Spruce Pirate

Questionnaire 1. How long have you been in the industry? 17 Years 2. Do you have experience of using saws regularly? Yes 3. Which do you find the best for the working industry, battery or fuelled chainsaws and please give reasons for each? Petrol, only ever seen a battery saw recently in the dealers, no experience of them in the work place 4. Do you use any other types of saw? If so please specify: Jig-saw, Circular saw, cut-off saw, silky saw, bow-saw, carpentry saw, see-saw (with the kids) 5. Have you ever used an electric saw? If so please state what you thought about: Never an electric chainsaw a. Ease of use b. Efficiency c. Compared to petrol d. Compared to battery 6. Do you need a ticket to operate a battery chainsaw like you do a fuelled saw, if so which ticket? Don't see why a battery saw is any different to a petrol saw - maintenance aspect of training and certification may need adjusting, but the operation should be the same. In short, yes, I think so, and all the relevant ones to the job being done. 7. If you bought a battery chainsaw, would it be for garden maintenance or the commercial industry? Please state together with reasons. Would consider a battery saw for climbing (commercial industry). Reasons: 1, quieter, easier communication. 2, only used for short periods of time, therefore preserve battery life. 3, eliminates need for re-starting saw or having it idling from the harness. 8. Is the maintenance easier with any particular saw over another? Please also state reasons. No, but bigger saws generally easier to clean as the parts are less fiddly (Casings etc, not carburettors and the like) 9. If you were making a recommendation to a commercial small business owner, what saw would you suggest they purchase and why? Entirely dependant on the nature of the business and what the saw is used to be used for. 10. If you were making a recommendation to a private individual (for use on the own premises) what recommendation would you make and why? Depends on the individual and what the saw is to be used for 11. Any other comments: Would be interesting to know what the purpose of the questionaire is? More specifically than college project

Which NPTC unit covers use of chainsaw from a saddle with reins?

I think the helmet is to protect the head from falling debris when felling, not sure how they stand up to impact from a running saw chain (although something has got to be better than nothing). On this basis I don't think you need the helmet for cross-cutting, only the eye and ear protection you're wearing. I'm willing to be corrected though.

Does it take up all the seats? Or can you still drive it with the saw in?

Yeah, but do you have to take the bar off?

I think there is actually more room (just) in the back of a 90 than a 110 double cab. You might get an 880 with 36" bar in diagonally, but not sure.

Sounds like something that should be discussed somewhere other than the internet?

Is that a Harrier? Can you use it as a MEWP as well?

Whereabouts are you?

Really? You learn something new everyday.

Its a well know fact that Scottish cuisine is well ahead of everywhere else! Yes they are. :001_tt2: And even fried they count as one of your five a day (I think).

No, no reason not to, ergonomically its better to cut at waist height than bending over, essentially all you are doing is cross cutting. BUT, if the top is that securely wedged to prevent rolling then all you will achieve is working up the stem until it either is sitting pretty near vertical, or see-saws out depending on the balance point. Both present their own issues.

I think we should all learn as many different cuts as we can, the more you know the better equiped you are for different situations. Even, dare I say it, and flies slightly in the face of some of my earlier posts... spear cutting?

Yeah, I've heard you shouldn't trim Laurel as it releases cyanide! At least a decent mask should be worn if you have to, even outside in well ventilated areas. Don't know about the elder burning thing. I know it does burn, but one of the old poems says it'll bring a death to the house. Pretty sure I've cut elder, hawthorn, rowan, holly, even yew, never noticed my luck getting any worse, but then again, it sometimes seems pretty bad anyway. I must be slightly supersticious as I always try to leave something on rowans as I've always heard their bad luck. If the list keeps growing like this I'll never cut anything down again!

Didn't know holly was unlucky to cut. I know its supposed to be unlucky to cut Rowan, but never noticed any coming my way after I've cut them. Not supposed to burn elder either, according to one of the old poems it brings a death to the house.

Did a quick google and came up with: "A 211ft grand fir planted in the 1870s beside Loch Fyne, Argyll. It is thought to be the UK’s tallest tree since before the last ice age. The fir, in Ardkinglas Woodland Gardens, has “died back” twice in the last 20 years – meaning the top has died, as a result of drought or a lightening strike, before growing back. This is the most competitive category, and within a decade it may be overhauled by firs planted in Snowdonia in the 1920s. Height is calculated by climbing the tree and dropping a measuring tape to the ground" from the telegraph on-line. Argyllshire has always been good tree country. Top scorers in the height competition always seem to top out at around the 200' mark (the Dougal at the Hermitage at Dunkeld, the one down in wales (can't remember exactly where), the Argyll trees). Is this about as high as trees will grow in our windy island climate?

So you're looking for the tallest tree by speiceis in each county? This could take a while.... There's a big old oak down the road from me, I'll try and get up it and take a tape measure. Out of interest what is the tallest in the UK at present?

This I really do agree with. Sometimes far too much time can be wasted over-thinking and over complicating things when a simple fell is the obvious answer. Never been taught a Cooze Bay cut, only ever heard of them on tinterweb. Don't know if they are approved here or not. Looks similar, in some forms, to what I'd call a double V, which is a nice cut for heavy leaners. How and why things are approved for teaching in this country is a mystery to me, perhaps some of the trainers on here could give us some info. In honesty my suspicion is that there is too much theoretical input and not enough practical input.

It can, had it happen (or start to go) about 40' up once taking a top out. Scarry biscuits:w00t: Should have used a double v or a dog tooth as top was leaning, but didn't have thinking head on at the time. I was lucky, I was far enough through to be able to keep cutting and it came out alright, but yeah, trees can jack-knife at any point. Never had one do it (yet) on a high fell though.

If I wasn't so miserable I'd nominate myself for that.

Look forward to it. Merry Christmas.

Maybe not quite current thinking, but I've always liked this. An Ode to Spruce.doc

Some say "Nice Cut", others say, "Yikes, you'd need to be mental to try that!" I'll be honest, I'm just trying to get to 100 posts now.

Don't think anyones said 2+2 doesn't equal 4. Mostly I think we're saying its safer to do 1+1+1+1=4. As far as the arrogance thing goes, I don't think I'm any less arrogant in my assertion that my way is better! There should be a certain amount of horses for courses in this, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless I was confident of their abilities and knowledge of how trees and saws react.

I could trip and break my ankle carrying the saw into the wood, or even just walking into the wood. I can't scratch my finger with the file if I wear my gloves to sharpen the saw. It is amazing what a wee winch will pull, besides I've got a bigger winch than that anyway if I need it:thumbup: I think I've already said, based on results, the technique works, tree is on the ground quickly and efficiently and where it was supposed to be, so I'm not arguing there. I still think there is a portion of luck involved in it, with the spear cut when the butt hits the ground you don't know if or which way it's going to roll. I still think the safer option is to do it my way, and again, as I've said already, I acknowledge that this takes longer. It all depends on your attitude to your own safety, being a prude, err, I mean Brit, I quite value my safety. I understand others may differ.