Ty Korrigan

I just turn on the old ear worms. They kept me well entertained when I was cycling across Australia in 2009 Stuart

Reefer...he's that kind of climber...

When I first met Jérôme, he wore full PPE. Then one day he just gave up on the helmet and ballistics. Here most also wear a Kevlar sleeve on each arm, I get picked up often on that. Never used them, not part of Brit arb culture. Jérôme wears unlined Pfanners which are just the outers of type A pants and a squint instead of a visor. Yeh, yeh, even other French Arb guys comment on the lack of PPE but rarely have the minerals to challenge him directly. As long as he makes me money I'm not going to insist he conforms. If you really want to go full 'Karen' on Health and Safety, take a look at our local Lidl selling Parkside top handles to all and sundry or watch a French roofer trying to start a manky top handle saw whilst straddling a roof beam just to cut a latte.

I'll take a look in the morning. My other Echo is one I sent to you. This one local shop stock, probably 4/5 years old.

I've a tuning question. One of my 2511 saws constantly cuts out when coming off the gas at the end of a cut and only stays running if the trigger is given a little squeeze. Once it stalls it is then stubborn to restart. Can this problem be simply tuned out? Cheers Stuart

I bought a Makita compatible secateur recently for €60 Excellent value, might not be as powerfull as the Stihl and the blades stay open which is an inconvenience hanging from a harness. However, it has convinced me to upgrade to the Stihl for €220 as the new Pellenc are almost a grand.

Any one else have an opinion on the 3A?

I currently only win 30% of jobs as it is so raising prices isn't going to buy my way into private property ownership in the immediate future. It would only reduce the number of jobs accepted and leave the door open to others.

Yes and Yes unless I travel. However unless I'm showing on the Google search as a local business no amount of positive reviews will compensate for not being local.

It's about domiciling a business. For Google, Pages Jaune and any business to business work where your details are looked up on the government register. Most people choose to call the most local businesses. If I move just 30km to an area of affordable housing (50% less) that is a greater distance than the 15km zone were most of my clients are. If I'm not showing in the Google search as being in town I feel pretty sure I won't be called and others will bag the work. Has anyone else relocated and found this to be true?

No, France.

To separate our home address from that of the business. To enable us move away from an area of unaffordable housing (yet rich in clients) to an area of affordable housing whilst the business remains domiciled in it's town of origin. The domiciliation part is proving difficult though.

Hello, Looking for feedback from those who have moved area and taken their business with them. I'll probably need to move in the next year or so out of town as property prices locally are unaffordable plus growing faster than our abilities save money. Rental properties are thin on the ground and more than a mortgage would be if we moved away. I've tried and so far failed to find an address to domicile the business, currently sole trader but going ltd in the future. Domiciliation services exist in in other areas but not in mine. So any move to an affordable area effectively means taking the business with us for Google and Yellow Pages unless a local address to domicile is found. Why is this important? Because I'm located in a sweet spot for work, the demographics work in my favour. 75% of my clients are within 15kms Moving to an affordable more rural area takes me away from the gold mine unless I find a suitable address to domicile an ltd company. People tend to call the closest businesses first. I generally find that the further away the call the lower the chance of having the quote accepted especially in more rural areas. I've a good reputation as the local Arb business and am reluctant to effect this by moving away for cheap housing. A move will also take me further away from my subbies. I also am less keen on travelling far for work than I was before my kids came along. Has anyone made a move and found that their turnover took a hit or the time spent quoting became insufferable? It's a bit like how I felt moving school at 13 Stuart

Back in 2021, with my own chipper being a twunt, we put a few large mouldy Lombardi's through my climbers CS100 I do have an Agri-Euro copy but the CS100 18hp is a far far better machine.

Are you even worth rescuing?

French oldiewonks have a habit of ignoring signs, tape, barriers and groundies madly gesticulating. They will stand under the veritable sword of Damocles, squint up and say without fail " "beaucoup boulot" (alot of work) I wonder if they ever do this to other businesses?

I'm not out to be contrary but it works well for me. Others no doubt say 'learn to tie a knot' rather than use a Notch Rapid Rig. Putting friction in the crown is old tech, just what natural crotch rigging does to some extent, threading the rope through and over branches adding friction or the guys that put multiple turns around a neighbouring branch or convenient stub for friction before tying off the branch to be cut. Rigging rope wrench just formalises this and it's smoother to use than wraps around branches.

Personally, I'm a fan of the Rigging Rope Wrench. 70kg version with a 10mm rope. However, as the rope ages, gets dirty and stiff, you need to use the other end as it won't run as easily. The 120kg one is much used less. It requires more weight to work and in general the guys cut n chuck so much the 70kg is sufficient for most situations. It's particularly good when the access to the trunk is difficult because of a fence or undergrowth. I personally use it more often climbing with inexperienced groundies. The Notch Rapid Rig is good but problematic to get spliced onto a fresh rope as it outlasts the ropes I buy it with.

To be honest, in my geographic zone with the species I habitually work with, I've never experienced such regrowth. Oaks, typically 4/5 years before a revisit is required.

If you visit French forums and post an every day reduction done by British tree surgeon you will read 'waily waily waily' never touch the apical dominance, only thin. They even have a specific word for it 'Tawa' I asked where does this word come from, even they don't know. Post a European street pollard in an American group and buckle up your flak jacket as the comments fly. Mark Bolam has it, money. When those with disposable income want to throw their excess cash at hairdressing a tree then that's fine by me. Some of the easiest and most profitable days I've had has been watching a climber thin a tree whilst I gather the sticks like a rich peasant. Why, I may even get to repeat the task in a couple of years if I create (sell) a pleasant enough experience for the client. Much of my pruning is to 'solve' in part an issue a client or neighbour has with a tree. Not to make it prettier, better or improved it in any way. Most of the time, we get called to reduce a tree that really should have been reduced long ago so end up creating something less that desirable all because a new neighbour hates leaves... Weekly I polish turds created by owners, landscapers, builders and members of the twin axle caravan club of Europe. Deadwood too. Why? Unless it is large enough to break a parked cars windscreen or represent a serious hazard greater than the effort required to rake it up. Insects live in deadwood, birds feed on insects, tree surgeons then remove a niche food source. Right, now I'm off out to quote for the communes trees, mostly this 'ultra deadly' deadwood in public spaces. Stuart

Well, it's very much a mode amongst French Elagueurs so as long as people are all willing to pay, we will deliver. Still a better option to topping or removal. Besides, some thinning must be required in order to navigate your way through a dense matrix of dead material.

I believe less likely to lose limbs than simply clearing out the interior without reducing the tips. Remains to be seen...

For those in the know about such things. Are there any compact tractors, 45hp there abouts, that can be equipped with a front 3 point linkage? Winch in front, chipper behind. Thanks Stuart

Here is another of my colleagues cedars. Niwaki au service des Arbres site: Niwaki-asa.com (@_niwaki_) • Instagram photos and videos WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 13 likes, 3 comments - _niwaki_ on January 27, 2025: "Avant/Après Grand cèdre de l'Atlas, taille de gabarit et taille... I now realise just how half assed previous cedars we've pruned are in comparison. I guess I'm at fault for underselling the time for the jobs.