Steven P

if you want a local based tree surgeon then maybe you have to chase them a bit too... most established firms will be sorted for their usual trade. Working outside their area they might go looking where to tip. Along with the tip site listing, might be worth asking a couple of local ones if they pass and if they can to tip at yours instead of driving back to base

PPE, so the sun stops accidents? (every requirement comes off the back of a serious accident or death) Heat stroke, many on here are working in Britain whose workers will have just sat in the gardens all weekend burning themselves and getting a bit dehydrated. 10:00 now so perhaps a bit late with this comment, but if they are starting work in the hear a little dehydrated it will only get worse. In countries used to this heat they don't have the mad sun-is-out-fry attitude, and will often drink more through the day. Nothing wrong with the heat as such, but in the UK we do make it worse than it has to be. Obviously not everyone will have been in the garden all weekend.

Might not be the answer but I got a petrol B&Q job for £100 about 10 years ago, now about £150 and that does me OK for grass. I also cut paths in the wood behind the house which gives it a decent work out - a lot of sticks, nettles, brambles, nettles, and so on. This is standard domestic size, but how large are your lawns? Are you needing something bigger than that? I can't fault this mower, It had an oil change once, gets a blade sharpening once a year (the woods... needs a proper good sharpening after them), usually 2 stroke petrol (got 1 petrol can, the little 2 stoke engines and the 4 stroke mower all get the same regardless), turned over once a month over the winter and it is still going OK. Problems with it are all body work, a couple of holes underneath (wonder where it did that), and it lost a screw for the handle - all fixed OK I'd certainly look second hand as well, and the local police auctions might throw up a bargain if you have the time to look.. and even worse Freecycle - you never know! Factor in some cash for any repairs, clean filters and spark plugs that way

Not sure the legalities but they are plants. Not planted I guess to cause annoyance to the neighbour. Imagine this scenario, my garden backs onto a small council owned wood, we get nettles and brambles growing in the garden obviously from the woods - I am sure a situation thousands of people are in. So are the council responsible? Should I call them and ask? How about anyone next to a grain field whose flower beds also grow a nice crop of wheat? call the farmer? All those dandelions, seeds blown from further up the road, should I call round and ask them to sort them out? In my view it is just one of those things. You might also consider common practice if a tree hangs over your boundary, you are entitled to cut it back to the boundary no problem, can also take the fruit on your side too I think. So based on that my opinion would be their garden they can do what they want but also their garden and they are responsible for the maintenance. Where this argument fails a bit is with tree roots under foundation and if is your tree and a neighbours house you might get the insurers lawyers knocking. Might not solve a problem though, telling the neighbour where to go never solves a problem, but I think your daughter is doing the right thing showing willing to remove them earlier than she might have otherwise, hopefully the neighbour will understand that she is sorting it out and needs some patience for the rots to die. If he gets right arsy though, weed killer them yourself on his side and ignore his amazon delivery drivers when he is out.

A post like this and you get to know the really really weird people online.... Milton does the job well, Gran used to swear by boiling vanish in pan to get rid of proper burnt on stuff, does the same in a flask, but be warned, soapy chemicals leave an after taste for years (took 2 years with one flask, but learnt to drink from it breathing out at the same time so I couldn't smell the soap), but like anyone knows a good aged cup with tea stains are the best. Dad used a flask every day in work and left it full of water soaking overnight (cold water that still has the chlorine in, does heating tap water boil that off?). Never store anything with the lids left on. For me, if I can, I will have a small stove, gas and brew a coffee fresh, else some ground coffee in the flask, pour in the water and let it brew till I want it, if it is kept upright for a while the grounds sink well enough. Anyway, Mellow Birds anyone?

Got to be patient, often the tip sites are good for tree surgeons out of their usual area looking for somewhere to tip. Established firms are likely to have their arrangements in place, so all depends wo is working in your area. Might also be prudent to give the local firms a shout directly, ask if they are passing your place to drop off there instead of back to their base. Might be that if they need to get back to their job and you are 10 minutes each way quicker than the base, they will drop things off, but might not come out of their way to get to you... if it is easier people will come

Could just have a solid base with air holes round the edge?

Maybe I am paranoid but my first thought when a company pushes me to use an App is "why", and what benefit do they get out of me using one, for the costs and time it takes to create and maintain one, they have to get some benefit.... which is often the little buttons "access everything I have ever done on my phone" and "bombard me with adverts and offers". However for a forum and a social site you might use often, I might be more inclined to consider it.. but forums and social sites like this don't get the finances to support one. Understandable if it is not able to be supported and like above the browsers versions are often better. (however all irrelevant now, I have got a basic phone, quite bombproof, costs £20 to replace when I trash it...and no constant pressure to be online and lovingly stroke the thing every 30 seconds like some people do)

Angle grinder.. used for grinding stuff, drill, used for putting holes in stuff, sander, used for sanding stuff. What kind of condition are the floorboards in to need sanding? and what kind of condition is the upside down face of them in? For ease if they are all lifted, can't you put them in upside down? Suitable attachments could cost as much as a cheap sander or sending them off to a carpenter to sand down

Ooops and Shhh... just don't tell them

I should also qualify this... when lighting and when the fire is going out the chimney could be below dew point of course

That rings a bell for Saturdays, might be till 1:00,

think ceiling fans, work by moving the air about

Will affect it over time but if the chimney is kept hot then it won't condense so much onto the chimney liner?

