drinksloe

Do they all use 2 ropes thou?? I'd certainly never heard of it before I'm a bit out off touch nowadays but 5 years ago spikeing up living trees with 1 rope and strop was standard practice. Even on live trees and near live wires. Wind back a further 5 to 10 years to railway work and free spiking to top/where u lost ur bottle, was the norm, which even then was against all best practice guidelines. And in the rail industry which regarded itself as extra safe

So glad I rarely climb these days, sort of lost for words. I'd imagine most of the reasons climbers fall out of trees is free climbing so not tied in at all. I know 1 company that used to give the climbers extra if they free spiked to the top. Not going to say wot I really think about the HSE Nazis, but as usual do more harm than good When I 1st started climbing was just after they outlawed screwgate carbs, I mind the instructors at time saying it was a backwards step as a screw gate won't open by itself I've twice had a modern carb open on me by itself, both times when tied in with a few ropes and the other rope has opened it

Cheers everyone so far. I'll head up after tea the nite to get a better idea of sizes. Aye monkey I think that's the problem, bunch of folk playin at it with no idea. Before I moved here from next village down, not sure wot happened , some local politics etc but they had a forester employed and it got very messy. Sacked and court cases front page of local rag etc So there trying to do it all themselves. Still in the early stages and AGM is not too far away, hence why asking the question. Never been involved with the selling of timber or paperwork side of things before I just cut them down usually.

I would guess most butts would be 2- 3ft possibly some bigger but I don't think much over 4ft which is wot I call a decent beech. Be decent sized crowns too. I'll mibee take the mutts a walk there the Morro and take some photos measurements. Not a managed woodland just been left to grow althou at fairly big spacings

Sorry I meant the price estimates/indicates 2T per tree, which I think sounds very low. 2T isn't a particularly big hardwood tree. I'd say there far bigger than that from memory. But I will have to nip up for a proper look. Southern scotland

Alright Now I realise this is a bit off a length of string question with the info provided. Long story short I'm sort off involved with a local community woodland group, speaking to 1 of the trustees ( who is absolutely clueless, infact scarily so considering running the whole project) We were both volunteering on a red squirrel conservation stall at a local agri show, he was saying Scottish Power want to fell just under 100 beech trees on there ground. Think taking over 1 tree length from power lines instead off the standard 5m clearance. Normally wot is the score money wise?? He reckons SP will fell all the timber for free and we can sell it, a buyer has reckoned worth about 8- 10k for the timber with brash chipped and left scattered over the site. Must admit not looked at site properly, but from memory not the biggest/best beech trees ever but all mature and fairly big I know everyone thinks timber is worth more than it is,.but £10k for 100 trees is only about 100 quid a tree or 2T of timber per tree if at £50 a T roadside. Rally just firewood grade according to the buyer ( which I imagine will be right enough) Does that seem ok? ( Not great access but u can get artics up to it) Wot advice to get the most value would u give?? The group relies on charity, fundraising, volanteers and grants so maximising any income is important. I have heard off landowners only allowing this if SP buy the timber, althou often where access/extraction is hard so timber actually left to rot. Can we ask SP for money or deny them this extra clearance?? I have also heard hard wood wood chip is making great money the now. I know they shut a road completely for 2 days locally so they could sit the attics on it and chip the brash into it Near a biomass burner. Wot measurements do u take with hardwoods?? I'd imagine the dbh isn't much of a guide the way it is with softwoods as stem and crown can vary so much from tree to tree. Most of my hardwood cutting has either been on railways or conservation/Peatland sites so never really pay much interest in wot tonnage is in a tree. Cheers for any advice. I will be going up for a better look so if u told me wot to look for I'll come back on here as a I realise without seeing the trees very hards to estimate value, But to me 100 quid a tree doesn't seem very much, esp if u had to pay for the felling in normal commercial situation

Just been up power washing it and degreasing it. Looks a bit better than I thought. Aye I understand keeping it real on a classic tractor for show, but on a working machine I really only are it works as it should. But I am thinking more about keeping it original. I could soon throw a camo net over it if I was really worried, burt got no windows to break and little electrics. Itis also road towable if in real bandit country Dumper how do u post pictures?? i 'm a real numpty when it comes to computers etc. I did a quick search but couldnae find anything Still use a push button phone althou thinking I might have to go back to the dark side and get another smart phone. Really enjoying only having to charge phone every week or so

