drinksloe

Must admit I think I'd just get inabout it with a decent strimmer. Even just do 1 fill a nite u wouldnae be long making a big hole in it. Plus that way if they're is any hidden debris/wire/rubbish/wet holes etc hidden below ur not finding it with some expensive hired machinery. And I'd imagine u wil n3d a strimmer for future management of irt anyway

Must admit really liking using 050 ( 1.1mm, for some reason metric guages make more sense to me) On my husky 353 on just a husky bar and chain and really can't fault it Chains last well too

Just as others said a very worthwhile course and make sure u do the nptc version as some other similar qualifications do expire. Also nptc is recognised everywhere, some off the others aren't. A future refresher course or upskill would be worth while in future but even in ARB industry not compulsory really only commercial forestry where they insist on 5 year refreshers.

Got double on my 660 but never sned with it, in fact it rarely comes out to play. Good point thou stubby as do tend to sned big hairy 1s out with the 72, so mibbee not worth it.

Do u know wot u could be on to something there. Never had it out today, ended up smaller timber althou a few on the right limit for my 15" bar, boring gubs etc and was great to have cuts meeting almost effortlessly. Not too much operator error today, for a change. Got 6 or so big 1s to do the Morro thou, so will see how see goes. Cheers will look into an extra spike. Take it no drawbacks to having 2 sets on?

Cheers folks.. I'm on a new bar so will have a go with that battered chain if not I do have a spare new chain. So hopefully tomorrow and really concentrating on my cuts can try to minimise operator error. Nothing worse than putting a new chain on and spending a few days cutting high stumps down, 1 compartment after been mounded. It does seem worse doing back cuts, when u want things square than when converting produce. So possibly handle/AV It is a relatively new 372 so do have an old saw that still runs as back up and some knackered donor saws. Might have to swap handle out. I have to admit never looked that closely at sprocket yet. Didnae really think it would affect it The damage to saw was more rolling back and forward than getting squashed. Cheers again.

Alright Just wondering various causes of saws cutting like a banana!?? Now I realise most are chain bar related ( cutters or rakers unequal, poor bar maitanence etc) S there much else can effect it? I should say this saws never really been right since it got rumbled about about by harvester. I had it behind a tree in a small ditch, knew it was within tree length but had so much gear to shift about and under presure, and not a lot of tree to fell. Thought it would be ok. Tree never hit it full on but the branches must have picked it up and dragged it under it as it was moved back and forward as it was processed. Plastic chain brake, air filter cover, bar side cover and various bits of plastic slightly broken, bent slightly bent. Think aluminium handle slightly bent too. But saw seems to run ok apart from cutting squint. Just put a new bar and chain on but I have to admit that new chains had a battering since ( which is not like me, usually look after them) So it's not helped as much as I hoped and not cured the problem . Just gave the chain a good going over and think got it right now so will see tomorrow. Burt could it be the wrap round handle being slightly bent??

Cutting boots tend to be harder/stiffer leather than u often see in top end high ankle/calf length hunting boots. But 1 thing I'm never sure of is any link between boot height and support. Most expensive hunting boots are high but very soft leather. Yet proper walking boots tend to be normal ankle height, but stiff leather. I do a bit on grouse with mutts, most grouse keepers have the normal high hunting boot wether mendl, altberg, doditto, etc. But some of the Highland moors I've been on, on the highest steepest ground where u expect they'd need extra support go back to normal walking boots. I do like a higher boot but more to avoid going over the top.

Matty no idea but other users, so much crap about it wouldn't surprise me. Typical desk jockey idea with little thought or knowledge of typical forestry sites. How do u think u get on nipping in to ur local building site for the toilet. Must admit the other week was the 1 and only time I've ever wanted and needed a welfare unit in woods. The fact it would off been 1 hr uphill walk away would be a slight problem thou. Cutting on a skyline site for 1st time for decades, scared to dump anywhere as chances are the poor choker man would end up dragging a tree throu it. No one wants that!!!!!! Bloody nightmare and something u never think about until u need it. Never a problem on a normal site.

Touchy subject the now Think Al welfare units are shut down for the time being, because of social distancing and cross contamination.

