codlasher

I agree with difflock too. I am in a position that I have no central heating except my Morso 3610 that heats my house and the c 1960's back boiler open fire that heats two showers worth of water. When I have finished the building work, which includes installing massive amounts of insulation that is required on a house built in 1859, I will have minimal heating costs. I am hoping to get down to a 5KW rather than a 16KW burner which would operate over the two coldest months. I plan to have a pellet boiler as primary heating and instant gas for hot water and cooking with solar to boost the hot water whenever the sun shines. I burn about fourteen tons per year this way and by the costings that I read, yes I'd be better off with a different heat source but when you are unable to fit one, 'tis difficult to do anything else! I finished one room recently and just the heat from the two spot-lights on their stand, that were helping me see, quickly raised the temperature to 60 degrees so I'm looking forward to finishing others. The biggest plus recently though was that during the power cuts that the storm created our simple system that does not rely on electrickery merrily carried on regardless so we had hot water, heating and were able to cook with the only addition of a match to light the cooker as the electronic ignition was not operating. There's a lot to be said for the KISS principal! codlasher

With a tiddly tractor the height that it it should be mounted is important. What you don't want is the winch too low so the overhang created by the winch itself bottoms out if you go over a mound. You need it to sit so the rear forks dig in nicely to the stops with the rear wheels about 4'' off the ground. Hopefully the angle thus created will allow the tractor to roll forward after pulling so you have contact with the ground and drive again. This is the advantage a 4WD has over a 2WD tractor. I can't remember if there is a mechanism to lift the forks after use. The Cookes had a separate little cable to do this. Occasionally it broke but if I threaded the main cable in place it did the job. Check the stops too as one broke off on the Boughton as they are only lumps of metal welded on the side. Don't get too much cable wound onto the drum either as a good pull over the top of too many winds causes jams. You will have better control over the winds if you lay them carefully in with a load, say using your foot to keep the tension, never a hand as those whiskers are sneeeeeky and get you when you aren't looking! 'Elf and safety will require a mesh screen mounted between you and the outside in case of breakages. You may have to create slots to access the levers. All my main controls were inside this screen so there wasn't a problem. Consider fitting a front fairlead so you can extract yourself forwards too! Have fun! codlasher

I had a Boughton but it was in a similar state to that which the OP describes. Just looked at the pics.....and very similar! Around 10 ton pull. They are good winches and you can repair them. From memory the brake is a band brake. Mine was fitted to an International B 614 that had a manual hand operated clutch along with the ordinary foot clutch. This was import and for difficult pulls. If you can find the serial number and get hold of Boughton they will give you its early history. They will tell you the machine that it was designed to fit and when. Mine was originally fitted on a Bristol crawler! They will also be able to supply you with certain other info that may be useful. I had a Cookes single speed that I preferred so kept that and sold the bought to pay for the Cookes to have an overhaul. Turning the winch to hydraulic from direct will reduce its rated power considerably. The plus is that you will have total control as I don't think the clutch on a little ford is independent from the foot pedal? codlasher

I've had my 020AV from new. I purchased it from my then local Stihl agent in 1987. It has been, and still is, a great little saw and I use it when I need to do small stuff and traditional timber joinery, such as tendon joints on 12'' x 8'' sized pieces. There is no way it can be used single handed though! I don't climb trees, I employ others to do that so I don't have or need any climbing tickets. I have used the Echo top handle saw and liked the lightness of it but that was some 15 years on from the 020AV so I wasn't surprised. They have already brought out a newer model from that which I tried. If I needed another saw I would look local and go on the internet to see who would supply me with either an Echo, Makita, Efco, or perhaps a Huskvarna. I'd like to try them all but that probably not be possible. Stihl being out of that loop! Some of the saws in this discussion mentioned are more versatile than others. I'd go for the most versatile, best /reliable supplier along with price. I disagree that you won't be able to purchase one without showing some relevant qualification. This is not an easy choice so the original Q is asked within the correct timeframe, well before Christmas! codlasher

As agg221 has said end stack it. Sticked too with more of the same. It is lovely timber and makes beautiful kitchen work-tops. I know I made mine from a tree that I took down in the local Church yard. I still have a big chopping board from that which was left over. I've moved so I have no idea if it is still as I left it. I doubt it. Be aware that woodworm will small it from miles away and if left standing for too long will become infested so a little bit of spray won't go amiss either. Shame you are so far away. Still something may turn up for me in the next couple of years! codlasher.

