Pete Hart

Conkers, Mark B...bang on the mark! What the public (in general) don't see or have an awareness of is this 'wee list' of expenses: Purchasing Truck (s), other vehicles Insurance - Truck, landy, pick up, tools, chipper, stump grinder etc.... Public liability, Road tax Employers liability, proffesional indemnity NPTC tickets and updates Waste carriers liscense Disposal of green waste, chip etc Purchase of new machines, equipment Cost of getting old kit LOLER inspected Wear and tear + depreciation on the above Fuel (say no more!) Advertising Admin, phone, website Wages, nat ins, tax (income/corporation) Bank charges Sundries im sure there are many more to add to that list that i've missed..... All of the above plus danger element and skill/knowledge, i don't think our collective proffesional prices (as an industry - pikies excluded#!!) are in any way over the top, and as previously mentioned, please guys, keep prices at a level that represents this....

For axes look no further than Gransfors bruks of Sweden!

Hi Sandy..... a career in Arb can be very rewarding and enjoyable. You get to spend your day outdoors, amongst like minded people, and you keep very very fit! Its not all perfect though.... long days, bullish hard work, cuts from hand saws, frozen hands in winter, buckets of sweat and cramp in the summer, low pay (to start with), 10 minute lunch breaks, and a fair ammount of danger thrown in too!! I really don't want to put you off...in fact i think its great you see arb as a new way of life! But if you can look past the fact that there are some niggles and downsides, then working with trees could be great for you!! With regards to your question about saws.... eventually you will need a 'groundsaw' Stihl MS260 or similar (with a bit of experience and practice you can happily use a MS360 and suchlike), and when you get round to doing your climbing tickets and chainsaw from rope and harness course cs39, you will need to get a 'top handled' climbing saw (Stihl MS200t very commonplace). The difference between a groundsaw and top handled saw is that the chainsaw for climbing is smaller, lighter, has a smaller 12" or 14" bar and therefore chain (which is designed not too 'kick back' as much as the larger pitch chains on some groundsaws). The 'top handler' is attached to your climbing harness via a lanyard. And the handle design allows you to use it in tight, awkward positions whilst your in the tree. A groundsaw with the backhandle allows a more solid working base as you can get yourself into a more balanced and sterdy position. Best of luck for the future!

well done all round!! Good work Frosty!!

predicted to rise to £8 per gallon in the coming months.... ouch!

i rarely drink either, but why not tax luxuries like booze etc instead of essentials such as fuel

I'll probably get completely slated for this......but i'd rather see booze taxed instead of fuel. If it means sacrificing one or the other Fuel prices have doubled in the relatively short 10 years i've been driving....unbelievable

imagine how long it would take to chip any serious pile of brash with that thing?! Not to mention the white finger you would get using it!

Always thought that Beech was used for chopping boards and butchers blocks traditionally....however some really interesting points posted about sycamore. I made a series of 'cheeseboards' from oak which turned out really nicely and clean up well too. I think you can't go wrong with beech or sycamore

Great photos!!! Love the first one.....looks like a gnarly old tree

I'm after a stumpgrinder that is fairly compact, and saw this post from a few months back. I'm in pretty much the same situation as you mark.....had loads of calls about stumpgrinding lately and getting fed up of turning business away!! same requirements i.e small enough to get down tight alleyways, easy on/off the truck etc and about the same budget (£2500). My only concerns are that i've only ever seen the abilities of bigger machines in action and would like to know from any of you guys that have used a smaller unit (carlton 900 or similar) if it will be man enough to warrant the purchase? or should i continue saving for a bigger, more powerful machine? Thanks, Pete

To look at..... Liriodendron tulipifera ... i love the leaves especially back lit with sunlight!! To work on..... Acer pseudoplatanus ... great for snap and hold take downs, and the timber can be cut really easily when chogging down with the 46!!

Trust for EL and PL.... and defo have a word with your boss. Always best to have everything out in the open for your sake as it may lead to ill feeling as previously mentioned!

love these vids...makes you feel smug inside!!

cheers bud......sky +'d it!!

Forget it...your life is priceless. A long time ago when i didn't know any better... i nearly cooked myself working near powerlines!! Wouldn't go near the damn things unless i had personally pulled the plug out myself!! I genuinely wake up in a sweat occasionally, thinking about that incident!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do wonder about some people...had a customer tell me that 'all that safety gear looks a bit over the top' the other day - unbelievable!!

Worked for Silvan Distan a few years back....then of portsmouth FC living in Poole. He wanted his two big beech trees dead wooding as 'the twigs kept dropping on his Bentley' I kid you not!!! Top bloke and his misses was pretty tidy too !!!!!!!

I paid 73.9p per litre the other week at a garage in north somerset. Im back up that way this weekend so im heading there this afternoon with 4 25lt containers to fill up!! White is as much as 140p per ltr at some stations down in dorset at the moment - its getting a joke!

I think the customer has an idea or been told its worth £££ .... how much is the big question to see if its worth while milling?!

Hi guys, i've got a customer who recently phoned to ask if the standing dead Walnut (dead for 6 months apparently!)in there garden would be worth anything once milled (trunk diameter in the region of 20 - 25" so i'm told). I'm not sure myself, so anyone out there got any ideas if its worth doing and how much it could be worth? I didn't actually see the tree when previously working at the property as the garden was pretty big and it was tucked away! Its either take it down and ring it up, or try and do something with the timber! Cheers, Pete

James i would love to know how you get on with it, as im considering the switch myself too! Please keep us all posted with your findings/experiences? All the best mate, Pete

I don't think its just your son.... I keep coming across so many idle youngsters (slightly different to your scenario i understand given his mechanical work) who think the world owes them a living. Im getting pretty bored of it. Im sure there are a lot of you guys out there who started on next to naff all wages (i started work at age 12 doing saturdays all day for £12). I remember being really proud and chuffed of my twelve quid every week. Poor attitudes, lazyness, poor time keeping, scruffy appearances, back chat, etc all make me wonder why i bother!! To those younger lads out there who do work hard, fair play to you.. keep it up and you will eventually be rewarded. Anbd if you live near Poole give me a shout!!!

My disposal costs obviously dropped dramatically a few months ago when i finally got my new chipper, as i can fit 3 to 4 times as much onto the truck now (allowing me to do a number of jobs befroe the need to tip off). That has saved me not only time but around £50 to £75 pounds a time. This is great but i'm just thinking of trying any means to reduce this cost even further, or to nothing. Perhaps bagging good chip and selling it for a few quid per sack could even turn it into a small profit? I'll put the feelers out to see what customer reaction is, and with gardeners etc

Chip £20.23 for a load up to 2.5 tonnes Green waste unchipped up to £54 per tonne All adds up when your going there 3 times a week with chip!!