Backpain

Take a look at Alko LHS600 we've had ours 4 years without any issues.

Been to look at a Beech tree which looks dead. The leaves came out in spring but then all the leaves died. I've cut a few branches off and the ones with leaves on snap and seem dead, but some others without leaves seem green and alive. There's no signed of fungi and the tree is in a pretty bad state after years of hacking. Any idea what's going as it's overhanging property and would be a nightmare if it became unsafe to climb. Cheers

This really worries me as there are so many complex parts involved that can go wrong. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and just use a rope grab on my side strop and a prussik on my main line. I like it this way as there's less to go wrong and consequently less to worry about. I'm convinced the issue stems from how these are made. I'm guessing they make the side plate links from laser cut plate. Rolled plate material has a grain just like wood so is weaker if placed under tensile stress across the grain. Laser cutting also throws up weakness as it super heated the surface and makes some material brittle and hence susceptible to propagation of crack. Keep an eye on your kit guys....

I've just moved from a prussik to a hitch climber after much deliberation. This is what I've found and I'd appreciate any feedback. PRISSIK - moving up and making small adjustments upwards are easy with little body thrusts. Moving down the knot tends to bind especially when wet and limb walking inwards can be a little precarious, so too is adjusting if you don't have both hand. HITCH - moving up can be fast but small adjustment upwards can be tedious, whereas moving down is easy and precise. Tending the knot is vital or all help breaks loose.

Yes, I forgot the braces so I spread the delivery cost over another £100 order. I now have shiny new trooser with braces (£260...) and new rope! If you've never wore stretchies (like me) you'll see why they're so expensive. They're made by people know what they're doing. Unlike Stihl HiFlex you won't feel like your wearing wet bog roll when its 25 degrees. Love mine so much I could sleep in them....

Hi I'm looking for a timber haulier on the A1 corridor to haul from Stamford. Anyone recommend anyone Cheers

So you need to wait for it to crack before you can retire it.....unless it retires you first

Ye mek it look simple Nice work

It looks like the crack comes from the upper edge of the pivot hole on the top lever linkage. Its highly possible that this is a point of maximum load (probably during decent or shock loading). It also looks like the linkages are constructed from laser cut sheets (This could be incorrect, they could be forged) However, if they are manufactured from laser cut sheets there are a few things to consider during the design process. Metal sheets are like timber in that they have a grain and if the linkages are cut with the grain going up the point of maximum load this needs to be taken into account. Also laser cutting can leave a rough and brittle edge where cracks can propagate from. One other consideration which can only be determined by extensive calculations and testing is fatigue. That's why I use a bit of rope with a knot in it!!!!

PM sent

Just got my new pair of Stretch Air Gladiator type A When I put them on they felt a bit squew whiph! When I inspected them the barrier material on the left leg wraps round the back of the leg and there is a seem up the back of the leg. Its about 2 inches off center. On the right leg the barrier material wraps round the leg but instead of being on the out side it goes round the inside by about 2 inches and the is a seem up the back. If you look at them from the back they look like they've been made of two left hand legs. Who's idea was this?

Have to absolutely agree with everything that Chris is saying. The original Butterfly is a well made piece of kit. The Morpho doesn't look as if it would stand upto much. And again if you are lucky enough to get away with cutting through the bridge of your harness then my advice would be get a job strimming hi-ways.

Well done, teck ya time though!

Hi, Looking to stock up with some hardwood/Softwood Anyone know of any mixed broad leaf, larch or spruce going roadside. Any size considered. Cheers

If yo want a harness that lasts forever buy a Weaver or a Willans. If you want a harness that works well for you you'll have need to fanny about at the Arbshow and try some on. The Petzl is too flimsy for anyone over 10 stone IMO. The Skylotec is a pain to get in as the leg loops don't open and the hems come away on the leg loops. The Komet is very well made and long lasting. The Weaver is like bondage and can cut your balls off. I'm 6ft and 13st and I wear a Skylotec. I love it even for its faults.

Unlike it's inventor Don Willans who was taken from us too soon!

I joined Arbtalk in 2008 and asked exactly the same question. I was 38 and had just been made redundant. Big does and little does! I worked my way through a few companies as a subi and getting my tickets on the way. 6 years later (blimy) I have my own business and do all the hard climbing jobs as my Subi who is 15 years younger than me isn't quite so efficient. Climbing isn't really that difficult but I do believe you need a natural ability to move around the tree executing the job in a methodical way. I've seen big strong fellas up tree's making it look and feel like hard word. They come down and are absolutely shagged. So I'd say don't worry about your age and worry about being able to learn fast and have a feel for the job. Haven't been up a tree this week and I'm starting to get itchy feel.

Anybody interested in a Kohler CH18 engine for spares? Its a 1999 off an Entec chipper. Crank turns but pistons don't move so assuming big ends gone AWOL. Don't think pistons have seized or anything like that. Started stripping it but decided to buy a new engine. Could be useful for spares.

I really miss my old Echo backpack. We used to call her Tornado!!! Absolutely awesome tool for clean up, used to just stand in the middle of the lawn and spin round and everything just disappeared.

Working for a good customer who brings you tea and cakes is proper nice when it happens, but winter in the woods is sooo cold. Climbing is hard work when your getting older but so to is feeding a chipper. At the end of the day its all bloody hard work for poor pay compared with an investment banker but I wouldn't swap offices! Not for any money.

Hi guys, been asked to pollard a weeping willow (salix babilonica i think). When's the best time to do it? Just wondered because its just coming into leaf. I'd assume it pretty hard to kill a willow with using round-up or fire!!! Cheers for the advice

What does the gap need to be, coils never been touched nor has fly wheel. Changed plug no difference there. Seems strange one minute it was running fine then just stops. I think coils gone tits up, but Ive never had that happen on any engine before not like this. But then again they've changed so much on these new saw's god knows what could go wrong.

It will probably be another industrial demise where a small cottage industry supplying local timber to local people keeping people warn in probably the efficient and sustainable way possible will draw to a very quite close due to lack of common sense. I can't imagine this happening in Scandinavia. Lets pay people to plant millions of tree's from EU grants plus huge sums to manger them! Then forget it even happened and just leave the woodlands to manage them selves. Would be nice to see a panorama investigation about how poorly managed and how difficult it is to earn a living from woodlands and wood fuel. When in reality it should be fairly straight forward. In Holland if you own a property and leave it empty, after a certain number of years squatters are allowed to use the property on the conditions that they improve it and use it correctly. I don't know the exact law but this is the gist of it. Maybe woodland owners should be subject to the same conditions.....by law!!!! how cool would that be.

Been averaging 6 loads a week. Just run out of hardwood and have been doing mixed loads since Dec. Almost everyone has been over the moon with the quality and price which is nice as I was really worried about offering softwood. As it turns out everyone else has sold out completely so a load of seasoned softwood is a bonus. Just planning for next year and feel concerned about the long term supply of hardwood for the firewood market.

I'd go Husky all the way now, the new Stihl stuff seems a bit pants. Stripped a 261 and there's bits of it that are almost impossible to take apart without special tools. My old MS260 has been brilliant and I'd never trade it in for a new one. Unless it was a Husky!!!! Got a T540 XP bit strange when you first start it up but just ooozes quality once its warmed up.