Billhook

I thought that Argentina did well against the All Blacks and for a long time it looked as though there was going to be another upset but the Kiwis pulled it together in the last quarter

[ame] [/ame] The two free running tries from South Africa were stunning, I have a lot of sympathy for the smaller Japanese when a six foot nine forward is coming at you full speed. But the last two tries from Japan were Rugby at its best, slick handling, perfect timing and a joy to watch. It was interesting how the Japanese pushed the South African pack back for their first try. You would not have believed it possible against such a big pack but perhaps there is a lot of leg power and the way they combine their strength has much to do with it.

Not proud of my lifetime ear defending record. In my teens and twenties.....Ford 5000 hours on end open cab and no silencer followed by Track Marshall 90 crawler with cab, even noisier and track levers that were so hard to operate that still nobody has been able to beat me arm wrestling and I am over sixty now! The days work was usually followed by loud music in the bedroom/ car and also started playing lead guitar in a rock band with Strat and 200 watt Marshall. Punctuated by spells of rabbit shooting at night from a car sunroof with a Browning 5 shot semi. Thirties onwards the Q cabs started to appear but never wore defenders for the occasional chainsawing or hammer drilling. Much more cautious now but my hearing is not too bad except at places like pubs and Weddings but I think that is the same for most men of my age. It is not that you cannot hear , more that you cannot decipher. Looking back it seems that on most occasions the sound was relatively short lived apart from the tractors and this is where ear defenders are a must, for all day long exposure. I really need them on the Palax and Lucas Mill when the whine of the circular saws really is deafening when used day after day. If I had my time again I would buy the best defenders available but it might have looked a little odd with the rock band! Sometimes a little pretend deafness is useful when the wife is after something!

I found that there is nothing to blunt a chainsaw more than ivy on the side of a building as thick as my arm. I found the best tool was a really sharp small hand axe, having tried levers, saws, wedges etc

I predict that there will be periods of cold weather, also a chance of snow but more likely in the New Year. There will be rain at times and also frosts which may lead to ice on the roads. There will also be fog at times but there may be bright sunny days in frosty weather. There will also be days when it is just dull and overcast. There will be Warner days and colder days and windy days and calm days I think that about covers everything

If I had farmed using the weather forecast, I would have been bust years ago!

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The Stihl jaws are 22 inches wide and here is a picture of them lifting a 20 inch log with the Matbro. Hopefully I can upload a video bu t it was rather difficult to film with one hand on the camera and the other on the joystick!

Years ago I bought a pair of Stihl tongs but I cannot find them on the web. However they look identical to the Bahco 1434, even down to the handle, so perhaps Bahco took over the design. I cannot tell the size from the photo but I will measure the Stihl ones fully open today for you.

I was clearing some brash debris with the forklift and muck grab round the edge of a pond. It was a cabless old Manitou and the nettles were very tall and leaning into the machine as I drove forward. I felt this slight "pricking" on my thighs but initially thought that it was the nettles. when I looked down, to my horror there were about twenty wasps all with their backs arched trying to sting me through my jeans. The jeans luckily were thick enough so that just the tip of the sting was penetrating the jeans but not the flesh. I jumped off, left the engine running and ran like hell across the field and felt two or three in my hair. After smacking my head several times I eventually found sanctuary in my car some distance away. The amazing result......not one sting!!! This rather vindicates the theory of leaving the engine running Quarter of an hour later went back to the forklift and with no sign of any wasps I just turned off the engine and departed quickly. Recovery of forklift took place the following morning suitably clothed!

With a little practice on the forklift or front loader you can lift and deposit logs without leaving the tractor seat. Just have to wait for them to spin in the right direction then it is all timing! A nudge down and a change of angle usually releases them easily. They should manage a 20" log but work well on longer 12". If you have someone helping with the handle make sure they stand away from the log one arm outstretched as the action of lifting can snap the thing shut and potentially cause an injury.

