MATTMOSS

A friend of mine has just been scammed out of two and half grand by trying to buy a stump grinder off ebay! He has been a bit naive to be honest and it didnt help that he was not used to using ebay, he has transfered the money to someones bank account thinking it was genuine through ebay and thats how things were done. on a promise that the grinder would soon be delivered from Scotland. He has been in contact with these people for some time and they sent him a load of emails, imformation and have managed to convince him that it was all above board. As soon as the monies gone the phone lines dead, emails no response, ebay have no record of listing? police cant do much:001_rolleyes:. I know some people will say - well he deserves it for being so trusting but I feel for him because there is soo many about trying to have you over at every turn! Its not a nice thought thinking how much scum there is about, just reality i suppose. You have just got to be vigilant all the time these days and if it sounds a good deal- its probably not. On a lighter note, im gonna rib him for this for a good while. Sharp learning curve

I would first try to talk the client round to having the tree nicly thinned out, and tell them what an asset it is to them and the look of there property! I would say at a cost of about £80 quid- job done and cleaned up. This may lead to further work from the client down the line! - if you do a good job! maybe called back to thin again in the future? or fell? If they definately want it out i would say £120-£150 to fell to ground level. easy job.

Ha ha i can belive it!!

That is not bad at all, he didnt have much room for error. not the kind of situation to get flustered! or you would be off down the hillside. or was it a lady driving? i doubt it

OMG! did anybody else visualise the splitting head coming off and hitting him in the face.. or just me

I'll go with Sorbus sp.

I am going to buy the study book soon, I think its a good qual to hold if for the only reason it urges you to progress with your learning of our ever changing and advancing profession.

first two pics are giant redwood, although i also mistaken the foliage for cyrptomeria the second two are hungarian oak -Q frainetto and the last P. mugo. i know not very good pics.

I am working in a local park next week removing some horse chestnuts that have Phytophthora. I think the strain has been identified as P. criticola? (not ramorum anyway) the trees have had the dark staining (bark bleeding) for a few years and they have suprised me that they have lasted this long. They seem to be on there last legs(or roots) and then summer comes and they come into leaf and look like they may recover, but then usually loose there leaf early and look dead again. So we have managed to get some money to buy in some replacements (Heavy standards- Oaks) and I am going to put them out of their misery and take them out. However the reason for posting the pics is that there are the Aesculus hippocastanum which are the worst affected, -(loosing limbs, bark falling off, leaf loss. And the Aesculus x carnea which does get the black bark staining but doesnt seem half as bad as the others? obviously more resilient. So I am going to lightly prune a couple of them and see how they go on. I have pictured one of the red chestnuts, but its one that i'm not sure about? it is the one with the bulging stem - possibly a sign of internal decay? not made my mind up with that one yet? and the other with the big cavity is a Beech, it does seem solid enough but it is over a path and i have decided while there is funds for replacements it would be best to remove it or have a go at carving it into something? any thoughts always welcome. matt

Had to get this Whitebeam cleared up today, on closer inspection the roots had a white mycilium rotten look to them. It wasnt ther best tree but i hadnt noticed any fruiting bodies previously(not to say there wasnt any) I just wonderd what you rekon would have caused this (ROT) i would guess at Ganoderma sp? what do you think from the pics?

a COUPLE MORE.....

Just thought id share this one which i took some pics of today. I havent done it but i am going to have a go when i get time. Its a simple design but well done, possibly more can be done also.

Me too, i bet theres a few rough heads this morning!! I finished work early and got dropped off in town at 1 oclock and got in at about 11 oclock, dont remeber much so god knows what happened when i came in but there empty cans of kronenbourg all over the place and most of my clothes were hung on the christmas tree! Ive felt better:confused1:

Me too! you must of got that wrong a few times! it would be funny to see you not turn it enough and watch it drag you off out of view at high speed.:lol: not that i want to see anyone hurt, it would be funny tho

Hi Mark, I did my RFS a few years ago, I enjoyed it and I certainly learned from it. I dont know anything about the new format but i'm sure it would be worth while doing if your interested in arb. Matt

I have just boughyt a pair of the Hiax air power gold, so far so good! but I do like the look of the trekkers, might try them next. Hiax have been very good boots for me.

If the 2 saws were in front of you and you could only ever use one for the next year, which would it be?? -The ms 261

I think that the willans harnesses are very good, I have tried a few different ones like the komet butterfly harnesses and others but for the money, comfort and practability I recommend the willans. I never have the leg loops pulled tight and always avoid hanging in my harness unless i have to, so when you say you dont want the harness to cut the blood supply off to your legs- you might want to try changing your technique, just rest and lean back in your harness rather than hanging. hth matt

Just remember ''The customer is ALWAYS right'' of course your right. If the hire company wants your custom they should understand your predicament. It sounds like the batteries are getting old. From my experience they should last longer than that, IF fully charged.

I have one fully working! If you dont get the bits for yours I would be intrested in buying it for spares for mine. I am in the same situation with a 028 woodboss also. (need Parts) Matt.

Thank you Gareth, It sounds like you have answered the question. They do take up water. cheers Matt

Wow they are very good!! If they are your first three attempts your a natural. Good work!! Matt

Come on he's askin a serious question, dont mock et! :lol:

Something that I have always thought at Christmas when you go in friends houses and they are standing their cut trees in a base filled with water. Are trees still able to take up water from the cut stem? I know flowers can but woody trees? once the roots have gone is this impossible? Theoretically I could belive that it is possible by means of cohesive tension, as the crown dries it will suck up moisture through the cambium, but when I have tried this the tree never seems to last any longer and the water never goes down significantly where I would suggest it is doing anything else but evaporating naturally. Any biological boffins know the answer? Matt.