monkeybusiness

It sounds like you've been using a blunt machine if you've experienced all of those problems. I like the disk blades personally, and find they last longer than straight blades before they need turning/replacing. The only time we had any blockage issues was when a baffle was damaged at the bottom of the chute and oversized chip was getting out of the chipping chamber - once that was rectified the problem stopped. I love the letterbox feed - the tw190 is a good machine but you have to do a lot more snedding than with a GM. The 6 inch TW and Jensens are horrible to use after you've fed an equivalent GM - the hoppers and feed rollers are tiny in comparison. In fairness to TW, I think their stress control is the best on the market, but you can adjust it on the GM if you speak to the right people and set it up the same way. It is quite unbelievable that 'the UK's most popular chipper' has bearings that can't be greased and fail every couple of hundred hours - how this design fault got through (and continues to be produced AND people continue to buy them) is beyond me. You can grease everything that moves on the GM - if you aren't lazy with your maintenance then nothing should wear out/break. The Jensens are overpriced and have some very poor design features IMO (feed control/shute adjuster/stress control unit/cable tensioner on top feed roller are all points of weakness). Pound for pound I feel they offer poor value for money, as do the Scheislings (or however you spell it). There are some good American machines but they are MASSIVE and heavy. The only time I saw a small Bandit working was at the APF a few years ago and it couldn't even feed itself (and this was on their demo stand...). Don't even get me started on tracked machines - there really is nothing else that comes close to a Safetrak.

If you need more bods for large tree felling give me a shout - sometimes the courses need numbers in order to run and I've got a couple of lads who need medium/large trees and windblow. You should also try Terry Crick - he runs courses all over the place, isn't a million miles from you and is a top man. He's on here - I think he's called apex arb. If you Google Terry Crick Apex Arboriculture you'll find him.

Looks like a sense of humour deficiency is in evidence around here!

What would you put ahead of them then? And why?

Try a 1928 or a 1623 if you get a chance (I haven't used a quadchip yet but hear they are even better than the 1623) - I can only imagine your poor experience stems from using some of the older designed machines. I was sceptical until I demo'd one - if you compare like for like there isn't another machine in their respective classes that come close in terms of performance imo. The opposition to the brand is amazing, and probably not helped by the cross-over of products in different size categories and the similarity in appearance throughout the range - with the exception of the quadchip they all look much the same - an appearance that hasn't progressed drastically over the years. A greenmech with a letterbox feed is a totally different animal to the square feed machines in the range - we stepped down from a 9 inch machine to a 7.5 inch (reluctantly, but the price was right) and have actually been blown away by the increase in performance. Pm me your best best price on the alpha machine Pete, let's find out how far apart we are...

Where's your second anchor point?

I need to post another thank you to Greenmech - they only seem to employ great people! Peter in parts has sorted me out superfast, and Mac has taught me a little trick over the phone that made an awkward job very easy. These guys are always on hand on the rare occasion that their assistance is needed, and their knowledge of their products is unbelievable! Thank you guys, you're mega! (Now get sharpening that pencil Pete B, you're letting the side down...).

If they have been linesmen's gaffs (most have as the utility companies love them) then they will be short. If you can walk around in them and the tips are off the ground then they are short, if the tips are almost flush with the bottom of the gaffs then they are long. I personally prefer long for tree climbing, but some of my lads prefer short. I'd stick with what you're using if you're happy with them. As for price, make me an offer. (I don't know for certain if I can find them - I'll have a butchers tomorrow). I do know that they are still in their unopened packaging (shrink-wrapped onto cardboard) - the issue is whether they have gone walkies!

Do you want long or short gaffs? I may have some brand new short (ie pole climbing) gaffs knocking around if I can find them.

