Rupe

Surely you just hire yourself out at a day rate which is profitable for you. Then if you create less logs than the amount the customer has paid you then tough for them but at least they got the windblown tree down. For example, I have a job next week. Limb off an Ash tree to remove and cut into rings. Cost to customer 200 quid. He'll be lucky to get 100 quids worth of logs from it (I'm not splittign any) but at least it gets the limb removed. If he just wants wood then he can go buy some. One problem you may face is that you say its "friends" that have asked you. Don't forget that real friends will want you to have a happy and financially fulfilled life and therefore they will gladly pay you the going rate for your time and equipment. If they are expecting cheap logs then just sell them some poplar and have done with it. I do mates rates jobs occassionally. They have to help ALL DAY, and do the clearing up and make tea and hot meals and provide beer, then I'll knock off the costs of the extra employee I would have had to bring and the profit that that employee would have got me. Thats mates rates. If they go out for the day and expect the job done when they get back then its full price plus a bit extra so that they feel good about keeping a roof over my head!

I see where your coming from! Ideally with a crane you would tip tie everything. But in this case where the crane isn't tall enough, you could butt tie, but that would overload (risk of) the crane. So you would have to rig normally then pick the peices up off the ground with the crane. Which is what I meant by "pick up big lumps from back gardens". So it would be ok for lifting branches/lumps etc. but not for the actual dismantling of the tree. In my opinion. Interestign thing to own though!!

1.5 ton at 22 meters and only 21 meters tall, not really suitable for "big takedowns". It would, however, pick up big lumps from back gardens, but thats about all. Still it does look like good value, so far.

But you've only saved yourself 1.5 feet so you won't fit much of a tool box in. HAve you got a LWB LDV? Ideally you would need an XLWB so you can fit the tool box in as well. Is the tipper steel? Do you know what it weighs? They are easy enough to swap onto other LDV chassis, I've just made my one in the pic.

Nope. Other than tipmaster or some other truck body builders, but they might cost more than your truck!? Got any pics of the project so far?

Like this one?? http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/attachments/large-equipment/19985d1252255477-new-ldv-chip-truck-m.jpg

Did you dry it out and smoke/eat it?

Yes it can blow up in the fire, thats how eucs spread their seed, they depend on forest fires. Sounds like a 200 pound job tops. Get someone in and it will take you longer to make the tea and the whole thing will be gone, instead of 2 days worth of hard work which still leave you with a pile of logs and debris to deal with. But, I fixed my boiler when it went bust! I went on a plumbers forum and got told to get a professional in!! I also got advice and went for it. New PCB installed and its been fine since! But the time I spent on it could have been better spent doing tree work which would have easily paid for a plumber to fix it.

Very informative. Thank you, Sarah. I'll sleep better tonight!

No, he rightly led us to proof that the avdanced arborist does exist!!

Crikey, thats an advanced arborist mate, strewth!!

Ha, ha. That brings back memories, and nightmares!! Where would we be without the inane teachings of the blinkered Mr. ekka. BTW does ekka get deleted out as a swear word? Can we get back to ribbing EA? We had a great day at work today. We have made up an itinery for a two day course in advanced basket weaving. Unfortunatly if we allow enough time for talking about the different properties of various baskets, there won't actually be any time left for any weaving. That is probably a good thing as we don't want to look silly in front of other basket heads! Courses would cost £2500 for groups of 300 or 10 depending on how we feel at the time. Every one must bring me a pie, and you won't need to bring any tools or materials as there won't be enough time for you to show us how its done.

THats the idea, but with two container you can keep the drain plug open and just keep pouring it through.

Thats not a lasso!! Its for rescuing virgins from castles. Not much call for it round these parts. Stay on topic please Peter!!

Here's a demo of some advance throwline technique.

Clean it with more diesel. Just keep pouring the same stuff through the tank, make sure you don't pour any sludge back in, up to you if you seive it out or something. You could use load of kerosene or other special stuff but I would just use the same 10 litres or so of diesel again and again till it comes cleaner and chuck the diesel after.

We're still laughing.

Your teaching advanced climbing!! Ha ha ha! Does it include throwline?? My guys are still crying with laughter from watchign you trying to get up a Poplar tree!!

Aren't they know as Renault Dis 'aster? And the other vans are the Renault tragic (traffic). Not that i know anything, I've got an LDV. (Late Due to Vehicle)

Cheap biscuits?? Send the HO off to get some dutchy originals or tell em you won't finish the job!!

"I agree with Ian there. Need experience before you start working as subbie." I think this is what is known as a moot point. You won't get any work if your not experienced so the problem won't arise.

Yes, sure, but at least you know what you want to do? I agree, if this chap needs to ask what sort of work he could do then he probably can't actually do much. I don't agree with Ian that this makes him a danger to himself due to lack of experience because he won't get any work in the first place so won't be a danger to anyone!! My reply would be. If you are good at massive crane takedowns then go and do that on a sefl employed basis for companies that need that kind of thing, and if your good at sweeping sawdust off the road then go and do that instead. I agree with Ed, it was a trick question!

Why 17.5% ??

My silky pole pruner broke (the mechanism) so went back to my old Wolf one. Its perfectly good, maybe can't manage the same thickness buit its ok. We also have brushes and handles which can be interchanged. Also the big mettle rake is man enough for stumpgrindings when most rakes are not.

Laburnum:Totally poisonous tree, acrid smoke, taints food and best never used. logs list properties.doc