Ty Korrigan

Long distance cycling events normally occupy many weekends but this year I am taken up with work and traveling to Maroc every couple of weeks to visit future wife and arrange our marriage. The image is taken in the Portuguese fortress, El Jadidah. A scene from Orson Wells 'Othello' was filmed Ty

Hello, We are going to get one made for a friends machine. Our question is...just what are the dimensions? Between the tines. Depth of tines. Anything else? We want to use it for clearing stony soil too before rotovation. Any advice welcome. Kind regards Ty

Wow, thats a drama that made me shiver reading it. I cannot imagine how it must been for you. Reading about this has made me even more annoyed with the French. Why? Because British subjects are not allowed to give blood:confused1: WHY? Because of the risk of contracting CJD (mad cow disease) I'm not kidding! I was a regular donor for years in the U.K (anything for a pretty nurse, a bourbon cream and a cup of tea) Then I moved here and one wet day rucked up at the local blood bank only to be humiliated in front of dozens of smug Onion Johnnies. A Gallic shrug and a "Mai no Monsewer, vous ete...Anglais!" Guess they just can't handle the high quality and potent rouge of a race honed by a millennium of spilling claret fighting the French... hhhhh

Hello Friend, In response to this: where do you live, i been looking at a place in tremp recently. dont know much about the scene over there and dont want to do so much work but thought it would be good too see what the go is. I would advise you that the French system is only geared for full time successful entreprises. If you only work part-time then you may not earn enough to pay into health or pension. Years of scratching an unsuccessful semi-living here will only impoverish you in the future. You should also consider continue paying voluntary U.K pension contributions whilst overseas. Frankly, business here is hard and it really sucks. Think again about coming here unless you speak French and or are married to a French national. There is a French dream but that is all it is unless you are rich and retired. Ty

Ha! Just lost a hedge job to some-ones Uncle... I bet it NEVER gets done...hhhhh! OR the old boy gives up and expires after 30min due to his pace-maker. We lose out to firewood hunters from time to time but frankly if others see the incompetence and mess they leave then its all good advertising for the industry. Another prospective client thought that we where expensive, whilst his neighbour uses us twice a year. Guess who has the hedge thats not been cut for 2 years! Some people are hard up or just tight with money and will spend huge amounts of time searching for something for nothing whilst the grass grows, a bit like idiots who drive miles to save a penny a litre on fuel... Ty

Tom, You are the venerable one we aspire to be like. You've made it work and in a foreign country top boot. Some-one to aspire too (apart from the dreadfull smell your tipper cab ona wet day...hhhh:001_tt2:) Ty

Hello, The engine uses officially 2.8litres per hour. We fitted a tinytach to count the hours. We also have a policy of stacking then chipping and turning off in between rather than leaving it running all the time so its more the actual chipping hours are whats recorded. We have recorded a handsome 5 hour day before whilst chipping lawson! Ty

Hello, Personally, I would dress professional, clean t shirt with company brand and arrive NOT in a Jag/new pickup etc but a modest small car/van Look the part and sell your quality. Not every client wants the cheapest, they also may want the work done by a pro. Don't forget that other pro's still make errors! Your not alone there. Maybe they asked for a cash payment? Maybe the company that got the job is on its uppers, desperate and scratching around for some turnover. I recently won a job by telling the client by all means to go for the lower quote from my competitor but I also sent the client images of work done AND previous quotes to back up my pricing. I won with only a small reduction as a commercial gesture. I also lose on quotes from people with no business sense or long term view. Who forget to price in the real cost of equipment and forget that magic word "profit"... Well, they may be content to pay themselves the minimum wage but I have better aspirations in life. There will always be busy fools out there my friend. I personally aim to work less for more than more for less. I'm up against guys who put a 2 man team out there for 40% lower than us. Question is...for how long? That old chipper will break down one day and that truck will let them down and anyway, they may like holidaying in Bognor whilst I sun myself in my second home in Morocco... Ty

