Gnarlyoak

Spot on. Had searched for many years for a warm waterproof glove to wear at this time of year to try and protect my hands from the worst ravages of arthritis pain that cold & damp weather caused me. Tried many different make; models and materials of glove until I found these. IMHO the "dogs"! Work for me but do start wear after 3/4 weeks climbing and become noticeably less grippy when hauling yourself up a rope! But they are still serviceable (ie: warm & waterproof) on the ground. A new pair every 3 or 4 weeks plus plenty of still useful old pairs (until they rip or holed) kicking about the van still worth it at just £7 a pop. They are warm; waterproof; offer great manual dexterity, but no good for swiping right on your smart phone, and sadly are mainly black with a flash of fluorescent green between the fingers. But they are warm & waterproof! 👍 https://www.safetygloves.co.uk/ejendals-tegera-517-insulated-waterproof-precision-work-gloves.html

FWIW had a mare with my hands for a few years now tried Glucosamine & Borax without any positive or even noticeable results by my personal experience. This winter I started taking Boswellia Extract along with Tumeric, now I can't tell if its one or the other or both in combination but for the first time in a long time the gnawing nagging ache in my fingers on cold damp days &/or after climbing is much diminished. Perhaps a little ironic that given the occupation you just have to learn to trust the tree. Boswellia is made from the dried sap of the Indian Frankinsense Tree!! Boswellia serrata Boswellia serrata - Wikipedia EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG You can get it on the high street at Holland & Barrett, but it's usually bulked out with loads of other crap you don't need. So have a flit around the tinterweb to find a clean extract with a ton of bulking agents added to it. I've used these and found them to be surprisingly effective :- Clean Genuine Boswellia Extract + Uptake Blend WWW.GOOGLEADSERVICES.COM Clean Genuine Boswellia Extract 8,208mg (Boswellic Acid 533.5mg) + uptake blen. Made in the UK with Love

No if or buts about protected or pest species under the relevant 1981 law ALL nests & brooding birds are protected. Period. About 12 years ago I was ordered out of an oak tree I was dead wooding by an RSPCA officer because there was a crows nest in the tree, and we had been reported as disturbing a live nesting site by a neighbour. This week, with all the fine weather & gardens full of witnesses (potentially many prying eyes) I've only reduced 5 syccy's out of a group of 6 because the 6th tree had an active magpie's nest in the top of the crown. Tenant wasn't too happy (they'd been waiting 18 months for H.A. to pull their finger out), but understood the situation. Bitter sweet irony that in the next few weeks the baby magpie's will probably be dining on baby blue tits; robins and numerous other songbirds. But we still did 5 out of 6 trees, not every tree or hedge for that matter has a nest in this time of year and most old nests are fairly obvious and rarely reused by most bird species, even nesting boxes should be emptied between broods to encourage birds to reuse them. So if there is a nest, there is always another tree job without you can fall back on. The tree/hedge will still be there in a few weeks after the birds have fledged and jogged on. But, when it comes to wood pigeons nesting in conifers for 10months of the year (Feb-Nov) well I'd leave that to each individual's personal conscience!!! Bloody nuisance they are. Shitty varmints!

Wind blown trees with root plate attached have the potential to make your wife a widow in a heartbeat if you attempt to do it yourself without the right tools; knowledge; experience! If you absolutely must have & not be able walk away from a section of that tree; then you have to decide what you are prepared to offer, either in pounds or something else of a bartering value, to get someone in to cut it for you. Seriously man, you could potentially be "smoking in the powder room" if you don't know what you are doing. And if it goes boom you'd be the last to know about it until you're looking down from the heavens on your wife sobbing at your graveside as they lower your coffin in the hole!! Or at the side of your hospital bed wondering what the hell she's supposed to do with a man cabbage in a wheel chair. Is there nobody that you know who has bigger gear and a bit more idea to help you get the section you want/need? Tread carefully and stay safe mate.

