Stephen Blair

If you rate climbers say 1-10, then you will fit in somewhere. Loads of 1's about making a wage. crack on I say.

You should be VERY proud of yourself!! Amazing, a true friend

Well deserved David!

It’s already Timberwolf Orange! Cheap, eye catching and very cool bordering on daft, the perfect Arb Truck imo. its on EBay at £2250 so far. Someone on here needs this in their life.

I was working with some other lads on Thursday, just chipping for an hour while they cut using 2 stroke! My head hurt, my mood changed and I felt like crap and was gasping! Horrible stuff.

I swapped and didn’t do anything. there’s something about the fuel line cracking if it’s had petrol in before, but I’ve never had any probs. your lungs and head will thank you for the change .

Gravity fed small pto chipper would work away fine, I sold 1 to Wilson’s 2 years ago. Make sure the hopper is as close to vertical as possible

Totally agree, if you have a clean hard standing yard, forklift all the way!

As long as everyone knows what they are doing then my only critique is don’t faff about trimming the butt and putting such a tall face cut, it’s all time n fuel! If stumps don’t matter just shove the tree over, lift the trunk and get the cutter to cut off the root plate! Again as long as everyone knows what they are doing !

The thinner the rope, the higher you need to go. If you don’t climb, forget the rope. Chuck a 30 ton bottle Jack in the harvester, simples.

The guys a chancer, you sound very honest! best thing to do is pass your insurance details over and let him try his manipulation tactics on someone who deals with them every day! Not a nice guy like you! Then block all his numbers and don’t beat yourself up about it.

Liam it’s easy to say now I used to do them daily, most of the time after a days getting soaked to the baws, a wet arse drive home the saws got chucked into the container, we’d get changed, hang everything up , turn on the heater and dehumidifier and get home as quick as possible for a shower and deal with the manky saws in the morning!? Also in domestic tree work a tool box is only a garden length away, working in the woods it’s carry the minimum so I understand getting pissed off at rookie mistakes or heavy handed Ness . I’ve worked in the rain once this year and that was just a morning! I don’t miss West Coast!!

Yes thankfully we are different! Chain break has never broke on me full revs, it’s a band around a drum, it would always break at just near the lower attachment point at the weakest point. I’ve also never had a band break in due to use I believe, it was always lack of maintenance going by the volume of crud from neglect! Now I live in a drier climate I can go a month without a strip down compressor clean, when I lived on the west coast it was done almost daily by the new guy at the end of every wet day, which was often.

You simply need to keep spare chain breaks and springs , problem solved! Chain break is there for a reason, every step I take and when saw is finished cutting, I WHACK on the chain break and I drum it into every worker who has come under my employment if they don’t do it. It needs to be second nature, so when the day comes you slip, fall, trip while cutting, you will save yourself a possible trip to the hospital or morge! My instructor back in 1995 installed this into us and that was for basic start up and full revs chain break test which I still do to this day on every first start up and also on snedding in every step we took the break had to be on unless the saw was on the opposite side of the trunk. When I moved into tree surgery and garden tree work we would all work in close proximity with saws, targets and chippers I carried this on. From a maintenance point of view, if there is crap around the clutch drum on stihls you will break bands. I say to new lads, if the break doesn’t work, neither do you.

Should be a good tool for work around the village. Needs a couple of minor things done to it but nothing major. Hopefully get it this week.

I’ve bought 1 of these!?

You had £10, you charged £10 plus vat for a job. you now have £22. you then give £2 to vat man. you now have £20. VAT is always a Vat, never yours

Get an accountant!

That’s a great video, I went out and tried it the next do on a 30’ larch!?

No way that’s 4000kg!

I can’t believe how big it is and still the same design with the wee step at the front for standing on ?. What a piece of kit!!!

I’ve never asked for men’s chainsaw trousers, I ask for chainsaw trousers and they ask what size. i do not reply, Man! I’m 32/34. Unless my bulge is so small I’ve been buying woman’s trousers for 25 years!?

11 years have passed since I started this thread. All my stresses before were from work, I even did an article on it for Forestery Magazine. Arbtalk really helped me through my hard times and I feel this thread was beneficial to other members too. I separated from my wife of 19 years on February after a few rocky years, no tree climbing skills or machinery purchases could of prepared me for the mental stress over these last 6 months. It’s been a clean break, no aggravation from my X wife and kids are happy going between us within walking distance. Covid hasn’t even been on my radar as I’ve kept myself to myself and live in a small village. Everyone is fighting their own battles and I’m lucky enough to have family and friends close by that I’m finally letting into my life again. Not really sure why I feel the need to type this, certainly not for sympathy, I’d say more for anyone else on here who is having a tough time. Chin up and keep moving forward! This site has changed and evolved so much and I’m not on as much but it still is my Go To every day, without fail! Cheers.

Had a border for 14.5 years, out to sleep at Christmas! She ran with the pointers every day and great with the kids! Amazing dogs!! Kumba! smooth coat Fox Terrier is an amazing breed too. KJ!

I have full length roller drawers on the bottom, checker floor and then high canopy with air vent and dog guard to split. You need the extra height for the dogs plus I can stand under and shelter. I can hide it out too. Front sliding small window can be opened for fresh air. Just chuck a big bed in and dog will soon settle and feel secure