Neither. I've got both - we bought 4x 362s at the apf and they're not as well made/durable as the older Stihl products. They are very plasticky and don't have the same grunt as the 361, and feel bulkier in use. They happily pull a 20 inch bar all day, and the engines haven't let us down yet though. On off switches, throttle handles etc are useless, and we've had a problem with needle roller bearings on 2 of them. I doubt I'll buy another. However, the 560 is a total waste of time. They feel nicely balanced and are much smaller and lighter than the 362, but in use I think they perform like a saw from the next class down ie a ms261. The one I've got isn't as powerful as the 362. The real icing on the cake is the reliability issues - mine doesn't work half the time, so isn't actually fit for purpose. Husky have had it back trying to fix it for 3 weeks - apparently it's now sorted but I'll be having my money back if not when I finally get it back. I wouldn't touch one with a bargepole if I was you.

The Somerset tree is very very good - it might be time for you to give up that job in Argos and think about starting a career in this carving game! Defo up for a pint - we're about to have our second child (it's arriving on the 8th apparently) so I'm a little tight for time at the mo, and will be more so for a few weeks after then! However, there is talk of us doing some tree cutting in N. Wales so I might be able to find an excuse to hunt you down on the way home one evening...

All good here Si - hope life's good at your end. Loving John and his daughter with the hand - fantastic pics! I'd love to see your risk assessment for that though... Have you got any links to the job you did in Somerset - all I can find is a little pic on their website (which looks kool, but I'd like to see more!)?!

I think he also operates as Shades of Green - 01925740995. He's a top man!

You've come on a bit since I showed you how to carve those mushrooms mate...

Nantwich canal centre stock them if that's of any use - I had to return one because it was noisy and they were great about it. I've got both the 2 and 3 blade versions and can't honestly notice much difference in their performance but they are absolutely brilliant!

I think they are early versions of what are now Bearcat, and the blades etc cross over (but I might be wrong).

What's the Ranger with the Insas like to drive on the road? Will it corner/stop ok in the wet?

You could do with a Safetrak to pull your little orange German toys out when you get them stuck I reckon...

You can't open the eye - you have to undo the slide strap off your harness and feed it through (it might not be big enough for all harnesses though). I prefer the small Petzel swivel combined with a normal karibiner personally, as you can use it with larger Mongoose style karibiners (providing you attach it to your harness the right way up). I find it easier to tie 2 ropes into a large karibiner than the smaller mouth fitted to the 3-way on your swivel. I would be very wary of undoing that allen bolt - I'm sure it is not designed to be undone and may subsequently come loose in the future...

I can't believe you've used the Greenmech and are considering anything else! The TW and Jenson are both very good machines but don't offer anywhere near the all round use-ability of the Safetrak. It will out-chip both, and has the best off-road capabilities of any chipper I've used. It is phenomenally powerful in the tracking department too - we've dragged some seriously big timber with ours and it keeps on pulling. It is heavy though, which I would say is its only real downside when it comes to towing it around.

Mine cuts out under load, so has gone back. MS361 kicks its ass.

They are great - a lot of people seem to turn their noses up at Greenmech (some of their early machines had the odd design flaws which was a shame as I think some people had bad experiences) but I can't recommend them (and the 1928 in particular) highly enough. They are also an incredibly helpful company to deal with if you ever have the odd issue. Contact Pete B on here and see if he'll sort you out a demo. You'll do a lot less snedding with a 1928 than with a tw190. I honestly don't believe there is a better sub 10" machine on the market.

Have a look at a Greenmech 1928 - they'll out perform the Timberwolf all day long.

Or Midland Road Springs 0121 351 6229- I put these on mine on the back and it makes a big difference. The guy there knows his stuff, I think it is a pretty common mod.

I bought one on Weds (my first Husky) and it keeps cutting out under load. I'm sure it is just a glitch, but I have to say I'm not hugely impressed... I think I'll stick with Stihl from now on, as I've never had a problem with one that wasn't my own fault! In fairness to the 560, it feels nice and sounds great when it is working, so I hope it can be sorted out.