Dean O

thanks Slack ma girdle, that would be a help. (and nice and local) have googled it etc - but no luck so far.

hi guys, hope you all had a merry xmas. anyone know of anyone providing chapter 8 training in south wales? thanks

thanks for the link, but "out in january" ? bought a new flip line back in early november - has this snap hook on it. was unsure of it at first - probably just because of the change, and although it doesnt look as robust at first glance, im very happy with the way it performs. however after just 6 weeks or so of use the anodising is already wearing.... so its not quite as prety as it was.

i think we all come up against this. from time to time it gets frustrating. not a lot we can do. rely on your profesionalism and good name to get you the work as there is only so much you can do to compete on price. and definately dont lose sleep.

hi, Bought the old 028 out of retirement having had the eed for an extra saw on the go...... then the exhaust fell off!! looks like the casing has given way at the inlet. with it being an old saw stihl have made the part obsolete. i know its a long shot but has anyone out there got one sitting at the back of a shelf in a store room anywhere. local dealers etc haven't got any knocking about and i'd like to repair rather than scrap it- been a good little saw. ta

hi steve. if the trees healthy then it would be a shame to lose it. i guess its down to the stabilty of the wall and the likely hood of the tree following it over the bank if the wall gives up. so next port of call engineers report, but if its roadside im guessing he will air on the side of caution if only to cover his back. is whoever resposnsible for it likely to cough up for the cost of reinforcing / rebuilding the wall. is it logistically possible in its position? if the wall is taken down and rebuilt is there an issue of its stability while this work is carried out? or is it far enough from the road to build a second retaining wall further out and back filling. would be interesting to find out how far its custodians are prepared to go to save it sorry for rambling.... no experience of total failure, just lever arm fractures on leggy limbs.

thanks Gimmer. from what ive read if rhody's arent near by then any bleeding cankers are bound to be syringae. would you agree? also syringea is the most likeley cause of cankers in HC's the pictures of the cankers themselves are similar in both syringae and p. ramorum

Maybe someone can clear something up for me..... P ramorum causes Sudden oak death infects beech etc, hosts can be rhodys viburnums etc and is fungal. It causes bleeding cankers and leaf legions where i get confused is ...... i was under the impresion that pseudomonas syringea (bacterial) is now thought to be the likely culprit causing bleeding canker in horse chestnut (rather than p ramorum as originally thought). do both diseases have the same/ similar symptoms or is there a link. does pseudomonas only attack hc, does p ramorum not infect HC?

looks like Ganoderma, possibly Ganoderma applanatum - as it seems to be associated with dysfunction in the stem. cant explain the purple staining though, wouldnt have thought it was nessesarily associated with the disease. pigment assosiated with the flowers perhaps, just as you can see the copper pigment in the stem of copper beech sometimes???? I'm sure somebody more informed will come along with a more scientific explanation:blushing:

congrats yorkshireman. would love to do it but havent really got the spare cash to carry it through. out of interest, how do you then go on to market this as a credential - ie to turn the qualification into work?

thanks. good luck with your search - IMO - do everythng you can to make the transition - im sure you wont regret it.

if the slave gone you normally get a leak - running into the cab, any puddles of clutch fluid under the clutch pedal? starnge that its a funny colour tho.

your right - there should be someone on site with arial rescue - but if your joining a team there should be one already in place. the firm should then be able to and willing to at least teach you the basics before going for the tickets. most people in the know will be willing to help you if you show commitment and willing to learn. IC's idea of a the ISA course is a good one. I have offered a bonus to my groundy if he completes it off his own back as i think the willing to improve yourself without being spoon fed it is worth a lot..

I know times are tough for many tree firms at the mo, but as you already have 30/31 and groundy experience : why dont you get looking for a groundy job and go from there? if you are the right employee then the right employer will support you through further training. tree science can be learned on web based courses (p/t and from home) but theres nothing better than on the job training for the more general aspects imo. tree and disease ID are important: just get out there with a couple of good guides and learn what you can yourself..... most employers will recognise and respect this effort more than doing an intense short course for example. dont get me wrong i would certainly respect somebody coming out of an arb study course part time or full time.

shame. the stem looks shattered. any obvious causes (other than the wind)? had decay entered from the old pruning wound in pic 3?

I agree totally with skyhuck. if your only taking in approx 2grands worth of tree work a year why buy a chipper rather than insurance: i know what i would want first. I know this doesnt answer your initial question but.... as i said in the first post you need your insurances, you should have your compliances for your own sake and the sake of the guys that in this instance it appears you are effectively employing to do the job. (other employment issues will come into play depending on earnings etc) :thumbup1:it is good that they have the correct ppe and tickets (compliances in this area means paper work for regular checks of ppe and saws or loler for climbing gear etc) those of us that are legit spend a lot of time and money ticking all the boxes in order to be legit, and hopefully make money as a result of it: unfortunately your gonna recieve the rants as your the kind of out-fit we all gripe about when we lose work to a gypsie firm. It doesn't do our industry any good to not follow regulations and it effects the lives of the people who work in it. on a business management side of things: if compliance with regulations for your own welfare means you cant make the business financially viable then surely its a non starter (tickets or no tickets)?

do you have a selection criteria for chosing subcontractors: making sure you can trust the subbies standard of work and standard of safety is important as it rests on your head. but is a good way way of getting through a large volume of work when you cant be in two places at once. you all need your usual insurances and compliances.

hi, I'm fairly new to fb id and its dificult to tell with it being so young: have you considered grifola frondosa/ hen of the woods? similar grey-brown upper surface and also found on beech.

dont really fancy the online either. if iwas to take somebody on I dont mind teaching somebody what i know as long as they are committed to teaching themselves by reading around the subject themselves. pointless if its going in one ear and out the other I suppose the trick is finding someone with a love for all thing trees in the first place. plus a good work ethic.

there isa guy i have in mind at the moment, who has some 'experience'. would like to get someone in with a bit of tree science behind them.

nice job though and great access!

ah hah i remember those from last summer,thought bout them the other day:laugh1: guy wanted to elliminate the problem of needle drop without their removal!! gave him a good price (remember thinking - ****- i underpriced that one) for removing the large one on his drive, and some work to the others...... cant remember exactly what tho. ended up leaving it with them to think about, as was called out to discuss with them time and time again... they were trying to get the neighbours to pay for part of the work as they had it in mind that they were going to benefit from the work being done too. if i remeber rightly the large one had quite a big old tear in the stem. are the smaller ones down the side of the property being removed too?

well done

must take huge amounts of core body strength to do that! im off down the culdisac to try it out on a lamp post! would be a pretty good routine for mrs jones's pine tree next week:thumbup: