Spruce Pirate

Surely its better to alter a pre production model prior to it entering production. At least then some of the most obvious kinks get ironed out?

One day, a few years ago, we were having one of those mornings. The sort of morning where nothing really goes disastrously wrong, just a series of little cock ups the end up ruining your day when they all add up, can't remember the exact details, but we ended up on a different job trying to make an afternoon out of it. Full of enthusiasm for the afternoon's work having put the morning behind us I put two 346's down next to each other and fuel and oil them, blethering away. The boy who was working for me picks his saw up starts it and gets on, I pick mine up and pull and pull and pull and pull and pull on it but it won't start. By now I've lost all enthusiasm for the afternoon and am firmly back in, "what the Hell else can possibly go wrong today?" mode. Call it quits for the day and head to the saw shop with the saw that won't start. In I trot, explain what the problem is - won't bloody well start - and await them to work some magic on it. The boy behind the counter gives it a couple of pulls (it still won't start) and says, "you did put petrol in it didn't you?". "Of course I did", says I, feeling a lot more confident that I'd fuelled it at the start of that sentence than by the end of it.......... No, I hadn't fuelled it! I had, in fact, taken a saw to the shop to get it fixed when it simply had no petrol in it! On the plus side the oil tank was at least full. Not life threatening, but definitely the most STUPID thing I've ever done with saws. (so far)

Cones are definitely spruce, not fir.

Growth pattern looks like omorica, but bark doesn't and needles don't. I'm sticking with orientalis.

Doesn't look like Sitka to me, could be oriental. Picea orientalis. Only come across it once, the needles do look kind of fir like, but it is definitely a spruce.

Nice one. Thanks.

Haven't heard if we've got this job yet, but as I said I'd update the thread, here's the update: Definitely easier to sub-contract out. Get someone in with a big machine who knows what they're doing. Cheaper, easier and better job than trying to do it myself and pay off a chunk of machinery from one job - machinery that is going to need insured, stored and work found for it after the job is finished. Many thanks for all the advice, recommendations and opinions.

A long time ago, while burning brash in a field that was to be planted with Christmas trees I remember my old boss telling us that there is some sort of fungus that can develop around the site of a fire and cause conifers to die, particularly young conifers. I seem to remember this being described when I was at college too. I can't remember the name of the fungus though. I've Googled various combinations of, "Fungus, Fire & Conifers" and haven't had much joy. Anyone able to put a name to what I'm describing? Many thanks.

That's exactly why I've never video'd any!

So if I understand this right there are two types of fell going on here Stunt Fells and Ballsy Fells? I understand the rules of Stunt Fells, are there any specific rules of Ballsy Fells?

Surely any fell with a lot of targets around it / beside it / behind it that goes according to plan, lands where it's supposed to and lets you walk away a hero is a stunt fell? Does it really matter if you wedge it, push it, pull it? The risk / danger element should count should it not, rather than how you priced it?

I think Alec has written the definitive answer to this. As you're burning it for firewood, all I would add is that spruce makes excellent kindling as is splits pretty cleanly (assuming it's not too knotty) and burns pretty hot and quick. It doesn't make great firewood if burnt on it's own for the same reasons - burns to quick basically - but can be good if mixed in with hardwood or coal.

Stirlingshire, so could be further away. We stopped in Suffolk to see folk on the way back from holiday, so I know it takes a good while to get there.

Had a look at your website, unfortunately you're in Suffolk which is about 7 or 8 hours away or, frankly I'd quite happily take you up on this. I am leaning more and more to subbing it out. If anyone fancies giving me a price for it please drop me a PM.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have a look at the FSI, place up in Dunfermline is listed as a dealer for them. Access for this job is good, no restrictions on space, nice and flat so can cut stumps nice and low. Might still be easier to sub in a bigger machine. I'll update the thread with what we do if we get the job.

Cheers Steve. Have you used these?

