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Customer; do you expect any problems cutting down my tree? tree guy: I don't know yet. Customer; why is that? you are experienced ? tree guy:Yes I'm experienced but I haven't choppped 'this' tree down before:thumbup: Best way of showing the customer how far the tree is going to fall, using the old country boy technique - 'the seeupyourbuttscope'. Stand with back to tree, walk away untill far enough and bend down, put your head through you legs - and when you can see the top of the tree, thats how far the top will reach. Really gives confidence in your modern skills. It really works, to check calibration I have to put my head on the ground:sneaky2:

My son is down for CS30/31 at Morton Morrell 25 July x5 days,only booked up last week - try Lisa Harwood at Morton Morrell. I don't have the number with me but will look up the number when I get home - contact me if you have a problem.

I must be one of the oldest to take it at 62 a few weeks ago. I found that we all had tension before the assessment, just think out what you are doing and go through all the movements to get your sequences good, fit a semi chisel chain - more control doing letter boxes, than R S full chisel. My assessor really knew his skills and was looking for safety, high skill level and a good understanding of your saw, he could tell by the sound of your saw if you were any good. Most questions for him didn't always have text book answers but he wanted a deeper knowledge answer - no bull. I passed no prob and so did the others, the instructor has a 98% pass rate = you have to be a risk not to pass. My son 19 yrs old is off to do his 30/31 with the same college in July, ok he has used saws since primary school and we ran through all the practical last Saturday, but he's not so mechanically minded as me - so he will have to work harder on that aspect. Good luck with yours - let us know how it goes:thumbup1:

Sorry I'm a bit slow replying - busy at weekend ( more time when at work) Steve didn't work on the chimney site, just the erection of the substations then off to Brazil to build substations in the interior, built up alot of experience but no set 'tickets', which shows how you need set qualifications. Still it makes working on say fallen boughs safer by knowing from 'tapping' ground branches to find if they are taking the load, also with winches etc alot safer, being able to estimate the forces involved and have safe procedures to pass on. Yep Bolt CS30/31 at 62, my main worry was not doing the course but being older then the other x3 students put together, but luck had it they were 30-40 yr old. I plan to retire at the end of the year, and see what goes. It was usefull doing my cs30/31 first so I could run through it for Iain - we covered all the practical parts for him on Saturday on the estate. He's got his in July, then work his way through your recomendations. Good luck with having kids at +40, it really fills out your life - bit frustrating at times but overall it's more enjoyable as they get big enough to build up some 'dad's & lads bonding' did the same with my daughter now 33. the only bit that will get you is when you are doing the fit dad bit biking up a steep hill breathing hard when, they peddle past you one handed texting.

I have 'Alt-berg', last good boot makes up north, really good boots. I have the sewn on sole 'keeper boots' type. Check out their full range including all the military boot range. I fancied a pair of their classic hand made motor bike boots with side buckles but my son said they look 'camp'

I have a Suzuki Eiger + ride other quads all used on a large shoot over all types of conditions. 1st prob most quads have no rear diff - so steering will be a problem. 2nd big tracks would be useless on hard packed but greasie ground as they wont grip with there lower traction pressure. sand, snow and some bogs may be ok for large traction but as all types of 4x4's have there limits so do quads. I fitted a spare set of snow chains to the back of my quad in the snow last winter - bit big, but ok for a test. Worked well but no real advantage in powder but I'm sure they would work well in hard packed snow as they did with my L200 in mud, snow, ice. The big advantage with snow chains is they don't clog up and can be carried on the back and fitted in 10 mins - try 'Brindley chains' very helpful company - w/site crashed last winter with demand but this is the UK with it's limited winters not north america

Steve - just spotted you are from Largs, I was working there in 1974'ish on Inverkip powerstation, doing the 400kv switches in the substation and another 1/2 way up a mountain. Bit cold in the winter sitting astride steelwork with an ear full of snow but used to drive around the lovely area in the spring time:thumbup1:

Many thanks for you coments Steve. I thinks it's a dads job to help them on in the early years while they will listen 4 -15'ish expect a problem phase, and if you can work through that it changes to a more adult relationship together. I never got on that well with my own dad - had to work the lot out for myself. I was concerned about lads playing until they start work, have no idea about work, then comes an accident. So I took him over to a large estate when young and built camps, fires and got him into axe work and as he grew up saws and quads etc. As he has been working in woods and swimming since a tot he has large upper body build and can work in a relaxed assertive way. Yep it's time to let him sort it out more for himself - but still needs his mum to get him out of bed in the morning:laugh1:

just spotted some running T-shirts on 'Sportshoes.com' some are £10 reduced. Being running tops they could give you a 0.05 sec advantage if the tree goes the wrong way:sneaky2:

Many thanks, he's got a bike licence (due to the cost of car insurance) and taking his car driving test on the 29 Apr royal wedding day so the roads should be quiet - he's been driving since he could reach the pedals, when he had his first driving lesson the instructor carefully explained how to let the clutch out - so off he went, with her saying "I didn't expect that". Got him in for a SC30/31 in July at Morton Morrell college. Yep will sort out chipper and trailer tickets for him ASAP:thumbup1: Contacted a local contractor with his plan and he came back saying," he has no vacancies now but will contact him first when needed" - so it's a start.