Years ago I bought a pair of Stihl tongs which look identical to the Bahco 1434s on the link. They look a bit wappy and I have lifted logs that were far too big for their design but they have never let me down. High quality Stihl steel!

Only prevented by going into the woods with a bee keepers suit to wear if cutting or strimming in likely places. This is the most likely time of year. I do not think that once an elderly man has been stung so many times on the head that there is a remedy once the shock has taken place. There was an idiotic remedy piece in the Torygraph today saying that you should pull out the stings and then wash with soapy water! I think that the journalist needs to do a little more research!

[ame] [/ame] Just have a few of these guys and gals on the job and the whole lot would be done in no time!

I think that men buying these expensive tools is the equivalent of women buying shoes! Men become just as excited about seeing a set of cabinets full of beautiful smooth sliding drawers and shiny Snap-on tools A cheap tool or cheaper pair of shoes will still work, but the feel good factor is not the same. Because I am tight fisted and always losing tools, I buy the cheapest I can find usually from discount stores or markets, so I may well have about a dozen 10mm spanners kicking about the place in various cars/ tractors/ workshops but they are always around when I need them. I did split a couple of cheap Chinese sockets under high torque way back in the 1970s but I have never broken a tool since then. I have cut spanners in half to do a difficult job, which I would not consider doing with a Snap-on spanner! I run around in a Panda 4x4 which cost £100 in 1997. A Range Rover I am sure is more sturdy and comfortable but the Panda deals with the offroad bit well and has not let me down.

This thread has given me the great idea to put the contents of my septic tank on ebay free for collection. Useful as compost/fertiliser Winner needs tools (slurry tanker plus tractor)

The only thing that will frighten a 26 year old man into changing his lifestyle is the possibility of losing anything to do with his reproductive parts! Telling him that he may end up like poor old Treequip with heart problems. or end up like others with diabetes when they are middle aged seems so far away when you are in your mid twenties that you tend to say "What the hell, have another few packets of crisps and diet coke followed by a Mars or two washed down later with a pub session." But tell him that his willie will drop off or his gonads will shrivel, then it is a different story!

It looks perfect for the perfect world where all the wood is dead straight in long lengths and four inches in diameter with no knots!

Hi Sean Hope all is still progressing positively. Just a note to say that we have not forgotten you. Because of our dangerous work, especially working alone, I now make an extra effort to try and be safe, the use of the bSafe app and registering 999 on my iPhone is just one example. I rather miss your photographs and one of those every now and again is wonderful to see. You don't have to say anything, the picture will say a lot! Now you have mentioned your love of Swallows, I think of you every time I see one and hope that you are doing well.

Thank you for that Paul, my wife and I have just successfully registered. Also we have registered on the bSafe App this has the advantage of using "find my phone" co-ordinates but has the disadvantage of my wife knowing where I am not meant to be! None of this will make me stop trying to operate more safely, especially when I am on my own.

Just answered my own question with a quick google search 5 Free Personal Safety Apps that Can Call For Help - Techlicious

That sounds like a great idea. Is there an app which does something similar? For those of you working alone perhaps going off to do something potentially dangerous in a different place, just tell someone where you will be or at least leave a note for someone to read.

Strange year for butterflies here in Lincolnshire. Hardly any in the garden, even on the buddleia "butterfly plant". I think I have seen one Peacock and one Red Admiral all year and hardly any Honey Bees but loads of Bumblebees of all types. However, when mowing the grassland out on the farm, the place was alive with Meadow Browns, hundreds of them and each time I stopped about twenty had been sucked onto the radiator grill. They could not move with the engine at working revs but a soon as it was at idle they had enough power to free themselves and flew off apparently none the worse for their ordeal. There were dozens of skylarks also which seem to have had a good year here.

Says 1890s on one website but says 1875 on my bit of paper! Orange Toast - FinnegansWiki

Like most fleas they are host specific, so whilst you or the dog may suffer for a day or two, they cannot breed. http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/faq.php