Spruce Pirate

Only got the before shot, someone else took the during and after pics, still waiting for them to e-mail them through. Will post them if and when they arrive.

Because I'm a good boy and play by the rules, I generally wear the type C's for climbing and type A for ground, but if it's really hot (rare in this part of the world) I'll wear the type A's for going up a tree, and if it's really cold, like the cold snap in the last couple of weeks, I'll wear the type C's on the ground. Depends what you're comfortable with. It's got to be pretty rare that you're in a position to cut the back of your leg with the saw if you're doing everything right.

As you'd expect from a training course, that's text book. How anyone can deny that this is a safer way of taking down a tree I don't know. As pointed out before the spear cut method is quicker and doesn't need to take a winch in, un-wrap wire etc. It is however undeniably more dangerous, whether you've been in the business for 30 years or 30 minutes. I was first shown how to do this in Douglas Fir thinnings where almost everything hung up, cutting 2m bits off the butt end and having the rest of the stem hurtle down past you. Its effective, but can be scary and always has an element of unpredicability about it. I would certainly not recommend it as a "nice cut for a hung tree", but like many others, have also used it many, many times. I think I would draw the line when off rooting though, too much unprecictablity in terms of tension and compression from the stem through to the root plate. Taking down a felled hung up tree is one thing, spear cutting to off root a stem is another kettle of fish, and not one I'll be going anywhere near any time soon.

OK, at the risk of de-railing, who holds the record for the most saws stuck in one tree? I'm not going to admit mine yet, but it's more than 2!

I don't understand. If there's no TPO and its not in a CA why can't it be felled? If it wasn't a development surely you'd just cut it (assuming you didn't object to cutting mature trees of distinction)? I don't see how the planning permission affects it. Please excuse my ignorance, could someone explain it in simple terms?

Too much time typing. I'm now +6.

+5 for Scotspines comments. Definitely much safer ways of doing this, downside is they all take time and or equipment to set up. Personally, I'd reccommend taking the time and equipment and doing it safer with trees of this size. As a side note, be cautious of the "I'm not a newbie" attitude, I've seen accidents caused because old time cutters had "been there and done that", no serious injuries, but damage to property and equipment. I'm not saying you don't know what you're doing, but sometimes it can benefit even the most experienced of cutters to stand back and think like a novice for a moment. All that said, if you judge it by the results, I can't fault it, tree's where its supposed to be and everybody goes home happy, can't be a bad day.

If you've got time to sweep the floor and tidy the bench you're just not busy enough! At least, that's my excuse.

I think in theory you may be right in this, but in the real world we have all rolled over and not challenged it. It is either easier to get a license or to risk it without a license, especially if most of your work is in a non-regulated sector. In effect I'm not so sure that the exclusion applies, for example, I've had three guys plant trees for me, one with MSc two with BSc, the MSc in Forest Ecology & Management and one BSc in Environmental Science (the other BSc is in an unrelated field). Both of these degrees would put the guys in the "skilled worker" category (in reality way over-qualified), however, planting still requires a GLA license. I think in the context of the GLA they count things which require a certificate as "skilled" and things which are un-certified as "un-skilled", hence the broad brush distinction between hand tools and mechanical tools. Many of us, myself very much included, object to this - pruning and planting (hedge laying was also mentioned in an earlier post) are all jobs where the difference between an un-skilled worker and a skilled worker will very quickly become obvious.

So is that £85 / day? Bed, board and fuel paid.

I would like to second that. It would make an unusual, and pleasant, change for the beuraucracy in my life to be reduced rather than increased! I believe the removal of forestry from the GLA remit is currently at the stage of going through parliament, how it will be resolved is yet to be seen. We can but hope for a swift and sensible conclusion to the matter. Knowing my luck forestry will be removed the day after I renew my license!

Yeah, if I had to use a Stihl, I'd drop a tree on it too!

This is an extremely good point, unfortunately, it is completely lost in all the paper-chase. I'm amazed that FC have let hand tools go without GLA license, that would certainly not be the case around here. The GLA has never made much sense to me, too many inconsistencies, and doesn't really fit the forestry sector very well. That said it's one of these things that we are required to comply with, simple as that really. The use of power tools over hand tools is one way of doing this and in my opinion shows what a ridiculous piece of legislation the Ganmasters Act really is.

