WorcsWuss

Because I 'never work with the same groundie twice' so to speak, everything has to be pre-planned to the Nth degree. Most of the people I'm helping out haven't been groundsman in their lives so it's all taken VERY slowly and every limb is talked through and agreed on the ground before we start. If anything changes once I get up there, we talk it through again, from the floor if necessary... takes FOREVER but touch wood no problems yet!

What about something like this..? Rotar International B.V.

My biggest fear is my friction hitch. I'm careful with my anchor and have every confidence in the rope and hardware, but it's the bit I tie myself which I'm always terrified is going to let me down. In that respect I often wonder whether I'd be better off on a hitch climber which does at least introduce some hardware into the working end. The thing I dislike about a blakes is how awkward it is to get a back up onto the rope. A long-ish prusik hanging below my hip does the job but it's still a bit hit and miss for my liking, and a pita to advance. Even though I know my blakes isn't going anywhere because I always put a stopper not in it anyway....

As both a tractor driver and car driver, the chumps who won't overtake on clear roads drive me up the wall, on the tractor it forces me to pull over when I otherwise wouldn't have needed to, and in the car forces less safe overtakes or holds up a queue. All that said, lorry drivers irritate me the most. When was the last time a lorry pulled over for you to let a queue of cars by? But who are the most abusive when they come past a tractor? I know they're on a tacho and a tighter limit but even so, I'd be a bit more helpful if I didn't spend hours behind them driving next to each other on a dual carriageway.... one rule for one? An artic passed me one night, he'd only just come up behind me, not been waiting, and cut me up so tight he stripped the marker lights off the side of his trailer on my front wheel. Why? Because he reckoned he had more right to be there than I did I presume and was showing his distaste. He was hauling an empty trailer. I was carting the grain for the nation's daily bread back to the store. So obviously I should give way to him.... [or her, not to discriminate!] Most people become gits behind the wheel, we're all guilty of it at some point...!

Yes you can, probably not and contact a dealer, they will be able to get them for you or order direct - IWT Parts Catalogue - New & Used Trailers - Horsebox, Livestock, Plant, Tippers, Car Transporters, Flatbed, Box Van, Spares

Reminds me of the child who drowned while a CSO looked on, unable to get in the water because of some ridiculous paranoia about rules and regulations. [And probably a good dollop of self preservation] Without wishing to come across as a bitter old Tory, this country has gone a little bit too much like Communist Russia circa 1954 over that last decade & a half... Rules & regulations are of INIFINITELY greater importance than human life.... Our neighbour rolled a tractor many moons ago and was trapped by the arm between the wheel and mudguard... Having watched the fire 'service' argue [to no conclusion] over how to extract the poor upside down farmer for far too long, they fetched another tractor & a chain and pulled the tractor off his arm, jemmied the wing back up and job done.... I ask you... what EXACTLY do they train to do....?

Any of the Tamiya stuff is a good place to start, either in kit for or pre-built 'QD' [Quickdrive] format. A long time ago an old girlfriend bought me a 4x4 car chassis with a Mitsi Evo top on it, great fun to build and a chuckle to play with. Pretty well indestructable and fairly inexpensive so far as 'proper' RC cars go.... Still works now 10 [er.. plus!] years on....!

Honey Brothers offer a 'similar' kit which I use. It's not quite as nice [and the rope they supply is a touch on the thick side], but that's 40 quid + VAT I think for a 4m & includes snap, biner, lanyard, prusik, micro pulley. Does the job, it's all ISC hardware.

Well... I've ordered the little Tanaka, which I think is basically the same saw as the Hitachi CS33 which FRJ stock... We'll see if it's any good...

If you get nowhere with this drop me a line, I might be able to get across to you.

Found that one. I'm not VAT reg so it's 150... For another 25 quid I could get the Tanaka though...?

