Stephen Blair

if you have good ground crew, rig rig rig. one man band with labourer. cut n chuck.

you need to stand out mate, this is a pr excercise. you would need to be from mars not to know what a tree surgeon is. you need something to catch there eyes. too noisy, wee kids cry. if its windy sawdust in the eyes. make it look woodlandy, push the firewood, have a small competition. big huge tub of sweeties. guess how many, get the tannoy man to give the result at 2 pm. first prize a toy stihl chainsaw for the kids. you will need to look like a lumberjack, so tartan padded shirts are a must. chipping demo, at a certain time, but to promote woodchip and echo this and that, make up small bags with company logo on it and give the chip and logs away. if there is a main arena, sponsor something and get a big banner. if there is a raffle, donate a morning of your time. i once got raffled at the hilton in dunkeld. i made 350quid, some old drunk lords wife demanded i only work in a thong at there estate. never did the work, she must have forgot they made me stand up and take a bow:blushing: but i did get a couple of grand out someone else that was there the next summer.

most of my work is back garden stuff, so its the volume of brash rather than time to get the tree down, thats why i have a pretty big chipper, if most of my work was say council street trees, bucket truck all the way with toe-behind. if i had loads of money i would defo have a cherry picker, if i had your set up dave i would definately have a basket on the end of your hiab. i dont think they are legal here though, its very simple to make up, just slides in the end of the boom. if i could get one thats on a huddig and stick it on the mog, it would be awesome.

the main arena will be very lonely, what we think is cool may look a bit boring to the crowd, especially if the falconry or evil kineevil guy has just jumped over a burning car. i would ask to have your stand beside a big tree, go the night before and stick some stuff up it, banners, shopping trolley etc. you could be flash and set up a micro phone and climb about talking like treevolution did at the apf years ago, but i would take a load of logs, chip some branches, get a few chainsaw carvings, offer some coffee and tea, loads of sweets for the kids. set up a fire basket and get the smoke going.good luck

you are so slow mate, i have had mine for ages:001_smile:

lets hope the clutch is alright mate, sorry to hear that mate, easy done but doesnt help when its your pocket, get a big sticker on the tailgate to remind drivers about the handbrake. i know someone who drove 10 miles with the ramp down on his ivir horse box:scared1:all these small mistakes sharpen everyone up so the big ones dont happen, it looks like you are in oldsnakes friday club:sad:

i really enjoyed your beech dismantle video tom, looked a nice day for it

is it because oak is stronger/stringier grain that it keeps holding, rather than just snapping like sycamore or ash, i did a willow the other day that had went the same way.

hey dean, is that on an oak?love the ash john

i have only worked out a big basket, the operator was excellent but a bit too keen to help. i had to rebrief him explain about chainbreak, safe working. once we both got in the way of it it was excellent, he also briefed me in letting him do his job, he could manouvere it that well i never needed to stretch or work at awkward angles. a bit of mutual respect for each others job. the tree i did would of taken me 4 hrs easy to climb and rig, with 2-3 groundies. i had it down in about an hour with 1 groundie and all he did was watch. i like climbing trees, but mon-fri is about money for me. i did that job cheaper with the mewp and made more profit on it, as i managed to save on labour and get another job done in the afternoon.:001_smile:brogans have a monster mewp just for trees, it has a knuckle on it for getting over houses and the operator is caged in.

do you have the tracked one mate, would love a play. do you have the stumpgrinder for it? they look great with the extended boom and grapple for feeding chippers

do they still have resussy annie?

never wear mine, its in a cupboard. i have never worn bling before, and i didnt want a ring until i found out you could get titanium ones. treminatortastic:001_smile:

your fairy is amaxing and very hot mate, i will email a few pics. i am not fussy, your carving will probably look better than kumba anyway

you got it dave, have a cigar:001_smile:

heres the nicest cherry i have ever seen, over 40yrs old and never pruned:001_smile:

only if i were daft enough to spend 50 quid on a plastic sign:001_tongue:then i would have to go and find a cone aswell, i like to keep the traffic on their toes anyway:001_smile:

i want your money mate, but only if we can do the deal on a friday:001_tongue:

i was taught by 2 old gardeners that a cherry tree should be the shape of a china cup, flat top, and tapering sides. all the blossom is tight and within the frame of the crown, lasts a lot longer. these 2 guys had worked in stately homes/castles all their days as had there fathers. this type of pruning is purely for asthetics. if i were the customer that hf is quoting for, i would like to sit on my deck, not see my nieghbours house, have a little shade, something for the birds and kids to play in and a nice bit of colour. keep it small, pruned every year. and the tree will lead a quiet life and not get in anyones way. fell and replant?what with, what grows to 8 feet and stops?

i drove by one of them today, brand new. it was the role up stick on a cone type, couldnt be bothered getting out the warm van.

thats the first time i have seen a springer sit still mate, nice one. could you do me a border mate if i sent you a pic.

its when i had a transit garth, my mog has its own tyre iflation anyway:001_smile:

stevies tool box=no compressor,no big muscles to push transit with flat tyres,no patience. aha look i have found a hacksaw. and a hammer. saw, saw whackity whack. lets go home, ohno. no more ladder rack:scared1: and now i own a vehicle that doesnt fit into sheds:ohmy: