TTS North

I think the difference is with windblown they don't go through the public consultation or site visit phases - it's just a desk assessment.

We have had a TB100 for 3 years. Powerful, goes anywhere, uphill and down dale, eats anything. Can detach the chipper body and attach a barrow - although we have a custom made welded log cradle. Will self power up ramps into the trailer. The height of the hopper has never been an issue, it's gravity fed so needs to be designed for safety so you can't reach the blades by hand to clear blockages. The self powered tracks mean more jobs can be done single handed. Touch narrower than our old CS100. We wouldn't part with it. If it exploded tomorrow I'd have bought another by the end of the day.

Just an update. We spoke to the local conservator, who was very helpful. They have their hands full at the minute, and are fast tracking windblow applications. We just needed to agree restocking policy and submit the Permission request. They turned it round in 24 hours and we are good to go. 3 years to clear the windblow and replant. Thanks for the input.👍

Yes. The attached letter in this link shows how seriously SF take it these days. It's worth getting right. SF Letter

Thanks for the insight guys, I will of course be checking with SF. Scotland does have its own rules, and the 5 cube is per owner, not per site. We are only looking at 40-50 Sitka out of several thousand on a 4 Ha site. Seems daft to have to apply for permission for such a small number of trees. But the guidance says 'clearance of wind-blow requires felling permission' but then also 'Five cubic metres per quarter exemption maintained'. Thinking about it, it is an exception to needing permission, of course. I could clear the 15 to 20 cube by hand over a year or so, if I wanted to hire in a small harvester operator and get it done in a day then I suppose I would need to apply for permission - which doesn't bother me, but the inevitable restock clause would be a pain 🙄 Daft really.

One for my Scottish colleagues. In April 2019 the Scottish Forestry rules changed so that wind-throw was no longer exempt from needing a felling licence. "• Dead trees are exempt but clearance of windblow requires felling permission" However, the 5 cubic metre per quarter exemption from needing a felling licence also still applies - but which takes precedence? If something is wind-throw is it no longer exempt from needing a licence, even if it is less than 5 cubic metres? Or can you still remove wind-throw as long as you stay within the five cubic metres per quarter exemption? Thanks.

You can remove the chipper body leaving the tracked section. I made a log cradle for mine so now we have a tracked barrow as well.

Great pics - very atmospheric with the snow! Wouldn't get a cs100 in there!

I've had a close look at that thread it's a great idea and one I have considered. I think the bottom structure of the cs100 would make it too high and top heavy on a tracked Barrow arrangement. The peruzzo is a different chipper design than the cs100 although they look similar at first glance. I think it has been designed so that the centre of gravity sits very low.

Can I ask any of you guys with a peruzzo - how has the engine which powers the tracks been? Any starting or reliability issues? and is there a facility to put it into neutral and move it by hand/winch as a back-up? I have a CS100 and seriously thinking of changing it. Doing much more rough ground and less domestic work now but still need something small. Cheers.

Very well spotted, Graham - thanks.

Any ideas? Got me stumped, thought willow at first? Thanks.

I'm resurrecting this thread to ask how everyone got on? It's nearly a year and I haven't smoked since. I didn't use any vaping or other replacement therapies. Fair to say it was hard and very unpleasant indeed for quite a long time but they are well and truly out of my system and my mind now. Can't ever see me going back. How did others do?

As above. When it's been stood for a week or so on starting at low revs it hunts and surges, and is a bit smokey. This goes away once it warms up. Only got 30-40 hours under it's belt. Any ideas? Was going to ask the Greenmech guys about it at the APF. Cheers.

I use the smaller PCW 3000 brilliant bit of kit, pulls just about anything and not to heavy to lug around. To stop the pull you just let go of the rope, no need to unwrap the coils from the drum. The amount of pull these generate is pretty impressive. Make sure you buy the right type of rope to go with it. Normal rigging ropes wear out quickly. I imagine the PCW5000 would be even more of a beast. I might add, you can just keep adding lengths of rope tied together using a bowline and long tail, and you can effectively have an unlimited range. My max distance between winch and log has been 120m. They're a breeze to redirect through your normal rigging pulleys as well, you can get as creative with skidding routes as you like. I think a Lewis winch doesn't allow that so easily?

Exact same problem with one of my subbies 200T. The handle was packed out so solid with years of neglect and crud that he hadn't realised it was broken - the rubbish was actually keeping things in place. There was more than just one thing broken in there as well. It was only because it started pouring out fuel up a tree and volunteered to strip it to do the carb seals (which were also shot) that I found the chain brake issue. It's a bugger to get back together. Major safety issue. Now the handles on all the saws are opened and cleaned every year. Perils of buying second hand saws I suppose. You're buying someone else's neglect - OTOH how many people think to dismantle handles for cleaning? I took some pics on my phone and sent them to him while I was stripping it - I'll see if I can locate them.

We've got one booked for a forestry job up next to Berwick but it won't be for two weeks - happy to report back here with our findings. Interested to see how it copes with the tricky access between the trees and the gradient. 20% overdue thin and the brash and tops need dealing with - it will be chipping (and doing some unofficial pulling, no doubt) non-stop for three days. It's a clean commercial site so won't give us any insight into how it copes with domestic stuff - clotheslines buried inside conifers, and the like.

We've had a few very mild winters and deer numbers are up everywhere. We've got a busy year of Roe culling planned in NE England and the Borders. That is always going to be a part of the solution at least. It's not like rabbits where you can make a huge dent in the numbers then a couple of months later they've bred back to the original numbers. Stalking can get the numbers right down. Even with tree guards, once they split off, the tree is still small enough for a deer to kill by territory marking.

Which club was it if you don't mind me asking? Cheers.

Good for you, sunshine - well done. Hard days but everything settles back down to a normal balance.

Keep trying. 13 days is the worst part over. In your heart you've got to change to a non-smoker. I'm 3 months off them now and it has gotten a lot easier. In certain stressful situations the habit rears it's head - got badly let down on a job in December which cost me a lot of money - that was the closest I came to reaching for a fag but realised I didn't need one and it wouldn't have made the situation any better if I did. Pleased I didn't go onto the vaping and I'm certainly not criticizing those who have - I wanted to slay the nicotine demon once and for all and feel what I felt like when I was 16 without the unnatural drug flowing through my veins. Now the nicotine (which I can see now is a mega unnatural stimulant) isn't buzzing around my system I feel a lot calmer (my wife and kids say I am). Never mind the health benefits, there is a huge difference with the stuff out or me - I feel human. On a plus side I've hardly had a drink since I stopped and don't miss that either.

Came across this on another forum - thought it may be useful. Here's the original - nice shot of [chainsaw plus leg minus PPE = bad idea] Brave of the guy to post. slapped my leg with the saw today

Still off them - saved a fortune. Went the cold turkey route because I didn't want to sidestep the addiction without addressing it once and for all. Have some hard days, but not going back onto them. Everyone I know who went onto vaping sticks to get off the fags still has a fag as well - everyone. The absence of relying on nicotine in my life is what's improved things as much as the heath and financial benefits. Yep I do feel a 'free'. Vaping is still better than full on smoking. But if you can go that far come the rest of the way.

Have you tried the big milk trolleys on wheels to stack and move your wood? Ive found them pretty effective. Whereabouts in relation to Edinburgh are you north south east west? Dont be too accurate never know who's reading.

Where we get ours - https://www.gustharts.com/ca-eb-r1-12-30-050-p00-english-braids-12mm-x-50m/ Stands up well considering it gets dragged along the forest floor all day - give it a wash once in a while. Very tough coating - almost like hard plastic, the bullrope seems like silk in comparison.