**UPDATE*** Now my son wants to do his CS30/31 so he can work as a 'groundie' later this summer, what other 'NPTC tickets' does he need or advised to get to ensure he stands a good chance of getting work? he's paying for them himself. He's finishing off his A-levels at the moment and now plans to work as a groundie to gain practical experience, plus earn some money and try for level 6 part time in September. He has helped me doing woodland work on a large estate so he's used to the work enviroment and had his first saw ms170 when 11(plus full PPE) and a ms260 when 14, ok I'm naughty buying them but he grewup working safely. Thanks in advance

start very early in the day

was invited to a garden party a few yrs ago, told the owner his large beech tree was a risk to his house due to having a fire against the trunck - invited back 2 yrs later noticed large bracket fungus at the top of the main trunk - strongly advised him again. The tree guys rolled up, wouldn't dismantle it and pulled it over into the next field, I don't know what held it up. Most people can't see simple risks with trees.

must be a set up picture - or dog tired:sneaky2: you have a 'springer' lying in a cab and not totally trashed:lol:. I've 2 black working cockers, who are real 'saw dogs' well any reason to come out shooting or sawing, the older one will jump into the pickup and stay there if I put on saw kit, now the younger one does the same and come out to play sticks when the saw goes off - so no breaks. If my pickup is at home my wife takes them out - come back muddy, have their scoff then sleep it off in the cab - so it's totally dirty and smells of 'dog-gas'. Now she calls it 'the potato truck' as it smell like a bag of rotten spuds:001_huh:

I bough my 280 first then a 260, the 280 played up a bit so I tended to use the 260 more. I while ago I stripped down the 280 carb and blow out some dust, now it runs really well and picks up like fast. I fitted a 8T rim sproket agains the 7T as std, revs faster and tuned the chain to suit - now out performs the 260 at last.

Worked in a factory in the 60's where they had the carpenters machining 'asbestos' for the remelting of alloy. They had no dust extraction and looked like floor graders - all died early. Been told machining hard woods causes lung problems, along with some fungi infected wood, working indoors you only have to look as the sun lit dust beams to see the dust density. I tend to have a CO fume problem, so I wear a 3M mask as part of my PPE - works great no headaches or sore throats only about £16 and last me a year.

I have just looked at my 10yr old MS 280 and it's the same as yours - so there is no missing part & yep mine has always been a bit loose on the AV's:thumbup1:

Many thanks - it's hard to know what approach to take but I think with his A-levels in science subjects, it won't be a waste of time if he can expand out with a range of skills later. I'm 62 and work as a medical engineer for a day job and have just done my CS30/31 so I now understand the system and plan to do more tickets and may work through some with my son to help set him up. It was so different for me when I started you simply picked a skill and went for it as an apprentice, but now it's so hard to know what to go for with so many gaining degrees and getting no job and the study bill. My son wanted to join the police or fire service but they are not signing on. It seems for modern youth = either study for a degree, work for 'tickets' to gain any skilled work, or flip burgers for 50 yrs. How to gain 'tickets' was never properly explained to him when he left school with the big bias for A-levels, most of his mates all clever lads have dropped out and gone for an easy job to get a motor bike etc but now are regreting it. thanks again - he will join the forum soon - expect a wierd name:thumbup1:

I'm not bending over in the woods wearing pink:blushing:

Come on m8 yellow hi-vic is now 'English national costume' (with matching 'bum cleavage) you can't change it or it may cause offence with orange in N I I noticed a long time ago British rail use orange and some shooting ranges, and there is a trend towards orange more, and yelow really attracts the bugs.

My son is finishing his A-levels but doesn't want to go to uni, he's now 19 so can't claim for training, so it's all out of my savings. He's looking at a RFS level 2 cert part-time and doing some NPTC tickets so at least he could work as a groundie, he has done alot of tree work with me and others, so I can't see any problem to him gaining qualifications. My question is it a good route into the arb-industury into getting a job or do you advise a different route. thanks in advance:thumbup1:

I haven't tried it but was told not to phone 999 when in the 'sticks' but 112. this gives the operator a GPS position. I have heard of people phoning 999 and being told to call back on 112 to get the position. The other tip when calling 999 or 112 is not to look at your signal indicator as when 999/112 is called all networks are being scanned. There was a case of a guy on a quad on the moors who died being trapped, but didn't call 999 when found his phone when tested didn't show a signal but responed to 999 when dialed. The other tip is keep your phone on an inside pocket in winter a warm battery holds more charge. Also 999 is not he highest call level 112 is higher, there are others used by the emergency services. When asked what my plan was on assessment last week, I answered," call 112", I got a grin back "but only for real emergencies". One more on your phone contact put your home number down as ICE home or ICE mum etc, (In Case of Emergency) Police/paramedic will only call an ICE number.

Sorry misread your question. The trainer/assessors are freelance, One is from Shropshire and the other in the area both good. If you want their mobile numbers pls contact me.

Just completed my CS30/31 at Morton Morrell college south oif Warwick, £660 all in inc assessment, contact 01926 318347. It's one day at Morton Morrell then 4 days on the Ragley Hall estate, with the assessments spit to both sites. Any more info pls contact:thumbup:

I had a friend with a squirrel at the bottom of his garden - being a shooting, type shot it, and again - by the end of the summer he shot 12 +. In one wood I couldn't believe my luck full of them shot over 40 - then another 40 till over 100 shot. Thought I had cleaned them out, none about last summer but went back when the snow thawed and shot 12 in a couple of hours. I shoot them for songbird conservation & my dogs like squig for supper.