JimM

Used a fishermans. Then got fed up with the bulk around it and bought eye to eyes.

Power cuts every winter, so soup, beans, potatoes, fried eggs, have all been done. Whistling kettle goes on on Sundays. Not quite as adventurous as Bob though.

Just replaced the brake band on the 550xp and the broken one was a new version. Couple of spares in the box now!

Great photos. Worked with lifeboats many times and always thought you guys were madder than us upstairs in a Nimrod!

Why not put a Mountain Top locking lid on? Not cheap but I use it for same purpose as you are looking for. Easy to remove too.

Sunshine and light breeze around Glenlivet today, Jon. Nice day to be up a cherry tree. One phone call with a worried owner with a leaning tree that could come down in the storm. I did get 5 minutes of drizzle when i got home to the coast though. Stay dry matey!

Just messaged Eddie@Aspen. I'd like some of those too. Got Dymo stickers on the saws at the mo, but those stickers are "shinier" :-)

Quoting the Oxford Dictionary: "1relating to or belonging to a profession: young professional people worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent, skilful, or assured: his professional expertise their music is both memorable and professional 2engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as an amateur: a professional boxer informal, derogatory habitually making a feature of a particular activity or attribute: a professional gloom-monger Noun a person engaged or qualified in a profession: professionals such as lawyers and surveyors a person engaged in a specified activity, especially a sport, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime: his first season as a professional a person competent or skilled in a particular activity: she was a real professional on stage" Unquote. Excuse the poor formatting. If you look at the definition of the word itself, then you are professionals. All the rest is just argument for arguments sake. A tradesman, blue-collar, white-collar worker are just other ways of defining what kind of worker you are. I don't believe anyone should undermine your abilities, skills or professional competences for the sake of a word. I was professional aircrew in the RAF for 25 years. I consider my approach to arb work to be no less professional than what went before. My experience level in the profession is less than others, of course. But I have undertaken sufficient training to approach each job in a professional and considered manner. Adding in degrees/certificates in related subjects will only improve that professional approach. Don't do yourselves down, be proud of what you achieve.

Nice ride there, Paul. Wishing you many happy and safe motoring miles in it.

Sorry mate. It was a sarcastic comment. :-)

Just had my second brake-band go on my 550xpg. To be fair though, it was the original type. New part ordered through my local dealer and will go on on Monday.

Jon makes good points. I approach every wind throw as a new situation. Take time to assess with the saws switched off. It is probably the most dangerous treework you can do. Spend the couple of hundred quid and do the course. Not the answer I suppose you really want, but it's not a textbook course, it's a get your hands dirty with winches and other toys course.

By coincidence my 550xp's brakeband broke for the 2nd time this afternoon. I really felt uncomfortable doing the last 10 mins or so with it not working.

True. So good, Paul made him disappear before the video started.

"Now that's Magic" Paul Daniels makes a tree surgeon disappear.

I like them cos they make me taller! In preference I wear my Cofra boots if I don't need to spike. They do feel bulky to start with but I've got used to them. Comfortable when spiking (if such a thing is possible) Coming up on 2 years in mine. Look after them and they keep your feet dry too.

That's all wrong, Stubby. You can't diss a Husky with another Husky.

Or throw a few sticks out of the cordon and tell them to go fetch. I think if you are feeling like using force then use the Police Force. Would Breach of the Peace be applicable? Dean's result is a scary one. Perhaps we should stop and pass the buck to the Customer/Contractor if things were that bad. Difficult though when people's blood is up. May the Force be with you!

Sums it up for us too. Preferred saw up the tree, although I've been running in my T540 last few days. Of the two batteries, one doesn't hold a charge as well as the other, but with both fully charged we can get through a heap of work.

Had a woman on Wednesday lift barrier tape and squeeze through a foot wide gap with her dog just to carry on walking on the pavement. In a quiet residential area. I wonder if we should replace "Tree Cutting" with "Danger of Death. Keep Out." Next time someone walks through I think I'll ask them to stop so I can take a picture of them next to the sign. Or hand out "Darwin Award" badges.

Mine was the last of the standard ones before autotune. I can't imagine what it would be like after Spud has played with it.

Plus 1. Was ringing up 3ft beech with mine yesterday. Using a 26" bar and now seriously thinking of running bigger on it. I guess the 372 is the cheaper option though.

Nice photos as ever, Matt.

It's the S65. Has the J boom on the end. Better than the 60 as it makes it easier to manoeuvre in the tree and gives you an extra 10ft or so. The Haulotte 20px is similar. Apart from CS47, we've not used a tracked mewp. We repositioned quite a few times. Happy to move it whilst elevated, but with someone watching clearance and stability on the ground.

Not far off, Goaty! Previous post was in error. We had McMuffins for Second Breakfast, Stevie's bacon rolls and coffee was thirds! The beech behind came down last Wednesday with the high winds. If you look at the hollow in the first pic, the developers had raised the ground level around the two beeches. Someone advised them this was not a good thing, so they used a JCB to dig back from the base of the trees. Damage round the buttresses had undoubtedly allowed the fungal attack in. Our tree was damaged all around. Decay had set in, so it was only a matter of time. There are another two close by in worse state.