monkeybusiness

Just seen this thread - the picture shows a lovely tree with great amenity value, well worth preserving! Obviously the neighbour is a NIMBY, the parish council are corrupt, and the 'Tree surgeon' doesn't know his arse from his elbow... With luck the tree will be saved, and continue being a fantastic example of a rapidly declining species in a lovely publicly accessible environment! I can't help but feel there is possibly a bit more to this than reported here somehow. What we apparently know is that there is a report stating that the tree has structural defects, and a land owner has requested its removal. The OP suggests that there is a grey area with regards ownership. (Who commissioned the tree report - it would appear to be part of a larger survey?) In reality I would imagine the fate of this tree will be determined by liability - the Parish council are probably trying to exonerate themselves from any future issues (and who can really blame them). It is a shame that this tree might be felled but this is the world we live in today unfortunately. If it is saved from the chop, in 6 months time the local electricity company will be along to cut most of the side out of it anyway as it has grown through the open wire LV overhead, threatening to disrupt the village's electrical supply (not to mention the danger it poses to the local children who could easily climb it and electrocute themselves). Unless one of the included unions fails first of course (rare in Aesculus hippocastanum apparently)...

Agree with Rye oil - great product at a great price!

Yeah, we work for a number of the big players and sing to their tune. As said, I have no issue with training when new information is taught/learned. The assessment you sat in Newcastle I'd imagine was the touch screen health and safety test, which can be sat by anyone without having to attend the ROLO course. The ROLO course combined with passing that test then gets you the green card. I'm interested to know what industry specific info is taught on the ROLO course as £175 plus the day's wages plus lost earnings is a significant investment for an employer. Other trades pay significantly less to get their associated cards, but they sit the same health and safety touch screen test...

That's alright then - I was under the impression that it is an overpriced box ticking exercise (and two course providers basically suggested it was to me as well)... A good tutor makes all the difference to be fair. Out of interest what was covered that NPTC training and assessment doesn't touch on? From an employers' point of view I don't have a problem investing in training if it benefits my staff (ie they come away with new skills/knowledge). I am frustrated by what appear to be an increase in barriers to work that are occasionally nothing more than revenue generating exercises concocted by training providers. Recently we had to do a manual handling course as the last one we completed (12 months ago) had a 12 month expiry date on the certificate! One of our clients picked up on the fact that the certificates had effectively run out - if there was no expiry date they would have been happy as their box was ticked (we had proof that we had completed the relevant course).

The firm whose number I gave above are called mwmac - big thumbs up from me (super helpful and got the job sorted!).

Ouch for him then! Did you come away having learned anything new?

Call 01597 810306 - I don't remember the name of the organisation but they are based somewhere in mid Wales or the borders. I recently needed an NPTC quad assessment ASAP and was happy to pay the necessary and travel anywhere in the UK to get it. I rang every training provider I could find, Lantra, the NPTC, put a request on here etc etc. Totally hopeless - the best I was offered was TKF and the girl on the phone quoted me £400 plus bike hire and then still couldn't be bothered to try to arrange anything. A Gator hire company passed me the number above, they lined up an assessor to come to my yard early on the following Saturday morning, he duly turned up and sorted me a quad and tractor assessment - it was all good and the right money! The bonkers thing was that he is an assessor at the local Ag college who were my first port of call, and they flatly stated that they couldn't do anything for a couple of months... NPTC as an organisation are yet again a total waste of time IMO - there should be a database of assessors somewhere to allow people to arrange assessments with assessors. The training facilities appear to largely have no flexibility and don't seem to care!

Your NPTC tickets are the benchmarks for treework - just get the most basic (ie cheapest) CSCS card you can find as this will almost definitely be asked for before most site managers even entertain looking at your actual real qualifications. IME as long as you have a plastic CSCS card of any colour with your photo the box is ticked and you're allowed on site.

Guess not - good luck with the anvil!

Every GM shear bar I've done has been turnable, but I've had a couple come out cracked in half. They are pretty dear but don't need replacing very often. They can be a pig to get out...

That restriction on the right is what I'm talking about. Have you had any luck finding your fault?

Or 200t!

Didn't stop them with the 260, 361, 660 etc etc...

Are you sure it's not something daft like a split turbo hose?

I don't think there are websites for pro tree surgeons to be honest!

I did that a couple of weeks ago - it's an impressive set up! Great fun too!

Perfecto - by my reckoning that means that you now have £480 to spend on beer this weekend then! Happy days!

10-4 rubber duck!

If you've got one that's damaged it would be cheaper to get it re-cored and would effectively be a brand new radiator once done.

I'm looking for an artic load (or just under )of biggish (12inch and upwards) larch in Cheshire if anyone has any or knows of some? I can collect if necessary. Cheers, Dan.

I think he's referring to the hydraulic motors and pumps, not the 'engine' (English for 'motor'). That wasn't meant to sound as arsey as it possibly does by the way!

It depends on the ram and the vehicle mount point. If it's been fitted to a 3 way tipper the chances are that it has been positioned pointin straight up off the chassis when closed/shut - and is probably a multi stage short closed ram.You need to make sure that it won't foul on the propshaft during suspension travel and that it will tip the bed to a steep enough angle to ensure that it actually works as a tipper. There's a bit to think about!

7 acres of mulching big stumps on a hillside in a day is going some! There can't be many machines capable of that sort of productivity around - what do you have in mind?

You'll get more than that as the tyres have a much deeper sidewall. I'd be careful dragging a road going trailer off road behind a tractor - the Ifors are pretty strong but a tractor/stump/rut/Rock combo will quickly rip off brake cables and bend those skinny little axles without you even noticing...

Dozer and/or excavator, massive windrow, job done. That's what they were doing in New Zealand (on a larger scale) when I was out there 8 years ago. You lose a bit of grazing but should save a lot of money processing the stumps. Doesn't sound as though the land is going to end up particularly valuable or productive, so I'd be looking for the lowest cost option personally.