patrickosborne

I think you're right about being able to id your own kit,the only reason I found it was because I had done so many mods to it,even a small one like repairing a crack in a side panel with fiberglass and drilling a small hole in the fuel cap to release back pressure.All the police need is something that id's the chipper to you however small because as we know serial numbers are the first things to go.

This week I saw my stolen chipper for sale on ebay!! complete with re-spray and missing hse stop bar. I contacted Essex Police who in turn were very good and they contacted ebay to find the adress which was in Luton!! (not far from Waltham Abbey) This morning the Beds police went to the farm where it was kept and basically arested the guy who said that "he bought it as scrap at a travellers fair"!!! I now have it back although it will need quite a bit of work to get it up to scratch again. So if you know anyone who is after an old entec chipper with loads of new parts on it including stress control let me know as it will be up for sale in a few weeks. I just can't believe that they had the cheek to advertise it on ebay and it now proves that yes they were "pikeys" Pat:mad1:

Thanks for the info, I will be keeping a good lookout !!

Thanks very much for all your help. We felled it this afternoon and guess what....it had decay in the centre !! so i will have to cut it up for firewood. Oh well maybee next time.

I have a large (recent dead) cedar to take down in essex does anyone know who would be the best person to contact for selling the timber ?

Sorry I don't, I only know that the local IMS yard was turned over on the same night as my burglary, like everyone else we all want action against these.....................I don't know what or how, even if you lock everything up some will even enter your house to get the keys....and if I shoot a pikey or anyone else for that matter I will be the one on the wrong side of the law....

was it IMS ?

Very sorry to hear, if youre good at your job don't worry about the recession,you'll get bye

Yes I basically copied your idea, the only worry is dogs digging the cardboard up! I'm going back next week to check. What does your mulch base look like now ?

Sorry Dave I can't I know it looks like a rough Chestnut but it's actually a lightning damaged oak in the picture.

Nice and clear escape route!!

The only time I regeret leaving the comfort of an office is weeks like the one I've just had! Other than that I'm usually really chuffed with our acomplishments at the end of the day.

Just tried this incorporating the cardboard idea Dave. Horse chestnut which is showing some signs of bleeding canker,we crown reduced it and mulched, what do you think ? I will let you know any changes and won't try the aeration yet !

Hi Dave, I must admit from the outside looking in I had a good job, house and all but I progressed too far, all I was doing was absence management, sorting employee disputes and basically anything but tree work! (Management hypocracy drove me up the wall as well) I love the forest and often visit. I now enjoy puting my experience into practice on veteran trees, tree reports for local businesses and loads of climbing which I really enjoy.

that is the point, seatbelts are safer.................................

Dad's a Cornish Farmer. I trained as a mechanic in Cornwall for agricultural machinery-my boss committed suicide!went to anither garage as yts after a few months I found the owner of the garage dead in his bed.Decided to go to Cornwall tech to do engineering ended up at uny in Hatfield - engineering bottomed out in early 90's so found a job for corp of London (Epping) now self employed.

thanks,already ordered the trip wire with blank cartridges.......

I recon most of this stuff and agricultural machinery is going to eastern europe, there is now a massive market for it,besides have you noticed that there aren't any checks at the ports or the tunnel for stolen gear, I took an ifor williams trailer to italy for the inlaws and wasnt checked-what else goes unchecked ???

Epping Forest News RSS Feed Search: NORTH WEALD: Couple 'gassed' by burglars 1:50pm Wednesday 3rd December 2008 comment Comments (3) Have your say » By Edmund Tobin » TWO tree surgeons believe they may have been gassed in their sleep by burglars who stole all their equipment. Joanne French, and husband Gary, said they were amazed they didn’t wake up when a gang made away with eight chainsaws, two hedge trimmers and a leaf blower from the garage of their house, in Pike Way, North Weald. Mrs French, 39, said: “We woke up at 3.30 on Sunday morning when we heard our letter box go. It was a letter from the police saying we had been a victim of a crime, please contact us. “We went to the garage and it was pretty much empty. We went to the people across from us and they said the gang stole our wood chipper as well but it came loose and smashed into a neighbour’s vehicle. “We are very sad. We have never had a raid on our garage before. We feel pretty sick at the moment. With the economy as it is, to have about £4,000 worth of equipment written off as stolen is pretty appalling. “I’m glad it wasn’t the house, but it’s disappointing we didn’t wake up.” The gang of burglars kicked in the side door of the garage before loading up their landrover and driving away. Despite all the noise from the incident, neither of the Frenchs were woken leading Mrs French to wonder if they had been gassed. She said: “They must have caused an awful lot of noise. They have had to drag the wood chipper down the drive, there’s the noise from their vehicle, the noise from the crash. Everyone else heard it, but not us. The police dragged the chipper back into the garage and banged on the door but the first thing we heard was the letter box going. “I felt very, very nauseous when I was talking to a friend afterward. “I thought I was going to throw up. I thought at the time I was in shock but I wonder now if that was a symptom from the gas. “They would have had to put it through the letter box.” None of the equipment from the Frenchs’ house hold has been recovered.

Just another one I read about today,thieves put some sort of gas through a tree surgeons home in North Weald which knocked him and his wife out for the night,then they broke in nicked everything in the house, then his chipper and saws, the police couldn't wake them............... happened last week(in our local paper!!) How far do you go??

Just an update to you all. Thanks for the concern and sorry for starting a fight, I guess I am still raw from it. The guys stole it from my premises in Waltham Abbey,Essex there were three of them that the neighbour could see, when they realised he had spotted them they showed their fists and told him to go or otherwise.!!! he then phoned the police, these guys were proffesionals they had checked out my security previously. It also appears that prior to my chipper being stolen last night they broke into a locked compound in Epping/Harlow and pulled out a four wheel vermeed from Gristwoods once on the road a lorry pulled up and put ramps down,winched it in and drove towards Waltham Abbey. Also just up the road from me three guys in balaclavas held up the local truck stop on junction 26 M25. All of this on the same evening, all I can think right now is that I'm glad I didn't disturb them, all my family are in a bungalow right next to where I keep my tools and chipper.!!!( what price is a Life?) Anyway I spent the day driving my landrover to worcester to buy a 2003 35/150 and it looks the business , lookinbg forward to trying it out tommorow. Pat

Stolen by three baleclava clad men in a pick up (as seen by next door neighbour). Red Entec?Timberwolf with extended chute attached to side of chipper,motor mover fixed to wheels and yellow rear fold down hopper. The police were here within 10 mins of robbery and closed roads leading to pikey sites but no joy!!! Also broke into my merc sprinter via window. Keep your ears/eyes peeled............

I think what you have done should show results within 2 years. In Epping we had a veteran beech pollard which was showing severe signs of crown die-back. Ground compaction was severe due to proximity to a carpark and mountainbike traffic not to mention picknics. We tried three things : 1 felled a few silver birches around it and left them to re direct the public away from the dripline. 2 Very minor crown reduction with secateurs 3 Mulch the base to the dripline The tree now has a healthy crown with good new growth every year. I still check it regularly.It was very positive due to the nature of many veteran beech pollards. I did also read a report a while back proving that cherry mulch proves to be most beneficial whereas conifer mulch is the least beneficial. I am also about to try this on a large Chestnut in Enfield, any thoughts ? It hasn't succumbed to the bleeding cancer yet !

Forgot to tighten the wheel nuts on the chipper. As we were slowing on the by pass towards a roundabout the wheel came off, overtook us glanced off a bmw on the roundabout and slammed into the railings just in front of quickfit ! Now check them every morning.......