dan blocker

Squaredy, can you just not sit down instead of leaning against that big log all the time and just think about it?. I’m getting the impression people are wasting their time replying ?

I run a Predator 28 and have never had a bolt break - that statement is probably the start of it now! Do you clean the pockets of all grime and muck and dress off any burrs with a file - just the minimum, otherwise you can torque a false reading and it all slackens off, I think a slack bolt is more likely ro snap than a tight one?. I’m sure you do all of this but just covering it?

Any trees I’ve not allowed enough on and realise just after the first cut?I just hate them more and more as the day goes on, especially if it goes into the following day and I allowed one?

Nice job Mick, Like the idea of a big saw up the tree early instead of overworking the top handle. The weather looks a lot kinder for tree work with you than in most of the UK too?. What with the weather and the loader doing a lot of the heavy lifting I’m getting jealous. Thinking of getting one myself but unsure on wether wheeled or tracked, feel another thread coming?

A complete waste of money? So the Woodland trust says HS2 affects 44 ancient woodlands with the loss of approx 40 hectares, HS2 says it’s only 43 woods and only 39 hectares?, so it’s no where near as bad as we thought after all then?! When the route was originally confirmed and as HS2 took over the sites Travellers moved onto parts of it? To avoid long legal court cases they were paid a few thousand of our hard earned pounds to move on?, eventually it rose to 10 grand a throw??the last I heard they threw 100 big ones at the happy campers to move on??, that’s only a very small proportion of what they’re wasting, what the hell are they doing with the public’s money? Who do they think they are?

Exactly, give the guy a break, go for It pathfinder. 15 years a roadey, that can be hard work, unsociable hours, rain or shine, unlike arb which seems to be busy - concerts, shows etc is completely screwed with 1000’s out of work! Get your saw tickets and find a job felling for 12 months, that’ll give you more experience than a few climbers that are about?. Council tree officers generally have other experience in the industry and are generally better for it? As you say there are lots of different avenues in arb but don’t think you can gain a few levels in qualification and then pick one of them, do as most have suggested and get some practical experience for a few years, if your any good or have potential someone could push you along in the industry - as opposed to out if you can’t perform. There’s plenty who’ve taken it up later in life and are making a good living out of it. Good luck.

Give your local steam railway centre a call Don, they’ll know someone who can repair your loader bracket, it can be repaired as strong if not stronger than original. There are people all over this country that can carry out this type of repair.

As some one as already said it’s probably out of the country by now. As we head towards a no deal Brexit expect an upsurge in all plant, ag machinery etc being stolen because all those that have been eyeing stuff for stealing have little time to show their hand because the Border checks could put an end(hopefully) to their thieving days. Be vigilante ?. Not saying it’s all going across the channel because we have our home grown scumbags as well but a lot of stuff goes abroad, especially stuff like this safetrack which is pretty unusual outside rail work or highways.

If you run 2/3 teams for 4 x 5 day weeks (20 working days a month) that’s only £3/day or £1/day/team, doesn’t sound so much then. I’m only one team so then £60 a month is a lot.

?Don’t think they would of been made out of Rhino hide, the WWF would of had something to say about that. They’ve got enough broblems trying to protect them from poachers taking them for their horn without Arb boot manufacturers shooting them?

Have you sprained them at work whilst wearing proper chainsaw boots. Maybe you need to look across the full range of boots available because there’s some good ones out there with some more like mountain boots and give good ankle support.

No single builders/ dumpy bag will last long being dragged far, especially across concrete, tarmac etc. If you don’t have a supply of once used bags get an arb trolley and carry it.

Well done in getting some more kit together and back to work so quickly after such a kick in the teeth mate. It’s too easy to go into a downwards spiral, so good to hear your positive. They would of scouted the area so if you haven’t - ask around the local area, look out for any cameras and ask if they’ve captured anything. Good luck for the future.

Oh, and is anyone selling an Avant or Multitone loader or similar?

So even you don’t practice what you preach? a bit of a contradiction there?

I think it was mentioned on this forum that they weren’t that easy to contact. Perhaps at a show (if there is ever one again!) when they’re trying to sell their kit they’re reminded of that?

That’s the poor design of IW trailers with sides and others in that to tie/strap down any thing heavy there isn’t anything without those IW recessed ones or similar after market ones! Then if your moving chip, sand or stone they fill up. If 500kg was applied as photo sides would probably bend in. I bet if the load was applied on hook next to where it’s welded on to body it would take In excess of 500kgs.

Wait till the AA get sight of it?. They’ll go to HSE and we’ll have to ware 2 of them?

What about one of those fence panel coating brushes on a hose from a can?

What I thought as already been covered? I’m off to bed, I’ve had a another hard day taking advantage of the better weather working on flat rate?

Is it Riko that sell these? Ring them and ask? Surely they would know?

Can’t compare Arb rates with Plumbers and Sparkies cos they’re on double time all week?

I put a price in for all my work, I win some?, I loose some?, some of those I win are done on a Saturday to fit them in if the client is happy. How many jobs do you think I’ll win if I allow time and half for myself and two blokes? - probably none?. I’m not underselling myself or my blokes, I’m trying to be competitive. I don’t know how many “Arbs” are in your area but around here there’s quite a few from professional outfits to those that tarmac, pave, trim hedges, lopping and topping? they’re all competition. The other week I even lost a job to some power line weekend bush monkeys who the client asked when they were next door to him! They did the job for cash - you guessed it?- on the weekend. The only thing is they weren’t insured, they didn’t have a chipper?, and they left a mess when they didn’t come back?the following weekend! bloke begged me to clean it up and grind the stumps? it cost him more in the end. Realise that most power line Tree blokes are a professional bunch but the they have their “ bottom feeders!” Were not all operating in Hampstead, Kensington, Notting Hill etc where we can charge divorce lawyer rates?

Did you actually work on his property then to complete the job? You’ve already offered to clean the stain so that’s admitting responsibility surely? What do you think caused the staining?

As Khriss says there’s a big difference to whips, bare root, potted, root balls? If the ground is already hard then an auger could just polish/ glaze the hole sides making it difficult for routes to grow and develop beyond the confines if the hole. As far as I’m concerned the hole size needs to be at least twice the diameter of the pot or root ball. If they’re hedging bundles dig a trench if the grounds hard and mix in some compost, if pots or balls use a digger and mix spoil with compost. Obviously if you have access for a digger, otherwise spade, shovel and bar? . That’s just my opinion.