maybelateron

Quite agree. One of our local tree officers is excellent and would never do this. Years ago I checked with him that a large roadside Oak near me was not protected as the customer wanted to fell it (having built a house extension under it!). The TO said it was not protected but that it was worthy of a TPO and he would put one on it very soon. He openly left me with the option to get on and fell it quickly while I could. The customer is a local PITA, the tree is lovely, so I did not rush and it got protected. The TO and I respect each other and it works well. Flip side: Another local council are the opposite. I reduced a largish Holly in a conservation area several years ago, with permission. It has since died, deceased, snuffed it, become a tree no longer, had its chips and gone to meet its maker. See photo. Owner applied with photo evidence to take it down. Council told him they need a tree surgeon's report to confirm it is dead! I reckon I could probably snap the trunk if I pushed hard enough on it. Sorry for semi derailing thread but its shows what a lottery it can be dealing with councils.

That is always a bit of a warning to me that the customer might be fussy. Just my opinion though.

Only time I put a bungee on my Silky is if I am over a greenhouse/something equally brittle and costly. Otherwise they are a PITA, always snagging on everything.

Had breakfast, cleared the M1 southbound (bowels moved, very important before get to site!), on second coffee waiting for team to arrive.

I prefer Messrs Fellem and Scarper

Mostly within 6-7 miles, rare to go more than fifteen miles now. Did a two day job this week along a remote no through lane. The rush hour was fantastic, herd of 70 odd milkers, and two ramblers. Hardly saw another soul all day. Bliss.

That is my plan as I get older and more decrepit. I have a tracked chipper, road tow turntable 7.5inch chipper, 18m tracked MEWP, minidigger with grab, stump grinder, compact tractor with loader and heavy duty flail mower, road towable log splitter and 20+ years experience. All of my stuff is paid for and I am more than happy to work for and pass on any tips to the right minded younger guys (and girls) coming along now.

Eats shoots and leaves. Vegan. Eats, shoots, and leaves. Hungry assassin gets away.

Agreed with all comments, been VAT registered 10 years. Turnover now beneath the compulsory registration level, but would not dream of deregistering. There are some things you can claim VAT back on if they were bought within a certain time before registering. From memory I think this was tools/machinery bit not things like fuel and materials. My accountant was worth every penny (nah pound) when I registered for VAT.

Yes, I learnt this concept many years ago. We felled a couple of small trees in a small garden for a prickly (right witch) old lady. We cut the stumps near the ground and left the place spotless. A week or so later she rang me saying she had tripped over the one stump and nearly broken every bone ion her body, and it was a trip hazard. The other stump now had something very smelly on top of it and what was I planning to do about it? I tried explaining the quote did not in, from thclude stump removal/grinding but she started to be right arsey and said she would go to trading standards. These days I would just say go ahead. Anyway, the stump with something smelly on it has fox/badger poo on it. The one that nearly killed her was so tight into a corner I didn't believe she had been anywhere near it, she just wanted it gone. We took the grinder and ground out the stump, but not until we had put warning signs near every step in the garden! Quite enjoyed the polite piss take. Needless to say, from that day forwards I have always described the job as "fell tree, cutting stump near to ground." Never had a problem since.

Sounds like a win win to me. You don't waste money buying ladders, the customer lends you theirs and the bottom rung breaks causing you a nasty back strain ££££££claim

Completely outrageous behaviour asking to see your insurance details. Parents wouldn't dream of criticising the school for not checking your insurance if their child got injured. I hope you're not wasting money on those stupid Loler inspections, but you probably don't need them as most of us just free climb and drop everything without lowering kit.

Or for my alternative view: Hedge mong is a very experienced fly fisher and a lot of us are hungry fish.

Until it goes wrong. Customer walks out of back door unexpectedly, was only coming to offer you a brew. Customer gets injured badly by branch/timber being dropped just as they appeared. Customer ends up with head injury, and ultimately some brain damage, resulting in her needing ongoing care. She is a widow, and her son is a barrister. Good luck with that!

I'm just a wimp. One operation of left knee, four on right, likely another one soon. I'll climb until right knee has to be replaced, or even after in the very unlikely event surgeon says I can.

I have exactly the same plan for increasing decrepitude. Heavy duty flail on 40hp Kubota tractor, hedge cutter for same, digger with grab, tracked MEWP, etc. Hiring myself out with machinery I operate.

Maybe colder at Wetley Rocks as on higher ground?

What about Trolls R Us?

One advantage for me is being only 5ft 5-6, I am nearer the ground. I sometimes kneel if ringing up a big limb or trunk. Still nicer when we have the minidigger on site with the thumb👍

Very wet, very grey, and 12 degrees.

Yes, I had the same many years ago working on a Eucalyptus. Strong wind, strong tree - I felt fine, despite what the groundies thought I must feel. Had to stop because of the same issue of brash flying 2 gardens away. I'm on my third MEWP now, with same 28mph maximum gust rule. But what applies with it at full height in an open space doesn/t automatically apply with it much lower down. As already said, decide for yourself.

My wife and I can both do it with welding rods. Interestingly when she finds a pipe both rods move equally, but with me the rod in my right hand swings a lot more strongly. Weird, but true. Apparently you can also get a response to a "set line" This is, for example, the shadow caused by something like an electricity pole, and the line is where the shadow is strongest.

I'm pretty sure 7.5T horse boxes used privately are exempt from inspections and O licence other than yearly MOT.

I doubt any/many hire companies would have a saw as big as this for hire; I cant see much call for it in the hire sector. Flip side is I can't imagine many people being keen on hiring out their own. You would probably find it easier to get someone to do the cutting for you. If you have a lot of work for it, you could buy one then sell it on after?

I prefer emptying my full chip box with a shovel actually. Come to think of it a kid's beach spade might be better.