Acerforestry

PM me and I'll send a mobile number. I cut chestnut in Kent and might be able to get you a contact for long term work if you need more info

Going back to OP question, work on having a backup plan for the future regardless of where you go. You are unlikely to want to hand cut much beyond your forties (IMO anyway), it is fairly knackering and as much as i enjoy it at 50 now, i know I have to do something else fairly soon - which is covered, I hope

Ok, so by all accounts work is now do able as long as it's moderate - I'm not going to be picking up 20kg logs for a while, thanks

Just curious how many forum users have had inguinal (groin) hernias patched up. Had a double one done on the 8 July and the whole thing recovery wise has been fine, but now beginning to get pretty restless. I can't heavy lift for about 6-8 weeks and I'll probably opt for 8 to be on the safe side, but at the moment would be happy to start maybe making a few things out of chestnut, bit of wood craft, that kind of thing. After a couple of weeks I feel fine, so I guess that's ok, as long as no real effort required?

That doesn't really make sense? Yes, hormone levels go down with age generally for either sex but that has no bearing whatsoever on what levels youngsters have, as Stubby said.

😂😂 should have seen that possibility there, lol

Thing is, whatever path you go work-wise you pay a physical price generally - sit on your back side in an office and they reckon cardiovascular disease or similar will do you in; do a manual job and you end up with a knackered back, hernias, arthritis and Christ knows what else? I'll stick with the manual work, at least at 50 I've got blood pressure more average for a thirty year old, and there's no fat on me!

Up to a point, yes that's fair comment

Arb is hard, forestry / hand cutting debateably worse. I've had a few blokes in to burn and stack in the past, and for what i can afford to pay them they are disappointed when shattered physically at the end of the day. Work ethic has changed, a lot of people generally not just youngsters want an easier life that doesn't damage your body - possibly you can't blame them!

Exactly what I did last year, though I was actually shifting yard at the time "I thought I'd give you a call to see if you wanted to buy a little extra in for autumn..." and yes, few people declined

Also not a fan of Weibang, chiefly though due to weight as opposed to warranty or reliability issues - probably the heaviest mower of its dimensions out there

Yes to be realistic this has not done a lot of work full stop, so I seriously doubt piston wear - oil level is fine. A mower engineer mate is going to have a look, will report back

Going back to suppliers, I cut for Torry Hill Estate in Kent, probably largest supplier in the UK. If you can order a sufficient quantity I'm sure they can deliver to Surrey

I have a Makita long reach 4 stroke hedge cutter, which was fine initially for lighter work but after about a year it took to cutting out once warm, and then refusing to start until cooled. Has anyone had a similar problem with one of these units, its either an EN49500H or EN4951SH, its doing my head in and I can't find any troubleshooting solution anywhere, cheers

All aforementioned posts concerning the lower end of the scale, sideline aspect ring very true to me - if you are fortunate enough to bring in a fair few tons of arisings (or have some other means of getting the wood free) over the year and therefore have no outlay on the timber, then it works, in my view. But buying artic loads in whilst trying to run an arb or forestry business simultaneously, at the prices that these loads are these days - no. Too expensive, too time consuming