I used to work for Renault Ag, sound simple tractors of that era. Anything upto the 54 series were strong, reliable machines. Not the best driving position in the world and the cab would be a little noisy [not quite the same as most County's mind you...] but an eminently useable machine. If I was flailing all day I'd probably look round for a Ford 66/7610 with the AP cab, JD 2140 or 3040 with the MC1 cab or a Massey 590 or 390 type machine... A Renault Ceres 85 or 95 would be a good machine as well...

Thanks for that. Shame about the filler hole, I do like my push fill system... I've been looking at a Tanaka on US ebay... £185 delivered. Would that be a better machine?

Does anyone use one of these? I have never come across them before but while hunting for another MS200T I found a couple on eBay. Then I found that they can be bought new from FRJ for 150 quid... Are they any good? Bearing in mind VERY light use only for me. It's more compatibility with Stihl than anything else really. Does the fuel filler fit the Stihl system? What about bar adjustment, different sized clamping nut presumably? Thanks Simon

Thinking about this, a whole day is quite a lot for most people, particularly if it's just for average domestic buyers. I'm not sure that in reality many would take it up. Perhaps a way to get a better uptake [which ultimately is needed to make sure more of your customers live to upgrade!] would be to run it as a short 2 hour intro when they collect their saw. So, as others have said: Starting procedure [it amazes me that people still hold the saw loose across their body to start it rather than standing on the tail or sticking it between their legs!] Cross cutting on the floor [so that they learn not to bury the chain in the floor] Cross cutting on a saw horse [sell them a saw horse!] Pruning small limbs from the floor [typical domestic work] Fell small 'trees' [upto 4 or 6" in diameter]. Chain tensioning / bar set up / mild sharpening [they can come back to you for a proper sharpening & raker file] Fueling & correct oil use. [How many infrequent users still forget to top up with oil?] You wouldn't need to do this in a stand either, a christmas tree base & some fencing stakes with broomhandles stuck in would offer all the practical training needed. It could be done out the back of the shop and if anyone feels they will be doing anything more involved that that then they should be steered towards CS30 / 31. If it only takes up a couple of hours on site the cost could be brought down, lets say everyone gets a couple of stakes, cost £10 in materials, plus a couple of hours tuition & a tank of fuel & oil, what will the costs be, £45 ish? Plus profit & VAT then, something like £75 isn't a huge amount to a domestic purchaser when they've spent a couple of hundred on a saw. £99 is still a hundred quid however you dress it up! And from a business perspective [very cynical I know] you still have them on site to sell them any accessories they decide might be needed after the initial tuition. Give them a certificate of attendance, job done. They can even bag up and take home their firewood too!

I really don't think this would be a problem... many people I know who 'acquire' saws are genuinely terrified of them and desperately need someone to give them a grounding in the basics. If anyone does take on work after a course like this I doubt very much it would be significant enough to contribute to a professionals income. I think a course like this is a great idea and perhaps it should be offered with all new saw sales...?

I've never seen splicing done before, but I just watched that New England vid... That is worthy of that Dynamo dude off the TV.... It just looks in every way like it shouldn't work.... just brilliant....!

Seems reasonable for what looks basically to be CS30. Certainly know a few people who should attend a course like that!

Drew, is everything connected together at the end of the lowering rope, with a maillon or something? Am I right in saying you've tied off the two ends of the rope, split it roughly into thirds, pulling the middle loop under & up and then clipped onto the lowering rope? Do the 2 balancer prusics & the rigging rope all connect into one common steel biner, or is there a rigging plate to take 3 biners? Will this arrangement 'settle' level once it's free or does it hold in the position it was tensioned into before you cut it? Oh... and long time no see!

I can't speak for log buyers... or sellers... but so far I've not even started on my pile of cord for the winter yet.... I'm normally hammering it by now to get it cut, split and into the store but so far I haven't bothered... So I guess that on that same basis anyone who buys wood in is probably holding off a bit longer... Course then we'll have 3 inches of snow, the roads will close and everyone will want it all yesterday....

