Stumpy Grinder

Not as far as the North East! Seriously though, if it's worth my while I don't mind travelling up to an hour or sometimes more. However, I tend to try and group jobs geographically to cut down on fuel and travel costs. I find this often happens naturally too as most of the chaps that use me will often wait until they've got enough work to call me over to their particular area. There aren't too many of us about either with bigger machines, so a bit of travel is often out of necessity for people to get the work done and they are happy to pay a bit extra to cover it. I've only done Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire........ so far! SG

For the amount of work you describe, coupled with the outlay and running costs, the short answer is NO! Then there's storage, transport (how do you tow a chipper and a grinder?) as well as maintenance. The last point is a very important one too, as you really need to be a capable mechanic to effectively run a grinder - especially and older used one! If you can gain extra work (providing you have the time?) from other local tree workers, then maybe you could make it more your main job? If not, you are better off finding some local mug such as myself to come out for the odd hour or so at a fraction of the cost and time of hiring or buying your own machine! Stumps can be quite 'seasonal' too as there is not much work about during mid summer (bid nesting!) or mid winter. I work for more different tree surgeons, landscapers, builders, etc that I care to remember, but even then it is not really a full-time job. I know several guys that were in a similar position as yourself and went out and bought one. Most regretted the decision and sold them on again! Hopefully this gives you some food for thought. SG

My first one was on a 05 plate and was very rusted underneath. A good jetwash and a spray of waxoyl saw me through 3 MOT's with no problem. It had 175K on the clock and the engine was perfect. I drove it into the back of a huge truck whilst towing a heavy quad bike and trailer and that was the end of that one! My new one is 6 months older with only 115k on the clock. Again, very rusty underneath and needs some underseal. Great trucks which are reliable and cheap to buy and run in comparison to the likes of a Hilux, but the under body rust is a concern.

It sounds to me like somebody may have had an Epiphany during their recent holiday? SG

I'm not sure I quite believe the 126 hours bit? That works out at 7 x 18 hour days per week! That only leaves 6 hours per day not working (or 42 hours per week)!! 6 hours per day to sleep, wash, eat, walk dogs, maintain a relationship, etc is not really viable and certainly not sustainable. I work some long hours doing a few different jobs, but to claim 126 hours per week is either slightly false, or complete madness. SG

Acer sempervirens (Cretan Maple)? SG

I tried the angle grinder ones, but they don't last two minutes and it is difficult to get the angle right and a decent edge. The only benefit I could see from them is that you can do it without removing them. Ok for a quick sharpen during a long day out with a cordless grinder. No match for the diamond bench grinder though. SG

Did you get one Mick?

.22 suffers from a lack of range and penetration. Good up to about 25m, but past that it's pretty useless and the trajectory drops rapidly! .177 is about half the weight and therefore needs to travel a lot faster to achieve the legal limit of 12 ft/lbs. It therefore has a much flatter and faster trajectory, as well as better penetration. I can happily head shoot rabbits out to 50m with a .177. If you can afford it, get a Weihrauch HW 100 in .177. Amazing engineering and ridiculously accurate. SG

Cut it down!

I think this depends on how it's done to some extent. An estate where I manage the deer produce an awful lot of wood each year from 2,500 acres of woodland. All the crappy stuff and softwood gets chipped to produce about 1000 cubic metres of wood chip. They have a CHP plant in the wood yard that burns about a cube per day and produces 47KVA of electric into the National Grid 24/7. It also produces about 35KVA of heat which is channelled through a perforated floor in a huge store to dry the wood chip which is also sold to other users. So effectively using the bi-product or burning waste wood to produce electricity to dry its own fuel. Surely that is a good thing and an efficient way to use everything produced from the woods? SG

So, my HETA Inspire 45 woodburner is claimed to have an efficiency of 84% when burning wood. Are you claiming that to be incorrect? If so, please elaborate on what tests you have done to disprove this? Or, are you giving out more hot air than my flue? SG

As seen recently in Homebase!

What an absolute load of shite! Modern wood burners are about 80% efficient and use a renewable resource. Open fires are about 20% efficient so why not target them? Wood burning is pretty much carbon neutral, and if wood is dried, then it is also very clean. So what about natural forest fires in places like America or Australia where an area the size of the UK goes up in flames? Will they ban those too? What about volcanoes that chuck more particulates into the atmosphere than my 4.5 kw woodburner? Diesel trucks and cars? What about the extra pressure on oil and natural gas what are not renewable? Wood burners are insignificant compared to the real sources of pollution? But they are an easy target. I'll keep using mine until the woodburner police raise a valid prosecution. SG

You're a bit far from me mate, but PM me your location and I'll find someone nearby that can help you. It will probably cost you the game dealer rate which is currently about £2.40/kg. However, most stuff is out of season currently, but you can at least book one for later! SG

It's a bit of a geographical lottery to some extent, although I manage estates in several different counties now. Try your local Deer Initiative as they are looking to take over Woodland Trust sites. Also try your local wildlife trust or any local private woodland management companies. Qualifications will get you a long way these days despite would some folk would lead you to believe. Good luck! SG

There's actually quite a lot of deer managers on here mate (self included) as forestry and deer management often go hand-in hand. Are you qualified in carrying out deer impact assessments, as that would be a good string to your bow for any forthcoming grant schemes? Regards, SG

So, as an ex military Aircraft Engineer who now works with trees and forestry deer management I must by pretty much psychotic??☠️

That Klou doesn't look to be a very efficient method as the teeth are cutting across the grain of the wood rather than along it? Stumps should be ground from the side rather than the top to cut efficiently. SG

I've also got a XP 242 which is a very fine old saw and sits on my shelf needing some work!

I've got a very nice XP 254 which I rarely use now. Sounds like a good home for it. Make me a reasonable offer and he can have it. SG

I wanted a coarse one but they only had medium at the time which works well!

I've moved away from them now Mick and it's the best decision ever! I now have a heavy duty 450W Bench Grinder (Sealey Tools) which has a coarse standard wheel on one side and one of these on the other! https://www.abtec4abrasives.com/d1a1-150-mm-x-20-mm-x-3175-mm-diamond-abrasive-grinding-wheels-413-p.asp This company sells both as a package along with the grinder. The diamond wheel is a real game changer! Sharpens teeth like razors and seems to last forever. However, the only dust you get is from the metal (which is still hazardous) but much cleaner than the Green wheel which I would never use again. Yes, the diamond wheel is pricey, but it pays for itself with a set of teeth pretty much and lasts 20 times longer than a green wheel! Do the maths on that along with the added performance and there is no contest! SG Edit: see option 4 here: https://www.abtec4abrasives.com/150mm-heavy-duty-bench-grinder-450-watt-bg150xd99-3144-p.asp SG

I use a Sealey Heavy Duty AK48 which seems to be very good and has had a lot of use: http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode=ViewProduct&method=mViewProduct&productid=17031&productdescription=ak48&productcode=&category=0&catgroup=&catmicrogroup=&analysiscode=&requiredresults=16 You'll have to find a local dealer though. SG

Storm Eleanor uprooted some big old trees sadly. Not ideal when they just happen to be in your prized lawn! It looks like the lawn will never be the same again, but it can be fixed! Wood chip and roots mostly removed, but some remain mixed with the soil and used to re-fill the hole. The area is left slightly raised as it will sink slightly as the soil compacts and consolidates. A quick rake over with some lawn dressing or topsoil and some seed in the spring and the poor old Silver Birch will be nothing but a distant memory - and some firewood of course!