A lot of graveyards will not allow a tracked excavator in as it makes way too much mess. A walking one is allowed. My friend has been doing graves all his life like his father and grand father so has an enormous number of Church yards to get into. Most of them have victorian entrances so the width of the truck is important like the 'no mess' excavator. His busiest times, and I've helped with his brother filling in in the past, are when the weather changes. codlasher

The sheer volume of timber being cleared gave a much needed boost to the timber industry at that time. Yes it was cheap and yes it had to be cleared but it created a market where there wasn't one. I look back and there really wasn't the firewood demand or the modern processors to cope if there was either so the brash was simply pushed up or burned where it lay. Most was simply left in piles and had rotted down three years later. The stumps had rotted by 1997 and all that remains in the woodlands that I was involved with are the mounds of soil that were left under the stumps in amongst the young trees that were planted in 1988 and now 25 years old. Some of the original holes were big enough to loose a tractor in and the first mechanical weeding needed a person walking ahead of the tractor to warn the driver of these holes! There was also a big change in outlook on the large blocks of similar aged monoculture that existed too. To continue to make use of the newly created timber market there was a considerable felling and re-planting programme put in place that continued until the 1991 gale and beyond. The gulf war stopped this abruptly and things then went into decline. The local sawmill that had been milling considerable amounts of the poorer timber found that their market simply wasn't there, laid all fifteen staff off and shut for good. Several others did the same and later discovered that their land was worth ten times what it was for housing development and are now under mock Georgian brickwork! codlasher

I have discovered another side though which is much more interesting and has resulted from not working with trees any more! I come from a Forestry background but live a long way from where I used to operate so I was surprised to be asked by a local Gardening Society recently to stand alongside my Bee-Keeping friend and deliver a talk about trees. I was introduced as having been involved with trees all my working life, true, but never having done this before I was quite (read very) nervous. Standing up in front of 30 or so knowledgable folk is really quite daunting! The three days prior to the talk saw me writing copious notes, memorising certain technical issues and planning the delivery. On the day.... I winged it...... The evening was well received because I have been asked to repeat the talk. I missed out so much that I have made a little plan on how to deliver more information in the time allotted. Never even mentioning that wonderful machine the mechanical harvester. No winging this time:001_smile: In contrast to my earlier post, here are two groups of folk who are passionate about their surroundings and trees. The questions asked were thought provoking and that really made it fun to be up in front of them. codlasher

When I was involved with a five year tree safety programme I experienced the worst of motorised vehicle drivers anger. Working on the road sides is not nice. Our little team were looked upon with; Disgust. How can they cut that lovely tree down. Anger. Those lads cutting that tree have made me late. Why is it taking so long? Sadness; Look they are destroying birds nests! I'll ignore the traffic lights and drive on through. I'll run them over. I'll get out of my car/van and threaten them. I'll hoot the horn for as long as I'm waiting. I'll be abusive. My cycling/walking group will just look the other way as we ride/walk through the closed road.....(there is another thread on that too!) Five years of that and TBH I'm happy not to be doing it now! codlasher

Good advice from Gardenkit. With all the safety devices that are fitted there is a plethora of wires under your ride-on too. These will need the patience of a saint to unravel if you have problems. There is a logic to them but it takes some time to find the source of an electrical fault. I discovered a clever little device under my machine to advise the operator that the rear grass holder was full. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep! It went, but continuously.... Wiring fault......I found it after careful investigation over three sessions mowing and fixed. Bl**dy irritating though! It now tells me at the correct time. codlasher

Your Kubota is the Rolls Royce of that 'tractor' type! This model replaces the wheel horse of the 1980's. It will do you five or perhaps ten good years then I'll buy it:001_tongue: codlasher

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O14gtzdJgoQ]Toro Reel MOWER cutting grass at 70 inch - YouTube[/ame] Vintage Toro! I said 1980's but I think it was 1970's codlasher

I have a second-hand Etesia Bahia that I purchased for less than £1000 I have given it a good service and replaced a few parts courtesy of RTM Aylesbury. Lovely machine and honda powered too. It does all that I want it to do. Anything bigger is done with a tractor. smaller is done with an 18" PBTS Etesia. You have to look around but I saw two on t'internet during the summer that would have tempted me. Parts are east to obtain, well designed, cuts wet grass, tips it too without fuss, narrow enough to fit through a garden gate. Here's a little blurb from another question over the engines fitted;Etesia Bahia Briggs & Stratton Vs Kawasaki & Honda - Landscape Juice Network If you are in any way capable with a spanner you can run an older mower of this type reliably and economically as 'part' of your business. If you do contract mowing look at a new machine with all the warranties that come with such. See Scag & etc:biggrin: Like Toro too Had an early one, a c 1980's triple three legged item! codlasher

I swear by these. Lowa Combat Boots Gore-Tex® Lined I'm wearing a worn out pair that are three years old right now and I'm about to order a new pair to start wearing occasionally. I will be wearing my year old pair soon. I wear boots about 350 days per year but I'm glad to be in my slippers (deck shoes) of an evening. No I haven't a pipe yet! Hope this helps. They're not cheap but they do last and last. codlasher

FC will give advice on available planting grants. Speak to your local Tree Officer they are helpful and informative folk. This will be subject to their rules on re-planting but you will usually be able to have a good range of species. The grant money pays for the planting only not the trees themselves or the stakes or the guards/spirals/netting. Look into ring fencing as an alternative to the guarding. Deer may be your worst problem if you are in an area infested with them or next to NT land. Hope this helps:thumbup: codlasher

