Tom10

Never heard of them - but look for CE marks and chainsaw logo + chain speed rating Tom

Design A is just front protection Design C is all round ? Sorry to confuse matters! Tom

No probs for the advice, my little 435 can sit in my truck being one of the most useful tools in the box I love the way arbtalk can take you from wanting advice on a hobby saw to you getting a 550XP in a few pages of chat! Thats why I love it.......! 'He who dies with most tools, wins' Be careful though, everyone looks better with 2 legs Good luck!

Hiya, I have a 435 which is a brilliant saw for certain uses. I use it professionally and it is ideal for snedding and wading down conifer hedges etc. I use the saw over my XP as it is significantly lighter with hardly any vibe and ideal for certain jobs such as the above. For the measly £275 i paid for it it has earned its money over and over Obviously it has a lack of power compared to my professional saws and no handling and little technology (and it is machine built not human) From what you want it for it sounds ideal! Just watch the tickover, mine has a habit of slowing up and needs re-adjusting for it to run well at full revs - make sure if you buy one you keep the chain sharp. Your welcome to mine for 175 and ill upgrade mine! Tom

Absolutely agree Dead? not exactly Dying? pretty much deffinately Diseased? No question surely? Dangerous? Matter of opinion but I can tell you no one on this forum can tell you exactly when this tree will fail and nor can the TO so an 8 week application seems ridiculous when they implement a system to quickstep this in certain situations. I would write a letter of intent that the work will take place in 1 week, back it up with a call after 6 days and get it down.

I think you could climb if you could get an anchor in an adjoining tree? deffinately not without, the thing looks like its about to go... Can't see very well in the video what the neighboring trees are like... and rig it off in big lumps Wouldn't bother though - seems far more sensible to ratchet strap hard up as high as you can... fell and have a clear escape route! My opinion but very hard without seeing it in first person. Good luck!

How'd it go?

Hi mate, I have seen some chaps on here around your area so I'm sure someone will volunteer soon, i'm in Norfolk so a bit too far for a recreational climb! I'm not sure if you have already done your 38 or not but if not then you'll be surprised what you learn, as long as you choose a good training centre - If you have passed then you just need some tree time to build confidence. Don't get hung up in some trees are easy and some are not - that's life - and its not very often you'll actually work in a lovely tree with a million anchor points and horizontal lateral branches to go walking on! It all comes with time. Good luck and remember if the rope is connected to a suitable branch and your attached to the rope you'll be fine - just crack on! p.s. remember when climbing a second person is not just legislation but also a really good idea, I know its not always easy to find someone, especially if your just practicing but its sensible having someone close by to watch incase things go pete tong....

Far too many reply's for me to look at everyones opinion - I have to head out again soon but im just home from a hedge cutting job so adding my opinion. My advice? Price the job not the day - hedges, though seemingly boring compared to tree's, differ from eachother great amounts, there's a huge difference between a conifer hedge that's 5 foot tall that you can get your trailer up to, that a beech hedge 50 yards down someone inaccessible back garden that's a tad too thick for your hedge cutter and you spend half the day battling into the middle of the thing with a silky saw because the owner hasnt done anything with it for yonks...... Customers are not obliged to accept your quote and I don't think I would be too inclined to reduce my costs because old fred down the road will do it cheaper - if he can - then good luck - I would happily negotiate on a large tree job if i knew it would be fun to do! But in my humble opinion, I hate cutting hedges so if I am going to do one, the customer will get a very good job done - but at a cost i'm happy to stand there and do it for.... Dont get me wrong, I dont stand in old ladies doorways telling them Im a thousand quid a day or nothing........ but if your running a business you have to make money - whether your on a top notch felling job with the lads or mooching about in the rain on your own with a hedgecutter..... And lastly - dont forget your truck uses the same amount of diesel no matter what job your driving too - and hedgecutters use petrol - it all costs money.

Ensure you check all your climbing gear prior to use, your asessor will want to see this (the same as you did for your 38) Inspect the tree prior to climb (as you did for your 38) Remember the asessment schedule questions and know the answers off hand i.e. reasons for good target pruning cuts As Rob said - leave your saw in the kerf until chain has stopped before moving the bar for your next cut. Ensure you always have 2 hands on the saw when the chainbrake is off Make use of your webbed sling - ideal for putting your foot in to position yourself The cuts are easy, its just getting yourself in a position to comfortably do them! Also, just watch your main anchor doesn't direct around branches too much, try and keep your lines tight and straight, its worth re-directing round an obstacle to keep your anchor high up for the purpose of an assesement Stay confident once you start your saw you should be 100% positioned and 100% happy so you can concentrate on the cuts And lastly, do remember to shout below and wait for a response before dropping stuff. Rant over - good luck, and let the forum know how you get on!