green heart

Hi Alex, yes, it was me. -And I'm unlikely to swop the manufacturers fitted chain/bar. Realistically, it works well enough for most pruning jobs, otherwise the 2511 comes up the tree.. Very happy to discuss further, on the phone -do DM me ? Nick

I've ordered the new Makita UC024 (40v version) of the pruning saw, as a comparison. They have way more torque than our 18v DUC150 and a bit lighter than our M18 fuel saw if iirc . Apparently Makita spares stuff is much more easily/cheaply available, than Milwaukee too. Also comes with a free battery, before September! A major bugbear, if Makita UK would only act on repeated user feedback(!?!), is the absence of a lanyard attachment loop, and the genius Echo 2500-style wire clip hanger. We can but live in hope.... 🙄

Well done sime42, for sharing some vital information with us all. Writing as a (non medical) lay-person/contractor, I'd like to point out what I'd consider to be some important misnomers, mentioned in the many responses. Ticks are dispersed across the UK by ground nesting birds and mamals -including domesticated livestock AND deer. So the presence of deer is, really, fairly irrelevant to the risk of infection. Ticks are good at hiding in your cast off work/leisure clothes (for several days or more) -and wandering around in search of potential hosts! So your partner/family members are also at slight risk. Only 'some' of the people bitten by ticks will have a 'bullseye' -or display any/some of the other typical symptoms, in the first few weeks of an infection starting.. Hence the value of a quick daily tick-check ! Though ticks can carry several different pathogens -some folk do mysteriously survive bites/infections with just an apparently healthy immune system(!). Maybe they are just very lucky. Would you play Russian roulette, on a daily basis? If you work, garden or exercise in green space ( that's most of us!) and were surprised by ANY of the above points -I would implore you to spend 15 minutes looking on the Lyme disease UK website -it might save you, or a loved one, a lot of unnecessary future medical misery! I think needle point tweezers, as previously mentioned, are the dogs-danglies for removing ticks. -Apologies in advance for any factually incorrect advice!

This technique works well, whenever we've had to treat Bamboo, over the years. Also, adding some sticky adjuvent to the herbicide mix, for foliar sprays (on fresh growth) helps with results. Unlike with Japanese knotweed rhizomes, I do suspect a VERY thorough session with a decent stump grinder, would likely put an immediate (and very significant/terminal dent) in the Bamboo. You would need to grind down to an 18'' depth, tho ? Any surviving regrowth would be easy enough to dig/spray off.

Not quite as exciting as some of the above finds, but: A serviceable Cambium saver, from a veteran Oak tree earlier this year. A throw-line from a Beech tree, nearby. A bike innertube, encircling a 20'' diameter willow limb.. Last month, a suspension harness AND two strimmer harnesses, all left at the base of a Lime tree, by a previous contractor -but sadly no strimmers, tho! Oh, and sometime back now... a memorable pair of white lace knickers (left hanging outside a FC bird hide on the Mersey estuary !). This was apparently not left by a Red kite, tho ! -Maybe left by a Shag, or a (very rare) visiting White kite, just perhaps ?!

Looks like £500- well spent, if you're a contract climber/teenage tree-monkey! For the 'older' climbers like myself, I think I'm happy sticking with knots, for that kind of money ?

Last summer I was slack jawed to see the colossal impact of ADB, when out driving through the Derbyshire dales, whilst on my hols. These are/were natural self set Ash woodlands, growing on steep-ish limestone valleys, and hectares of ALL ages were showing 99+% mortality. It looks really dire... I was depressed! In an attempt to say something a bit more positive, I did also find a healthy mature Wych elm, which was growing within 100m of it's dead younger neighbours!

If it's in a meadow situation, then some trampling/grazing animals should be a useful natural control. Alternatively, regular rolling/mowing or a very focussed spot-application of Glyphosate based herbicide, with a sticky adjuvent, applied almost to run-off. Selective herbicides aren't usually any use for controlling 'simple plants' like moss or mares tail, so full marks if you can get good results using depoitox. I'll have to try it, out of curiosity! Also, don't use Depitox on the riverside.

I was surprised to learn some years ago that Ash and Hazel were also used to make English long-bows. A bow maker actually purchased some cleft Ash from me, in preference to my Yew !? Though this was all twenty years ago, before Ash die-back was a thing.

As a 10' tipper owner, I'd probably agree with going for the 12' on balance. But bear in mind: when you're using a land-rover to tow a 12' x 6' trailer on busy narrow lanes, the trailer will be wider than the land-rover, I think?

Holly lays very well -but in the winter months . I've never layed any in summer, but if I absolutely HAD to lay it in summer, then I'd be pulling off most of the leaves to reduce transpiration losses? This would be an expensive, prickly time-consuming job -hence leaving it till autumn..

We've layed hedges for a couple of decades and I'd only lay them between October and March, due to brittle stems and nesting birds. That said, it's -sometimes- possible to get some reasonable results with smaller, supple, shaded pleachers, if it's essential and you are very careful. If you're unfamiliar with hedge laying however, then just wait until October!

