The avantgardener

He is a top bloke with impeccable credentials and knowledge, pay attention and enjoy the course, hopefully it won’t be pissing down.

Clowns pocket

They certainly look like one of the Hybrid Black Poplars, possibly Populus X canadensis. Take a look next time you are there to see if the catkins are all the same throughout the block, the one in the picture looks like it’s from a female clone and usually sterile. I took some down recently, make sure to cut the sink out and inspect the hinge wood before removing the buttresses, 50% of the ones we felled had extensive basal decay but showed no external signs of this. When I left college 20 odd years ago I started work for a guy who had a tractor shed clad in large Manchester Poplar boards, looked great, looks even better now, pretty durable as long as it isn’t in the ground.

My dealer gives me two years pro use because I buy and use the Husky pre mixed fuel off him, I have only had one of my 550’s develop a problem since they where manufactured, it had been thrashed to death at that point though.

The PA1 is straight forward if you are okay with simple maths, calibrating chemicals to the correct ratio, nozzle output of the sprayer, walking speed etc I know guys who have been spraying treatment for brown tail moths, pretty sure they only have the standard PA1/PA6 combination ticket, nothing specific for this target.

Yes, exactly, I am still running two ported 346’s at the minute. For what you need I wouldn’t rule out a 50cc Dolmar, bombproof and non AT, ask @shavey on here what he would suggest as an option.

Absolutely not, although the newest version is apparently very good, it depends what you cut, I work in Forestry rather than Arb, Husqvarna saws produce a far superior performance which are perfect for my use.

The new 550 mk2 is a completely different saw from the mk1. The reviews I have heard from users is that is performs more like a 560 than 550, new air filter derived from the 572 and cools quicker, better AT also, I have one in order, should be with me next week so will let you know what I make if it.

Check the LANTRA database, they generally have a training program for most things, do you have PA1 already? You may need it as a prerequisite for pesticide applications.

DM me nearer the time if you are looking into cutting in Kent if you want, I know another very experienced cutter that works alongside me on a regular basis also.

I would consider them to be good rates compared to the norm in my parts, if J was closer I would certainly be in his cutting gang.

In over twenty years I can count on one hand the amount of tree surgeons that I have worked with who are also excellent and productive hand cutters, completely different skill set really.

You would be lucky to get £150-£200 a day hand cutting in Kent and Sussex, and that’s for experienced guys with all the tickets. All the young guys want to go into Arb, better pay, most of the time easier than production cutting and you can collect loads of fancy gadgets and go-pro everything. LANTRA run the bulk amount of chainsaw training in the UK, the last figures I heard was that 85% of those awarded certification intended to go into Arb. I really don’t see many younger guys entering the Forestry sectors round these parts.

I had some very large Silver and Grand Fir to fell recently, had an 18” and 24” combo on the 572xp, ran both superbly.

Martello Hire used to have a couple, not sure how close the nearest depot is to you, hired mine from Eastbourne a while back.

When I first started in the tree business I was asked to fell a large Beech tree on a new build site in Bolton, £500 put it in the deck and leave, contractor would take the hit, around 24 grand at the time, but put 300 grand house in its place., told him to stick it and called TO. He was a repeat offender and apparently gets knocked back with planning permission on lots of new land he acquires.

The FC had a spell of putting HAVS monitors on all their chainsaws that could be plugged in to a computer to monitor exposure, whenever I saw the guys out in the woods they where asleep in the van or having lunch with the chainsaws idling outside.

The 572 is a fantastic all rounder, built well, probably the best stock saw that I have used. Out of everyone I know who has used a 500i, rough hewn is the only person to make this statement about revs dropping, that was his experience. If the 462 is anything to go by it will have stunning performance, It may also have the pretty poor build quality.

I have seen a guy with some retro fit peltors on, they just no longer fit under the helmet when retracted.

Husqvarna Technical Forest is the best cheap option, light, breathable but the visors are flimsy, I keep mine in the box it comes in, doesn’t roll about in the truck and isn’t in the UV when I am not at work like all the Arb guys helmets I see on the dashboards of their transit tippers. I have avoided buying a Protos helmet for the last couple of years awaiting another option that hasn’t arrived, I purchased one last week from Joneses, with the correct adjustments the ear defenders work perfectly well, I finally conceded that looking like a total bell end was the price I had to pay to help make sure I get home to my two kids, It really is a great bit of design. I have found the Husqvarna Technical Extreme trousers to be the lightest and best fit of any I have had in 20 years, pretty durable too with good ventilation, the Technical Robust are even more durable and the crotch hasn’t fell out of any of them. Buy boots from boot manufacturers like Meindl or Haix, just try several options, Haix are too wide fitting for me, I have had Treemme boots also (Italian boot maker) they have been excellent.

Thuja

There where several large softwoods including some impressive sized Lawson Cypress that turned brown and died over a few months on a site I was working on in Kent last year, pretty sure they narrowed it down to Phytophthora lateralis.

I swear by the Buffalo System clothing, used by the SAS and Mountain rescue teams, I’ve had them for years after trying all kinds of waterproof/breathable jackets which are good if you are standing around, but working is a different matter. The Special 6 is the one I use the most, tight fit, nothing or a base layer under, not waterproof but the insulation properties don’t alter when your wet so you are always warm, the body heat dries it quick the minute it stops raining, windproof to 50 mph.

About time too, it’s been a piece of shit for years.

I have been debating wether to wait for the 500i to come out or stick with a 572xp. The thing that is troubling me with the Stihl is build quality. On paper the saw speaks for itself, but look at the last run of saws they have produced, 261 build quality shit, 362 build quality and performance, shit, 462 great performance, build quality, a bit shit, and I can’t think of a reason why this new saw would be any different.