What's it for? 3 common sizes of around 1t, 3t, and 5t, big winches are heavy. Tirfor are good but expensive. Chinese copies can be well worth the money - they are cheap - if you only use occassionally, they won't last the same as a Tirfor, but you can buy two or three for the same money.

Sorry to rain on the parade, but I think forestry is still GLA regulated, albeith they are taking a "tread lightly approach", whatever that means. If you read the FCA article it states the the minister would like to see forestry removed, not that it has been. We are still required to have a license (unfortunately). I for one, will jump for joy the day that I am not required to have a license. Totally agree with all the sentiments on hand saws being best for formative pruning, I've nothing to add to that that hasn't been said already. What I would like to add is that GLA regulations are not based on any form of actual skill level. The dividing line is simply hand tools are unskilled and mechanical tools are skilled - I know this does not make sense, but that's the way it is. In this context I think you would need a license. There is one possible get out clause, which states that if you are normally employed in an exempted manner (ie on mechanical tools) you may use hand tools for up to 12 days in any one three month period. So.... if its less than 12 days work and you're normally employed on the saw you should be fine. The simplest way to find out for sure is call the GLA. If I'm wrong on this and you don't need a license please let me know. I'll be delighted to be wrong on this one.

To be honest, I can only remember one in the last year or so that the 20" bar couldn't get without taking the centre out, but most of the time I run a 15" bar and that runs out quite quickly in bigger stuff (it doesn't have to be short by much, you'll still feel a lot of pain felling a 32" tree with a 15" bar if you haven't bored the hinge). If I get into really big stuff (not often) the big saws do tend to come out, regardless of where they (the trees) are. Point taken about the value, I tend to associate high value with big, but it needn't neccesarily be so.

Fair do's Albedo. Horses for courses I think.

There's some interesting thoughts on this here. I totally agree that felling a couple of big(ish) trees over a couple of days does not make up for experience in felling big trees. Why not take a big saw with you from the van? If it's a ten minute walk up hill (steep hill) to where you're felling, and you've got the lunch, the flask, the breaking bar, the wedges, the hammer, the fuel can, the saw.... I'll take the wee saw every time - it's lighter to carry, easier on fuel and much easier to sned / de-limb with. The big saw only comes out for felling the ones next to the road. For preventing damage to high value timber, I think this is a valid reason for using this cut, but are most high value stems not fairly large anyway? As for getting poles to go over easier, I take the point, but, if you've got a pole, surely you've already stripped the top out of it? Why not just leave a long rope in it and pull it over? Even a big diameter, short height pole should be able to be pulled over quite easily with a simple mechanical advantage system, and these don't take much setting up. Sorry if this is a bit scatter-brained, I too have trouble gathering my thoughts into one consise post.

I'm pretty sure there are several pictures in this book which clearly show two people in a basket, separated by a screen. Can't find my copy of the book just now to check.

The only reason for using it is for cutting a tree of over 2 bar length, ie, when, if you bore in from one side and swing the saw right around the back of the tree there will still be a part of the tree at the back of the hinge which has not been cut and will prevent the tree from going over. I've seen this happen on oaks and even a loader struggling to push the tree over, with only about 4" unsevered in the centre behind the hinge. The hinge should be sllightly thicker each side in order to compensate for the lack of holding wood in the center. There are all sorts of diagrams available in the books which show what I mean. Any benefits for milling are a bonus, not the reason for doing the cut.

It's a standard cut for trees over bar and a half length, hinge should be left thicker than normal either side to compensate for lack of holding wood. I can see it could be handy on high value timber if you don't want the centre to pull. If your bar is big enough to get through in one cut, or bore from one side there seems little point in taking the heart out though.

Make money? Normally you've to pay to get folk in to weed your ground! Or am I missing something?

I've only ever had a quick demo of an electric saw in the shop, but was really impressed. For pruning work these look great, allow lots of communication between ground and tree. If a car charger is available and battery life is good these must be the way forward. Also with the battery, it's only running when your finger is on the trigger, there is no lost fuel when its idling like a petrol saw. Also, starts every time you put your finger on the trigger, unlike pulling the chord on a petrol (until the electrics mess up)

The money and the glamour.

We changed from Dual Mass to Solid flywheel and didn't notice any difference in performance. Only did a few thousand miles before the vehicle was sold, but no noticable increase in vibration or rattles.