Taupotreeman

You can drive on a UK licencse for a year I believe but then you will have to exchange for a NZ one. You should only have to take the theory part rather than the practical if you want a NZ licencse. The theory is a scratch test multiple choice thingy and they sell test booklets in most bookstores and gaarges to test yourself first. If you've passed the UK test the kiwi one will be no problems. We only have one dumb ass law here that's really different from the UK so you'll be sweet. As for your gear; I'd still bring what you can. Boots, trousers or pants as they are here. They generally use clogger chainsaw trousers unless you want to put some money towards a flasher pair of pants. I went straight through a pair with a MS200 a couple of years ago so I stick with stuff from the UK now. Don't make any plans to return home in a hurry either. Once you're here you probably won't want to go back.

Oh, and WD40 can help loosen the sap, especially if it's thick, like Douglas Fir.

If you're going to throw it in the washing machine tape the end up with insulation tape then tape them together. Can get quite worrying when you hear the metal ends clanking against the door.

I popped my back out up the gym doing deadlifts. The kwak referred me to physio then a chiropractor and then just put me on a load of pain killers. Nothing worked and I couldn't even see straight never mind stand up. Finally got a referral from a different Doc who sent me to an oesteopath. The oesteopath also did electro acupuncture which is when they pulse a mild electric current through the needles which contracts and then releases the muscles (or so I believe). Anyway, it only took a couple of visits to sort out the problem once and for all and I haven't had any issues with my back since. It all may sound a bit dodgy but if I can avoid the drugs I will and I can highly recommend the treatment if you can find anyone that does it. It also worked wonders for the wife who has suffered with back and neck issues for donkeys. The same treatment might work for those with neck and shoulder issues and it isn't as brutal as manipulation.

So that's what it is. I've got a bung shoulder but haven't got time to get it operated on. I thought this might be the cause of the dead hand in the middle of the night and the pins and needles and burning sensation. The specialist who saw me for my shoulder told me I must just be leaning on something at night and it was affecting or putting pressure on the ulna nerve but I've tried everything and still wake up at silly oclock in the morning with a dead hand. It doesn't seem to matter how much a try getting blood flowing through the hand it never really seems to come right until I start work. I still end up with a kind of "ghost hand" for much of the day whereby I loose the sensation in the outer three fingers and all I get is a tingling through them. At least I can go back to the Kwak with some ammo now.

Tried the Elton Aquafell and found them a bit baggy. OK for me for ground works but not for climbing. Don't know if the hydrofells are the same. Just started on a pair of Meindl Airstreams and they're the dogs dangly bits so far. Again, they might be different to the ones you are looking at but I find the Meindls a stiffer boot so more support for climbing.

I forked out to ship the AUS Industries poles over to NZ after using them for line work in Wales. If you know how to use them they're excellent and don't fish rod as much as Jameson and Chance. Not sure if you want the extra expense for insulated stuff but they are well worth the money.

Bit late now but the info might help somebody. I blew the head in my surf, followed rapidly by the gearbox. Took it in to get the head sorted and was told that the surf was never made for towing and they don't send them out of the factory in Japan with a towbar for that reason. Prone to blowing heads BIG TIME if you do a lot of heavy towing.

Can someone keep us posted on the book please? There's a couple of us down here in the land of the long white cloud that would like a read of it. Awful lot of shafting of the little guy goes unpunished around these parts.

Most people in my neck of the woods want there trees topped so they can see the lake or mountains. I spend a lot of time explaining the pitfalls of topping and try and encourage them to have the tree removed and replanted with something more suitable (the trees, more often than not, have been topped several times) that can be suitabley managed. Unfortunately many customers can't see this and just want the tree hammered. I am not in a position to be able to turn work down no matter what it is. This is a small community and most work comes via word of mouth. I'm pleased some people in the forum are able to stick to their principles and refuse to cary out this kind of trimming but I certainly can't and although I dislike topping immensely I want to stay in business rather than have to go work in a factory or something. Even the local council is happy to top trees so should I refuse council work too on the basis of my principles?

A couple of things; I've been in this industry for 20+ years and I'm still learning as I go. A lot of good information comes from this forum and if new comers to the industry can learn anything from criticism, take it on board and improve it can only be a good thing. Some customers, no matter how much you try to convince them otherwise, will always want their tree/s topped for sunlight, views etc and if it's topping(let's call it what it is) they want and their willing to pay what can you do when money is short? If you want to see some bad pruning take a look at plantamnesty.org and click on sheer madness galleries. They also have some pretty good leaflets.

I need some help with boots. Having read the millionty threads I now have square eyes and a splitting headache so sorry to start all over again. I currently have a pair of the old clima air tirrols which have seved me brilliantly but I'm in the market for a new pair. Can anybody here actually give me any comparisons between the air tirrols, Meindl airstreams and the klima zermatts? I'd get another pair of tirrols but they're starting to push the budget. I spend a lot of time on spikes doing take downs and I like the support and chunky feel of the tirrols but as I have no access to to suppliers to try the boots on I don't want to buy something floppy and soft like oregon or elten. It's down to a choice between the first three so anybody who can compare any of them; your thoughts would be appreciated.

I have to say, since I had my vehicle sign written I have had a massive increase in work. It's more because people now know what I do. Some people still don't know what an arborist is but the sign writing explains all. Neither do they bother to look in the phone book but plenty driving past stop and grab a card. It wasn't that expensive either, at least not in the grand scheme of things. It worked out about the equivalant of 400 quid including the design work.

She's an oldy alright but it costs me sweet fanny adams to run and repair and chews branches faster than I can feed the thing. Near on scared the daylights out of myself when I saw how much a second hand bandit was.

Here's mine. It's a bit of a mish mash but it does the job until I can afford to upgrade and, yes, that is a chuck and duck behind it but that also does the job, if the job is being constantly smacked around the head as branches go through it. Suppose it saves the wife doing it when I get home.

Cheers for all the input guys. I've only had one person who didn't pay and then did a runner on me. Fortunately it wasn't much that was owed. I also had one large company who didn't pay for six months. I finally got a credit collection agency involved who got straight onto the company's accounts department. Turns out they weren't going to bother paying and didn't think I'd get a credit collection agency involved because the amount was so small. And there in lies the problem. To get a credit collection agency involved the amount owed has to be worth the cost of the agency and generally, the amounts are less than the cost of the agency and the customer often knows it. I do like the suggestion of 7 days, reminder, 7 days and then a pay up in 24hours or the account gets filed with a collection agency but if the customer knows his legal stuff he (or she) will just sit on it. A friend of mine has several accounts that don't get paid for up to 6 - 9 months. I don't know how small businesses survive with that kind of payment plan.

OK, so I'm getting a bit frustrated with some of my one off customers. I run 7 day invoices for the every day customer and 30 day invoices for the bigger companies and councils. The frustrating part is people who refuse to pay their invoices until they're ready, usually with the quote "we don't pay our bills until the 20th of the month". I've tried the nice phone call, interest fees and overdue payment fees but some people remain oblivious to the fact that I have a business to run and roof to keep above my head. Does anybody else have the same problem and if so, how do you deal with your overdue accounts? Do any of you demand payment (maybe demand is a little too strong a word) on completion of the job or do you just wait until your customer is good and ready to pay?

Just a couple. Not exactly tonight's but pretty all the same.

So yesterday it persisted with precipitation and today I ended up fiddling around doing little snippy hedge trimmy stuff in wet shrubbery so decided to stop for a break on the way home. S'funny how the day can change.

If it's in Auckland it will probably be mainly on council contracts doing street trees and parks and reserves. Nothing too huge except the odd big Pine in a reserve. The climbing interview I did with them was pretty easy but there is the option to do bigger stuff if you want. I agree with Maninahat; they are a pretty goog company to work for and the better of the two big companies in Auckland.

Class 1 is a full car licence.

It's down on the side of the state highway at Raurimu which is on the Taumarunui to National Park road just south of the mountains. I can't wait to see the jurassic park if he gets that far.

So some clever clogs has built this thing alongside a local highway. I watched the building process and it never ceases to amaze me what some people's imaginations are capable of. He's now on about making a whole park of deadwood dinosaurs and native fauna. Should be worth a look.

A couple of big Macs at the local Marae. They prove to be a constant source of work as they keep shedding limbs. Pain in the preverbial to climb though.

Saw the Black Caps sneak home against the Lankans this morning. Here's hoping we a get a few upsets.