Ps A close up of the buds/leaves would be very useful

Looks a little similar to a very tall/large Azalea, or that type of thing.. I've no idea, obviously -but definitely the wrong bark for Lilac. Sorry I can't help

Ancient and very unremarkable 1964 vintage. Raised in tiny old Cheshire village. Persuaded by parents to follow my interests in electronics/robotics rather than (more interesting) forestry. FC were laying people off for fun, at the time. Made redundant from my control system/panel designing job, at age 21. Promptly started a Landscape and Treework business, inspired by older role-models..Compulsory VAT registered within 2 years. Quit most landscape works and expanded into Conservation contracting and L.A. working, etc. Survived a good hang-glider crash but have persisted with various other rash/unsuitable outdoor pursuit activities.. despite becoming a Dad. Covid hit our workload very hard.. Still love working/climbing, even if I'm shit, compared with youngsters! No telly for 20 years Red front door. Er, too embarrassed to admit details of current car tho !

Hmm.. at $150 dollars a month for a 'licence', that just smells a bit like some sort of pyramid selling scheme to me.. I thought that kind of nonsense was outlawed?

Why not use an arb trolley with some mesh sides, or just hire/buy a teeny chipper with wheelie bins? Could be less hassle? -Or get some of those lightweight 8x4 black correx sheets that builders use, providing there's no breeze...

Yes, the GTA40/M18 are much the same weight, but physically smaller/less clunky on the harness and in the hand ? They excell in lighter pruning work, particularly the ergonomic GTA26 and DUC150, (though with a lower torque/speed). Also they are cheaper, and there's a whole load of other tools that can use the same batteries, obviously.. You're welcome to try mine out, but I'm in Ches/Manchester .

I'm reasonably sure it's down to the characteristics of the motor Milwaukee have chosen: a low-ish RPM unit, but with a fair high torque.. So therefore they selected a chain with more cutters, to get the 'work rate' back up, if that makes sense? That's my guess, anyway. It's a very different experience from using a 201/2511, but much like 5thelement experience, I'm a convert, where pruning jobs are concerned. I will get round to testing a 'normal' chain on the M18 and report back, but it'll be a few weeks yet..

No, it was Wednesday 12th March. I don't know how others on here have managed to view a video of the accident... but it would be good to grasp and share any potential learnings, from Mick and Steve's more informed comments.. Can one of you share a link here, perhaps ?

So, assuming no further leaning/gound movement can be detected by earlier suggestions made here, then how about proposing a light thin and 1-3m reduction, only to the upper growth tips? This might be repeated say, every 3-4 years, to maintain a reduced wind sale resistance. It obviously retains the screening that your client seems to value, and provides a likely source of a repeat contract. I've assumed from the photos, that there's easy access for a 20m tracked cherry picker -maybe just a long day's work? -Where do I send my bill, for consultation, please ?

Just a heads up about a very poorly Welsh Climber, who recently survived a 30' fall from a tree, who was then apparently immediately crushed, whilst lying on the ground by the same tree.. 😮 I don't know the poor guy, or anything beyond the meagre details that appear in the press, but something clearly went very wrong, with what appears to be a mature hung-up roadside Beech tree. I'll try and find out more and post here. He'll be out of action for a few months or maybe longer; there is a just-giving page set up for him . I've tried various means to post a link up here, without success so far -both my braincells must be very tired.. in the meantime just Google: 'Jack Jones tree climbing accident '

Yes, with the full house/standard factory supplied chain, which otherwise works very well. I've seen the Milwaukee M18 fitted up with a 12'' bar too, which didn't seem to phase it. Although it's more like 2511/201 saw territory, I'm tempted to give this a try myself soon, on a standard chain (for those clandestine/guerilla pruning jobs, only..) I'll also find out and post when the bigger 40v Makita pruning saw is expected to be released this year, in the UK.

I'd reiterate the following points, to Hkarb, especially: Whilst the 'battery pruning saws' typically only have 5-10m/s chain speed, given the inevitable occaisional (and anticipated inexperienced) one-handed use, they pose a different, but rather more serious hazard to users, than the top-handled 2stroke equivalent chainsaws, IMO. Cut resistant gloves* and ballistic cuffs and x2 should be a mandatory minimum, and supplied with each unit, IMO. After a year's occasional pruning use of the Makita saw, I'm glad I didn't remove it's top guard -it doesn't actually get in the way, at all, and adds safety. The Milwaukee M18 Fuel saw is a wildly more capable unit (than even the GTA40) , but has too much torque and 'grabiness' to safely cut on the TOP-side of the bar, even with two hands firmly braced on it! And as such, the top hand guard is very useful feature . Never bothered trying the Dewalt unit, but I'd be very interested to hear how 5thelement has found his GTA40, after a few months use ? *After a fair bit of research, I have concluded that the following gloves have very high 'cut' (and wear) resistance, and unbeatable value for money: Portwest A645 Green cut nitrile foam glove. Not too difficult to obtain, but very strangely not used in our industry... Really sorry, I just don't know how to post a link to them..

Marcus, We've got an old FS200 with an identical issue. It still runs like a new machine, till you stall it, and then needs me to go and drink a cup of tea, before it will restart.. Not having Spud's expertise, we just put it down to poor compression, and enjoy regular tea breaks, if we have to use it !