has found a way in to a market where people are prepared to pay good money and the other sells his stuff for less than it cost hime to make. I'm noo expert but If I have one piece of advice it is this: know your weaknesses and be honest about them, that way you can either train and improve your performance or hire someone else to do that for you. Go pick the brains of posh furniture sellers and ask for their advice on what sells best and how to sell it. I often ring up people out of the blue and just chat, they are normally more than happy to help...