HertsWood

Processing Alder at the weekend

I deliver in 2 volume sizes: 1.2m3 & 2.4m3 loose tipped, all hardwood sourced from local woodlands - no tree surgery waste. I’m Grown in Britain Assured & HETAS WoodSure / Ready to Burn Accredited. Currently charge £125 / £245, based in Hertfordshire.
I don’t overcharge but we produce a quality product which people want.
We also use the same seasoned timber to make British Charcoal.

Depends on the terrain.
I have an Irus Deltrak with a heavy duty 105cm flail. It can be fitted with back-to-back flails for grass or hammer flails for brambles and woody vegetation.
Being remote control means that the operator is never in harms way. It will operate on slopes up to 60 degrees and can be up to 300m away from the operator.

My 53 plate defender 130 has 209K on it. Only needed 2x clutches, a transfer box and rear diff in its life. It tows heavy trailers on a regular basis, has rear air springs and a JE Motors Stage 2 system.
It does what it says on the tin. Find a good specialist to service it - I use Foley Land Rovers.

Defender td5 130 ripper with air springs on the rear & alloy tipping body.
BFG Mud Terrain Tyres.
Deliver in 2 loose volumes: 1.2m3 or 2.4m3
Narrow width of defender helps with narrow lanes / access.

Today’s job - not strictly tree surgery but wood related....

Charcoal burn of mixed hardwood species.

Hi Jim,
I know how great tracked machines are - I have an Irus Deltrak.....
But the the Mach4 is a lot of money, especially when you can pick up a used Reform Mounty 80 fully equipped front & rear for about £30K on the aggrifaires website.

Give Kirkland UK a call on 01622 843013 - they are the UK importers of Antonio Carraro Tractors. Check out their stock machinery for a range of Antonio Carraro Reverse Drive Tractors. For all time big traction, check out the MACH 4 on tracks! www.kirklanduk.com/

My Defender 130 is equipped with a Superwinch Husky10, with a plasma rope & competition hook - slow speed but bombproof and never lets me down.

It’s not worth the hassle as most suppliers of bags have the right printers to handle a variety of bag sizes.
As a guide, 1000 bags printed mono both sides (6kg) is £540 delivered.

It’s a thought difflock, something to consider.

If it helps as a starting point for finding a figure, I felt like I got a good deal paying £13500 (+VAT) for an AGT 835 Forestry with uniforest 35M and Zanon 1.2m flail. just under 70 hours on the clock.
 

Nick at Four Seasons has a workable design, using a container approx 20ft, for under £10k installed & commissioned.

I’m not sure I would want the downstream heat from my kiln heating a “normal” building. Once it’s passed over the logs to dry them it has become laden with moisture so it needs to be vented in my opinion. 
 
Taking heat off the boiler to the building as a separate draw is a different issue. 
 
 

In less than a week and for less than £10 a cubic metre? 

Other ways to dry firewood without resorting to rhi route, which are still cost effective..

Try contacting Treewood Harvesting - they work all over the UK and maybe able to help. Speak to John Fish.

Technically with my knee and pacemaker - I’m the bionic man.
Just can’t go near induction hobs, microwaves, arc welders, airport security metal detectors or use petrol hedge cutters

My back problem was made worse by the fact I had rheumatoid arthritis in my right knee, with the joint collapsing.

However, I had a partial knee replacement last December & now my back is the best it’s been. With monthly “tune-ups” at the Physio.

TENS has to be carefully used in my case as I also have a pacemaker (at 48)

3x yrs ago, I suffered a crushed L1 and a spinal tear at S5, through an unexpected fall into a hidden and open inspection chamber on a site.

Hospital treatment consisted of 3x spinal nerve blocks, with the first one causing damage to nerves in my right leg - to the point where I can now, no longer feel my right foot (unerving when driving the defender 130!).
Pain meds prescribed included 200mg of Tramadol a day and 1200mg of Gabapentin - I only came off these drugs last November.

The best treatment I have had is with a local Physio who has used a combination of TENS, deep tissue massage and acupuncture, the back is looser, pain is liveable and I accept that the arthritis in the back is as managed as it can be.

I think y defender 130 has a good set up:
Heavy duty blue polybushes throughout, rear adjustable air helper springs within the coils, 2x sets of BFG tyres (AT’s for the summer & MT’s for the winter / gooey stuff), font and rear Ashcroft air lockers, Superwinch Husky10, LazerLamp Lightbars and a JE Motors Tune+ Stage 2 upgrade.

That’s the beauty of a defender, it is customisable to what he owned/operator needs.

I’ve looked at the Tibet Portal Hub conversion but I think with my Ashcroft air lockers, I’ve got what I need for good Offroad performance (I also don’t have the £15k for the conversion at the moment either.... (http://www.tibus-offroad.com/en/products/bolt-on-portals/land-rover/).

Defenders do what they say on the tin. A dependable permanent 4x4 system, with “tow a mountain low gears” and bags of torque. No fancy electronics controlling the 4x4 system.
Service it like any other work truck / tractor / machine & it will serve you well.

The stage 2 tune done to mine has unleashed a beast with 420Nm torque at low revs...

Photos of defender with LED lights..

Caron trucks are still made and imported by bsg tractors in Essex.
They have a center torsional chassis that twists as it goes over bad terrain. Follow this link:
http://www.bsgtractorsandmachinery.co.uk/product_category/utility-vehicles/

Firewood came by accident, then I started doing woodland management taking the timber for payment, forging relationships with local woodland owners including local councils & buying timber at less-than-market rates or from site clearances where contractors were chipping on site or burning everything.
Based on a farm, all timber is processed & stored in vented crates, vented bulk bags or heavy duty stillage cages.
Went down the accreditation route as well - this has helped immensely with sales & marketing. Our firewood is now Grown in Britain Assured, HETAS Woodsure & HETAS Ready to Burn Accredited.