Ty Korrigan

Just visited the local saw shop and seen one just like mine for €2400. Looking more closely it is actually better finished and put together hut in every other aspect the same machine I bought from Agri-euro delivered on a pallet for €1372. Stuart

The French seem to have little fear of chainsaws, or deafening noise. Me, dressed in full PPE cross cutting logs that some old boy insists on holding onto. Other old boys of the same ilk, walking under the tree you are rigging, staring myopically into the crown and saying "beaucoup boulot" (alot of work) The Groundy asks him to move away from danger. M. Le Connard taps Groundy in the chest and tells him that he was in Algeria and knows a thing or two about danger before walking slowly away to inspect the chipper. Welcome to my world. Stuart

Could even be a selling point in gentrified areas... Stuart

I doubt that very much, just marketing spin that. What is likely is that they bought production space in an existing factory that manufactures for many brands, with each specifying their nuances of small features but basically all the same base models of machines. My Chinesium chippette was unassembled which also explains the low price. Stuart

I have one of these bought from Agri-Euro for a mere €1372 inc tax and delivery. Merits: Incredible value for money. Productive for 15hp single cylinder. Loncin engine has a centrifugal clutch. D-merits: Shonky security switches. Infeed a 11cm narrower than a CS100 Noisy chute. There are 2 rubber gaskets between chute, infeed and body, throw them away, they deform and cause blockages. Bolt alignment not tip top. Blades life is less than Greenmech but not a deal breaker as blades only cost €70 a pair. TBH, if I was running one more often, I'd say a used CS100 would be a better option but this generic Chinesium chippette saved us alot in hire fees and owes us nothing. Stuart

Maddening innit... My 150P suffers from this. At first I thought it was the spring so progressively wound it up until it would wind no more. It isn't the spring, it is the roller carriage sticking in the rails when under tension, yet not when you loosen the spring off and move the carriage by hand, fecking weird. I previously tried cleaning daily then twice daily, different lubes, wet and dry, changing a dry bearing, going full Basil Fawlty and beating it with a branch, sobbing with fury all to no avail, the rollers just turned impotently, failing to suck in mere sticks whilst still perfoming on larger material. I've literally dozens of videos to documenting this. Jase Hutch has a treatment, a rail bending bar but it isn't a long term cure as I found after 40 hours the roller started sticking again. I eventually opted for a more permanent cure, horizontal rollers. Stuart

Having the chip chamber and hydro tank share a wall is a terrible design folly. A colleague lost his Forst for 3+months when a blade shattered and caused a hydro leak. Repair cost around 7k euros Stuart

All my membrane boots get a humidity build up which makes itself known on cold days. I've normally 3 pairs on the go, a small price for warm dry feet. It is wet in Brittany. Wearing in rotation gives them time to dry out. I've also a pair of Andrews boots without a membrane I use in Summer. Much cooler in the heat but not waterproof even walking through dew. Stuart

I've just done this with Aspen bio chain oil. I realised, emptied, rinsed 3 times but still endured 15mins of chip shop fumes. Stuart

A slight de-rail of subject. Does any-one know just how much force in tons, 20hp at the pto might create on a Uniforest winch? Stuart

I had my Andrews (same model) repaired under warranty through H'bros. Then came Covid and Brexit so it was impossible to collect them. I finally collected them in August after 18 months. New sole unit fitted at no cost or quibble. Great service from Andrews and H'Bros. Stuart

The pulleys are shipping from Germany.

Under the stairs I've a pair of Airstreams in much the same condition. Frustrated by my Scafell soles wearing out in under a year, I found a mountain footwear repair specialist in Grenoble. They replaced the foam and sole for around €90 plus €30 postage. Looks to be a professional repair unlike others who try sticking a sole unit onto the old foam. The foam is much denser and these guys obviously see this issue alot in other makes of boot. Yet to wear them in anger though. Stuart

I don't do alot of winch work and when I do it is more for pulling trees over, typically leylandii windbreaks but soon I'll be helping a mate with some windthrown in a woodland on a steep bank. If I was running a grown ups tractor I'd definitely lash out on one of those quality self releasing ones.

