Ty Korrigan

I've come across an 880 in stock. I'll not pay that price though (£1250 plus vat) I'll get a better deal from these guys. Or... should I go for an 881? I'd use it for milling in the future but mostly it would sit on my shelf as they all seem to do until I get jobs like last Friday's oak. @Luckyeleven managing to find the only nail with a 90cm bar on a 500i 500i runs the bar fine but much too dry, the oiler can't deliver enough flow. Stuart

I've generally enough work not to get cheesed off when I don't win a job but the ones I really would like to do I tell the client in advance that if they receive a like for like that is less then come back to me before accepting. One thing which does grind my gears are clients who want to pay cash and have an invoice. I tell them an invoice carries a 20% surcharge. Another gear grinder piss boiler are clients who send back the signed quote (a legal obligation in France) but put a line through the 'with vat' total and circle the 'without vat' sum as if they get to pick the price they prefer. Just received another one today... My Turkish retired economist eventually paid up. He had witheld €600+ citing that we had only worked 'X' hours and that meant were on €180 per hour which was outrageous for 2 men. I cracked and gave him a glimpse into running costs and expected salaries. Then I asked him if he would of paid us more if the job had run over due to weather or bad judgement. I think he'll have us back. Stuart

€11 per bolt and 3 months post. Quality aftersales there. Stuart

I have a climber who travels from the far West of Brittany and stays for 2-3 day stints. He is motivated not just by my wife's cooking, the rate I pay and the crack of working with a witty fellow like me but by the number of dry days we get East of Rennes. The official statistics show half the rainfall amount, fewer days of precipitation with more hours of sun. Brest is a seriously damp city compared to Rennes. Stuart

Yeh, where you live but in Kent, more specifically where Mark Bolam lives, it is widely accepted that pruning with spikes helps the tree breath through those extra holes. Mark told me that in 2009 when I first joined Arbtalk. True that. Stuart

I copper grease blade bolts. Stuart

Hello, From experience with similar machines, applying the heat of a small gas blowtorch to eat bolthead works very well. An impact driver is also a usefull tool. Enjoy your machine. Stuart

One Sea Cow and a Hindu Holy Cow. I blame Brexit... Stuart @Stubby ping me your number/address, I might be around longer than planned.

I visited a mate in Westergate yesterday, Dave Pegler of Peglars Arundel. Spitfires growling overhead as we took tea in his garden. Traffic is mad here compared to Liffré and I'm supposed to be cycling in the New Forest today. Stuart

Ah you're welcome. Bit confused as sure they have sailing boats in France? Still, if it works it works. I wasn't going to Saint Malo in the near future, Birdham was more convenient.

Probably French vat, customs duties and handling... Brexit being the gift that keeps giving... Stuart

@Dan MaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynarddMaynardd My Xhinesium phone has a keyboard issue, maybe a buildup of greasy finger clag. Anyway, thank you for sourcing this part. I crossed La Manche and picked this up at a Chandler's near Chichester today. Stuart

Love that word 'Dowty washer' Sounds like a robust Edwardian cleaning lady. "Tis a 'dowty washer woman who does for me" Stuart

@Luckyeleven found inexpensive double pulleys on Amazon. Stuart

@Dan Maynard So they have a store not too far from my parents. Sending the Elder Lee out to track one down. I hope to visit the U.K early September to pick up Marmite, Dairy Milk, Yorkshire tea, Tescos Finest Belgium Chocolate and Ginger cookies and our new chipper. Stuart

Before I started working for our towns parks department, they did alot of their own tree work using a platform. These 2, a birch and a silver maple are outside my house. Sure, they look lovely now but in the Winter a trained eye sees the cuts which are 15-20cm, veritable rot pockets with long vigourous regrowth, too dense and heavy. Stuart

Yes, I use it for hauling the grinder and wee chippette up ramps mostly and pulling over smaller trees. Not the smoothest pulley set, bearings are open and visible. Rated to 500kg

Great, I'll go measure the spacing, many thanks. Stuart

Does anyone know if the locking mechanism for these pulleys can be bought as a spare and from where? Cheers. Stuart

Lol, the misery is all yours. Stuart

I've 2 pairs of Andrews, neither required any real breaking in. The black sympatex ones which are very comfortable and waterproof but the sole wore away within 6 months so I returned them to H'Bros pre-Brexit/Covid for repair. I've not got them back as yet as posting them will expensive, encuring customs, vat, handling etc. The second green pair, forestry boots I use when it is hotter as they have no membrane and are noticeably cooler. They also have cleat attachments for log walking. This pair is also a wider, looser fit. I prefer my Arbortec boots over the Andrews even though they destroyed my heel for a couple of weeks breaking them (or I) in. Stuart

My Kangoo car failed it's 'control technique' because a rear bulb had blown. In my Kangoo van, the back of the lights was easily accessible. Not so in the car version with all the interior trim. After studying a Youtube video, it took me several hours to remove and replace the rear bumper and exterior plastic body panels to gain access to the light and change the one faulty bulb. Stuart

French Greenmechs have bottle holders.