Big 'Ammer

We'd better book ourselves on a course to learn how to do it, then Dean.

Thought it was CS47? Has it changed? I was under the impression that a MEWP operators cert and CS 39 & 41 were considered satisfactory training. You are not supposed to use a top handled saw from a MEWP with cs47.

How the job is risk assessed and carried out will depend upon the skill, competency and experience of the people carrying out the work. Tom's method involved no work at height and went all according to his plan. Avoiding work at height is what we are supposed to do where possible. In most cases, other factors would dictate dismantling a tree like this.

Very well executed Tom. Don't think you need to worry about any refresher training just yet. I might have looked at chaining the heavy limbs together at the top for an extra safety factor. ....And sent a lad up to do it, for the character building experience. All talk anyway, its safely down where you wanted it.

Following on from the current Stihl bashing thread..... We have a 4 mix pole saw about a year old. Ran ok for a while. Then using for a few minutes it would run badly and then conk out, every time. Everyone was sick of using it, and used the old 10 year old 2 stroke one out of preference. I read on here a while back that someone reckoned it was fuel seeping into the air box from the tank breather soaking the air filter and making them run rich until they choked. This would appear to be the case. A month ago, I bought an old style external one way valve (actually for an old model of Echo hedgecutter!) and a short bit of fuel tube and fitted this instead, blocking the pipe to the air box with a small plug. Result. Runs spot on all the time with no further adjustments needed. Part cost £5 from the local saw shop. Credit to the bloke on the parts desk for having the patience to trawl through umpteen pages of diagrams for old machines of all makes to find me the kind of part I was after. Cheers Derek. If Stihl made them like this in the first place........

Dear Jim, Please can you fix it for me to go on holiday with a pupil from my school who is only 15? yours hopefully, Jeremy Forrest aged 30

Man basket and a teleporter.

The 220 doesn't lift a great deal. The 300 series lift quite a lot in a small package. The down side is they are a skid steer, so you need a bit of care to drive them without damaging lawns.

Nice work Theocus. Gibbon, depending on the work you want to do, narrow access vs. good access, lift height required, dimensions of your 130, back axle weights, etc, wheels vs. tracks, budget, etc, etc... You might take a look at the Avant 300 series skid steers against the 427 Boxer.

PM sent.

Walnut 2.3m & 1.4m lengths, 0.75m diameter. (approx)

Our chip truck.

Would you be interested in any timber in the round for milling?

Was there more profit in selling the timber for planking than its firewood value?

Tidy job.

Chris, I have a pair of Tirols that are now 3 1/2 years old, getting ready for a resole. Loads of life in them yet. Very stiff when new and take a lot of breaking in and are numb to drive in. They are not goretex, so you have to remember to wax them every so often. But it has to be very severe for them to get wet through. Even then, because they are not goretex, they will dry properly overnight anyway. I thought they were expensive, but have actually been very cheap boots. Nice to catch up with you and Brett at the show.

I saw the weediest, hunched-up, pasty-faced excuse for a person flogging them on a market stall. He was surrounded by the things, so they must work.

25l make handy pheasant feeders, if you are into shooting, or give them away to a shoot for that purpose. Cut the top quarter corner out of 10l containers and they make a handy carrier with a handle for chains, strops, wedges, tree paint, etc..

The reason it was so tight is that you spent two days trying to get it off before you found out it was left hand thread. You were the ones who tightened it.

There was an article in Forestry Journal 2 or 3 years ago profiling a contractor and they had a Botex mounted on a John Deere. Jas P Wilson would be the people to ask.

I've planted three this year, so far. Two more than last year, already.

Unique tax reference no. Ring the tax office in the morning and they will tell you, Johny.

Chris, get it bought and move it on to Geoff Edmundson. Brett will know him, if you don't.

Someone I know got a jump off a customer. That got him a divorce too, and in the fullness of time, a new missus and two kids!