WorcsWuss

Maybe it's all the news about overpaid under worked public sector employees going on strike because they feel hard done by....? That's one of the things yanking my chain at the moment... And the swampy 'occupy movement'... get off your backsides and get a job. And that woman on the one show the other week who has to have a food parcel.... because otherwise she can't afford to feed her 3 illegitemate children, boxer dog, budgie AND pay the Sky+ bill and keep the kids in X Box games.... And... so many other things... but mostly just anyone who feels they deserve more than they work towards.... What was the question again.....? Simon

Bumpety bump, just in case anyone knows anyone who might be keen to come along! Many thanks! Simon

I think that they strop onto the limbs with the winch and then just fell them where they land and winch them out... doesn't seem to be a particularly precision operation. The bank opposite our house has been done recently...

All the firms which do this work round here seem to have shiny new John Deeres with loaders on the front & winches on the back, colour coded too no less... it's obviously lucrative! [Or they don't know their costs, which is equally plausible....]

That's what I have found, feels like doing sit ups on your lower back.... It's very easy to get up the tree though... I'm not big on thrusting all the way up, I'm a bit out of shape, but on the odd occasion that I do [when I can't be arsed to stick the foot loop back on] it does allow nice free movement in that motion. The last tree I bodythrust all the way up [into!] was an old oak to take the lower limbs off, I'm pretty sure that for someone who doesn't sit at a desk all day long it would have been even easier...! 50th post....

Purely out of curiosity, does anyone else climb in one of these? I bought one a while ago as it seemed 'cheap and cheerful' and quite compact [i'm not a big bloke at 5'10" & 'athletically built', although my wife keeps telling me I'm larger round the 'girth' than I would have myself believe these days - and I don't think she's massaging my ego either] and, as I don't live in it, I wouldn't even have considered a Treemotion or similar. Can't say I'm disappointed, it's pretty comfy, although I do have to slacken off the leg straps to go to the pub..... otherwise it forces me to walk like I've done a 30 minute 1 to 1 study session with the chaplain at my old boarding school.... Seems nicely made although the fixed central attachment point would limit lifespan somewhat for a more intensive user than me.... I do find it a bit tiring when hanging from it though, it's nice to climb & branch walk in but after a few minutes of hanging the effort required to keep myself upright gets a bit trying... the compactness at the front has bitten it on the backside a bit there... So I guess the point of this pointless rambling is that if you're buying, a Hopper is good harness if you're short and slim and spend most of your work time footed in the tree. If you do a lot of hanging around then your back's going to suffer. Anyone else have opinions on this harness...? Based on fact obviously.... Peace out... Simon

No, do not modify the shell of a helmet. If the Stein ones are screwed it's because they have been designed and manufactured as such. In some instances you're not even supposed to put stickers on a helmet, so drilling holes could seriously impair structural integrity. HTH!

Hi all. I've got a few trees to take out along the side of our wood this Sunday and if there are any new entrants / groundies looking for a day's experience please let me know. Unfortunately I can't pay you, it's just some work I have to do round home, but if anyone would like to come along and get a few hours experience under their belt they're more than welcome. Additionally, if you have climbing gear and would like a bit of practice that's fine too [no chainsaw work though, just climbing], but I cannot be held responsible for any of your actions and I AM NOT CS38 TICKETED so technically there is no one on hand for aerial rescue if you have a problem. [Not saying I can't get you down, but I'm not going to let total novices come and get stuck up my trees...!] [if this offer falls outside what the forum is comfortable with please feel free to edit that bit out] I'll be starting mid morning, probably around 10am and working on til dark. You will need your own PPE [i have lent all my spare stuff to a friend who is away]. Experience in operating tractor & loader would be useful, CS30 & 31 would be ace but not essential [would save me a bit of work on the ground]. There will be a bit of speedlining, clearing brash & possibly stopping traffic [ie moving the vehicles onto the lane]. If you are able then 'cross cut & stack' too...

Delete this one!

Just read through this sorry saga, good result! Must be a massive weight off you. I took the top off a garden wall with a power harrow many moons ago. Right outside the front door of the local police station. When the local finest finally found me a few days later [?!] I went back to take a look and the wall was clearly in pretty poor shape originally. I cleaned the mess up and laid the bricks back on the wall in the same codged up manner they had been previously and that was the end of it. Essentially the same outcome as your wall but without the cheque. Quite often the outcome is not nearly as terrifying as you first think it will be!

I'm not passing judgement but perhaps a better way of doing this would be rather than having lots of topics with one sentence questions, one all encompassing topic with some background information would be received more warmly. What course are you doing Abigail? And what exactly is the assignment / module etc? So, example. Hi, I'm Abigail, I'm 19 and studying for ?? at ?? and I was hoping that I could canvass experienced professionals for their opinions on your industry as part of my research for my assignments. I am currently working on a business management assignment, we have to produce a business plan for a SME sized tree surgery business. I need to analyse the benefits of offering a single or multi discipline service with a view to establishing whether it is more viable to specialise on one particular area [ie aerial work] or cover the whole range of trades within the sector [ie extraction, firewood, stump grinding etc] in relation to capital investment. I hope it's OK if I use this topic as a discussion point where I can ask some different questions and get feedback and discuss ideas with you all. This is just one direction my research has taken, I have also approached the local Chamber of Commerce for information on business types and sizes within a given area and I am contacting local companies directly to carry out a survey, both arboricultural companies and equipment suppliers. Thanks in advance for all your valuable input, it's much appreciated! [Lay it on real thick about how much you value our opinion, we like that!] Now I don't know you, that may be exactly what you meant in the first place but just didn't write it down....

