Logrod

a) Yes b) Does it matter - dpends what you wnat it to do and how you want it to perform Energy efficiency Environmental considerations (what fluid is it using?) Requirements for remaining within specified temp limits (is this to supply customers or just for him) Control and alarm requirements - remote operation, connection to internet etc? Sorry if this doesn't help much

And in terms of wearing a harness - I'm sure the rate of falls for free rock climbers is much lower than for roped rock climbers - you are very aware that a mistake when you are not roped just isn't an option.

I suspect use of PPE probably increases the accident rate all other things being equal (although it obviously reduces the severity of the consequences sometimes to the point where many near misses are not even recognised at such). An example is the use of seat belts where in trials it has been shown that drivers wearing seat belts drive faster than those not wearing seat belts. The problem is it's a lot easier and quicker to assess whether someone is wearing ppe or has a "training/competence" certificate than it is to assess whether their behaviour and attitude is safe - tick box culture.

I considered offering my ex all the shavings from my yew and laburnum turnings for free for her horse.....

I've considered getting a bowl saver on occasions but apart from the cost have always wondered if it ends up forcing your bowls all into a similar form.

Farenheit?

I can't say that I've noticed any difference in the different brands I've used but never been using two at the same time either for a direct comparison. I noticed Screwfix had a decent offer the other day on Liberon 1L significantly cheaper than most other places.

Some nice work there Wise - any ideas what sort of prices it fetched in the auctions? Jon - It was on last weekend in N Wales

well power is pressure x flow rate for hydraulics so from the mid point of it's spec you'd have 30x150 /600 = 7.5 KW - compare that with a petrol saw - for example a Stihl MS880 is 6.2 KW - does that help? (Assuming I've not screwed up on the calculations!)

Lie down on this rail and I'll show you why it's essential?

My arms do that on conifers

It would be more of a surprise if Hornbeam and willow weren't on that list as it seems to cover 90% of trees.....

I don't think you can separate the two that easily - without decent arb skills a) you won't be able to price the work and risk properly b) you'll have to avoid too much work / and or hire in too much help

He doesn't say if it's ok to land the tree on the shed and the car or not

Someone please make a Defender one:)

If you sand and then use linseed oil you'll get a bit more colour but as others have said you've basically got just sap wood showing not heartwood so don't expect anything like Matty's table. I'd be tempted just to clean up with a scrubbing pad (to remove loose material) and oil but best to try on a small section first.

Why do I never look as good in my PPE?

oh soooo tempted

Only one way to win with the lottery - don't buy a ticket - save every time

I like it! How are you joining it?

No Eddie I wasn't aware - it's certainly not widely publicised. Can you recommend places that do just offer assessment?

Assuming we've agreed that we won't be using the Stasi approach to chainsaw ownership, perhaps a more useful question would be what could be done to increase the chance that Joe Public might become qualified. Currently his only option is to sign up to an overpriced course PLUS assessment which is so highly priced that no-one who isn't earning money from it will ever cough up. If I want to get a driving licence I don't have to attend an approved course, I can get a family member or friend to train me or just turn up for the test without training - why can't we have more flexibility on chainsaw certification. I'm sure that there'll be a lot of chundering about how unsafe that would be but most apprentices get their training on the job and then attend the course so what's to stop people traing themselves then getting certified? It might even be an aditional source of income for arborists - I see on another thread that self employed climbers are getting around £150 a day and I'm sure for a lot of people that 1 day of a decent climbers time and equipment would be a better bet than several days group training in course environment - not everybody learns the same way. Anyway rant over ....sry

Like using a mobile phone while driving you mean - nobody does now that they brought a law in... We could all have tatooed ID numbers on our foreheads so the cops walking around gardens and woods would be able to check online whether we were qualified before busting us

Whilst it's possible to hurt other people with a chainsaw (aka texas chainsaw massacres) there are a lot easier ways to do it, in which case we should ban everything from biros to kitchen knives. I have so many tools I can hurt myself with in my workshop by using them badly (screwdrivers , drills, planes chisels.....) - should we ban all of those as well?

Do you have any tips for freehand routing Ian or is it just a case of practice , practice , practice and then more practice?