difflock

Yorky, try the green building forum, you may get more info/feedback. I suspect you are correct in postulating that most british firewood is burned in stoves rather than gasifying central heating boilers. In this country not many have the necessary combination of the necc space for the installation combined with the ready supply of cheap/free firewood. Ideally one needs the boiler in a basement. Easier to tip firewood down in and no heat is wasted, as it will rise through the rest of the dwelling. cheers marcus ps Essentially the problem is that to run a wood burning gasifying boiler efficiently one requires to store the heat in a buffer or accumulator tank. I have finally got into a routine of lighting the boiler when I get home from work, and bringng the buffer tank back up to 80 plus. Then in the morning skelping hot water for the bedroom and bathroom radiators, plus to heat the 210 litre domestic hot water cyl. then at lunchtime the somewhat cooler water is dumped into the underfloor to have the house toasty warm for us at 17.00. Plus I light the stove. However if I miss even one day of lighting the boiler it takes a couple of days to claw back. So one needs to be prepared tp stick with it.

Sniff, a proper English preversion that. Damm all good in moss, cept as an anchor. My dream vehicles are all tracked. And light as possible. Or on proper flotation tyres.

I simply select "highest price first" Sorts the wheat from the chaff.

Being married to a phyiscist (:blushing:speling) it is indeed water vapour, not steam, which is both bloody hot and invisible to the naked eye. Think of a road after rain in the summer, it appears to be "steaming" or indeed ones breath on a cold morning. Or a compost heap? In the case of log cutting perhaps during the first frosty morning the damp interior of the log is sufficiently warmer than the air so as to cause the same phenomna, without the bar or chain being hot? cheers m

From a purely amateur perspective I festered over this same decision way back in 1997. With a very good Stihl dealer locally it came down to a choice between the 026 or the 036, I would have plumped for an 034 Woodboss (being the ideal comprimise with an even better power to weight ratio) but not avaiablle on the UK market. Despite hankering for the bigger 036, I bought the 026, and have never regretted it, it might be fractionally slower/ underpowered on the bigger stuff but since most of my stuff is small it is so much lighter and handier. I have felled some reasonably large trees with it too, as in approx 2 * bar length diameter, i.e about 30/32 inches. Like Penis's it is what one can do with what one has been given, rather than size per. se. or indeed per the old USA adage "beware the man with only one gun"

Actually, as I attempted to explain, I was fully supportive of the owner operator "pushing the envelope", with his own kit, which he 100% knew the capabilites of. I would have done exactly the same. Most safety guidance is to protect us from the actions of stupid, and perhaps very tired, operators in the "one size fits all" H&S policies. I do keep asking what job anywhere is suitable for (i'm guessing here) the bottom 20% of the population in the intelligence/motivation stakes. Most everything is now so complex/mechanised that there are virtually no manual labouring/spade and shovel jobs left. I am sure any of you arbo'whatsits prefer an intelligent groundie to one who has to be constantly directed i.e. cannot or will not "think" for himself. Even, what used to be a humble driving job, now requires serious cognative function. As that Yankee logger so aptly put it "ye canny fix stupid". So what do "we" do with stupid?

Funny enough I reckon the Europeans burn mostly hardwood, esp Beech, from personal car based touring holiday observations. And the Scandavians prefer Birch, leastwise this is about the only timber I recall seeing in the brochures for log processors or Morso stoves. Birch like tele poles, straight as a Die.(btw, should that not be straight as a Tap?)

Nash models ending in a '56, are I imagine, now in the desirable collector corner with the other Red or Blue models. Therefore not as easy bought as one would like:001_tt2:

Sniff, My "In praise of softwood" post got ignored:001_rolleyes: when I sung its praises as being easier kindled, and good hot burning. The key to any wood burner is a few days supply toasting beside the stove. If the room starts to get hazy:001_tongue:, it is generally a hint it is perhaps time to put in the stove.

Would that be a make shift equivalent of the Continental "750" PTO setting? I mostly run 540 PTO stuff off the 1000 shaft on the old 1490. Since engine revs for PTO operation are marked at about 2000, it equates to about 1150 on the 1000 shaft. To be honest I generally tweek the revs till "it" sounds right, perhaps a trifle faster, perhaps a trifle slower. PS Oh ere, a low houred 4630 :confused1:2WD Ford also entered in this same unreserved liquidation auction. It was a very reputable company and the gear was all well looked about. I am aware I am like a child:blushing: in a sweetie shop, I hate auctions too, it all happens too fast for me.

I would be the first to concede that after 30 years I am probably "institutionalized":001_rolleyes:, there are however useless prats in the private sector as well. Like the Hiab operator who came to collect a scrap van this week. It would have been funnier iffen I did not have a responsibilty for safety/ be standing in the witness box if there were an accident. With no formal training and limited exp on my wee forestry trailer crane I would have been well handier.(and safer) Unlike an owner operator who lifted/dragged a 26tonne loaded bin lorry out of a soft verge in Moss, with a wee, prob 12/15 tonne max capacity crane. A pure pleasure to watch with the rear wheels dancing in clear air. I commented on his skilful performance and with a straight face asked what that funny warbling noise had been, that went on most of the time:lol: He just grinned.

