Paul Jenks

If you've done little real exercise for a number of years, climbing is really going to take it's toll. Go and join a good gym and ask for a program. It'll include antagonistic muscle toning as well as the core muscles you need for climbing. You'll also need to focus on stretching and rest. 16 years of desk to commercial arboriculture is a big step. Do it in stages and you'll find the transition along with the aches and pains a lot easier to cope with. Consider a regular, i.e. monthly, sports massage too.

If you're starting to think about expansion look at getting an insurance broker. Also look at your cover for employee liability and third party. It's worth making sure you dot the i's and cross the t's. Look around and ask around to get a good broker that looks out for you and is willing to haggle for you. One that is also ready to fight your corner if you do have the misfortune to need to make a claim. We have a fleet policy, but then we have a few vehicles. I think for most fleet policies you have to have 5 or more vehicles. We have any driver too so it costs about £6k or so a year. Insurance companies try any which way to wriggle out of paying so make sure you get a policy that covers what you do. Don't just go for the cheapest option. The cheap option may satisfy the letter of the law but may not deliver when you really need it.

Ok children, we've got 2 Forsts. The lights play up a bit, though they have been out to fix them. The top feed roller guide gets bunged up with twigs etc when chipping conifer. It means the rollers don't come together too well. Takes a bit of effort to unclog. I believe there is a retrofit to sort this. Good aggressive in feed. Enormous torque setting on the blades. Easy enough to do the outer nut, can't get a standard socket and the torque wrench on the inner one. Chips well, tows well, feeds well, 3 years parts and labour warranty, what's not to like.

I feel the reason many companies prohibit the use of top handled saws on the ground is twofold. Firstly, this is the simplest way of covering a grey area of rules and regs. One only has to look at the HSE stats to see most injuries with chainsaws are by untrained individuals. A certificated operative using a chainsaw of whatever orientation has little chance of injuring themselves or others when using it in accordance with guidelines. Secondly, much of our learning through life is emanative. This means we watch others and do what they do. Alas, a newbie watching an experienced, trained operator doesn't pick up the nuances of dynamic risk assessment going on in the operators head all the time the saw is being used. To this end, they may well pick up the saw to cut something inappropriate and injure themselves, where an experienced operator may well have chosen a different tool, different position or different methodology using his/her training and experience. Therefore, again, it is simpler to just prohibit their use on the ground.

Cut yourself with a silky

I don't know about the humble, but I do talk to trees. On a snotty light reduction I ask the tree what the problem is. "It's either this or something heavier." If it's a snotty take down my vocabulary tends towards Germanic and/Norse. End result I win. On challenging jobs my mantra is "Little bits" Tricky stuff is best done in little bits. Quick to cut, easy to chuck and less damage if it goes wrong.

It's perfectly ok to use a top handled saw on the ground. It's not recommended in the afag guidelines as the temptation to use it one handed is strong and it can be demonstrated that many chainsaw injuries occur from using a top handle one handed on the ground. We endeavour to use rear handles on the ground and top handle in the tree. It's not black and white. Pruning off low limbs is fine with a top handle.

A salient reminder to all of us busy, busy bunnies to spend time with those we love. Tell them we love them and tell them why we love them.

Another aspect to add to the hazard analysis sheet. Well played for getting out the way so quickly.

I think they're both hard. It all depends on how you work, the type of job your doing, the terrain, type of tree, client etc. You don't get koi carp ponds, greenhouses or powerlines in the woods. You don't have to clear up much in the woods. Granted, the day rate/piece rate in the woods is pretty poor so lots of felling snedding and humping to get your money. Also lots of waiting for your money. So, back to the thread, Stihl or Husky, Landrover or Jap

I'll climb with anything, always use a strop. Don't really like the bungee ones, too expensive when I cut through them. I really like the look of the adjustable lanyard.

Back to the original thread. Business is bloody hard work. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad and sometimes it's ugly. To get through the bad and ugly bits it helps to have set of goals and to focus on them. I have never waivered from mine. A goal should be centred on your core beliefs. That way it's much simpler to keep track. You'll note I used the word simpler, not easier. Sticking to your goals is about as hard as defining them in the first place. It also helps to focus on your goals when times are good. This way you can allow yourself a smile and a joyous feeling that what you're achieving is actually what you want. Running a business/company or being self-employed is not for everyone. In fact the vast majority of people don't actually like it. Statistics show that 98% of all companies cease trading before 10 years is up. Fair play to all those who have a go. Even if it doesn't work out, they'll know they gave it a go. Look for the positive learning outcomes from all situations. Question your self, 'What did that teach me, how do I improve?'. 'How will I do it differently next time?' The market place is what it is. Unless a person comes up with something completely new, concept or widget, the market as it stands is there for the taking. Forge a way into it by being better than the alternatives at the time when the buyer wants your particular service. If you're not happy doing what you're doing, do something else.

