Dbikeguy

I’m just planning a Hilux extra cab tipping tray back build with extra boards to make it an arb box body. I do other work as well as trees so need to be able to get ton bags or loads of timber on the truck too.

Current plan is steel frame with ladder bar, 400mm deep drop sides with 1m deep drop in sides with barn doors on them. Tie bar across the top.

Just got the husky 520ihe3 battery hedge cutter and i’m really impressed! when i too the funds back up i’m adding the polesaw to the kit too.

power plane to remove the bulk, measuring often, then a hand plane, lots of sanding.

Depends massively on area buddy, where are you based?
I have my own small setup and pay between 100-150 for a decent groundie, who can think for themselves, pre empt what we are doing next and can talk to clients (if i am up a tree the groundie is the one getting talked to)
I got offered some silly rates as a 30,31,38 holder £75 to £100 max with own kit inc climbing gear etc so ended up starting my own gig reasonably quickly.

Finding a decent company who isn’t all about rushing their team through a job, who will teach you as you go and get you climbing if you want to go that way is tough to find but worth hunting for.

Message local tree firms and offer a days brash dragging to make introductions and see how a commercial tree site runs.

I have a 445 that’s a beaut to use all day, 15” bar, light, silly good on fuel not as robust as a 550 but about half the price...

Thanks  boss, appreciate it. Is there any basic descent tools and or techniques youd recommend? 
Thanks 

Where are you based?

Climbing arborist has some good videos on the basics, so binge on youtube to his stuff, lots of bad technique if you just search tree climbing.

learn some basic knots, again climbing arborist is a good resource.

Find a decent tree, with a strong limb maybe 20ft up, throw a rope over or use a ladder if you must, start close to the trunk to use your feet to help.

With your knot skills secure one end to a krab, clip it to your harness. Tie a 3 wrap prussic 2 if you are light (under 65kg ish) and attach that to the krab with the other rope already on it. That’s a basic climbing system without learning the old school 3 knot system, which i found didn’t like modern ropes...

start silly low, get a few feet off the floor and descend again. slowly go higher. get hip thrusts good, you will hurt the next day!

SRT is ace but only really useful on taller trees, and requires more gear, ascenders etc so is more speedy.

Tried both, only the spider briefly mind but the ZZ felt more user intuitive as it’s essentially a metal prussic, spider felt a bit too on off for me.

Buy separate bud, ideally go to a shop and try some harness’ on as they all fit different, a bit like shoes...
Basic shopping list
Harness

5 triple lock krabs - only need 3/4 but worth having a spare.

11.7 ish dia rope, Honey bros have an end of roll section on the website. can pick up bargains

3 prussic cords, eye 2 eye is easier and neater when learning. one is a spare

3m lanyard or rope offcut to make your own

helmet

Job done

I loved living in the Alps, Tignes and Courchevel doing chalet maintenance and building work, dealing with the French merchants for materials was a right royal pain in the ass!

UK, if it’s a big order i’d ring it in the day before, get a time to call in and they would load the trailer.

France, have to go see them, drop trailer off, wait for a call to say it’s ready, normally calling them a week after dropping said trailer to be told it’s been ready for a few days!

Get there and there’s a pile sat next to the trailer for me to load.

My boss was a Tignes local (Guerlain Chicceret the nut job who tried to backflip a mini and crashed a long jump in a mini - youtube, worth a gander) so he was a proper local spending hundreds of thousands of Euro’s at the merchants to get that service.

 

Would hate to try getting work done on machinery! I serviced the vehicles, quad, blower and telehandler as far quicker!

 

Aerial rescue gets bought up a lot, the risk and chance of needing is very low, as long as no one has symptoms (coughing, sneezing etc) then it’s only being passed if you transfer it to your own nasal system, so if your climber has symptoms, he should have been kicked off site to isolate.
Whoever does the rescue needs to wash as soon as is reasonably possible ( prob wants to anyway as most rescues involve claret liberally doused everywhere) The rescue climber then isolated for 14days to ensure they are clear.

It’s like finding a car crash and staying 2m away in case you catch something!

I handle a few custom knives so bench sander in the garage, mostly wear a mask but forgot the once, felt like my sinus’ were on fire and tight chest for 2-3 days. Now have a Makita dust extract unit and always wear a FFP3 mask. Gf’s a respiratory nurse and had a tree guy come in with shot lungs from breathing saw dust all the time. Can’t remember what got him but 35yrs + in the trade is a lot of dust to breathe in

I had all the symptoms in January and was quite rough with it. Unusual because I rarely suffer with much.
Would like to think I had it and now immune but if that was the case how come the hospitals weren't packed with folk dying of it then?

There prob was people dieing from it but not being tested, if it was vulnerable or respiratory compromised it could have been seen as a flu aggravating their existing condition.

39k die from flu a year in the uk i think i saw...

You'll be lucky to get a 3.5 tonne tipper under 2 tonne unladen so that will only allow a freeboard of 200kg for driver, kit and consumables.
 
Maybe better with just a dropside body, lower too.

I think he meant a tipping trailer, not putting a tracked chipper onto the back of say a transit ripper

At least we know the oil quality in the Husqvarna fuel is very high quality, from a company that produces thousands of two stroke machines, how many two stroke engines does Aspen produce?

That’s like saying how many engines do BP or Shell produce...

Need to be IRATA or similar trained in rescue technique to deal with falls onto a cammed device.
You need more kit as you have to unweight it to release or disconnect so ascender above, pulley etc
So my initial thought was petzl asap but means doing another course... and your rescue climber doing it, plus more kit in the rescue bag

I’d be hiring a machine in or a guy with a CS100 a couple of times a year, no service costs, no blade changes etc just like the branches until needed, ive done a couple of jobs for people like that with mine

I do like a good knife chat.
Made a few and handled a bunch now, first is a custom cut damascus commission, friends husbands 60th pressie, made the sheath too.

my fav Opinal second with Olive wood handle, love these cheapish, holds a good edge and can be made shaving sharp.

Finally my latest project, mini blade etched black. just need to find time to finish the handle!


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Bits and bobs. Like a lot of Arbs I have a climbing gear Fetish?

Love the notch mini wedge!

No issues with my CT just un-weight the rope and it clips off easy enough

Most companies now want a trained operative cscs card, so it’s a 1 day ROLO course, then the usual CsCS computer based test. Budget about £150 for both and your covered.

562 on a 18” bar rips!

Keep hearing Jobber being pushed by ‘climbing arborist’ amongst others. sounds perfect so might be worth a look

I use my ipad pro with a add on keyboard. Bought it for photography editing as easier to carry than a laptop and since being made redundant from the sales job i lost my work supplied laptops.
Perfect for basic needs, invoicing,quotes etc. added bonus of being able to take pics, map spaces ( i do house maintenance to so the floor measuring app is brilliant) easy to send stuff over from my iphone to it etc. Get the pencil tool and it’s great for my needs.

First on my handyman side was a electric underfloor fit, screed then lay 33sqm of wooden flooring, skirting boards etc. Still go back to them for other bits now so i guess they were happy!
Tree wise just a couple of mates houses as subby otherwise. First subby job was a 60ft euc removal

How big? how many trips to remove the brash? hire a chipper if lots of driving as would be more cost effective. How many of you? could you remove me he fence, fell and reinstate the fence?