Air horn. Brilliant idea! I suppose Heras fencing would be another way but the lay-flat red barriers work well although it is another truck load of stuff to carry to the site. codlasher

There's a nice old Deutz DEUTZ 7206 4X4 TRACTOR | eBay But then I'm a Deutz fan! codlasher

A friend has one 300kw biomass to dry hay which, after much experimenting, has now worked a full twelve months without much alteration. His thoughts on moving the warm air created was to suck rather than blow. There were several reasons for this but the main ones were that the fans for sucking were smaller and needed less power to work and the noise issue. The radiator to transfer the heat into warm air was made to suit the output of the boiler and he explained that it was surprisingly cheap. Issues with the 'heat meter' are still ongoing and I will no doubt be informed if the answers to his questions over payment are positive...... codlasher

So so true. They want to argue about it too! This was one of my biggest worries and we occasionally had an extra man on the ground at the opposite end of the job to help me at my end. codlasher

Sorry I've no pictures of the moiling as I was away working, although I managed to get a neighbour to bring his Caterpillar Challenger along when he was nearby to mole over the top of the land-drains. There's two settings for this; Ploughed field is full depth, grass is 18'' deep. I did a little ditching locally in 2009 after the wet winter and have done more on other jobs as a 'make up the last day' type of thing but it's not something that I do too often as the ditches are mainly kept in good order so the existing outfalls can discharge without becoming clogged. The farmers plough the spoils into the field or leave them on the edge depending. The reason for smoothing the bank is so the flail can run along without catching resulting in a clean shave!

An ideal fall is 1' in 60' if you are in a perfect field bit if you can get a fall that will do. The idea of the 1:60 is that it will carry the silt away as the water will flow just enough to do so. Mini diggers have advantages & disadvantages with buried field drains. The biggest disadvantage being their stability against their ability to dig a narrow trench and their inability to lift a builders bag of shingle. Bigger machines will effortlessly dig the perfect trench but only down to a 12'' width as that is the narrowest bucket that will fit and lift a bag full. This meant the cost of the 40mm gravel is more expensive. You will end up with what I would consider the perfect drainage trench done with an excavator. The next level is a hired chain trenching machine, be it on a 360 or self propelled, that will dig a 6" trench that you can either pipe and backfill with 40mm. I would seriously consider this option if you have long runs to do. Up another level in this type of machine and you will be looking at a satelite guided, laser levelled machine capable of doing levels to the nearest mm but comes at a price of £1000.00 per acre. (which in a big area is the cheapest option) This will trench and lay the pipe in 20 metre runs across your field in no time. This is followed by the hopper tractor trailer machine that fills the trench created with 40mm shingle to a set level and then back-fills with the remaining soil with a front mounted plough. Job done. I have used all these methods and if I had a chain trenching attachment for my 360 I'd reach for that every time on smaller jobs but as I haven't I use my 12'' bucket and lay the blue perforated pipe on a bed of 40mm then add more to cover. I have bagged (builders bags) of 40mm that I dangle over the trench and very carefully split the bottom with a weeding hook so a trickle of shingle falls out. The bag is then moved up and down the trench to allow the shingle to cover the pipe. Non woven geotextile is then laid in strips over the shingle and the trench is finally back-filled. coidlasher

Are next years buds quietly lurking at the tips? This would be good news because along with live stems it may recover next year. Around me, those with conifer hedges particularly of the Macracarpa type, have very large patches of die-back. This was due to the drought in the summer here. I'm watching with interest to see if they come back to life from the main stem. Back to your beech hedge, I've never seen this on such a scale, except where squirrels have ring-barked young trees, not a hedging plant! Pat Ferret may well be right with the sun scorch! codlasher

The two that I know of near(ish) to you were Alan Mackrory at Nettlebed; 01491 642033. The other is Benson sawmills right at the end of the run-way of RAF Benson so you get some good helicopter close-ups! 01491 832251. Near Wallingford. I've not been to either for nearly six years but they were 'independant' to say the least. There is a mill at Beaconsfield but although I know the people from beating in the past I've never used them for milling. Plus that is a fair trot from Newbury. Hope this helps....perhaps! codlasher.

Agreed! Some folk get a bit hot under the collar but that's life isn't it? There's a lot of good useful information here if you have the time to read all the posts. As a fellow nearing the other end of the his working life I enjoy the enthusiasm of the younger members and they will post how they feel too. I'd love to be 25 again and have all that energy and optimism. Don't ban too many! codlasher

Irrespective of which stove you end up with, although I'm a Morso fan, match the purchase price with added insulation. Do that dodgy window and replace it with an A rated item. Alternatively that door and frame or adding an extra 150mm layer of insulation in the roof-space. You'll not regret the work/expenditure in the long term. codlasher