slack ma girdle

At this time of year I would be starting with velvet shank.

If it was me i would use the chain slots. A steel semi circle with chain bolted on to hang off the chain slots. You may need to weld on a support at the bottom of the semi circle to stop it tipping the trunk. Easy to take on/off as required. You might be able to do a similar thing with half a tyre. Or do it the old fashioned way, winch the trees onto bearers to keep them off the ground whilst you are processing .

This the main issue, that nobody has any hard facts to make an informed judgement, and one that i have repeatedly brought up with the couple of working groups that i belong to. What has made a big difference to felling ash safely, is bluetooth comms. One felling and one or two watching for trouble as the tree goes over.

We have had more issues with branches 'pinged ' back at you from the surrounding trees as the felled tree falls through the canopy.

I work on averages. I know the average tree volume, and i know the average number of cut logs per tree. I also measure mid diameter of logs on the stack to work out average log volume, and count the number of logs in the stack, and times number by volume . It sounds alot but it doesn't take long, and gives you a sound footing when arguing the toss with miserly firewood buyers.

It depends on how far gone it is. The Ash in my last 'snipping' video didn't seem much lighter, but it didn't go over a weigh bridge so i don't know. Thats why i always try a sell by volume.

Thats £50-70 roadside, felling and extraction will be less

£50-70 per tonne, depending on how desperate the buyer is. Dieback shouldn't affect the price unless it is mush, and then it won't hold together when you fell it.

I would guess the new callus growth is not fissured enough to support moss getting established.

Some things are just destined to be a mystery

What ever you do to the tree other than cut it down, is going to result in an ugly misshapen tree that you will have to look at every day, and increase the chances of failure in the future. Get rid, and start again

Its bleeden cherry

Yawn ! #Dullasditchwater

That looks a bit more interesting work wise.

Compared with moter manual, a stroke head is productive. A head like these needs years of identical trees to make any money, and i don't get that in west Wales. If i was to go mechanised then it would be a 14 tonner and suitable head.