I looked at a job today with 82 Stumps to grind out to just below ground level. All ash trees, mostly around 20 - 25cm diameter at stump, some a bit smaller, occasionally up to around 35cm. Normally I'd sub-contract the stump grinding of a job, but now wondering if a budget stump grinder is worth putting on the shopping list for this. Any advice? Don't have a budget, haven't got a machine in mind, might still sub-contract it. Are cheap stump grinders worth it? going to cope with it? Is a second had machine worth considering? Look forward to opinions......

I've run a Dolmar for a couple of years now, which is basically a Makita, but red instead of blue. I like the saw, nice to use but has had a few issues with things breaking down. Always had very good service from Shavey in getting things fixed and spare parts, but he's in Devon and I'm about 500 miles away or more. Local Makita dealer is useless when it comes to chainsaws, next nearest is better, but still not really their thing. Result is I've gone back to Husky for the bigger saw, not that I don't expect the Husky to break down too, but the dealer is only 10 minutes away. So my thoughts are, get the best saw you can for your budget (I'd increase the budget and get a better saw, but it's not my money) and find out what the local dealer for it is like. Do you get on with them? Do they inspire confidence that they know what they're talking about? How far away are they? SteveA is right about heated handles too, well worth it if you can get them.

PM Shavey on here.

Husky 365 or Dolmar 6100. Both will do all you want them to do, plus both able to do the things you don't yet know you'll want to do with them. Might have to stretch your budget a wee bit though.

I clicked on the attachment icon when posting and uploaded them from the computer's files. I think.

Do this ^^^ if you know how to do it. If you don't know how to do it get someone to teach you. Looks like the gob is too small for such a heavy lean, also looks like the tree is leaning in two directions and you've picked the wrong one to try and fell it in, but that could just be the picture. This is what I'd do to get the bar out. Taking two saws into the wood is always a good idea to cut yourself out if you get pinched. Saves you having to come back the next day to retrieve a bar and chain.

Sadly, I've been in forestry for over twenty years, which means I've seen more than a few brown edges exposed by felling operations and the subsequent blow. Assuming that a felling license was applied for and granted I don't think there is any come back. It is something that should be considered by the FC Conservancy, but I don't think it would necessarily prevent the license being granted. If the woodland was mature and ready for harvesting there is a very good chance that it would have started to blow anyway on both sides of the fence. It would be equally unfair to penalise the owner who felled by making him clear wind-blow because his neighbour didn't want his wood felled. If it is a strip of trees for commercial reasons the owner should be able to harvest when it is most economically practical. Commercial plantations are no different to a field of barley, wheat or any other crop. They shouldn't really be compared to "forests" in an ecological sense, nor should they be compared to urban trees. The three have some similarities, but are all very different beasts. It's a bit late now, but the best solution would have been for the two owners to put their heads together and market the whole parcel. This would decrease the cost of felling, increase the viability by putting more timber on the market and remove the risk of subsequent blow altogether. Sadly many owners are not savvy enough to think this way. Edit: Also it's not uncommon, certainly here in Scotland, for an owner to fell an edge along their neighbours ground, leaving a brown edge. There may be differences in Scots Law to English Law, but if there was any significant come-back to be had it wouldn't happen. You'd have to ensure you felled to a green edge more than one tree length away from your neighbours ground and hope your timber didn't blow into theirs when you'd finished. They'd then have to do the same thing when they wanted to fell. There'd be wee strips of green up every march between two different land owners.

Not sure if these are any use, but I quite like them. Felling site, Loch Chon [ATTACH]222281[/ATTACH] Chainsaw milling Douglas fir. [ATTACH]222282[/ATTACH] Plant, tube & stake, Wallace Monument in background. [ATTACH]222283[/ATTACH] Skyline, Kilmahog. [ATTACH]222284[/ATTACH] Mist in the Trossachs from felling site at Ben A'an. [ATTACH]222285[/ATTACH]

I charge a premium for emergency call out works if it's a client such as yours and I've got to drop everything to go and sort it out. As much as I can get away with, normally aiming for around double normal rate. On the other hand, if it's the proverbial little old lady down the street who needs something done in an emergency then I'd be quite happy working for normal rates, or even done stuff for less and free of charge depending on what and who it is.