Alright Just wondering folks opinions when tarting up an older tractor/machine ( possibly even classic/vintage age) are u better to keep the original colour?? I finally got time to pick up a mini skidder I bought a few weeks ago, I plan to work it in small scale forestry so planned to respray it green so less visible to vandals if left on site overnight. Not that there really is a lot to vandalise on it But my mate who came down to pick it up reckons I should keep it the orginal funny orange colour. His reasons possibly higher resale value ( which I agree with althou not planning to sell and would imagine be sold as a working machine anyway.) Also u always miss the wee nooks and crannies which can look bad ( but again I tend to be function over looks esp with work tools but do like them to look well to a point) His final point which was a sort of joke but does make quite a bit of sense, I could put it into odd local vintage tractor things/shows. Not really my thing but could be good cheap advertising as quite a strange looking machine. Esp when that side off business is pretty new. I'm I wrong in still wanting just to spray it green??? All his points make sense but I still want to spray it green!! Plus got some green paint in workshop

I'd try looking at it if ur were the companies wot would u want to hire in??? To be fair if u were going down the railway route and the big company did hire in men and chippers u might be ok. But railway work can be very boom and quite literally bust. A company I worked for went tits up and had 40 plus men. Also both the main contractors on railways from 20 odd year ago have had financial hardships. Also can be seasonal with bird nesting time and sometimes it just stops for yearrs Mibbe different if u want to be working for big companies. But I'd imagine if ur subbing to smaller companies the types offjobs they hired u in for would be big or multiple dismantles or Conny hedge bashing, which would still be a 1 chipper job but an extra tipper and tipper trailer would be massively handy. If I've been in and about the industry in ur area u LL know the craic.

The only thing I'd say is there many folk already at this in ur area?? Is there work for u?? Do most of the companies u intend to work for not have there own chippers?? Possibly u will get more/ as much work just as Subby workers with no expensive chipper to pay and mantian and worry about it getting nicked In my area almost all tree firms have there own chipper, or relatively cheap to hire considering how expensive they are to buy. Mibbe 2 workers/cutters/climbers with a tipper and trailer might be handier for companies than a chipper?? Also as is often said on here no point competing with loads off others already doing the same thing. Only way is undercutting and it just becomes a race to the bottom. Unless ur really top notch great workers. Possibly u might be more of a niche with a wee mini loader/skid steer, ie something others haven't got

Aye u could be right. Never thought of that. Must admit any festival I've been too I usually ignore the healthy eating area and am in no condition to notice how my pizza was cooked. Or even if it was cooked, embarrassed to say on more than 1 occasion I've tried to cook and eat pizza still in the plastic when bevies

Can I ask wot the logs are for?? Never been to cream fields, but can't imagine it's a safe environment for open flames and log burners

If ur down Dorset is fuelwood not semi near? I thought they were realatively close to the apf site. Have u tried googling farmi to see where the nearest dealership is?? I'm sure a decent agri engineer will have seen plenty thou, sometimes it can be finding a decent 1

I understand the concept/idea for some situations, esp delivery drivers taxis etc esp in rural locations where a postcode could cover literally miles. But say in a forestry setting, in fairly remote large forestry block. Ur told to meet on a forest track/turning circle, u find it at home before u travel, but say u get lost in a maze of forest tracks. How do u figure out where u are and how do u get where u need to be?? Esp if no phone signal in the wood With a grid reference ud know roughly which direction u needed to go.

Alright Just wonder if some on here can help. Simple question really just wondering is it possible to put a carving bar on a Stihl MS231. Not wanting to do any serious carving. But got a couple off wee projects on, mainly freebies for nieces primary schools woodland class room. As usual never got round to them yet and schools back this week, so could do wi getting finger out. Spoke to a couple of the big shops and with being a saturday hard to get any advice with staff off. They have said my saws too big thou?? Which is a bummer as it's the smallest saw I have, althou looking on sites find bars I thought were compatable It's a ms231 running 3/8s Pico chain. So I take out it needs the whole combo, sprocket bar and chain to get it onto 1/4 drive?? Really looking for a cheaper setup iif possible but still decent enough quality ( is not cheap rubbish) And something fine enough I could attempt to carve schools name in the bench back Cheers for any input/advice Not fussy on brands, althou tend to run all my forestry saws on Oregon bar and chains and have done for years, mainly as that's wot local shops sell.

It just seems to be mission creep from the insurers, if everyone agrees to it not long before it will become the norm. I would mibbee be looking for new insurers Don't get me wrong I'm all for mantianing machines properly ( and a pet hate is using somelses machine when not be looked after and simple lack off maintenance makes my job harder) Winches have been used in forestry for a long time long before loler was ever thought off. Common sense has to be more important than any ticket, as with climbing gear it could be lolered 1 day and damaged the next are u really going to wait 6 month to fix/replace cos ur ticket says it's OK??