Goes in cycles I think, a bad year and then a good year, I am looking hopeful though, plenty on the trees just now

If you follow the building or construction guidelines you should be OK though. What I read yesterday focussed more on the operators with PPE and ear defenders. I might ask what time you started and finished the work? If they are complaining at 11:00 on a Friday morning then they have no grounds, working at 7:00 then maybe, and of course "Tree removals".. a few trees? if you have been doing the job for a day and a half then no grounds but if you have been at it for 3 months then maybe. I think the rules all depends on the extent of the problem, like I said above keep to sociable times and you should be OK. I might also ask what the complainer was after from the complaint or if they gave a reason, for example night shift worker might well complain and ask you to be quieter, but Mrs Miggings getting annoyed they she hears noises while drinking her afternoon gin.. no cause to complain. I guess if they complain again you can listen to their complaint and politely point them in the direction of the council noise complaints people?

Coal man smokeless though I don't know the brand. Experience has shown that DIY warehouse / Petrol station / supermarket smokeless will do the job but is more expensive (marketed I think to the Christmas day, once a year fire market) with more ash (which appears to be mostly a sand filler)

All depends on time I think. 11pm to 7am is night time so should be quiet, though I haven't got a link for you

would they be similar to the van I saw the other day, "Local tree Sugeon" it said with a mobile number, no company name, no logo on the van, no clue who it was

Yup, a sub £100 saw is for domestic use or for serious refurbishment if it is a higher power, so selling to a bloke down the street they want to know it starts and runs, and doesn't sound too bad (which is why I suggested a video) before they come to buy. I get a feeling that the OP has taken a bit of care with his kit so unlikely to be too knackered... but all good info for us all. Bolted chain connection... again selling to a bloke down the street will see then with the quick adjusters new online, see the bolted connections on a saw and jump to conclusions that an older model will be more problems regardless of the facts, and will want to pay less.

That's fair. The video of them starting and running is good sales tool that not many people use, the buyer has to take it on trust "this works" - see it running and the confidence level rises a lot, more likely to sell it quicker and maybe for a better price.

Cost wise it is similar to hire or get a cheap corded tool, the hire one will be more versatile than what you could get at -our favourite DIY warehouse- and the job will be quicker. For a one off job you will then have a nearly new tool sat in the shed cluttering up space for the next 10 years till you throw it out. Maybe it is my mind and having bought the -warehouse DIY store- cheapest own brand before I would be going for better quality to make my life easier and better quality will generally be at least double the price of a hire. I would agree though that if you are likely to use it more than once over a couple of weekends then buying something wins every time (remember this here is for domestic use, not commercial). So my comment all comes back to what I mentioned in my first comment, is this a one of job, in which case £150 tool or £50 hire, the hire is better, or will it be something you'll use again and again in which case 5 or 6 x £50 hires is a lot more expensive than buying the tool. I suspect that the OP is looking to buy regardless, but it is worth asking the question.

Aww, I was hoping for an update from the OP on this, seeing where he has got with it, whether he did this or has paused the project to save and get someone in to finish the job.. always worth finishing the story off for anyone in the future thinking to do the same they can learn from the experience

For the Stihl, it is the older model with bolts on the chain rather than the quick adjust which might drop its price a bit. I keep an eye out, mine is the MS181, a model up, but share a lot of the same parts, £50 to £75 for that. I guess the other saw is similar use and quality, so a similar price? My thought would be sell them both and get the cash then you have the power to get a brush cutter, cash talks more than swaps, As for buying a second hand saw, I have no problem with that though mine were bought new, the hedge trimmers and blower were both second hand "spares or repair", once started and carb adjusted they work OK. Not everyone can afford brand new and not everyone will have a handy power supply to spend the same on a corded electric model, so it is worth trying and someone will buy them. If you can get them running then pop a video on any online sales page of them running that says a lot more than "this works, honest" - nothing to say you can't start them from warm in the video though.

forgot to ask, do you have a budget for this as well? Cheap corded look to be similar prices to hiring a petrol one for the weekend (sorry to go on about hiring stuff, got to clear the shed this year sometime too, too many toys) (Back to my last comments, the mower only complains at rubble)