Buxtons: Marlow Aeris 11mm Plain Rope - £1.70 - Climbing Ropes - Arborist Equipment & Forestry Kit - Stafford West Midlands I climb on it and while have little else to compare it too it is very nice, knots easily. One things I would dispute is the effectiveness of the 'coating' which is supposed to stop it taking up moisture... I hang mine when damp in my workshop & it seems to take ages to dry out....?

I had a Range Rover Classic once with air suspension. It packed up and in the intervening months before I could afford to fix it, the front prop gave up and flew off... When our TD5 Disco gave up at the back more recently, knowing from previous experience that the props don't like running that tight I jacked up the back of it, cut two 8" lengths of 4"x2" treated timber and zippy tied them to the axle beneath the bump stops... It was my wife's car so the bone crushing ride until I swapped the compressor was less of an issue for me than it was for her... prop didn't fly off this time though....

Thanks guys. Interesting point about hire / reward & household insurance. I have only ever climbed with someone else on hand, although in the old days 'aerial rescue' would have been performed out of the bucket of the telehandler... Although he has no CS38 [like me] the friend I have been helping lately is an experienced climber and is quite keen to tag along and help out on other jobs I do at home, so I guess from a safety point of view, while not being belt & braces, I am fairly well covered.

cscs.uk.com is a training provider, fairly typical of the official sounding organisations who aren't actually official and are seeking to mislead Googlers into believing they've hit the right site. CITB Construction Skills is the official organisation, their website is, as stated earlier: cskills.org Now, whether CITB & Construction Skills are any good and should still be taking a levy off companies to fund themself is an entirely different discussion...

Right... this is what I have.. CS30, 31, 32, 33, 36 & 37. I have been using a chainsaw since around 1996 when I was working at home on the farm. I did my NPTC stuff in 1999 when I started working for other people, mostly hedgelaying, felling, pollarding etc. I now work in an office doing something else [have done since 2003 - booo!] but have continued to work with my saw rather more than just as a hobbyist. I still maintain the woods, orchards & Willows at home as well as helping out friends with felling, pruning etc. Plus all the firewood for our home, which only has solid fuel. I do climb but within a very narrow set of parameters, I know my limits and, to be honest, I've always been terrified of heights! [hence 'wuss'..! I've been helping a friend take a tree down lately and he rigs lights for festivals & gigs, he was up and down it like a squirrel, I take a bit more time making sure every knot is good & biner isn't cross loaded!!] I climb in one of two ways, either doubled rope, blakes hitch on a split tail, footloop prusik [which I've choked onto a Croll lately to speed things up a bit] & figure 8 back down or on spurs, wire flip & adjustable lanyard back up, again with a figure 8 on an access line choked to the the stem to get down quickly. I used to have an MS200T but I sold that a long long time ago when I gave up on life and went to work in an office, and I have been trying to get my hands on another one lately, but for now I just use my trusty MS260 [which I think I might be more attached to than I am my own children!] I have a full PPE kit which I do keep renewed. So what I want to know is: 1. When I go up a tree at home [mostly just to knock off lower limbs to clear the combine] if the HSE man turns up could I [or heaven forbid, the old man!] get prosecuted for anything? I do think this is OK though? 2. If I am up a tree for a friend on their property [this would more likely be for a sectional take down - not often with rigging though - not many friends can get combines in their gardens!], same question. I think this might NOT be OK? I don't charge for any of this and nor do I have any insurance - although I suppose one could argue that I am operating on the farm's PL etc... I'm sure there will be pro's here who do everything by the book who can't stand people like me who do it solely for love rather than as a living so to them I apologise! I will assure you though that I have plenty of experience and, perhaps most importantly, am acutely aware of my limits and the consequences of getting it wrong [which is something which I am amazed that some of the people I help are not, some saw handling I see is terrifying!] so I would like to think I can hold my own. Anyway, your thoughts would be appreciated! Also, I would like to do just a 1 day brush up & take 38 & 39 assessments. Anyone have any recommendations / suggestions? Thanks! Simon