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I love that Christmas tree!

I think in the grand scheme of things these two orders were relatively small so the stakes weren't that high, from a business point I agree with you but knowing these two wealthy guys it wouldn't have mattered a jot.

I know two different printers. Both did work for Indian resteraunts, the first printed a full set of menus. He waited weeks beyond his payment terms. He took his family and friends to the resteraunt and ordered a normal meal for everyone, starters, mains, sides etc. Which came to roughly the same cost as what he was owed. The bill arrived at the table, he said "oh I didn't realise I had to pay?" They asked what he meant, he said "well I thought I'd leave it as you haven't paid me for these menus that I printed". By then the manager came out all ready to deal with some troublemakers but had to climb down in front of his staff when he realised who it was. The printer duly walked out and said I'll pay you when you pay me and people started clapping! It all ended there and nothing more came of it. The second printer, the most well spoken man iv ever met, printed off a large pack of business cards, the guy walked into the shop to pick them up and was presented with an invoice for the agreed price. He said, "I don't think I should pay that" the printer said from behind his counter "but you stood there and agreed that price when you placed your order". The guy said "yeh, but they're no good to anybody now but me are they? I want them for ( named his paltry price ) . The printer very calmly said, " oh, in that case sir you'd better come with me" the guy was lead through to the workshop where the printer took the stack of business cards, laid them across the guillotine and chopped the lot in half! "There you go mate, nobody's having them now, now F**K OFF out of my shop! He said the guys face was a picture as he sloped off out the door. I suppose there are many ways to get even, but whatever it is always try and make sure it won't cost you more or drop you in the brown stuff with the law and the tables are turned on you. If you have to bite down hard and take it up the sh***er then so be it, eg, write it off and move on, as long as it's only a small amount. Having said all of that you can't go wrong with returning a few arisings in a very inconvenient place for them! ( or release the wife )

New boots time again. Sadly my Husqy boots have developed big holes in the middle of the sole and are letting in all sorts. I feared in the early days the sole would wear out quick, you could tell they're thin. Iv been impressed with their comfort from the first minuit I first tried them on in the shop but unfortunately the rubber sole has worn out quite quickly in 18 months. Iv resorted to wearing my old split Haix Trekker whilst I source some new boots, which incidently, apart from the trademark split on the side,have loads left on the sole and were two years old when I retired them. My question is, Husqy Tech boots are now being advertised with a new sole and a new heel, has anybody got any feedback on whether these changes have improved the boot at all? I'd be happy to buy them again as long as I knew the sole would last longer. They're the only boot iv ever owned where the sole has gone before the laces! But! I must say, they are comfy.

No probs bud. Another thing I meant to say aswell is the crotch is much lower, iv found it restricts you in the tree, even the basic things like getting in and out of the truck are a pain. I found the Stein Kreiger fit ok, iv just had enough of Stein and their shite zips full stop ( jackets and smocks aswell) so I went back Stihl and the Velcro pockets.

Iv had a few pairs over the years but thought I'd try out Stein Krieger trousers last year. Anyway, long story short iv reverted back to Stihl Hiflex, Large, Class 1, I was warned by my supplier that I may need XL, I explained Iv had Large in the past and they're fine, he said watch it because they've (Stihl) made them tighter than ever. I read out the part number in the label of an old pair just to confirm we were both talking about the same thing and decided it was ok to order a pair. They arrived about two months ago and I'm not happy at all, they normally loosen up by now but they're still dead tight, not as bad as when they first arrived though, I almost sent them back but knowing they can give over time I thought I'd try and ride out the Rod Stewart period until they fit me like my old ones did......I'm still waiting.

You're not kidding there, we call Connie hedge reductions "trouser wreckers":thumbdown:

Thanks for the replies so far, all much appreciated. So far iv had the Bandit on demo, I'm not ruling it in or out yet but the one thing I really like is the pivot, hence the interest in the Predator 460, plus the fact the 460's much lighter.

Thanks for reply, How long have you owned it? In that time have you had any faults with it, also warranty dealings good or bad? You hear so many different things about certain companies and their after market service. Also, can I ask, did you demo it against any other machines before buying? Thanks.

Does anyone own one of these? I'm comparing grinders at the moment, could do with feedback from people who have both positive and negative views on this machine, thanks.

Yes, definitely interested, we'd have a couple at least.

Me too, complete bag of ****, iv never spent so much on any of my saws. I even had a replacement new crank shaft put in outside of warranty F.O.C. I think even the dealer felt guilty they were so **** unless it was being sanctioned by Stihl. Iv given up on it now, we use 441's as ground saws now, heavier and thirstier but bombproof and reliable. We have a freelancer who brings along his 260, great saw, he won't part with it though:sneaky2:

Fair play mate, I can understand that. No offence caused, sorry if I had a bite back, it had been a long hard day!

Believe me, it got a good going over before it went anywhere near my head.

typical answer I come to expect on here, hence why I barely post. Until we could afford to have a tool cabinet built that's where all our gear went.

