JaySmith

Have you got an pics? Anthracnose normally lies dormant doing winter months in the buds and twigs as well as fallen wood and leaves. Come the spring it then flourishes. My understanding is that it’s normally confined to rigs and leaves as opposed to the colonisation of timber. Anthracnose (or version of) is often cosmetic as opposed to fatal but can lead to the demise in all ready stresses trees or help with secondary colonisation such honey fungus

Decent Tripod ladder, yes I agree. However I’d never personally lanyard into a ladder. If you fall from it you’re likely to come down tangled in the rungs. At least if you are going over without being lanyard in you have a chance of throwing the trimmers and jumping clear of it. I’ve done that before and it ain’t pretty! If it gets to the stage whereby you are having to think about lanyarding in or worried me about the setup falling over then it is probably at that stage other options need exploring.

Don’t think we’d of got a trailer in there. The garden was multi level with narrow access and we had to carry the scaffold in and assemble. Looked at lots of options like tracked mewp (which the firm owned), Genie boom etc but couldn’t get anything in. Was a bit of a head scratcher. Ended up trimming up as far as we could with trimmer with multi extensions and the tallest ladders we had.

Unfortunately in the UK hedges like these are the staple diet of many an arborist. They aren’t pretty, can be a right pain and lead to long hard days. Over the years I’ve done some crazy things with ladders and pole saws trying to reach the top or where the client wanted it cut. Often hedges like this need to be cut at a set height to screen adjacent land, windows, neighbours etc. If I’ve gone to quote jobs like this in work clothes I’ve climbed up inside to take a look, but this is often easier said than done at quote stage. In my experience tracked mewps can work, albeit very slow and time needs to be allowed. I’ve used Genie boom mewps as well that track along whilst elevated but it all depends on the site conditions as they only like pan flat terrain. Sometimes it’s easier just to get into the hedge, brace yourself and throw your lanyard around something bigger than your middle finger! It is sometimes possible to negotiate cutting it lower whereby you can then walk the hedge as opposed to balancing on a shaky ladder but this depends on what the customer is trying to achieve. Scaffold towers rarely work unless the ground is 100% level, picture below is one I had on the side of a winning pool which looked level but clearly wasn’t.

Yeah I see what you mean, where it’s been reduced and lack of decent anchor point may be a tricky little climb but doable from what I can see. I suspect you’ll earn your money. I’d check the union where the co-dom stems form to make sure there wasn’t anything untoward going on. If I was really concerned I’d ratchet it but that may be overkill on this instance. Can’t see from video if there is old honey fungus (black) on the ground. Could always throw line into the top, install a line and give it a good pull about with three of your biggest groundies! You are correct though if honey is present then the roots may be compromised, however with the weather we’ve had lately it’s still standing so that’s one positive!

The old degraded bracket looks like Rigidoporus or Perenniporia to me, difficult to tell from those pics. Other fungi maybe saprophytic. Looks as though the tree may have been in decline then reduced, as a consequence Armillaria may have added to the demise. The newish fence installation probably didn’t help matters either. I’d climb and assess the unions as I went, use much larger anchor and rigging points for the crown then slab and free fall the timber onto boards, tyres or ton sacks. Not sure negative rigging is needed or indeed a great idea with the degradation.

I know the whole which truck thing has been done to death before but for me I favour the one you ruled out! The Isuzu is more like a little lorry and as a result is more geared towards the role we do, I.e. overload trucks and pull heavy trailers! I was at a firm for six years that ran both Isuzus and transits and both had their pros and cons. Pros for the Isuzu is that they pull like trains, designed for work that we do and have great turning circles. With a 3.5t trailer behind it it didn’t struggle one bit. The downside is that servicing can be dearer as can parts. I agree with you that there is limited cab storage, mainly because you are sitting on the engine. They do have the overhead cubby holes which I found sufficient most of the time. I’m speaking from experience regarding a 06 and 63 plate trucks. These had the 3.0l engines, I know the newer models have the smaller engines like most modern trucks so not sure about the longevity of these. Regarding transits I’ve always maintained that these are essentially plumbers vans that we bolt a massive chip box onto and expect them to perform. Yes they are the staple vehicle of many a tree surgeon but for me often struggle with large loads and clutches are made of paper by comparison to other makes and models. I had a 15 plate transit that chewed through a clutch bin under 20k. The under seat storage is handy, we used to keep items like extra long ropes and a small rigging kit in there out of eye sight which was handy. Somebody I know has a Cabstar and whilst I think it is a fill in between the transit and Isuzu they like it. They have had some electrical issues with it, but to be fair you can get this with any make or model. I suppose it comes down to what you do, if you run heavy and tow large trailers then I personally would look towards Isuzu for the reasons mentioned. If you undertake mainly small jobs with a 750kg chipper then maybe a transit will suffice. Too many choices nowadays.

