Rupe

I wonder if the primer is just there for after refuelling? You know how 200's can be a bit slow at restarting after running out of fuel?

Its still good sport, and I bet he's a good commercial climber aswell who makes his money out of the job.

Yes, that does look dull!!!

Is northumbria in scotland now?

I'm still nto sure its as good for mid air adjustment than a hitch? In the video he is making some good swings but not really descending in mid air. Descending with feet on branches/trunk yes. Check this video, bit old now and poor camera angle, but the jump at 0.51 and he final descents would be hard with a SJ. Apparantly he's improved since this though! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuevLwIUHh8]YouTube - Workclimb Ireland 2006[/ame]

I have a 252, bought second hand off of vermeer five years ago. In that time I have replced the front bearings once and thats it. Maybe changed the oil and all filters once, and teeth of course but no other expense. It just runs and runs, but I dont use it that regularly, maybe 2-3 days a month. Have just changed to green teeth, or yellow jackets vermeer call them. Seem to be an improvment, certainly easier to change. Saw the new ones at the show with all the prescence sencers and that, not sure how keen I would be with that but its probably a good thing.

Well thank you sir, I'm too modest!! I think I remember, I had the slackest VT ever which would hardly grip, great for comp climbing!! Basically a new hitch that has not bedded in yet is best!

The SJ wont make you that quick. Me thinks that guy is plenty quick enough an any type of hitch, he just happens to have practiced with the SJ a bit. Practice makes you quick not the gear you have.

The exact same can be done with a VT, even better I would dare to say, though not from me! Good control of the SJ though!

I got my first chipper on lease hire becasue then I wasn't vat registered so I paid the vat monthly for the duration but knowing i was still not the owner of the machine was not great. Its like the machine is just a monthly cost not an asset. Then when I was vat registered I traded it in for a new one (hadn't finished the payments yet bu tgot more for trade in than I owed) which was on HP. I paid the vat up front and had no vat bill that quarter then am still making the payments now but over a shorter term at better rates, but that is partly to do with lower interests rates compared to when I got the first one. I have sinced un registered for vat, but I have already claimed the vat back on the chipper so no worrries. I bet that is no help whatsoever!!

Oh, ok, so you just replace the flat file as and when not the whole thing? Thats not so bad then.

So would you just use use it once per chain, say mid way through its life to get it back on track? That way it might last long enought to justify itself, but if used for everysharpen that is too expensive!

Usually its the green lead in the front of the handle, its got a spade conector (female) on the end which gets pulled off it male counterpart. But recently I had the same problem and it wasn't that lead and it was hard to see what the problem was, but further in behind the green cable is a black one and this too has a female spade conector on the end. Mine had broken off, so not come unconected but actually snapped off. I was able to slice on another conecter from an old saw and all fixed. Have another look, it must be one of those connectors.

15 it is then!

Er, no 15 is the middlest length so thats fine then!

Thats where I disagree then, NEVER go for the biggest bar a saw can take as it will under power the saw.

As a very basic rule of thumb (that can be changed at any time) I would say if there a three bars available get the middle one, and if there are four available then get the second from smallest. As I say this is just a general rule but works for most stihl saws, I dont know much about the husky ones though.

We were climbing tall willows yesterday in the wind, no way I would have done them with a MEWP! Another problem I have with MEWPS (and cranes) unless you own one you obviously have to hire them in, so if you book one 2 weeks in advance and the day comes and the weather is wet and really windy, waht do you do? All risk assessments start with select suitable work for the weather, yet if you are going to get the bill for the hire charges many firms skip that bit and get on with it. MEWPS in the slightest wind (not breeze) are not fun at all!!

Question for Paul Is it a requirment then from either the AA or HSE that all tree companies have someone with a valid MEWP ticket? i.e. How can you consider a MEWP and decide to climb anyway if you aren't qualified to use a MEWP in the first place? I am sure you could hire one in with an operator but if a company has never done this they cannot be aware of the possibilities/limitation of MEWPS and so cannot make a decision based on experience wether to use a MEWP or climb? I hold a MEWP ticket, and have used them enough times to know exactly when and where they are good, I'm also ok at climbing trees, so I believe that puts me in a better situation when I decide on my work method for a job than someone who has never used a MEWP.

Agreed. The question wasn't about weather they are safer or not. I agree I would rather be in the tree, and it is more fun to climb. I hate MEWPS and I never feel safe in them. The one (well two, but the same model) in my pics above are 30m ish and you can drive them along from while at full height extension. Stuff that!! But tree work is a business and a MEWP is a tool. If one company quotes 6K to spend two weeks climbing every tree in a quatermile length of roadside and I can do it for 5k in 4 days, I can pay the MEWP hire out of my 5K and my day rate is still way higher than the other comanies. Winning jobs at the highest possible day rate/least amount of days overall is what we are all after and the MEWP can be the way to do it. But its rare that its the best method. I have used one on less than 20jobs in nearly as many years. Need one next week though, must remember to book it!

Hers another, just road side deadwood. Dead Wood Removal from 40+ Lime trees with MEWP | Facebook

Can depend on the job though. A platform can speed up a job so that even including the hire costs the job is cheaper than if climbed, and more efficient/proffitable. Heres one example, roadside lime trees to be cut back over about a quarter mile but nothing dead or dangerous. Roadside Lime Trees. Cutting back overhanging branches | Facebook

Welcome to the farce that is Loler inspecting!! Unless you make a substantial amount out of it, I doubt the effort you went to, plus the effort and cost of getting PI insurance will eb worthwhile. Dont get me wrong though, I think doing the course was a good thing, for the knowledge you now have, but actually doing loler inspections on other peoples minging kit sucks!!! I would suggest that you just tell people which bits of their kit would fail an inspection if they were to go somewhere else and get one done, then sell them new kit. That way all their kit would pass an inspection if they ever got round to it, and if they dont buy the new kit from you then at least they know there old stuff would fail. No paperwork, no insurance, no worries, simples!! The first time someone brings you a stinking set of un marked kit, you will wonder why your life has come to this! Am I being pessimistic? My glass is half empty tonight !!

I dont notice any difference from standard blades, they dull as quickly or as slowly depending on how you look at it. I change mine often though 20hrs max, so I like to have lots of pairs of blades and send 3 pairs at once to be sharpened. Staturn is the best way to go if you want to have lots of blades. They use the exact same steel as TW blades, cant speak for other makes but I guess they do. But using them will void your warranty. Havign said that I have been using them on my brand new TW since day one as I already had 4 pairs or part used ones from my old machine. 2 years on and I'm still using the 4 old saturn ones and the new ones that came with the chipper are still in their wrapper.

As long as your chipper is no longer under warranty you will be fine.