I wholeheartedly agree with Tree Pandas assessment. Bin there had that done to me, Consultants ALWAYS start at the bottom and work up. Plus make operationally unsound decisions, like driving a fully laden bin lorry up a very hill to collect the last few bins. The driver used to crawl up, turn and then trickle back down stopping as required. I thought that eminently sensible. The Consultant thought it a waste of time. Oh! Plus collecting bins from outside the main secondary school, which lies in a cil-de-sac........................ at 15:30?? He again could not be convinced as the the daftness of this plan. All, Whilst enjoying a coffee with Senior Managment/Inhuman Resources.

Oh! am getting the Santa itchs:blushing: I presume this would be better value at " twice the price" than an M8 Logosol which i were swithering over. But £9,500.00 on an indulgance is a trifle prolifigate. And there is a wee fresh Manitou buggscopic coming up at a liquidation auction next week, it might get higher priority. decisions decisions.

Seriously consider an early Fiat, sommat like a 640 (=64 HP) or smaller. Absolutly bulletproof, and punched well beyond their weight.

Probably, such behavouir is unfortunately endemic in Local Government:blushing: I could easily say too much. So I will desist. But I remain at heart, despite 30 years local Government Service, a deeply fustrated, working farmers son. The good cannot be rewarded for their productive efforts and generally move on to other jobs, so who remains? There are however, a number of diligent hardworking staff among the mix, but not enough of them at any level , plus handicapped by flawed short term decisions made for political purposes by the Council. Dozens of honest to God made up jobs too, some of them staffed by the lovelist people. But still, nonetheless, made up jobs burning scarce budgets and resources. Regards, Marcus

Start with stock from a happy chicken. Add steeped pearl barley and misc home grown root, parsnip, swede etc for sweetness and a random assortment of green leaf veg. Esp. the ones the big dog has pished on! Add the stripped chicken flesh. Keep it thick. Serve hot with organic (sigh) bread and real butter, an a splash of whole cream milk in the soup to cool it. Absolutly scrumptious, especially without the residual grit/sand one sometimes gets in the bottom of the pot:lol:. I ate till I was tired. Produces deeply satisfying rich full bodied burbly farts as well. Pure bliss.

Well yes, and indeed as I am wont to say "I enjoy cutting trees down, its cutting them up thats the bitch":thumbdown:

An excellent link, thank you all. Marcus

As a "forest" owner I rub my hands with glee. Might be time to retire or properly diversify:001_tt2:

Mercedes Unimog Tipper 2874cc « Back to results Details Lot number Vehicle Mercedes Unimog Tipper 2874cc Registration HCZ3443 Registered 07 December 2000 V5 T /F Mileage 145,492 km Description White Manual Diesel 2dr 4x4 Mercedes Unimog Tipper 2874cc MOT 01 July 2013 VAT Status Commercial Plus VAT Additional Info Northern Ireland Electricity Entry Mallusk Commercials, Plant & Equipment Auction Date/Time: - 04 December 2012 11:30 Email enquiries to: - [email protected] Commercial Auction Schedule... +44(0) 2890 342 626 Wilsons Auctions eRegister

From someone who installed a Solarbayer/Vigas via an "approved" installer via an NI grant scheme a wheen o year ago. C/W 2200l buffer tank etc. etc etc (and a way too short flue etc etc) It is (i) a bit tedious to tend the bugger each day (in the depths of winter) (ii) Be sure that you have a good, reliable supply of firewood available. My firewood is "free" as all I have to do is cut it at the back of the house. It still gets to be a grind. And as I say to any that will listen "heating oil is cheap", assuming one can and has insulated in so far as practical. Now in comparison, the big wood burning stove in the front room is a pure pleasure to tend and sit in the glow of. I reckon iffen I sold the wood I used to heat the house, I could buy oil and still heat the house to the same degree and be "quids in" forby:confused1:

I was absolutly spitting blood with being forced to detour 20 odd miles by our Roads Service, due to a "tree" down , OK in a bit o a storm. When I saw it the next day it warnt more than a bush that I could have snicked with the wee 026 and pulled to the side with my towbar. Jobsworth's huh! Ps Der Steyr Puch is factory rated to ford 600mm, with a factory snorkle on the alternator etc. etc. So say 750mm:001_tt2: I would be hard to persuade otherwise............regardless of any signage:blushing:. cheers M

Interested to see the rachett straps securing the bundles, rather than polywotsit strapping and disposable buckles. (i)What quantity/volume do you reckon is in each bundle? (ii)Reason(s) for choice of strapping system?

Mine currently all processed and under cover for our own use, I intend to keep a few winters worth in reserve in case of my possible future ill health or piss poor weather, or whatever. I intend to sell, when/if ever I start:blushing:, 1.0m lengths in nominally round 1.0m2 bundles. So each bundle 1.0m3. They should season better than bags, be mechanically handleable and allow those such as yourself the satisfaction of cutting your own firewood:thumbup1: Does this sound like a plan? Still got to figger a fair price though:001_tongue:

Not intending to de-rail, but I was taken with the American 2-way horizontal table splitter at the APF show, for rings, it had a central 2 sided pusher with, if I recall a single blade on one end and a multiple splitter on the other end. Then one simply selected the most appropriate action depending on the next ring selected. The larger or knotter logs being run through the single splitter until suitable for the multiple splitter side. It simply pushed the split logs off the ends of the bench into a suspended bulk bags. All very straightforward and simple, I can only presume CE marked for UK sales as I wondered at the H&S aspect.