You can make good money from jobs like this, yes it can be a bit of a pain but we’ve won jobs for being able to do stumps like this. Obviously it takes more prep and clear up but can work. In the South East everybody is building up to their boundary and converting the garage into extra living spaces as the demand on housing and space continues so through the house jobs can be popular. Don’t get me wrong as an employee I always used to take a deep breath when I got a job sheet with “through the house on it”

The Rayco is moveable through a house with two guys. At a previous firm we had a larger Carlton pedestrian grinder for bigger stumps and a Rayco RG13 for smaller stumps and through the house/rake narrow access jobs. Being able to do jobs with narrow access or through the house can set you apart as many don’t bother with the small machines or want the agro of it, depends on your business model and what you want to do. I would say the Rayco is easier to throw around than the Predator from a physical point of view as it is lighter but the Predator is easier to operate because of the dolly if that makes sense. If you can hire in a larger machine for the real big stumps then a small pedestrian grinder may be the way forward, all I would say is prepare to sweat! I always find the smaller pedestrian grinders hard to use as I haven’t got size/bulk on my side! Sounds like you have your bases covered through if you have access to a larger machine.

For that kind of money you could get something like a Rayco RG13. They are a decent little grinder but IMO do have their limitations. You can carry them through a house and tackle stumps of most sizes, however they won’t grind as deep as the bigger machines but it’s horses for courses. The little RG13 will grind out some large stumps but you’ll feel it by the end, but like felling a 700mm tree with a 200t. If you keep the machine maintained and and the teeth sharp it can punch above its weight. They are fairly simple machines and depending on how handy you are with a bag of spanner’s easily maintained with parts available. Another option may be to get a new machine like a Predator 360 and finance/borrow the rest. You sometimes see lager machines such as the Carlton SP2010 come up for that money, they will go through a standard gate but maybe not a house. For me being under 60kg throwing something like the SP2010 around was always a challenge! For the £3000 you’ll get a decent little machine which could earn you some money. What have you got at present?

I’ve used many vehicles over the years but IMO a proper tipper truck is worth it’s weight in gold rather than a 4x4 tipper (depending on your work, where you can tip and how much gear you take away). If you did have a pickup you’ll always wish you’d of got a full size truck. I’ve got an L200 and used to borrow a friends Ifor tipper trailer to do privates but the thing is you never have enough room and always wish you had more, some times I’d end up spending too much time running to tip off when I could have been more productive on-site . The problem with the UK pickup tippers is the boxes are sooo small by comparison to a real tree truck and a decent chipper will end up making a mess all over the ground. Also a decent racked out transit tipped can hold all of the climbing kit, saws, rakes, poles etc. If 80% of your work is off road or in woodlands then I would consider a 4x4. I’m sure others will disagree but for me a transit/cabstar/Isuzu tipper would always win. Depending on your location and if you are outside of the ULEZ there should be some good deals about as people swap their current vans for the new Euro 6.

Meindl Airstream come in size 15, try FR Jones or Honey Bros.

As others have said put some pics up as that will help under the context and situation. If it is a LA owned street tree you have next to no chance of having it removed unless it is proved to cause subsidence, dies or develops major defects that cannot be mitigated. Also if the tree is removed (depending on the reason) a replant will usually occur, especially if it is in a CA or TPO’d Rightfully so in my opinion. If the tree is of pollard form then it may well be on a regime and be pruned every 2, 3 or 5 years for example. This may help with the potential shading issues. Pollard regimes (frequency) are often dictated by factors such as street layout and past insurance claims so it could be the case that the tree is repollarded every two years for example. If it is of standard form depending on the LA’s policy they are extremely unlikely to allow you to prune said tree or do little more than give statutory highway clearance or prune back from built structure by a 1m for example. If you raise an enquiry with the LA you will likely be able to find out info such as how often it is pollarded for example. Regarding the potential extension it may be prudent to speak with an arb consultant for some advice as they will likely to be able to advise on RPA’s and in their experience what would be likely to be granted with regards to the trees location. Just because a street tree is close by doesn’t mean construction can’t happen it just means that alternative construction methods may need to be explored, which in turn can be costly and worth considering when making an offer if the extra space is a deal breaker for you. As the concrete jungle heats up you may just be glad or a bit of shade! It staggers me how many people buy a house, move in and then get on the phone wanting the LA to remove the tree as it blocks out their vitamin d intake! For me I wouldn’t not buy a house near to a tree but would certainly do my due diligence before committing to one of the biggest life purchases. Put some pics up as you’ll get a bit more assistance.

