JaySmith

Try Agriline products for new and eBay for second hand. The tractor magazines that come out monthly also have classified ads at the back so you may get lucky that way

The main problem/design fault I found with using a quad was that the hitch would bury itself in the deck, this is probably due to the fact we had a 750kg chipper on the back and it's not really rated for that, do you get that issue sussex groundie?

Nice vid, looked a big lump that. Do you stay around and clear up or move onto the next job? Not sure we'd get away with dragging the butt across the lawn over here but saved you a hell of a lot of ringing up!

We used a big red 350cc to tow a Jensen a530 round a woodland before. The main draw back we found was that with the chipper hitched on the ball hitch it caused the rear of the quad to sit low at the back and was prone to bottoming out. This was before we had a tracked machine but it did work to some degree, we did the job in the winter when the wood was like a marsh so that didn't help, I'm sure if we went back in there now it would be more successful. I don't know a massive amount about quads but I would say that a 350cc is a minimum and ideally a 4wd depending on the chipper you are pulling about

Could be a long way to go and the job changes when you get there. If you're that far away maybe see if somebody on here would scope it out for you?

The rate for central London work for a 2 man crew would be between £550 and £900 + vat per day. As others have said I would definitely go and look at the job just build the cost into the job. The last job we had in Kensington we had we were doing nearly £200 per day in parking tickets! It is impossible to price a job from pics, we've had jobs where we have had to cut the brash and bring it up in a lift through to a 500m drag where we put on strimmer harness and tied the brash to us like huskies and you wouldn't have seen that from the nice photo the client sends you!

Lawn was ok, nothing fantastic but the fell would have totalled it and the drive!

Yeah big at the base, looked like it had been grafted at some point. Couldn't fell the thing unfortunately, was leaning back towards the house at the rear and they had a slab driveway at the front of the tree. It probably would have just fitted across the lawn but would have been a beast to clear up and would have smashed the drive to pieces. Dismantling IMO was easier, rig a bit down and with two groundies on top of the chipper they were able to feed it straight in as it came off the ropes. Snatched some of the timber down then cut slim rings and pushed them into the box to save cross cutting and lifting

Little Beech takedown, tree had Meripilus so the consultant recommended it was removed

No doesn't seem to wear the belts out. We've had ours for three years and no probs. obviously if you try and pull a massive back leaner and the tracks start struggling and the belts scream then you know you have gone to far but as a rule for pulling normal stuff over and logs up a bank we've never had a drama

We use our tracked 150 to pull trees over, logs up banks and trucks that are stuck. There is a bar under the hopper that you can larks foot a sling around. Wouldn't have thought it is recommended by the manufactures but works just fine

Fawkham mate, near Brands Hatch. There's also Paul at Meopham (near Fairset Nursery) who is normally after chip as well

Thanks for the tip site site, not sure how much we dropped off in total but it was a few good loads and saved us a fortune in diesel. If you are up our way and need to offload some chip I will try and return the favour

A few of mine from the last year or so

Another vote for Scott Fraser, very knowledgable guy and a nice training set up near Lamberhurst so easily accessible via the A21

We are very busy. Work is coming in on the residential, council and commercial front. The other two firms that we share a yard with are also busy from what I can make out. We were saying the other day that some of the trees that may have come up on council work schedules have now been dealt with as a result of the storms so this could explain why some are quiet. All in all we are busy but I guess it depends on your client base and your location

We have a 880 must be 7 years old and comes out once a month and always starts first time, every time. We run it on a 30 inch bar most of the time but will handle much bigger with ease. I like other husky saws but think the 880 takes some beating at the top end of the large saw market market

Bump..

The ten week course (depending on where and who you do it with) should give you the four main tickets, Cs30, 31, 38,39 as well as some basic knowledge on pest and disease and the theory of arb. However would you not be better off doing your CS30, 31 and then doing a bit of work with the guy you sub the tree work to? This way you could learn on the tools and where time permits maybe have a go in a harness to see if it is for you or not, without having to shell out £4K as well as lost revenue from not working. Further down the line it may be worth doing some of the other theory based courses such as the RFS to enhance your knowledge, but thats just a thought. If you tell us where you are I am sure some of the guys will recommend some local training providers.

Think I have seen that tree before, is it over Rainham/Twydall way? Handy lorry you got there, saves a lot of ringing up! So how long did it take??

Hi, Due to increased workload we are looking for both freelance climbers and groundsmen as well as a full time climber or groundsman. Trojan Tree care is an AA approved contractor serving London & the South East. We have a well established client base in both the domestic and commercial sectors and a reputation for providing a quality service. We currently have vacancies for both a ground worker and an experienced climber. Applicants should have a minimum of one and two years experience respectively as well as holding the minimum NPTC units CS 30, 31, 38 (39 and 41 for the climber) or equivalent. Very importantly we are looking for people who will fit in here, people with a positive, can-do attitude who are polite, presentable and enjoy working and striving to produce excellent workmanship. For freelancers day rate will be subject to experience and ability. For full timers we are offering a generous package including: • A friendly and supportive work environment. • Competitive salary based on qualifications and experience. • Saturday overtime regularly available at time and a half. • 28 days paid holiday (including bank holidays) • 5 further paid days to include training leave and paid-for staff activity days CPD and further paid-for training as required. • Quality work equipment (Over 75k invested in new vehicles & chippers in last 12 months If you are interested in either freelance opportunities or full time positions, please send your CV to [email protected] or phone Jamie on 07540449696 for an informal chat about the positions.

Hi Paul, Hope your well. Yes within reason we do try to prune them in the winter months but you know what it is like sometimes there is no way around it. I was working on two large planes yesterday that had large dead sections high in the crown over a path in a busy town centre park. IMO in this case it makes sense to carry out the work as the risk that the dead poses was high rather than wait for a slot later in the year. As it was for an LA I am sure if they wanted a reduction then they would be happy to wait until winter. I agree sometimes work can be planned better. I drove past a contractor the other day on the A20 and they were reducing a line of 30/40 trees, the guys looked like they were loving it!! In terms of doing them in the rain, the bigger open ones are like a skating rink, I think I would rather cough for a bit!

Cheers mate I'll give you a shout if your not globe trotting! Be good to sort out a South East reccy if there's enough interest. I'm still in Meopham about 15mins from the mushroom farm.

Nice video Rich, very smooth. How many days a month you out there for now? Is that the same guy who used to freelance for SL?

Takes a while to perfect that pose! I see what you mean now regarding the tensioning. I went to the AA SRT workshop last month and the guy was using redirects that were retrievable do you use this method? I'll look up the bulldog as I prefer mechanical devices over hitches. I saw your demos at the AA as well, they were good from what I saw and looked very smooth! Think I will need to go and have a rec climb with some SRT gear soon