Svts

Well that response is at least a bit more considered . Obviously still doesn't address your apparent confusion over her gender status. And how her political views have any bearing on that. But I see someone else has tried and failed to get you to explain that already. So I'll accept its not going to happen and stop wasting our time any further. Nice turn around on the pathetic name calling nonsense at the end there though, (you seem to of forgotten the "he/she oddball freak" utterance of yours that set this whole exchange off), good work. Unfortunately it's not just me that has noticed a gradual change on this forum . Lots of noise in certain quarters but less to engage people in the trade seemingly. I know plenty of individuals involved in the arb/ forestry world that don't bother with it anymore for similar reasons. Glad to hear that your at times aggressive gobby online tone, towards the sections of society that don't meet with your approval, doesn't transfer to real life outside of the Internet. And that in real life you're just a normal hard working family man much like myself. (I'm sure there's a name for that phenomenon, but I'll refrain from uttering it, lest I fall into the name calling trap again!) I too ignore a lot of what of I read online. Obviously I shall just have to try harder in future. On that note I shall bid you a civil goodbye.

Well a predictable response I suppose, "bud". No mention of why a straightforward gay women should be described in such terms. She, like my daughter, doesnt seem to have any confusion as to her gender. She just fancies women. So what was all that he/she/it crap? Maybe give that big manly head of yours a scratch and have a bit more of a think about it. "Fake mock shock wow" ? Why not wow? I genuinely don't come across such cretinous nonsense very often these days. It wasn't shock, just an expression of my incredulity. In short, crass rantings such as yours, on a public forum, tend to make me worry about my daughters safety as she becomes ever more independent. You kind of expect it from kids on the playground. But when grown ups start openly spewing such confused bile its hard not to react. "Little big man tizzy fit"...just more empty keyboard warrior bullshit isn't it? You're good at that aren't you! It's been mildy amusing reading the usual responses from your alpha male mates. It seems nothing much has changed since I would repeat stuff like that as a 13 year old. It's slightly disappointing that the mods have allowed what has been an interesting thread over the years, to degenerate to such a low level of debate. Where once was a largely good natured exchange of differing views, it now seems largely clogged up with you and one or two others endlessly flapping your jaws on your pet peeves. But I suppose clicks mean prizes. I'll amend my summary of you to "confused loudmouth prick" for now shall I?

Wow. I've never thought of my gay wheelchair bound daughter as less worthy of consideration than my 6ft 4in straight son. Should I reconsider how I treat her(it)? You ****************ing gobshite prick.

We've not noticed any difference at all. Sounds like your wood should be plenty dry enough.I reckon you're getting a bit of condensation building up under the polythene. This then drips off to cause a bit of localised reabsorption. I've had similar issues occsionally when keeping cages outside under tarps over winter.

Driven down to price and price alone. Isn't that just one of the great benifits of a free market global economy? If someone can turn as much profit out of something as possible then it's worthwhile, if not then it's neither needed nor necessary. I reckon forestry is one of the industries least likely to sustain any sort of cooperative business culture. I've know a few people in the industry I would trust not to take advantage. But the majority I come across just want to take as much as they can and give as little as they can. Especially if it means they can get a bigger/better/newer machine etc! Underneath the camaraderie the culture of take as much as you can for yourself is as strong as ever. It starts the very top ime.

Sounds like you should be asking £180/£200 a day. Although I might add the caveat that you will need to jump around between contractors to maintain it. The trouble with this game is the timber doesn't always allow it. I have great volumns in some patches and crap volumes in others. Or buy some machinery and jump up a level in the food chain. Then jump up another level and buy you're own standing and cut, extract and market it yourself. If you have the capital to do the latter then that's where the reall money is. Cutting direct for estates should allow you to negotiate dayrate for the worst stuff. Cutting for timber buyers will be a different story, it'll be whatever roadside rate the market will allow...

