Rupe

For top security it would be best practice to use two karabiners together so the gates oppose each other. One is safe, but you will be away from it so you cant keep an eye on it. The only minor risk is it rubbing against the trunk if you end up going round the tree, and then it could possibly open. Two opposing krabs would nver both open. Of course, if you have two revolvers, and a sling, they you have got yourself a cambium saver anyway!

Yep, bartletts had lockers that locked like that.

We could tell him he is selling (trying to sell) faulty wood!! If it wasnt faulty it would still be standing. E bay wouldnt like people selling faulty goods!!

I think your right, but didnt want to get all "liability" with him. Imagine the kind of person who might be tempted to do this getting stuck under it when it rolls over onto him! I would think that ther eis plenty of fallen trees around at the moment for the oportunist types to just go and help themselves anyway.

Hope you didnt send that? Not exactly proffessional.

Thats the spirit!!

If you really could just take the wood then maybe, but I dont think that is what they are after, and I doi think it would be damaging to the industry. At the least they should be covering your costs for the day, and the wood can be the profit depending on what you choose to do with it and what size you can take it out in. If you are short of work then there must be better things to do with you time than allow muppetts like this to sit back and get paid for this kind of thing.

I went with this.......... Hi. Sorry I cant help but respond to this "auction". The skills and equipment required to clear this tree are worth far more than the timber that might come from it. If the trunk is in good condition then someone might cut all the branches off it and take the trunk in one piece if they can get a crane close enough to lift it, but they wouldn't clear all the debris. You need a qualified and insured tree company to clear that for you, if they have to cut the wood up small to remove it then it will be virtually worthless, at best they might knock £50 off the bill for the wood, or leave you with the wood all cut up so that you can sell it. There is no way someone is going to pay you, and then bring £20k+ worth of kit along to clear that up. Get quotes in for the work, look on the net for tree companies in your area (I can recomend some) if your lucky your insurance might pay you some of the costs. BTW most reputable companies are rushed off there feet clearing stuff like this ATM. I think a few more should send similar (polite) messages, and we will see if anyone gets a response.

We really ought to be telling them some facts! I'm clearing an oak tomorrow for the appropriate amount of £££'s and keeping the wood.

Was called out to this oak on sunday, only to cut it back from the house, no damage at all except the the beech hedge under it. Will clear it tomorrow. Roads closed on my way there though due to trees!

Do you con quite a large area then.!!

Way more than that, 5m ish, but dont have it to hand sorry. I usually just put out everything I have got, unless Im hiring in TM and then I leave them to it.

Exactly. Grinding is just grinding. Removing is not the same as grinding. I do stump grinding. I can remove the stuff, but thats extra and the original quotes/spec are very clear. Also removing soil and woodchip/shreds from one site just to put them in another to decompose is contrary to my environemental policy, thats burning diesel for no reason, and I dont like working for clients who dont give a dam about the environment, especially government bodies, they need to be looking at their carbon footprint.................. I could go on, usually the client has given up by this point.

The people on benefits should be made to go round and wake up the working folk of this country with a nice cup of tea and toast, and if not then no benefit. Except I dont want them round at my door in the morning!

Yep, get you know. Like I give firewood (unsplit, unseasoned, rarely even cut up) away for free to people who get me thousand pound tree work jobs. It all a good balance to me.

Well spotted!! I can now see the gaps in the hedge where the others were.

How come you were using your gear on a rigging course? How come you even have the gear if you havnt done the course? And how come, when the instructor told you it was ok for the wood to hit the bollard, you believed him? Clearly its not ok for a large lump of wood to hit something expensive, ever! Move the bollard, or get the climber to move his cut so it falls away from the bollard (same as moving the bollard) or put it away and chog down the last bit. The whole point of these bollards is to reduce shockloading, and you need space for this, space so you have lots of rope in use and space for the object to fall abit before being stopped. Snatching is a term for not letting stuff run, its outdated and should not be used IMO. Negative blocking is a bit pretentiouse but maybe its more descriptive. Snatching could be taught on rigging courses as its a historically relevant technique, but it refers to topping strops and ropes wrapped round tree trunks, any lowering using blocks and bollards should not involve any "snatching".

When I do the odd tree job for mates its always for free, as a favour, until they ask me to clear up and take the stuff away, then its not a favour its work!! For movign furniture etc. which I do quite a lot, I would never accept money in my hand, but if they are in the van with me and they put a tenners worth in the tank then thats fine, and I appreciate the fact that they even think about it. Most of my friends are not tradesman, they are employed office types, and they generally think my company is paying for fuel etc and that is somehow seperate from me!! But if its only a few miles round town then its no worrries, if they are married/attached then a decent meal or tea and cakes is good, and if not then beer usually in return, which ends up with me getting the next round and by the end of the evening everyone has lost count and no one cares anyway.

Sorry, the word "worth" sounded like you meant in monetry terms. How would you measure worth?

You shouldnt put monetry values on favours IMO. Then its not a favour. Its your time you are giving up that is the favour, the cost is not so important if its a sunday. Imagine if you want to talk to them about some thing in your life, and you take up a few hours of their time? Cant put a value on that, thats what mates are for.

Your probably not insured when doing favours for mates. If you have a commercial policy then it needs to be for work. Of course if you have private use aswell then you can drive it to the shops no worries, but favours for mates, is that private use or another comercial work thats not insured? Its somewhere in the middle. Not that I care, its only insurance, I have helped mates move house loads of times, I love it when they think they are getting a bargain and then I turn up in a dirty LDV with some mouldy old wet woodchip in the back!! Ha Ha!!

Depends on the abuse!! When I started I was told you have ten years or until your 30, whichever is the sooner. But things have changed a lot since then, and climbing is easier. I think working full time for a company where time limits everything will wear anyone out pretty quickly though. I dont climb to strict time shedules anymore because its not worth it, but having said that I am quick enough to get things done on time due to good planning and efficiency rather than strength/energy.

Do you mean the streetview pic? or the first of Craigs two pictures?

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but in the tree boat you definatly need a pile of clothes/bags/pillows under your knees to keep them bent and comfy, but a really good comfy nights sleep can be had.

Thats a propper topping Craig!! Pollarding should be lower if its to be done at all IMO. So that regrowth is managable. What you have there is just a bigger problem waiting to happen. Was it highways health and safety scaremongering that caused it to be done like that? Cant have full grown trees near roads you know! If they start doing that in Cheltenham I will go mental! (more mentaller)