The hunting boots/cover are definitely a wide fitting, the cutting boots don't feel so wide, infact pretty snug which I think makes them so comfy. Lot stiffer leather than likes of dovre's

Must admit in a similar position ( minus bunion ?) Bought a pair of Stihl leather boots at start of year ( not sure I like all thisgoretex linings now for feet sweating in summer) but not very comfy, possibly should off had a size smaller but all they had in stock. Still using my Mendel airstreams, bloody brilliant boots, really comfy, just came off a steep skyline job and bar bother with the mendls. dunno how old could be 3 or 4 years of decent use althou been looked after/treated. The 1 problem just to low, it doesn't take much of a puddle, rut, burn or swamp hole to be over the top. But tempted to buy another set and save stihls for wet jobs. This lockdown not ideal for buying boots, personally I'd rather pay slightly more but try them on. Nothing worse than I'll fitting boots as I discovered with my stihls ( night in haste as back to a wet site next day again and sick off wet feet)

For the OP have u thought about putting tacks on ur quad? Meant to be very good and will travel the softest places and handle ditches better. I did look at buying a set, about 4k and u simply take them off and put wheels back on as needed. Be a cheaper option and save buying an extra machine u might not have a lot of work for. Robin where did u see the price of those machines? When I googled them they all looked far bigger heavy duty machines

Was a piston bully auctioned the last year was fairly cheap, problem is u can't road tow them, f that is an issue. I know Tree clear adapted 1, cost a bit to adapt as a lot of vulnerable bits low down like radiators etc, think there 1 is 500hp liked a beast off a machine althou sat broken down the whole time I was on that site. Good to know MM. I knew they were chain driven like Argos but thought the hydraulic drive motors would be a better system than the Argos brake steering setup. Just thought the steel body and tailgate would be handier than Argos storage

Aye must off had a spill or leaky cap combined with the warm weather and van sitting in sun all day. Van was fall of saws and 3 combi cans as new job and hadnae a clue wot I was cutting ( big or small stuff) just knew felling for skyline. Ok morning as usually leave back doors open overnight. Using 5- 7 litres most days the now, rates are tight enough using petrol. The extra cost would soon mount up. Just off to saw shop now to pick some parts up will mibbee price some aspen But being a tight jock think I know he answer

No petrol fumes off either saws or combi cans. As it happens that is the least off my worries with that can. Ended up chauffer driven home on the back off an AA wagon at 1.30am this morning ( left at 5.45) Never mind a spinner is a bloody match it will be getting ( or a new engine) Think turbo died and threw shrapnel into engine/oil pump.

Have u seen these things??! I went do to an auction to buy 1, looked ideal and exactly wot I was after. How wrong was I wot heaps of sh*the ( and not the condition, was tidy enough) absolutely tiny only 18hp so doubt would power much with the PTO. Also the hydraulic hoses where absolutely tiny, ur talking 10mm like micro bore heating pipes. Dunno if an issue but all the writing in bloody Chinese or something, it's a right bloody mission figuring out wot does wot, I got it gong moving and linkage up but that's my limit. They do look ideal for wot u want but makes sure u see it 1st, definitely wasn't wot I was after PS I think some of those tiny tractors the PTO turns oppisate way. I ended up buying an Argo, and while handy esp for getting a few bodies out to soft ackward jobs. As not really legal to sit 2 or more on a quad. A similar option is a Scot track, similar to Argos but metal body and hydraulic driven, have to admit not seen 1 in flesh yet. Thinking I"LL possibly upgrade to 1 in future. Because hydraulics don't have the steering/brake issue and can power other stuff of them.

Alright Finally got my wee van ( bipper with mesh bulkhead) on the road, but the fumes on the way home tonite were murder. Plus a long travel home. Going to have to put a vent spinner in roof. Does it matter where u site it on the roof? I'm I best putting it dead centre or do I really want it at far rear corner so sucking fumes away from front seats? Only ever put them in pick up canopies before so never put a lot off thought into siteing them Cheers

I'm never 1 for conspiracy theories but was told a government ministers family was heavily involved with the shipping off chip for biomass. Also if ur a forest owner the subsidy inflated prices for biomass might suit u, but if ur buying timber for firewod etc t may well mean u can't afford to buy it or the folk u sell to can't afford it. A big biomass power station near me, when it was 1st built it was never meant to take round timber and only burn waste ( brash, stumps and local willow) hardly any willow around now. And u should see the q of timber wagons waiting to get in in morning. A lot of the small independent sawmills ( fencing or pallet) really struggle to buy timber in. I think they aljed about building 1 iin Falkirk area a few years ago, but a few lcalchip board factories managed to get it stopped as could off cost a few jobs.

