Big 'Ammer

Brilliant vids! What a way to learn the job properly, up the tree at your side. Lucky lad! Thanks for posting, Reg.

I was talking to Pete McTree about this the other day, sounds like there's already a bit of interest.

Very interesting and informative as usual Reg. I too am interested in the debate of tensioning the running line at the top or at the bottom and would like to know more. Second vid about 1.30 ish, nice move using the weight of the first piece to pull over the second.

Canopy was poor and thinning, with a lot of dead wood. Lost a very large limb on the roadside in the past and a lot of decay associated with that. Lot of tips dying back. Big new water main put in under where the fence is a few years ago, and root severance and compaction contributing to decline. Anecdotal evidence that tree was showing significant die back from last summer. We felled a sickly ash at the other end of the fence section as well, excavation and compaction blamed for its decline also.

I tried a .325 15" Husky 262 against a 3/8 15" Stihl 361 and there was nowt in it. I want to put the 361 on .325 but Stihl only make a 9 rim to fit the standard centre clutch drum which is way overgeared. Does anyone know if a clutch drum from another model will fit, that has a small centre, so I can try an 8 or 7 rim?

That's cleared that up. then.

Here you go, David! As promised. (Over a year later!) Unfortunately, only one white flower out, but you get the idea! Tree didn't appear to be grafted higher up, but the leaves were a shade lighter and larger and looked more like regular HC than red.

Great set of pics, Steve. Great job. I couldn't have resisted felling it though! Lawn will come back!

Feel, balance and useability, deffo. Its about what you get done by the end of the day and how knackered you are that counts! Tom, were both saws on 3/8 chain?

Nice one on the pine, big chunks off! Those split trees take a bit of reading.

Cheers! Perfect height to avoid a stem riddled with nails and wire, cut into sounder timber for better felling control in a heavily Meripilus infected tree and not to leave a gap for undesirables to start driving round the field. Not a good height for using a pushing chain above your head whilst stood on a load of slimy mushrooms on a bank to make a back cut while both sides of the road are on stop! Its all good!

Two points. Firstly, I agree, timber value often doesn't come in to it with arb work. Presumably, the stump won't be getting left like that? So, if its down to ground level, or is going to be ground out, you have to cut it off low anyway. Might as well do it once, as twice, in my opinion. Save time loading and less saw chips to sweep up. If its got a bit of sand in the bark, you're going to have to sharpen your saw either way. Secondly, arbs often fell stems, rather than whole trees. So there's usually some kit on site to pull things over, and theres already a guy up the tree who can fit a pull rope. Try knocking in wedges to fell a tree that size at three feet high and see how long your back lasts. With a back cut 4-6" off the floor you just swing a heavy hammer and let the weight do the work. In my experience, unless there is a very good reason for a high felling height, such as contamination or decay for example, there are more advantages to felling low than high.

Several weeks ago, my local Nfu representative phoned me out of the blue and offered to quote for PL and EL insurance. (FTR, I am with Trust and have found them helpful and very competative for my needs.) I enquired about whether there were any height restrictions, as I'd heard there were and if so,that this was not for me. They said the standard terms were climbing 6 metres and felling 15 metres. I asked if this could be waived, they were going to speak to the underwriters / head office / whatever and they are still going to get back to me .....

Sounded like a pita job. Whats with the felling height?

If you can pull the tracks in and take the hopper off, you can get in to all sorts of places with a proper chipper.

Seen the light,eh Stevie. Does the hopper come off the tracked greenmech?

Sorry David. By the time I passed them last year the flowers had finished. Thinking back, it could be that the pink ones had some low branches growing up from the rootstock which were white flowered. Quite a few were felled when the roundabout was put in some years ago. I will try to remember to go past and have a look this year. Glad you like our funny film! We didn't know the customer had set up a camera in an upstairs window and he edited it and put the music on. Good fun, warts and all!

I'd fell it, because that's what the customer wants doing to their tree, the mouldy, root-scuffed, wonky old thing!

I think everyone has jumped to far too many conclusions before Alderwood has had a chance to respond. Surely its just a simple typo error. Should read:- "Height reduction of a lime in half, Manchester." :lol:

Giant puffballs.

Proper Job!

How about a man basket! Just use a round sling and mark it up for that purpose, so that its not used for rigging or anything else.

Not forgetting, Ruts and Divots, Foul Language, Diesel Spilled, Oil stains on drive.... These usually come under the all encompassing "All Aspects of Tree Work"

Upon closer scrutiny of the picture...

Like the top down view, Tom. Those dead elm pictures take me back, Stevie.