Red

We had a Clearview stove which double burns and not much of a problem, I used vinegar which is very good. I agree with someone on here re stacking the ends to the side, it helps, as does dry wood, with a 20% moisture content or less. Depending on your chimney a good burn up from time to time helps, but be carefull, especially if you have old brickwork up there.

Its a difficult one, these Pines do not have a high rate of failure but if your the one under or within falling distance its small comfort. I think if the owners could stump up the £200-250 then a Picus Tomograph with report could be the solution, it would be a shame to take a mature one down when there may be no cause for concern.

As has already been said £100 grand is not a lot if your trying to cushion the rest of your life, if your starting out then it would be great. I still think property is worth a go (speaking from someone who' pensions crashed like a lot of other folks) it is safer than a lot of other get rich schemes. For me it would be a 1969-70 440 Hemi Dodge Charger or a Winibago, if the Winibago, then rent the house out and then travel. Failing that 100 grands worth of Eccles cakes and the Beano.

I have used Stihl hand held blowers for years and been pleased with the performance, but decided 2 months ago to go for the big one, the Stihl 600 4 stroke back pack, and boy does it save some time on a big job with a lot of cleaning up, I would say it saves 1 hour. you do need the room to carry it but now I have bought it I love it. Still take the small one out as well as its useful for getting in the tight spaces.

tree work is all I do its not like I'm likely to wake up one morning having forgotten how to do it I like your style, made me laugh.

My Stihl Moisture Meter came through the post the other day and it seems to work fine, but how would I know if its accurate? On testing end grain on Ash it gives a reading 25%, this was measuring wood cut on the same day. I did find that it is important you get the prongs to bite in a bit epecially on older wood, the reading can differ greatly if not.

Is that Bowness as in Cumbria, beautifull part of the world. My mum lives in Ambleside. (thread hi-jack here)

Been using the Power Grab gloves and they are okay for on the ground and climbing. Even if you dont wear them for the cold,thorns, wear them if your on the ground for the dog ****.

Be good to get a nurses outfit, a subscription to the Pig Breeders Annual, a little hand for my watch, and possibly a 3 ton diesel dog, not a Cummings engine a Gardiner 180 would do, Merry Christmas lads.

so how much would that be worth to a woodturner?? Most turners would be very pleased to get there hands on that Ash burr. Nice picture Sean

Grandad I am old school also, and as far as that I have to agree with you to a point. If you walk around the shows you will see young lads snapping up the latest colour matching equipment, and lots of it being a variation on a theme and a lot of money for the privilage, some a total waste of time, but, and this is a big but coming from 32 years of experience there are some things that have made our job a dam site better and safer, bollards and capstans and new rope technology are certainly some of those things, I like you, tied ropes around trees as a friction method because we where making it up as we went along, trial and error, like some have said on here to put a bollard in place with a good anchor point and pulley does not take that long but it surely speeds things along and very usefull if you need to raise a limb over a roof. Tying the work rope to the climbers rope is alright as long as (and someone has already mentioned this) lower limbs do not get in the way. I think for me when I stopped climbing with an anger in my mid 50's I made sure anyone working with me would have the best sensible equipment they could, lets face it, its a hard job at times and we need as much help as possible. I do like this forum it really does promote good healthy discussions.

with loads of floating knowledge,,,soak it up,,,, Yes, never to old to listen to what others have to say and learn from thier experience. This industry is a still a learning curve as ideas change from decade to decade. Boy was I glad when we stopped climbing trees with pots of wound paint or Tree Three spray paint (can hear the young lads saying what he talking about). It was good all those years ago going to lectures where we got hear Shigo and Mattheck these men left us with a feeling this was a fast changing industry and that we where not as Jasper Carrott once joked "Tree Surgeons are glorified gardners".

I was looking at a picture the other day of me up a dead 65-70 feet Elm tree, with no rope harness or even B.T pole belt ( a lot of tree workers used them then) I had acessed the tree by 3 section ladder and the picture shows me propping my back up against the trunk with my feet jammed against the big limb to be removed, the chain saw was a Stihl slab cutter with bar and chain on it, talk about *****, but I did not know any better then, you should have seen my face when in 1980 I saw my first Honey Brothers catologue, wow, whats all this equipment, and compared to an up to date Catologue it was pretty basic, but it looked like a treasure chest to me. Then in 1988 took my AA test and passed and I'm now I was starting to feel like a proper Tree Surgeon. I would say to all you fella's keep a scrap book of letters you get from customers crediting you doing a good job, and from time to time read over them to see if your still doing good work (though people write less letters these days). I have to feel sorry for some of you fella's as the 80-90's where good decades for making money, not many tree climbers about then, compare that to today with page after page of contractors in the Yellow Pages, it is tough out there. The thing I will say about doing 90 feet black Poplars without a harness, just the B.T pole belt is that when you do eventually get the equipment you can climb anything. Just the selections of ropes todays and the technology in rope design and strength is great, and the bollards and rigging equipment has made tree work so much easier. Sorry if I have gone on a bit here. Is it easy to post pictures on this site, whats the method? If I was to give some advise, it would be look after your tree first before your customer, there not always right, and try to understand the mechanics of a tree, that is understand what it will or will not stand, also it may save your life one day if you plan to rig down heavy peices.

Thanks for the welcome, I am based in Stratford upon Avon but work a good radius, especially for one of my contracts (we have travelled just into Wales for them). The natives appear friendly and as I have said before a great site, its good seeing like minded folk pulling together (no pun there by the way). Since I started in 1979 there sure has been a lot of changes in Arboriculture, most for the better though I believe the Health and Safety thing is getting very silly, we are being deprived of our common sense.

Great the spotlight calls, is it as hard as a Black Poplar in the wind and rain? Are there many lads on here from the Midlands?

Interesting thread, seems like there are lots of differing opinions when it comes to chippers. We are on our second GM and they have very good points and some bad ones, for me the worse being thier paint, it is crap, after 4 months its starts to come off and it was the same for the first GM we had, I know these machines have a hard life but they cost a lot of money and they should not be shedding paint so early on. Good points they chip well, rollers are strong and one of the deciding points for me is the boys at Greenmech, especially Jason and Mack look after you above and beyond the call of duty. The worst chipper I have ever had was a Gravelly, peice of unbelievable ****, 5 sets of leaf springs, hopper fell off after six months and numerous breakdows.

I'm amazed you got ANY straight answers Thought the very same. Have to agree with some of the comments about strength of material, we have used Stihl Hi-Flex for quite a while now and also feel they do not offer value for money in the lasting stakes but then it seem to be the case for most chain saw trousers, maybe we should have a vote on the best chain saw trousers out there.

Hello fellow Arborists, joined up yesterday and I must say very impressed with the site, so much information, well done. I have been in Arboriculture/Tree Surgery for 32 years now and 15 years as a AA Contractor (but not anymore). Still love the business but as many of you will know its hard out there. Look forward to talking to you via the site. Red

Glad to read all the suggestions as this is the delema I am going through at the moment. Like the idea of Super Winch but my question re winches and the L200 is what is the maximum capacity that the L200 will take i.e 9 ton or 12 ton? And do you need twin batteries. Red