It will most likely depend where u live. Is there a local farmi dealer? Or decent forestry or agri engineers near u? As others have said I've certainly never heard off much forestry gear being lolered, esp when u see some of the old counties and winches etc being used on many estates.

Cheers folks. I did think about the safety factor might be a problem The other thing I thought of was pulling stuff off known wieghts, but then u get into friction issues and even finding stuff u know the wieght off. Cheers doobin, so the answer is no then, no simple way ? Have to admit light was going by time I got down to it when I went to look at it after work, was a fair drive away. There was some numbers on the winch motor but was quite hard to make out. Hoping the other motor will be clearer as under covers, but could be a completely different motor capability anyway When I get it up road probably next wknd wil try to add some more info photos etc The machine is a Iwafuji T10 and imported so owner hasn't a clue about it. Can't really find much info on it (atleast in English) they seem to make a lot off big custom skidders, possibly even timber jack copies as model numbers seem similar. Needs a fair bit of TLC ( hopefully not much more) and a good lick of paint There is a winch/crane company up the road 40 miles guessing the easiest/best way will just to run it up to them and get them to test it. Would that be expensive?? Aye RH seen a few ropes snap some quite heavy, but most must have been modern ropes with rope cores as just laid flat.. But heard plenty stories from the old timers forestry ploughing back in 70s with shackles coming throu cab windows and out front. That's why I would of put it throu a few blocks to change direction. Cheers

Looks well for a 1st time gate esp on sloping ground Depending on the size of chapper, but sometimes in some ground conditions u are almost as quick digging them in, esp if u have a sharp pinch and shuvholers. I tend to be on a 200kg job he now and it really does struggle with biggr strainers and harder ground esp so a few weeks ago in the drier weather. Not wanting to be critical,and photos can make things look strange too. But personally i would probably have hung the gate on the face of the post, as looks like rises uphill behind it so gate will only swing 1 way anyway which would probably let it swing flush against the fence too. Also means tractors wont catch gate crooks too. Also did u se long posts for the gate? Strainers look quite high out of the ground in compaision to gate althou i realise thats to catch the fence beside it as both new/old strainers are same hieght, i bet strainers look around 41/2ft or even 5ft out of ground. It should be fine but also may go slack in time as lot of leverage, might need a pack now and again Are many fencers still using drive in bottom crooks nowadays??? Most in this area have went onto bolt throu for both nowadays, with most using the square flange? 1's for the bottom crook. i do think it is a better job

Alright Just wondering is there a general rule off thumb for estimating the size of a winch? Say u went to look at a 2nd hand 1 with little markings and it had no rope on it? And more specifically I've just bought a mini custom skidder with double hydraulic winches on it ( and very little info I can find on it) 1 has rope about 8 or 10mm dia, so I'm guessing a 3ish T capacity? The other top drum is empty but seems to turn slower in 1 direction could that be normal?? ie fast feed out and slower pull in? Can u estimate winch strength by measuring the winch motor? Not got it up road yet to really examine things fully Cheers for any pointers, not really been around hyd winches much Ps and is there any easy ways to confirm this before I buy new winch rope for it. Attaching heavier slings until it stops breaking them?? ( Obviously safely via a directional block etc)

They sort of need the shelter up there. And hedges/ trees don't really grow, u se these very stunted very wind shaped trees.

I just bought a tool station clarke 1, not that impressed bent it pulling out the 1st strainer I used it on. Used and abused them for years lifting strainers out on hand ball fencing jobs, never bent 1 before thou. If the stakes are only 1" are u not easier just snapping them off?

M w plant in Carlisle ( near the agri market ) has some as well, I was in fairly recently and was surprised how much ARB stuff they had nowadays. Had been years since I was last in. Althou not sure how it compares to other big ARB shops. Not ARB but if just chainsaws stuff etc Dalgliesh' s agri at Lockerbie has just taken over husky/Stihl dealerships, chains are fairly cheap as old stock from the previous dealer ( all Oregon)

Must admit I'll be a bit out off touch with the latest models. But if ur ever on steep side slopes it's amazing the places a tracked 1 with tilting tracks will go. Working on the railways it saved us heaps off time being able to track along steep bankings where ud never take a normal tracked chipper. Esp with a winch on it Mibbee not an issue if ur only on flat gardens thou. But the tilted tracks are really handy if/when u need them.

Will that saw not be ancient??? I thought 0 , AV series were 20 or 30 years old + bar and chain u could be looking at 50 quid easy. Not that cheap really Wot size of saw is that?? Must admit despite having quite a few Stihl chainsaws ( think 4 plus strimmer hedge cutter and blower) still have absolulletly no idea how there model numbers work and with size of saw that is