Stephen Blair
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Everything posted by Stephen Blair
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I find the Avant isn’t doing my lower back any favours on the bouncing about on jobs that are constant like flailing and landscaping, on tree work I’m on and off all day and don’t notice. Hoping the Flailbot works takes off and I’ll move the Avant on. Local hire guys just got a brand new 760 like yours so if needed I can get 1.
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Wow wow and wow!! 1 more wow! how did they make a leg out of that? That first picture should be on all Grinder operator handbooks cover! your made of strong stuff, amazing recovery!
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Or interesting!
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My new venture for the business. Big thanks to Steve Bullman who runs my website for adding this service so quickly. https://stephenblair.co.uk/vegetation-management/ -
Likewise!
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Get yourself a harness and climbing kit and get up the trees, that’s where the money is. An experienced feller of your standard and stamina will be a great climber, you know how wood works so it will be easy for you. Hardwood/ softwood doesn’t matter, first cut of a branch and you’ll read what it’s doing and crack on. Your saw fit already so you just need to get time on spikes I say.
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You lost me at ‘ they offered it to me ‘ that implies it’s worth something! If they are paying and willing to accept it’s probably going to die, hire a 13 tonner , grab truck and crack on.
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Hedges is what more than likely gave me white finger, asthma and a bad back! I did them from 14 years old to 40! The change to Aspen fuel was a huge advantage after years of feeling lethargic and sore heads. If you’re working 5 days a week on the saw, rest at the weekends, take it from me extra hours and just grafting all the time takes its toll.
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First day out yesterday playing at my mates Croft, doing all the bits he can’t get to with the tractor! Really impressed with it and so easy to operate. I was told it would work 150m away, this had to be 250m, not that I’d ever need to work it at this distance but still impressive. IMG_2846.MOV
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As an optimist I’m hoping 50 plus years of not being shot has finally paid off.
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I’ve just purchased a Flailbot from Field and Forestery and looking to get into this kind of work. I’ve cut grass and scrub my whole working life and I’m fed up sitting in machines getting bounced about and on the saw or strummer all day is a young man’s game. I had a 48” Scagg years back for banking work but ankles get abused and the fumes really affected my asthma. Looking forward to it arriving later this week. 9210f880-63a9-46d9-96af-c7a386c3020a.mp4
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I’m not into Landies so completely missed this thread, I had no idea your boy was unwell. I can’t imagine the journey your family has been through! I wish him all the best for the future and I’m sure he’ll smash the games!
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Nice work guys!
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I can’t even start to imagine the pain and fear you went through! Amazing bravery to even tell your story! I have no advice on what would be best for you at this stage, the only thing I can say is I grew up at The Inverclyde National Sports Centre as my dad was the facilities manager, I was surrounded by top athletes, coaches and all round highly motivated people my whole childhood. 1 of the coaches had 1 leg from the knee down, nobody would believe me when I’d tell them the guy running around shouting , coaching and in charge of whole teams of Volleyball had 1 leg under his tracksuit! He moved onto work for the Olympics in Canada. You crawled out the dirt bleeding and survived, the rest I imagine you will do with ease! You’re an inspiration!
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Roughly what is your % big tree VS small tree/hedges
Stephen Blair replied to Excels1or's topic in General chat
99-1 for me now. I can’t get unskilled labour but I can get skilled. Climbers can’t be arsed cutting hedges and clearing up and unless I can do it with a flail or tree shear I don’t bother. Higher wages for skilled guys doesn’t cover garden jobs unless I’ve got a spare afternoon and the weeks covered the wages but I’d rather send the guys home and there hard works not punished doing a job they don’t want to do and as I get older I’m done with raking and stuffing arisings into dumpy bags. -
Forestry winch recommendations
Stephen Blair replied to Martin du Preez's topic in Forestry and Woodland management
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Whats your multione loader doing today ?
Stephen Blair replied to digaholedumper's topic in General chat
Here’s my worst jaggy pic! This was 1 of 4 growing up through a yew and into a Douglas fir. 2 days with a cherry picker, digger/ grab and flail! Ended up burning the debris as the flail just tickled it! -
IMG_2399.MOV
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Cockroach?Cockchaffer? Easily 1” long
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Nice work!
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Huge Tree Don!! cracking work
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Not sure about me but I’ve worked with a few Hawthorns over the years.
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Butes got some big trees mostly in the grounds around Castle Stuart. They lost a lot of big field trees in 2012 when we had a localised storm. Always enjoyed working there, something about getting on a ferry I think. My view from my house growing up was looking over to Bute.
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Top handle and pole saw hardly ever tbh, a chain can last me months. The 261 is mainly for branch wood so unless I hit a nail or flushing a stump I give it a freshen up at the start of the day. The 500i takes all the abuse on bigger diameter wood, felling and has the highest risk of the nose in the dirt when doing wind blow or cutting timber thats been moved with the digger or Avant. I’ve seen me sharpen a chain to nothing over the course of a slice and dice back garden tree full of Metal and dirt and when it’s a job for an 88 then that can be worse because an old large tree has been about for 150-300 years and in that time it can have steel, wire, concrete, stones, sand and dirt throughout the whole stem.
