Ty Korrigan

Also, possibly a weld that's cracked on the cassette (drum) Occured twice with mine, third cassette lucky... Very difficult to spot, first one near invisible, second one less so.

TBH, the client (a tenant) wasn't the problem I expected him to be but the environment certainly was. That's not all of it either, it was much larger than the video shows. Two oaks had sheds built around them. Every item was a precious artifact and had it's place, moving things clearly agitated the tenant, a man with an obsessive urge to collect stuff, though he coped with our intrusion and remained calm with his understanding landlord stood by to mediate in case it all got too much for him. From the roadside bollards to the plastic McF*ck ready to be swept aside or into sun bleached micro-fragments by branches being dragged. It will be the house clearance of the century when the time comes. Having glanced through the front door into the hell I assumed was the kitchen, I refused an offer of café, I had my own thermos for the team anyway. VID_20251211_124143.mp4

Friday was a hedge day in Essé South of Rennes. We rucked up to this council horror surrounding our work site. Luckily no judgemental competitors drove past to add 2+2 and make 5 I lost count after 20 and there are still dozens more Liquid Amber street trees that are yet to receive the same treatment, breaks my heart that some councils haven't moved with the times. It wouldn't cost the council very much to let an experienced arborist just do the cutting whilst they cleared up something I already do this for one commune already equipped with a chipper. VID_20251212_130056.mp4

Well, men of a certain age are advised to feel their nuts regularly...

Could the holes not be rethreaded for metric? Solve the problem of international bolt sizes once and for all. We did this with that ill fated Carlton 4012

Because in France, the dealer is Bandit by name and Bandit by nature.

I've been wallowing in a bit of a low recently myself. Self pity revolving around my continued inability to make enough to employ a full time climber without it impacting on my own revenue, buy a house in town and afford a new truck. So Saturday shopping, which annoys me, crossed a 4 lane road in Rennes on a pedestrian crossing, first car stopped in a correct manner, second car didn't, coming to a screeching halt halfway across the lines and causing me to jump out of the way. For a wild few micro seconds before the car stopped I thought 🤔 "Well here is the time off you've been wishing for" and I felt myself embracing my fate. Then it wasn't. Car stopped and I reacted. Just my wife and other members of the public berating the driver for speeding. Ironically, the reason I was crossing the road was to call in to an office supplier to pick up an 'Accident Book' Monday, today, all the worries lifted with decent nights 😴 💤 💤 💤 Those 21st century problems still exist for me but the fog of self pity has lifted despite the rain. The three of us ate in a familiar restaurant in town, 3 courses, 🍺 and my back to a warm radiator. My regular joke with the owner is more for the benefit of other clients "Your finest table with a sea view" Before being waved to a quiet corner with a window looking across to the grey shape of the former local tax office.

Have you had a drive ?

I guess there is little to no pollution tax with that new hybrid?

I've suffered depression on and off since I left school in 1986 though never diagnosed until I was in my thirties. I do find a few days in the sun ☀️ transforms my mood. A short break, cheap package holiday is an effective alternative medicine 💊 I'll not take antidepressants again, not since 2004 at least. It's been particularly grim here in the North of France recently and it manifests itself physically like a crushing pressure or negative radiation surrounding my very being. Also sharing dark humour with strangers online helps.

In my early days in France, we once removed a large cedar to make way for a new sceptic tank installation. Again, I was told the 'terrassier' would deal with the stump despite my sales pitch. Weeks later, a call to say they got the stump out but cannot lift it onto a truck. Could I come back and grind it ? I was running a Bandit sidewinder at the time. In no rush to return, I breezed in at my convenience to be met with ball of clay and stump part blocking the drive which was almost head height (O.K, I'm 167cm so at least 120cm) Local professional tips won't take stumps here as they cause subsidence when they eventually decompose. Instead there is a biomass depot with a large grinder for such things if you can transport them of course.

I recently had a call from a client whose building plot we cleared in September. She was asking if I can come back to remove the stumps now her builder has dug them out. We hashed this out on site at the quoting stage and I made it quite clear just what stump grinding involved but they insisted their builder had it all in hand and would be cheaper. Bizarrely lean on the stump side of things too with only one cedar to my name since September. Stuart

Thanks but I really need a splitter that doesn't require lifting logs onto a bench.

Bon-jew-er, Has anyone experience of these ? Ifor Williams LS256 Log Splitter - Tuer Trailers ALANTUERTRAILERS.CO.UK Brand New Ifor Williams LS256 Log Splitter * 25 Tonne Hydraulic Ram * Petrol Engine * GX200 Engine *... For a genuine road tow, they are significantly less expensive than the French Rabaud or the excellent AMR brand. No experience of Balfour. Currently I own a generic Xhinesium 'towable' (basically a Rock Machinery 22t) I loan it to clients as a sweetener, to encourage them to keep their wood. It's a very popular initiative, saving the hire and transport of a similar hire machine at €120 per day Trouble is, although I tow it, it's not legal and the two hand security feature which is different from the UK versions, made the operation fatiguing until the metal deformed and fortunately disabled it without impairing the machines function. The Xhinesium has so far split all three hoses, rattles terribly whilst being towed and has developed a leak on top of the hydraulic valve block. The wheels don't have sealed bearings and these are pretty basic too. I dismantle and grease them every few months. Regardless, the machine has certainly earned its keep for me and helped win alot of work. Stuart

"Photocopier Repairman?" Niche Super Hero like Bicycle Repair Man? My hero ! https://youtu.be/Tq_xTeWiv6I?si=zHK9QWScm_p8hQSs

Who else takes their gloves off, lifts the chipper bonnet and warms them up on the engine during coffee break ? Video of a Ligier micro-car warming an entire housing estate for Oldie-wonks last Friday. I could feel the heat through my type A's VID_20251121_121725.mp4

Look at you both, unable to function without drugs eh? Bringing the industry into disrepute by confirming the stereotype of 'climbers what do drugs' Tusk tusk...

None of us are much used to working in such miserable conditions. I found myself cupping my hands over the chipper exhaust, bracing the mono-oxide and particulates for a moment of relief from the stabbing pain in my cold fingers. VID_20251120_091915.mp4

It will called the Green-wolf 150P I would buy it solely to have something to complain about as since buying an Evo165D my life has been too quiet and stress free...

Staying afloat in 2025 be like...

Where is the 'F' word made ?

I feel as though my favourite sports team has been bought by a sleasy Russian Oligarch bent on hiking season ticket prices... Ah well, there is always 'Bugnot' to remind me how good British chippers are.

No, I rarely leave running, it hands on my harness hooks and I stop and start my saw so often that I've also just had to replace the white plastic cog the metal pawls mesh with in the starter. So a real mix on here, from scorched bellies and melted saw pants to those still on the original after years of abuse.

You didn't disagree, you created a pointless and puerile confrontation. Now personally I find your content interesting, you being a far better arborist than I could ever dream of being so please just don't upset me to the point I feel I need to block you over a ten euro piece of plastic McF*ck. Be a shame that.