Madam, You have most definitely not had your tree reduced by an educated & experienced Arborist. Nor have you had your tree expertly reduced by a skilled & experienced tree surgeon. You do appear to have had your wee taken & bank account pilfered by a butcherer of trees who has left you with an arboricultural embarrassment in your garden. Whatever BS sweet nothings your "arborist" chappy might have whispered in your ear, You might have thought you were talking to Clint Eastwood "Blondie"; you were actually being hood winked by Lee Van Cleef "Angel Eyes"; who in the end gave you an Eli Wallach "Tuco". In other words, in cowboy parlance you thought you were talking to The Good; you were actually talking to The Bad & he most definitely gave you The Ugly! By which time you are sadly hundred's of pounds poorer and even more unhappy with your tree than before. When it comes to tree work, most unenlightened householders a) don't bother getting more than 1 or 2 quotes, b) then go for the cheapest quote anyway. Sometimes it works out OK, other times less so with differing poorer outcomes when compared to expectations &/or potentially ending up at the further end of the scale with the kind of monstrosity you have shown us in your pictures. At this stage you have 3 possible courses of action. 1) Suck it up & live with your mistake and then have it re-pruned by a more reputable & capable tree surgery company in about 5 years time. 2) Get another, but this time reputable tree surgery company in now to fell the remaining monstrosity you have been left with, grind out the stump and replant with a new tree that you can have the pleasure to watch grow during your remaining years at that property. 3) Use your social media accounts & word of mouth to warn all your family, friends and associates not to use the same tree surgery company you did that left you with the back street abortion of a tree you've posted in your pictures. Name & shame dear lady, name & shame to everyone you know, because people who produce that kind of work and take cold hard cash from the unsuspecting public for it should get their comeuppance somewhere. Please note, option 3 can also be used in conjunction with options 1 and 2. But the answer to your original question is NO that is a not an example of a tree reduction that has been done well. Irrespective of species, it matters not whether it is a sycamore or any other, it is the very antithesis of a tree reduction done well! It is certainly a tree that has been reduced, but to sum it up in one word. Appallingly.

Well if you are going to become a European advisor for Echo can you please advise them to make sure they have plenty of spares in stock, in country for their saws please, and available everywhere!! There are a million & 1 outlets all over the web for parts, and bits & bobs for Stihl & Husky saws but a veritable desert for commensurate Echo parts!!! I don't know what it's like for ground saws (I don't own one) but trying to get spares for their top handle saws (I have a CS-360 TES) is a chuffin nightmare. There have been other threads here on AT about the challenges of finding spares for the 2511T so I'm sure it's not an isolated issue for me & my 360. So my advise to Echo would be to buy/rent a big (or bigger) warehouse in the middle of the UK, stock half of it with products you want to sell to the professional user, stock the other half with the spares needed to repair those products when they break. A broken saw or other tool collecting dust on a bench in a workshop whilst trying to source spare parts or waiting for them to be shipped in from the far east or some other far flung global manufacturing point is not going to help the professional user make any money. So if buying an Echo professional work tool means having to endure prolonged down time & wasting more time trying to find spares parts, then I'd be better off spending my hard earned on a Stihl or Husky tool where spares are more readily available and easier to acquire from multiple sources. Otherwise, IMHO, Echo cannot really hope to be a long term viable contender in the UK chainsaw market, and risk just being seen as a small, novel bit part player on the side. As an example, off the shelf parts (when compared to parts I can find for Stihl/Husky) that I am struggling to find (even including on Echo UK's own website) are things like replacement bar; chain sprocket; chain brake spring and or fuel/oil caps. Whilst some official Echo dealerships might have the odd item listed on their own individual websites, I am struck by the prevalence that what few parts are available the majority are listed as "out of stock". Whether this is down to delays along the manufacturing and distribution chain due to Covid or the complex uncertainties brought about by the transition of the UK's departure from the EU's customs union in the run up to Brexit is never clear but "out of stock" smacks of a lack of preparedness and foresight when it comes to Echo's attitude to it's UK after sales market! Whatever new products that Echo might currently have in development to be brought to the marketplace in 2021, if they haven't got an adequate and readily available stock of spare parts to replace bits when they break, then all they are producing is bigger more expensive paper weight to sit on the repairs shelf collecting dust waiting for spares to be sourced from "gawd knows where, gawd knows when"! Just my "two penneth" worth. Thanks.