Ah.. I am currently cloning myself at great expense in order to work hard enough to meet the demands of the French tax system which charges you whether you earn or not. Ty

Morning, It how you sell your services that can determine the usefulness of a wee chipper. In larger gardens there is often a place for wood chip and rakings. I can turn up just with a small van and trailer or just a transit type van and ramps although you need 2 to load into a van. We regularly do large jobs with the CS100 and are in dire need of a bigger machine but the wee chipper will always have its place. This cedar from last Thursday went through no the chipper with no problems, the machine dragged it in and didn't stall once. The last image is of a job felling a dozen pines, at this point we gave up using the CS100 and called TomTrees with his Bandit xp65. It was not the wood that defeated the chipper, it was the amount of snedding that defeated us! Ty

Morning, I have a lump of yew branch I asked a client for. It is 40cm in diameter and the rings so close it is hard to count but I have counted around 150years. I will try again now I have read this thread using pins placed every 10years as a marker. I'll report back on it with images. Also, I recall, although I was using a sharp chain, it felt I wasn't it was so hard. Ty

Yeh but Tom, When I work for you I have to take off your slippers and tie your gaffs on before running oil into your leather 19century saw scabbard then levering you into your armour and helm because you are the great dinosaur of the arb industry at 43...hhhhhh l.o.l Ty

Your a bloody rep for G.M ain't cha! l.o.l

I'm off today, its 'another' French bank holiday 'Pentecost' I believe. Now I am a believer in employing a range of experience. Our regular groundsman is 63 years old with over 40years of arb work behind him. Rab is a former London Borough tree officer to boot and we pay him a third more than others with little or no experience. Having an older guy around with serious experience is invaluable for us in terms of development, a real sobering influence too. I have to admit, I would rather pay more taxes and retire on a decent pension than work until I'm too old to enjoy life. The French do have stupidly high taxes to pay for such a lifestyle though. We pay over 60% on profit as a limited company regardless of turnover. Now when I got my tickets at 38years of age, I was told at college by the technicians and lecturers that the chances of me finding work were slim to none. So...after trying a couple of companies here in France I started my own business. After all, clients don't always know you are new and inexperienced. You can price your jobs accordingly with a low margin or simply price correctly and allow more time until you get up to a more commercial speed. After all, if you are starting up your books won't be full so you won't have the same time constraints. Also, you can limit yourself to chasing appropriate work you can handle (small builders don't build skyscrapers eh?) If you network with others you always bring in experience at the appropriate rate. Then you can pay yourself the groundies wage instead. If your life style includes a second home in Florida and changing cars every 3 years then perhaps think again about Arb work...it 'may' not support your needs...ever! All jobs we undertake pay differently and I will inform my self employed staff in advance if the markup is low as the day rate will be affected pro-rata. I have only been told once to stuff myself and 'she' only lasted 3 days dragging brash and wanted 150euros a day! Have a good day all Ty

Morning, I was exhibiting at a garden show near St Malo on the 17th May when I overheard a chap running a plant stand was lyrical about the majestic Heracleum mantegazzianum. The French it seems are only just waking up to this toxic menace and so my protests concerning its dangers where ignored as the rantings of an Englishman abroad who has taken to much sun. I have a very real phobia of this plant, it possibly all stems from watching the BBC day of the triffids. Actually, I won't go near Gunnera either... Ty

Ah NO! Steve Bullman will arrive any minute and ban me not for writing BUM but for publishing his own companies mission statement hhhhhhh! Just having a laugh:001_rolleyes: Ty