Ask yourself this, you turn up on week three and it's been hammering it down, try again the next week and your diary is rammed, it may have rained again aswell, now what do you do? You finally get to cut it on week five, imagine what's waiting for you. Insist on a two week frequency, iv had the old story of "old Fred used to do it at his own pace, sit in his van and have a roll up then have another bash", bollux! If you're a pro, set a proper price or you will hate having the job on your books. If it doesn't pay for all the hassle I get, it gets cut loose.

It sounds the same model as mine. It got put in the back of the truck one day and came off, it hit the road and several bits got got damaged, the chin strap snap ( the male part ) broke. I had a right game trying to replace it. Buxtons in Staffordshire contacted Petzl direct and they only had two left! I had one and another chap with the same problem had the other. I couldn't believe that's all they had. I only noticed last week a plastic part on the internal head harness is now broken, given the trouble I had last time I think it might be new helmet time! A right wounder, I know, just for bits of plastic. Perhaps that's their plan.

For all TW 125 owners I thought I would share with you the wheel bearing codes. We nearly lost a wheel today which could have been extremely dangerous, there was little warning either until it was almost too late. Fortunately we heard the noise which alerted us to it, from now on we will be carrying out a 'wobble' check on both wheels to find any early signs of wear in the bearings. There are two bearings required on the wheel, both are Taper Roller bearings, one large (the inner one) and one small (the outer one). Unless you can find a correct fitting Alko (the axle manufacturer) wheel bearing kit you will probably end up with a pair of bearings from an industrial bearing supplier, as I did. The large bearing should have a seal built on the end to keep all the road dust and grit out. The one you will buy from a normal bearing supplier will most probably not have a seal, I strongly urge you to order a separate seal to add to your large bearing, without it your new large bearing will take in grit and it's life span will rapidly be reduced. The remainders of the two bearings and seal can be seen below. The large bearing code reads LM45449/10/701513 The small bearing code reads LM11749/10/701512 Seal code reads TC 40 52 7 ( these are physical dimension sizes of the seal and will be familiar to any reputable bearing supplier) The bearings you will receive may have slightly different numbers on, this is ok as the supplier will recognise the above numbers but your new bearings may not display the exact same code but a slightly different variation of it. Tips, after fitting the seal first make sure you fit the new bearings the right way round, big bearing on first with taper facing out, fit wheel then small bearing with taper facing in. When fitting your seal on the stub shaft of the axle, remember this is the first thing you put on, open side facing the outside of the chipper! When you have assembled everything else, remember to pack cover cap with grease, and also tap in the new seal from underneath the chipper, all that messing with the wheel will probably leave it hanging half out, you don't want any grit in that nice new shiny bearing! Prices can vary,I was quoted £114 for two sets of bearings minus the seals, I actually paid £38 for bearings and £12 for the two seals from somewhere else. Quality of bearings can vary, from cheap Chinese bearings to top quality Timkin etc, I can recommend BML Hayley as a supplier, they seem to have many branches. Good luck folks!

Yes! Agreed, back to the main event:thumbup: Firstly, what rate is she on? secondly, can I have her number? And thirdly........oh knackers to it we'll put her on £150 /day! Consider her poached:001_tt2:

Iv been asked to provide and cement in the ground 4 tree stems at a school as part of a Forest Schools project. They need to stand about 7 ft high and be approx 6-8 inch diameter. The purpose of the trees would be to provide a point at which to tie a tarp to so the kiddies can sit beneath and take outdoor lessons, also they need to be more natural looking instead of just using tantalised posts from the local landscaping supplier. My questions are, which trees should I select? and if I put them in the ground green will I get shrinkage as the tree seasons over time thus making the trees unsteady in their holes. My first thoughts would be Alder, for obvious reasons, but I'd appreciate any more thoughts from fellow Arbtalkers on how they would go about it. Thanks in advance.

Timberwolf 125, all day long. You haven't said what you'll be mainly putting through it, ie, are you into tree work, grounds maint, etc. we tend to do both and the TW 125 is perfect. You can manoeuvre it on your own, it's quite short in length which is ideal for domestic driveways, anything over 5 inch is for log sales anyway so for me the perfect all rounder. I almost bought the CS 100 and have used one since, so glad I didn't, it will have its place as I'm sure others on here will be quick to point out, like size and access but if you pick up a meaty job you'll see for yourself, for an all rounder TW 125....no brainer.

How many people are trimming Conifers now? We've had several requests to trim conifers, some tight ornamental shrubs, some large hedges. We always advise people to leave them alone for now until around April at least, even then frost is likely. We've seen other local tree companies trimming them and have been surprised, maybe it's just me but even with work being a little slower I'm still resisting touching them. Thoughts anyone?

With 6x5's I use step ladders, I lift them like a diamond shape, top left or right corner pointing up, once up in the air lower the panel so it sits between the posts, still like a diamond. At this point the full weight of the panel is sat on the posts and you get your strength back ready for the next lift. Then pick up the panel and inch it round in between the slots of the concrete posts until you get it vertical, the key is to letting the concrete posts take the weight whilst you manoeuvre it round until it's ready to drop. It's the only method I use when I'm on my own and it works every time.....unless it's a 6x6 on a windy day!

I'll definitely second that.

When pulling a tree over with a rope DON'T DARE start snedding until you've found where my rope is, remove it and put it safely out of the way.