Your question is perfectly valid. If I were in your position I would do the following: 1. Quote the job. 2. If you win it, ask your client who surveyed the trees and if they have a copy of any necessary consents and the original survey. Get the surveyors contact details if they still have a working arrangement. 3. Speak to the original sureyor, ask them if all necessary consents have been granted and whether there were any consents not yet granted. 4. Speak to the local TO and confirm you will be carrying out the works as scheduled in the relevant consent, or that they have received a notification - you may need to do that as contractor. If at any point anyone says that something is missing then you know not to start. Good luck with it, sounds like an interesting little job!

That I did find annoying the first time I failed my test.... a couple of hours later I was driving a tractor & trailer through the same town... I think you need to be 21 to drive a materials handler & combine on the road... definitely a combine anyway... And the lads that were idiots at 16 are still idiots at 26 round here... age doesn't seem to be an issue... some kid nearly went oer the top of my car in a Fastrac once.. that was a bit terrifying.....

New Ranger will do 3 1/4...

You will probably find that you actually were the cheapest, LA's have been going with the lowest for a long time... What's happened now though is that someone has come in buying the work... and anyone with half an ounce of business acumen and dignity can't compete with someone who doesn't know his costs... Do you get a breakdown of tender returns so you can see how you compare to the other tenderers? I always find those FASCINATING... trying to guess who it is who is going to be going bust next... What you will find though is that the savings they make using a 'cheaper' contractor are usually lost in not only putting it right, but endless buck passing to ensure that if anything does hit rotating blades, it can be pinned on Central Government policy and not anyone from the council. It's a tragic system...

Usually the lowest 2 are considered.... depends if the cheapest is waaaayyyy cheaper really. Ultimately though, LA's go with the cheapest except under VERY extenuating circumstances. Timscales wise, tenders are generally opened on the return date but it usually takes up to 2 weeks for them to select a contractor. Unsuccessful contractors to crappy councils may not hear anything until a letter arrives listing the tendered prices which could take 6 weeks.

It's all very subjective. I'm a Land Rover man through and through and would never buy a Jap truck, but I cannot in any way justify purchasing a Land Rover to you if you're just looking for something which is practical straight out the box. Defenders are expensive, cramped and slow. But great tow cars, versatile and have excellent residuals [not to mention unbeatable off road]. I believe parts are more expensive for Jap trucks than LR's [although with the frequency with which they need replacing perhaps this balances out?] I have seen a few Amaroks floating around here, look like a very nice truck but I would be wary of the 2.0 diesel... is it strong enough to pull a decent load in the real world? But then I have the same reservations about the new 2.2 in the Defender... Go with the one you'll feel coolest driving I think is probably the best way to choose!

No flying pigs, low cloud obscuring them, but I hear fair trials are nice at this time of year....

That's what I would have thought, on a Dbrt it would pull the climber up into the tree [potential crush on passing limbs?] and srt it's going to try to pull the climber down if the weak point is above [possibly very quickly if the anchor gives], or leave the climber hanging with no rope to come down on if the weak point is below & the rope snaps [but that's unlikely] ... The variable is going to be how much damage it does to the chipper? Does it shred the rope leaving a nice clean [!] end, wrap the rope into the mechanism and blow it apart or keep pulling through till it's all gone? Looking at posts so far it seems that a wad of rope inside a chipper is going to be a fairly even match for the chipper!

Ha! V8 powered Dexta! They're fast even with the original 3 pot motor, we have one... seriously high geared back end! Wouldn't fancy trying to stop it though... Or is it a V6..?

Steve Bufton at Morris Bufton & Co in Ludlow knows his stuff.... give him a go...

Seems so... but understandably. Since we all pay our RFL [with a few exceptions of course...] we all naturally think our own journey takes priority, but it's human nature and not something worth getting in a tizz over... Ultimately so long as you're complying with the highway code then you can more or less go as slow or fast as you like.... the challenge is for everyone else to go as fast or slow as they like without ruining anyone's day... Anywho.... I get hacked off sitting behind 20 cars following a tractor past YET ANOTHER layby, mostly because I know how little time it actually takes to pull in. I also get seriously hacked off sitting behind lorries knowing how aggressively they push you along if you're going slower than them. What I don't do though is let it irritate me to the point of taking it out on anyone else though. Anywho...

Which bit specifically? Are you saying you've never had a moment when you were in a hurry and drove less than courteously? Or are you saying that lorry drivers always go out of their way to let cars by when holding them up? I try to be courteous all the time, but if you spend enough time on the roads, particularly in different types of vehicle, occasionally you slip a bit... I freely admit I do and anyone who claims they don't is either lying or deluded!

Go to the bottom of the menu on the left and watch the video of the modified Cat backhoe deminer.... wicked tool... want one...!

Did you watch the movie? They run house bricks through it in that! Woo, where did the post I replied to go...?!