Well... I've shown you how to do it but you still do it wrong If you don't do it right then you won't last long This job I can fill it cos any face fits Own up time, your the pits. I started out with nothing now look where I am I can do this to you cos I'm a self made man The difference between us, a question that begs Own up time, your the dregs. Now I'm sick and tired of your moaning, whining, whinging and a sighing, screaming and a crying About the rate for the job, the money I'm giving, I think you think the world owes you a living. Oh the poor ye shall always have You know that's true Its written in the bible so theres nothing you can do Except get brought down by people like you You drive me to end of my wits Your the pits Your just scum Get out of here you bum! From the album 'Hard cash' a soundtrack to a BBC series during the Thatcher epoch Regards Ty

Well, It bridges the gap between road tow and compact with its own trailer. However, we have a Lider trailer that tilts and we can load both our stumpgrinder and the CS100. Ours has 213hours on it now (fitted a tinytach from new) Also, Greenmechs customer support has been excellent regarding the few issues we've had. Its a big earner for us, with it we have the edge over our competitors on certain jobs. BUT...we do need this new road tow soon! Ty

Hello, Although I am hoping to buy a Quadchip shortly (once I have my vat number grrrr!) We have had a Timberwolf 150 out on a demo. It was a 30min demo in fact, thats all you get here! Anyway...I mentioned the non-greasable bearings and the rep showed me grease points. Have Timberwolf changed the design of was the rep pulling my manhood...? Ty

Hello, I climb the morning shift as its cooler, Seb climbs afternoons as he is genetically tuned towards heat coming from the hotter plains of Europe. Saying that, I climb afternoons and hot days in ordinary working trousers. I just work more carefully and take care to remove short sharp broken dead wood when I'm scrambling about. Also, I step more carefully when crosscutting brash etc. I think heat exhaustion is a greater risk frankly as I'm more likely to make an error with the saw. Plenty of water on hand and wash face and neck often as well as arms to help cool down and keep salt from blinding eyes. Ty

I have recently found that changing my blades before they get lose their edge at less than 20hours is better for removal. I use anti-seize grease on the threads too. Less sap and resin which tends to heat and stick with the friction of dull blades. I've bought a blowtorch for my next blade change upon the advice given on this forum. I'll let you all know soon enough how it all goes... Ty

And yet... In 2009 In cycled and camped from Melbourne to Adelaide to Port Augusta to Alice springs to Darwin before catching the Ghan back (a 3 day 2 night train journey) All those nights camping and hardly saw a beastie although I'm sure they saw me! Returned to France in Sept 2009 and within 2 weeks I was in St Brieuc hospital for 2 days and a night because I got bitten by a viper in a friends garden. My arm came up like a comedy leg and I couldn't close my hand or use my arm at all. Ty

Ah HA! My associate Seb called up a guy in our town advertising on Le Bon Coin who proposes Services Elagage but payment by CESU (cheque emploi service universal) Basically, any-one paying for services such as baby sitting, grass cutting and cleaning can claim 50% tax credit back from the government. It is strictly not to be used for anything else, after all, why would the government want to pay for peoples tree work? Its a system designed to get people off the black and into paying their way. Frankly its just being abused down the line by all and sundry. Anyway... This fellow is retired, owns 2 saws and used to work for the city of Rennes. Moves at a snails pace and has no chipper, trailer OR... insurance. And yet...he does affect our local market by pinching all the profitable small jobs and forcing us to travel further. Oh...ignore me tonight, I'm just over tired...

The French... There are 4 National holidays in May. Today, it is to celebrate the end of WW2. Last Tuesday it was to give ALL workers the day off (I worked regardless and for good money too) There are 2 more to go this month. I view the holidays as a day lost as I am not an employee Ty

Morning, My experience with Greenmech is currently limited to the CS100. My next chipper will probably be a Quadchip based on the user reports I've read. I don't need a demo to to know that the Quadchip will be be an excellent machine. Given the performance of the CS100 and the excellent customer service and spares backup I have received in 190 hours of wee chipper chipping (I put an hour clock on from new) If you have a problem with a machine you must inform the manufacturer a.s.a.p. That is the best route and the way forward when it comes to correcting faults and developing the product. Ty