Ty Unnos

The traditional time to coppice trees is when the leaves are off and the sap is down. Roughly speaking Nov-Feb. You can coppice at other times of the year but it will be more disruptive to birds / wildlife. The timber you get will also be wetter because of the sap. The only time you must not coppice is late in the summer Aug-Sep. If you do the new growth can be nipped off by the frost and killed.

I recently did a first aid course aimed specifically at forestry workers. Celox was discussed and we were told how to use it. It was suggested for our first aid kits. No mention of HSE approval. From what I can remember you have to be very careful not to get it in your eyes as it can cause damage. I think they said you could get a bandage with celox already in it?

Vahva Jussi Tractor ATV Forestry Trailer | eBay Vahva Jussi 1.5 Tonne Forestry Trailer Kit | eBay Apparently if you get just the trailer to start you can add the crane and drive later.

Hi Rob, It is a bit far but you would be welcome to come out with the North Wales Wildlife Trust. I am doing woodland work for the next few weeks. We normally meet at Loggerheads Country Park, near Mold, Denbighshire. PM me if you are interested. Cheers

Denbigh Plant stock Apsen but ring ahead as they don't always have any in: Denbigh Plant Services

Funding for courses here: Lantra ? LandSkills WM ? training ? businesses ? funding Good place for courses - ring them up and see if you can help out in return for experience: The Green Wood Centre - Woodland Management : Coppicing : Sustainable Building and Other Sustainable Technologies. Volunteer - I started out volunteering with my local wildlife trust. Now I manage woodland on their behalf.

Spotted this: Vahva Jussi 1.5 Tonne Forestry Trailer Kit | eBay I quite like the idea but makes you wonder what you are getting for your money!

Depends a lot on conditions but I would guess 20 years or more.

I could be wrong but I think the 346xp in the US can be sold with a 'narrow kerf' bar and chain. This means the bar is 1.3mm and not the usual 1.5mm and runs a different chain. There should be some numbers stamped on the chain and bar which will give clues!

Will I have to have a V5 to insure it? Or only if I want it road registered? My plan would be to not register it with anyone once it is back in the UK!

This is where I have been looking: Used Construction Equipment - Heavy Equipment for Sale ? Buy Construction Machinery at MachineryZone Europe

Just been reading this book: The Woodsmith's Store: Coppicing and Coppice Crafts by Rebecca Oaks and Ed Mills - Green Woodworking Tools - Green Woodworking Accessories It was a new one on me but it recommends that ash be cut higher than hazel. I think it said to leave a 6"-8" stump and not cut lower when re-cutting.

Hi All I am after a cheap second hand alpine tractor. They seemed to be scarce and expensive in this country but are much more reasonable in Italy. So I was thinking about hitching my trailer up to the land rover driving to Italy, buying one second hand and driving it back! I was hoping to get one from a private individual so no VAT. We are not VAT registered so makes a big difference. But then I rang the Excise / VAT helpline to see what might be involved in importing it. They told me no duty due as within EU but I had to prove: More than 6 months old. More than 6000km on clock. VAT paid on original purchase. Otherwise it would be classed as 'new' and VAT due again on import! Now in my budget the tractor is probably going to be 15 years old. Its clock is going to show hours so cannot prove mileage and is unlikely to have original proof of purchase showing VAT paid! Has anyone got experience of doing something similar and did you have to pay VAT again?

Sounds like a fair deal to me. In days gone by coppice workers used to pay the land owner for the right to cut the coppice but that was when there was a market for coppice products. These days the economics are reversed with woodland owners having to pay people to cut the coppice. If you get well managed, on rotation coppice and free firewood and your worker gets the chance to make a wage then I think that is fair. Before you start I would come up with a proper spec for the work: stumps cut low, how much layering you want done, what to do with brash etc. You also need to come up with a plan to manage deer, rabbits and squirrels. By the time you realise they have wrecked your coppice it will be too late!

You might already be aware but you may not need planning permission for the shed. Do you have more than five hectares of agricultural land? Or are you doing any forestry on the land? If so you have permitted development rights, parts 6 and 7 here: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 Basically you have the right to build a shed for agricultural or forestry use if you meet the criteria. The council cannot say no but they can argue you do not meet the criteria. Hope this helps.

My 200tdi 110 defender has a 1.2 transfer box from a discovery. I am pretty happy with it. It is quieter in all gears and I get good MPG. It cruises at motorway speed without the engine screaming. Low range is the same on both boxes. The downside is it will have less grunt when towing. To compensate I had a bigger intercooler fitted and the engine tweaked. This can be used to work out the different effect tyres, gearbox, transfer box etc have: Ashcroft Transmissions - Ratio Calculator

My advice would be not to rush. Woodland Management is all about slow time. First observe - then act. I would probably not take much action until I had observed for a full year. Then come up with a vision for the wood. What do you think it should be like in 100 years? I would also visit other local woodland to see if that helps. Also find out as much of the history of the wood as you can, again this can guide you as to where your wood should be going. One plan could be to coppice the Sycamore on a rotation. That way it will regrow and you will have a never ending supply of firewood!

I would coppice both! But then coppice is my game......

What moisture meter are you using? Maybe borrow one from someone else just to check yours is reading ok?

I have done this with Elder. Good success rate.

You need to get your head around permitted development. This should allow you to build what you want with out having to get full blown planning permission. There is some information here: Woodland Planning Legislation Wodland Planning System I don't think being in a national park changes your permitted development rights so you should be ok. They key point is the buildings have to be necessary for 'forestry' and not for other uses. Also if it was me I would be thinking of using the larch for building the barn and larch shingles for the roof. Hope this helps.

Not used one but I noticed this the other day: Vahva Jussi Tractor ATV Forestry Trailer | eBay

Looks good. Shame it is England only. I cannot find a grant in Wales that allows Forestry equipment

Has anyone come across one of these? Vahva Jussi Tractor ATV Forestry Trailer | eBay I think they are made in Estonia. I like the idea of the drive on the trailer.

Hi No have not quite figured this one out yet! I decided to start with an Ifor TT105 to go behind the land rover. I am still after an alpine but am trying to get a grant to cover the costs. Not sure if you can get the alpine and timber trailer onto a road trailer. The smallest alpine tractors are nearly 3 metres so its going to have to be a pretty long road trailer to get both on. Has anyone done this?