gdh
-
Posts
1,684 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Classifieds
Tip Site Directory
Blogs
Articles
News
Arborist Reviews
Arbtalk Knot Guide
Gallery
Store
Freelancers directory
Everything posted by gdh
-
Poplar willow wood rounds wanted 3 foot wide Shropshire
gdh replied to marc laycock's topic in General chat
Got some poplar here in mid Wales (Llandovery), probably a bit far but there's plenty of it.
-
Just to add, LED lights should cause less issues with fuses to as they only use a fraction of the power. That also means you could technically replace a 50w halogen with a 300w+ Led https://www.malpasonline.co.uk/oem/04425599.4/Deutz-Fahr
-
LEDs are better in pretty much every way now - brightness, power use and reliability - so I would definitely go with them. Only issue is they can be too bright /dazzling if you look at them but that's fine for work lights if you're in the cab. We've got the optional LED package on our tractor and while it's overkill (ex demo) it will easily light an entire field.
-
If anyone is worried about stacking then potato boxes are a good option. We stack up to 5 high but I've seen them double that.
-
Not a bad couple of weeks cutting, had to get through a lot of small stuff but we're on nice ash now and it's flying through.
-
Only after the first use, I don't think they're as well pre stretched as they could be but it's that one time tighten.
-
Another vote for rotatech from me, I actually prefer them to oregon after trying a few side by side recently and they're much cheaper.
-
Another vote from me for Milwaukee, expensive but well worth it long term and once you have the batteries and charger you can get the bare tools much cheaper. If you do alot of screws an impact driver is worth considering.
-
I expect you've looked into it but if you've got a smaller loader be aware that the rotator will weigh a lot on it's own and shift the weight forwards. I'll try and see what make ours is later, it's pretty old, around 1990 I guess, but we paid 2k for it 5 years ago and no issues yet
-
If you know the chainsaw model it's for just go to chainsawbars.co.uk or rotatech and you can select bar size etc You can also use a custom selector but it's slightly cheaper to buy by saw model. https://www.northernarbsupplies.co.uk/chainsaw-chains/2964-custom-chain-maker-select-your-options-1.html#/2174-number_of_drive_links-102/2100-gauge-1_5mm_058/2096-pitch-3_8
-
The chipper course I did involved how to operate and replace blades but also more general stuff like where to stand and how to feed it. I'm still of the opinion all these certificates are a waste of time unless you need them for a job though. @NatSabin if you live in Wales take a look at farming connect, it covers forestry and offers big discounts on training.
-
Proclimber do courses in the brecon beacons, they might be running some courses near you. http://proclimber.co.uk/arb-forestry/
-
Processors are the most efficient but a big step up and if you're happy with a chainsaw and axe and do mostly arb waste (guessing from the fact you said rings) you would be hard pressed to justify one for small quantities. If it's less than a hundred ton I would get a horizontal petrol splitter and put a log table on the end, both at waist height so you can resplit without bending down then slide the wood into a bag or container.
-
It's been debated plenty of times on here but a good drying system will use less than 10% of your stock to dry the remainder. In return you can dry in a much smaller area, quicker, all year round and to a lower moisture content in any climate. There's pros and cons to either method of drying, the main thing is it ends up dry.
-
To actually answer the question (or try)... I'm constantly being offered imported kiln-dried, hopefully you'll get some recommendations as I know there's a few sellers on here who import. Obviously I would prefer you buy British but I haven't seen any suppliers in the UK of kiln-dried other than people like ourselves who sell off excess in the summer, hopefully I'm proven wrong.
-
The problem (or good news depending on your point of view) with all the massive chippers about is that they can justify paying the same price on any diameter wood whereas firewood costs increase drastically when you have to split it down so it would be hard to justify not selling it for biomass to be honest.
-
Yeah, not an easy day but satisfying. The splitting was alright, around 4 ton an hour, putting it through the processor is harder work, ideally I would have a longer splitter and load it all with forks but we usually leave it as billets and most of its two bent and knotty to make straight lengths anyway.
-
Finally got on top of our oversized stuff today, that's the oak oak done, now just 100ton of massive poplar to go.
-
Durable fencing timbers? Do they exist anymore..
gdh replied to Matthew Storrs's topic in Landscaping
We mostly use split oak and it actually ends up cheaper than the creosote ones although that's partly because we make them ourselves. Finding straight oak is hard work though. We've been using cresote ones to make up the numbers and they're alright but it looks like they're dipped as packs so the middle ones don't get the best soaking. -
I've had both and the 560 is a better saw in most ways, just a bit less reliable but I guess that's the trade off for saving weight and gaining performance. Still miss the 357 though.
-
No experience with it but this looks OK: http://www.tractordata.com/
-
I see your point and in most cases I lean towards spending more to buy quality but it works out at 30p a ton and that soon adds up especially with tight margins. I've never had issues with sharpening or performance so there's no loss in production and swapping between oregon, rotatech and husqvarna on the processor there's no noticeable difference so that's not an issue. Even if you assume the cheaper chains cut slightly slower over a hundred tons for example when you hit a piece of stone or metal and snap a chain it's a lot more economical to be replacing one less than half the price.
-
I would say all costs are relevant but in the case of chains it's surprisingly big, for comparison our firewood processor chains without special offers or VAT: Stihl - £26.04 New oregon - £24.36 Rotatech - £10.90 We get through 30+ chains in a year with all the saws so that adds up fast and after all the chains we've tried there's very little realistic difference although I would be tempted to go back to oregon if it lasted significantly longer. Unfortunately I've just got a load of Rotatech otherwise it would be interesting to buy an EXL and try a durability test on different brands, although awkward trying to make it fair.
-
School Children getting paid for work experience
gdh replied to Darrin Turnbull's topic in The Lounge
Assuming we're talking about the week most 15 year olds do we were never supposed to be paid when I did it but those who went to small businesses and local farms usually got cash at the end. Now I'm on the other side I appreciate it's a lot of time, effort and paperwork from the employer. The idea earlier of giving them a tool or something useful is a nice one. -
What to do when you want to sell kit onHP/finance
gdh replied to Matthew Storrs's topic in Business Management
Can you transfer the finance to the next machine to minimise fees? We use a separate finance company so it's simpler but obviously if it's with 2 dealers that's not an option. Not sure about the technicalities of transferring finance to the new owner which I would be very careful about but maybe an option because it looks like it's going to cost you heavily especially with initial depreciation.