That's pretty much the nub of it. Mech harvesting is wheres it at end of story. I looked at buying into it earlier this year. But looking at the wider UK timber industry I can't see a lot of longterm joy in it. Yes there is a stack of work atm. But once the Adb bonanza is finished in a few years, it'll be a different story. I might get the finance paid off before it's over but its a big might. The local softwood mill shut this year as it was a money pit. There's softwood sawlog been sitting roadside since the summer near me. And that is after the contractor took a £25 a ton hit on it as suddenly the other big buyer had a no competition. Its just not a sustainable business model. There's no way I'm taking on a load of finance at my age just to keep working. And I can stick a few days machine work but anymore than that gets dull and repetitive for me. So I'll try and keep going as I am, but the writing is on the wall as far as I'm concerned.

Ah fair enough. Dayrate work seems very limited around here. Its a roadside piece rate or nothing usually. So keeping tabs on daily volume averages is vital. Aside from the odd roadside winching job or awkward bits and bobs with little merchantable timber. Even the various conservation trusts seem to favour mech harvesting now. The lure of a better return and fisa led pressure to kick handcutters out wherever possible, seems to trump the low impact approach. You are doing well to get experienced cutters for £160 a day. £180/£200 a day around here now , if you can find anyone at all.

I've no problem with shunting about on the first run through. It's unavoidable in a hand cut site. Once I've opened up a route in/out its just a case of working backwards and forwards along the edge of cut material. Taking into account the topography and standing understory etc. I'm generally in hardwood stuff so there s a lot of variables when felling. Wasteing time and energy trying to tip stuff where it really doesn't want to go verses a bit of extra lever pulling. I do find it frustrating when someone makes a stack in a stupid place. Trapped behind uncut Hazel etc. I can always extract my own stuff quicker than other peoples as I've always got an idea of how I'll extract it. That said, the total lack of cutters mean I usually only ever extract stuff I've cut myself!

Out of interest, what sort of meterage do you get from a new person on £120 a day? And is the £160 rate for fully experienced cutters, with windblown etc? I find that new cutters generally struggle to cover a oner a day. Which usually means they aren't viable, as they think they should be worth at least £140/£150 a day. Usually because thats what the bloke that trained them said.

What a strange reply. The chap didn't ask how much money he could make running a gardening or fencing business. Yes it's hard graft for the money. Yes you could walk onto any building site in the UK and earn easier money. Or start a gardening business if you fancy really stupendously easy money! Each to their own. Now harvesters have taken the bulk of the work and the fisa nonsense is getting more and more powerful, handcutting is slowly getting squeezed out anyhow.

My wife is the best firelighter I know. A petrol receipt and a couple of old lolly sticks and we're in business!

It all depends on how quick and tidy you are. Are you're new to it and only cutting 6/7/8 meters a day? Or do you have a few years under your belt and can double that? Are you mowing it down in front of a harvester on dayrate or cutting and stacking in front of the forwarder on a piece rate? I've worked with people on £140 a day that have struggled to cut and stack £100 worth of wood a day. I've also worked with people on £180/£200 a day that could cut and stack plenty enough to cover it (although they're rare beasts nowadays!) Some jobs it's easy cutting and some jobs are nothing but sweat and aggravation!

I'd echo those above as regards the viability of the windblown Birch. Get it quick and try and get it under cover if you're not going to use it immediately. That said there's a mad panic buy on at the moment, If you've a few wagon loads of processer friendly stuff that's been down a year you'll be holding a trump card. A lad I know paid an eye-watering sum for a load of rubbish from a well known player recently, out of desperation. And you don't mention if the landowner wants paying at all? Free is a different ball game to paying for it.

I really wouldn't bother with them. Tried them on a couple of saws but didn't really see any benefits. And the decibel level is just really stupid. Honestly take a tip from a mug that tried them and save your money. Stock 400s/462s and other brand equivalents are fantastic saws without any of this nonsense.