Dilz

depends on what rope you are using - but sometimes it needs a bit of a pull or to disengage the RW to get going. After 18 months of trying differnet stuff, swtiching from SRT to DRT on the same line - i have found it best to have one line for SRT and just take up my DRT line or have it sent up if i plan to switch or just install it as an emergency access. This is great on big jobs as if i swtich to DRT I can leave the SRT line in place and just climb back to it and use it as a pissstop / tea's up elevator.

my knees and back started cracking long before i turned 35! suffer anterior knee pain, arthritic hip (genetic) and got some lower back wear and tear, had a bulging disc in my upper back a while which caused me no end of grief - seems ok for now I was recommended to start weight training as a way to combat my various injuries and ailments. squats do wonders for my knee and hip pain, and other exercises help in keeping my upper back in good working order though this is the odd morning where i cant move my neck and i will do nearly anything to avoid using pole saws. Jujitsu batters me though....getting slammed into the mats many many times in an hour, repeated locks, and holds etc i should quit it but its fun but have considered dropping this to one night a week. I think after 15 years of tree work plus the life style im in good shape, in fact its when i take a break of have to sit at a computer for a few days (and dont do any training) that things hurt - but yes i'm pretty much giving up on the idea of living any where with a staircase by the time i'm 50 which is why im working on my game plan to step away more and more from climbing or at least climb at a more relaxed pace. Personally, i find all the activity is good for the soul as much as anything, really helps clear the head after a stressful day and is the lesser of evils now i get hangovers. Swtiching to SRT and using a 150 definitely has added a few years to the game though.

turned 35 this year - had a break from going to gym. got the pissed ripped out of me for not being able to lift a decent sized log over a wall by december - now back to the gym- Agree that when in my 20's the job was my gym, smoked like chimmney and drank like a fish and still was able to go hard at it on the job. Started being serious about training when i hit 30. Training mostly depends on the work. had a cushy line clearance gig, was in the gym 5 days a week and swimming once or twice. Mid November last year i was training jujitsu twice a week if i was lucky as it was super busy time. Now the ideal is lift twice a week, train jujitsu twice a week (hard on the shoulders but i do love a good scrap), swim once or twice a week and 10 - 40 minutes yoga everyday, Get out for a hike when i can. This equates to about 1.5 hours training a day. Its a hard routine to keep up when the work starts piling in but now its the quite part of the year so got a couple of months to get on it. Trying to admit to myself that i need to factor in more and longer recovery time is bit tricky as i still consider myself invincible - limping and sore but otherwise invincible.

for me the only real benefit i've noticed is when working as a two man crew (1 climber 1 groundy) as once the piece was cut i could take control of the lowering line whilst the groundy walked the piece away and still have the advantage of friction. also for lifting stuff it worked well..

Where do the shoulder straps attach at the front of the harness? Do you need to buy the additional attachment webbings?

if doing anything serious - then really the piece needs to be snatched on a normal rigging set up and then the speed line tensioned. Everything i have read says that you shouldnt shock load a tentioned speedline. - The reality is some what different.... One trick I use on speed lines is to have the line on a base tie, then you can run it through a block or a crotch, dont know how this affects the loading, but i like it as a set up.

but these are none adjustable - i.e once you have a level of friction set - thats it right? Whats the advantages?

cougar blue / orange from Nod - its the shizzle. I have 35m rope for pure Drt and a 60m SRT. cant fault it.

My only experience of this other than natural crotch rigging was using an old ZK1 wrench with a 13mm yale rope. I found i had to take quite big pieces for it to run smooth. and was a bit of pain as the friction couldn't be adjusted ala bollard at the base. for when smaller bit needed to be rigged. I keep hearing a lot more about having the friction at the top instead of the base, but i'm keen to know more. What systems work? do any allow for easy adjustment? in a big tree i dont fancy climbing up to the rigging anchor when i want to adjust something.