A point well made. Any mechanical device used in an external, organic environment has the potential to fail when loaded. Whether it's a karabiner, a ZZ, car suspension system, a bridge or the beer fridge out back. Check regularly and use sensibly

Before anyone starts, I'm not saying the metal failure on the ZZ is ok. Looking at the picture the ZZ in question doesn't look particularly loved. And/or it's done some hard, dirty work. Things do break in this industry and whilst it looks alarming, I'd be interested to see the age, time in service and weekly check sheets for this device. Also, the point at which the device has cracked is not uber critical to the performance of the tool or to the safety. Unlike the fail on the ZZ1, this component part is one of several that share the load. I'd also like to see an independent engineers report on how this may have occurred. I'm sure Petzl take this sort of thing seriously and they should by now have contacted the poster to inspect the device. it's all very well jumping to conclusions about Petzl's perceived lack of care and attention, we don't know all the facts. I'm still getting used to my ZZ, though I do prefer it to the LJ. Daily checks and keep your kit in good order.

Hyperion is the tallest General Sherman is the biggest World's largest treehouse, built by divine inspiration in Crossville, Tenn. This is mad. Love the picture of The President. Quite awe inspiring when seen in the flesh, so to speak.

We are exceptional, though if your friend will settle for good, try other numbers:thumbup:

We always put in the cost of new teeth. Big stumps and/or lots of stumps and/or metal/stone/concrete means more teeth. Can quite easily get through 5 pairs of lead teeth in a day. It's much more efficient to change them and chuck them than to spend time sharpening. Not to mention the health hazards associated with sharpening them. We have a lot of flinty soils around here so often get teeth like those in the picture.

On a serious note, we did get pursued by solicitors once where someone passing the site alleged they got sawdust in their eye. Fortunately our clients, a large contractor, backed us up and the evidence from the claimant didn't stack up. We also, on another occasion, got billed for valeting 2 cars that got some wood chip on them. Same site different day, so it's obviously a cultural thing. We now insist the car parks are car free before we carry out works so all the staff have to walk a bit further. They still complain.

Once did a sweet clear up with a blower where all the last little bits and bobs went under the flowers and shrubs. The old boy watching commented on how amazing the hoover was and asked where did all the stuff go. I said it had a special bag.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdomzmkriBk]Preparing to lay turf video - YouTube[/ame] This should give you the guidance you require

I've used a willans for about 20 years or so. (Not the same one and, no, I haven't replaced some of the parts several times). I don't seem to be able to get used to the newer 'more ergonomic' ones. I don't like my nuts being squashed and most of them have floating D, which I also don't like. Most of us have a dominant side. To this end, at some point our muscles get out of balance. When I used to row, Stroke/port side used to wreck my lower back and I'd have to stretch for hours after a session. Sculling wasn't so bad. Rowing bow/starboard side I could go all day without a problem. Same with climbing. Some trees, normally ivy clearing, being suspended all day is a killer. Most of the time when branches or spikes take the weight, I'm fine. A lot of lower back pain is caused by one of your piriformis muscles being a bit tighter than the other. If this is so it pulls the sacrum out of line and gives pain just below the kidney area. Here's a link to an NHS site for stretching it. Sometimes a hard sports massage will be required. NHS VIDEOS | Exercises for sciatica: piriformis syndrome - Health video - NHS Choices

Given that many oils have been shown to be carcinogens, is it wise to be spraying such substances over yourself?

Locks on the inside of our lock-up didn't stop the gits who stole all our stuff. Anyway, I was being facetious.

Not all time sitting around is time wasted. I don't spend enough time thinking. I need to do more as this is where the ideas for future growth come from. Time spent thinking isn't always productive, but is it wasted? As for the weather, we've lost one day in over ten years and I was disappointed with that. But then we're soft Southerners so we don't get bad weather.

So it was more secure than when you usually lock up:thumbup: