Dave.G.

I hope in a few years time we can still tell people to "have a look on the forestry commision web site". Maybe it will read UPM website or EDF or go to the public library or just have a guess.

Yes I would love to see these figures also, 30p a year is trivial yet I am under the impression that the FC will be expected to continue a lot of its work but without the subsidy of selling timber, surely this will cost more. I know that I have had much more value for money from the FC than they could ever have from me. I also have no axe to grind on woodland ownership (I manage a woodland bought from local authority) and the british government have proved time after time they can't manage any industry proftably (any party) but selling all the stock in the shop is surely a bad move if you can't afford to buy new stock to replace it?

Personally I think large multi-national corporations will buy them up. But to make a profit they will restrict access and cut spending on footpaths, car parks, visitor centres, benches ,BBQ's the list is endless. All the things the FC does really well and all the things the public enjoy but also all the things that prevent the FC from turning a profit. Just my thoughts.

Cant understand why the government would sell it off if its profitable or who would want to buy it if its not. Can't see the NT or other charitable trusts being able to afford large areas of woodland unless its being split into small lots. And I can't work out how the FC will still be able to afford the research and education work it does if it can't sell timber. The FC has done alot for me and it only costs me 30p a year.

Yes its a nice little earner for them but I would still do it again rather than have the points. The alternative is to drive within in the speed limit.

yeah I thought mulcher but wanted to try and save the trees that have survived this far also didn't know how much a mulcher would cost or if it was to small an area to be cost effective. (its a recreational woodland). They were coming out ok with the 2cx but it was SO slow and we had to come out as its quite boggy. Now of course the boss wants it planted this winter. Decent sized 360 sounds like a plan.

Fleece arrived today. Thanks very much guys, and well done Steve for organising the raffle.

Part of the woodland I am now managing was clear-felled and replanted about 7 or 8 years ago, and then left to fend for itself. We have just cleared the 6 foot tall brambles and found that some of the replanting is surviving. However, all the previous larch stumps are still there, about a foot high. My boss wants it replanted, but first we want to remove the stumps so that we can maintain it with a chain-swipe. We tried digging them out with a JCB, which was painfully slow. We tried cutting them to ground level, but there is that much soil on them that the saw is very quickly blunted. Anyone any other ideas? Tungsten chain? Stump grinder? It is a 2 acre compartment, with a couple of hundred stumps. Thanks in anticipation.

Ask Monkey boys. he has just got a new toy and will sort it out for the price of the pellets:lol:

I am in Hereford and we only got a dusting too. As Slack says "ITS NOT FAIR". But its snowing a bit now so fingers crossed and sledge dusted off.

LogHauler, what phone charger are you using? thats a 12volt fan and the phone chargers i tried are only 5volt output. Using a 6v torch charger at the moment but the fan is only going at half speed.

hope this works. havn't posted a pic in ages

would that be the same psuedomonas that attacks poplars?

Does anyone know what won the chainsaw carving? I didn't manage to get back after the judging

Don't know about you lot, but I was definitely a better climber fifteen years ago. That's about when I hung up my harness.

wipe them off a paint brush soaked in meths. Its a long slow job but it does work and they dont seem to return.

My days of climbing with a 30" bar are long gone, if i cant take it down in one then i will call you guys in. But we have a lot of over mature oak on the estate i work on and no large saw. Our other saws are stihl and I have always had stihl for my own saws but if the 066 has oiling probs then i might think again.

Looking to buy a large felling saw. proberbly looking at an 066 anybody got any thoughts?

Try looking at "trace elements" rather than minor nutrients.

not sure what we are looking for yet. Open to any and all suggestions

I am head gardener on an estate in Hereford. On the estate we have about 100 acres of neglected woodland and we may be looking for a couple of people to help manage it, sort out the drainage, clear brambles, remove the dead trees and start thinning the rest. Anyone interested?

I got mine free on an 18 month contract from vodafone. Only had it a couple of weeks but it seems quite tuff so far

will try to make it. relocating to Hereford on the 3rd july so we will be ready to get out and let off some steam. already sick of seeing boxes everywhere and my 4year old asking "are we taking this" to every thing he picks up!

Do you want a striped finish or do you just want to cut grass? IMO you can't go wrong with a Honda pro. I use a roller drive at work for the striped look. Bought just before Xmas for about £850 (Sarp used to be allot less as they are a direct copy). I also have a Honda at home left over from when i was contract cutting (over 12 years ago) it was used every day through the season for 3 years and its still going fine and never had more than a blade and an oil change. If you don't want stripes or want to cut in the wet then have a look at etesia. I haven't used their pedestrian mowers only there ride on's but the reports are that they are the best "wet pick up" on the market. Aluminium or steel? Aluminium will last longer and stand up to more neglect but steel is fine if you wash it off and let it dry. My Honda has abs plastic deck and it still hasn't rusted through. Don't know why they stopped making it. Cheap and cheerful is OK but warranty only lasts for "domestic" use. Hayter have just updated there roller mower but the previous model was... at least they sink without trace when you can't start them again and again and again.

Moles do a lot of damage to pasture, covering grass with there soil wich then allows weed seed to germinate also damage to topper blades etc. I know moles will relocate into existing runs so its not a bad idea to destroy it but but im with charlieh you have to make sure that the mole isnt still in the run.