Depends wot u want to spend and wether u want a pro driven flail or just use ur quad flail. Obviously a 6x6 quad or UTV, still fairly versatile for other jobs. An Argo 8x8 is a great piece of kit can even put tracks on them and will really go on very soft ground. Low clearance thou for ruts and stumps Not that dear to buy 2nd hand, easy to buy a pig thou, but xpensive to maintain. Ackward load space and really can't abuse them that much with loads as no structural body work or chasis apart from on floor I also never like driving them that much and they scare the hell out f me on really steep ground as ur brakes are also ur steering f u wear them out, not good. But mibbee worrying about nothing as see more experienced boys run them n steep ground Done a bit with soft tracks, really good bit of kit with front and back pto and hydraulics, bloody expensive thou. Will really depend wot else u want to do with it and how deep ur pockets are, 1 trick pony or something that can do lots of things

They also reckon a massive ammount of nettle damaged timber needing felled in Germany. I forget the number I was told something like either 2 million acres/hectares or tonnes I think ( I thnk it was the area rather than wieght but s jus such a massive area hard to imagine) But either way it was a lot and it could flood the market in Europe if not be imported here.

So those that work in ARB, is there much difference in rates between a decent groundy with no 38 and a decent 1 with 38?? I have never really worked in proper ARB ( climbing on railways doesn't really count, which is the only climbing I've done). Lot off investment in training and gear ( plus lolering every 6 month and replacing every 5 year, esp if this 2 rope bs comes in/enforced) I'd imagine better of just doing both if u want to go down that route.

We done both over 5 days and I thought that was plenty of time. Climbing and getting confident with ropes etc is the most important/strange part. But had been on saws a while before hand That long ago now that I done mine but cant doing very much cutting up the tree, think we just had the 1 tree for us all to prune so just nibbling a foot or 2 of each branch so we learned cuts. But the cuts aren't complicated if ur used to handling a saw and know where ur bar is. Guessing we only used spikes saws the last day. Which is why I suggested do 30/31 first and get some experience. Not just with saw but estimating wieght/leans etc when felling, u can get away with murder on the deck when u get it wrong. Not so much when ur up a tree and limited escape routes if it goes wrong, and quite hard to fix if only mildly wrong Must admit I don't think those 8 week courses are a good thing, complete novice who's never seen a saw before to having all saw tickets . Decades ago when I done 1st ticket u had to wait 2 yes afore being allowed to do 32 to get exp. Went back years later to do a windblow ticket and piggy backed on a 32 course and the standard was truely shocking, boys cutting throu hinges on decent sized trees and not even realising it.

The thing with NZ is how do they go forward do they keep orders locked forever? Or only open to Oz? This virus will not just die out, globally I'm sure will be flare ups for a long time to come. While NZ have always had a strict immigration policy it only takes 1 on a flight to spread it, esp with 30% showing no symptoms at all. If a few get throu it will spread quickly in the population as no previous exposure to virus. I'm sure they will jump on it quickly, but how many times can u go into lock down. As someone said earlier u could probably not pick 2 different countries to compare, UK or more London ISA global hub with lots of folk passing throu. Scotland to NZ might be a more similar comparision, similar population, still more space in NZ thou and I bet deaths are more similar. The 3 biggest rural areas of Scotland ( D&G, borders and highland) only have about 300 cases each and my region is only 40 deaths, hospitsls empty. Bet no more folk dieing than normal, Why did u not compare Sweden to UK? More similar in size to UK? Another thing to Lok at is howd death are recorded, in UK any thing that even looks symptomatic of C19 is recorded as C19 death while even in countries like Germany where u trust the stats they're recording the actual reason, so heart attack, cancer etc if that was the main reason even with C19 on top.

Up to urself but I'd say just do ur basic saw tickets and see where that takes u. More to chainsaw work than ARB, but if u do want to climb the extra time on ground saws will help u when u get up a tree with a saw. Is it the norm now to do 38 and 39 separately?? Surely most of the same stuff in both courses, surely it wouldn't take much to add on cutting a few branches on to 38. Or is that an excuse by trainers to charge u for same training twice?