doobin

Hi, Does anyone know if: A. The adjustable head for the HLE 71 is different to a regular petrol Stihl hedgecutter head, except for the 125 degree fold rather than 135 degrees? Is it geared differently perhaps? Will this head fit onto a petrol model? B. Will the electric motor drive something like a chainsaw head or brush head? Is the shaft speed the same? Thanks.

If so, what petrol Stihl would you say it equates to in the real world? Thanks.

The technical term (at least for Stihl) is 3/8 Picco I believe.

A 251 flies with a 12" 3/8p 1.1mm bar fitted, so the same on a 261 would be awesome for coppicing etc. I love 1.1mm, I find the thinner kerf a real advantage with polesaws and small saws like the 181. I also find it much quicker to sharpen due to the lack of metal and oddly, more tolerant of poor sharpening techniques/odd sized cutters. Anyone else find this?

Sure you've charged it properly? Did the ammeter read high then slowly come down as it charged? How long was it left dead for? If more than a day you may have goosed the battery. For a new battery, use your local motor factors. Take the old one to them and they will do you the best price on a replacement that will fit and do the job. Don't involve a dealer unless you like paying over the odds.

Do a search bud, tons of info.

I could do with a customer like that! How much do you charge per metre?

I had visions of a 1m3 load plonked in the middle of a 1.6m3 trailer! Bags do give you the chance to offer a cheaper load where you might have lost the sale before (not due to being too expensive for what you get, it's just 2m3 is a lot of wood for most customers) and do more drops at once.

Bit pointless if you don't mind me saying? If delivering just loose in a trailer you really need to sell them by trailer volume or the customer will think they're being short changed when they see what to their eyes is an underfilled trailer. I really think you will find bags a cheap and easy soloution to seasoning, handling and delivering, as well as being an easy concept/volume to describe to the customer.

By hand. Once you have hold of the bottom of the bag (via the sewn on loop) tipping them is easy.

The vented sacks have tipping loops for you to grab at the bottom, you just flip them off the side of the trailer/truck onto the customer's driveway, and keep the sack.

They'll still stretch when you take them out of the box and again when you load the truck. Then the customer will ask where the rest of the bag is... Best to just price them at what you know they actually hold.

It is normal, however HMRC take a dim view if you do all of your work for him, and in that case you really should be employed. Technically you should probably be employed if you work under his direct control and are not responsible for putting any shoddy work right in your own time. But work is work these days, and if you can turn your hand to many things and do a good job then being a subby can be a good way to start your own business.

Just charge for the vented bag accordingly, it's easy enough. I did notice that my new bags are noticeably more 'perky' than the older ones- this pattern does of course repeat itself in other areas of my life....

Tell us a bit about your current way of doing things and how much per year you want to do?

IMHO you'd be wasting your time doing your own tickets. Let's take stock- you're a farmer, you have a farm/contracting business to run- is it really worth your time to swing about in a tree? Great if you enjoy it- maybe keep it as a hobby? You also have big kit, some one which by the sounds of it is already timber related. And I presume you are a reasonable businessman, even if subsidised by the state (only messing mate, there's plenty of folk on here who are farm based) The obvious route is to get insurance which covers you for anything tree related. Then find yourself a decent couple of subbby climbers to hire in as needed- think of it as hiring in a specialist machine for a specific job- why pay to have it sitting in yard (hazy anology to training yourself/doing tickets) if you don't use it much? IMHO you'd do better to be the man on the ground, putting the job together, using your contacts, premises and big kit to do it efficiently, and get someone skilled do the donkey work up a tree.

Slabwood is a piece of piss to cut, all you need is a decent chop saw. Not much in the way of justifying kit required. Depending upon distance I would look to either take a lorry at a time, or if local leave your trailer there for him to load as he goes then pick it up, process it and return it (or ideally leave another trailer there when you collect). The less times either of you you have to touch the wood, the better value it is for both parties.

I just bought the telescopic shaft section from a pole saw for £230, all bases covered with only one engine! Which can be sold after warranty finishes and replaced at minimal cost/loss. Won't suit everyone but for the extremely varied yet not always regular work I use mine for it's ideal.

Yes, but I thought it was last nights rogan josh making an appearance! We got a little but not as bad as you by the sounds of it, no trees down here in Cocking/Bepton. Sat in the tractor cab for about twenty minutes yesterday PM though as I'd have drowned if I opened the door, bloody hell didn't it rain?

Stubby, we're miles away and we've the South Downs between us and Hayling!

Two Mutleys with numbers in their username. This is gonna get confusing

If you're good and you know it, then charge piece rate- ie. by the metre. Win win for both parties.

You could consider joining the Construction Plant Association and using their Model Terms and Conditions. They are pretty watertight to say the least, and membership also gives you access to their assistance and expertise should something go wrong. They will also know who to use for insurance for this type of venture (insurance where you pay when it's at your yard, and the customer pays unless they can show proof of their own hired in plant insurance).

If you've run veg oil in your pump and now normal oil won't work, it's very simple- the oil is congealing in your pump. Solvents such as petrol will not do much at all to clear this. The answer is to run near boiling water through your pump. You will see the globules of oil come out in the stream of water. Any veg oil is fine for bar lube. And any veg oil has a tendency to congeal especially when cold. That's why if you run straight veg oil in a diesel car, it's common place to fit a preheater just before the injection pump.

£50 a builders bag would be a retail price to Joe Bloggs. If you need a fair bit for your own use then look to buy timber by the ton in lengths. Round here softwood slabwood goes for £25-30 a ton.