RichardT
-
Posts
401 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Classifieds
Tip Site Directory
Blogs
Articles
News
Arborist Reviews
Arbtalk Knot Guide
Gallery
Store
Calendar
Freelancers directory
Everything posted by RichardT
-
The Big Forestry Sell-Off... Good or bad...Thoughts
RichardT replied to Andy Collins's topic in General chat
I'd like to see some numbers on the FC's efficiency as a commercial forestry manager. The '30p/family/year' figure sounds trivial, but that's net of timber income and I've no idea how much the commission net from managing 100Ha. of Sitka compared to UPM, or Scottish Woodlands, or any given estate owner. Ownership as such doesn't bother me (well it couldn't logically as I own a bit of woodland) and the access scare stories are clearly hyped up. The other thing I wonder about is the FC's research / laboratory capabilities, which seem to be particularly busy at the moment for obvious reasons: is this funded entirely out of timber income or is there direct DEFRA cash? -
Has anyone used a Timber Dragon TC1
RichardT replied to treebloke's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Presumably you've looked at the Kranman stuff at Caledonian Forestry? -
Sounds like the engine oil pressure telltale.
-
Missed the beginning, picked it up as the big estates were collecting their arboretum specimens. Interesting stuff, and timely with the mooted FC selloffs. And ended up locally, ish, with the BFT at Carrifran, which was nice. I put in one day planting up the hillsides there, that was enough. They've now bought a nearby upland estate and are going to do it all over again.
-
FC, the future? local management?
RichardT replied to Charlieh's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Writing as I am from north of the border, public access isn't much of an issue. Elsewhere access is as you suggest often permissive rather than statutory, if it proves a problem it can be legislated for. I'd have thought it's likely that access will be monetarised more often than denied outright. And you never know, maybe we'll see a Big Society flavour to the selloff with community buyouts favoured, etc. -
FC, the future? local management?
RichardT replied to Charlieh's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
You may be right. OTOH a shooting syndicate that's forked out good money to buy what sounds like a nice piece of high amenity value woodland might feel less inclined to turn it into a slum. -
FC, the future? local management?
RichardT replied to Charlieh's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Well, diversity is a function of wider policy objectives and whatever funding mechanisms etc. are used to pursue them, it's not IMO a question of the FC being inherently more predisposed to sympathetic management than private landowners. Either a diversity 'premium' is paid to the FC directly, or via cross-subsidies from its amenity activities, or it goes in grants etc. to landowners. Economic incentives, either way. Of course it depends what regulatory teeth are left to the FC (or another body...?). -
FC, the future? local management?
RichardT replied to Charlieh's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
I doubt private buyers will be daft enough all to unload their newly acquired timber at once, they're investors. And it's not as if vast swathes of Sitka monoculture constitute a national landscape treasure. -
That's more or less all I do apart from some thinning, but the 30/31 was worth it for a number of reasons. You can read up all the relevant content instead, but it isn't the same as working alongside a skilled and experienced trainer. The reduced back pain from observing/copying good snedding technique was worth the cost alone.
-
You're all mad, haven't you watched Wallander? You'll end up debarked, fed through a chipper or processed into dripping firewood-sized chunks.
-
You might want to look at "Tractor and Machinery" magazine, it's basically vintage tractor porn but there are usually quite a few DB, MF, etc. loader machines in the classifieds, and many of the sellers are enthusiasts rather than gimlet-eyed dealers.
-
Re 1390, saw owner's son in the pub, he thinks pa is still considering a restoration but so far as he's concerned, quote: "you can have it for free provided you take the old c**t with it". He's going to have a word and see if it's still turning over happily. I suspect it may take a while, or a bereavement, but I'll let you know.
-
There's a dead 1390 down the road, engine fine but box terminal apparently. I'll check if he's finally abandoned the threatened rebuild. I had a spare 4/49 but that went early this year. Tried the DBTC presumably?
-
Made here: Sixfold LLC - Firewood processor Klapi-Tuiko fabrication, forestal equipment. : Klapi-Tuiko firewood processor Look pretty solid, but 205mm max logs.
-
Investment-type woodland is fetching good money at the moment, we just sold part of ours (mainly commercial sw) for around 35% over asking price. You'd expect the hobby/small amenity end of the market to be a bit softer, but it doesn't seem to be happening yet, I'd wait for a year or two.
-
We got PP to build house & shed/barn in our mainly sw plantation (c100Ha) on the strength of a fairly thorough business plan for a specialist livestock enterprise. The LA had been stung previously on comparable applications which were flogged as 'equestrian properties' or the like immediately on completion, so there were numerous Section 75 clauses attached on required investment in the business, restrictions on partial land sales, etc. Attitudes will vary massively by Authority, I imagine. In the Highlands the 'Forest Crofting' model is being actively pursued, with limited success as I understand it. I've visited this impressive example, there are others in the area: Dunbeag | Woodland Regeneration & Sustainability Project
-
The chassis is described as having "exceptional rigidity and torsional resistance", which doesn't sound much like the twisty mog frames of yore. Perhaps this model is designed mainly with on-road communal use in mind?
-
I put a trouble-free 90k miles on a 3.1 and on the strength of that replaced it with a 3.0 trade-in from a main dealer with documented recall work. It has not been trouble-free: clutch, delaminated flywheel, turbo, injectors, temperamental push-button 4wd rather than the old stick....a good tug and comfortable M'way cruiser but I think Isuzu had lost interest in anything but pickups by the end of the Trooper run. The choice of swb 4x4 vans is pretty limited these days sadly. You could always get a brand-new Lada Niva.......
-
As mentioned upthread, UK importer is Artcom Tradebridge, in Nairn I think. they also import Swedish construction machinery and own the old Scot-Track business. I've the Jan 2010 pricelist as a pdf (was current as of 1 July), quotes basic 2055 a £5859, £6929 w/combi cart. Can post as attachment/mail. The Manufacturers also do a 'Wheelhorse', basically a 2wd traction head mated to a Kranman drive trailer, about £20k ex factory: Hjulhästen There's this too, as an Ironhorse alternative, no idea on cost: Oxen Minilunnare Or for those who prefer to ride in comfort: RangeRunner by Mac's Trax, Inc. | TerraTrack Grand Rapids, Michigan
-
Pls put me on any mailing list re courses, or informal look'n'learn / muck in. Had a day with Mark Turnbull a couple of years back, interesting but basically just a ratch around his yard/stables and a look at the kit. May have watched you working at a Kielder open day 5-6 years back?
-
The old Case/DB drott dug the footings for our house and hacked some tracks through the wood, but was slow, uncomfortable and constantly threw tracks on hidden stumps etc., so I swapped it for the MF50 which was useful but big and numb, so that got Ebayed to a Brit who shipped it to his place in Spain to grub up old olive trees... At the moment the only digger here is the 1962 Mcconnel backhoe bought for £100 from a local farm sale and put on the back of the Goldoni compact as & when required. Surprisingly fast and strong but no subframe so care is needed.....
-
From the album: misc
-
From the album: misc
-
From the album: misc
-
700 Stumps ground out & Crane fed chipper hire???
RichardT replied to benedmonds's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
Aye, plenty of grinders, but that thing appears to split stumps in place, haul the resulting debris onto the surface and chop it into readily mulchable chunks, all in one pass. Depends on the tree and the ground though I imagine, on a big hardwood stump it seems to work more like a giant pencil sharpener, slower than a big grinder though without the flying debris.....All academic though, none sold nearer than Germany apparently.