Cheers Swins, good to know mate. And no, you "REALLY REALLEY" didn't sell me on the TM yet. But I know there must be something good about them as they are always getting recommended but they are also a bit "marmite". 😉 All the best mate.

Spot on mate. I've got slightly compressed L3 & L4 vertebrae in my lower back and the big wide back support on my Kolibri is a godsend. Many moons ago when I climbed in a Komet Butterfly it was torture. So a big back pad is a must really.

Totally agree with all the points you have made. I'd hate to make a costly error, but It's just really not feasible at the moment to travel about the country on a try before you buy scouting mission. Couldn't try a jumper on for size in Next the other week before buying it due to Covid, can see how it might also be a problem bouncing around in half a dozen harnesses in an arb store! And yeah, my gut tells me Skylotech. Always found the Kolibri comfy as, but the new design of the Ignite is a bit of a departure from that. So hence my post to try and get some real world feedback to help shape my perspective.

Not really Carlos. Haven't really got any arb suppliers in my neck of the woods. Closest would be Liverpool, which isn't really that far, but I'm in a Tier 4 Covid area so restrictions on unnecessary travel apply. The other complication is that the retailer in Liverpool only has 1 of my choices in stock, and the other 2 choices they don't stock at all. You are right of course, try before you buy would be preferable but time, distance & pandemics seem to be making life a tad tricky mate.

Aye, you're probably right Lux. I normally like to get my money's worth out of my gear, but it seems these days everything is designed & manufactured to have a limited lifespan, set to self destruct after about a year or just after the warranty runs out forcing you to buy a new replacement!!

Another big up for the Stihl can. 👍🏻 If you think you can save money by buying a Husky can, you will regret it before before summer has come & gone. Anyone thinking of buying one should just set fire to their hard earned cash, then save up & buy a Stihl combi can. Oregon cans are ok, though you might still be better off buying Stihl auto filler spouts (if that's what you're after) for longevity & reliability. If Husky made their saws like they make their cans, it would at least end the ceaseless Stihl saws V Husky saws debate at a stroke.

Which Arbortec model do you go for out of interest.

I had noticed "thumbs up" recommendations for ArbPro Andrew boots in other boot threads on this site. Do they remain consistently good comparable to other popular brands? Anybody else gone for Andrew's without regret or anyone got any negative feedback about them? I do take on board & concur with what others have said about the lack of consistency in the build quality of same model of boots over time. Usually stick with Haix myself, but my current pair have barely lasted 12 months, last pair 18, when previous pairs I've had over half a decade ago lasted over 2 years!

Yes. Thanks spuddog. Usually have to wear two pairs of sock with my current Haix boots, so narrower fit not an issue. Cheers mate, thanks for asking. Edit: though obvs "airstream not the Rock" hence reason for query. Is there a difference & is it worth it?

Nice one. Furrymuff Chris, just the kind of heads up I wanted. Thanks mate ATB for 2021. Take care, be good fella 👍🏻

As a climber: Echo CS2511 10" bar (Small pruning above silky) Stihl MS201 12" bar (Larger pruning; small take downs) Stihl MS200 14" bar (Big pruning; larger take downs) Would rather give up CS2511/MS201 & at least 1 bollock and a garage before my MS200T As a tree surgeon, my ideal garage party would be: Stihl MS200T (12" & 14" bar) Husky 550XP (15" & 18 " bar) Stihl MS441 (20" & 25" bar) Although again 550/441; the garage & both bollocks would be sacrificed before the MS200T. Nuff said! Now jog on son.... nuffin to see hear.... sniff sniff! If I could have only 1 saw with no garage & no bollocks it would be a Stihl MS200T