Will make sure to check it when i take the pump off this time.

been getting nothing but grief from my 560xp and its oil pump. I've cleaned the pump and flushed the tank a few times yet it still keeps fouling up after a few hours. Haven't cleaned it since it last stopped working about a week ago. Wondering if i should just try a new pump on it?

agree with all the comment that these arent so good for spikes, miss my Protector pros on big takedowns.

already run it on aspen - have to use bio oils as i work alot in parks and near water ways. I havent stripped mine down yet so no idea what the exhaust is like. Its an EU saw being based in Sweden but I imagine it is the same set up. I'm kind of against the drilling of holes straight in the side of the exhaust. Might look at finding a more subtle way to open it up like on the 150t

To add my experience to this - Run my saws on aspen 2 for 8 years since moving to Sweden, never had a pot seize on me. The problems I have had is that saws that have been run on 2 stroke mix before dont like switching to Aspen type fuels. The main issues is that it causes the the fuel lines to split. This is because the oil in the two stroke mix actually soaks into the plastic/rubber of the lines. The aspen draws this out and causes them to dry and they split. THis has happened to every uk guy i know who brought their own saw over and switched from mix to Aspen. Saw shops over here don't know that this is a problem. They just say you need new pipes and a new carb and charge you for it when in truth you just need a new pipe, and maybe a new diaphragm in the carb and then pick either aspen of mix and stick with it. So far haven't seen it cause problems with cylinders - in fact Aspen fuel is great as there shouldn't be any risk of their being too much or too little mix. Even when buying cheaper copycat fuels i haven't had any problems. The saw shop is out of line for throwing away the saw as a good small engine mechanic could repair it - though if the parts and labour would be worth it on an old saw is another question.

also british humor - takes some getting used to

all good and much appreciate the offer of help - i agree the first model 201's were utter garabge! people i worked with either kept their 200's running or bought 192's. When i get into the my saw projects i usually post my problems and questions as they arise.

it does all seem a bit too GRINDR for my liking...

sorry was just asking - what was i supposed to say in the private message? - hello here is a private message? you couldnt just send me a private message explaing this? you trying to keep it a secret or something - scared Spudulike is gonna hunt ya down?

Was wondering about opening up the exhaust on my 201TCM - Will the chip manage to adjust the carb? any thoughts or suggestions much appreciated.

I could, the question to ask would be why? and about what?

Just inherited a tray full of parts that have been sat around for a probably a couple of years, adding it to the spares i have sat around and with a couple of minor purchases (e.g piston rings and gaskets, airfilter) i will have enough to fully construct a 200T. Everything is in bits down to the last bolt. Just wondering as I aint a mechanical type by trade in any sense if there is anything i should watch out for when doing a rebuild using parts that have been sat around in a workshop for such a long time - (main concern being bearings). Thanks in advance.

too much to do with too little time and thinking too much that it matters so much to get it done - leads to shortcuts and making simple mistakes - mistakes when playing our game can be life-changing experiences or this case life ending. This stuff is tragic to read about, really sorry for his family.

Nah - last pair were Andrews... good boot don't get me wrong but not so nice for wearing the old pruning spikes as the Haix Protector pros and for pruning jobs its the arbpro evo boots - like slippers they are, in fact I'm wearing them now as im sat in the den smoking fine cigars and drinking brandy all purchased with my ill-gotten toppin and loppin gains.

i'll top it and paint it pink if the price is right - then i can worry about the state of my sole surrounded by fine wine and luxury.

brad? he's probably sat drowning his sorrows wondering how he screwed everything up so bad to end up as a subby climber, busting a nut for years and naff all to show for it apart from lots of climbing gear, a dodgy hip and rusting pickup with a cracked windscreen - trying to plot a way out of the mess he's got himself into but the thought of doing something other than tree work or idea of building up a company himself - dealing with customers? dealing with employees? - those kinds of thoughts got brad chucking the back his beer and reaching for the scotch and checking his diary is booked up enough over the winter season to pay the rent. myself? after the last 8 years of a 15 year tree life being a self employed subby? at 35? i'll keep being a rockstar for a just a little bit longer (but not too much longer...)