I appreciate the heads up on the pulley from Ebay. Ordered 2 from Ebay.fr €65 My colleague actually found one like Mick's with a hook lying in the forest. It would take some time to clean up though, been there a while. I'll suck it and see how the Chinesium works out before I lash out on anything above my pay grade. Stuart

Much the same? Poulie de mouflage ouvrante 10t Treuil Guide de câble Bloc Snatch Foerstier | eBay WWW.EBAY.FR Les meilleures offres pour Poulie de mouflage ouvrante 10t Treuil Guide de...

This? RHINO WINCH Snatch Block, Heavy Duty 4x4 Off Road Recovery Pulley ~ 2 to 12ton WWW.EBAY.CO.UK Made from zinc plated CNC precision cut carbon steel to ensure smooth... I'd order it but Brexit means double vat, tariffs and handling on top of postage. I could get a couple sent to a UK client though who could bring them them over. Stuart

Hello, I run a Uniforest 35M winch on a 26hp Solis tractor with 20hp at the pto. I have no idea just what pull 20hp can create. However the pull can be pretty brutal at full pto revs so I wondered about using a pulley to create more force and reduce the speed of the pull. I'd appreciate the advice of those more experienced. Stuart

I rather like the smell of mine as it reminds me of my Jack Russells sweaty paws when he used to creep into my bedroom and sleep on my pillow. Bad dog. Still, I wash the inners of my Protos as the salts in the strap irritate my soft youthfull skin. Stuart

I work with 95% French clients and have a French climber. The golden rule in French teamwork or social gatherings is to avoid 3 subjects. Money, religion, politics. I find it works very well. Stuart

Educated Climber recently started spouting religious dogma and venting his political bile. It really went tits up when he started boasting of his lack of education and his belief it wasn't worth becoming 'certified' Fundamentalist Christian thinking that because education opens the mind. Stuart

Here in France 'manchettes' are de rigueur even on the ground bizzarely. I am often criticised for not sporting a pair and end up engaged in heated discussions on the merits of cut and hold. I don't cut and hold unless with a Silky so won't be brow beaten into using them, it's an individuals choice. You can find them online at Freeworker or Hevea Elagage but ah, I forget, Arbtalk voted for Brexit so be prepared to pay vat, customs tarifs and handling should you place an order. Stuart

This is exactly the spec we get given by 2 local councils for the mature oaks which can't be reduced heavily without hat racking them. The locals buy houses adjacent to trees then complain about leaves, acorns, shade and the ever present menace of a tree that moves in the wind. So we are made to strip them out, thinning them drastically for more light. I hate gathering up bundles of epicormic and the climbers are not fans of spending hours shaving stems with Silky's. Overhanging branches reduced or removed but the height left untouched, only thinned. Council does this every 4-5 years, I've already worked on some trees twice since moving here. Stuart

Hello, the Evo and the 150P use the same Vanguard Efi so I bought the kubota diesel version as unlike the Efi, it can be fixed in any tractor dealership in the unlikely event of a problem. Stuart

Spoke to the mechanic yesterday. Briggs France simply do not pick up the phone so 'Bruno' deals with Briggs Germany. There continues to be a lack of spares. In fact Briggs are even being sued by Husqvarna over the non-supply of engines. I've asked for the part numbers so I can try source them myself from the USA but the mechanic says he won't be paid for any of the work so far done if I supply the parts. Stalemate. So I called Briggs Germany myself this morning and spoke to the very person (he is tri-lingual) who has previously dealt with the French mechanic. He admits the Efi dealer network is very poor and they cannot persuade dealers to get involved with Efi due to cost and complication. Stuart The article below explains the reorganisation of Briggs in Europe. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.materiel-paysage.com/actualites/amp/article/729740/briggs-and-stratton-reorganise-son-service-technique-en-allemagne