Lurcherman

Good idea, hadn't though of ski goggles. Gonna get me a set. You're right about the spikes on Phoenix spp. Got myself stabbed yesterday in the forearm, damn thing swelled up within minutes! The spikes from dead fronds are even worse. Wouldn't mind taking dynamite to all Phoenix canariensis! But people seem to like 'em.

Yeah, I know what you mean, and that's true for Washingtonias and Chusan Palms. I'm talking about Canary Island Palms (the ones that look like giant pineapples!) Incidentally, in the Sherril's catalogue they've got a lovely system for avoiding having to ascend through the underside of the dirty, filthy, rat and snake infested dead fronds of Washingtonias. It involves firing a line like Amsteel over the top of the crown, pulling your climbing line to the top of the tree with it; secure the Amsteel at the base on 'the other side' of the trunk, then you can ascend over the fronds rather than under them. You can then clean the dead fronds off from the top. Simples.

They're rare because they were useless!

Good afternoon all. Has anyone (and I'm directing this q. to the Kiwis, Aussies and American members primarily, though I know Palms are available in the UK) come up with the best way to take down Phoenix canariensis? Here in Portugal we are taking down about 5-6 a month, due to them being killed by the Red Plam Weevil, and it seems we're develpoing a new strtegy every time!! As anyone who's worked with the buggers before will know, they are damn heavy and kind of fibreous mening they don't behave like normal timber. The saw cut actually closes up behind the saw! (Something I found out very early after starting work here 3 year's ago when my trusty 361 ran out of juice at about lunchtime, I left it in the trunk and came back to find it impossible to move and had to cut it out!) You can only take thin biscuits off due to the weight when dismantling. We have found that cutting the trunk 'lengthwise' first eases the 'trapping-of-the-saw' issue, but this is only practical after it's down to about 3 metres. I'm using a combination of 460, 361 and 880, all with standard bar and chain set-ups with the 88 having a 75cm bar (the 105cm bar, although long enough to deal with the girth of the Palms, we found was draining too much power from the saw) Another word of warning to all who deal with these things - Palm sap eats alloy side casings on saws! So make sure you clean it thoroughly after use. Any Palm-tech advice gratefully received.

What's happening here? Are we delving into the deep dark world of Nigella Lawson?? Do just what we do here. Take 3 Arborists and a groundy. Go on a day's shark fishing trip, catch nothing but Mackrell, bring home about 3 1/2 hundred-weight of the things and bung 'em on the barbee! Eat on bread washed down with anything alcoholic!

Hello and good afternoon from the Sunny Algarve. Can any of you guys with a better grasp of technology than me explain in a step-by-step format how I can get pictures uploaded onto this or any other thread? Any advice much appreciated. Thanks

Hi Ross. I've still got a nearly complete set of those FTC leaflets! God knows how old they are now but a lot of the tips remain valid. Don't recall any weight restrictions but then how much did a Sandvik bow-saw actaully weigh?! Just remembered, we had a groundy/driver on Hounslow Council in '85 who got a mate to chrome his bow saw! lol

Hey Mark. Tree work in Portugal is SWEET! As long as you can put up with the sunny days, cheap beer and year-round surfing. I got the only specialised Arb. company serving the whiole of the Algarve not many big 'uns down here but we do get the occassional gem of a Euc or Carob. I've got to figure out how to put pics onto messages.

Cheers for that Alex. Rear and side bungies are at their max, maybe gotta lengthen the adjuster straps at the front (which will probably alter centre of gravity!) and I'll try hitching it up a bit. Probably just got to get used to the thing after 24 years of wearing harnesses with seat pads and having the saw on the left or right, but I'm willing to give this new-fangled technology a go. Thanks again.

Good afternoon all. Just wondering if anyone who's been using a TreeMotion for a while has any thoughts on preventing the belt from beeing dragged down to the seat of me pants when a saw's attached? I've only had the thing a couple of weeks and only during this week started using it. I understand that it's infinately adjustable but still can't seem to find out how to stop the dropping (or should that be drooping!) Any help appreciated. Thanks

Don't know about 'the South East'. Here in the Algarve we've been climbing in daily temps of 30 degrees plus since about begining of May. My lads can wear what they want (no HSE to speak of) but opt for type C's - 'course we're back into the shorts as quick as poss. and during lunch! Secret is (providing no underlying medical predispositions like heatstroke) plenty of water - you can't take on enough. No need for salt as there's loads of that in just about everything. And sit/park in the shade when poss.