scotspine1

Thats how you see it Tony and thats fine.

very nice Robert

Using old climbing rope for pulling trees over and light rigging is common place in certain situations I agree, but to use climbing rope in that situation where you have a (albiet small) tree leaning over a house is not a good idea. Your trying to decrease the risk in a situation like that, by using a climbing rope in conjuction with a skidsteer your increasing the risk. 3/4 inch yale double braid would've been a better choice.

climbing rope (true blue) for pulling a back leaning tree with a skidsteer? a good idea?

The only bike I owned was a Kawasaki KLR 650, stupidly sold it ten years ago, if anyone ever sees one for sale in this colour let me know -

wouldn't go bigger than 30 mate, I run a 30 on mine and thats pushing it, reckon anything bigger will kill the power. Its an aquired taste the 288, like a slow train, but it always gets there in the end. I'm not really into engines or mechanical stuff, but that saw has got to be the best sounding saw ever made, you start it up and it sounds like proper saw should

nice work Martyn

that is good, nice one mate

The cop made a mistake, what makes matters worse is that you people and the deranged British media are acting like it was kids that were left in the car for christ's sake. How many of you have never made a mistake in your life?

Looks excellent Steve, well done to you and everyone who helped put it together, looks like tons of work and hours went into it.

nice one Mike, looked like fun, now (with the smart winch) do about 40 more removals of that size, throw in some big hardwood trees with spreading crowns growing over houses etc and get back to us on how good the device is. Most people will want to know if they are buying a good product that will last and six weeks isn't long enough to find this out.

I disagree Stevie, the new DMM impact blocks would probably be described by most folk as 'better kit' than the old ISC blocks but they will not increase the output or create larger profit for the company. Most people would say the GRCS is 'better kit' than a buckingham portawrap but a poor climber using a GRCS will rig himself into a quandry in no time whereas a good climber using a just a Portawrap can get the same tree down safely and efficiently without any problem what so ever. It's critical a climber can judge forces, weights and distances, however the choice of lowering device is not critical. As for wraps around the trunk - used it numerous times for big dismantles and still do frequently for the odd branch removal, there is never a need to wrap a spare 100ft of rope around the tree, stick it in a bag and you'll be fine. Come to think of it, proper old school rigging with no blocks or lowering devices done well can tell you loads about the skills of a climber.

Rupe, I've used both the GRCS and Hobbs many times on large dismantles so I'm only too aware of the pros and cons. Skill in rigging and working efficiently to bring a tree down lies in the climber and groundsman not in the lowering device.

I'd be careful about reading too much into Mike's review. Six weeks is a miniscule amount of time to put a device like this through it paces. Six months maybe but not six weeks. There are an infinite number of rigging scenarios in treework and from looking at Mike's pics and reading his critique we really have learned very little indeed about this device. Mike, do you have any pictures or videos of you and your crew dismantling a very large tree with this device?

90% of my work is medium to large removals over houses, roads and other property etc and the Portawrap can handle every tree we throw at it, there's no need for a bollard/drum lowering device mate.

why do you need a bollard then?

adam, do you use a Buckingham Portawrap just now?

this statement is demeaning and aggressive and not what I'd expect to see from a moderator. Just because the person has an opinion contrary to you own it does not give you the right to attack him personally. ......and dont even think about deleting this post or I'll be taking this issue to a higher authority.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmqDePXM89Y]YouTube - ‪Treebot: Autonomous Tree Climbing by Tactile Sensing‬‏[/ame]

Polyporus squamosus, clocked it from the road two weeks ago, great example, never had time to take pics that day though.

near Howwood then Stevie?

mate, I've been looking at treework forums since about 1998, seen hundreds of thousands of treework pics over the years, this pic of you guys felling that tree is the best photo I've seen, says it all in one simple snap.......nice one, cheers for posting it -

quote from another forum - climber in Holland who has been using the saw for the last few weeks - 'On Thursday I'm taking the saw back to the shop to have some tweaks done. The saw vibrates more than the old model and the saws clutch smothers regularly. This is mainly if not totally to be blamed on the new chain. The 'old' model chain goes back on to tackle these 'issues'. Also the factory standard limiter is going to be removed and a adjustment on the carburettor is going to be made to make it run on a mix that's richer. These last two 'issues' can not be done without special tools.'

sorry mate, had to delete that, wouldn't want Reg Coates thinking I doubted the robustness of his lowering devices

Lr 90, something like a 34 metre Bronto Skylift may have given you safer work positions, better options for cutting branches out and overall......better access into the crown. Not sure wether you could have driven such a large truck over that grass though (plywooded in?), anyway just an idea. Good job though, great pics. Pic below shows Bronto boom and possible position of truck allowing you to cut smaller branches safely into drop zone .