Love how it turns into a bit of TO bashing! Just like in all things in life there are good ones and bad ones, like climbers good ones and bad ones! There are many good TO's out there who are realists who have spent years climbing trees and apply that knowledge to decision making. There are also some who have read everything in a book and very much computer says no. Just my observations. Obviously I haven't see your site but with the proximity of the trees and the RPA's its hard to see how you could install a crossover there as you need to dig down rathe than build up. Things like Cellweb are great when you can build up but not really applicable in this case. You will have to follow process, i.e. put the application in, have it refused and then go through the complaints procedure. At which point you may then be able to put your case forward for exploring things such as root radar etc. For me if a resident came to me and wanted to explore this kind of thing (at their cost) I think I would be obliged to listen.

Thats it, its only a Code of Practice as opposed to law is my understanding of it.

It should be 500mm from the curb stone from memory and where possible it should be located within the PMH.

There is Highams Farm which is just outside of Bromley. From memory they take green waste, chips and logs but worth checking. Don’t know of any closer I’m afraid Contact Us | Highams WWW.HIGHAMSFARM.COM

I had a 2016 Wildtrak 3.2 manual on long term hire when my l200 was in the garage. Although the engine was bigger than the 2.5 in my l200 I didn’t notice too much of a difference in mpg. For me it had more grunt than my l200 and felt more refined. From what I’ve read the newer 2.0l is better on fuel with the 10 speed auto than the outgoing 3.2l 6 speed. Although we don’t normally by pick ups for their great mpg. I only used it to tow small trailers and get my saws and kits to site. I had the roller shutter which was handy to store saws and climbing kits on the way to site but I wouldn’t leave anything in there overnight as it’s asking to be lifted. The load bay remained dry in the time I had it but again I would leave anything other than tools and kit on there an expect it to be bone dry. I like the roller shutters as it stops people putting their paws in there when you stop at a petrol station or traffic lights. I would like a newer l200 but I’m concerned that I’d have issues with after sales as they are pulling out of the UK. I’m currently looking at a Limited version in the 2.0 version and from what I’ve read there is little to separate the engines. I think either one would be suitable for what you’ve outlined.

No reason why it couldn’t work in theory. I know of at least one guy who is similar to you and employees climbers whilst he stays on the ground. I also used to climb for a guy who had his own firm and would just employ climbers to climb and provide his own groundies. He was making a very good living out of it. Downside is climbers are in short supply at the moment so finding a decent one will be difficult depending on your region. For me I wouldn’t want to rely on a climber because if they don’t turn up or drop you then you can’t go to work (depending on the job). Also the climber will be the dearest of your labour costs. If for example you were say £600 for a two man crew (region dependant) paying £160 - £200 for a climber still leaves you with a decent slice of the pie for your efforts. Personally would sub myself to home owners and chip their crap, they will be the cheapest possible price brigade and likely to kill your equipment for a tenner! Adding other ground based operations to your business such as stump grinding, hedging etc will also bring in money and keep you busy.

The Tree Council also publish a decent guide https://treecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Tree-Council-Ash-dieback-tree-owners-guide-FINAL.pdf

If he is on good terms with his old company he may be able to get access to the receipts to show when the items were purchased and go off of this date for service life. Failing that if you know where the firm used to buy from you may be able to find out dates from the retailer if they were feeling flexible and helpful. I’m always dubious about buying things second hand unless I know and trust the person who has owned it. I often see some of the prices for second hand gear and it is close to that if new kit!

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I’m going to give it one more go next week mate, if I still don’t get in with it I’ll drop you a PM

Cheers, yeah drt for all my climbs. I brought a bulldog bone years ago from Gordon but I’ve only used it once or twice as I couldn’t seem to set it up right it, probably my error but must put a bit of time into learning SRY as I can see the benefits. I just use a ropeguide and lockjack daily. On that last tree I was able to throw line across to the other one and set my lines from the ground which saved a bit of effort wading through the mass of epi on the way up! All of the sudden SRT looks appealing!

Been on Lime and Sycamore re-pollards all week. Not the most exciting work in the world but it pays the bills. Reckon they'd started to regrow before we'd driven away! LPSE0020.m4v