Airstream or Airstream Rock. So there is about a £50 difference price wise between these two boots. There is a slight difference between the construction; looks and colour of these new boots over the originals, but has anyone actually switched from one style to the other and can say if the switch to the "Rock" was was better or worse than the original? Was it an extra £50 well spent or not worth the money? Must add, that I am looking for a boot that is grippy when in a wet tree on a damp day pishing down with rain, do the "metal granules" hyped in the Airstreams Rock's sole's construction meet the hype of being grippier than those without? Many thanks in anticipation of your frank views.

Soooooo..... Looking to replace my Skylotec Kolibri climbing harness. This has been my harness of choice for last 10 years, I've had 2, 2nd due for retirement roundabouts now. And the new replacement harness will probably be the last and final harness to end my climbing career on. As per, the online searches throws up the usual bewildering plethora of options so vicariously looking for recent upto date anecdotal recommendations from fellow climbers based on their personal purchases or preferences within the last 6 months on the following listed options unless you can make a compelling argument for something different. Based on my current investigations/searches/browsings/musings et al, I'm currently looking at the following list of potential candidates:- Notch Sentinel; Skylotec Ignite or possibly the Simarghu Fire!?!? Struggling a little bit with the idea that the bridge seems to have decidedly moved from a wide strip of fabric with a sliding D ring to a piece of rope with a sliding O ring. But I guess that's progress, eh? And the rope appears more often than not to be attached to the thigh loops rather than at the hip point!?!? Does this make a significant difference? Better or worse? Ideally looking for opinions on the harnesses mentioned above, rather than a generic which harness should I get, based on the individual predilections and preferences of the Arbtalk massive!! Now before the inevitable Tree Motion; Tree motion; Tree motion, mantra from the TM "twatterati" that usually follows such requests for recommendations for a new harness, please be aware that I did once try, albeit quite a few years ago, a TM and personally thought it was a lot of faff for the money. But in honesty & fairness, the trial barely lasted a morning, let alone a day. So if you are going to beat the drum & bleat on about a TM in response to this post, you've really got to sell it to me. No, but I mean REALLY REALLY sell it to me! Before there is the remotest sniff of me spunking my hard earned on such a device ! Please bear in mind that the harness is for an old school climber in the twilight of their years, riddled with arthritis, looking to complete their daily routine in as much comfort and style rather than speed and productivity! Before stiffly marching away and falling to pain filled bits & pieces out of sight of my colleagues in the privacy of my van. Base your recommendations ideally on what made you feel you were most capable of accomplishing your task without feeling overtly fatigued; pained or weary at the end of the day ....or alternatively, the climbing harness equivalent of what type of slippers you'd get your granddad !! .🤪 Age is not just a number, its a buggering bitch!! Many thanks. And may I wish all to stay safe & have a prosperous New Year. Kind regards. Gnarloak

Most generous of you to offer Moose, but aye that there London village is a bit of schlep to Manchester for Husky topper trials. Must confess T540XP not really been of much interest due to issues early doors with build quality and plasticky horrible ness of its outer carcass when they first came out. I was primarily toying with a Stihl 201 because someone had said the newer models had a bit more spunk to them than the earlier version, but this thread does appear to be revealing that to not be the case! I have used both the earlier models when they both first came out and was so unimpressed either with the performance; build quality or both that I decided to keep my treasured 200 running for as long as possible! Have you personally had issues with bits of the husky casing falling apart if you give them so much as a knock or wrong look? Not a Stihl or Husky camp solo tart, will flirt with any machine that will reliably get the job done day in day out whenever you get them out of the van with as few dramas as possible. My stable of saws top & ground, includes Stihl, Husky & Echo.

Interesting responses so far. My initial aim was to try and see if it was worth while getting an electric "TOP HANDLED SAW" or "Topper" as some of us climbers like to refer to them as, and which one. Perhaps unsurprisingly its quickly spiralled down to the lowest level and became the usually Stihl v Husky bun fight, with the 200T still retaining its unshakeable crown as the king of the genre. (Do you think now that we are leaving the EU we could persuade Stihl to eschew EU emission regulations and remake the MS200T just for the UK market?) It is also fairly apparent that unless electric saw owners are being overly coy with their experiences, that a petrol powered top handle is still the way forward. Both my current saws (MS200 & Echo 360) have benefited in the past from being tickled & tweaked by Spud in the past. 200 about a year ago & 360 about 2 years. Always thought that if I had issues with one I'd still have the other as back up. Of course sods law has to come into play and both saws start acting up the same bloody week. So I was debating with myself whether or not it was worth buying a new electric off the shelf that would be a worthwhile investment and a worthy inclusion to my topper collection. By all accounts it would appear money would be better spent by keeping the saws and send them to Spud to work his magic again!

I did, of course. But some pedants just can't help themselves. 🙄

Hello all, toying with the idea of treating myself to a new top handled saw. Just wondering if its time to consider going the electric route or stick to a petrol driven variety. Currently have a MS200T which I predominantly use on take downs & an Echo 360TES which I mainly use for pruning (but I do wish I'd got a 2511T for that instead!) So was considering just getting a new Stihl 201TCM but started thinking that it might be a good time to bite the bullet & get an electrickery saw now instead as sooner or later they'll probably be the only option on offer before much longer (thinking along the lines of you will not be able to buy a new petrol driven car after 2030)! So any regrets or rave reviews from others that have made the switch? Is an electric only a good option for pruning works or can they compete & hold their own on a large take down? Taking down a large oak or beech with my 200 and 14" bar I'd have no qualms about the saw's ability to do the job, but would an electric be struggling by the time the small brash is off and I start chogging the bigger limbs let alone the upper part of the stem of a diameter equivalent to the length of my bar? Then if electric is the route to go down whose electric saw is best, Stihl MSA161T; Husky T540i XP; Echo DCS-2500T; Makita ?? (once upon a time Makita would never have been on my radar, but time & again recently Makita kit seems to get more & more good reviews and thumbs up from other AT members, so is it probably worth considering?!?!) Thoughts, pros & cons, from the esteemed AT collective much appreciated. Thanks

As others have already stated that is not a tree, given its size & location (overgrown & outgrown) worthy of doing anything else but fell, remove & grind out stump. Unless you are desperate for work I wouldn't really consider quoting for anything else. There is no pruning or reduction you can do to that tree that would leave you feeling satisfied & content with your work, that would do your customer justice for the money they will have to pay and make the aspect of that house or the neighborhood look any better. The sentimental value of the tree is an unfortunate wrinkle, but it is not a rare magnificent specimen tree in the grounds of a historic stately home of national importance, it's a massively overgrown shitty Conny in a ridiculously tiny front garden of a non descript ubiquitous late 20th century housing estate. For sentimental reasons finding another use for the timber once felled is an option worth exploring, but I wouldn't want to waste anytime on any other option than complete removal. Alternatively you could cut it square & leave it as a green wall. Cut the height down to the level of the roof's ridge tiles, cut the LHS in line with the wall of the house, and the RHS level with the footpath to the front door. Do it undercover of darkness and no sign written plant or machinery! Take money and run... ?

Hmmm. I was thinking the same thing. If the greenspace adjacent to the side of the property is owned by the local authority why is the client growing flowering plants and mowing the grass? What happens if the tree is cut back or even removed (because I bet that is what the customer would prefer or has asked for not just a major haircut to the fence line) does the householder then install a picket fence; garden shed; greenhouse and a fully fledged allotment? I think the council may have changed their tune if they've visited the site, spotted the over zealous gardening of their land & seen the request to "cut back" or "remove" the offending stem as some kind of covert pretext to a land grab.